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If You Stay: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 1
Unavailable
If You Stay: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 1
Unavailable
If You Stay: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 1
Audiobook7 hours

If You Stay: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 1

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

For fans of Jessica Sorensen, J.A. Redmerski, and Abbi Glines...

Twenty-four-year-old Pax Tate is an asshole. Seriously. He's a tattooed, rock-hard bad boy with a tough attitude to match. His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with an intense guilt that he doesn't understand. What he does know is that he and his dad were left alone, and they have never been close. Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the black void in his soul. He pretends that the emptiness isn't there and this has always worked . . . until he meets Mila.

Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air that Pax has never known in his life. He doesn't know how to not hurt her-but he quickly realizes that he'd better figure it out because he needs her to breathe. When the memories of his mother's death resurface to haunt Pax, Mila is there to save him from his overwhelming guilt. Mila restores his broken heart, even as she evokes his powerful, sexual desires. Now for Pax to keep Mila, he needs to work on his issues-and stop being an asshole. But is that enough to make her stay?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 8, 2014
ISBN9781478952916
Unavailable
If You Stay: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 1
Author

Courtney Cole

Courtney Cole is a New York Times bestselling author who loves eating her emotions for breakfast. She also loves witty banter, cashmere socks, and walking along the beach at midnight. Speaking of midnight, she decorates for Christmas at 12:01 a.m. on November 1. She believes that blond hair dye and red lipstick can change your life, and a well-timed smile can change the world.

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Reviews for If You Stay

Rating: 3.859477160784314 out of 5 stars
4/5

153 ratings16 reviews

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  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    The book could be great but I wouldn’t know because I couldn’t make it past chapter 4. The female narrator of this audiobook is painful. Horribly read. Just save yourself some time and don’t listen to this audiobook. It’s torture.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Absolutely horrible.. I didn't even listen to the first 30 seconds.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I liked it very much, the plot, the characters, goood
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    **Audio book review**

    Maybe if I were reading this myself and not listening I could get into it but the female narrator is TERRIBLE! It’s like every sentence is a complete surprise to her and she has no idea where the words are going. Phrase and tone are all over the place.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    He finally found out about his mom and worked hard at showing his love for his girlfriend by giving her an art studio in his home.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5 stars! The opening chapter will hook you and keep you there until the last pages. For the all the drama in those first pages I found the middle of the book to drop off a bit. I was re-invested by the end and liked the ending overall.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5

    I couldn't put this book down! I read it in an afternoon.
    At first I thought wow Pax is just kind of a sick guy - Just knowing how good looking he is and to just do these things with the "bar whores" is just beyond me but the more I read the more I understood all about Pax and his demons. Mila well she is everything Pax is not she soon becomes his sunshine. It's a struggle for him to hold on to that sunshine and sure enough it comes crashing down all around him. Mila is at a lose as to what to do and as she feared all along that he would shatter her heart he does. I know it's not intentional but Pax has work to do before he can make things right with Mila if she will have him.
    Lot's of hot sex. Fabulous ending.
    There's even a book 2 "If You Leave" which is based on Mila's sister Madison.


    Quotes:

    "There are some things in life that can't be explained. Period. Assholes are assholes. Rainbows are pretty. Kittens are cute. Chick flicks are sad. It's the way of things, no explanations."

    "Oh, Red. If you want to turn up the heat, you've got to be careful not to get burned by the fire."

    "She pulls me closer and in this moment, I now that she is everything that is light and good in the world."

    "Sometimes we hurt those that we love the most."
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If You Stay was dark, depressing, heartbreaking, and swoony. I LOVED Pax and just wanted to give him a big hug, only because I can relate to his struggles.. not on a personal level, but a friend of mine had very similar struggles. I loved the dedication of this book. I think.. that at some point in everyone's life they seek out that comfort, as Pax did. Granted, it may just be one night of drinking and not nearly as bad as Pax.

    To anyone who has ever found comfort in oblivion.

    Cover Love and Writing
    I really like the cover! It draws me in.. however it is seemingly light as compared to the subject and tone of the book. I think it should be on a wintery beach with the sky dark, in my opinion. This is the third book I've read by Courtney and I think she is a very talented writer. This book was written in the first person from both Pax and Mila's pov. The writing is smooth and contemporary. It was very easy to get lost in this book!

    Main Characters
    I loved that both of the characters, while struggling with issues, find each other and become stronger.. even when they aren't together. Both have had sad/terrible things happen to them and it made me happy that they could find someone to confide in, someone to love.

    Swoonworthy Points: 6.5
    While there are some steamy parts, and some romantic swooning I don't think that was the main focus of this book. I did love the painting scene =)!!

    Overall, this dark contemporary will take you down then up and back around. The emotional roller-coaster is totally worth it! I highly recommend this book!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This has a bunch of darkness. It is not a breezy light read. Pax is flawed and haunted by his past. His drug use and promiscuity is filthy, raw and unappealing. Mila's attraction to him is hard to understand given that she has witnessed all of it. She's informed but still desires him. That might have made more sense with more time. By their second date they are naked and pawing at each other! Remember Jill? Mila saw her servicing Pax. Gross. That should have deterred her. Nope. If you can forget all of that, like Mila does, then when they do get together it's hot. He's a rough and virile lad.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4 stars.

