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Keep Me Still #0.5
Let You Leave
Novella included in special edition of Keep Me Still
New Adult Romance contains MA 17+ content
Layla Flaherty had the perfect life, or close to it. Until a stranger gunned her parents down right in front of her, leaving her with seizure inducing PTSD. After years of trying to pass as normal and failing miserably, she resigns herself to being invisible. But new to town Landen O’Brien sees her, and he likes what he sees. Much to Layla’s surprise, he doesn’t freak out when she has a seizure in front of him. He does the exact opposite, calming her until the tremors subside. But Landen has secrets of his own. Secrets that will either bind them together or tear them apart
New Adult Romance contains MA 17+ content
Layla Flaherty had the perfect life, or close to it. Until a stranger gunned her parents down right in front of her, leaving her with seizure inducing PTSD. After years of trying to pass as normal and failing miserably, she resigns herself to being invisible. But new to town Landen O’Brien sees her, and he likes what he sees. Much to Layla’s surprise, he doesn’t freak out when she has a seizure in front of him. He does the exact opposite, calming her until the tremors subside. But Landen has secrets of his own. Secrets that will either bind them together or tear them apart
200 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
816 people want to read
About the author
Caisey Quinn
47 books1,952 followersCaisey Quinn is the bestselling author of more than 15 full-length romance novels, including the traditionally published Neon Dreams and Nashville's Finest series. She lives in a small town in Alabama with her two children.
After two years of self-publishing, her first traditional deal came from Avon/William Morrow (HarperCollins) and was a significant 3-book deal for the Neon Dreams series. She continues to publish independently as well as traditionally.
Caisey is a huge fan of her fellow romance authors and enjoys reading, trying new recipes from Pinterest, and pushing herself to run long distances without passing out. You can find her online as @CaiseyQuinn and www.caiseyquinn.com.
She is represented by Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary agency.
Her latest indie novels, Hot for Her, Hot for Teacher, and The Naughty List are available in Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2n5EgVf
Instagram: https://bit.ly/29zT2jR
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2vqtFbh
Twitter: https://bit.ly/2OyXwHn
Pinterest: https://bit.ly/2Ove6Ih
Join Caisey's Crew on Facebook to keep up with the latest book news! https://www.facebook.com/groups/CQsRo...
After two years of self-publishing, her first traditional deal came from Avon/William Morrow (HarperCollins) and was a significant 3-book deal for the Neon Dreams series. She continues to publish independently as well as traditionally.
Caisey is a huge fan of her fellow romance authors and enjoys reading, trying new recipes from Pinterest, and pushing herself to run long distances without passing out. You can find her online as @CaiseyQuinn and www.caiseyquinn.com.
She is represented by Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary agency.
Her latest indie novels, Hot for Her, Hot for Teacher, and The Naughty List are available in Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2n5EgVf
Instagram: https://bit.ly/29zT2jR
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2vqtFbh
Twitter: https://bit.ly/2OyXwHn
Pinterest: https://bit.ly/2Ove6Ih
Join Caisey's Crew on Facebook to keep up with the latest book news! https://www.facebook.com/groups/CQsRo...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
September 8, 2019
4 ❤️❤️💔💔 🌈 🥛🍫 🍒⚡️⚡️🌟🌟🌟🌟s❣️
Such a wonderful prequel❣️Strong, emotional, sweet and captivating.
Two broken souls in their teens fell in love, perfect for each other, full of dreams and hope, yet life had other plans for Layla and Landen... 💔
Such a wonderful prequel❣️Strong, emotional, sweet and captivating.
Two broken souls in their teens fell in love, perfect for each other, full of dreams and hope, yet life had other plans for Layla and Landen... 💔
April 6, 2022
Layla lives with her Aunt and for most of her high school years has been home schooled. After going through a horrific loss in her early teens she also has a health condition that she is reluctant to reveal to the rest of the students at school. For her last year at school she wants to experience her senior year with other people her age as she prepares for college next year.
Landen has recently moved to Hope Springs with his parents. His father is an army Colonel and they have had to move frequently over the years. He is devastated to once again leave his friends and have to start over again. Layla catches his eye on the first day of school, base don how gorgeous she is he assumes she is one of the 'popular' girls but that could not be further from the truth.
Layla has an awful nickname that was assigned to her years ago and she is pretty much shunned by most people. Landen does get why this mazing girl could be so disliked and there is nothing that could make him not want to be her friend. The friendship soon develops into some thing more and they are excitedly planning on attending college together.
When Layla's secret is revealed in the most public way, Landen does not shy away, he goes into full protective mode but Layla is reluctant to accept he would still want to be her friend. However, when he too reveals things he has been keeping to himself about his own home life she soon sees that they both have their reasons for keeping things to themselves and it bonds them even more.
