They met as children… a friendship that grew into something purer, deeper. But fate had other plans, binding them not as lovers… but as family.
Years later, captivity forces them to confront everything they tried to bury. The line between love and survival begins to blur and in the harshest reality imaginable, two souls cling to the only truth they know… each other.
A dark contemporary romance about trauma, captivity, and finding love after everything is taken from you.
4⭐️ Thank you so much to Luna for giving me this book as an ARC. Isaac and Veronica’s love was so intense and deeply felt from the very beginning. What these two go through is genuinely brutal at times, but watching their growth and healing unfold was incredibly rewarding. Isaac completely owns my heart and has officially secured his place as one of my favourite MMCs, he the biggest walking, talking green flag. 🫶🏼
Wow, I loved this book so so much. Finished it in less than 24 hours as I just couldn’t put it down!
Iz and Ronnie are everything. Their chemistry on page is instant, and I absolutely adored them navigating their way to each other. Their journey is messy, it’s ugly and it’s not how it was ment to go. But somehow Iz and Ronnie make their way back after a horrendous event shatters their lives, leaving them stuck in turmoil. It’s raw, and unfiltered. The blows kept coming and honestly I was a blubbery mess for about 40% of the middle. Damn Luna pulled at my heart, i was so so sad for them…. 😭😭 and I was rooting for them so hard. Iz is complete perfection, from the moment they meet as kids and as they grow as besties, Iz is nothing short of amazing and the yearning PLEASE🧎🏻♀️we love a man who yearns and yearn he did. Ronnies so selfless, always putting others first. Her character progression was great, she blossomed into this head strong woman who owned her scars, and Iz loved her even more for it. They fought hard for their ending, it was so bittersweet but utterly perfect. I just adore them sm… I’m so sad it’s over.
02/08 This book was given to me as an ARC for a review from Luna and her team so thank you so much. I wanna go ahead and say, this is it, this is my favorite book of the year so far. I’ve never cried so much through a book, literally I am just a leaky faucet reading this. This gives the vibes of “still beating” by Jennifer Hartman so if you like that, you’re gonna love this one. Luna you outdid yourself, I cannot even.. wow, I’m just.. so shocked. This has everything I want in a book, childhood lovers, angst, yearning, LONGING, I will use all the similes lol. This book was rough but god it has such a good HEA. We have hella trauma but the healing ride, it makes it worth it and it is such a ride. The art in this book is phenomenal. The writing was so wonderfully done and let’s talk about the Spanish endearments. Luna you got me there. A man like Isaac who will speak filthy and say loving things in Spanish to his girl, I WANT TO BE VERO SO BAD JUST TO HAVE THIS MAN. This story was wild but god it was so good. Thank you for letting me read this masterpiece, I truly am so honored.
02/02 Thank you Luna for giving me your newest baby as an ARC! I am so excited to jump into this book next! 🥹❤️
I had ONE job: read my most anticipated book of the year and I don’t think I was prepared for how completely it would undo me. This book is art and also a personal attack.
Stay With Me is one of the most profound, heart-wrenching, beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. It’s the kind of book that frustrates you to no end, because all you want—all you ache for—is for them to stop fighting it. To stop denying themselves. To just choose the happy ending already.
Isaac and Veronica (Ronnie) are inevitable. From stolen glances and butterflies to years of self-denial, this story explores what it means to love someone when the world insists you shouldn’t. So, the emotional tension? Brutal.
This book is devastating. Like rip my heart out, stomp it, hand it back, then kiss my forehead devastating.
It goes dark. It goes heavy. But never carelessly. The pain is there to show survival, agency, and the long, messy, real aftermath of trauma and it HURT. The love doesn’t fix everything. It stays. It holds space. It chooses patience and consent and showing up.
Lo terminé...¿o me terminó a mí? I genuinely don’t think I’m the same person who started this book. Because I think this book actually ended me.
This story hurt me. It frustrated me. It shattered me. It healed me.
If you’re looking for a romance that is messy, painful, beautiful, and deeply human then Stay With Me will own your heart.
Please check content warnings.
Read responsibly. Hydrate. Prepare to be emotionally humbled.
Stay With Me is one of those dark, haunting love stories that lingers in your chest long after you turn the last page.
This is not a sweet, fluffy romance. It’s raw, traumatic, and deeply emotional built on a foundation of childhood friendship that was twisted by fate into something forbidden, complicated, and impossible to forget. The fact that they grew up together, loved each other in that innocent, pure way, and then were forced into a different role adds such a painful, heartbreaking layer to everything that follows.
