Stay With Me

Seattle Sailors #1

by Shae Ruby

I survived the unthinkable.

Even death wouldn’t welcome me into its cold embrace.

I was battered and bruised, running in circles with no way out. Running for my life.

Until I stumbled upon Theodore Anderson. Sweet, perfect, Theo. A man who kept trying to breathe life back into me, no matter how hard I tried to drown. And even though I made a promise to myself, to be stronger, to be tougher, to not let anyone in…I could feel myself slipping. Tripping. Falling for him.

But even with all of these feelings, I’m still holding back. Too scared to try. Terrified to fall. Because what if he doesn’t catch me? What if I shatter more pieces of myself on the way down?

So I’ve built a thick wall of ice, keeping him firmly on the other side of it. And no matter how much he tries to break it down, it doesn’t budge.

Will he stay? Or will he be the last thing that shatters me completely?
*This is a dark hockey romance.*

Genres: Sports Romance, Sports, Romance, Hockey Romance, Hockey, Dark Romance, Friends To Lovers

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 15, 2024

About the author

Author of dark romance & toxic love.
Sometimes diverse.

International Bestselling Author in five different countries, Shae Ruby spends their time writing, mostly queer, books that make you feel. Shae's stories come from deep within their bleeding heart, and they let the drops flow into their words.

Shae is represented by Lunar Literary Agency.

For all subsidiary rights, contact Angie Ojeda-Hazen.

Connect with me!

Facebook Reader Group: rubysdarkling

Facebook Page: authorshaeruby

Instagram: @authorshaeruby

TikTok: @authorshaeruby

Goodreads: authorshaeruby

Goodreads: authorshaeruby

Reviews

[erin | sinfulshelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

gorgeously earth-shattering contemporary hockey romance 🏒🤍 5/5 stars - review below 👇

"𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚎𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜, 𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜.” 🤍

🏒🦋|| 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆
⚠︎ check TWs | 18+ content ⚠︎

📖 Stay With Me by Shae Ruby
Star Rating: 5/5 ★★★★★
Spice Rating: 2/5 🌶️🌶️
Spice Frequency: 1.5/5 🔥.5
POV: Dual/1st
Couple: Bailey Thomas x Theodore Anderson

• contemporary hockey romance
• nurse/patient
• tab00 romance
• he falls first
• friends with benefits to lovers
• praise
• grumpy (FMC) x sunshine (MMC)
• survivor’s journey (domest!c vi0lence)
• golden retriever MMC w/ elite dirty talk
• HEA

After running from a traumatic past, Bailey Thomas is a nurse starting new life in Seattle who struggles daily with the fear of her abuser showing up at any second. Always fearful and paranoid, she typically doesn’t like to take male patients until one day she is assigned star hockey player - Theo Anderson. What she doesn’t realize is that he may be the one person who can put her broken pieces back together…if only she’ll let him.

Now I’m not a contemporary romance girly y’all. I’m really not. I’m a dark romance person through and through, and I typically DNF contemporary romance because I need the toxicity okay? However, I’m a huge lover of Shae’s books and this one was STELLAR. If anyone could make me read contemporary, it was gonna be Shae. This story was heartbreaking, it was a painfully beautiful rendition of what it looks like to be a survivor of d0mest!c
v!0lence and how difficult it is to find love afterwards. I was shocked at how much I fell in love with this story. Theo is the perfect golden retriever MMC for Bailey, exactly what she needs after all she’s been through. He puts his whole heart into her and it’s such a fulfilling thing to read. On top of that, the twists and turns of this book kept me on my toes and even caused me to shed a lot of tears. There’s some really gr@phic scenes in this so beware of that, but overall such a gorgeously earth-shattering contemporary hockey romance. Bravo, Shae. You did it again.

disclaimer: beta reader ✨

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5⭐️
3/5🌶️

Wow this book was way more emotional than I was expecting. It definitely was not your typical light & fluffy sports romance — it was heartbreaking and painful at times but also so dang beautiful. The bond that the main characters had was so strong and so special, even right off the bat, that it was hard not to immediately fall in love with them.

This was my first book by this author & 100% will not be my last! Her writing was so addicting & really just captivates all of your attention from the very beginning. Thank you so much to Shae & her team for the ARC 🩵

This book discusses some extremely heavy topics so please be sure to check TWs!

