Stay · 2014
StaySpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 2 trigger warnings flagged
Stay is book 1 of Stay by Emily Goodwin. It came out in 2014. Expect kidnapping and captive. Spice is explicit (4 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 19 May 2014 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of Stay.
Stay tropes
On this shelf, Stay is filed under Kidnapping romance and Captive romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Stay spice level
Is Stay dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Stay scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
Stay trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Stay reading order
Stay is book 1 of 1 in Emily Goodwin's Stay series. Start here.
- Book 1 Stay (this book) · 2014
Order checked against the Goodreads Stay series page on 13 October 2026.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Stay
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Fervent
Fervent
Gemma James
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Kidnapping romance, Captive romance
- Six
Six
K.I. Lynn
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Kidnapping romance, Captive romance
- Last Kiss
Last Kiss
Jessica Clare
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Kidnapping romance, Captive romance
- Sheltered
Sheltered
Alexa Riley
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Kidnapping romance, Captive romance
- Screaming in the Silence
Screaming in the Silence
Lydia Kelly
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Kidnapping romance, Captive romance
- Behind The Hands That Kill
Behind The Hands That Kill
J.A. Redmerski
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Kidnapping romance, Captive romance
- Captive In The Dark
Captive In The Dark
C. J. Roberts
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Captive romance, Kidnapping romance
- Epilogue the Dark Duet
Epilogue the Dark Duet
C. J. Roberts
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Captive romance, Kidnapping romance
Books like Stay, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Stay?
Stay spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the Stay trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Kidnapping. Minor: Death. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is Stay dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Stay scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in Stay?
On this shelf Stay is filed under Kidnapping romance and Captive romance.
Who is Stay for?
For a reader who wants a taking that turns into a love story. Spice is explicit. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like Stay?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Fervent by Gemma James; Six by K.I. Lynn; Last Kiss by Jessica Clare; Sheltered by Alexa Riley; Screaming in the Silence by Lydia Kelly; Behind The Hands That Kill by J.A. Redmerski. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/stay.
Is Stay a standalone?
No. Stay is book 1 of 1 in the Stay series by Emily Goodwin.
What order should I read the Stay series in?
1. Stay.
How many books are in the Stay series?
The Stay series by Emily Goodwin has 1 main book.
What is the Stay age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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