Until one night everyone changes and Layla is left wondering is she ever really knew him at all...
A novella introduction to the Keep Me Still series, not a short story though at around 200 pages long.
Landen has recently moved to Hope Springs with his parents. His father is an army Colonel and they have had to move frequently over the years. He is devastated to once again leave his friends and have to start over again. Layla catches his eye on the first day of school, base don how gorgeous she is he assumes she is one of the 'popular' girls but that could not be further from the truth.
Layla has an awful nickname that was assigned to her years ago and she is pretty much shunned by most people. Landen does get why this mazing girl could be so disliked and there is nothing that could make him not want to be her friend. The friendship soon develops into some thing more and they are excitedly planning on attending college together.
When Layla's secret is revealed in the most public way, Landen does not shy away, he goes into full protective mode but Layla is reluctant to accept he would still want to be her friend. However, when he too reveals things he has been keeping to himself about his own home life she soon sees that they both have their reasons for keeping things to themselves and it bonds them even more.
Until one night everyone changes and Layla is left wondering is she ever really knew him at all...
A novella introduction to the Keep Me Still series, not a short story though at around 200 pages long.
August 16, 2019
Rated 3.5 Stars
Poor, sweet Layla has gone through so much. Along comes Landen into her life and wants to help her. But can he with secrets of his own?
Poor, sweet Layla has gone through so much. Along comes Landen into her life and wants to help her. But can he with secrets of his own?
February 28, 2015
I love this book! *dreamy sigh*
It’s a beautiful story of two damaged teenagers coming together, being there for each other, and finding that once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. Layla and Landen’s story is full of beautiful tender moments, laugh out humour, and a gorgeously innocent romance.
This is the story of Layla and Landen meeting in high school, and follows their incredibly beautiful and emotional relationship from sweet and tender flirting, getting to know each other, sharing secrets, falling for each other and showing how, in a short amount of time, they changed each other’s lives forever.
With chapters in alternating POV, we get to know both Layla and Landen intimately, and I was quickly swept up in their story. The writing is beautiful, and I was highlighting madly, so you’re just going to have to deal with my quote overload :P
After witnessing the brutal murder of her parents when she was 13, Layla was left deeply traumatised and suffering from seizure-induced PTSD. After having a full on seizure in front of her classmates during her freshman year at high school, she is left mortified and ostracized, and so retreats into herself, and is home schooled (she lives with her Aunt… who is a little bit awesome). She makes the return to school in senior year, and that is where she meets the new arrival in town, Landen.
Landen is absolutely gorgeous and a skilled soccer player and is immediately a target for the girls at his new school. But he takes one look at Layla on his first day and is instantly smitten. Definitely not a shy one, he approaches her quickly and although persistent, he recognizes her shyness and takes it slowly and gently with her.
This is YA romance at its finest! It’s sweet, it’s innocent, it’s emotional, and I fell in love with Landen right along with Layla. His huge heart encourages her to trust him, and Layla starts to open up to him in a way she hasn’t with anybody ever before, and I loved seeing her gain confidence as she started to give back to him as good as she got. They have a beautiful openness between them, and I lapped up every word, unable to get enough.
Layla’s condition is always never far from her mind, and always a fear for her, but when Landen witnesses it, he just reinforces his perfection by being there, holding her, supporting and protecting her 100%. It made me love him even more! But he also has a big secret, and as everything between them is revealed, and the hideous consequences come into play, my heart broke for both of them.
Even though it’s short, there is a lot of emotion in this one, and it’s so beautifully written! I could feel everything right alongside the main characters, and I love the depth of feeling that the author put into the early stages of Layla and Landen’s relationship
It ends on a hideous, heartbraking cliffhanger, which isn’t really a big deal as the continuation is right there in Keep Me Still, but it provides a sensational lead in to the rest of the story!
Absolutely beautiful – 5 stars
On a side note, this novella is not available as a standalone, it is included when you buy the Special Edition of Keep Me Still.
It’s a beautiful story of two damaged teenagers coming together, being there for each other, and finding that once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. Layla and Landen’s story is full of beautiful tender moments, laugh out humour, and a gorgeously innocent romance.
This is the story of Layla and Landen meeting in high school, and follows their incredibly beautiful and emotional relationship from sweet and tender flirting, getting to know each other, sharing secrets, falling for each other and showing how, in a short amount of time, they changed each other’s lives forever.
