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Jennifer Probst
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The Start of Something Good (Stay Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Jennifer Probst (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 8,110 ratings

An enriching story of family ties, broken hearts, and second chances from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.

When Ethan Bishop returns to the Hudson Valley, his body and spirit are a little worse for wear. As a former Special Forces paratrooper, he saw his fair share of conflict, and he came home with wounds, inside and out. At his sisters’ B & B and farm, he can keep all his pain at a safe distance. But quiet time isn’t easy when a fiery woman explodes into his life…

It’s business—not pleasure—that brings Manhattan PR agent Mia Thrush reluctantly to the farm. Tightly wound and quick tempered, Mia clashes immediately with the brooding Ethan. Everything about him is irritating—from his lean muscles and piercing blue eyes to his scent of sweat and musk.

But as the summer unfolds and temperatures rise, Ethan and Mia discover how much they have in common: their guarded histories, an uncontrollable desire, and a passion for the future that could heal two broken hearts. But will their pasts threaten their fragile chance at a brand-new future?

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  1. Book 1 of 5
    Stay
  2. Print length
    317 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Montlake Romance
  5. Publication date
    June 5, 2018
  6. File size
    4.5 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Probst serves up a mélange of love, loss, and loopy livestock in this thoroughly charming contemporary…Pure romance comfort food. Probst’s sexy and sweet protagonists complement this well-paced tale.” —Publishers Weekly

“The enemies-to-lovers storyline is carried by great banter and sizzling chemistry…Readers will be pulling for Ethan and Mia’s romance to succeed.” —RT Book Reviews

“He’s all country and she’s all city, and from the beginning, they rub each other the wrong way. BUT there is no denying the attraction there…Together, they uncover emotional wounds they didn’t even know they had, while continuing to add a little bit of enemies-to-lovers angst. I couldn’t help but fall for this pair.” —USA Today’s Happy Ever After

“The must-have summer romance read of 2018!” —Gina’s Bookshelf

“Tender and heartwarming with the right amount of heat…Probst delivers the perfect summer read!” —Marina Adair, #1 national bestselling author

“Achingly romantic, touching, realistic, and just plain beautiful, The Start of Something Good lingers with you long after you turn the last page.” —Katy Evans, New York Times bestselling author

“Jennifer Probst always gives me that heart-melting romance with the perfect amount of sizzle. Ethan and Mia’s story was beautifully delivered and swept me up in all the feels. I cherished every moment!” —Sawyer Bennett, New York Times bestselling author

About the Author

Jennifer Probst is the New York Times bestselling author of The Billionaire Builders series, The Searching for… series, The Marriage series, and The Steele Brothers series, among others. The Start of Something Good is the first book in her new Stay series. Like some of her characters, Probst, along with her husband and two sons, calls New York’s Hudson Valley home. There, she enjoys reading, watching “shameful reality television,” and visiting an animal shelter, when she isn’t traveling to meet readers. Follow her at www.jenniferprobst.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jenniferprobst.authorpage, or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jenniferprobst.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0787SCPVH
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Montlake Romance (June 5, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 5, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.5 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 317 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1503901858
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 8,110 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Jennifer Probst

Jennifer Probst

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Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She holds a masters in English Literature and lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. Her family keeps her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean. Her passions include horse racing, Scrabble, rescue dogs, Italian food, and wine—not necessarily in that order.

She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance fiction. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, spent 26 weeks on the New York Times. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over a million copies, and was dubbed a “romance phenom” by Kirkus Reviews. She has over fifty books published.

She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases at www.jenniferprobst.com.

Sign up for her newsletter at www.jenniferprobst.com/newsletter to receive exclusive material and giveaways.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
8,110 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this book's story about growing up and its fun, quirky characters, with one review noting the right amount of tension between them. The book is full of love and emotional moments, and customers find it easy to read with laugh-out-loud moments and banter throughout. They appreciate its strength from start to finish, and one customer mentions how it made them think about their own life experiences.

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140 customers mention "Story quality"136 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, describing it as an enjoyable love story and part of an amazing series.

"Emotional and down to earth with believable characters, their foibiles and fears. Loved the connections to real life trials, frailities, and courage ." Read more

"...Other than that it was good! I liked the cliffhanger ish of an ending. It makes me run to download the next book" Read more

"Great good-natured, love story with steamy scenes. Book with little frustrations in the writing. Excited to read the next book in the series." Read more

"I really liked this book a lot. It's an easy read. Has a great plot and I like the characters. They are good people! It has spice and sweetness...." Read more

50 customers mention "Character development"50 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book, finding them fun and quirky, with one customer noting the right amount of chemistry between the main characters.

