Make Me Stay: The Panic Series

This is the second book in the Panic series and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book when I finished Pull Me Close because I loved Matt. The book was really good, but in my opinion, not as good as the first. This book goes back in time before Nico and Kates relationship in Pull Me Close and the stories then run parallel. My heart broke for both April and Matt when the preverbal you know what hit the fan. Matt has a hard and fast rule that you never lie and he feels the ultimate betrayal when he finds out that June/April was actually an undercover agent that got his father put in prison for his drug trafficking crimes and racketeering. Matt and Nico were also arrested but April had left enough evidence behind that proved that Matt and Nico were innocent and the crimes solely belonged to their father. While Matt was hiring private detectives to try and find the MIA June/April, she was working another undercover job until the trial was complete. A year passes and when Matt finally found out about the betrayal, he went off the rails! He was broken, he was angry, he was bitter and he hated June/April and told her this to her face when she came to apologize for the way things went down. She had wanted to try and see if their relationship could be salvaged. As you can guess, they both fell deeply in love prior to the arrests and that wasn’t part of the plan for April. Matt was not forgiving and he wouldn’t hear her out. Can Matt ever forgive the betrayal and be able to move on with April? You are going to have to read the book and find out. There are a few twists that happen that I didn’t see coming. I loved Matt and April’s characters and the secondary characters were a great supporting cast. On the down side, after all the buildup, I was a little disappointed that the book ended a little too quickly for me, but all in all, it was a very good read. I can’t wait for the next book! If you love a second chance romance with a twist, then give this book a try.

This is a mid-angst, face paced, steamy read about a couple that build what appears to be a beautiful relationship, only to be separated the very day they confess their love for each other. June/April was undercover when she met Matt. There is an instant attraction which works well for her because she is investigating his family’s nightclub for illegal activities. Matt falls hard pretty fast. He wasn’t looking for a relationship because he’s got a lot going on in his life and adding a woman to the mix would surely increase his stress levels that he covers up with fake smiles. He soon realizes that when he’s with June he is at peace and he wants to keep her in his life always. Unfortunately, things don’t work out for him and the next year finds him battling denial, anger, hurt and heartbreak. When June/April reenters his life and he learns her secret, he is unforgiving and resolved to keep her away. The first part of this book is written completely in Matt’s point of view, of which I was a big fan. The second part is a combination of both their POVs and this is where the angst cranks up. While the first book was pure magic, Make Me Stay was able to cast its own spell upon me and I enjoyed every bit of it. I cannot wait for the next installment in this series. ARC provided through Netgalley Safe Potential Triggers – drug use

Matt Moreno dreads each day as he works all week at his law firm then all weekend at his family's night club. Then he met and fell hard for June Simpson. For the 5 blissful months they were together Matt had never been happier. Then she just disappeared. Gone without a word. Now 2 years later his life is completely different. His father is in prison. He was fired from the firm. The night club is barely hanging in there. Then he's certain he see's her again but she disappears into the crowd. Again! Then out of nowhere she turns up in his club with apologies and explanations Matt doesn't want to hear. A fantastic story of forgiveness, love, and following your heart. While it's the second in a series it is easily read standalone. The characters are fantastic and the writing is great, making for a very entertaining book. I highly recommend this book.