With chapters in alternating POV, we get to know both Layla and Landen intimately, and I was quickly swept up in their story. The writing is beautiful, and I was highlighting madly, so you’re just going to have to deal with my quote overload :P
After witnessing the brutal murder of her parents when she was 13, Layla was left deeply traumatised and suffering from seizure-induced PTSD. After having a full on seizure in front of her classmates during her freshman year at high school, she is left mortified and ostracized, and so retreats into herself, and is home schooled (she lives with her Aunt… who is a little bit awesome). She makes the return to school in senior year, and that is where she meets the new arrival in town, Landen.
Landen is absolutely gorgeous and a skilled soccer player and is immediately a target for the girls at his new school. But he takes one look at Layla on his first day and is instantly smitten. Definitely not a shy one, he approaches her quickly and although persistent, he recognizes her shyness and takes it slowly and gently with her.
“What are you doing here?”…
“Thought you might like a ride,” he answers, smiling that tempting smile at me.
“This going to be a regular thing?” I ask out of curiosity as he helps me into the truck.
“Do you want it to be?” He arches an eyebrow and I can’t help but smile back.
“If you do.”
“I do,” he says and his grin widens. “I think we’re married now.”
This is YA romance at its finest! It’s sweet, it’s innocent, it’s emotional, and I fell in love with Landen right along with Layla. His huge heart encourages her to trust him, and Layla starts to open up to him in a way she hasn’t with anybody ever before, and I loved seeing her gain confidence as she started to give back to him as good as she got. They have a beautiful openness between them, and I lapped up every word, unable to get enough.
“I like you, Landen. A lot. And I want to be friends.”
I’m fucking ecstatic to be this close to her. But the friend word keeps cutting into me. I work hard to form a coherent thought while lost in the depths of her open vulnerable stare. “I want to be friends too, Layla. And I think I might like to be more than that. But if you’re not interested—”
“I’m interested,” she says, cutting me off as her eyes flash and burn into me. “But I might not be…ready for something like that.”
“Then I’ll just stick around until you are ready,” I tell her with a grin. Her muscles visibly relax and I risk taking a step closer. “Patience has never been my greatest skill though, but I promise to give it my best shot.”
“And what is your greatest skill?” She’s backed up against her locker, and I want so badly to show her the answer to that question.
“I’ll show you. When you’re ready.”
Layla’s condition is always never far from her mind, and always a fear for her, but when Landen witnesses it, he just reinforces his perfection by being there, holding her, supporting and protecting her 100%. It made me love him even more! But he also has a big secret, and as everything between them is revealed, and the hideous consequences come into play, my heart broke for both of them.
Even though it’s short, there is a lot of emotion in this one, and it’s so beautifully written! I could feel everything right alongside the main characters, and I love the depth of feeling that the author put into the early stages of Layla and Landen’s relationship
“I am so gone. Lost. Her smile, the little sigh she lets out, the way her eyes light up. All of it. I’m broken down and rebuilt. And nothing will ever be the same again.”
It ends on a hideous, heartbraking cliffhanger, which isn’t really a big deal as the continuation is right there in Keep Me Still, but it provides a sensational lead in to the rest of the story!
Absolutely beautiful – 5 stars
On a side note, this novella is not available as a standalone, it is included when you buy the Special Edition of Keep Me Still.
May 25, 2017
What are you doing here?”…
Thought you might like a ride,” he answers, smiling that tempting smile at me.
“This going to be a regular thing?” I ask out of curiosity as he helps me into the truck.
“Do you want it to be?” He arches an eyebrow and I can’t help but smile back
“If you do.”
“I do,” he says and his grin widens. “I think we’re married now.”
I enjoyed the novella and it really added to the story. Heading off to the next one!
Thought you might like a ride,” he answers, smiling that tempting smile at me.
“This going to be a regular thing?” I ask out of curiosity as he helps me into the truck.
“Do you want it to be?” He arches an eyebrow and I can’t help but smile back
“If you do.”
“I do,” he says and his grin widens. “I think we’re married now.”
I enjoyed the novella and it really added to the story. Heading off to the next one!
September 1, 2014
What are you doing here?”…
Thought you might like a ride,” he answers, smiling that tempting smile at me.
“This going to be a regular thing?” I ask out of curiosity as he helps me into the truck.
“Do you want it to be?” He arches an eyebrow and I can’t help but smile back
“If you do.”
“I do,” he says and his grin widens. “I think we’re married now.”
Loved the beginning to Landen and Layla love story! Decided to read first the prequel of Keep Me Still! I feel like the novella really allows you to connect to the characters and to the backstory on a deeper level. I just want to get to know the hero and the heroine more before they were separated. It started promising and i cant wait to read Keep Me Still!
“I am so gone. Lost. Her smile, the little sigh she lets out, the way her eyes light up. All of it. I’m broken down and rebuilt. And nothing will ever be the same again.”