Tropes:
- Hockey Romance
- Nurse x Patient
- Cinnamon Roll MMC x Black Cat FMC
- Opposites Attract
- Friends with Benefits to Lovers
- He Falls First

[Ashley Wolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25, 🌶️🌶️

Hockey romance
Nurse x patient
He falls first
Golden retriever MMC with a filthy mouth
Emotional + dark elements


Would recommend check TW prior to reading as their are some heavy topics addressed 🖤

THEO IS EVERYTHING! I love him so much!

This book immediately captivated my attention and then throughout pulls at your emotions. I love an emotional book and this is something Shae knows how to deliver on. Theo was our sunshine MMC and was immediately attracted to our grumpy fmc, Bailey. Who seemed impossible to crack. I love that Theo never gave up on her. He was so patient, understanding & all around a giant teddy bear.

I really enjoyed the side characters in this book as well and need more!!!

while heavy topics are addressed we do get a HEA 💗

Thank you so much to Shae & her team for an eARC in exchange for an honest review 💗

[Abby (booksinthefreetime) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

WOW… this book is just WOW!

She had me hooked right away with the prologue and I stayed up all night just to finish the whole book😆

I absolutely LOVED Theo’s character!! He’s definitely this golden retriever vibe but with the dirtiest mouth 🔥.Bailey is the complete opposite, she has went through so much in her past that has her having to keep her guard up everywhere she goes and with everyone. The chemistry and spice in this book was so so so good. I love a good book with a lot of praise 🥵. I ate this up and have already found more of Shae Rubys books that I want to read. ☺️

If you love…

-Hockey Sports Romance
-Opposites Attract
-Nurse/Patient
-He Falls First
-Friends With Benefits to Lovers
-Reverse Grumpy Sunshine

READ THIS BOOK!!

Thank you Shae for the ARC 😍

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, woah. Shaeeeeee!!!! My goodness this book was brilliant. As someone who constantly self-sabotages, I felt so hard for Bailey. And sweet baby Theo!!!! Ugh, I love him so much even if I did want to punch him a few times 😅

I cannot wait for more of this series 💜

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have never read such an emotional hockey romance before. this story is gripping from the beginning to the point where you do not want to put it down.

the emotions are so high in this, with every character. i didn’t expect to tear up as many times as i did, but i felt for Bailey so much and Theo.
this was a really good story with good plot and the hottest smut ever. goddamn😮‍💨

thank you shae for the arc, this was brilliant!

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️

RTC

[Courtney | romancereadswithcourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pub Day ARC review - 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙈𝙚 by Shae Ruby
7⭐️| 3🌶️| 😭

Did I stay up til 2 AM finishing this book the same day I started it? Absolutely. Am I still thinking about it days later? Absolutely. Theo has my HEART 😭🩵.

This book was incredible. You feel every single emotion they feel. I was giddy & up when they were having their sweet moments and crying right along with Theo in the worst of them. The plot is so good with so many elements. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, completely invested in these two!

Theo is a pro hockey player who takes such a hit on the ice, he ends up in the hospital for several days. Bailey is his grumpy nurse who he’s instalove struck over. She avoids men at all cost after running across the country to flee her psycho ex (and I do mean PSYCHO).

Theo never gives up on trying to win her. He’s so kind and caring, but also can push her just enough each time to make her break a little more for him. Every time she shows another part of her that’s damaged from her ex, he’s right there holding her and just loving her. 😭 so when she tells him all she can give is FWB, he takes the opportunity. That doesn’t stop him from SHOWERING her with things to make her see him.

With all of the heightened emotions, it ALWAYS makes the spice that much better. Theo is 😩🫨. In the best way. My s p i t lovers, this one is for you!

Tropes: hockey player x nurse • hurt/comfort • SA survivor • secret FWB • instalove • black cat x golden retriever • romantic suspense

Thank you SOOOO much Shae for letting me read this early!! I’m so obsessed and will never be over them 🫶🏻.

[shanelle maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

5🌟 2🌶️

My whole heart belongs to this book. I don’t think I’ll ever get it back. 🥹

This is my first book by Shae, and DEFINITELY not my last. I was so engrossed in this book from start to finish. I’ll never forget the heartbreak I went through while reading this. I was thankfully put back together at the end, but man… this one hurt 😔 I could feel all of the emotions these characters were feeling and I think that’s really what did me in. Theo, my sweet baby, was the sweetest and most protective man. I fell for that little cinnamon roll instantly.

