A Love to Stay for

by Amy DeMeritt

Joyce Peterson is an international bestselling historical fiction author, who’s often accused by her friends as being a workaholic. Joyce knows finding a balance between work and leisure helps feed her creativity and ensures steady productivity. However, she is stubborn and often fights against the reality that she needs to take a break. Avery West is a travel journalist looking for a place to lay roots. While she’s out exploring Harbor City, the small lakeside town that she’ll call home for at least a year, she clumsily plants herself in Joyce’s life. Since happenstance often fuels her creative muse, Joyce happily accepts the role of welcome wagon and helps Avery get settled in. The more time they spend together, the more attached they become to each other. But with fifteen years separating them, and the fact that Avery is a wanderer, Joyce is hesitant to allow herself to acknowledge her feelings for the younger woman. And when the dark and dangerous secrets surrounding a lost local treasure come to light, their relationship becomes further imperiled. Can Joyce and Avery survive their curiosity of the past so they can have a future together?

Genres: Lesbian

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 17, 2021

About the author

Amy DeMeritt is an author of Sapphic romance and an occasional poet. She is a lover of the arts, coffee and tea, a day of sitting on the beach watching the waves crashing against the shore, and good books and music to get lost in. (A good thunderstorm is one of her favorite forms of music.)

Amy takes inspiration from every experience in life and gives her imagination full reign to take a small detail and expand it into an intricate tale. Weaving experience, interests, and even pushing the boundaries of personal comfort, Amy’s stories take a reader on a journey of varying emotions and the joys and trials of love, romance, and growing as an individual, all of which are embodied in an entertaining plot with complex characters.

Reviews

[Monique S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I'll add to my previous review (below) after this second read, this time as a solid physical book, YAY, is that it was even more of a joy to read slowly, really savouring the great writing :)

Finally a romance, that has two adult women, who are willing and able to face their attraction head on and neither runs away! Age gap? No problem. Difficult past? Lots of understanding and compassion. Other people’s opinion? Bugger that.

This book, on top of all that, has a brilliant plot with a really unexpected ramping up of the tension in the underlying storyline towards the end, that keeps you – were it a film – on the edge of your seat.

I much prefer that sort of drama to the always slightly artificial “I want you, but go away.” Or “I love you, but can’t deal with this, so I am running.” All of that gets rather old fast, if at least every second lesbian romance you read goes along those lines. It just makes things so dreadfully predictable.

If you want a happy end you can go there straight and if you want tension you can use your imagination and create it on another plane as the relationship. This book does that to perfection.

Thank you, Amy DeMeritt, for a wonderful read!

[Michelle Schuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melodic

There is a melody to Amy DeMeritt's words from the first sentence. I truly enjoyed following along with the chase and love story. Amy DeMeritt books are low angst and don't follow the structure of breakups or separation towards the end. This couple has a strong chemistry and love that is strong. Its a great read and can't wait for more.

[Denise'S MinionsBliss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stay for me.

A mystery to solve in adventure of love and hurt..
One of the junior editors suffers from endometriosis.
A family from love not just blood. A great heartfelt story to help uplift you of your woes.

[Gina L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting!

I really loved the connection between Joyce and Avery. The banter back and forth from the moment they met was both exciting and tender and could have been the best slow burn age gap story going. You can actually feel them falling for each other despite the age difference. Not really sure about the Julie character. The daughter of Joyce’s best friends who winds up three years older than Avery but constantly playing the seduction card with Joyce. I actually thought this story was going in a different angle with Julie in the center. I get they are both writers and I get the historical fiction writing that Joyce does but I have to admit, the whole stolen or lost treasure thing did not peak my interest. I felt this could have gone in a different way. The relationship between Joyce and Avery was the most exciting part and that alone kept me interested. Amy Demeritt is a good writer so I am sure this plot line pleased many, for me just a little short.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

I always look forward to reading another Amy DeMeritt book. The characters are as flawed as you and I, making them very relatable. The storyline has hooks aplenty, snagging the reader's attention and keeping it throughout. Scenes are described with enough detail to "see" them, making the reader almost feel like part of the story itself. I've read each and every Amy DeMeritt book I've found on Amazon, some more than once. This author's books belong on your must read list!

[Jo Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb

This book has evrything a book should have, asmall town on a beautiful lake,lonely successful writer struggling to finish a book,young travel writer lookingfor inspiration and a murder mystery from the days of the mob and bootleggers that still has repercussions mix that with a age gap love storyand its the perfect read for a read in a conservatory on a not too sunny day in July 🙂

[wren4777 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet story, and I loved how well the characters communicated! We really need more low-angst novels like this.

The reason I'm not giving it a full five stars is because the treasure subplot felt like it was wrapped up too quickly. I think the story would have been much better if it had either been fleshed out more, or removed entirely in favour of developing the leads' romance further.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance, history & mystery all rolled into one

“Soulmates weren’t meant to be – they just are because they want to be. They put the effort in to exist together as one.”
+ • + • + • +

A unique storyline made this a very entertaining book. Very enjoyable with nice flow, interesting narrative & relatable characters made it an easy read.

[MizLiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast into love. Too sweet, like sugar over honey. I get that was trying to show the honeymoon phase but it didn't work for me. Took away from the rest of the story.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story

I have enjoyed this wonderful heartfelt story of Joyce Paterson a historical fiction writer meet a young Travel Blogger in her small town where the adventure began.

[Jude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

I really enjoyed this story! It starts out as a typical lesbian love story but quickly becomes so much more! Well done!

[Celenia S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Age Gape
Murder Mystery
Missing Treasure
Feud between families
What’s not to love?

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

History, treasure and love

Fantastic storyline that keeps you on your toes. Beautifully written with eloquent and intelligent descriptions of scenes and characters with a HEA.

[Becky Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too many Sweeties

Too fast to commuted relationship
Nice story but needed some more depth and meat. Tired of Sweetie
Stop making me write more

[Renae J Standen]

Loved this book!

Great characters, beautiful imagery and an engaging storyline. A fun mystery with lots of clues and a few red herrings for flavor.

[Pers · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got half way through and then realised I was utterly bored. The pace was glacial. I don't mind a slow burn, but this isn't even that, sadly...