Blurb:"Layla Flaherty had the perfect life, or close to it. Until a stranger gunned her parents down right in front of her, leaving her with seizure inducing PTSD. After years of trying to pass as normal and failing miserably, she resigns herself to being invisible. But new to town Landen O’Brien sees her, and he likes what he sees. Much to Layla’s surprise, he doesn’t freak out when she has a seizure in front of him. He does the exact opposite, calming her until the tremors subside. But Landen has secrets of his own. Secrets that will either bind them together or tear them apart."
April 8, 2016
All I really have to say about the book is. Landen is a great guy it sucks the his father is a douche. Plus the ending made my head hurt she didn't even want to listen to what he had to say.
February 15, 2014
Purchased as an additional novella and included with last release.
January 22, 2016
Review coming soon!
December 10, 2018
This was a great book! I need to find my own Landen. I absolutely love how he can look past Layla's seizure disorder. Seizures have a wicked stigma attached to them, so even though this isn't a true story, it put faith back into humanity for me! How Layla was able to not really care what others were saying about her showed so much strength! I was very much jealous of how she could do that. I am going to dive right into Keep Me Still.
January 25, 2017
The story continues as more secrets and cover up are revealed. Will their love be enough to keep them going.
June 6, 2017
This was a prequel that set the stage for the characters of Layla and Landon-both who I like a lot.
January 19, 2019
Good background story
March 27, 2021
Love it! Landon & Layla are perfect for each other. Their stories are hard to read but they light up each other’s darkness.
November 29, 2013
I was lucky enough to read Let You Leave, Keep Me Still, and Hold Us Close in one shot. (Check out the novella, Hold Us Close for my review of it.) All I can say is that alone, they would be really good, but all together it is a beautiful, emotional story. I wasn’t sure as to how I wanted to write this review, should I break it down by each story or write it as a whole. Each part of this story brings something special, so I think I’ll highlight each one on its own. Each part is a 5 star read for me.
Let You Leave
This is the story of how Landen and Layla met. Because of a tragic event, Layla has been homeschooled since she was 13. For her senior year, she decided to go to school to prepare her, mentally and emotionally, for college. She is making it through by being invisible; no one acknowledges her. Landen is new to school. He moves around a lot because of his father’s job, so he used to it. He is also used to not getting close to anyone. Landen sees Layla and he is intrigued. He needs to know her. He brings her out of her shell by seeing her.
I fell in love with Landen right away. He is sweet, attentive, protective, caring, and loyal, the list could go on and on. On top of everything, he is a bit damaged; my favorite kind of guy. Layla is just learning who she is. Landen teaches her how to start living again.
I felt every single word, every single emotion of this novella. From loneliness, joy, fear, anger, and heartbreak this short book is filled with it all. This is probably the most powerful novella I have ever read.
Keep Me Still
This is the main novel of the series and it picks up where Let You Leave left off. Landen and Layla are now in college. This is also packed with a lot of emotion. Keep in mind that this series is a story about 2 broken people trying to find their way.
They are both plagued with self-doubt. Layla wants to protect Landen from herself, she has a condition that she feels will destroy Landen. In turn, he wants to protect her from…the world. Let me take a moment to sigh…*SIGH* Even though he is damaged, he is all kinds of perfect. Any who, she tries and tries to push him away, but he WILL NOT be pushed aside. He loves her and he works his ass off to show her how they belong together.
The love the two have for each other is so tangible. Everyone can see how they feel just by how they look at each other and react to the other. And O.M.G. does it get hot when they finally give in to all the sexual tension surrounding them.
It is SO hard to write this review without revealing much of the story. I want to shout their beautiful story for all to hear. But, you NEED to read it for yourself to get the full impact.
Hold Us Close
Just when I thought FINALLY they are in a great place, the story gets even more gut wrenching. I think the 1st two stories, while they were about Layla and Landen building a relationship and loving each other, it was more about Layla’s personal growth. She needed to find who she is and how to live, not in the past, but in the present. This to me is Landen’s book. It’s his turn to focus on himself, so that he can live for Layla.
Oh Landen. How my heart breaks for him. We know that he is broken, but in this novella, we find out just how broken he really is. He went through so much as a child and it is finally and totally catching up with him. He has major anger and rage issues. I hurt for him and for the little boy that he was. He is such a good man; he just needs help.
Layla’s growth through the series really shows in this book. It’s time for her to be strong, not only for herself, but she needs to carry Landen this time. It’s her turn to not give up on him and for her to push when he tries to cast her aside. She shows Landen that she will always be here for him and always show him the way when he is lost.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely love these two together. They are perfect for each other. Their relationship is far from perfect, but they are willing to keep polishing and polishing until it shines. Just when they think it is sparkling, they find a smudge (sometimes huge) and it’s back to polishing.
