If You Stayis Joy’s story. Joy is Devonny’s mother from Book One, If You Knew.
Joy confesses to Devonny that she left her hometown 25 years ago with Devonny’s father, and when she called home for help, her father told she’d made her bed and she could lay in it.
So, Joy turned her back on her family and friends and made a new life for herself and her daughter in LA. But she realizes she’s also deprived Devonny of a relationship with her extended family. And if she doesn’t fix things, she’ll also deprive her grandchild of those connections as well. Devonny points out that if Joy’s family still wants nothing to do with her, she hasn’t lost anything. But she might never forgive herself if she doesn’t give them a second chance.
REVIEWS FOR IF YOU DARE:
Romance4theBeach
If You Stay by Barbara Meyers – Romance Novels for the Beach (wordpress.com)
“After so many years away, Joy Laurence is finally returning home to face the parents who turned their back on her. The journey to forgiveness is long and arduous, but there might just be love waiting at the end of the road.”
“Their scenes together were oftentimes a reprieve from the intensity of the book as a whole, providing a seamless chemistry and lightness of fluttering butterflies in the stomach at the start of any new love affair. Whereas we really couldn’t tell how or if other relationships might be resolved, the attraction between Granger and Joy was something we could rely on.”
BOOK JUNKIES REVIEWS
Review: If You Stay by Barbara Meyers – Book Junkie Reviews (wordpress.com)
Oh my! Such gorgeous writing! Author Barbara Meyer hooked me from the first paragraph with her impressive writing, and her characters and storyline kept me glued to my seat reading.
If You Stay is the story of returning home and starting again. Joy returns to Iowa mostly to reconnect with her daughter, but the move also gives her the opportunity to reconnect with her parents. Joy is a not-so-prodigal daughter returned and trying to make good. In the process, she meets Granger and his daughter Cassie. Granger presents an opportunity for some romance to be built into the story as well as to expand the storyline beyond Joy’s immediate family. Additionally, Granger and Cassie have their own familial issues which add complexity to the story.
If You Stay is a true family drama. It is a story of love and forgiveness. The plot is straightforward, realistic, and well paced. Ms. Meyers makes the parent-child struggles easy to relate to and sympathize with. There are strong messages of acceptance and forgiveness, and I loved the denouement (which I won’t give away with further discussion) that represented the give and take of every relationship.
If You Stay is a beautifully written story with universal messages. Relatable characters and issues make this family drama easy to recommend.