I think that if you’re okay with darker themes, and you’re aware of the warnings, that you should go in blind. It’s a much better way to experience this and see how everything unfolds. It’s truly beautiful 🥹

Shae, thank you for writing this beautiful book. I’ll be diving into your other books as soon as possible!! 🫶🏼💕

Tropes:
🏒 hockey romance
🩺 “friends” with benefits
🏒 reverse grumpy/sunshine
🩺 golden retriever mmc
🏒 traumatic past
🩺 nurse/patient
🏒 he falls first and hard

[Mariah Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. No words. I cried, laughed, and cried some more. I could not put this book down.
So incredibly grateful for this opportunity for an ARC. This book was everything I needed.
5/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not only my first hockey romance but my first ever sports romance. It definitely won’t be my last. I usually love my MMCs grumpy and unhinged, a walking red flag. However Theo is the complete opposite and I’m obsessed with him. He’s a massive sweetheart, dealing with some trauma of his own and just wants a happy ever after with Bailey. He’s funny, handsome and I’ve never gotten so hot and bothered over kissing scenes! Once Bailey lets him in a bit he’s also a bit of an animal in the bedroom.
Bailey is scared to be anything more than just friends as she thinks she’s too damaged after nearly being killed by her abusive ex. The sexual chemistry between these 2 is amazing. It’s super angsty and although it isn’t a dark romance, it does have dark elements. I’m a dark romance girlie and was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it, but my god was I wrong! I didn’t want it to end
I was rooting for these 2 from the very start.

100% 5 star!

[Rarraaa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I FUCKING HATE THE FMC....OMG JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE TRAUMA OR HAVE BEEN THROUGH BAD THING DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN TREAT PEOPLE RUDELY OR MEANS TO OTHERS... HONESTLY I WOULDN'T NEVER FINISH THIS BOOK BUT BECAUSE OF MC I READ IT TILL THE END ( SKIP A LOT REALLLYYY A LOT ) I LOVE THEO ANDERSON SOOOO FREAKING MUCH, HE'S SO KIND, PATIENCE, UNDERSTANDING AND ALL THOSE GOOD THING. BAILEY DOESN'T DESERVE THEO AT ALL... FOR ONCE IN NY LIFE SINCE I READ ROMANCE BOOK I HOPE ITS NOT HAPPY ENDING!!!! THEO DESERVE SOMEONE SOO MUCH BETTER. BAILEY DO NOTHING BUT GIVE HIM HOPE AND END UP BREAK HIS HEART. WHATEVER IT IS I FUCKING HATE FMC. OUH, AND LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE THERAPIST BEING SO UNPROFESSIONAL

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll start off by saying that this book had a lot of potential and could have been amazing with a bit more time in the oven, so to speak. The bones are there, just that the execution was not great, which led to massive plot holes and a tonne of contradictions that just let the whole thing down. Appreciate that the FMC is completely traumatised and hurting but she’s aggravating af. Her character feels a bit too cliche and almost written from the perspective of how someone would imagine a traumatised woman would behave, as opposed to how she actually would.

[Ariana · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 30%. I really wanted to like this one because the plot sounded good. Maybe I should’ve given it more time but I just can’t.

Bailey sucks… she went through it but it’s not an excuse to be mean and rude to everyone. And getting dicked down by her patient in the hospital bathroom was too cringy for me. There wasn’t even any buildup or angst to distract from the ick.

[Stephhh✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Shae has written another banger of a book but this time it is a contemporary romance with dark themes.

Bailey has recently escaped an abusive relationship, moving to Seattle to be closer to her best friend. She is working 6 days a week at the local hospital as a nurse just to make ends meet. She is exhausted, unhappy, and constantly looking over her shoulder because she is terrified of her ex finding her. When she arrives to her shift one night, she meets Theo Anderson, hotshot NHL player who ended up having a head injury and is one of Bailey’s new patients. Theo makes it his mission to break the icy exterior that Bailey exudes to everyone around her.

Theo quickly becomes someone Bailey feels she can trust, much to her own dismay. Theo is kind and caring. He is the personification of sunshine, if you ask me. Bailey attempts to keep him (and her feelings for him) at bay but she soon finds she cannot resist Theo Anderson. But she is still healing from her abusive ex and even with her therapy sessions, she still is scared to fully allow Theo into her life.

