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Here to Stay
For the past eighteen months, Abby has been hiding out in Bay View—a town small enough to suffocate her grief, quiet enough to muffle the past, and gentle enough to feel safe. She didn’t come to start over. She came to disappear.
Then a fire takes out the town’s only pub-and-inn, and Abby’s predictable life goes up in smoke.
Chris Addison arrives with designer luggage, sharp opinions, and an air of disdain. She’s polished, prickly, and clearly running from something of her own. Abby tells herself she can handle Chris—handle the tension, the bickering, the way Chris’s walls start to crack when she thinks no one’s looking.
What Abby can’t handle is the return of yearning. The kind she promised herself she’d never risk again. Life robbed her of love once before–how can she trust that this time, it’s here to stay?
Then a fire takes out the town’s only pub-and-inn, and Abby’s predictable life goes up in smoke.
Chris Addison arrives with designer luggage, sharp opinions, and an air of disdain. She’s polished, prickly, and clearly running from something of her own. Abby tells herself she can handle Chris—handle the tension, the bickering, the way Chris’s walls start to crack when she thinks no one’s looking.
What Abby can’t handle is the return of yearning. The kind she promised herself she’d never risk again. Life robbed her of love once before–how can she trust that this time, it’s here to stay?
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 3, 2026
3.5⭐️ This was an unusual book for me, I like to know the location/setting of the story and this one??? Maybe South Africa or Australia ? And that bugged my type A brain throughout the book. Also it was an age gap book with both romances in the story, first with Abby and Dan and then with Abby and Chris. And it was long, taking place over 5 year period.
I liked Abby, but I felt like she kept getting herself in bad relationships and then was a wreck over all of them. I did't like Dan's character much, she seem to be, a go with the wind person, very chaotic life style. Chris I could get to like but she also was damaged due to her upbringing with intolerant, unloving parents. So I can see why she clung to Karys, and her children and that she couldn't pull away from them easily.
My favorite characters, were Evan and the other town friends of Abbys' they all seemed much more stable and steady people.
This was a very emotional and somewhat dark book, and since it took me days to finish it, I felt emerged in the story.
Thanks to Bella Books for the chance to read and review this ARC.
I liked Abby, but I felt like she kept getting herself in bad relationships and then was a wreck over all of them. I did't like Dan's character much, she seem to be, a go with the wind person, very chaotic life style. Chris I could get to like but she also was damaged due to her upbringing with intolerant, unloving parents. So I can see why she clung to Karys, and her children and that she couldn't pull away from them easily.
My favorite characters, were Evan and the other town friends of Abbys' they all seemed much more stable and steady people.
This was a very emotional and somewhat dark book, and since it took me days to finish it, I felt emerged in the story.
Thanks to Bella Books for the chance to read and review this ARC.
October 8, 2026
This was an interesting mixed bag for me. While I enjoyed the book by the end, I did have a few specific gripes about it that I would mention up front to avoid people who would just not enjoy it going in (minor spoilers within).
First, if you can't get behind a variation of emotional cheating in a romance, this romance book will be hard to root for (it was for me, a bit). It's always a bit tricky when you have a clear emotional connection happening but one or both of the people involved are in long-term monogamous relationships already. A bit icky, but if that bothers you, this one likely won't appeal to you.
Secondly, this is a bit of an insta-love situation where the main characters live in close quarters for a week, and the POV character is suddenly in love. This one is personally not particularly engaging to me, but the later development of the characters and relationship mitigated it somewhat for me.
Overall, I found this an interesting and compelling look at grief and moving forward in life after you found and lost your person. Honestly, I feel that this would have been better as a literary fiction book rather than a romance to fully focus on the grief aspect and moving forward in life (and potentially a relationship, but not centrally that). I particularly feel that the emotional drama of a romance being centred in this narrative takes away from the general healing Abby has to do; focusing on that instead would have been a more engaging story.
To sum it up, I had a good time, but there were some weaker spots, and I wanted a more stable, grounded story for Abby dealing with her grief instead of the emotional turmoil that romances tend to centre around.
First, if you can't get behind a variation of emotional cheating in a romance, this romance book will be hard to root for (it was for me, a bit). It's always a bit tricky when you have a clear emotional connection happening but one or both of the people involved are in long-term monogamous relationships already. A bit icky, but if that bothers you, this one likely won't appeal to you.
Secondly, this is a bit of an insta-love situation where the main characters live in close quarters for a week, and the POV character is suddenly in love. This one is personally not particularly engaging to me, but the later development of the characters and relationship mitigated it somewhat for me.
