Here to Stay

Port Myles #2

by Becca Walts

Elsie Carmichael has her work cut out for her. A people-pleaser to her core, she's on a mission to finally start living life on her own terms. Step one: quit her job. Step two: open her own flower shop. Step three: try to ignore the annoyingly good looking and highly distracting tattoo artist who works next door. Declan Rhodes is new to Port Myles, the tiny, seaside town in southern Maine where everybody knows everyone else, and not even the influx of summer tourists can help him blend in. He's spent years moving from city to city, job to job, never letting himself get too comfortable — or too attached to anyone. Despite his best efforts, he ended up with a best friend. To make matters worse, Declan agreed to work at his new tattoo studio and try on small-town living for size. Turns out it's a perfect fit, and it has everything to do with the sweet florist next door who he can't seem to stay away from. On paper, they don't make sense. If she's the flowers, he's the thorns. But the more Elsie tries to resist the strange pull between them, the more Declan tries to convince her that he's a chance worth taking. Letting him into her bed is one thing — but her heart? Elsie's afraid to hand her heart over to someone who could take off and leave it behind when he goes. She doesn't know that Declan just might have found the one thing that could finally make him stay.

444 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2026

Reviews

[Sarah | Sarahs.BookCorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

✩5

✦What to Expect✦
•Grumpy x sunshine
•Tattoo artist x florist
•He falls First
•He pierces her
•Opposites attract
•Forced proximity
•Found family
•Small-town Maine

✦Characters✦
•Elsie Carmichael
•Declan Rhodes

✦Fav Quotes✦
All I know is that I met a pretty brunette with a flower in her hair on a sunny day in April, and nothing has been the same since.

“Neither one of us stands a chance against this,”
“We’re inevitable, Elsie.”

“I want you, Elsie. In any way I can have you.”

Some sunrises, some moments, are so spectacular they knock the breath from your lungs. Others are more subtle. Falling in love with Elsie is a lot like that. I fall for her again and again, in the big moments and in the small ones.

“You’re the girl with the flowers,”

✦Thoughts✦
Squealing over how cuteeeeeee this was!!

Declan!!!!!!! A down bad grumpy tattooed MMC🤭 Yessss please! Say hello to my new fav book boyfriend! This man brought it!!!!

Elsieeeee my girl, I loveddddd that she made the first move. Get it girlllll👏🏼

Just over here swooning over these two! Their chemistry was sooo good. The chapel scene🤭🤤it was so also sooo incredibly sweet and I just adored them🫶🏻

This town & the friendship groups!!! I love it and I’ll be over just waiting for my girl Grace🤭

✦Micro-Tropes✦
•He’s pierced (nip)
•He licks his fingers clean
•Hand necklaces
•He pushes it back in
•"Good girl”

•ARC Read•

✦ Bookish links to follow ✦
Bookstagram • Goodreads • BookBub • Storygraph • Fable

[Julie Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story and these characters. And it’s such an easy, well-flowed story. Declan is a little grumpy, but man does he fall fast and hard. He does the sweetest, unexpected things and it will just make you swoon. And Elsie actually being the one to make the moves and go after what she wants had me so giddy. The spice is spicing! They are all in, and they don’t give a crap where they are!! 😂 a little frustrating towards the end with Elsie when she suddenly became so unsure of things, but I’m glad her friends had an intervention of sorts for her lol. The side characters are so good in this one, and I liked seeing Olivia and Cam be a constant through the book. I really liked their book, the first book ( the Road Map to You) and I think I can see where the next book is gonna go and I really hope it happens!

Thank you so much to the author for the advanced copy!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

After reading this book, I don’t know what I want more: a new tattoo or to move to Port Myles. Regardless, I really loved this book! I really loved Declan and Elsie and their budding relationship. There was definitely a lot of chemistry from the moment these two met and they did NOT disappoint. I also loved the friendships in this book. There were a lot of funny moments, but also a few that tugged on my heartstrings a bit. My only real qualm with this book was Elsie, my girl, you lost me towards the end with suddenly not knowing what you wanted and pushing Declan away… I definitely think therapy should have been started before getting Declan back.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for this series!

Thank you to the author for an advanced copy of this book!

[dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

love love love this book!!!! got the chance to read this an an arc and i’ve been waiting until i can buy my physical copy! declan is peak book bf, and don’t get me started on my girl elsie. she’s one of my fav characters i’ve ever read about, love her sm!

also love the found family aspects lots!! can’t wait for the third book 🤭 thank u to the author!!

[Gabrielle Mair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was a 10/10! First off, the picnic scene, are you kidding me?? And the way my jaw was on the floor at the chapel scene 🥵🫣 this book was heartfelt, so swoony & steamy, and of course left me wanting more!

[Katie Parrish]

Absolutely LOVED this book! Declan is the perfect amount of grumpy to Elsie’s sunshine and Port Myles is the perfect setting that feels just like a warm hug! 10/10, I already can’t wait for the next book in the series