This isn’t an easy romance. This is a story of two very broken people. They seem so far beyond repair, but together, piece by piece, they build each other up and become whole. I loved every moment of this book, even when my heart was breaking. If I had to use one word to describe Landen and Layla’s story it would be…BEAUTIFUL.
Let You Leave
This is the story of how Landen and Layla met. Because of a tragic event, Layla has been homeschooled since she was 13. For her senior year, she decided to go to school to prepare her, mentally and emotionally, for college. She is making it through by being invisible; no one acknowledges her. Landen is new to school. He moves around a lot because of his father’s job, so he used to it. He is also used to not getting close to anyone. Landen sees Layla and he is intrigued. He needs to know her. He brings her out of her shell by seeing her.
I fell in love with Landen right away. He is sweet, attentive, protective, caring, and loyal, the list could go on and on. On top of everything, he is a bit damaged; my favorite kind of guy. Layla is just learning who she is. Landen teaches her how to start living again.
I felt every single word, every single emotion of this novella. From loneliness, joy, fear, anger, and heartbreak this short book is filled with it all. This is probably the most powerful novella I have ever read.
Keep Me Still
This is the main novel of the series and it picks up where Let You Leave left off. Landen and Layla are now in college. This is also packed with a lot of emotion. Keep in mind that this series is a story about 2 broken people trying to find their way.
They are both plagued with self-doubt. Layla wants to protect Landen from herself, she has a condition that she feels will destroy Landen. In turn, he wants to protect her from…the world. Let me take a moment to sigh…*SIGH* Even though he is damaged, he is all kinds of perfect. Any who, she tries and tries to push him away, but he WILL NOT be pushed aside. He loves her and he works his ass off to show her how they belong together.
The love the two have for each other is so tangible. Everyone can see how they feel just by how they look at each other and react to the other. And O.M.G. does it get hot when they finally give in to all the sexual tension surrounding them.
It is SO hard to write this review without revealing much of the story. I want to shout their beautiful story for all to hear. But, you NEED to read it for yourself to get the full impact.
Hold Us Close
Just when I thought FINALLY they are in a great place, the story gets even more gut wrenching. I think the 1st two stories, while they were about Layla and Landen building a relationship and loving each other, it was more about Layla’s personal growth. She needed to find who she is and how to live, not in the past, but in the present. This to me is Landen’s book. It’s his turn to focus on himself, so that he can live for Layla.
Oh Landen. How my heart breaks for him. We know that he is broken, but in this novella, we find out just how broken he really is. He went through so much as a child and it is finally and totally catching up with him. He has major anger and rage issues. I hurt for him and for the little boy that he was. He is such a good man; he just needs help.
Layla’s growth through the series really shows in this book. It’s time for her to be strong, not only for herself, but she needs to carry Landen this time. It’s her turn to not give up on him and for her to push when he tries to cast her aside. She shows Landen that she will always be here for him and always show him the way when he is lost.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely love these two together. They are perfect for each other. Their relationship is far from perfect, but they are willing to keep polishing and polishing until it shines. Just when they think it is sparkling, they find a smudge (sometimes huge) and it’s back to polishing.
This isn’t an easy romance. This is a story of two very broken people. They seem so far beyond repair, but together, piece by piece, they build each other up and become whole. I loved every moment of this book, even when my heart was breaking. If I had to use one word to describe Landen and Layla’s story it would be…BEAUTIFUL.
December 31, 2014
“Destroyed, ripped apart, and broken. Like me.”
Layla Flaherty has always been invisible. Ever since her parents were gunned down in front of her, she was scared for life. She has this PTSD that makes her become epileptic when she hears loud noises. Because of that, she has become a pariah in her school.
But then she meets this new boy in her senior year...
“I could seriously watch this girl smile forever.”
Landen O'Brien has always been trying to please The Colonel, his father. All throughout his life, he has been gong to one state to another. Never leaving anything nor keeping something.
So when he met this girl, Layla Flaherty, he wants something that could call home. But then her school has dubbed her the "Freaky Flaherty". This doesn't stop Landen from pursuing her until he knew her secret. They have this whirlwind romance that Layle can't believe that someone could notice her.
Then, Landon had to go.
So Layla was left to pick up the broken pieces of heart...
“Should I trust Landen O’Brien? Can I? Or will he just leave me behind, hurt and broken, like everyone else?”
Sweet, cute and oh-so-adorable.
Kinda makes me remember Batman. Because ya know, parents gunned down in front of you…? Ring any bells? lol
I would say this was the perfect start how we could understand Layla and Landen's story.