Theo exudes golden retriever energy and he will do anything to prove to Bailey how good he is for her. Bailey, of course, knows how good he is but refuses to allow herself to believe that it’s not a ruse due to her trauma. It isn’t until she almost loses Theo for good that she realizes she is just utterly miserable without him.

Of course, this is a book written by Shae so you know it’s going to have moments that will gut you and moments that will feel like your heart is being plucked out of your chest. There are moments that are warm, happy moments too that made me kick my little feet. The chemistry between Theo and Bailey is so natural even though they are complete opposites in so many ways.

There were times that I wanted to shake Bailey because Theo was perfect in every single way. There were also times I wanted to shake Theo so he would understand that Bailey not being with him wasn’t a him issue but something she had to work out on her own. But, in the end, the emotional roller coaster was worth it!

If you want your heart warmed up, broken, and put back together then this is a must read!

[Courtney Tonks · Rating 3 out of 5]

He looks at me like I hung all the stars in his sky

That was a god damn rollercoaster. And not generally the type I like a lot. I generally was excited for the release date and maybe I got overly hyped about it because it didn’t meet expectations.
I enjoyed the start. And 70% onwards. There was a moment I thought I wouldn’t finish it and the next I was crying, I just don’t know about this one. First book I have read with a 'Courtney' though, even if it was the sister.
“I hate when people pretend life isn’t awful sometimes."

What I did like. Theo. Theo. Theo.
Topic of Domestic violence (it was heavy near the end) and leukemia.
Although I think it could have delved more either option. Maybe?
The start.
70% onwards
Cheyenne for the most part. Her vocab needs a lot of work.
The chance that if there is another book it will be Jeremy and Cheyenne and they have a relationship i would like more info on.

“Just because I smile doesn’t mean I want to be here… Or that I am happy. But I am actually considerate of other people’s feelings and hard work,” I snap. “I don’t need to be rude to you just because my life sucks.”

The things I didn’t like
The repetitiveness
Bailey being difficult, with all do respect to her previous dv relationship just felt tiring hearing the same stuff and mixed signals. Then for the ex to be history in the middle. And her job to an extent. I don’t know just a few holes.

"it because I loved her, because any ounce of her attention brought me joy. "

"So, I live the only life I think I deserve. One in solitude, where I can’t be broken again, hurt beyond repair. Because I bet if someone hurt me even in the slightest one more time, I wouldn’t be able to put myself back together. "

Semen demons (game changer)

"There’s nothing safe about life,"

[evenromanceisnerdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️
4🌶️

Stay With Me is the perfect example of why I love Shae’s books. She has such an amazing talent for writing books that make you feel. Her stories are always so captivating and the characters are so easily relatable on so many levels. And Stay With Me was no exception to that. I think it’s my favorite one that I’ve read of her books.

I absolutely loved and adored this story between Bailey and Theo. Who knew a hockey romance could take you on such an emotional ride. From the prologue, I was completely hooked. I couldn’t put this book down. My heart broke for both of the MCs as they both have traumatic pasts that are effecting them in the present. And Bailey, oh man, that girl is a survivor. She is strong and resilient and doesn’t even realize it even as Theo is doing everything he can to prove to her her worth. Theo was absolutely perfect. I loved him so much!! Get yourself a Theo! Gah, he was so sweet, thoughtful, selfless and caring. Seriously such a golden retriever who just wants to cuddle her and rub her back and show her that she is loved and deserves love 🫠🫠 The spice between these two was perfection! Shae just also knows how to write such scorching and satisfying spicy scenes 😮‍💨👌🏻

And that HEA ending was the cherry on top! The last few chapters wrecked me and had me in tears! 😭 Just be prepared to be taken on an emotional ride. This is a hockey romance with dark elements after all, but it is one amazing ride. If this was a movie, I would’ve hit replay immediately. I just want to do a reread already. I 100% highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy these tropes:

🩵Reverse grumpy/sunshine
🩵Praise
🩵Taboo romance
🩵Nurse/patient
🩵He falls first
🩵Survivor’s journey
🩵Golden retriever MMC w/ a dirty mouth

Thank you so much Shae for the amazing opportunity to arc read your book! I cannot wait to read more from you 🫶🏼!