Overall, I found this an interesting and compelling look at grief and moving forward in life after you found and lost your person. Honestly, I feel that this would have been better as a literary fiction book rather than a romance to fully focus on the grief aspect and moving forward in life (and potentially a relationship, but not centrally that). I particularly feel that the emotional drama of a romance being centred in this narrative takes away from the general healing Abby has to do; focusing on that instead would have been a more engaging story.
To sum it up, I had a good time, but there were some weaker spots, and I wanted a more stable, grounded story for Abby dealing with her grief instead of the emotional turmoil that romances tend to centre around.
May 13, 2026
Oh this book made me big mad. I cannot believe I wasted so much time listening to this.
To start this book isn't problematic, it is just not good. It is intensely mediocre and the ending sent it into unsatisfactory territory.
Next let's talk about the audio narration because that made a huge difference on my reading experience. A 300-page book should not be a 15-hour audiobook. Both Goodreads and Amazon say that the print length is 304 pages but Amazon says the Kindle version is 388, regardless, 15 hours is absolutely insane. I listened to it on 3x speed and still wish I could have made it go faster.
Beyond the narration itself dragging for me, the storyline and the characters also dragged for me. This is marketed as a romance and a sapphic love story. I love a slow burn so don't come for me and say that this is just a really slow burn, this is a will they or won't they for 99% of the book and then in the last 2 minutes oh I guess they will.
Okay so context. Abby is in her late twenties and has just moved to the small town a few years ago after the death of her girlfriend. She is starting over and working as a teacher she has her best friend there and she rents out a room in her house to visitors.
Then we have Chris who is technically in a long-term relationship but not married as we are told many times and she has three teenagers and a very wrought relationship with her partner and family.
When the town's beloved inn burns down Chris ends up making a reservation at Abby's house and staying for like a week or something. Somehow in that week Abby falls in love with Chris and when Chris goes back home Abby keeps thinking about her etc.
All of Abby's friends are much more sane and tell Abby to forget about Chris and to move on because Chris is not only much older with children, but she has a long-term partner. She is in a relationship. Period.
Part of my frustration with this book is that it does involve a person in a relationship starting a new relationship. That's cheating my friends. I don't care what you want to call it that is emotional cheating, emotional manipulation whatever. I'd be fine if you know they broke up early in the book and then Chris decides to start something but no they're together for the vast fucking majority of the goddamn book. Sorry I'm mad about this.
Anyway the only reason this isn't getting one star is because I save my one stars for massively problematic books but I did not like this and I was so frustrated by the end.
I understand a book about learning to love again and going through grief and getting away from a bad partner and all of that but this book doesn't do any of it well. There are flashbacks to Abby and her dead girlfriend's relationship and those seem toxic. There is almost no communication that is showcasing emotional maturity between our two main characters and I'm so over it. This one character's supposed to be almost 30 and the other characters in her 40s and they can't talk about shit? Get the fuck out of here.
Some people seem to really love this one but this was not it for me.
To start this book isn't problematic, it is just not good. It is intensely mediocre and the ending sent it into unsatisfactory territory.
Next let's talk about the audio narration because that made a huge difference on my reading experience. A 300-page book should not be a 15-hour audiobook. Both Goodreads and Amazon say that the print length is 304 pages but Amazon says the Kindle version is 388, regardless, 15 hours is absolutely insane. I listened to it on 3x speed and still wish I could have made it go faster.
Beyond the narration itself dragging for me, the storyline and the characters also dragged for me. This is marketed as a romance and a sapphic love story. I love a slow burn so don't come for me and say that this is just a really slow burn, this is a will they or won't they for 99% of the book and then in the last 2 minutes oh I guess they will.
Okay so context. Abby is in her late twenties and has just moved to the small town a few years ago after the death of her girlfriend. She is starting over and working as a teacher she has her best friend there and she rents out a room in her house to visitors.
Then we have Chris who is technically in a long-term relationship but not married as we are told many times and she has three teenagers and a very wrought relationship with her partner and family.
When the town's beloved inn burns down Chris ends up making a reservation at Abby's house and staying for like a week or something. Somehow in that week Abby falls in love with Chris and when Chris goes back home Abby keeps thinking about her etc.
All of Abby's friends are much more sane and tell Abby to forget about Chris and to move on because Chris is not only much older with children, but she has a long-term partner. She is in a relationship. Period.
Part of my frustration with this book is that it does involve a person in a relationship starting a new relationship. That's cheating my friends. I don't care what you want to call it that is emotional cheating, emotional manipulation whatever. I'd be fine if you know they broke up early in the book and then Chris decides to start something but no they're together for the vast fucking majority of the goddamn book. Sorry I'm mad about this.
Anyway the only reason this isn't getting one star is because I save my one stars for massively problematic books but I did not like this and I was so frustrated by the end.
