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Hold Me As I Land
Releasing June 30th, 2026
Serenity Hayes thought she had it all: a degree, a job and the man of her dreams. But when her college sweetheart leaves her at the altar on her wedding day, her entire world is shattered. To escape, she heads to Jamaica with her best friend, believing that love just isn't in the cards for her.
That is, until she meets the sexy and alluring Apollo Brown.
Despite her best efforts, Serenity can't help but be charmed by Apollo's flirtatious ways. Over the course of two weeks, Serenity is caught up in a whirlwind romance that leaves her wanting more.
But as secrets are revealed and Serenity's life starts to fall apart, she wonders who she can trust and if a second chance at love is truly worth fighting for.
Serenity Hayes thought she had it all: a degree, a job and the man of her dreams. But when her college sweetheart leaves her at the altar on her wedding day, her entire world is shattered. To escape, she heads to Jamaica with her best friend, believing that love just isn't in the cards for her.
That is, until she meets the sexy and alluring Apollo Brown.
Despite her best efforts, Serenity can't help but be charmed by Apollo's flirtatious ways. Over the course of two weeks, Serenity is caught up in a whirlwind romance that leaves her wanting more.
But as secrets are revealed and Serenity's life starts to fall apart, she wonders who she can trust and if a second chance at love is truly worth fighting for.
336 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2026
About the author
Kayla N. Jones
3 books9 followersKayla N. Jones is a contemporary/romance author, a poet, and novice screenwriter based out of Atlanta, GA. She likes to write about the vulnerable things that most people aren't brave enough to talk about.
She is the author of Can I Tell You A Story About My Soul (2017), empty boxes (2018), Set Me Free (2018), mourning doves (2021) and Hold Me As I Land (2026).
When she's not writing, you can find her reading a good book, brainstorming ideas with her husband, or playing with her dog.
Want to keep up with her? Follow her on all social media platforms: @kaethewriter
She is the author of Can I Tell You A Story About My Soul (2017), empty boxes (2018), Set Me Free (2018), mourning doves (2021) and Hold Me As I Land (2026).
When she's not writing, you can find her reading a good book, brainstorming ideas with her husband, or playing with her dog.
Want to keep up with her? Follow her on all social media platforms: @kaethewriter
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.8
I absolutely devoured this book.
What started as "I'll read a few chapters before bed" turned into me staying up until 5 AM because I couldn't put it down.
After being left at the altar, Serenity heads to Jamaica with her best friend to escape the heartbreak and figure out what comes next. What she doesn't expect is Apollo Brown.
Apollo had my heart from the very beginning. He was caring, patient, supportive, and never made Serenity feel like she was "too much" because of everything she'd been through. He let her cry, vent, and open up without judgment, which made their connection feel so genuine. That being said... Apollo also frustrated me at times. Once his secret came out, I understood why he kept it hidden, but I still wanted to scream because Serenity deserved the chance to support him the same way he supported her.
One of my favorite running jokes throughout the book was everyone giving Apollo a hard time about hitting Serenity with his car. 😂
What really made this book stand out for me, though, was the emotional depth. This wasn't just a romance. It was a story about healing, growth, grief, family trauma, and learning how to move forward after life completely knocks you down.
The scene that absolutely shattered me was when Serenity found out Justin was having a baby with another woman. My heart broke for her. Then the dinner scene with her mother somehow hurt even more. Watching Serenity finally confront years of pain, talk about losing her baby, and realizing her mother still couldn't give her the love and support she deserved was devastating. I wanted to jump into the book and scream at her mother myself.
I also appreciated how the author handled addiction, depression, and therapy. The book showed the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of healing while still leaving room for hope.
Apollo and Serenity were perfect for each other. Both carried wounds from their pasts, both struggled with abandonment in different ways, and both had a lot of growing to do. Their connection felt undeniable from the moment they met, and watching them work through their baggage together made their relationship feel real.
If you enjoy emotional contemporary romances with depth, healing, mental health representation, and characters that feel human, I highly recommend picking this one up.
This book made me laugh, cry, get frustrated, and fall in love with these characters. I couldn't ask for more.
I absolutely devoured this book.
What started as "I'll read a few chapters before bed" turned into me staying up until 5 AM because I couldn't put it down.
After being left at the altar, Serenity heads to Jamaica with her best friend to escape the heartbreak and figure out what comes next. What she doesn't expect is Apollo Brown.
Apollo had my heart from the very beginning. He was caring, patient, supportive, and never made Serenity feel like she was "too much" because of everything she'd been through. He let her cry, vent, and open up without judgment, which made their connection feel so genuine. That being said... Apollo also frustrated me at times. Once his secret came out, I understood why he kept it hidden, but I still wanted to scream because Serenity deserved the chance to support him the same way he supported her.
One of my favorite running jokes throughout the book was everyone giving Apollo a hard time about hitting Serenity with his car. 😂
What really made this book stand out for me, though, was the emotional depth. This wasn't just a romance. It was a story about healing, growth, grief, family trauma, and learning how to move forward after life completely knocks you down.
The scene that absolutely shattered me was when Serenity found out Justin was having a baby with another woman. My heart broke for her. Then the dinner scene with her mother somehow hurt even more. Watching Serenity finally confront years of pain, talk about losing her baby, and realizing her mother still couldn't give her the love and support she deserved was devastating. I wanted to jump into the book and scream at her mother myself.
I also appreciated how the author handled addiction, depression, and therapy. The book showed the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of healing while still leaving room for hope.
Apollo and Serenity were perfect for each other. Both carried wounds from their pasts, both struggled with abandonment in different ways, and both had a lot of growing to do. Their connection felt undeniable from the moment they met, and watching them work through their baggage together made their relationship feel real.