"Emotional and down to earth with believable characters, their foibiles and fears. Loved the connections to real life trials, frailities, and courage ." Read more

"...It's an easy read. Has a great plot and I like the characters. They are good people! It has spice and sweetness. Overall, a really feel good book!..." Read more

"...Well developed main characters Mia and Ethan don't play games with each other and develop a true connection...." Read more

"...Her characters are so delightful, fun, and witty. Keep up your wonderful work Jennifer! ❣️" Read more

33 customers mention "Heartwarming"33 positive0 negative

Customers find the book heartwarming, describing it as full of love and emotion, with one customer noting its deeply intense bond between characters.

"Emotional and down to earth with believable characters, their foibiles and fears. Loved the connections to real life trials, frailities, and courage ." Read more

"...Mia and Ethan don't play games with each other and develop a true connection...." Read more

"...growing understanding of the other was well paced, realistic and heartwarming...." Read more

"...troubled pasts to a hopeful future, this book had everything you need in a fulfilling romance...." Read more

30 customers mention "Enjoyment"30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very enjoyable and engaging, with one mentioning it's never boring to read, while another notes it's full of excitement.

"...They are good people! It has spice and sweetness. Overall, a really feel good book! Can't wait to read the next one!" Read more

"...Her characters are so delightful, fun, and witty. Keep up your wonderful work Jennifer! ❣️" Read more

"This book makes my heart so full and happy! I adore Jennifer Probst...she is my absolute FAVORITE author! “..." Read more

"...😊 The characters are interesting and engaging. The people in town seems warm and welcoming...." Read more

28 customers mention "Writing quality"28 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it engaging and easy to read, with one customer noting the wonderful descriptions of each location.

"...Book with little frustrations in the writing. Excited to read the next book in the series." Read more

"I really liked this book a lot. It's an easy read. Has a great plot and I like the characters. They are good people! It has spice and sweetness...." Read more

"...at all, but Ms. Probst knows how to turn a character around with great writing...." Read more

"...His relationship with his sisters was well-written and is full of love and banter...." Read more

23 customers mention "Humor"23 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, particularly its banter and laugh-out-loud moments.

"Great good-natured, love story with steamy scenes. Book with little frustrations in the writing. Excited to read the next book in the series." Read more

"...Her characters are so delightful, fun, and witty. Keep up your wonderful work Jennifer! ❣️" Read more

"...relationship with his sisters was well-written and is full of love and banter...." Read more

"...The bantering, the little teasing moments, all of it makes my heart smile!..." Read more

8 customers mention "Value for life"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book valuable for personal growth, with one customer noting how it made them reflect on their own life, while another mentions how it challenges and supports readers.

"...I enjoyed the healing and personal growth that occurred through the course of the book for the main characters." Read more

"...I especially enjoyed getting to know Chloe and her development as a young adult...." Read more

"Loved the way the book unfolded with real life issues and how we handle ourselves as well as others. A lovely love story too...." Read more

"...PTSD sucks. They challenge and support each other. I love romance novels that portray strong women." Read more

6 customers mention "Strength"6 positive0 negative

Customers praise the strength of the book, noting it is strong from start to finish, with one customer highlighting its well-developed characters.

"...With a damaged hero in need of mending, a strong, determined heroine with a cause, a troubled teen in need of guidance and acceptance and a lovelorn..." Read more

"...The main characters are strong and true to themselves...." Read more

"...Mia is a strong, independent, driven career woman who owns and runs her own PR company...." Read more

"I really enjoyed this story and how well developed it was. Ms. Probst did an amazing job mixing the battered veteran with the harried big city woman...." Read more