I understand a book about learning to love again and going through grief and getting away from a bad partner and all of that but this book doesn't do any of it well. There are flashbacks to Abby and her dead girlfriend's relationship and those seem toxic. There is almost no communication that is showcasing emotional maturity between our two main characters and I'm so over it. This one character's supposed to be almost 30 and the other characters in her 40s and they can't talk about shit? Get the fuck out of here.
Some people seem to really love this one but this was not it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2026
Abby has been hiding out in the small town of Bay View. She teaches English at the Junior High. A fellow teacher, Evan, is her new best friend. She also rents out a room in her house via an app. Her life has been on hold as she has grieved her former partner and love of her life. There are flashbacks to times when they met and were together. Chris Addison comes to stay in her room while in town to visit her mother. Chris is in a long term relationship and is engaging and attractive. Somehow a local fire burning down the town pub and Chris’s visit is the catalyst that Abby has been waiting for. She slowly grows her friend group, rescues a pet, takes up a town cause and starts living again.
This falls into general fiction or realistic fiction to me. It is Abby’s story and told from her POV. There is humor, especially in the banter with sidekick Evan. It is touching and not maudlin. But all that being said, romance was the weakest link for me. I didn’t buy into the connection Abby feels towards Chris. There was an age gap with her previous romance and with Chris it is even larger. But it is never addressed. And I see their situationship as cheating which I didn’t love. (Chris technically is not married, but there is a partner and almost adult children involved.) I cheered Abby in finding a purpose and moving forward in her life. But I didn’t love where she ended up. I wasn’t sure that she’d like her new job any more than her previous one.
This is a book without a defined setting as far as location, or even country. It made it more difficult for me to apply cultural norms or context. For example having worked in a school in the USA, you can’t just quit but need to finish out school year long contracts. I think I would have benefited from an epilogue to get a better understanding of what a happy every after looks like for Abby.
Thank you to Bella Books and the author for the digital copy and I am leaving an honest review.
This falls into general fiction or realistic fiction to me. It is Abby’s story and told from her POV. There is humor, especially in the banter with sidekick Evan. It is touching and not maudlin. But all that being said, romance was the weakest link for me. I didn’t buy into the connection Abby feels towards Chris. There was an age gap with her previous romance and with Chris it is even larger. But it is never addressed. And I see their situationship as cheating which I didn’t love. (Chris technically is not married, but there is a partner and almost adult children involved.) I cheered Abby in finding a purpose and moving forward in her life. But I didn’t love where she ended up. I wasn’t sure that she’d like her new job any more than her previous one.
This is a book without a defined setting as far as location, or even country. It made it more difficult for me to apply cultural norms or context. For example having worked in a school in the USA, you can’t just quit but need to finish out school year long contracts. I think I would have benefited from an epilogue to get a better understanding of what a happy every after looks like for Abby.
Thank you to Bella Books and the author for the digital copy and I am leaving an honest review.
April 27, 2026
Spoilers ahead.
This book just wasn’t for me. While I can’t personally understand the depth of losing a life partner and trying to rebuild after that kind of grief, I did want to empathize with Abby’s journey. Unfortunately, her attitude and many of her choices made that difficult for me.
The relationship dynamics felt especially frustrating. Falling in love with someone after only a week and becoming that emotionally consumed so quickly didn’t feel believable to me. On top of that, knowingly pursuing someone who was married was a major turnoff and made it hard to root for the romance.
I also felt like the story leaned heavily into messy, dramatic choices in a way that became exhausting rather than compelling. By the end, Abby seemed to move from devastating loss to the verge of another life-defining commitment incredibly fast, which didn’t feel earned to me.
Overall, I know this story may work for readers who enjoy emotionally chaotic romances and flawed characters, but for me it was too much, too rushed, and hard to connect with.
This book just wasn’t for me. While I can’t personally understand the depth of losing a life partner and trying to rebuild after that kind of grief, I did want to empathize with Abby’s journey. Unfortunately, her attitude and many of her choices made that difficult for me.
The relationship dynamics felt especially frustrating. Falling in love with someone after only a week and becoming that emotionally consumed so quickly didn’t feel believable to me. On top of that, knowingly pursuing someone who was married was a major turnoff and made it hard to root for the romance.
I also felt like the story leaned heavily into messy, dramatic choices in a way that became exhausting rather than compelling. By the end, Abby seemed to move from devastating loss to the verge of another life-defining commitment incredibly fast, which didn’t feel earned to me.
Overall, I know this story may work for readers who enjoy emotionally chaotic romances and flawed characters, but for me it was too much, too rushed, and hard to connect with.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2026
Abbie (mc) isolates herself after suffering a great loss. But even in that insolation love and friendship find her. It isn’t an easy road and she learns some hard lessons. But she also overcomes some fears as well. She builds new bonds and learns she is stronger than she knew she was. And in the end love wins!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2026
Here to Stay by Debby Querido is positioned as a sapphic love story centered on grief, healing, and emotional recovery. While this framing aligns with the narrative’s intentions, the reading experience proved uneven.
