If Only You Stayed

by Callie Ann Frey

What would you do if your high school sweetheart lost their memory?

Seventeen-year-old Skye Hartman is in her last year of high school, while her boyfriend is leaving for college to go to Cambridge University in England for fall semester. The next morning, the worst happens, and Skye is left heartbroken after she learns her boyfriend now has amnesia due to a plane accident. She makes the promise to help him with his memory, and aids him with his recovery day by day, though life grows complicated when new student, Louis, shows up.

Can Skye help her boyfriend regain his memory or will Louis steal her heart?

Told in verse, If Only You Stayed is a YA contemporary romance about love, loss, finding strength in bad times, and realizing just how quick a life could be taken.

460 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2021

About the author

Callie Ann is an author, and poet from Cleveland, Ohio. She is the writer of Constellations, Stardust Wishes, and If Only You Stayed. She is an author, artist and dreamer and hopes to someday open a bookstore of her own. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, creating new things, and going on adventures. She currently resides near Nashville, Tennessee with her boyfriend and their three cats.

You can find her @callieannwrites

Reviews

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars.

It's been over several years since I first read this book. My interests have changed since then, and even I have changed as both a writer and reader. I've come to learn to enjoy stories for what they are, not for what I wish they could've been. And with that being said, I have come to truly fall in love with Skye's world, including Skye herself. ♡ I have fallen in love with 'If Only You Stayed' and the story it has to tell.

When I started reading this book last night, I didn't want to stop. :') I wanted to stay up late as much as I possibly could to soak in the dreamy, aesthetic state the poems made me feel. The author truly has a talent with words, but she has an even greater sensational gift when it comes to detail. That was one of the many things I've enjoyed about the poems: she has a great attention to detail. I loved the mention of nature, the sky, the main character's favorites; such things we as readers and daily people tend to overlook when it comes to our loved ones. We overlook the simple joys in our loved ones lives and the things that bring them joy. We get so busy and carried away with our work and tasks that we forget to stop for a moment and breathe. This story has made me remember to not take such things for granted, including the simplest things such as knowing what my true love's favorite cookie is or how he takes his coffee. I never want to take a special moment for granted and this story has reminded me to not do such. The poetry was like reading diary entries as each poem carries that raw secrecy and truth. I was captivated by the pretty words the author uses and the writing is unlike any other poetry novel I've ever read from. I read many free verse novels in the past, but none of them compare in beauty to this story. Speaking from my heart, I am in love with the author's writing style.

If Only You Stayed is a sensitive world filled with many pretty words, raw emotion, elegant pacing, and the struggle of fighting for true love when the stakes are against you. Schuyler Grace Hartman (love that beautiful name ♡) is a junior that goes through a year of suffering the loss of her beloved whom battles with amnesia. He sadly cannot remember her, but Skye vows to not give up on him, on them. ♡ Along the way, not only does Skye have her family and friends to help her cope, but new boy Louis Vincent Lemaire steps into the spotlight, a perfectly handsome distraction to capture Skye's eye. One thing I truly adored about Skye is how fragile she is, yet she's so strong. She's smart, yet has made many mistakes along the way. But in the end it was nice to see her fix those mistakes and regain her happily ever after.

I'm not certain if there is to be a second book coming up in the future, but it would be nice to see a love story for Louis. :') He was one of my favorites, and will be truly missed. I will miss this world, and the hope and warmth that it carries. I shall treasure this book along with many other of my favorite stories, and I hope for my dear friends to read this book and give it a chance as it truly is lovely in all its magnificence.

[Rutuja Ramteke · Rating 4 out of 5]

🍷This book has to be my top pick for the love season, I'm definitely someone who enjoys YA romance novels and I genuinely picked this book because the blurb had everything I was looking for. It's a teen story, it has an unforgettable memories but also includes washing out of those memories, high school and long distance separation, it has absolutely everything you would want. It's not a normal or usual romance tale.
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If you are into poetry this book is a treat for you because I love love love poetry and this book is written in a poetic format, it's presented in the form of verses. I wouldn't say it's too unpredictable because it's not too unpredictable but it definitely isn't so predictable. It's a book that involves a lot of emotions, of course but these are naive ones the ones we get after falling in love for the first time, there is lot of immaturity and expectations beyond our reach and the fear of losing. The author very beautifully presented these emotions in her story. It's a very deeply moving tale that's deep yet it's easy breezy.
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It's not hard to understand but you need have a deep attraction for verses to feel connected to it. It's enjoyable and I loved how it turned it. Just don't presume anything it's an unique read in itself. Go for it.
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Rating: 4⭐️

[Anthony Cloninger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful, loved seeing this author's dreams come to life. Seeing and watching her plan and write this book, and seeing it come to life is inspiring on its own. Now I do not want to say to much about what happens in this story, because I do not want to spoil it for anyone. But I loved this book, the pacing, the characters in it, the story and how it was told. The biggest thing for me in any story is characters and emotion. If I can't feel the emotions of the characters and/or don't like the characters, than a story is hard for me to get into. This story, I connected with the characters and I felt the emotions of the main character a lot. I could feel what she was going through and I actually got a little emotional when things went a certain way. I have re-read the book several times, and I rarely re-read books. I have only done that to three other books. So yes, I would definitely recommend this book, and this author, if you are ever looking for a poetic story to literally feel and appreciate.

-Ant :)

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in verse through a journal a YA contemporary romance about love, loss, finding strength in bad times, and realizing just how quick a life could be taken. Skye and Isaiah's story is very differently done by this Author who is new to me. I enjoyed reading. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I've read written by Callie Ann Frey; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

She has written a good book. The story is about Skye & Isaiah; he loses his memory after a plane accident and he vows to help him regain it.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[thebookish_maze · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novel of love, loss and heartbreak. It’s such a beautifully written story; it kept me wanting more and needing more. This book was capable to break my heart and at the same time it made me fall in love with this world and these characters and it made me realize why I love reading all over again.

This book is different from anything I’ve ever read and for that reason it will forever have a special place in my heart. It’s written from our main character’s perspective in which she describes the pain she’s feeling after her boyfriend gets in an airplane crash and looses his memory. The book is presented in the form of verses so I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves poetry. This is also my most annotated book which I wasn’t expecting it to be!

The writing style in general is sooo beautiful and lyrical. The characters and the world is absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future! I highly recommend this one to romance lovers (especially to Colleen Hoover fans; it has the same vibe as her books), and to anyone who wants a quick and enjoyable read. This one is amazing!

Note: Thank you to the author for sending me a physical copy in exchange for a review!