The captivity element is intense and heavy, but it’s handled in a way that highlights survival, trauma, and the desperate need for connection. When everything is stripped away of freedom, safety, identity; the only thing they have left is each other. Watching their bond shift from childhood comfort to something darker, more desperate, and emotionally tangled is both beautiful and devastating.
What really stood out is how the story explores love under impossible circumstances. The blurred lines between affection, dependency, and survival make this a gripping psychological and emotional journey. You’re constantly questioning what love looks like when the world is cruel and choices are taken away.
If you love dark contemporary romance, trauma-bonded characters, intense emotional depth, and stories that hurt so good, this one is absolutely worth reading. Bring tissues and maybe a comfort read for afterward because Stay With Me does not play gentle with your heart. 🖤
When Luna said this book comes with emotional damage, she absolutely meant it. This story had me crying, laughing, gasping in shock, and melting with “awww” moments, sometimes all within the same chapter. Truly, prepare to be shattered and then slowly pieced back together.
Isaac and Veronica go from best friends, to hidden crushes, to step-siblings, creating a complicated and emotional journey. Veronica tries to bury her feelings because she believes they’re wrong, while Isaac only wants a chance for them to embrace the love they share.
The trauma, heartbreak, longing, passion, humour, and raw emotion were written beautifully. I found myself reading through tears yet feeling comforted and healed by the end. Such a stunning and emotional read.
Definitely read your trigger warnings. It touches on topics not often so openly spoken, or written about.
Beautiful story about best friends who LOVE EACH OTHER- but turn into step siblings.
This longing for the love they have for each other and back and forth with the will they or won’t they… til one day - something super traumatic happens to them for months…
Coming back from the trauma takes a toll on both of their mental healths and exposes their love for each other in unhealthy ways.
Ronnie realizing in order for her to survive and get better she needs to get away and get help, she does just that. Upon her return - they find their way to their way to a beautiful happily ever after.
This story talks about friendship, connection, envy, jealousy, lust, abuse, mental and emotional trauma, physical trauma, love, relationships, family dynamics, painful truths and survival.
It was everything. Luna blew my mind! Such an incredible read.
"“I did grow up, and still, I can only offer sex, not my heart. That belongs to you. It’s been years, and I’m still stuck in that god damn sandbox."
I just literally have no words. This is probably one of those reads that will stay with me for a long time (heh see what I did there?) speaking of the way Luna weaved the name of the book into the story was heart breaking and cruel but, also beautiful. Veronica and Isaac's story was absolutely brutal to read - heart wrenching, agonizing, and yet the healing and love between them was everything. So many times I had to just sit there with myself and go "holy shit" and take a breath. I don't get triggered and I wouldn't say I was but, I was in pain reading their captivity. It cut me like a knife and their healing after was so hard and jagged - every time I thought they were finally going to see the light at the end life tugged the rug out from under them. I felt so much devestation and heartache for them both but, my sweet Isaac hurt me the most. That man YEARNED, like give him an award for yearning. He was the worst kind of man for any other woman because there was ONLY one woman for him. So often I wanted to shake the hell out of Ronnie for what she put them through but, you can't help but ache for her too. Because while she was better at hiding it, she was hurting just as much.
The way Luna wrote their story made it impossible to put down. Each "Part" had it's own aches, even from when they met as kids. Imagine finding your soul mate as a child and then your parents fall in love and force you to be step siblings and so you spend over a decade yearning and aching for them, forced into a role neither of you wanted and one of you being too scared of the domino effect so you just cut your soul mate from you even if they have your heart and soul the entire time. That was Iz and Ronnie's life and then they get kidnapped and forced into captivity, assaulted for a deranged couple's "greater good" and trying to find the light in each other during it, thinking you find it - escaping and then life STILL says "hey you can't be together" and they're pulled apart again. These two fought tooth and nail for their love and eventually get their hard earned HEA but, by the Gods was it a hard road.
I felt all the emotions - I wanted to throw my kindle so many times. But Luna did right by their healing, even if it hurt Iz and Ronnie and my heart along the way. Healing ISN'T linear and the way she made sure these two had to experience it was harsh but, faithful to life.
