This book was so much more than a romance between author Liza and island resident/caretaker. I totally loved the back and forth between these two. They seem like oil and water yet you know they are fireworks waiting to happen. Kendall seems harsh and like a jerk, but what an amazing man he turns out to be. He is a strong and caring man who charms the islanders. Liza doesn't get it. Well, not at first. As time goes on and they learn one another, both Liza and Kendall warm up to each other and are amazing together. 

But the heart of this story is Ray. How Terri Osburn weaved this story together was beautiful. So many layers to Ray and his lifetime of love and loss. The subtlety of the events of his life that align to Liza didn't fail me, although she was focused elsewhere. It was a slow and steady build that I enjoyed. 

This was a beautiful story. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Loved it! An interesting look at motives and emotions. While I was not surprised by the big secret, as there are clues along the way, it was still presented in a clever way. I appreciated that not all was rosy with all individuals. Amos, the dog, added humor and heart. I skipped over the chapters of intimate details, but enjoyed the overall romance.

Wow. I loved this book.  I went into it not know what it was about not had I read anything by this author.  I will not pass up anything by this author again 
Liza moves to the beautiful,remote island of Haven, a magical island filled with inspiration and good people. 
She meets and falls for Kendall James, little do they know how connected they are and what surprises come to light as Liza is writing a memoir for an island resident !
The chemistry between Liza and Kendall is there from page one and I loved these two!
This book was a great read and I can’t recommend it enough !

5 stars
Hands down, one of the best book I have ever read! Finally a book that is smart, savvy, a brilliant storyline and fantastic charters with depth and quality!

This was a captivating book, full of emotion, family relationships, lies and truths, a bit of mystery, and a feel-good romance. I loved the characters of Liza and Kendall, as well as Ray, Francine, and Aadi. Excellent!

I absolutely loved this book. One of my favorites of the year!!! A must read. Well developed characters. Amos is adorable

Really enjoyed this book with it's interesting twists.  The book built in a believable format.  I really enjoyed reading.  Looking forward to other books by Terri Osburn.

3.5 stars
An entertaining story with a complicated man as the hero and a heroine who has insecurities and a sense of inadequacy and fear/avoidance of social situations that make her quite real and human and relatable. Their first encounters are awesome, the animosity blending with the attraction
With an interesting mystery slowly unraveled, bringing old, hidden secrets to the surface, and a group of strong side characters (including the dog, Amos), “Ask Me to Stay” is also a story about a magical place – Haven Island –, its beauty and tranquility sublimely rendered by the author.
I enjoyed the take on the creative writing process, and the foray into relations between author/readers’ expectations/characters, it gave Liza’s character so much depth.
Perhaps our taciturn hero, Cranky Kendall, lost his moodiness too fast, surrendered to Liza’s authenticity. I really enjoyed his tough guy persona, although I admit the caring and sweet side is alluring too.

This is the first book I’ve read by Terri Osborn but I would definitely read more of her work. The story follows Liza who has been asked to write a memoir by an old man, Ray,  who stays on a beautiful island...he has a story to tell, a story that will impact Liza life forever. One person who’s not keen on his story being told is Kendall, a grumpy but handsome man who will protect Ray at any cost.

The banter between our two main characters made this book for me, it was witty and quick, and watching them begin a relationship was fun to read. 

The twist at the end was kinda obvious, but it in know way made it less emotional. Would recommend it to others

Overall Rating: 4/5
Enjoyment Rating: 4/5

From disliking each others to friends to lovers.

A quick, great refreshing, cute, and romantic novel.
The main heroine, Liza who I believe to have personality and traits which are relatable to many people in the modern world. I enjoyed reading about her background and stories. I believe many people who are introvert can relate to her in many ways.

The main hero, Kendall, which I actually enjoyed reading was quite the change from the typical hero I’ve read in most romance novels. Of course, he is your typical alpha, handsome, tall hero, but I loved how the author mentioned his different height of the hero’s ear.

As for the plot, it’s your typical romance novel plot :). I guess one con is that, the love plot is predictable, but, nonetheless, still sweet to read. I enjoyed the surprise at the end as I actually didn’t thought that much while reading the novel. Overall, a cute and romantic read. Definitely looking forwards toward new books from this author.