[Catia Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went to this book with great expectations, which was perhaps my downfall, as I struggled to like the plot in general and the FC in particular. Fresh out of an abusive relationship that ended her up in a hospital, scarred for life and - but with a drawer full of toys - working herself to the bone but being in general a competent nurse, but an unfriendly one and ends up having sex with the hockey star on the bathroom which has all nurses fawning for. And as devoted as he is to their relationship, she takes one step forward and three backwards. Also would have liked to have more insight about the male opponent, as he only appears to assault her and leaving her bruised or for dead. In general, I felt it dragging halfway. And though Theo truly was the kind of man we'd like to have by our side, she really did a number on him.

[Jess • bestiebookshelf_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!

This book was MUCH more than I was expecting and I totally recommend going into this blind. It is definitely not a light and fluffy hockey romance, and it does have some HEAVY triggers, so please look at those first.

The bond between these two was incredible. Bailey was so bloody grumpy and I loved this cos I am a grumpy girl, too. I loved how quickly Theo fell despite Bailey holding back from him. I mean it was understandable; girl had been THROUGH it. Their connection was so strong and their journey was lovely, despite it also being painful at times too. Her grovelling was just so good!

I really enjoyed this; there were a few plot holes that annoyed me a little but overall I really liked this. Jeremy and Chey, I see you 👀

[Jasmine Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. Okay. First off, I cried. Shae Ruby you broke my heart in the last ten percent of this book and I just wanna say I forgive you. 😂 I also want to thank you on behalf of everyone to ever exist, for giving us Mr Theo Anderson because you would think that man was delivered straight from Eros himself. His DEDICATION, his VULNERABILITY, his MOUTH?!?! Thank you ever so much for your services. I need 3-5 business days to recover from this. I love you, Shae & I love you, Theo! 🩵

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book, veryyyy emotional, a couple very dark/sad moments but Bailey and Theo’s story just comes together so well. The MMC 🥹 Theo ♥️ he is amazing! He’s everything and their story is a ride. I can’t say much without spoiling it but just buckle up for big emotions. If you like a MFC who’s a black cat type with a total perfect MMC who’s a golden retriever this is it.

[Shanna Stanley-Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gut-wrenching!

The pain and the fear envelop you and you just can’t help but keep reading. You have to know if she is going to make it or not. Both Bailey and Theo are so human and relatable that the writing just flows. Loved this.

[Paperbackstoriess]

It was a slow read but I liked the MMC so much. I loved how he was in love with FMC. He was very understanding throughout the book and I loved that about him.

[Gabby Wentworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’m destroyed and all over the place but the romance was ROMANCING and the turmoil had me on the floor. sobbing and smiling all the way till the end

[nat ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. Dare I say this is a 6 star read? I have had very very few of those this year and this one definitely made it into my list. I am not going to lie, I was scared going into this which is why I put it off because I know the author writes more darker themes, but I am so happy that I read it.

This follows Theo and Bailey. Theo is a professional hockey player that plays for the Seattle Sailors. He is at one of his hockey games and starts a fight with one of the players from the 0pposing team because they went after their goalie. Someone from the opposing teams hits Theo in the head with a hockey stick and he goes unconscious. Then he meets Bailey, who is the night nurse taking care of him. They click instantly even though Bailey does not like having any male patients. Theo sees something in her from the moment they meet. They see their darkness in each other.

Bailey and her journey it really broke my heart. The way she is after leaving Robert. The start of the book when we see her in pain. It just really broke my heart and the sad thing is that domestic violence happens to women everyday and sometimes it is hard for them to leave. She moved to Seattle after leaving her abusive ex-boyfriend and has struggled to acclimate. She works six days a week at the hospital to keep herself busy and it is draining her. Then she meets Theo. Something she never saw coming.

Theo and Bailey's relationship is so beautiful to read, but also so heartbreaking. The elevator scene. I have never cried as much as I did during that scene. They both are going through their own struggles an fighting their own demons and Theo really leaned on Bailey to help him move on, but Bailey was always hesitant. Theo cares for Bailey so much that he entered into a friends with benefits relationship with her just to have her close to him, because he could not stand not being in his life. I think the best way to describe these two characters is she is the woman who struggles to trust since she has never been taken care of and he is the man who has so much love to give but feels like he is not enough. Two broken souls mending their jagged pieces. There were so many times that I sobbed while reading this, like my heart could not take some parts. I was ugly crying from the middle of the book until the end, but I am so happy that they got their HEA.