    I really enjoyed this story. Pax Tate is a damaged young man, with a repressed past. He's beautiful, he's rich, and he's broken.

    Mila Hill is a sweet, beautiful, artistic woman. She saves Pax life one night when her life changes forever.
    You have a pretty typical love story here, the hero and heroine heal each other, tragedy resurfaces, and a lot of emotions are dealt with.

    The writing is quite beautiful, but a little stilted at parts. It's not very noticeable until the last quarter of the story. That's mainly what bothered me. Most of the time the characters sounded their age. And then they talked as if scripted 100 years ago. And I think another 10K words wouldn't have hurt to go through the emotional ending a little more thoroughly.

    However, Pax as the struggling, broken bad boy, is absolutely perfect. He definitely is someone you want to hold close, hug and to drool over.

    I recommend this to anyone who needs angst mixed with romance.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I can't read anymore. The writing is driving me crazy. Quit at page 90.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was everything that I thought it would be. Pax is the ULTIMATE bad boy!! Its about life & love. Sometimes life isn't wrapped up in a pretty little bow and at times and at times you just do what you have to do to get though each day at all cost. And uncondional love well yes its never fails but doesn't mean you have to be with that person. Sometimes walking away is what it takes.I read alot. Probably to much but this was one of the books that did make an imprint! It was jaw dropping at times and just plain aggrivating at others but thats what makes it worth the read. Can't wait to see whats in store for this little family!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole.
    Seriously.

    He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match.

    But he’s got his reasons.

    His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count.

    As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade.
    So he slipped far, far from it.

    Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right?
    Wrong.

    And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila.
    Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.

    When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one…the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness.

    But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it.

    He knows that. And he’s working on it.

    But is that enough to make her stay?


    I Must say that Courtney Cole sure knows how to pull a reader in . The first chapter of this book Pulled me in feet first and I did not stop until I was done with the ride . This story is full of emotion , it is raw, it will make you laugh , it will make you shed a tear or two . but in the end I can promise that you will be happy .


    The story starts with Pax , Asshole , tattooed , Bad ass attitude , and rock hot body to die for . Pax's mom Died when he was 7 yrs old ,and Pax appears to have never dealt with the loss of his mother , he copes with emotions with drugs, and alcohol , and more drugs ... He is not a drug addict though. he can stop when ever he wants , but he doesn't have a need to stop , so he continues to use drugs , until he Overdoses and almost dies .

    “I can’t let you break my heart. I don’t have much of it left.”


    Enter Mila , artist , Heart of gold, Lost her own parents a few yrs back due to a car accident , all she has now is her sister . One night she is at the beach taking pictures of the water and sky . As she ventures back to her car she hears a buzzing sound and discovers that there is a man in a car slumped over and out cold , vomit all over him , breathing erratic . She does the only thing she can do when she can't bring him to she calls 911 . Mila saved Pax's life that night .....


    “You’ve seen me at my worst. Maybe you should see me at my best.”
    My words hang between us, heavy and charged, and I don’t know what the fuck I am doing.
    “When are you at your best?” she asks hesitantly. And I can see from the determined look on her face that she is trying hard not to feel intimidated. I’m impressed. She’s like a kitten standing up to a lion.
    “In bed.”


    Reading the relationship from the start to the end of Pax and Mila was an amazing journey of Love, hope, redemption, and a whole lot of raw emotion. I love how we got to get inside of Pax's head and take the journey with him towards redemption and dealing with his emotions and stress. Mila was amazing in her own sweet way with helping him and being there with him through it all the way to the end and beyond ....




