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Thursday, May 15, 2014

If I Stay By Tamara Morgan

A Review By Wendy
3.5 Living Up To Expectations Stars 
* * * 1/2


Lies...they are done to save face...or because the telling of truth will change a power structure firmly in place. They can be told to others and more destructively, told to the most important person, ourselves. How we deal with confronting our own lies, the lies of others and when to see to let things go is the thread in If I Stay by Tamara Morgan.

We have a gal who has lived her life, somehow trying to fulfill the dream given to her, not of her choosing. Amy's life was an interesting one. Her mother was the Nanny for the Montgomery's. This family owns hotels all over the world. They also happen to own practically everything else in this town... to the point- one out of every family there... works in some capacity for the Montgomery's. Her mom has since retired due to health and Mr. Montgomery is on his second family with the twins. He reached out to Amy asking her to come back to the "Manor" and be their nanny. She was supposed to have been traveling the world in a ballet company. At 26, her time is coming to an end; she decides to take him up on the offer. She loves the Manor and being home with her mom.... so this really is a perfect way to come back.   

Amy has many different types of memories surrounding her time at the Manor... she was "allowed" to have dance lessons because the Montgomery daughter showed an interest. Amy was allowed to do many things with the kids... and she had an almost sibling relationship with them... she would almost feel like she was family... but yet... she knew she wasn't.

Ryan is the car man.... he is the one who makes sure all of the exotic, flashy, high grade cars are running smoothly. He has been on the estate for 2 years now... banished from what he loves... stunt car driving. Oh, he had a career... pissed it away with drinking and smashing a car during a scene with a blood alcohol level through the roof. Doesn't matter he has been clean and sober... understands what happened and will never allow it to happen again... no, Hollywood is not wanting him.... and his life right now is in a holding pattern from hell. He checks in with his agent regularly.... but there has been no change. No insurance company will touch him, making him unemployable with the studios. His only course of action is to hang tight, his agent tells him... something will shake out.

Amy see this Ryan and how he holds himself separate from all of the household; he doesn't live on the property, doesn't do lunch with the other staff and refuses to go to happy hour and dinner get together, either. Ryan has peaked Amy's interest... she is basically a very happy go lucky type.... hates confrontation... and likes things to just go smoothly. She also has a bit of a crush/lust/interest in him. Oh, he has noticed her... big time.... but he is forcing himself to "do the right thing"... because Ryan does not plan of being here long and Amy is not "a hit'em and quit'em" type of girl. Ryan feels she is special... too special for him.

Things get very interesting in this Upstairs/Downstairs tale when Jake returns to the Manor. Jake, the crush Amy always had.... Jake, who was always there ... teasing and egging Amy on. Jake the international playboy Amy refuses to admit to Googling and cyber-stalking to see which hot starlet he is with. Jake is back; he takes one look at Amy in all her grown up glory... and decides this would be fun...

We get to go through the arc's of Ryan, Amy and Jake. We see how all things can be impacted by the lies we tell ourselves and the ones others have told us... either by saying them or by omission. The need to belong is universal; to want to be part of a family. You can be the son or daughter... but if the father never makes you feel as if they care... then it could feel almost like the child who never had a father... both are missing that love.

There was humor, some mystery and a strong ending... I am curious, though...I would have like more facts at the end to see how everything really shook out. Over all an engaging read.

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Tamara Morgan is a contemporary romance author of humorous, heartfelt stories with flawed heroes and heroines designed to get your hackles up and make your heart melt. Her long-lived affinity for romance novels survived a B.A. degree in English Literature, after which time she discovered it was much more fun to create stories than analyze the life out of them.

Whether building Victorian dollhouses, consuming mass quantities of coffee and wine, or crying over cheesy 1950s musicals, Tamara commits to her flaws like every good heroine should. She lives in the Inland Northwest with her husband, daughter, and variety of household pets and only occasionally complains about the weather. 

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