One of the novel’s central challenges lies in its narrative focus. The subplot surrounding the destruction of the Dolphin Inn, while thematically relevant, often feels distracting and detracts from the development of the central relationship. Similarly, the pacing of the romance leans heavily into an extended slow burn, which might be effective with sufficient emotional payoff. However, when the relationship between Abby and Chris finally materializes, it feels underdeveloped, lacking the depth established in earlier sections of the novel.
This imbalance is further emphasized by the allocation of narrative attention. The novel devotes considerable space to Abby’s previous relationship, while comparatively glossing over key moments that would have strengthened the foundation of her connection with Chris. As a result, certain developments—particularly Chris’s willingness to pursue a relationship without deeper integration into Abby’s life—can feel difficult to fully accept.
The audiobook narration by Ash Kingsley also impacted my engagement. The performance lends Abby a tone that feels more naïve than the character’s experiences suggest, which occasionally undermines the emotional weight of the story. This makes it challenging to assess the full potential of Querido’s writing, as the delivery influences the reading experience.
Despite these shortcomings, there are glimpses of potential in the novel’s emotional core. While this particular reading experience did not fully connect with me, I would be open to exploring future work by the author to better understand her strengths as a storyteller.
One of the novel’s central challenges lies in its narrative focus. The subplot surrounding the destruction of the Dolphin Inn, while thematically relevant, often feels distracting and detracts from the development of the central relationship. Similarly, the pacing of the romance leans heavily into an extended slow burn, which might be effective with sufficient emotional payoff. However, when the relationship between Abby and Chris finally materializes, it feels underdeveloped, lacking the depth established in earlier sections of the novel.
This imbalance is further emphasized by the allocation of narrative attention. The novel devotes considerable space to Abby’s previous relationship, while comparatively glossing over key moments that would have strengthened the foundation of her connection with Chris. As a result, certain developments—particularly Chris’s willingness to pursue a relationship without deeper integration into Abby’s life—can feel difficult to fully accept.
The audiobook narration by Ash Kingsley also impacted my engagement. The performance lends Abby a tone that feels more naïve than the character’s experiences suggest, which occasionally undermines the emotional weight of the story. This makes it challenging to assess the full potential of Querido’s writing, as the delivery influences the reading experience.
Despite these shortcomings, there are glimpses of potential in the novel’s emotional core. While this particular reading experience did not fully connect with me, I would be open to exploring future work by the author to better understand her strengths as a storyteller.
June 8, 2026
I really enjoyed this book, particularly the range and depth of its characters. The author took the time to fully develop each one, making them feel authentic and relatable. As I read, I felt as though I truly knew the characters and understood their struggles.
The story took me on an emotional journey alongside Abby and I found myself deeply invested in her experiences. The author did a wonderful job of drawing me into the narrative and keeping me engaged from beginning to end.
This is an impressive debut novel by Debby Querido. Her storytelling, character development and ability to create an emotional connection with readers makes me excited to see what she writes next. I look forward to reading her future books and following her journey as an author.
The story took me on an emotional journey alongside Abby and I found myself deeply invested in her experiences. The author did a wonderful job of drawing me into the narrative and keeping me engaged from beginning to end.
This is an impressive debut novel by Debby Querido. Her storytelling, character development and ability to create an emotional connection with readers makes me excited to see what she writes next. I look forward to reading her future books and following her journey as an author.
July 1, 2026
Generally romance novels are not my thing but I was totally engrossed. I felt like I've definitely been to Bayview before and got totally wrapped up in each character and how their story would end. I laughed, raged, empathised and whooped - sure signs of a good debut novel!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What do you get when you cross a grieving woman, a burned down inn, a last minute house guest, an adorably cute kitten and a bunch of supportive friends? In the case of Abby Massey it's an emotional journey of rediscovering herself and digging her way out of the depths of grief.
Following the death of her former girlfriend three years earlier Abby has left her previous university tutoring job and her friends and is hiding away in Bay View, teaching at a junior school, hanging out with her best friend Evan at the Dolphin Inn and joining online quiz nights with her old friends. She is grieving and generally lost and just going through life without much joy. When the Dolphin Inn burns down one night, little does she know how much the subsequent events will change her life.
When Chris Addison rents Abby's spare room for a week after coming to Bay View to look after her ill mother, the connection between the two women is fast and before long they are sharing painful stories from their respective pasts and hanging out as friends. While their connection is strong Chris is already in a long term relationship with teenage children so there's no room for anything beyond friendship. However this is difficult for Abby given her growing attraction to confident woman staying in her spare room.