This book had a quiet quality about it, maybe it was the setting and slow pace of the island, or it could be the way that the story rolled out.  Sure you could guess parts of it, but I found myself rooting for Ray, for him to win Liza over so that when he spilled the big secret things would have gone well.  While waiting for that to happen we had the connection between Liza and Kendall.  I loved the back and forth between these two, how things went from annoyance to attraction.  

The ending went about how I expected, with the exception of Liza's visit to her father.  I think she made the right choice there, she also made the right choice to go back to the island, along with her travelling partner.  While the ending had some sad parts, it ended with happy parts too.

Liza meets Kendall when she takes a ghost-writing assignment on an island, writing the memoirs of Ray, a man she's never met or heard of. He doesn't want her there, as there is something in Ray's past that he doesn't think should be Revealed and is concerned about the consequences.   All is not what it seems, but the more time they spend together the more Liza and Kendall fall for each other. But when her time on the island draws to an end, will he ask her to stay?

Unexpected twist at the end of the book

I am giving this a 3.5 stars but rounding up to 4. I really enjoyed this story. It was a romance for sure, but not overly cheesy or cringeworthy. I liked that it told the story of the fictional island as well and that it had an underlying plot regarding the mysterious past of an elderly gentleman. There was great development in the history of the characters with my only critique on that point is the military history of the male protagonist not being delved into enough. Other than that I think the author did a great job at making them all well rounded and likeable and I would definitely read more books about the island community if this were to become a series. My only one other negative critique is the overuse of the words "Babe" and "Honey". It felt too forced and intimate for two people who were practically strangers. By the way, the dog was amazing and I loved how he became a whole character unto himself!

I enjoyed reading "Ask Me To Stay".  I like Terri Osburn's style and this book was written so that I enjoyed the journey through the book.  It was a book I really didn't want to end.  

I will admit to one negative.  I felt the first 25 pages or so were difficult to get through.  I thought that the characters which the author was developing were a bit boring and eccentric.  I felt like I wasn't sure I wanted to read the book.  But, I love Terri's writing and figured I had to give it more time.  Within the next chapter things picked up, more characters were involved and I began enjoying the plot.  

By the time I was near the end of the book, I didn't really want to leave the main characters and their families.  The plot was tantalizing enough for me to keep reading with interest.  The relationships of the characters were normal but fun to see developing.

I think Terri Osburn is a talented writer and I have enjoyed every book she has ever written.  So I have little to criticize.  Fun read.  Thanks for the opportunity to read it.

Ask Me to Stay, by Terri Osburn, is the third book I’ve read by this author.  I have also read a short story she did for an anthology.  This one has a different feel to it than the others I’ve read which is a good thing.  It keeps things interesting.  I would categorize this as a slow burn romance with a twist.  It has a hero and heroine you can’t help but to love and an assortment of quirky secondary characters to make it fun.  Read on and I’ll tell you all about it.

Liza Teller always wanted to be an author.  Her first book somehow became a best seller but since then, she hasn’t been able to come up with a single idea for a second book.  She lives in New York in a tiny apartment she inherited from her Grandmother and is currently working on trying to mend her relationship with her estranged father.  Her mother has passed away.  Liza’s agent and best friend received an offer for Liza to ghost write a memoir for an elderly man that has lived the last thirty years on Haven Island, South Carolina.  She would live on the island for a month while working on the book.  She has no idea why Ray Wallis requested her for this project.  She has never written a memoir before but she has a keen interest in history and she can’t wait to hear all about his life.

Even though Liza is an introvert, she is used to the noise of New York.  So her first steps off the ferry onto the island remind her of every scary movie she’s ever seen.  There are no cars on the island, only golf carts.  And the place seems deserted.  Although she is surrounded by nature’s beauty, she is imagining all sorts of scenarios and wonders if maybe she made a mistake.  Especially when her ride finally shows up, a huge hulk of a man with a very scary looking dog in the back seat.  And the man seems to dislike her on sight for some reason.  

Kendall James works for Ray Wallis just as his father did.  Kendall spent his youth living between his father on the island and his mother on the main land.  But once he returned from serving in the military, his life has been on the island.  Ray is like a surrogate grandfather to him and he is fiercely protective of him.  He is completely against Ray divulging his life story to this unknown writer.  To say that his relationship with Liza got off to a rough start would be an understatement.  But that spark was also there, it just took them both awhile to recognize it for what it was.  

