Please Stay for Me - Brotherhood

A sweet summer romance between an up-and-coming British musician and an American study-abroad student...
Love is the last thing on Avery's mind when she arrives at Oxford University to study abroad for the summer. At first, she's only looking for a change of scenery in order to satisfy her obsession with photography. Hiding behind the lens of a camera is much easier than facing reality. After a second-chance meeting with Liam, she starts to put away her camera and finally face the music. But summer flings never last, do they? Especially when she returns home, and they're an ocean apart.

Liam fell in love with the violin long before he became lead singer of Brotherhood, a small indie-rock band in Oxford, England. As Brotherhood quickly gains notoriety, he's torn between staying with the band or pursuing his life-long dream of attending Juilliard. Fate intervenes when Avery comes into his life capturing more than just his photograph. But how can he convince her not all summer flings have to end? She may say they're an ocean apart, but to him it's only a pond.

"Please Stay for Me" features a sweet M/F love story between a British musician who hides Jane Austen books in his bedroom and an American photographer who believes cheese danishes should be a food group. There's also a twenty-one-pound cat named Beethoven, stolen vintage band T-shirts, and friends who create their own family. It is the first book in The Brotherhood Series.

Best First Book Winner and Best Young Adult Winner of the 2021 National Excellence for Romance Fiction Awards
Top Pick Winner and Best Young Adult Winner of the 2021 Book Buyers Best Contest
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"M.W. McKinley's novel, Please Stay for Me (The Brotherhood Series), is a romance story with an artsy twist. Two creative minds interact more than once in their lives and, as the plot thickens, one wonders if this meeting of creativity is meant to last.... Dialogue effectively helps move the story forward and adds a touch of reality to each scene, along with compassion and a bit of humor. This is a comforting read, with lots of visual and musical arts instilled to give it an exotic air." (Emily-Jane Hills Orford, Readers' Favorite Book Review)

"I loved the passion the author communicates from Liam and Avery for their art, the violin, and photography. Even Avery's deep appreciation for music is strong and the way she connects to music through memories of her family is poignant. This is a story for those who enjoy summer romances that are built upon strong character backstories and feature character relationships heavily." (Rachel Barnard, Reedsy Discovery)

"...McKinley's story unrolls as quickly as Cleopatra in Caesar's carpet. In true YA form, it's got relatable characters and more family drama than the Kardashians.... The characterizations are a very strong pull here, each one having a clear backstory and unique role in the plot's unfolding." (The Flying Librarian Blog)