Even after Chris leaves to return home their connection remains and Abby struggles to suppress her growing feelings for Chris and what she can't have while also realising that she is finally emerging from her grief as a result of their friendship. It's only a matter of time before everything blows up spectacularly and when it does, it's one hell of a rollercoaster ride of push/pull angst that seriously contrasts with their previous calm connection with both their friendship and Abby's heart at very real risk of being shattered irreparably. The question is whether there is any future for their friendship let alone any opportunity for more.
I mostly enjoyed Here to Stay, in particular the growing bond between the two MCs and the way they bonded over their past pains and by supporting each other. I loved watching Abby start to move on from her grief with the support of her friends and Chris even as she struggled to supress her growing feelings for the unavailable woman. Where I struggled was the last 20% or so of the book when everything blew up spectacularly. While I'm not against a bit of angst this one just about did me in and left me wondering whether everything could ever work out or whether Abby would get drawn back into her isolated broken pit of despair.
On the balance of everything I'm giving this one a solid 4 stars. I am grateful to Debby Querido and Bella Books for providing me with an ARC copy of Here to Stay and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Following the death of her former girlfriend three years earlier Abby has left her previous university tutoring job and her friends and is hiding away in Bay View, teaching at a junior school, hanging out with her best friend Evan at the Dolphin Inn and joining online quiz nights with her old friends. She is grieving and generally lost and just going through life without much joy. When the Dolphin Inn burns down one night, little does she know how much the subsequent events will change her life.
When Chris Addison rents Abby's spare room for a week after coming to Bay View to look after her ill mother, the connection between the two women is fast and before long they are sharing painful stories from their respective pasts and hanging out as friends. While their connection is strong Chris is already in a long term relationship with teenage children so there's no room for anything beyond friendship. However this is difficult for Abby given her growing attraction to confident woman staying in her spare room.
Even after Chris leaves to return home their connection remains and Abby struggles to suppress her growing feelings for Chris and what she can't have while also realising that she is finally emerging from her grief as a result of their friendship. It's only a matter of time before everything blows up spectacularly and when it does, it's one hell of a rollercoaster ride of push/pull angst that seriously contrasts with their previous calm connection with both their friendship and Abby's heart at very real risk of being shattered irreparably. The question is whether there is any future for their friendship let alone any opportunity for more.
I mostly enjoyed Here to Stay, in particular the growing bond between the two MCs and the way they bonded over their past pains and by supporting each other. I loved watching Abby start to move on from her grief with the support of her friends and Chris even as she struggled to supress her growing feelings for the unavailable woman. Where I struggled was the last 20% or so of the book when everything blew up spectacularly. While I'm not against a bit of angst this one just about did me in and left me wondering whether everything could ever work out or whether Abby would get drawn back into her isolated broken pit of despair.
On the balance of everything I'm giving this one a solid 4 stars. I am grateful to Debby Querido and Bella Books for providing me with an ARC copy of Here to Stay and am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Here to Stay is a sapphic romance that goes back and forth between the past and present. The story incorporates themes of grief, found family and starting your life over after trauma.
After experiencing a devastating loss 18 months ago, Abby sought refuge in the quiet predictability of small town life. But when a fire destroys the local pub shakes the community, she is forced to confront the walls she’s built around her heart both in terms of friendship & love.
The narration was very good and made this an enjoyable listen. Unusually for me, I did have to speed it up quite a bit as it felt very slow otherwise.
I’m in two minds about how to rate this book because I did enjoy it but there were some tropes included that I don’t love and one thing that felt a bit biphobic (just in the way it was talked about). I don’t want to mention the tropes because it’s a spoiler so I settled on 3.5 & round up to 4.
After experiencing a devastating loss 18 months ago, Abby sought refuge in the quiet predictability of small town life. But when a fire destroys the local pub shakes the community, she is forced to confront the walls she’s built around her heart both in terms of friendship & love.
The narration was very good and made this an enjoyable listen. Unusually for me, I did have to speed it up quite a bit as it felt very slow otherwise.
I’m in two minds about how to rate this book because I did enjoy it but there were some tropes included that I don’t love and one thing that felt a bit biphobic (just in the way it was talked about). I don’t want to mention the tropes because it’s a spoiler so I settled on 3.5 & round up to 4.
