ARC Review: Ten Reasons to Stay by Sabrina Jeffries

Romance novellas are tricky things. The author has to put together an entire relationship in a very short time. Sabrina Jeffries did an admirable job with Ten Reasons to Stay (School for Heiresses #2.5, previously published in The School for Heiresses). It was terribly cute, extremely sweet and very short. I would describe it as a dessert book - read it when you just need a little something sweet. It was a lovely story and I enjoyed it very much.

Colin Hunt, Earl of Montieth, discovers Eliza Crenshawe dressed as a boy and “borrowing” a horse. She explains her need to run away from a forced marriage. She need to get to her friends at the School for Ladies so they will help her. Colin finds her tale a little unbelievable. He has issues of his own since he is half East Indian and harbors guilt about the death of his Indian wife. Colin is gradually drawn into Eliza's story and comes to believe her. Together they confront their baggage and learn to “deserve” each other.

I am not a great fan of novellas. I read books for the character development and there is just not enough space in a novella for the characters to show much development. That being said, Sabrina Jeffries did a wonderful job of creating a complete story in a very small space. Colin and Eliza actually did develop, both personally and together. Ten Reasons to Stay should be used as a model for novellas. It does just what it should, but nothing more. Perfect.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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