Please Don’t Go is a book I kept seeing when it was self-published in 2025 and I was intrigued. Atria picked this one up to be published traditionally and I sat down and read this book. Today I want to tell you all about Please Don’t Go and what I thought!
A big thank you to Netgalley and Atria for providing me with an eARC to read and review. This doesn’t affect my opinion in any way.
A heart-wrenching and unforgettable contemporary romance about grief, healing, and second chances, where Josefine and Daniel—two souls from different worlds—learn that sometimes love is the only way to find your way back to the surface
He can’t stop thinking about her. She wants to forget him. But fate seems to have other plans.
Josefine Resendiz is trying to survive the weight of grief while pretending her life hasn’t come to a complete standstill. She doesn’t know how to name what she’s feeling or how to fix what feels broken inside her. All she knows is that staying afloat is getting harder by the day.
Daniel Garcia looks like he has everything going for him. A gifted shortstop with a future everyone believes in, he carries himself with easy charm and quiet confidence. What no one sees is the guilt and loss he’s been carrying since his brother’s death, grief he’s learned to hide behind smiles and discipline.
That’s until he stumbles upon Josefine on Christmas Day, by chance and at the wrong time, in a moment that was never meant to last. But some connections refuse to disappear. When their paths keep crossing, forgetting each other becomes impossible. Feelings surface. Defenses falter. Being together starts to feel like relief.
As they grow closer, they are forced to face the question neither of them is ready to answer: What happens when love arrives before healing does, and letting go feels just as terrifying as holding on?
Review
Please Don’t Go is a book that caught my eye with the cover alone. I also knew that this book was going to be heavy, but I didn’t know it was going to be that heavy. This book hits in all the feels and this author makes you feel so much for her characters. I also really appreciated that she didn’t sugar coat mental health struggles. Their struggles didn’t just disappear when Josefine and Daniel found each other.
Josefine wasn’t looking for love, but for a way out. Daniel wasn’t going to let that happen. He’s very protective and smitten with Josefine. There’s so much yearning! He takes everything he gets and doesn’t push. Only friends? Fine! I love seeing them get to know each other and
try and heal. Things aren’t solved in a day and they go through their issues.
Add in a cast of amazing side characters and I couldn’t put this 500 page book down! Was it maybe a bit too long? Yes, but I was just so invested in everything! If you want to give Please Don’t Go a try, you will need to know that this isn’t a fast paced story. It really does give you its all though! I really can’t wait to see what this author gives us next in this series.
In the end, I really think this is a book you should go into blind (while being very aware their are quite a few heavy subjects dealt with, so check that out if that’s something you prefer to avoid. I did the same and it was an emotional experience and roller coaster ride. It’s hard to put into words.
After reading Please Don’t Go, I definitely need more by this author. There were some side characters in this book that I really hope end up with their own books. Have you read this one yet? Or what was your last five star read? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
