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    Audiobook8 hours

    Stay

    Written by Catherine Ryan Hyde

    Narrated by Nick Podehl

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    An unforgettable novel about the power of friendship and kindness by the New York Times bestselling author of Pay It Forward.

    In the summer of 1969, fourteen-year-old Lucas Painter carries a huge weight on his shoulders. His brother is fighting in Vietnam. His embattled parents are locked in a never-ending war. And his best friend, Connor, is struggling with his own family issues. To find relief from the chaos, Lucas takes long, meandering walks, and one day he veers into the woods.

    There he discovers an isolated cabin and two huge dogs. Frightened, he runs. And the dogs run with him. Lucas finds unusual peace in running with the dogs, and eventually he meets their owner, Zoe Dinsmore. Closed off and haunted by a tragic past, Zoe has given up. She doesn’t want to be saved. She wants out. But Lucas doesn’t want her to go, and he sees an opportunity to bring more than one friend back into the light. It’s either the best or worst idea he’s ever had, but Lucas isn’t giving up on Zoe or Connor.

    Their unexpected connection might be the saving grace that Zoe thought she’d lost, that Connor needs, and that Lucas has been running toward.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateDec 3, 2019
    ISBN9781799749301
    Stay
    Author

    Catherine Ryan Hyde

    Catherine Ryan Hyde is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of more than forty books and counting. An avid traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer, she shares her astrophotography with readers on her website. Her novel Pay It Forward was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association (ALA) for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than twenty-three languages for distribution in over thirty countries. Both Becoming Chloe and Jumpstart the World were included on the ALA’s Rainbow Book List, and Jumpstart the World was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. Where We Belong won two Rainbow Awards in 2013, and The Language of Hoofbeats won a Rainbow Award in 2015. More than fifty of her short stories have been published in the Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, and many other journals; in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts; and in the bestselling anthology Dog Is My Copilot. Her stories have been honored by the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and have been nominated for The Best American Short Stories, the O. Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have been cited in the annual The Best American Short Stories anthology. She is the founder and former president (2000–2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation. As a professional public speaker, she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with AmeriCorps members at the White House, and shared a dais with Bill Clinton. For more information, please visit the author at www.catherineryanhyde.com.

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    Reviews for Stay

    4/5

    191 ratings23 reviews

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    • 5/5
      So life inspiring!
      Couldn’t put it down. Wonderful read for any age!
    • 4/5
      Totally satisfying listen. Great narrator. Not as much dog story as I would have liked but still, a good story.
    • 5/5
      I really loved this book.I could tell that either it was well researched or that Ms.Hyde was in recovery. I checked it out and sure enough she has been clean and sober for many years. This is a great and unique book for anyone,but for those of us in recovery it is a must read!
      It also afforded me a better understanding of our vets and what they have suffered.
    • 3/5
      Good book but once again it stops working and you miss some of the story.
    • 2/5
      I loved the dog (who was the best character) but the rest of the characters were pretty much whiney people who needed something real to think about. Not a great book. Not even very good fluff. The dog was great.
    • 3/5
      Girl has boy, girl loses boy to best friend and in drunken misery accidentally buys a dog on the internet, girl meets vet, original boy comes back … girls is confused! That about sums up this book. Another nice first book by a new author.