These two are cemented into my soul. Days later I'm still just reeling from it all. I somehow need more from these two - a bonus epilogue, a novella, something - I'm not ready to just say bye to them after the absolute havoc they wrecked on me.
The man Isaac Vargas is, my absolute undoing. Truly the way he loved Ronnie was beautiful and everything you could need or want in an mmc and Ronnie.. fuck is that girl so damn strong and resiliant even when she didn't think she could be. I need to inject these two into my veins.
“You’ve got me. Even if the world turns its back on us, we have each other. I love you so fucking much, and if you can’t love yourself, then allow me to love you for both of us, allow me to remind you every day how strong and deserving you are. Let me give you all the pieces of me."
Tropes: 🦋 Playboy x Good Girl 💙 Taboo (Step Siblings) 🌻 Captive MMC & FMC 🦋 Forced Breeding 💙 Forced Proximity 🌻 Childhood Best Friends to Lovers 🦋 So Much Angst and Yearning 💙 Dual POV 🌻 Trauma and Healing
Some love stories are gentle. This one is a car crash you can’t look away from — brutal, devastating, and somehow achingly beautiful in the wreckage.
Isaac (Iz) and Veronica (Ronnie) don’t fall in love easily or cleanly. Their connection is immediate, yes, but everything after that is tangled, painful, and painfully human. From childhood friendship to something deeper they’re never allowed to fully claim, their lives become an endless exercise in restraint, sacrifice, and denial. Every look they don’t take, every word they swallow, every choice made “for the greater good” feels like another small heartbreak stacked on top of the last.
And then the story shatters completely.
What follows is dark, harrowing, and deeply uncomfortable — but never gratuitous. The trauma isn’t there for shock value; it exists to show what survival actually costs. The aftermath is messy. Healing comes in jagged pieces. Love doesn’t magically fix the damage — instead, it lingers quietly, offering patience, safety, and space when everything else feels impossible. That realism hurt more than anything.
Isaac is the definition of devotion. The kind of man who ruins you for fictional love interests forever. His longing is constant, relentless, unwavering — there is no world where he ever belongs to anyone but Ronnie. Watching him carry that love, especially when he believes he’s not allowed to have it, is agonizing in the best way.
Ronnie, though — she is strength forged in fire. Selfless to a fault, terrified of consequences, and yet growing into someone who eventually owns every scar life gave her. Her journey isn’t about becoming unbreakable; it’s about choosing herself even when it feels selfish, even when it’s terrifying. And Isaac loves her not despite her pain, but because of her resilience through it.
This story made me angry. It made me ache. I had to put the book down just to breathe more times than I can count. I wanted to scream at them to stop running, to stop punishing themselves, to just choose each other already. But that frustration is exactly the point — because real love, real trauma, real healing are never linear or convenient.
By the time the ending arrived, it felt earned in blood and tears. Bittersweet, yes — but perfect in the way only hard-won happiness can be. They didn’t stumble into their ending. They fought for it.
Days later, I’m still thinking about them. Still missing them. Still wishing for one more glimpse into their lives because saying goodbye feels unfair after everything they endured.
This book didn’t just make me cry — it cracked me open and stitched me back together differently. If you’re looking for a romance that’s raw, painful, deeply emotional, and unapologetically real, this one will take your heart and never fully give it back.
Check the content warnings. And maybe clear your schedule — you’re not walking away unchanged.
And yes… Isaac Vargas deserves a lifetime achievement award for yearning.
This is the ONE book that I’ve ever read that I could not write a review for immediately after finishing. Purely because I felt too much. I’ll explain. This book is over 500 pages and I started and finished it in a day. I haven’t done that In years. But for Stay With Me, everything else stopped and I sat, laid down sobbing while eating Nutella, walked around, cried, shouted at inanimate objects, kicked my couch, nearly threw my kindle at the wall and then laid down again and let the end of the story take me to the culmination of all the heartache and what happens when you come out of the other side.
Isaac (Iz) and Veronica (Ronnie) are two of the best written characters I’ve read in a long time. Iz is just pure love. No one will ever feel for Ronnie a fraction of what Iz feels for her and you never question that throughout the book. Sometimes Ronnie frustrated me, too much white noise from other people impacted her love story and I wanted to shake her and say “Choose YOUR love story”….
Until Iz and Ronnie experience a situation that changes everything. It’s a situation where you don’t leave it the same. Luna is excellent at putting these situations into books that will hurt your heart…but make you think. Trigger Warnings must be read before this book. YOU are responsible for YOU. Not the author, trigger warnings are there to protect you.
