Stay is the 5th book in the Bleeding Stars series.  Ash’s story – the party boy, the carefree one.

I was not expecting this story.  I knew he harbored guilt over what happened to his sister Edie.  But before all that, he was the easy going, party loving guy of the whole Band. 

“Even wild souls need a place to rest.”

Willow is a breath of fresh air.  She’s sees the beauty in everything; even after everything she ever wanted and had was taken greedily from her.  Her life is filled with a lot of tragic events, but she’s always been able to still find the sliver lining.

“That’s your gift. You see the beauty in the old.  The beauty in the bad.  The beauty that’s hidden in all things.”

Willow and Ash are from two different worlds.  They are two different people.  And when their worlds collide, it’s a force to be reckon with.  But it’s a whirlwind of chaos between the two of them.  Ash refuses to let his heart be owned again.  And Willow refuses to give her heart to anyone who can’t give theirs in return.

“Sometimes our greatest gifts are found in our darkest hour.”

I had figured this story was going to be about finding love in places you never expected.  And yes, that is the underlying tone in this story.  But it’s the heartache, the loss, the tragedies that give this book the depth.  Like with every Bleeding Stars book, there is no shortage of emotions.  You see a side of Ash that we never could have anticipated.  And we get to watch Willow bloom into a new woman – one that was waiting to burst out from the inside.

“One thing you should never do is mistake broken for weak.”

With each new book in this series, I find myself loving them all more and more.  Ash’s story was so unexpected.  And Willow – she’s a fighter.  Their journey isn’t an easy one – it’s filled with some much fear, loss, heartbreak but also hopes and dreams.

“Love is never cut and dry.  It’s messy.  Confusing.  Sometimes it’s ugly and sometimes it’s the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen.  But no matter how much it might hurt, it can never change the fact it’s real.  That it’s worth fighting for.  And the real kind of love will always come back to you.”