      What can I say … it’s a romance novel with a dog as a major character. But this dog does not talk or do anything un-dog-like. He is just there; a constant, as any good dog should be. A great read for a rainy, or lately around here - sweltering, Sunday afternoon when there is really nothing to do that would be any better.
    • 5/5
      Allie Larkin won my heart with Stay! When you read Stay, you jump jolting ride of laughter and tears. I was a little leery about reading a story that starts out with a young woman who lets her best friend marry the one she loved. The relationships are very tangled. Her mother was best friends with her best friend’s mother and housekeeper for them until she died from cancer. Savannah is grieving for her mother. Instead of taking care of her, her friend, her old boyfriend and her friend’s mother are all depending on her help with the wedding and anything else that they could think of.At first, I was angry when I read the beginning. I thought to myself, why Savannah “Van” sticks around all of them, her former boyfriend, her former best friend, her mother’s best friend if she is so lost. The world was over for her, why didn’t she leave? But she drowned herself if Kool-Aid vodka drinks and flipped the channels on the TV until she found Rin Tin Tin. What changes would buying a puppy from Slovakia bring to her life? But from the moment that she saw Joe (long haired black German shepherd); she was forced to stop wallowing in self-pity. This one event made tremendous changes in her life along with meeting a wonderful vet. As soon as she starts to contemplate buying the dog, I did not want this book to end. Van starts to stop wishing people would change and started taking her life into her own hands.
    • 4/5
      I picked up this book because I was feeling a mess, and wanted a novel I could relate with. I didn't start to like Van (the main character) until page 130. She made me look like freaking Martha Stewart of life organization. I wanted to yell at her to get a life and to quit living in a bubble! HOWEVER, I loved Joe. He's so adorable. I couldn't help but to keep reading to see what he'd do next. And then Van started to get better as a character and I started to like her. I was glad she started taking responsiblity for herself. In the end, I ended up liking this book.
    • 4/5
      Cute, fluffy, and heartwarming are probably the best ways to describe this book. The author created a good voice for the main character, and I felt like that book didn't try too hard to be anything it wasn't. There were a few cringe-worthy moments (like the brunch party that wasn't and the awkward bathtub scene??), but overall, I enjoyed it. Then again, I'm always a sucker for happy dog stories! :)
    • 4/5
      Wonderful light romance with a satisfying ending
    • 4/5
      Savannah (Van) Leone finds herself in a somewhat common literary pickle. The guy she has loved from afar all through college marries her best friend, while she looks on as maid of honor. Larkin's debut novel takes this theme to a new level and really makes Van shine as the heroine of the tale. From ordering a puppy off the internet and a host of unusual secondary characters, Stay swings between the humor and sadness of life very believably. I really liked this story and recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.
    • 5/5
      You don’t read Allie Larkin’s debut novel STAY, you crawl inside, curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and experience every delicious, honest and heartfelt moment as it unravels. Savannah “Van” Leone is charming, realistic, and flawed. She loves her best friend’s husband, but the difficult twist is that he seems to have feelings for her as well. Her best friend, Janie, is the rich girl, the star, the center of any and all attention. Janie’s family also employed Van’s mother as their housekeeper for the entirety of Van’s childhood. Van’s mother is no longer alive and she never really knew her father, so our heart immediately starts aching for Van and the tough cards she has been dealt. But Van is no victim, and she isn’t a Pollyanna either. She feels things, really feels things and she is looking for comfort at every turn. She finds it in the unexpectedly lovable German shepherd aptly named “Joe”. Before I had even finished STAY I found myself searching the internet for German shepherd puppies. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!For the first time in her life Van is living outside of Janie’s perfectly coiffed shadow. She is picking up the pieces of her own life and starting fresh. Van is building her own family, even if it consists of just her and her dog Joe. Enter the lovable vet Alex, his pseudo-grandfather Louis and Agnes and Van finds that she is getting her new life off to an inspiring start. But in literature as in life, all good things must come to an end and the happy newlyweds have to return from their honeymoon at some point. The overall arch of the story builds to this inevitable return of Janie and Peter and the reader can’t help but wonder what will transpire when Van’s old life and new life collide.STAY intricately explores human characteristics, our need to connect to others, our fears of being alone, our desire to be loved and loving. Larkin puts Van in some sad situations from time-to-time, seemingly abandoned by her best friend, losing a mother, losing a love. There are moments in the story when your heart truly aches for Van and all the obstacles she has to overcome but at the same time it is so comforting to watch a woman rebuild her life and find strength in her self.I so enjoyed Allie Larkin’s debut novel. It was warm, inviting, beautifully written, inspiring and hopeful. STAY is a charming debut novel and a great read. I am eagerly anticipating all of Larkin’s future work. If you are looking for more information on Allie, take a look at her website and blog.