It’s a story about young love that spans years. It’s about how life can throw the absolute worst at you but how you must fight to come out the other side. It’s about how even when you come out the other side, you’re still trying to survive with your new reality and sometimes things that happen in the dark can follow you into the light. But there’s also hope, knowing that no one can try to heal you but yourself but then the small gaps that are left in you, can be filled together with the person who is yours……Who you find in a sandbox and share a blue popsicle with and talk about a King and his Queen.
Read this book. It’s love, life, heartache, sadness, and survival. It’s a love story, but you have to go through it, to make it out alive and allow your hearts to heal.
Just like Iz and Ronnie did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book was my first read from Luna K. Wicked, and I can honestly say I absolutely loved it.
From the very beginning, this story grabbed me in a chokehold and refused to let go. The emotional tension only eased in the very last pages, and even then, it left its mark. There’s no better way to say it, this book will break you.
Isaac and Veronica’s story is not an easy one. The emotional tension? Absolutely brutal. Their love feels inevitable, yet everything seems to be stacked against them. What they go through is heartbreaking, and the pain feels incredibly real: raw, authentic, and deeply emotional. This isn’t angst for the sake of angst, every emotion feels earned.
But as devastating as this story is, it’s also about healing. About finding strength in the middle of breaking. Even when everything is falling apart, these two are so damn strong, and watching them grow through their pain made the story hit even harder. There were so many moments where I had to stop, put the book down, and just breathe because some scenes hurt in a way that stays with you.
Luna’s way of breaking their story into smaller parts is pure chef’s kiss. Each part carries its own hurt, but it adds so much depth layer by layer, you understand who these characters are, what they’re facing, and why. It makes the emotional impact so much stronger.
Isaac and Veronica completely own my heart. Iz is one of the biggest green-flag MMCs you’ll ever find. He shows his love through devotion and action, and even when he’s hurting, he is always all in when it comes to supporting Ronnie. And Veronica oh my god that woman has my whole heart. My heart broke for her, for them, and for everything they had to fight through.
This book is overflowing with emotion, and the ending feels so incredibly earned. It’s the kind of story that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. I already know this book will live in my heart for a very, very long time.
Thank you so much, Luna, for trusting me with this ARC. It was absolutely amazing, and I’m beyond excited to dive into more of your books, right after I recover and restock on tissues.
I finished this ARC in under 24 hours, and I’ve been struggling to articulate how to write about it since last night, so here goes!
This story is about two people, stripped down to their rawest forms, trying to navigate in a world that has only wanted to provide them with heartache and pain. Best friends who fell in love, but were too afraid to admit it too each other until fate said “Fuck You”, your parents are now in love and you’re going to be step siblings.
Im not sure why it’s hit me so hard to be honest. I’ve read plenty of darkness before, but this was so deeply painful that it was unlike anything I’ve read.
It’s raw. It will break your heart and rip your soul. What they go through together is brutal. But, underneath it all, is a journey to healing, growth, acceptance and love.
My boy. Isaac. Iz baby. Fuck. The amount of times I cried for this man. He was the most beautifully patient, kind, thoughtful and loving baby. How he kept going, and sacrificing everything just to love Ronnie 🥺🥺🥺 I lost count of how often I just wanted to hold him and tell him it would be ok. There’s a reason Luna has named him the yearning king 💔💔💔
Veronica. Ronnie. Poor sweet girl. My heart hurt for her and what she put herself through, so others could be happy. All of it was at a sacrifice to herself, which meant she only caused her own pain, scars and heartache. Then having to go through what they did….what a fierce fucking woman.
If you want emotional damage on a high scale, then jump right in baby’s, grab the tissues and hold on tight. Because I might have finished this book, but it 100% finished me. 💙
Ps. When you read this, drop into my inbox and I’ll share that pain with you. Then tell me, you can look at this book title “Stay With Me” the same again after Iz says it….🥺🥺🥺. IYKYK 💔
“Stay with me” is a journey through the raw, devastating path of trauma. It’s about the way pain acts as a catalyst—tearing us open, stitching us back together, and leaving us forever altered. It leaves scars that will forever remind us of the cost of our survival.
The story begins with our main characters, Veronica (Ronnie) and Isaac (Iz). They are children meeting for the first time. We get to watch their initial encounter blossom into a beautiful first love. Only to watch that love be drowned in a pit of intense heartache and torment.
