When You Stayed by: Ashley Muñoz

When You Stayed (Rose Ridge Second Generation #1)
Author: Ashley Muñoz
Published: May 2026
Publisher: Ashley Muñoz
Format: ARC eBook
Pages: 312
Rating: 5/5
Summary:

I was never meant to stay in Rose Ridge.

My father was the president of a notorious motorcycle club, so if something rattled him enough to request that I go, I should have listened.

In my defense, at the time, it seemed more terrifying to give up the only dream I ever had than to leave like everyone else.

I should have known that chasing that dream would lead back to the club, because everything in this town eventually did.

I wasn’t expecting to see a familiar face, glaring as usual, amidst the chaos surrounding the Stone Riders. For years, I had endured scowls, glares, and scoffs from Ford Ryan. However, there was something new and different about his heated stare, and even that oddly protective touch.

Something dangerous and addictive.

I should have left when I had the chance, because my proximity to Ford and the club meant I was close to danger. Even worse would be discovering exactly why Ford chose to stay when, out of all of us, he had every reason not to.

Review:

First, I'd like to thank Ashley Muñoz and her team for sending me an ARC copy to review! As always, I'm in awe of this world and series Ashley has written. It's amazing, beautiful, dark, twisted, haunting, and heartwarming all at the same time. She finds a way to keep you hooked from page one, and wondering what will happen to these characters by the end of the story!

Right from the beginning, I was HOOKED! Seriously, I couldn't put it down at times, so drawn to Royce and Ford's story! It was so awesome to go back to Rose Ridge and read the second generation of characters. If you haven't read the first generation, I HIGHLY recommend you do that first, because it'll give you the best reading experience!

Even though time has passed for Royce and Ford, you can tell there's both longing, as well as some animosity between the two of them. The more you get through the story, the more you uncover. I do wish there was a tiny bit more about Royce and the unwanted attention she had been getting over the years, but even so, it was written so well to see her unease whenever men other than Ford, her father, or Connor step into the frame. Even while feeling that way though, she really has strength to keep her guard up and fight back if needed. It was great to see that even while struggling with that, she was able to be this assertive woman.

Gosh Ford could do no wrong... well I men maybe a little, but when he does all that he's done for Royce, whether it be behind the scenes or right in front of her, that man is a GONER for his woman. Even when they both fought this sizzling connection, he was already on his knees for her. And when they did finally get together, it was hot! 

While you're reading about Royce and Ford, there's an underlying plot that's happening and trying to uncover who is at play was very interesting. That part of the story also kept me on my toes, wanting to know who is doing what, and pulling the strings. I had my inklings about a few characters, but the way it played out was PERFECTION! I'm telling you, I so didn't expect to have the ending the way it did, but I NEED to have book 2 in my hands like ASAP because it was so good and left me with breadcrumbs!

Overall, this was another fantastic read from Ashley Muñoz that I couldn't stop reading if I tried. It was packed with so much emotion, betrayal, twists and turns that had you second guessing yourself, and of course an amazing HEA for two characters that had been pining for one another since childhood. And I. ATE. IT. UP!

That's all for my review, I hope you enjoyed it and I'm seriously telling you to grab your copy because it's *chefs kiss!*

So until the next time, keep reading!

Your Graduated Bookworm!! :)