Liza would never have imagined that she would fall in love with this island and all it’s beauty.  Liza even fell in love with Kendall’s dog, Amos, the smiling pit bull, even though she had never interacted with a dog before.  She is fascinated with Ray”s story.   He was born in the twenties and had so much history that he had lived through.  It was obvious, though, that there were some things she didn’t yet understand.  What was the relationship between he and Kendall?  And why did Ray suddenly decide to live this life of solitude on this island?  

The relationship between Liza and Kendall grew every day.  Neither were the one night stand sort of people.  Liza lived in New York and Kendall lived here.  There was no hope of anything permanent developing so they would have to be happy with just being friends.  But with the sparks flying between them, that becomes impossible.  Liza also found the flood gates opened in her imagination with all sorts of book ideas as she met the other residents of the island.  She could barely concentrate on the job she was here for while all these ideas kept popping out of her head.  

This really was such a good book.  I loved watching the relationship develop between Liza and Kendall.  I also loved getting to know Ray and couldn’t wait to find out what secrets he was hiding.  The adorable smiling dog, Amos, was a scene stealer.  I am also a very introverted person and I have to admit that life on this island is so appealing to me.  I could definitely picture myself loving this life except for the millions of dollars it would take to purchase a home there.  I did feel like there was more to tell, though, at the end.  Who made the mysterious offer on Kendall’s house?   And who will inherit all of Ray’s holdings?  If you are looking for a sweet romance with a bit of intrigue, then you will enjoy this book.

What a great story.  I like the history in the storytelling where Liza and Kendall had actually met when they were very young.  Also the history of the families and how they got to where they are today.   No spoilers here but it is definitely worth the read.  Thanks Terri!

Ask Me to Stay I must admit was not what I was expecting at all. I honestly can't say why but it just felt very different to me than what I am used to from this author. I did enjoy this book, at first it felt slow to me, a bit like the movie Groundhog Day, but then it picked right up, and I really started to get into it. I did figure a few things out rather quickly though. No spoilers here, sorry.
 
L.R. Teller or Liza is an author, she is a definite introvert. She lives in N.Y. City in a tiny apartment her grandmother left to her. She has had one best selling book but now her idea well has totally dried up. With no ideas and nothing else to do she has taken on a job to write the memoirs of a man named Ray Wallis who lives on an island named Haven Island, which is off the coast from South Carolina. That is all she really knows except for the huge advance she got for coming here to do this and that he requested only her be the one to do it.
 
Kendall James has been living on the island since he was a little boy. Well he lived both on the island and off with his mom. His mom didn’t like living on the island, but his dad did. Plus, his dad worked for Ray. So, his dad set his mom and him up in a house off the island, but he would come and stay with his dad from time to time. He is the handyman on the island. He owns rental properties as well as takes care of and watches out for Ray Wallis.

Liza comes to the island with a few suspicions, while waiting for her ride she finds the island a bit odd. But she needs the job, so she goes with it. Kendall is the one that is going to pick Liza up at the dock, but he thinks she is a man. Imagine the surprise when he finds out she isn’t. Not to mention he doesn’t want Ray to do this book at all. Seems there are secrets that are better left in the past, but even Kendall had no idea about some of them and how big they are.
 
Kendall and Liza spar like crazy when together. But there is an undercurrent of attraction there as well. Liza starts the interview with Ray and as she gets to know him, she really starts to like him. She also notices that he is not all that well. He goes from being chipper to being in bed and ill. He also asks her many questions about her family while she asks him her questions. The longer she is on the island the more she loves it. She also starts to get along with Kendall and they both are attracted to each other. But neither want a short-term thing. Kendall has a dog named Amos, when Liza first met Amos, she called him a beast and wanted nothing to do with him. As time has gone on, she has grown to like him too.
 
The island and its people which are great are changing Liza, or is she changing being around them? The sparring between Liza and Kendall kept me laughing, it was the perfect mix of being drawn to each other and trying to keep away. Her relationship with everyone was very down to earth, real. She herself was a bit over the top at the beginning, but she was an introvert after all. The chapters ran well, the characters were developed, and the story took you to the island. The ending was perfect. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
 
“I received a free, advance copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.”