    "Love Never Fails "
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If You Stay by Courtney Cole is a gutsy and deeply emotional New Adult Romance. If you are on the fence about the New Adult genre or this book in particular, don’t be. Go out and get this book.First, Pax and Mila are in their early 20s so they are old enough to appeal to more mature readers but young enough to appeal to both the New Adult and Young Adult age groups. They are also paradoxically both mature and immature for their ages which adds an extra layer to their characters.Second, the extremely frank look at some hard core subjects (drugs, prostitution, familial death, and psychological issues) is hard and deeply emotional all at the same time. It is reminiscent of the movie Requiem for a Dream in the way it puts it all out there in a stark, unyielding, and very messy way. There is no sugar coating or white washing going on here. The ugliness of it all is right out in the open. Frankly, at first, it was hard to take, especially since you are hit with a lot of it right up front. But, in the end, the honesty of it was far more compelling and emotional than any partially hidden view of it could ever have been. This is the strength and heart of the book.Pax may be 24, but he is deeply troubled and emotionally scarred in ways he does not even know or understand. Despite this, when he meets Mila, he can’t seem to stay away. Her lightness calls to something deep inside his darkness. For Mila, her kindness is both her weakness and her strength. She too has dealt with difficult situations and she chose a different path than Pax. Mila is both deeply repelled by and deeply attracted to Pax. The juxtaposition of their choices in life and their outlooks on life make this seem initially like an “opposites attract” storyline but it really isn’t. They have certain life events in common; they are more alike than either can see. Just as Mila is not too perfect and still has the capacity to complain, be catty, etc, Pax is not too troubled. He has the capacity to care, even if it is often involuntarily.Because this is told in first person with alternating points of view, the reader gets to see into both Pax and Mila’s heads. They have distinct voices and both voices are compelling. While Pax has a more forceful and crude voice, Mila is no shrinking violet. Her voice tempers Pax’s in the same way her presence in his life tempers him.There is even a surprise twist in all this – something hinted at throughout the book but even my twisted mind couldn’t come up with the answer. It’s not an implausible twist. Ultimately, that’s one of the many beautiful things about this book. Whether that reality is beautiful or ugly, it’s always still real.Seriously, this is not a book you want to miss.RATING: 5Heat Rating: HotREVIEWED BY: Monique Neaves
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Courtney Cole writes phenomenal love stories. I just eat everything she writes up, and If You Stay was no exception. While the story was off to a pretty disturbing and pretty gross start, it was obvious that it was going to turn out to be something special. If You Stay is a story of growing up, learning to trust, and letting yourself love.Pax is a straight-up bad boy. He has a trust fund and spends his life getting wasted (even though he isn’t an addict) and just being an overall burden to society. Naturally, he is rescued and falls for good-girl Mila. It may sound a bit generic, but it is anything but. The love story was believable and very well done. There were so many romantic and swoon-worthy moments. Since this is a new adult, there were also some pretty steamy scenes. Despite all of the obstacles the two faced, I couldn’t help routing for them. I also loved that Mila had her own troubled past (even though she dealt with them in a much healthier manner than Pax ever did). Mila is a good girl with her own problems and that just makes her so much more interesting than the typical girl who saves the guy.Even though this is very much a love story, it’s also Pax’s story. Pax has a lot to cope with—more than he even realizes. When I think about all of the horrific things that happened, I still get chills. Courtney Cole did such an amazing job with Pax and after seeing his quest to rebuild his life, I realize why he was such a douche. There are some seriously messed up stuff in his past. The sheer tragedy of Pax’s life is enough to make this one worth reading.If You Stay is an amazing read. From Pax’s tragic past to the incredibly sweet ending, Mila and Pax are two characters you just won’t forget about. Well-developed characters, steamy moments, and growing up all make this an amazing read that will stay with you forever.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Oh this book. What can I say about this book? It did things to me.. Seriously. I am 100% sure that I felt this book in EVERY SINGLE part of my heart. It pulled heart strings I thought I never had && I found myself rooting for Pax even when I KNEW what was going to happen. This story was one full of challenges, struggles, love, family & relationships. I think every last thing blended so well together to make an epic kind of story. Really – it was one that you will never forget lol.Mila is a girl who has her head on straight. She has been through her share of struggles, bounced back & now knows what she wants and where she wants to go in life. Then she meets Pax. As far as “first impressions” go, we can go ahead and chalk this up to an EPIC FAIL for Pax! Despite what went on that night, Mila and Pax form a connection that I think EVERYONE should experience in their lifetime. To learn what it is to feel for someone what they feel for each other. It truly is a soul-reaching kind of connection. The two of them have a past that is kind of similar and it lets them connect on a level most do not get to. While Mila struggles with her sisters opinions and her own thoughts – the world seems to go on around her. She’s slowly learning that putting your heart on the line is sometimes worth the risk of having it shattered – but what happens when you KNOW it’s going to be shattered and can do nothing to stop it?Pax has his own way of dealing with his grief. That way just happens to be women, drugs and alcohol. Not technically in that order – but mostly consists of all three each time lol. I had many guy wrenching moments, eye opening moments && complete shock moments when it came to reading about Pax. He is so unlike the characters I am used to reading.. well – in the beginning; he came around in the end :) I KNEW heading into this that I was going to be reading about a total asshole that really couldn’t care less about life. What I did not expect was to read about said asshole having one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen. I totally fell in love with Pax. I rather enjoyed reading him work through the horrible past that he had blocked out for so long. I loved where he ended up in the end and I liked how it was written so that we experienced every single step he took to get there.So.. since we are talking about a charmingly sexy male with a heart of something close to gold. I am sure you can only imagine with the intimate moments between these two were like. Oh you can’t? Let me help you out with that. FREAKING HOT! Like, steam all over your mirrors, ripped clothes and sheets – have you wanting more kind of hot. The passion between the two && with Pax being such an emotional person when it comes certain things – they have some seriously chart topping chemistry.If you have not read this book – YOU MUST. LIKE; RIGHT NOW. Aside from Pax & Mila – you need to read about Madison, Mila’s sister. What the two of them went through was tragic and they have come so far. I think that Madison has her own story to tell and I hope we get to read about it! Most of all – this book NEEDS TO BE READ.