October 22, 2026
THE AUDIOBOOK CAN BE INTIMIDATING AT A STATED 15 HRS LISTENING TIME, BUT IT GOES BY PRETTY QUICKLY AS YOU ARE PULLED INTO THE STORY. HOWEVER THE BOOK IS PRETTY SOLID AND I DID ENJOY GETTING TO KNOW ABBY AND CHRIS AND THE WHOLE BAYVIEW COMMUNITY. IT REALLY FELT LIKE ABBY WAS A LOST SOUL, KIND OF DRIFTING AFTER LOSING HER PARTNER TO BREAST CANCER. SO I UNDERSTOOD WHY SHE MADE SOME OF THE QUESTIONABLE CHOICES SHE MADE TRYING NOT TO GIVE ANY SPOILERS HERE. IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND CHRIS' MOTIVATIONS, BECAUSE WE REALLY ONLY GET TO SEE WHO SHE IS IN BAYVIEW. THE CHARACTERS ARE ALL WELL WRITTEN, TO INCLUDE THE AMAZING SECONDARY CHARACTERS.
THERE IS A LOT GOING ON IN THIS BOOK; CURRENT AND PAST RELATIONSHIPS, A COMMUNITY DEALING WITH A LOSS, AND LOTS OF FEELINGS FROM BOTH ABBY AND CHRIS,. IT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT THE MAIN STORYLINE IS, BUT AT ITS HEART I THINK THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL BOOK ABOUT HEALING YOUR HEART AND MOVING ON, AND BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF. THIS IS NOT A PARTICULARLY *EASY" READ; THERE IS DEATH AND HOMOPHOBIA, BUT I THINK THE AUTHOR ADDRESSES IT IN A WAY THAT STRENGTHENS THE STORY. I THINK ABBY AND CHRIS GREW A LOT BY THE END OF THE BOOK, AND THAT WAS A TREAT TO READ. DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE BY THIS AUTHOR!
THERE IS A LOT GOING ON IN THIS BOOK; CURRENT AND PAST RELATIONSHIPS, A COMMUNITY DEALING WITH A LOSS, AND LOTS OF FEELINGS FROM BOTH ABBY AND CHRIS,. IT CAN BE CHALLENGING TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT THE MAIN STORYLINE IS, BUT AT ITS HEART I THINK THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL BOOK ABOUT HEALING YOUR HEART AND MOVING ON, AND BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF. THIS IS NOT A PARTICULARLY *EASY" READ; THERE IS DEATH AND HOMOPHOBIA, BUT I THINK THE AUTHOR ADDRESSES IT IN A WAY THAT STRENGTHENS THE STORY. I THINK ABBY AND CHRIS GREW A LOT BY THE END OF THE BOOK, AND THAT WAS A TREAT TO READ. DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE BY THIS AUTHOR!
November 1, 2026
What a thoroughly enjoyable read from beginning to end. It was well written and I couldn’t put it down until I had read the entire book in 2 days!
Highly recommend this as a really good read - 5 stars!!
Highly recommend this as a really good read - 5 stars!!
October 22, 2026
What a great story! The plot was engaging and kept me interested from beginning to end. I found myself genuinely invested in the characters and their journeys, and by the end, they felt less like fictional characters and more like friends. A truly enjoyable read!
October 9, 2026
Fantastic. Messy just as life is.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
(Audiobook) Narrator elevates the story with her performance
Here to Stay is the kind of story where you'll laugh and cry and do both at the same time at least once so have tissues handy. All the emotions as well as the comedic moments are elevated by narrator Ash Kingsley's performance. I'm still new to audiobook listening but I know that Ash Kingsley made the book more enjoyable for me especially when time was running out for main characters Abby and Chris to get things sorted out between them. Even listening at 1.5x speed I was impatient to find out how things would end for them and for some secondary characters as well. Abby's coworker and pal Evan is a standout in the cast of secondaries, their rapport and verbal jousting so fun to eavesdrop on. The story arc has a bunch of angsty content and deals with loss and grief in a non-Hollywood/Walt Disney-fied way; if angst and drama and 'will they won't they' dynamic are your jam this book checks all those boxes and then some. The lighter moments will provoke laughter and smiles and relief from the heavier ones but some minor plot threads don't resolve in a Hollywood way (or seemed to be adequately addressed for my curiosity to be satisfied). I wouldn't call it escapist reading/listening or a fluffy beach read by any means; it is a rollercoaster with plenty of ups, downs, twists and rolls, dark tunnels and touches of smooth sailing that will keep you guessing for a very long time. I recommend the audiobook version of this book and look forward to seeing what author Debby Querido publishes next.