If you enjoy emotional contemporary romances with depth, healing, mental health representation, and characters that feel human, I highly recommend picking this one up.
This book made me laugh, cry, get frustrated, and fall in love with these characters. I couldn't ask for more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ⭐️ This was a beautiful story that I binge read in one day. What was supposed to be a honeymoon turned into a girls’ trip to Jamaica and became the beginning of a passionate love story between two wounded souls.
This story highlights healing and starting a new chapter after dealing with grief and heartbreak. Serenity and Apollo’s chemistry was amazing, but they had both been through so much, and we all know you can’t fully love someone properly if you haven’t poured enough love into yourself first. I was so happy they understood that.
I loved the patience and understanding they showed one another throughout the story. There were definitely heavy moments that had me wanting to jump into the book and hug them, but the author also sprinkled in funny moments that had me laughing. The spice was also done well and fit naturally into the story instead of overpowering it.
I really appreciated how strongly their connection came through in the writing. You could truly feel the emotional pull between them. The only thing I wish we had gotten was Apollo’s POV. Even though we learned parts of his background, I wanted to dive deeper into his thoughts and also see how he was coping while Serenity was back in ATL.
But overall, I still really loved this story. It was emotional, heartfelt, and beautifully written.
This story highlights healing and starting a new chapter after dealing with grief and heartbreak. Serenity and Apollo’s chemistry was amazing, but they had both been through so much, and we all know you can’t fully love someone properly if you haven’t poured enough love into yourself first. I was so happy they understood that.
I loved the patience and understanding they showed one another throughout the story. There were definitely heavy moments that had me wanting to jump into the book and hug them, but the author also sprinkled in funny moments that had me laughing. The spice was also done well and fit naturally into the story instead of overpowering it.
I really appreciated how strongly their connection came through in the writing. You could truly feel the emotional pull between them. The only thing I wish we had gotten was Apollo’s POV. Even though we learned parts of his background, I wanted to dive deeper into his thoughts and also see how he was coping while Serenity was back in ATL.
But overall, I still really loved this story. It was emotional, heartfelt, and beautifully written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This just got me out of my reading slump and is officially the first romance novel of the summer season for me!
I had the pleasure of being an ARC reader and I’m so glad that I did get to read it.
This book explores the depths of pain and grief of devastating life circumstances from both characters who eventually find the love they genuinely deserved.
It shocked me to see some of these elements explored in a romance book but I was into it. It made it feel so real and definitely triggered some of my own emotions and grief over similar circumstances. Navigating healing and love in real time, while tackling real daily life elements was refreshing to see.
It was so worth the read and I do highly recommend this book to others who aren’t scared to love deeply and unconditionally. I know that while this may not top some other personal favorites, I will be thinking about this book for awhile. I’d be very excited to see a sequel from this.
Trigger warning:
•horrible parental figures - not listed in the book but bc I’ve experienced similar things, this did trigger me
•depression/anxiety
•drug/alcohol abuse
•mention of miscarriage
•mention of incarceration
•Mention of previous suicide attempt
I had the pleasure of being an ARC reader and I’m so glad that I did get to read it.
This book explores the depths of pain and grief of devastating life circumstances from both characters who eventually find the love they genuinely deserved.
It shocked me to see some of these elements explored in a romance book but I was into it. It made it feel so real and definitely triggered some of my own emotions and grief over similar circumstances. Navigating healing and love in real time, while tackling real daily life elements was refreshing to see.
It was so worth the read and I do highly recommend this book to others who aren’t scared to love deeply and unconditionally. I know that while this may not top some other personal favorites, I will be thinking about this book for awhile. I’d be very excited to see a sequel from this.
Trigger warning:
•horrible parental figures - not listed in the book but bc I’ve experienced similar things, this did trigger me
•depression/anxiety
•drug/alcohol abuse
•mention of miscarriage
•mention of incarceration
•Mention of previous suicide attempt
July 5, 2026
What an emotional story of hurt, loss, healing, and love! And Serenity's path to finding herself through all of it. I thought it was going to be a simple story of one man did her terribly wrong and she finds a vacation love to sweep her off of her feet. This is so much deeper than that. It explores infidelity, depression, grief, strained parental relationships, forgiveness, atonement, self-worth, friendship, and love.
The story is steadily paced and occurs over the course of a couple years. I appreciated that Jones went deeper than an island fling. She gave the main characters depth and complexity. Serenity and Apollo both had major flaws and trauma to overcome. They didn't save one another, they supported one another, and allowed time and space to do its thing.
I recommend this for a reader that enjoys the journey not just the HEA. Someone that can appreciate the humanity and imperfections of people, but still believe they deserve love. It delivers the romantic tension and spice as well. 4.5 stars.
Thank you Kayla N. Jones for the opportunity to review this ARC. This is my honest opinion.
The story is steadily paced and occurs over the course of a couple years. I appreciated that Jones went deeper than an island fling. She gave the main characters depth and complexity. Serenity and Apollo both had major flaws and trauma to overcome. They didn't save one another, they supported one another, and allowed time and space to do its thing.
I recommend this for a reader that enjoys the journey not just the HEA. Someone that can appreciate the humanity and imperfections of people, but still believe they deserve love. It delivers the romantic tension and spice as well. 4.5 stars.
Thank you Kayla N. Jones for the opportunity to review this ARC. This is my honest opinion.
June 30, 2026
Received from Author. I went into this expecting a vacation meet cute instant love type of romance and quickly realized that this was so much more than what was expected. The depth of the characters were so well defined. They felt more like real people than characters in a book. You really feel for what they have gone through and the strength they have to try and better themselves.
Review of advance copy received from Author
In the beginning, I really thought this book would be a classic boy meets girl meet cute vibe, but as I am progressing through the book it's much more in depth than I would ever have imagined. Cannot wait to finish this book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews