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Standstill

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How do you heal after tragedy?
Is it even truly possible?
Ashlyn and Garrett have been friends forever, nursing each other through the unimaginable. Over the years, they’ve learned to lean on each other and keep going.
But there’s a huge difference between moving forward and merely standing still.

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 15, 2019

35 people are currently reading
579 people want to read

About the author

Nicole Dykes

95 books2,532 followers
Nicole Dykes is a wife and a professional assistant/mom to two gorgeous girls. Currently residing in Kansas, she’s a lover of coffee, Kansas City Chiefs, and all things romance.

She's found her passion in writing M/M romance because love is love is love. Some popular works include Hostile, The Spark of Hope Series, and The Kensley Panthers Series!

Email at nicoledykes_author@yahoo.com

Or visit my website at Www.authornicoledykes.com

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5 stars
150 (63%)
4 stars
51 (21%)
3 stars
26 (10%)
2 stars
6 (2%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
Profile Image for Jena .
2,313 reviews2 followers
avoid
December 17, 2021
Self note avoid. Pet peeve.
Dead ex trope
H still not over his first love, falls in love with his ex BFF.
Profile Image for Varya.
768 reviews100 followers
September 24, 2020
It was an amazing read that included heartache, laughs, steam, tragedy and a lot of frustration towards the Characters. And I say frustration in a good way, because I was like a mama who wanted her book babies to just be together! I actually wanted to smack both Garrett and Ash over the head, lock them in a room and make them hash it all out lol. What I love most about Nicole's books is that they flow so easily. You never get out of that "reading mood" with her books. Also, I love Garrett because "My personality sparkles, fucker" 😂❤️

Garrett, Ashlyn, Paige, Erin and Reed are best friends since childhood. They attended school together but now it's graduation and they are going their separate paths. Well, not all that separate since Reed and Erin...and Garrett and Paige are in a serious relationship. But that celebratory graduation night brings a tragedy so big that those paths change. Especially for Garrett and Ash. Now, after 8 years, they are still a shell of themselves, standing still and just surviving while Erin and Reed have moved on. But there is an undercurrent of attraction there. Will they act upon it or will the guilt of betrayal leave them apart and hurting each other?

I caught one important thing from this book that everyone moves on at their own pace from grief. You can't force another person to "snap out of it" and you can't make yourself wait for them either cuz that's like doing wrong to yourself. That was Garrett and Ash. They found their own paces. X

If you love a good friends to lovers trope and want to escape in Garrett and Ash's patio for a bit like Ash does, give this a read!
Profile Image for Ariadna Basulto.
924 reviews64 followers
July 22, 2019

Pardon me while I sob my way through this review. This book is simply heartbreakingly beautiful. The amount of feeling that Nicole Dykes has poured into the story is evident by the way each and every chapter oozes emotions.

Garrett and Ashlyn’s story is one of heartbreak and healing. It’s about the devastating impact loss can cause and how love and friendship can never fully erase the scars, but they can help to heal.

Emotional, painful, sometimes hilarious, but always beautiful Standstill is definitely not to be missed. Just have plenty of tissues on hand, probably some alcohol, and maybe even a stress sausage. Five beautiful and emotional stars.
Profile Image for “Human”.
151 reviews
July 17, 2019
Well that was a fabulous little story! I very much enjoyed it!
Profile Image for EducatedBookFreak.
642 reviews
July 13, 2019
This book totally destroyed me and then put it all back together piece by piece. This story is one of second chances while overcoming the past and its ghosts. The author has done a remarkable job of portraying the heartbreak that comes after tragedy. She weaved all the parts of overcoming grief and you get to see the journey with each of the characters. The way they are all connected really kept your attention. You might want to yell at Garrett and Ash at times, but it all works out perfectly, how it was all meant to be. This book was devoured in about 3 hours. I couldn’t put it down to do anything else. I thought she did an amazing job of flashing back to the past so you can see how things really played out. Definitely a must read from the amazing author!

Garret, Ash, Reed, Erin and Paige have been together for a long time. The back story was amazing and gave you a window into what it was truly like. Ash and Garrett have been best friends forever. When tragedy strikes, they turn into skeletons of themselves. It takes someone from the outside looking in to help move things along. It is a tale of overcoming your past and seeing what is right in front of you. It is a tale that you will love and want to read over and over again!!
Profile Image for Jami Kehr.
1,095 reviews15 followers
July 21, 2019
Some times you come across a story that makes you ache. I'm talking about the kind of ache thats deep in your bones. Where you feel the story and connect with the characters in such a way that you for a split moment in time forget what's going on in your own life.
You get so wrapped up in the lives of these people on the pages that you're heart breaks when their hearts break or you smile that huge smile and giggle even in public because something that an author wrote just touched you in the right way.

This book was all of that for me. I'd give this story a million stars if I could. This author says she doesn't do standalones... I'd beg to differ. She has hit a home run with this beauty!
Profile Image for Amanda Anderson (Beauty.and.the.bookies).
1,460 reviews72 followers
December 2, 2020
This was my first Nicole Dykes book and I loved it! I cannot WAIT to read more! I listened to the audio and although I wish there were 2 narrators (only because I prefer listening to the man talking in the mans POV) I really loved it!!!!! Garrett and Ashlyn were fire together. What drew me in the most is that, friends to lovers are normally not my most favorite of tropes. But still, I loved it. The tragedy of what brought them together was so heartbreaking. The angst was so intense. Great book, and a great first time book for me to be introduced to this author. I am hooked and will definitely be reading more and more ❤
Profile Image for Paula White.
604 reviews35 followers
July 13, 2019
Loved Garrett and Ashlynn but boy did I want to bump their heads together - many times!!

They were very frustrating but stuck in a place of grief and lacking any direction. The story is about them trying to move forward whilst completely not seeing what was right in front of them!!

We do get our HEA but not before some home truths and angst. Erin and Reed were great and I must say I loved Archer too.

Thanks to the author for the ARC.
Profile Image for Emma Johnston.
935 reviews29 followers
July 11, 2019
Well, just when we thought it wasn't possible, Nicole goes and writes a standalone!!

This book was everything. Friends to lovers with mega angst and a sinfully hot hero!

This book made me swoon, scream, cry and laugh. And want waffles 😉
Profile Image for Alexandra.
253 reviews8 followers
July 12, 2019
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With that being said I am absolutely obsessed with this book! There usually isn’t a book that Nicole writes that I’m not obsessed with but there’s just something about this book that I really love. It had everything you want in a book, or at least everything I want, it was a second chance, romantic, best friends, it had funny parts, it had heartbreak. It was everything. Great Job Nicole !

Garrett and Ash are best friends. They have been friends since high school. When tragedy strikes they handle it together, not sure handling it is even the right word since they really are barely coping. Dreams and plans have changed and now they’re just getting trough the days as best as they can... At least they have each other. Ash gets a sort of wake up call and realizes she’s not actually living her life and is ready for a change. Garrett didn’t get that memo. With one friend trying to move on and the other not so much, how does that work with their relationship? What about all the other feelings they’re having for each other ?? You’ll have to read it to find out. 😛 I can’t say it enough, this book was one of the best I’ve read in awhile.
Just writing this review makes me want to already reread the book 😂. Is it in paperback yet ?? 🤷🏻‍♀️

193 reviews47 followers
August 3, 2019
The hero is a piece of crap. He can sleep with any girl he wants (doesn’t even remember names), but he gets so mean to the heroine when she does on dates. FREAKING DATES!!

Double standards are not cute or romantic. Every time a guy posses this trait, I’m freaking turned off.

Heroine should have ended up with Archer, but then again she didn’t deserve him. He was a really great guy, but he was just a placeholder for the hero. I’m glad he found a woman that loved him though.

Plus the dead girlfriend and best friend troupe I hate. It wasn’t as bad in this one, but I should have known this was going to be some BS.

Hero sleeps with other women after heroine.
865 reviews12 followers
February 12, 2021
Boring and redundant read

Two stars for the writing and showing the characters emotions but the story was boring with weak romance development. The dead girlfriend and guilt plotline were overdone. I mean it has been 8 years with no changed. The MC was overshadowed by the dead GF. Not realistic as far as the time line. I don't care for books that make the MC as secondary character. The dead GF took up the whole book. Redundant and the romance is weak. No development on the characters until the end where the author decided a HE A is needed so hey the guy needs to quit drinking and the MC needs to dumped her boyfriend. Skipped a lot of pages just to finished.
Profile Image for JoAnna Edger.
391 reviews
July 12, 2019
What a fantastic book!
I just love the chemistry between Ash and Garrett it pulls you in and consumes you in every way!
This book was a total page turner for me! I literally couldn’t put it down.

I smiled, I laughed, I hated garret, I loved him, I was mad at ash, I loved her... sooo many emotions!

Just absolutely loved this book!
5 stars hands down! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Karen Tomlinson.
Author 33 books516 followers
July 20, 2019
Garrett is hot, hot hot! Another great hot romance. I enjoyed reading but would have liked a little more story outside the setting of their home and to see the characters doing other things together to solidify their feelings other than the angst and arguments between the sexy encounters. Glad things were positive in the end for Archer too!
Profile Image for Patty.
5,120 reviews55 followers
August 11, 2020
Standstill
By: Nicole Dykes
Narrated by: Verla Bond

There are events that happen in life that shape who we are. Nicole Dykes has written a beautiful love story of a mutual loss, incredible heartache, love and healing. Ashlyn and Garrett both have experienced a tragedy at an impressionable age that has both locked them together and is tearing them apart. Their feelings for each other are evident, but the memories and guilt keep them apart. Will they ever let go of the past to move on to the future? This is my first Nicole Dykes book, and it definitely will not be my last. Romance stories like this, written with relevant issues, compassion and healing are one of my favorites. I love that it makes me feel and I learn and grow with the characters. This is an emotional story and Dykes truly had me, tears and all. I loved the journey Ashlyn and Garrett had, and it's a book that will stay with me.

Verla Bond narrates this gem. She immerses herself in the characters so we get all of their pain and grief, and at the same time fell their bond. She has tuned into each character and enhances the story with each line. I enjoyed her interpretation of the story and will be watching for more of her releases.
Profile Image for Biggs_bookshelf.
1,602 reviews27 followers
August 8, 2020
This books is a sweet but heart breaking story of life and the crap it throws at you. A story of tragedy and how those tragedies can impact and change your life. A death of a friend changed the course of two people’s lives putting them in a standstill. A friends to lovers book that is worth the read.
1,814 reviews75 followers
November 30, 2020
An amazing story of youth and second chances. Not your typical romance story -this story is so much more complex and real. Amazing job!!
Profile Image for Marta Bo.
978 reviews17 followers
July 17, 2019
Standstill is this book for me, which introduced me for Nicole Dykes as an author. I was seeing her name here and there.... OF COURSE but haven't got opportunity to read them earlier.

I was seriously curious about Standstill, and can say honestly, that I really enjoyed this book. I liked how author has written the story line - I dive in so fast in Standstill! It was one of this books that You read, read and then boom - You are seeing "the end" in front of Your eyes! And it's not because it was short story, but only because, characters don't let for putting this book down. One I've started, I needed to finnish Standstill in one setting.

Standstill is friends to lovers story. Garrett and Ashlyn started their relationship from not the brightest side.... Some things make them miserable, and made their lifes a little more complicated, than it should be for young people... HOWEVER they still have friends around them, who could understand them like no one else. It was seriousry heartwarming to see how much friendship... and love are important. Garrett and Ashlyn know each other for ages... but it doesn't distrub with feeling amazing chemistry between them... It was so great to watch how they trying to figured out their friendship with lots of lust around. They give me good time, they made me laugh, they made me cry... and for sure I will come back to Nicole Dykes to read more about their friends too.
Profile Image for Kelly G (Now Accepting Book Boyfriend Applications).
1,110 reviews87 followers
July 26, 2021
So yeah.... this book did me in! I read this in 1 day! I could have lost my job because I kept pulling out my Kindle while I was supposed to be working! But I just couldn't leave Ash and Garrett! It just wasn't possible! I didn't ugly cry with this book, but it had me crying! Like I would have a couple tears leak out .... and then would move on... another chapter or 2 later I had the tears again! Non-stop! Through the whole book!!! This was not the kind of book that had one side in the wrong. Both of them had stuff to work through and get themselves together. And no one of them left the other ... they both continued to go back and forth, which I thought was awesome because you didn't think you had to choose sides. You didn't feel like you had to hate any one. Now I went into this book totally blind. I only knew the name and the cover... I did not read any blurbs or teasers. And in this case it was totally worth it because right off the bat I was taken aback by the direction of the story! I absolutely love Ash and Garrett! (And I love Erin and Reed too!!!) It was a wonderful, heartfelt and completely touching story that really really had my emotions on high today! Great book! Worth more than 5 stars but that's all they allow me to give.
Profile Image for BookSmackedMel.
916 reviews385 followers
July 13, 2019
Standstill was heartbreaking and it had me wanting an HEA so very badly. The characters in this book have had their lives essentially shattered at a very early age. Relying on one another through tough times in life is what good friends do and this book is all about that.

This story will definitely strike a chord in those that read it, I can't see it not.

Ashlyn and Garrett go through the motions leaning on one another and most of the time ignoring the inevitable. I felt their turmoil and at the same time loved that they were there for one another. But you can only ignore things for so long before they come to the surface.

Standstill will at times have you heating up yourself with the amount of sexual tension between the two main characters. Your heart will ache for them both and you'll also at times want to scream at them to face what is really there.

Nicole Dykes has come out with a standalone that is certainly worth a read, so much so it will have you hesitating to put it down until its done.

Profile Image for Brittany.
426 reviews40 followers
July 15, 2019
Finding authors that I have never read before and falling in love with their words is one of my most favorite things. If reading or rereading books from your favorite authors is like coming home, a warm comfort in your belly, then new authors are like a new relationship, where you aren't sure what to expect but when it ends up being amazing and leaves you with a giddiness that doesn't seem to away. Nicole Dykes newest release,Standstill, did just that.
I had never read Nicole before I picked up Standstill, so I had no idea what to expect. What starts as the beginning to a typical romance takes a dramatic turn that flips all the events you thought might happen in the book and puts you on an entirely different journey.
Riveted by her words from the beginning, I couldn't put Standstill down until I had finished. As always I'm afraid I can't give anything away because it's a book you must experience for yourself. You will encounter loss and angst and anger, but most of all, a deep seeded love that just won't let you go.
Profile Image for Julie-Blue Monday Girl Blog.
105 reviews21 followers
December 11, 2019
This is the story of Garret and Ash, two friends who lost their best friend Paige, and from then on everything changed.

I have not read a book with a plot like this in a while.
It was beautiful and heartbreaking. The characters were both so broken and always in some kind of denial about the love they felt towards each other.
But with each turn of the page, you start perceiving the attraction, angst, and passion. And the rage that turns into something else.
The way Nicole treats the delicate subject of loss and grief and turn it into a Gorgeous story was so well developed and I think that it was one of the things I loved the most about this book.

* I kindly received an ARC from the author *
Profile Image for Jenny.
44 reviews
July 22, 2019
Once again Nicole Dykes has out done herself with this standalone novel. The characters in this book Garrett and Ashlyn make you want to laugh, cry, scream, and jump for joy. There is so much emotions between these two that it is hard not to feel every feeling that is written as if it is personally happening to you.
Garrett and Ashlyn have been friends for years, all through high school. They were ready to move and do great things with their lives, until a tragic even changes everything they thought they knew.
Garrett and Ashlyn must learn to live again, or they will always be Standing Still.
Keep up the good work Nicole, each book is more amazing than the next. I can't wait for more books
Profile Image for Penny.
388 reviews5 followers
July 16, 2019
Standstill is beyond what I was expecting. You will feel for Ashlyn and Garrett. I felt every emotion they went through. I understood how they were keeping things in and afraid to move forward because of the love they had for a mutual person in their life. This book pulled me in from the beginning. For her first standalone book all I can say is WOW. Once again Nicole Dykes went above and beyond with this book. If you have not read one of her books Standstill is an amazing book to start with. Again I would love to give one of her books more than 5 stars because it deserves so much more. Bravo Nicole.
Profile Image for Michelle.
392 reviews3 followers
July 14, 2019
Nicole has done it again with Standstill....and holy crap she actually wrote a standalone!!! I equal parts loved Ashlyn and Garrett and wanted to slap them both silly. They can't seem to get their shit together because they are living in the past and are stuck, I felt so bad for them while being angry with them both because I wanted them to be happy...together. You'll have to read Standstill to find out if they find they're way to each other, or move on...I am saying a HELL YES to recommending this book, Nicole thank you so much for writing this book, I loved it and can't wait to see what road you take us down next!!
Profile Image for Jackie.
363 reviews5 followers
July 20, 2019
Standstill, what can I say apart from omg this book. Ashlyn, Paige, Erin, Reed and Garrett are all best friends.
The five of them go out together all the time, this one night they have had to much to drink apart from Paige, who doesn't drink, and things take a while new turn. With Paige gone the others try to live on. Erin and Reed make a life together, while Garrett and Ashlyn push their feelings away. Years later they are in the same predicament, can they move forward, or will it stay the same .What with all the jealousy, and one liners , I could of knocked their heads together. Sometimes you just have to listen. It's a good read.
Profile Image for Lindsey Marie.
73 reviews6 followers
July 17, 2019
Ashlyn & Garrett... what a ride! I have read quite a few of Nicole's books now but I can easily and honestly say this is my favorite. From the beginning I was entirely in love with these characters. I felt every emotion, and maybe even have a little whiplash. I love when a book makes me feel connected, when I am so entirely sucked into the story that everything around me disappears. This was one of those stories.

Standstill is Nicole's first standalone and she completely knocked it out of the park.
883 reviews5 followers
July 12, 2019
Well written and with underlying wit and humour in places but I didn't completely fall in love with the characters this time. Ashlyn and Garrett have lived through an unthinkable tragedy but became stuck in a rut not moving on with their lives. It took them a very long time to realise they were not good for each other in their current conditions and to do something about it. An enjoyable read but not my favourite Nicole book.
Profile Image for Ashley Allen.
746 reviews3 followers
July 12, 2019
Two people with a shattered past that haunts them at every turn. Can they move on from the ghost of their past and find there happy ever after like their friends? This is the first book of Nicole’s Dykes that I have read and I was blown away The heartbreak ,sadness ,love ,humor ,friendship makes this story absolutely brilliant. This is the type of story we’re you want to yell at the characters to get it together.

5 starts for a brilliant emotional story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews

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