Blog Tour: Will You Stay Another Day? by Samantha Tonge

 

We are either late for Christmas in July, or we are early for Christmas in December. Either way, we are starting to see Christmas related books being released. This is the first of several books that I am excited to read

When Lili's BFF Em died in a houseboat accident a year ago, she was totally and utterly devastated. Em and Lili did everything together. They shared a house, they travelled together and partied big time. Lili has been going through the motions, running her charity shop but the reality is that she's just getting by day by day. One day as the anniversary of Em's death is getting closer she sends Em's phone a message that says 'Knock knock'. The last thing that she expects is that she will get a response, especially one that knows their inside jokes. Lili convinces herself that it can only mean one thing....Em didn't die on that tragic night. After a series of messages, Lili arranges a meet up at a pub on Halloween but Em, unsurprisingly, doesn't show.

While at the pub, she meets Dylan who is all dressed up for Halloween and is waiting for his brother Harry who is travelling the world, but he doesn't show up. Lili and Dylan have a lot in common including somewhat adjacent careers, and so they slowly begin to share a friendship. But can a new friendship survive the depth of grief and longing for just one more day with Em? 

Lili does have support around her. There are the team members in her shop and some of the local people who Lili does her best to support. But they aren't Em! I do love how supportive Lili was of her friends, always looking out for small things for them in the shop, supporting their dreams. In essence, they became her found family and in turn they only want Lili to be happy. 

I loved the Sunday afternoon sessions that Lili runs where people get to say goodbye to objects that might be holding them back emotionally. She has a little ceremony which is based on some of the principles of Shinto. I can see how that whole thing might be cathartic. The question is whether or not Lili is ready to really say goodbye to Em?

From the cover this looks like it could be a very Christmassy book. It is, but not as much as I thought it would be. It really is only in the second half of the book that Christmas becomes prominent, as Lili has to decide if she is going to go to Las Vegas or not, a pre-Christmas trip she originally planned with Em, and then how she will spend the Christmas holidays on her return. One aspect of the cover that is very present is the robin who is Lili's comfort. She regularly talks to Bobbin about Em, about Dylan and various other things. It's very sweet.

I've read enough of Samantha Tonge's books now to expect there to be something of a twist, and when it came I wasn't surprised, as I suspected what it might be, but I was very emotionally affected by it! This is really something that I enjoy about this author's books. You are reading one story, but then the twist comes and you are reading the same story, but through a different lens. It's very clever! I already know I will be reading her next book, whatever it is about and whenever it comes out.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!

Rating 4/5

About the Book

Will You Stay Another Day?

If you could spend just one more day with someone, who would it be?

When Lili sends a jokey ‘knock-knock’ message to her best friend Em, she doesn’t expect to hear back. Because – as Lili notices the chill in the air, and the little robin in her garden – she realises Christmas must be just around the corner once again. A whole year since she last saw Em.

But then this time someone replies. ‘Who’s there?’ It can’t possibly be Em, but Lili wants to believe it could be, and she hastily suggests meeting.

However when she gets to the meeting place, there only one other person there waiting. A man. And not just any man. The most handsome man Lili’s ever seen, Dylan… And he is also waiting for someone he’s been missing.

As the days get shorter and Autumn turns to Winter, will two lonely hearts spend another Christmas without their loved ones? Or can they welcome an unexpected friendship? Or maybe even more, if they can just help each other to focus on not what they’ve lost, but what they’ve found…

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/StayAnotherDay

About the Author 

Samantha Tonge is the bestselling and award-winning author of over fifteen romantic fiction titles. Her books for Boldwood mark a broadening of her writing into multi-generational woman’s fiction. She lives in Manchester with her family.



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