Iz is a man who is always the one standing alone amidst the storm, an unmoveable pillar amongst the destruction surrounding him. His love is something that transcends life itself. Even with his own pieces scattered around him, he remains Ronnie’s silent guardian. He illustrates this perfectly, “I’ll be behind her, collecting [the pieces] as we go.”
Ronnie is a broken, tormented soul who fights their connection so hard it creates a raw jagged wound that ends up hurting them both. I honestly struggled with Ronnie's character. Her choices felt selfish, and I watched her destroy Iz one encounter at a time. I couldn't understand why she couldn’t just pick him, pick them. But then, I realized I was watching the messy, ugly reality of how trauma rewires a person.
Luna K. Wicked is a master at illustrating pain and its raw depths. She paints a picture where light pierces the thorny thicket of our trauma—a brightness that guides us out of the brambles even when we feel lost. I felt so raw after reading this book, there were moments where I recognized my own journey to rediscovery after trauma. In a sense, it helped me, showing me that I am not alone, and that we all heal in our own way.
*As always, be aware of your triggers prior to consuming any content. Your mental health matters.*
This is not my typical genre of choice. I typical cannot read a book that is constant push and pull (I want this but can't vibes). Luna K. Wicked has broken this barrier with me through this book. Absolutely shattered it. At just under 550 pages I read this book in under 10 hours. Her captivating writing kept me turning page after page. I absolutely could not put it down.
Luna's writing is so compelling. You feel everything. You hurt with these characters. You cry with them. You root for them. This is the first time a book has ever brought me to tears. Yes, I'm serious. There are some heavy themes in this book. Heavy, serious situations. And no, grape is not romanticized. Every word in this book has a purpose and I felt like I was in the book.
The cover of this book is outstanding. Once you get into the book even the cover will give you all the feels. The title really hits you where it counts.
The artwork tucked within the pages is a treat in and of itself.
Buy this. Read it. Cherish it.
Thank you @luna.k.wicked and her publisher for the ARC for this incredible God tier read. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
5 ⭐ Stay With Me is a deeply emotional story that evokes conflicting reactions from the very first chapters, alternating between moments of tenderness and intense pain. The narrative stands out for the way it explores the characters’ silent suffering, particularly that of the female protagonist, who suppresses her feelings in order to protect those she loves, creating a strong and consistent emotional impact throughout the book. The relationship between Isaac and Veronica is complex and intense, marked by a love that is both beautiful and toxic. The impossibility of being together and the sacrifices made in the name of protection and loyalty add layers of depth to the story. Isaac emerges as an emotionally present male character, whose love is shown through devotion and actions, while Veronica reveals an emotional strength shaped by pain and resilience. The book maintains a high emotional intensity, with particularly striking chapters that reinforce the sense of accumulated anguish and passion, culminating in an ending that feels earned and coherent with the characters’ journey. Overall, it is one of the most intense and memorable love stories I have read, not only for the pain it conveys, but for the honest and sensitive way it portrays love, loss, and hope, lingering in the reader’s mind long after the final page. I would also like to thank the author, Luna, for trusting me with my first ARC. It was an extremely rewarding experience and further strengthened my desire to read more of her work. The book will be released on 22 February. Favourite quote: “You live in my heart. Loving you is all I’ll ever know. All I ever want to know. You’re all I’ll ever want. In this life and the next.”
Did Luna K. Wicked title Stay With Me as a warning? Because I finished this book and spent the next day emotionally wrecked, trying to process how deeply it affected me.
This is a dark, emotionally intense story, and the trigger warnings should not be ignored. The author does not shy away from trauma, grief, or the long, painful aftermath of survival. The emotions are raw and unfiltered, and at times it feels like you’re holding your breath right alongside the characters.
What stood out most to me was the depth of the character writing. Not just the main characters, but every person on the page felt layered and intentional, adding weight to the story and making the emotional moments hit even harder.
Isaac is a standout MMC. He is deeply devoted, emotionally vulnerable, and quietly intense in his love. His loyalty and tenderness never feel overdone, and his presence adds an incredible amount of emotional depth to the story.
Ronnie’s journey was equally powerful. She is resilient, flawed, and painfully real. Her healing is not easy or linear, and I appreciated that she is never portrayed as someone who needs to be saved. She reclaims her agency and strength in her own time, while Isaac remains a steady support rather than a solution.