Here to Stay is the kind of story where you'll laugh and cry and do both at the same time at least once so have tissues handy. All the emotions as well as the comedic moments are elevated by narrator Ash Kingsley's performance. I'm still new to audiobook listening but I know that Ash Kingsley made the book more enjoyable for me especially when time was running out for main characters Abby and Chris to get things sorted out between them. Even listening at 1.5x speed I was impatient to find out how things would end for them and for some secondary characters as well. Abby's coworker and pal Evan is a standout in the cast of secondaries, their rapport and verbal jousting so fun to eavesdrop on. The story arc has a bunch of angsty content and deals with loss and grief in a non-Hollywood/Walt Disney-fied way; if angst and drama and 'will they won't they' dynamic are your jam this book checks all those boxes and then some. The lighter moments will provoke laughter and smiles and relief from the heavier ones but some minor plot threads don't resolve in a Hollywood way (or seemed to be adequately addressed for my curiosity to be satisfied). I wouldn't call it escapist reading/listening or a fluffy beach read by any means; it is a rollercoaster with plenty of ups, downs, twists and rolls, dark tunnels and touches of smooth sailing that will keep you guessing for a very long time. I recommend the audiobook version of this book and look forward to seeing what author Debby Querido publishes next.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book was more emotional than I thought it would be but in a good way. Abby's life is a bit of a mess. Chris walking into it just makes it even messier, and I do love a messy story. This is a slowwwww burn. There is a lot of push and pull between the two main characters and part of me wishes that we had gotten Chris's POV as well. There are parts of the book where we get backstory for both of them told in a flashback kind of way but it was a little confusing and jarring. It may be clearer in physical/ebook format when that happens. It didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book, however.
There is an age gap between the two but it isn't really addressed and doesn't pose much of an issue. Without giving anything away, there were some decisions that one of the MC's made that I wasn't on board with and wish she had handled things and communicated better. But, alas, this is a romance book!
The secondary characters were (mostly) pretty great and the narration by Ash Kingsley was fantastic! This book does deal with a lot of heavy topics so make sure you check out the content warnings before diving in.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC
There is an age gap between the two but it isn't really addressed and doesn't pose much of an issue. Without giving anything away, there were some decisions that one of the MC's made that I wasn't on board with and wish she had handled things and communicated better. But, alas, this is a romance book!
The secondary characters were (mostly) pretty great and the narration by Ash Kingsley was fantastic! This book does deal with a lot of heavy topics so make sure you check out the content warnings before diving in.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC
May 3, 2026
Here to Stay, the debut novel from Debby Querido is a story about loss, grief and healing.
Abby, grieving the death of her partner, hides away in small town Bay Harbor. She has her core friend group, a job she tolerates, a routine she is comfortable with; she doesn’t need or want a love interest in her life. When the small town inn/bar burns down, Abby gets a last minute guest through a house sharing app. Chris is in town to care for her sick mother who she has been estranged from for two decades. Together they develop a friendship and help each other heal and discover who they are - Abby beyond her grief and Chris outside of being a long term partner and mother to three.
I can’t say much more without spoiling it. Overall I enjoyed Here to Stay. My heart broke for both Abby and Chris. Abby’s friend group provided the humor needed to balance out the seriousness in the plot. I actually liked a few of the side characters more than the FMCs. Like a few reviews have mentioned, the lack of a general location bothered me occasionally.
Ash Kingsley did a good job on narrating the audio book. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced listeners copy.
Abby, grieving the death of her partner, hides away in small town Bay Harbor. She has her core friend group, a job she tolerates, a routine she is comfortable with; she doesn’t need or want a love interest in her life. When the small town inn/bar burns down, Abby gets a last minute guest through a house sharing app. Chris is in town to care for her sick mother who she has been estranged from for two decades. Together they develop a friendship and help each other heal and discover who they are - Abby beyond her grief and Chris outside of being a long term partner and mother to three.
I can’t say much more without spoiling it. Overall I enjoyed Here to Stay. My heart broke for both Abby and Chris. Abby’s friend group provided the humor needed to balance out the seriousness in the plot. I actually liked a few of the side characters more than the FMCs. Like a few reviews have mentioned, the lack of a general location bothered me occasionally.
Ash Kingsley did a good job on narrating the audio book. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced listeners copy.
Read
April 19, 2026I believe this is Querido’s debut book. For a debut it certainly isn’t bad. For me it was also the first time listening to a book narrated by Ash Kingsley.
Kingsley did a great job, I felt like each character had their own voice and the voice is pleasant.
Now for the story of this book, I am not certain how I feel about it. I think the pain and struggles are well written, but I have some issues with the romance. That’s certainly a personal preference thing. We see it coming from miles away, but it just doesn’t feel right and too late. I wil not be divulging more because I don’t want to put a spoiler alert in.
My favourite characters might not be the mains but perhaps Jade and Evan.
While I was walking and listening to this book I did smirk/ laugh about some scenes. It’s mostly heartfelt and funny at times, tad dark as well.