Thumbs up for this book!
Credits to all the gifs in this review. All are from the internet. And 9gag too.
December 29, 2013
Ich habe diese Special Edition von 'Keep me still' und die drei Bücher haben mich glattweg umgehauen!
Layla hat mit 13 ansehen müssen, wie ihre Eltern bei einem Raubüberfall erschossen wurden. Seither hat sie das Posttraumatische Stress-Syndrom, dass normalerweise nur Soldaten haben. Erschwerend kommt hinzu, dass diese Episoden bei ihr epileptische Anfälle auslösen. Als sie nach dem Überfall zu ihrer Tante zieht und dort auf eine neue schule kommt, hat sie binnen drei Tagen den ersten Anfall. Danach wird sie zu Hause unterrichtet.
In ihrem Abschlussjahr will sie aber doch zurück auf die Schule - nur leider hat keiner die Geschichte von damals vergessen. Sie ist eine Außenseiterin, mit der niemand spricht.
Landon ist ein Soldatenkind und daher wechselt er andauernd die Schule, den Staat und alle Freunde. Seine Reaktion darauf sind unverbindliche Bekanntschaften und sein Sport: Fußball. Seinem Vater, dem Colonnel gefällt das gar nicht. Schließlich ist american Football der Männersport.
Als Landon Layla zum ersten Mal sieht, ist er hin und weg. Er lässt sich nicht durch ihre Abwehrhaltung aufhalten und mit einer gehörigen Portion Beharrlichkeit freunden die zwei sich an. Für mehr ist Layla noch lange nicht bereit.
Und dann lernt Layla, dass sie nicht die einzige mit einem Defekt ist, denn bei einem Feiertagsessen lernt sie den Colonnel und seine Erziehungsmehtoden kennen.
Layla und Landon sind so glaubhaft dargestellt, dass man glauben könnte, es gäbe sie wirklich. Wie sie sich in ihre Ideen und Eigenheiten verstricken und verzweifelt kämpfen, um nicht daran zu ersticken geht einem zu Herzen.
Ich konnte das Buch nicht zur Seite legen, weil ich unbedingt wissen wollte, wie es weiter geht.
Das ist auf jeden Fall ein Buch, dass ich noch einmal lesen werde!
Layla hat mit 13 ansehen müssen, wie ihre Eltern bei einem Raubüberfall erschossen wurden. Seither hat sie das Posttraumatische Stress-Syndrom, dass normalerweise nur Soldaten haben. Erschwerend kommt hinzu, dass diese Episoden bei ihr epileptische Anfälle auslösen. Als sie nach dem Überfall zu ihrer Tante zieht und dort auf eine neue schule kommt, hat sie binnen drei Tagen den ersten Anfall. Danach wird sie zu Hause unterrichtet.
In ihrem Abschlussjahr will sie aber doch zurück auf die Schule - nur leider hat keiner die Geschichte von damals vergessen. Sie ist eine Außenseiterin, mit der niemand spricht.
Landon ist ein Soldatenkind und daher wechselt er andauernd die Schule, den Staat und alle Freunde. Seine Reaktion darauf sind unverbindliche Bekanntschaften und sein Sport: Fußball. Seinem Vater, dem Colonnel gefällt das gar nicht. Schließlich ist american Football der Männersport.
Als Landon Layla zum ersten Mal sieht, ist er hin und weg. Er lässt sich nicht durch ihre Abwehrhaltung aufhalten und mit einer gehörigen Portion Beharrlichkeit freunden die zwei sich an. Für mehr ist Layla noch lange nicht bereit.
Und dann lernt Layla, dass sie nicht die einzige mit einem Defekt ist, denn bei einem Feiertagsessen lernt sie den Colonnel und seine Erziehungsmehtoden kennen.
Layla und Landon sind so glaubhaft dargestellt, dass man glauben könnte, es gäbe sie wirklich. Wie sie sich in ihre Ideen und Eigenheiten verstricken und verzweifelt kämpfen, um nicht daran zu ersticken geht einem zu Herzen.
Ich konnte das Buch nicht zur Seite legen, weil ich unbedingt wissen wollte, wie es weiter geht.
Das ist auf jeden Fall ein Buch, dass ich noch einmal lesen werde!
October 25, 2014
Heartbreaking and sweet.
This novella made me want to read the novel. I had bought it, excitedly, but when I began to read it I just did feel like it.
Then I read Let You Leave and it felt right to read Keep Me Still. Because this is a wonderful story. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Let you leave
Layla had a tough life. When she was thirteen, her parents where murdered... Right before her. And it broke her, both mentally and physically : she's had seizures ever since it happened. She is now seventeen and goes back to high school, after being homeschooled for three years.