Their relationship unfolds. It is shaped by shared history, trauma, and mutual choice. They don’t heal each other’s wounds, but they do learn how to exist together with them, creating a connection that feels authentic and deeply moving.
This is a story about love, survival, and finding connection after immense loss. It stayed with me long after I finished the final page.
This book is raw. Dark. Emotionally charged to the point where you feel like you’re holding your breath the entire time. Luna K. Wicked doesn’t pull punches. She drags you straight through the pain ,trauma, heartbreak, messy emotions, the kind of wounds that don’t magically disappear and forces you to sit in it with these characters. But that’s exactly what makes the growth feel so real. The healing isn’t pretty or easy. It’s hard-won. Earned. And that makes every soft moment hit ten times harder.
Can we talk about the mmc?! Isaac. Oh my GOD, Isaac.
This man is yearning personified. Down bad. Devoted. Aching. The kind of MMC who loves so deeply it almost hurts to watch. Every look, every touch, every quiet moment of “I’d burn the world down for you” energy had me melting. He isn’t just protective, he’s emotionally vulnerable, desperate in that tender, soul-baring way that makes you want to crawl inside the pages and hug him.
Top-tier book boyfriend material. No notes.
And then there’s Ronnie; an absolute badass. Strong without being cold. Fierce but still soft where it counts. She’s messy, real, and refuses to break even when life keeps trying to shatter her. Watching her fight for herself, for her healing, for love? Completely empowering. I loved that she wasn’t saved she saved herself, and Isaac just stood beside her. Their relationship feels earned, not forced. It’s not insta-love fluff it’s two broken people choosing each other again and again.
Easy 5 stars. I loved every painful, healing, heart-squeezing second of it.
Luna Wicked takes you on an emotional rollercoaster you don't ever want to get off. Best friends turned lovers who have to endure obstacle after obstacle to hopefully reach their happily ever after. More pain and anguish than anyone should ever have to deal with in their life. The descriptive writing of every single chapter just grabs you and pulls you into their world. You read every page feeling all the pain, the suffering, the torture, the love and healing both Veronica and Isaac go through. I have to admit a few times I had to put the book down because I felt like I was standing right there in the basement with them. I just wanted to jump through the pages and rescue them myself. I was furious with their parents for the role they played in keeping them apart prior to the basement and their continued efforts to keep them apart shortly thereafter. After their life altering ordeal, I was left frustrated with the couple themselves for not seeking the help they both obviously knew they needed. And for their friends and family not helping them see that they were both suffering and self destructing. Eventually "if you love it you have to let it go" became the them of the remaining chapters. Both Veronica and Isaac finally sought the help they both needed and readers got their HEA. Thank goodness, because after reading all that, I needed to have some closure. I needed to know all they went through wasn't for nothing. They made something beautiful out of an absolutely horrific situation.
I was so excited when this ARC hit my inbox and from the first page I was entranced. This is not for the weak. The amount of tears shed over these characters.. Man it’s been a long long time since I’ve felt this much heartbreak. As yall know I try to not give spoilers or too much to the story. I rather give you the raw emotions that I felt but this one deserves a little more. I finished in 36 hours and cried no less than 10x. There is video evidence 😆!
Our main characters Veronica aka Ronnie and Isaac aka Iz.. My babies. I’m crying writing this. The KING OF YEARNING!! This man may have buried his love and heartbreak in other women and fighting but he would do ANYTHING for his girl. Who expects their parents to falling love when you have been in love with a girl for years.. Reading Part 1 and 2, seeing the beginning of where that childhood love came to be and move into adulthood was beautifully heartbreaking.
The trauma these two endure is devastating. Absolutely devastating. I can’t put into words how much I hated the brutality of it and not in a I hate this way but a PLEASE IS IT OVER YET?? My babies went through so much and came out on the other side so f*cking strong. GODS THE TEARS IM STILL SHEDDING!!
If you want emotional turmoil, raw devastation, and the need to find a therapist this is the one. It’s out February 22nd. I’ll forever be changed from this story. These characters will live rent free in my head forever.