I cannot wait to read the next one. Thank you for writing this masterpiece.

Highlights:

"You don't have to feel lonely anymore. I'm here now."

"You're safe now. With me, you'll always be safe."
"If you're my safe place, who's going to be yours?"
"She's not here anymore."
"I can be your safe space, too."

"I was just scared."
"You know what I was scared of?"
"Never seeing you again."

"I've heard butterflies represent rebirth. New beginnings can be beautiful too, Bailey."

My jagged pieces were shattered and scattered on a rocky beach all those months ago, yet somehow, Theo has found some of those pieces and put the puzzle back together.

Tropes:
💙 Hockey Romance
💙 MF
💙 Taboo
💙 Survivor's Journey
💙 Nurse x Patient
💙 Friends with Benefits to Lovers
💙 Grumpy/Sunshine (she's grumpy and he's sunshine)

6☆ | 2🌶

[Paige (wingsandsmut) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey is determined to not let another man hurt her again.

This book is an absolutely beautiful, emotional, and also heart wrenching journey for Bailey as she starts to work through her past trauma of running from her abusive ex. I couldn't help but feel for Bailey as she starts to mend her broken pieces back together and find her passion for her work and for life. Along the way, Theo is determined to show Bailey what it is like to be treated right and show her that she deserves this happiness and love. He is literally the sweetest man and despite being upset about his current injury, he still focuses so much on trying to comfort her and help her heal.

Despite the emotional rollercoaster I was on while reading this, I could not put it down. It is set to release on May 15th and gets 4.25 stars from me!

Thank you so much to Shae Ruby for the chance to read/review an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW ⭐️ Wow. Just wow. This book was amazing. 10/10! I ran through this book in one day, I just couldn’t put it down. This was the first hockey book I’ve read that had GREAT plot. Being able to watch her grow from her traumatic past was truly inspiring. He never gave up on her 🥹 such an amazing read!

[Kaley ❄️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

・❥・4.25 ✧.*

This is one of those books that is hard for me to talk about. I keep trying to find the words to describe how I felt reading this book and I just can’t. This is a slightly dark hockey romance about two individuals that are dealing with how to cope with life and finding each other. I think that is the best way I can describe it but honestly it is a lot more.

I am not someone who seeks out books that make me feel a lot of negative emotions like sadness. That being said, I did know that I might have that with this book and wanted to open myself up to it. I think it was perfect for what I was needing at the time.

Shae Ruby really understood the assignment. How she talks about grief and self doubt is unbelievable. I could not put down this heart wrenching book. It had the perfect mixture of basically depression and happiness. Both characters made you feel and want the best for them.

A lot of parts were triggering for me so please look into the triggers before diving in. I thought I could handle a lot of this (and it starts on the first page) but some parts hit a lot harder than I was expecting. Bailey and Theo were such an amazing couple. I was so happy to see how their relationship progressed.

One part that did get to me was the whole patient/medical professional part. I felt like both parties could have waited until he was discharged to progress. It definitely made me feel like an added plot point to make things spicy since nothing comes from it as a repercussion even if there should have been some sort of one.

Overall, I would recommend this to someone wanting to feel some harsh emotions but still getting that HEA ending. If there are anymore books that come out in this series, I will be sure to continue it!

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW -

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Bailey Thomas barely escapes a violent relationship and starts over as a nurse in a hospital in Seattle. She's jumpy, moody, and overall a dark cloud, understandably so. Theo Anderson is the definition of sunshine. After an assault on the ice, Theo finds himself as Bailey's patient and her attitude towards him is as cold as the ice he plays on. The immediate chemistry between the two was hard to ignore, even for Bailey. Theo fucking Anderson deserves the world. The way she treated him would have scared anyone off and she was nowhere near healed to give her heart to someone else. Even after all of the hurt she caused him, he was resilient and patient, giving his all while she kept her walls up. I loved reading the relationship unfold, and how you can slowly see Bailey's progress even if she wouldn't allow herself to accept the love he gave.

