*Warning: I have already read
the books I am covering, any and all posts may and do contain spoilers.
There are very few rich alpha
males in this genre that I like. Scratch that, the wording is wrong. There are plenty of rich alpha males I love, but honestly, it is not my book boyfriend of choice or preference. I’m more of the tattooed, ruff around the edge male lead. But
Julian Bauer does not disappoint and he’s not exactly clean cut
(emotionally/personality wise) or tattoo free either, so that is a plus.
My one major rant about Julian is the “metro look” of his style.
I’m not too big on the pretty boys, so the “white pants and loafers style”
doesn’t really do it for me. I am from the area of South Florida though, and
Hilary Wynne hit the nail on the head for that “Miami look.” This gripe for me can be easily over looked,
especially in a book boyfriend, due to the fact that Julian has won me over in
every other aspect. He’s hot, dominant (but not overly controlling), patient,
persistent, and great at the sexy talk.
The part where I said I live in South Florida bring me to my next
point. It is always exciting to pick up a book and see that it’s location is
set in your neck of the woods. It brings the imagery to life, easier to
visualize, the picture is clear in your head. That’s not to say that getting
lost in the travel of a book location you don’t know anything about isn’t great
too, because it is. Creating the visual and travel via imagination is just as
exciting. But back to Stay, and it’s settings. It’s exciting to know the city
names, and to know what the locations look like. Julian takes business trips to
Sanibel and this is somewhere very adjacent to the city in which I live.
Sanibel is a place where I have spent time and even worked on the beautiful
Island. You’re sitting there, reading, and then a city pops up that is pretty
much a stones throw away from your back yard and you feel more connected to
what is happening in the characters lives. I can see Julian driving down
Periwinkle Way to the destination of his meeting.
Alexa is a mess, a straight up hot mess. But this is part of the
reason I enjoyed her character and the book. It was real and relatable. Most
every one has got all kinds of messed up stuff going on in their heads, the
good and the bad. She’s not perfect. She has good friends, a good job, and
well-meaning family (even if they are overbearing), but bad things happen to
people and she is trying to deal, she is trying not to be a mess, even if
sometimes she “goes dark.” Lexie (Notice, I’ve called her Lexie, we’re at the
point where I can do this.) is also witty, with a rapid-fire
tongue, and isn’t afraid to be sexual, which I also like about her.