She is alone. Invisible.
Enters Landen. Nice looking. Funny. Broken : he never really had a home. Never really had friends. Sure as hell doesn't have a real family.
Though you know it won't end well if you read the summary, you want them to end up together. And it breaks your heart that they don't.
If you want a full review of the Keep Me Still pack (Let you Leave,Keep Me Still, Hold Us Close) : click here
This novella made me want to read the novel. I had bought it, excitedly, but when I began to read it I just did feel like it.
Then I read Let You Leave and it felt right to read Keep Me Still. Because this is a wonderful story. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Let you leave
Layla had a tough life. When she was thirteen, her parents where murdered... Right before her. And it broke her, both mentally and physically : she's had seizures ever since it happened. She is now seventeen and goes back to high school, after being homeschooled for three years.
She is alone. Invisible.
Enters Landen. Nice looking. Funny. Broken : he never really had a home. Never really had friends. Sure as hell doesn't have a real family.
Though you know it won't end well if you read the summary, you want them to end up together. And it breaks your heart that they don't.
If you want a full review of the Keep Me Still pack (Let you Leave,Keep Me Still, Hold Us Close) : click here
November 25, 2013
I read Let Me Leave before reading Keep Me Still. While its not necessary, it is quite helpful to have the background info of how Layla and Landen came to be, plus the horrible trauma Layla endured before meeting Landen. Their relationship is absolutely heart melting and so intense. You can help but root for them, especially Layla who deserves all the happy moments life will throw her way.
Poor Layla has been dealt some pretty crappy cards in life. Witnessing her parents murder as a child has some seriously severe consequences beyond the expected emotional trauma. Hitting her head on the hard ground has left behind irreparable damage. Not knowing when the next seizure will hit has Layla just barely surviving life, never really living it. And the fact that she's been dubbed "Freaky Flaherty" by her classmates just adds to the discomfort. That is, until she meets Landen. In a short amount of time he's able to bring her back to life and offers the comfort she's been desperately seeking, yet only ever dreamed of finding. Unfortunately Landen's home life is quite disheartening, causing his mother to uproot them and head back home to Colorado.
Other than being a bit rushed, I thought this story was great. It was nice having the extra insight into the story.
Poor Layla has been dealt some pretty crappy cards in life. Witnessing her parents murder as a child has some seriously severe consequences beyond the expected emotional trauma. Hitting her head on the hard ground has left behind irreparable damage. Not knowing when the next seizure will hit has Layla just barely surviving life, never really living it. And the fact that she's been dubbed "Freaky Flaherty" by her classmates just adds to the discomfort. That is, until she meets Landen. In a short amount of time he's able to bring her back to life and offers the comfort she's been desperately seeking, yet only ever dreamed of finding. Unfortunately Landen's home life is quite disheartening, causing his mother to uproot them and head back home to Colorado.
Other than being a bit rushed, I thought this story was great. It was nice having the extra insight into the story.
December 23, 2013
This is a short novella that was included in the special edition that I bought of Keep Me Still. It tells the story of Layla and Landen and how they met.
It was a nice, decent read. It had a bit of insta-love going on and I found it a bit weird how Layla was instantly a puddle in his hands. This is a bit of a typical story: the bad boy falls for the virgin. But it's interesting with the history of Layla and the home situation of Landen. It's a short story that ends on a cliff hanger, but thankfully continues in the next book.
It moves a bit too fast in the beginning and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. But by the time the cliffhanger came and I really did want to know how to rest of the story continues.
This book is not about perfect characters, they are both kind of messed up (as seems to be the case in many new adult books) but it is interesting to read and I think you won't regret it (just don't throw you're book at the wall because of some of the things that happen and the end).
It was a nice, decent read. It had a bit of insta-love going on and I found it a bit weird how Layla was instantly a puddle in his hands. This is a bit of a typical story: the bad boy falls for the virgin. But it's interesting with the history of Layla and the home situation of Landen. It's a short story that ends on a cliff hanger, but thankfully continues in the next book.
It moves a bit too fast in the beginning and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. But by the time the cliffhanger came and I really did want to know how to rest of the story continues.
This book is not about perfect characters, they are both kind of messed up (as seems to be the case in many new adult books) but it is interesting to read and I think you won't regret it (just don't throw you're book at the wall because of some of the things that happen and the end).
October 21, 2014
I liked this a lot more than Keep Me Still, which was kind of a bummer because it sounds like originally this wasn't even going to be published. I'm glad I was, it added a lot to Keep Me Still that probably wouldn't have been present emotionally without it. I just thought this novella was very strong with both Layla and Landen's situations and emotions, and that was somewhere Keep Me Still fell a little flat. Plus Landen was much sweeter in this than he was in Keep Me Still...