A dark, emotionally raw contemporary romance that explores love, trauma, and healing in the most heart-wrenching and hopeful way. Ronnie and Iz have been best friends since childhood, but their deep, forbidden love is complicated by family ties, loss, and secrets. After a life altering night in Iz’s Camaro, Ronnie leaves for college, trying to move on, but fate keeps pulling them back together. When tragedy strikes, their bond is tested in ways neither could imagine, forcing them to confront their pasts, their pain, and the unbreakable connection that refuses to let them go. This is a story of survival, second chances, and choosing love, even if the world tries to tear you apart. This book had so much emotional depth, wow. It is real and raw. The back stories, the way they coped with trauma, everything! Very beautifully done! The connection between Ronnie and Iz, painful, beautiful. The fact that they are step siblings and the way they try to navigate with that it greatly described. The way Iz tries to protect Ronnie from harm, so honorable and noble. Even it it's costing his own sanity. The ending of this book is a satisfying one and without spoiling anything, it is heartbreaking, healing and full of love. Not an easy HEA, but a real one.
This is not a light book. This book has a couple of serious triggers in it, so please check them!
Isaac and Veronica (Iz & Ronnie) is a deeply emotional story about longing, love, and surviving the unthinkable.
Isaac is a fighter in every sense of the word—strong, devoted to his family, and hopelessly in love with Veronica. Veronica is beautiful, kind, and surrounded by people who love her, yet her heart has always belonged to Isaac, even though she knows they were never meant to be together. Having known each other since childhood, their bond is rooted in years of silent yearning, stolen moments, and feelings neither could ever truly let go of.
As life continues to pull them apart, the obstacles grow heavier and more devastating. Captivity forces them into unimaginable circumstances, leaving behind pain, loss, anger, and wounds that cut far deeper than the physical. Their journey is raw, heartbreaking, and at times difficult to read.
While there were aspects of the story I personally struggled with, this book also reminded me that hope can exist even in the darkest places. That sometimes, through the pain and suffering, there is still a chance for healing, forgiveness, and a new beginning.
I encourage readers to give this story a chance—you may find yourself unexpectedly moved 😊.
🅃🅁🄾🄿🄴🅂; 🥀 Dark Romance 🥀 Childhood Frienda 🥀 Taboo 👀 🥀 Emotional Healing 🥀 Second Chance
Hallie and Zeke 🫶🏻
���For a love that never got a chance to live but pollutes us either way💭
It's messy, it's heartbreaking, it's raw and it's breathtakingly beautiful.
Isaac and Veronica, Iz and Ronnie. Oh where to begin. The universe was doing literally EVERYTHING to keep them apart. But let me tell you, you'll finish this book as a different person. I can't even fathom what Luna was going through whilst writing this.
It's not even an understatement to say you feel every possible motion in Stay With Me. There's laughter and happiness, pain and sadness and honestly, you go on this journey with them.
I've never had the pleasure of reading Luna before, and I don't know if I'm Scarred for life or eager to experience more of her work. I had moments where I genuinely despised Luna for inflicting this pain but at the same time I had and eagerness to jump straight into her other works.
Luna, you ripped my heart out, physically jumped on it a hundred times over, picked it up and then put it back together. Jesus. I'm ready for more..... I think.
oh my god… I am speechless. luna completely and utterly ruined me. this book had me crying for 82%.. I didn’t know how it was going to get its hea. but in the end this book completely stole my soul and I don’t ever want it back. issac and veronica are both going to forever have their names stamped over my heart. I can’t even begin to explain the emotions that took over my soul and mind while reading this. I’m not even close to over this. I don’t ever want to be over it. and I can’t wait for what comes next. I hope more characters in this world get books because I need to be back in this world. I’m so utterly devastated and destroyed by this book in the best way. thank you so much for the arc.
This one was a solid 4.5⭐️ for me, because while it is SUCH a good story, I just couldn’t always emotionally connect with the characters. Like I liked them, I just didn’t love them as much as I wanted to. Now the story itself was a RIDE, one thing I’ve come to notice while reading Luna’s stories is she definitely puts her characters through some things that will have me making some faces the whole time. There were moments when my eyes were bugging out of my head and a couple times I accidentally yelled out loud about some of the things that happened.Even got a singular tear out of me which is a feat in itself. I did love watching them grow as individuals and who they became after their traumatic experience, it was messy and heartbreaking but the growth they showed was amazing to read. I will say I honestly wished the story wasn’t a traditional HEA, while they definitely deserved it, I just felt how the story progressed they would’ve been better off. Definitely would recommend this for anyone looking for some emotional damage with a side of healing but to definitely check the TW first before diving into this one 💜💜
Heartbreaking 💔 story of love and trauma. Can Isaac and Veronica make it back to each other after being torn to shreds in captivity?
