Release Day Blitz! Review and Giveaway for Fighting to Stay by Kasey Millstead

“Never stay, Lacey. Promise me. Promise right now, that whenever things go bad in life, you will run. Never, ever stay.”Lacey Monroe was used to running. When things got bad, when things got dangerous, when there was a chance that she would get hurt – physically or emotionally – she did what her momma said. She ran. She kept running, until she landed in Salt Rock, Alabama. She meets Roam Cooper, the Vice President of the Mayhem Motorcycle Club and for the first time in her life, Lacey considers staying…and then, right before her eyes, her world falls apart. And she runs again.“No more runnin’, Lacey. ‘Bout time you started fighting to stay.” – Roam.**This is a stand-alone, full length novel with a happy ever after**

**Arc provided by author in exchange for an honest review**

“It must be nice to always have someone. Someone you can rely on, someone who will catch you when you fall and support you when you soar. Someone who loves you unconditionally – not because they have to, but because they want to. I only hope I can find a love like that, one day.”

Lacey Monroe’s life hasn’t been easy. Her parents volatile relationship and her father’s controlling ways left her with deep scars; ones that she can’t quite seem to get away from.  As an adult, Lacey constantly moves and never lets herself invest too much in relationships with the opposite sex because she feels she will always be let down, and she is unwilling to let something/someone hurt her.

On her last “run,” Lacey decides to head to Alabama to stay with her best friend, Jenn. Jenn’s boyfriend is a member of the Mayhem Motorcycle Club, and at one of their parties, Lacey meets Roam – “He’s a triple threat. Tall, dark, and handsome.” Their instant connection has Lacey’s head spinning, but ultimately, she settles into their life together and even feels like it’s time to stop running.

“Been dreaming of you, Lacey. Never thought I’d be a man to settle down, but you’re different. You make me want things I never thought I’d want. I love you, sugar.”

Lacey is finally living the life she never thought she would have until, with one devious encounter, Lacey’s world completely unravels, and she finds herself doing what she thought she was done with — running!  But with a man like Roam after you, Lacey can only run so far and for so long; in the end, Roam gets his “sugar,” and Lacey gets her HEA.

“‘You were wrong mom. Sometimes running isn’t the only option. Sometimes fighting to stay is the right thing to do.”

This is my third book by Ms. Millstead.  Her Down Under Cowboy Series is fantastic.  Any time you can put hot alpha males together with cowboy boots and tight Wranglers, it’s a win for everyone.  What I like most about her cowboy series as well as Fighting to Stay is that the issues and angst that she puts into her hero/heroine relationships, for the most part, are realistic. Miscommunication is a major flaw of a lot of relationships and that factor causes a lot of tears and torment in her books.  Should the lack of hearing each other out cause years of heartbreak for Lacey and Roam, absolutely not, but it makes their reunion that much sweeter because they missed out on so much and now it is their turn to run to each other instead of away.

I really enjoyed this book. Roam is everything an alpha male should be and the way he treats Lacey in the book, except for at the beginning, is how a woman like Lacey deserves to be treated after everything she had to endure. The story is a sweet and sexy read, and even though it is gut wrenching at times, Lacey and Roam get their happily ever after, which is what us hopeless romantics want in the end:)

4 poison apples!