Blog Tour: Stay a Little Longer by Dawn Lanuza (Book Review)

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Title: Stay a Little Longer

Author: Dawn Lanuza

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: May 28, 2019

Blurb:

They were perfect strangers—all perks, no strings. Until they weren’t.

Elan wasn’t supposed to meet Caty. She lived halfway around the world, and he barely left Manila. Yet here he was, giving her a ride to the airport. Convinced that they would never have to see each other again after that day, Elan and Caty started to bond over truths, dares, stolen kisses, and games in hotel rooms and bars.

With brief encounters that turned them from acquaintances to friends — tipping to the point of lovers, always — will Elan and Caty keep settling for a day, or will someone finally dare to stay long enough to discover: Is this love?

Review:

I’ve read Dawn Lanuza’s poetry collection before and really liked it so I was excited to read this romance book.

Elan and Caty started out as strangers, to becoming friends, and then eventually as lovers. But what I liked about this story is that it tackled mainly the uncertainty, fear, and confusion of being in a long distance relationship.

I’ve been in a long distance relationship (which didn’t work out by the way, haha!) and this book reminded me of the challenges that come out of it. It was obvious that there was great chemistry between Elan and Caty but the lack of communication and being in different places only made them suppress their feelings.

I loved Caty’s character as she’s a strong, independent, and straightforward woman. Although underneath it all, she also has issues from the past and is still in the process of healing from these issues.

Elan has baggage as well and he really finds it hard to trust and open up to people. He makes a conscious effort not to be like his father and this makes it hard for him to pursue someone/be in a relationship.

I liked the slow burn romance in this book and it showed how Elan and Caty’s friendship evolved despite them being in two different countries. Two broken people who finally learned to let go of their baggage and found love and trust in each other. A sweet, enjoyable, and relatable read.

Favorite Quotes:

“Well, someone’s got to fix family squabbles. Sometimes, the best person is an outsider.”

“I get it. Just because you miss someone doesn’t mean you want them back.”

“Now he knew that sometimes, life offered you a window to stumble through into something wonderful. All one had to do was be present enough to recognize the opportunity and be brave enough to jump into it.”

“Caty wanted Madeline to know that Otto was a grade A jerk, and that there were better people out there. People who wouldn’t cheat, who wouldn’t make her feel left out and replaced, people she could believe in and trust.”

“There’ no first or most when it comes to love. None of that matters at the end of the day. What’s important is that you both give and receive.”

Soundtrack: Not Losing You by Maddie Poppe

Rating:

Buy Links: Goodreads || Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Google Play || Book Depository

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About the Author:

Website || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram

Dawn Lanuza writes contemporary romance, young adult fiction and poetry. She has two first loves – music and writing – and is lucky enough to surround herself with them.

She currently lives with her family and a very loved cream toy poodle.