When Shae Ruby says she writes books that make you feel, she wasn't kidding. The story was incredibly difficult to continue at times, and the last 10% made it SO hard to put the book down and work. Bailey at times was frustrating, and it was hard to not get angry with her and the choices she made. It was a real view of a broken human, who had to endure so much trauma and showed that even with therapy, life is hard sometimes and human's are complex. There was real depth and dimension to the characters, and the end did a fantastic job of tying in what I believe will be the 2nd book.

As heartbreaking as the story was, I truly enjoyed watching Bailey and Theo's relationship unfold, and the happy ending made it worth the pain in the process.

[Carrie Hulk · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first ARC read and I am grateful to the Author for allowing me to be part of this journey even though my social accounts are empty and I don't post anything yet. This gave me so much courage to try to do my best from now on. You have to start somewhere, right?
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SHORT REVIEW
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐🌗💤 + 🌶️🌶️🥒

Coffee. Liquid courage. The only thing that pushes me to keep on moving, to keep on trucking along.

How I understand FMC on this one - coffee runs through my veins as well. 😅

Recommend to read this if you have a soft spot for hockey players with retriever characteristics, nurses with dark past looking over their shoulders, if you seek a little bit of dark suspense knocking quietly in another room and a little bit of spice rolling your eyes to the back of your head.

Not Recommended if you seek a thrill and fast-paced suspense or action, also this story has dark elements but it can't be called dark romance, so be aware of this fact. Also if you are a perfectionist who sees through all the little bits and nicks, and mistakes - maybe this will be too annoying for you, as there are places when your reading flow stops due to these seemingly little details.
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LONGer REVIEW

...story: 💓💓💓💓 + 💤💤💤
The plot is intriguing and promising however somewhere along the middle it lost its curve and went downhill to come back up to those who are patient enough to endure it till the end. The same goes for suspense - it was there, then got lost and came back rocking hard.

...characters:
Bailey 💓💓💓+💤 = grumpy nurse with a dark past threatening her existence every day sounds promising and although her character development was nicely done, I kinda felt too smothered by her and at the same time bored sometimes. She lacked something I couldn't quite grasp - a little bit more raw emotions or less pity ones, or both. And for me, her past experience didn't quite add up with her sex drive now. I would have written her a little more standoffish at first at least. But don't get me wrong - I liked her character and the first spice scene was the best of them all.

Theo 💓💓💓💓💓 = I can't say much about him. He's just adorable and sweet, and you want to cuddle up with him and watch stupid shows forever. I could imagine him vividly and couldn't wait to read his chapters. His development throughout the story was amazing showing many sides to him.

Cheyenne 💓💓💓💓 = I hope to read her story as well. She seems sweet, but spicey and opinionated at heart. She could easily become an intriguing FMC.

Jeremy 💓+💤💤💤💤 = Got lost in this story a lot. His character felt too mismatched with the scenes and it was hard to pin his characteristics. Although he was supposed to be Theo's supporting character, his appearances were too bland. This story welly well could be written without him and not lose anything.

Robert 💓+💤💤💤💤 = great villain with too little airtime. Although he was kept as a suspense in Baileys mind, I kinda felt the need to read real scenes with him a little bit more.

...enjoyment: 🍷🍷🍷
Overall I enjoyed the ups and downs, the suspense, the action, the spice, and a little bit less enjoyed the slow pace, everyday random not-doing-anything scenes. But I mostly read fast-paced action-packed romantasy so this just kind of rolled out of my reading style.

This will be a nice comfort read for so many others. And I can't rate this less than 4 stars just because I have such gratitude towards the author and had a great deal of emotions throughout the story. For me, a story that can stir my emotions and noticeably alter my facial expressions throughout the reading process is deserving a rating of at least 3 stars already.

...memorable quotes:

I have mine safely tucked in my bag, refusing to put myself in a position where I could be choked with it.

Smart girl - this one gave such depth to Baileys character showing how much she has thought through different situations that may or may not occur.

It’s like this is the first time I’m hearing a woman moan all over again. And maybe it is— because none of them were her.

Oh, sweet Theo. Couldn't get enough of him and his positive and refreshing attitude. He is sweet but not over the top - just the right amount of sweet and comfy.

Though don’t think for one second that I actually enjoy being inside Satan’s asshole.

This quote about hot tub is amazing. I will remember this and use it every time I'm in a hot tub.