by Calla and Diamond (link)
Genre cest, drama/angst, romance
Pairings Taylor/Natalie, Taylor/OMC, Zac/Kate, Zac/OFC, Zaylor
Length 49 chapters
Status Completed (first in the Salvation series)
It’s no secret that Calla and Diamond are two of my favorite authors from the last few years. I love Diamond’s ability to mix sexual tension and angst, and Calla’s ability to write even the simplest things and make them so very twisted. It’s only natural that I would love any combination of their abilities.
Stay is something of a spinoff of a short story Calla wrote, but you don’t need to read that to understand what’s going on. The story begins right in the middle of the action, with Zac becoming a runaway groom. At first, I wasn’t sure about the inclusion of Natalie and Kate’s perspectives, but their roles become larger and important to the story, and writing it all in third person does make it seem very seamless. I couldn’t even begin to guess which author wrote which parts. Plus, even though they aren’t necessarily likable (although Kate has grown on me), the two women are very compelling characters, which isn’t something I often get to say about them.
But the real focus of Stay is Zaylor. Their relationship, once they’re reunited, is the slowest of slow burns. If I have any complaint at all, it’s that the pace is sometimes almost painfully slow. At the same time, that makes it all the more satisfying when things do progress, and even the simplest, almost chaste scenes are so, so wonderful.
Even though he’s mentioned a few times throughout the story, Taylor’s ex-boyfriend Luke only appears in the flesh near the end. I’m not overly fond of such a sudden appearance, but knowing that there’s going to be a sequel makes both that and the few loose ends Calla and Diamond have left hanging much easier to handle. Now I just have to find the patience to wait for that sequel!
Review by Bethany (website)