Isaac and Ronnie meet when they are children already their lives have had traumatic starts. From best friends at 8, to crushing so hard in middle school, then to be in love in High school where everything changes for them. Their love becomes forbidden and Ronnie wants to do the right thing for her mom.
The love Isaac has for Veronica is unyielding. He will do anything for her and it’s everything! He will wait a lifetime for her if he has to.
As sad as this book is, there is something beautiful in the story and the love the characters have for one another. They find peace and love in the aftermath of the worst time of their lives. I am especially happy that they took the time to heal themselves and came back together for their happily ever after. If any one deserves it iz and Ronnie do!
If you like Still Beating pick this book up. It will wreck you in the best way possible, It’s so heartbreakingly beautiful! Check your Trigger warning before reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book absolutely wrecked me—in the best way. It’s an emotional roller coaster that had me crying one minute, smiling through tears the next, and then flat-out angry at the cruelty of fate. The childhood bond between these two characters is so pure and deeply felt that you can’t help but root for them from the very beginning… which makes everything that follows hurt that much more.
Watching their relationship evolve—from innocent friendship to something unspoken yet all-consuming—while being forced into a role that denies their truth was heartbreaking. And then the captivity? Brutal, suffocating, and impossible to read without feeling every ounce of their fear and desperation. In that darkness, their connection becomes both a lifeline and a torment, blurring the line between love, survival, and what’s morally possible.
This story doesn’t just tug at your heart—it squeezes it until it aches. It’s raw, intense, and emotionally fearless, with moments that made me laugh through the pain and others that left me staring at the page, furious and shattered. A devastatingly beautiful read that stays with you long after the final page.
3️⃣ /🌶️ was not the plot, but very enjoyable with those graphics ;) ♾️/ ⭐
I was so lucky to be an ARC reader, and man am I grateful to not have to wait another few weeks for this book, and it was worth the wait & hype I had going for the book.
When I see the words written by Luna K. Wicked I automatically know that my heart is going to be destroyed. But this I did not expect.
Ronnie's (Veronica) character growth was just incredible, I do love how she went from being reliant on someone else to realising the only way she can heal is by facing it alone and not dependent. Iz's (Issac) character was perfection, holy shit the way he loved, the way he protected.. my heart constantly broke for him. He is in my top 3 MMC for 2026.
THE GRAPHICS IN THE BOOK 🥵🥵🥵🥵 I can't wait to share them with my friends IYKYK
I also do not know the last time where I highlighted more lines than I left blank.. there was so much in the story that I did not want to forget, that when I have the chance to talk to others about the book I can quickly reflect back on the specific quotes that made my heart ache.
O! M! G! Do yourself a favor and read this! She may be thick but damn she will take you on an amazing ride through every single emotion.
Follow the lives of Veronica (Ronnie) & Isaac (Iz) from their early childhood years where they find each other at very young ages in a playground. Instantly they are connected only to have their parents fall in love and marry. No big deal you say? Well, it is when as teenagers you're secretly in love woth each other but legally step brother and sister. These two do everything they can to not act on how they truly feel for each other. Problem is, Iz puts himself into Ronnie's best friends bed.
While out for a celebration of Ronnie's recent promotion, Iz's "it's only s*x" person gets her feelings bent and demands to go home. Ronnie's s/o (he proposed, she didnt say yes or no because she's not in love with him when she should be) takes her home leaving Ronnie and Iz together. This is where it all goes bad....
You'll have to read the book to find out why!
This is nothing like any other Luna book I've read, the hangover is real!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Stay With Me wrecked me in the quietest, most haunting way. This is not a love story wrapped in softness. It is raw and painful and deeply emotional, the kind that settles into your chest and refuses to leave. Luna K. Wicked writes trauma with care and honesty, never romanticizing the horror but honoring the strength it takes to survive it.
The connection between these characters feels inevitable, rooted in years of love they were never allowed to name. Watching them face captivity, fear, and the blurred lines between survival and desire was heartbreaking and beautiful all at once. Every moment they cling to each other feels earned, desperate, and real.
This book explores what happens when everything is taken from you and love is the only thing left to hold onto. It is dark, intense, and emotionally heavy, but also tender in the smallest moments. If you love romances that hurt, heal, and stay with you long after the final page, this one will carve a permanent place in your heart.