A damaged ginger with a limp and a designer fashion and self-obsessed
1 out of 5 stars
A damaged ginger with a limp and a designer fashion and self-obsessed
This book reads kinda how a YouTube video views now with ads galore. I only made it to the 4th chapter before I gave up. How many names must you drop? 4 chapters in and it mentions Prada, Coach, Gucci, Starbucks, Adam Levine, Waze app... even Kia. NONE of this does anything to ad to the story. It’s like one of the ditzy girls from Mean Girls or Clueless wrote this. This author is trying way too hard. “I can have a Greek yogurt with 5 blueberries”. “I want to lose 10 pounds” give me a break. And my standards for good literature aren’t even high! Lol don’t waste your time on this one.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
    Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Emotional and down to earth with believable characters, their foibiles and fears. Loved the connections to real life trials, frailities, and courage .
    Helpful
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  • Amber
    4.0 out of 5 stars Cute
    Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    It was a cute read but there was a lot of whining "I can't because she lives there and I live here". I felt as though they could have dropped it or changed the phrasing. Other than that it was good! I liked the cliffhanger ish of an ending. It makes me run to download the next book
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
    Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Great good-natured, love story with steamy scenes.
    Book with little frustrations in the writing. Excited to read the next book in the series.
    Helpful
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  • Treasea Morrow
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I really liked this book a lot. It's an easy read. Has a great plot and I like the characters. They are good people! It has spice and sweetness. Overall, a really feel good book! Can't wait to read the next one!
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Lizzysj
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical romance novel
    Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I'm not big on romance novels but this one was definitely better than most. Well developed main characters Mia and Ethan don't play games with each other and develop a true connection. Still a little of the unrealistic animalistic attraction and some overly detailed sex scenes for me. But overall a really good story line. Mia, a self made business woman with a ground floor publicity firm is strong and resilient. She meets Ethan, an ex military guy with some unresolved PTSD issues, on his family's working horse rescue farm while supervising one of her clients teenage daughters that is doing community service. Sparks fly and a relationship develops. Overall a good story line. Some cheesy moments and Mia's personality transformation are a little hard to swallow but who doesn't love a good feel good story.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Avonna
    5.0 out of 5 stars 5* Start to a new contemporary romance series!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    THE START OF SOMETHING GOOD (Stay Book 1) by Jennifer Probst is definitely a GOOD start to a new contemporary romance series. The H/h start as enemies, but Ms. Probst weaves a story that gradually brings out their backstories, insecurities and vulnerabilities and turns them into a sexy couple who find they fit and have to decide what they truly want to get to their HEA.
    Ethan Bishop has returned to his family’s B&B and animal rescue farm in the Hudson Valley. His last mission with his Special Forces team left him seriously wounded physically and mentally. He wants to hide out at the farm, heal and try to find some peace.
    Mia Thrush owns her own PR firm in Manhattan which is about to hit the big time. She is big city and designer clothes all the way. When her most prestigious client asks Mia to be a “guardian” to his daughter as she does community service at the farm over the summer, Mia cannot refuse.
    Ethan hates high maintenance women. Mia hates everything country. City girl vs. country horse man. It is going to be a long, hot summer.
    I absolutely loved this romance! Ethan is the wounded hero that you cheer for throughout to get a happy ending. At first, I did not like Mia at all, but Ms. Probst knows how to turn a character around with great writing. Their attraction and growing understanding of the other was well paced, realistic and heartwarming. There are several sex scenes that are explicit and I feel appropriate to the romance. I loved everything about the B&B and animal rescue ranch. Hei Hei, the chicken was the funniest animal character I have read in a romance and that he fell for Mia was extremely entertaining.
    I am looking forward to the continuation of this series. I am also looking forward to Ethan’s sisters’ stories and to continue to follow all the towns people introduced in this book. This story has everything I am looking for in a well written contemporary romance genre book.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Jamie Armitage
    3.0 out of 5 stars Why is the picture of Ethan show he has brown hair when I'm the book he has red hair?
    Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    It was an okay book. It seemed that 3/4 of the way through when the couple usually has a betrayal fight or a fight about a secret he!d it drug on.
    I would also think that shaving the main male character in the book would have the same hair color as his description inside as on the cover. Red hair inside dark brown on cover! Really bothered me. How could the author and editor let that happen?
    Helpful
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  • BillyS
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this book. After reading a few of her books, Jennifer is now one of my favorite rom-com authors, if not my most favorite. Her characters are so delightful, fun, and witty. Keep up your wonderful work Jennifer! ❣️
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Dany
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Start of Something Good is definitely a fantastic start to Jennifer Probst’s newest ...
    Reviewed in Canada on June 8, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    The Start of Something Good is definitely a fantastic start to Jennifer Probst’s newest STAY series. It’s fun, engaging and emotional.
    Jennifer, once again writes a story with the perfect balance of family saga, and steamy romance.
    Once I started my copy, I seriously could not put it down until I turned the last page. So good! ❤️🙌🏼📕
    I want to thank Net Galley and Monte Lake Romance for my readers advanced e-copy, for an honest review . They made my day.
    If you are looking for the perfect summer read, one that will have you blushing in the most wonderful way, I highly recommend treating yourself to a copy of today. You’ll fall in love with both Mia and Ethan, plus a silly little chicken named Hei Hei.
    Report
  • Valerie Miller, Brisbane Australia
    5.0 out of 5 stars Just perfect. Loved it
    Reviewed in Australia on September 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    What a beautiful story. I looked forward to reading - during morning read and lunch and after work. A wonderful escape. Proust created an authentic world with engaging and loveable characters. My favourite was Hei Hei. I wanted to take him home. What an adorable array of characters. The romance in this story was rich with emotions on all sides. I loved Mia’s spunk and swooned over Ethan. I’m off to buy book two in the Stay Series. Jennifer Proust you are a writing goddess.
    Report
  • Bizzy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely
    Reviewed in Germany on August 24, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I wanted a cute romantic novel and that’s what I got. I very much enjoyed the story and finished the book almost in one setting. Can’t wait to read the next one in this series.
    Report
  • kelz31
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Lovely storyline, characters were great, too. Really enjoyed the twists and turns. I'm glad things turned out the way they did, I'm intrigued to find out ophelias story, though.
    Report
  • Springa
    4.0 out of 5 stars Nice story
    Reviewed in Australia on October 8, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Really enjoyable reading.
    Report

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