December 2, 2013
Let You Leave is the prequel novella and finds Layla Flaherty going back to high school. She has been home schooled since her parents were gunned down in front of her - causing severe PTSD. There she meets Landon O'Brien who is instantly drawn to her and doesn't treat her differently like everyone else does. Layla has withdrawn from friends and activities but Landon brings her back to life. He gives her unconditional love and friendship. What follows is a beautiful courtship that had my heart soaring. Layla and Landon were just perfect together and I thoroughly enjoyed reading their teenage romance!
December 16, 2013
I loved the story line, hated the F-bombs and sex scenes. WAY too much cussing, and really didn't fit into most of the sentences. Very distracting. The story was so great, and I thought it was well written. I loved the characters. Very identifiable for me. I would LOVE to read more from this author IF it was cleaner. Too much for me, and It's a shame, because I really thought it was a great book outside of that.
I would give it 4 stars if the cussing and sex scenes were edited out for me. It really was a good story, but seriously...so many F-bombs it was too distracting.
I would give it 4 stars if the cussing and sex scenes were edited out for me. It really was a good story, but seriously...so many F-bombs it was too distracting.
December 16, 2013
LET YOU LEAVE is the novella in this edition that tells the story of how Landon and Layla meet. I actually liked the novella a little better than the novel. It's a sweet high school story of how perpetual new student Landon falls for the social outcast Layla. She's sweet and trying to blend into the background and he's just a nice guy who's trying to get her to notice him and give him a chance. Their eventual happiness gets shattered by Landon's finding out he has to move again. Layla underestimates Landon's feelings for her and refuses further communication, which leads to...KEEP ME STILL.
September 3, 2014
Really enjoyed this book and moved on to read the next one before I even marked this book as read haha it's a little to light and fluffy though, I'm hoping it gets a little more saucy soon because when this short book ended, Layla had still never even been kissed and she's nearly 18 lol. I don't mind books with no sex at all cos I'm not in to BDSM (Porn!) books anyways lmao but I'm also not in to reading about nuns lmao
Anyways, it was a good read though and Landon... Mmmm :) he seems yummy with a cherry on top.
Anyways, it was a good read though and Landon... Mmmm :) he seems yummy with a cherry on top.
September 13, 2014
4.5 'Landon is sooooo sweet' stars.
I was really in the mood for a YA/NA read and was on the letter K for my A-Z regime and the 'Keep Me Still' series is just what I feel like reading!
Heart flutters, chemistry, uncertainty and angst plus 2 main characters I can tell I'm gonna love.
'Let You leave' is a short little novella that introduces us to Landon and Layla, the way they meet and the issues that face the both of them.
SO can not wait to see what happens for them in the future.
'Keep Me Still' here I come!
I was really in the mood for a YA/NA read and was on the letter K for my A-Z regime and the 'Keep Me Still' series is just what I feel like reading!
Heart flutters, chemistry, uncertainty and angst plus 2 main characters I can tell I'm gonna love.
'Let You leave' is a short little novella that introduces us to Landon and Layla, the way they meet and the issues that face the both of them.
SO can not wait to see what happens for them in the future.
'Keep Me Still' here I come!
November 14, 2013
This was the perfect beginning to this story. It really showed you how Landen & Layla got their beginning and it was oh so sweet and gut wrenching at the same time. I found this book after all 3 parts came out and I'm glad that I was able to read it in order and not jumping around. I loved this little novella it really set the stage for Keep Me Still and it was a fantastic read. I didn't want to put it down.
November 19, 2013
This is a novella which was included when I purchased Keep Me Still. The author's brilliant writing captivated me from start to finish that I didn't stop reading until I finished it. Layla & Landen' story are equally heartbreaking and beautiful. Though this novella ended in a sad note, I'm still glad that I have the next book with me because I got to have a HEA. Nevertheless, this is still an enjoyable read.
June 19, 2016
I was really excited to read this because I have loved the other books I have read by this author. Unfortunately, I didn't love this one. It was alright, but I was disappointed. I felt like the story and relationship were rushed and the characters were just alright. It was good enough that it kept me reading, but not what I hoped it would be. I enjoy Caisey Quinn's writing, but I wish she would have spent a little more time on this one.
October 19, 2015
I am glad I waited to read Keep Me Still until all the before and after parts were out! Landen makes you fall head over heels in love with him and you feel a real connection with Layla in the novella. I can't imagine reading the book without the glimpse into how Layla and Landen became to be in the first place although it is not necessary.
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