I can see why it won’t be for everyone. Narration is great, story might be a challenge for people (death life partners, dying parents, absentee parents, homophobia (off page))
Kingsley did a great job, I felt like each character had their own voice and the voice is pleasant.
Now for the story of this book, I am not certain how I feel about it. I think the pain and struggles are well written, but I have some issues with the romance. That’s certainly a personal preference thing. We see it coming from miles away, but it just doesn’t feel right and too late. I wil not be divulging more because I don’t want to put a spoiler alert in.
My favourite characters might not be the mains but perhaps Jade and Evan.
While I was walking and listening to this book I did smirk/ laugh about some scenes. It’s mostly heartfelt and funny at times, tad dark as well.
I can see why it won’t be for everyone. Narration is great, story might be a challenge for people (death life partners, dying parents, absentee parents, homophobia (off page))
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
would like to thank the publisher for letting me read this book
its a very long read and its a journey of discovery for all the characters but abby and chris each have a journey to make before they can be together
for abby its about dan and surviving the death through cancer and learning to live again
chris life hasnt been easy since she was kicked out by her parents and then making her life with her partner and their children
but when abby and chris meet its at a crossroads in their lives but they have so much baggage that neither can see the wood for the tree....
i kept with the story to see how it panned out but i think this storyline could have been halved.... but the author did pull me into the characters i wont argue about that just the drawn out bits got a bit much but then again thats life....
its a very long read and its a journey of discovery for all the characters but abby and chris each have a journey to make before they can be together
for abby its about dan and surviving the death through cancer and learning to live again
chris life hasnt been easy since she was kicked out by her parents and then making her life with her partner and their children
but when abby and chris meet its at a crossroads in their lives but they have so much baggage that neither can see the wood for the tree....
i kept with the story to see how it panned out but i think this storyline could have been halved.... but the author did pull me into the characters i wont argue about that just the drawn out bits got a bit much but then again thats life....
April 28, 2026
This debut novel from Debby Querido tackled some tough issues such as loss, grief and resistance experienced by young people coming out to their families. Despite this there were many moments of humour and levity in the storylines too.
Abby is experiencing small town life which is new to her whilst grieving the loss of her partner and doesn't feel the need for another relationship but sometimes life has other plans! Abby has the support of her friends and becomes a key member of the community by helping to save the recently burnt down pub and life seems to be turning around for her despite her reservations about moving on.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook.
Abby is experiencing small town life which is new to her whilst grieving the loss of her partner and doesn't feel the need for another relationship but sometimes life has other plans! Abby has the support of her friends and becomes a key member of the community by helping to save the recently burnt down pub and life seems to be turning around for her despite her reservations about moving on.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook.
June 21, 2026
What a debut!!!
Nothing beats the feeling of finding a new author that excites you with relatable, interesting characters telling a believable, beautiful love story.
What makes this book magical is that it’s a two-for-one! It’s Chris and Abby - oh so beautiful. It’s also Dan and Abby - precious and one of the most beautiful love stories ever! Dan, we would have loved to have met you when you were well and I for one would love to read part one of you and Abby’s story.
Debbie is a debut author with a lovely writing style. I love how she refuses to use generic adjectives - nope, she makes her own. The only pink I want now is “kitten-heel pink”!
I can NOT wait to see more from this talented author!
Nothing beats the feeling of finding a new author that excites you with relatable, interesting characters telling a believable, beautiful love story.
What makes this book magical is that it’s a two-for-one! It’s Chris and Abby - oh so beautiful. It’s also Dan and Abby - precious and one of the most beautiful love stories ever! Dan, we would have loved to have met you when you were well and I for one would love to read part one of you and Abby’s story.
Debbie is a debut author with a lovely writing style. I love how she refuses to use generic adjectives - nope, she makes her own. The only pink I want now is “kitten-heel pink”!
I can NOT wait to see more from this talented author!
April 20, 2026
When it came to the storyline, I felt like it hit a few slowdowns here and there. Also, I found it surprisingly tricky to really warm up to the main folks. I kept waiting for them to have some major 'aha!' moments or truly evolve, but they mostly stayed on the same path, and honestly, I was really hoping for a more adventurous and transformative ride for them.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
May 14, 2026
I received an ARC of Here to Stay thanks to the publisher through NetGalley and leave this review voluntarily.
I love the romance and friendship that develops and is expressed throughout the book. It is filled with heart and heartbreak. The characters were wonderfully portrayed and made it easy to connect with them. Recommended.
I love the romance and friendship that develops and is expressed throughout the book. It is filled with heart and heartbreak. The characters were wonderfully portrayed and made it easy to connect with them. Recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Arc audiobook from netgalley. It's a story of letting go, falling in love and second chances. For a second there at the end I honestly thought there'd be no happy ending.
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