Sizzling hot chemistry, enjoyable characters, witty and smart dialog, and a plot guaranteed to engage your mind and heart makes If I Stay one of her best books to date. ~ Slick, Guilty Pleasures
Description:
Ryan Lucas would rather be anywhere but Ransom Creek, Connecticut. After losing his high-adrenaline career as a Hollywood stunt driver, he’s had to tuck his tail between his legs and take up employment as a chauffeur for the Montgomerys, a wealthy hotelier family.
Amy Sanders has returned home to Ransom Creek to take over her mother’s former position as nanny to the Montgomerys—bringing her close to dashing Jake Montgomery once again. She grew up with a major crush on Jake, and it’s not easy to leave those feelings behind, even though her friendship with the hard-edged family chauffeur, Ryan, has a sizzling undercurrent of undeniable attraction.
Amy’s determined to prove to Ryan that life at Montgomery Manor isn’t all bad, but each time they draw closer Jake swoops in. Amy is torn between two men—and two worlds. And Ryan is rapidly coming to learn that if he wants to make Amy his, he’ll have to prove to her that life downstairs can be everything they both want.
Review copy provided for an honest review
Every time I read a book by author Tamara Morgan my fan girl crush grows just a little bit more. 
I’ve been reading her work a little over two years and with each book she proves that she’s a talented writer and one that deserves much more recognition and a very long career. She has the uncanny ability to make you laugh out loud, make your panties melt off, and make your heart sing. In her new series Montgomery Manor she’s given us a whole host of characters with some really interesting backgrounds and in this book she’s given us a feisty heroine who longs for a place she can call home and a hero who wants nothing more than to find his way back to the career he lost. Sizzling hot chemistry, enjoyable characters, witty and smart dialog, and a plot guaranteed to engage your mind and heart makes If I Stay one of her best books to date.
The funny thing about Ryan Lucas is that he’s all male and while at times he can be alpha, he’s laid back. I don’t know if this has to do with his recent past that has brought him to The Manor or if that’s just his nature because we really don’t learn a whole lot about Ryan and that’s my one complaint about this otherwise fantastic story. It’s not that we don’t learn some things but he kind of fascinates me and so I want to know EVERYTHING and well, that’s just not always possible. I do love that he’s compassionate, he tries to do that right thing, and that when he falls he’s not afraid to admit it. It’s always nice when a guy who has no intentions of falling does and he’s willing to make changes in his life to keep the woman he loves happy.
Amy Sanders is one of those bubbly energetic people that you can’t help but like. While it’s obvious she’s hiding something from the people she loves, she also is at peace with working as a nanny at Montgomery Manor assuming the job her mother once held. And the hot chauffeur is just an added bonus.
I enjoyed watching these two together; Amy trying to get Ryan involved with all of the staff and prove that The Manor isn’t a bad place to work and live and Ryan trying his best not to get attached. All the while the sizzling chemistry between them just keeps burning and then Jake Montgomery returns home and tries wooing Amy causing all kinds of interesting situations. Humor ran rampant throughout this book which just added to the overall enjoyment.
The plot was very entertaining with Ryan, Amy, and Jake taking up a good portion but plenty of other intriguing scenarios going on as well. As a first book, we were introduced to many characters all of which have me curious as to who will be next and what their story will be.
Author Tamara Morgan continues to be one of my favorite authors and If I Stay is an amazing start to a new series. I’m not a Downtown Abby fan but from what I understand Montgomery Manor and its staff is loosely based on that show so be sure to check it out, you won’t be disappointed!
Thanks for the review Slick