    • 4/5
      Let me start off by saying that this cover totally caught my attention but then the summary decided it for me.I loved Allie Larkin's light and witty dialogue. It kept me breezing through the book. While there were some serious topics in the book, the author's light-heartedness shone through.The characters were fantastic! It was a diverse bunch of people with their own sets of issues that kept the story hopping but you always knew what was going on. The author managed to put a smaller story within the story without confusing the reader. I found that to be really enjoyable.I really adored the plot line in this one and if you're a dog lover then I think you'll enjoy this one. The romance is there but not overpowering which was nice. I'd say that it's along the line of women's fiction/romantic comedy. There was a great balance that made for a great read.
    • 4/5
      Allie Larkin is a talented young author, there is no doubt about that. She captured me instantly with her witty humor and characters that pull you into the story, making you one of them. Allie Larkin is a new author who will rise to the top if she continues with captivating novels such as this one! Stay is a story that will do one of three things: make you laugh, make you cry, or both. I did both. I laughed at all the humorous thoughts and antics that Allie added to Van's life. I cried when I saw what Van was going through-being in love with a man who married her best friend. I see myself in Van when she feels she's not good enough for anyone. I just wanted to reach out and hug her! That's how I feel lots of the time. The laughing came at all of Van's thoughts through out the story, especially when she was upset at someone. Boy could she think up some thoughts! Allie added the flavor of the story with the laugh out loud humor. The climax of the story came when Van decided, on a drunken internet search, to purchase a German Shepard "puppy" off the internet to be her companion. She felt it was the only one that would be loyal and faithful to her no matter what. So, when Joe arrived, she thought there was a mistake, as this wasn't the size of a puppy, but he certainly filled her void! The story got even better when Joe, the adorable "puppy" bound into the scenes, and helped Van meet Alex, the veterinarian. Alex was such a dear man and one that anyone woman would love! He really added the spice to this novel. I recommend this fabulous story with 4 stars...I must warn you about the language though, as there is use of some language....this novel wouldn't be good for everyone if you don't like stories that have language. But, if you are a canine lover like me, you fall in love with this story about Van and her cuddly&cute, adorable&fluffy 4 legged companion! Allie Larkin's Stay is the perfect read for animal lovers and those looking for a good laugh. I'll definitely be looking for more novels by Allie, especially if they all have that laugh out loud humor to unwind at the end of the day! *This book was provided for review by PUYB Promotions*
    • 5/5
      Sweet story with all the happy elements.
    • 5/5
      Savannah “Van” Leone finds herself a maid of honor in her best friend Janie’s wedding, but instead of celebrating, Van is mourning because Janie’s new husband is the man who Van has been secretly in love with for years. After the wedding, Van retreats to her condo and gets steadily drunk on vodka and cool-aid drinks while watching re-runs of Rin Tin Tin. In her alcohol haze, she has a sudden insight into what she needs in her life.That’s what I was missing. That’s what I needed. Rin Tin Tin wouldn’t leave me for thin thighs and an aristocratic nose. Rin Tin Tin would be a loyal friend. – from Stay, page 55 -Impulsively, she sends her credit card number out into cyberspace and purchases a German Shepherd puppy from a breeder in Slovakia. When her Slovakian canine arrives, looking more like a full grown dog than a puppy, Van names him Joe. Van takes Joe to his first veterinarian appointment, and discovers that not only does her new dog have a really nice temperament, but so does the veterinarian named Alex. What follows is a hilarious and heart-warming story about the power of animals to heal emotional wounds and help us move forward after loss.A novel with a German Shepherd at center stage was a good choice for me. I have had the breed in my life for more than twenty-five years, and have experienced first hand their loyalty, love and quirky personalities. Allie Larkin also lives with two German Shepherds (her big boy Argo graces the cover of Stay), and she captures the joys and challenges of bringing a large breed dog into one’s home. But more importantly, she demonstrates how animals, especially dogs, can heal our deepest wounds.I loved the character of Van – a young woman who has recently lost her mother to cancer and is trying to find her place in the world. Van is smart, funny, and seems to find herself embroiled in outrageous situations on a daily basis. Her immediate love for Joe resonated with my own feelings toward the dogs I have had in my life.In Stay, Larkin explores women’s friendships (with all the drama, ambivalence, and support they bring), along with love, loss and identity. Her characters are real and genuine, and Larkin writes with an honesty which is refreshing. Although the plot is similar to other books in the women’s fiction genre (girl loses boy, girl finds boy, girl loses boy again, etc… you get the idea), it succeeds because of the strength of the novel’s characters. Larkin is as authentic as her characters, and clearly knows how to spin a plot to pull the reader in. I loved watching Van work through her emotions with Joe at her side.Stay is an enjoyable and well written debut novel which will appeal to those readers who love women’s fiction, and who have experienced the unconditional love of a dog. I know I will be watching for Larkin’s work in the future.Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Stay is an enjoyable, easy read about Van and the dog, Joe, she gets in the middle of an emotional crisis. Van has always harbored a secret love for Peter, so when he marries her best friend Janie she goes into a tailspin. Complicating matters is the fact that Van's mother was the housekeeper for Janie's family and Van has never felt equal to her. After her mother's death and her best friend's wedding Van struggles to find her place in the world.Nothing unusual or different in the plot, but the writing is fresh, breezy, and fun. The dog parts aren't overdone in Stay, providing some comic relief and a believable canine character. The rest of the characters are quirky enough to be likeable and charming. I enjoyed this book and will look forward to more from Allie Larkin.
    • 4/5
      I loved this book since I saw its cover. I was so flattered to get it in the mail. I began reading and could not stop till the end. I love animal stories but this one is different from anything I red till now.How Van, the main character, finds herself as the unwilling owner of a huge dog reminds me of my dalmatian, Diderot, especially in the hilarious accidents at the beginning of their new life together. The amazing thing about this book is its not being dog-centered.There is room for love, grief, friendship, moving on and lot of laugh. I found the first part a little boring, all that struggling about Pete 'the traitor',and at the same time so true. Looking forward to read your next one Mrs. Larkin!
    • 5/5
      This is not a story about a dog really.. but about a young woman struggling with heartbreak, loss, and life in general and the dog helps her thru it.Van (short for Savanah) has lived her entire life in the background. Her best friend, Jane is the daughter of her mother's former employer. Jane has hogged the spotlight for as long as Van can remember and the spotlight hogging doesn't stop with adulthood. Rather than stop at hogging all the attention and sympathy, Jane has stolen Van's "boyfriend" or the man Van hoped would be her boyfriend. Van's mother has died of breast cancer tho and Jane and her mom, Diane are all Van feels she has in the world and thus finds herself still struggling to please her adopted "family" rather than please herself.So when Jan and Peter, the love of Van's life, get married, Van finds herself in severe depression. A combination of vodka and the internet brings Joe into Van's life. Joe is a german shepard puppy. In a way, Joe rescues Van. Anyone who has ever been in a bad slump in life and adopted their first dog will completely related to Van and Joe and how Joe changes not only Van's life, but Van herself. (My own Lola gets all credit for making me a better person and making my life worth living at times.)Thanks to Joe, Van meets a sexy, rugged, loggery type vet named Alex and things take off. However, Peter and Jane come back into the picture and start making their demands again and Van has to learn to say NO and live for herself. Can she do it? If she can't do it, she risks losing Alex forever. After all, we all know how shaky new relationships are..I must admit to being slightly biased. Throughout this novel, I felt as tho I was reading about myself ten years ago. There was a time before I met my husband that I was often lost in my cups of wine and my very own mother had breast cancer so I could def relate to Van. Memories were also brought to my mind of when I first got my little Lola. I had no clue what to do and rushed to the vet just like Van does. (I did not have a sexy vet tho! Bummer that!) She also curses like a sailor much like myself. I was not bothered by this at all but I can see others getting their panties in a wad over some of the language.The book is filled with heartache, forgiveness, dealing with the death of a loved one, and humor too. There are many incidents with the new puppy Joe that had me laughing so hard I snorted. I also enjoyed Van's spunk when it came to the surface. My personal favorite quote is from when Van is trying to convince the home owner's association president that she should be allowed to keep her "over the weight limit" dog and she says, "Are the Parker's children listed on their mortgage? Because maybe they need to find their kids a new home too."Superb debut. 5 stars.
    • 4/5
      A very enjoyable feel-good book. Loved the character Van and how well she was portrayed. Funny and light hearted. While the ending was predictable, it was fun getting there filled with fun, friendship, romance, and the necessary traumas. Well worth reading.
    • 3/5
      This is a cute book. It got a little cliched at times and the writing needs a little polishing but overall, it's a great first effort from this author. The style really reminded me of Emily Giffin's stuff so I look forward to reading more. And if it has a dog in it too, so much the better.
    • 4/5
      This is a very charming well written good hearted read! It is great chick lit! It's about romance and friendship and of course a dog! It totally reminds me of must love dogs!! The cover alone will win people over. If you need a good beach read, i recommend this one!
    • 4/5
      This was a great book. There were parts in the story that made me laugh and sympathizes with the main character Van. I really enjoyed the connection between Van and her dog you could tell she really loves that dog.I think the author has done a wonderful job on this book. I would reccomended this story to my friends and I can't wait to to read enough book by the same author.