Happily ever after....

This book....

If I didn't cry every day anyway this book would have left me in bed for days.

I fell in love with the characters from the beginning. The book was slow but a fun story and all of a sudden it wasn't! It stopped being slow and stopped being fun all at the same time and I couldn't stop reading it, I had to know! I was thinking 'there's no time for the ending to be natural and logical as well as happy. Well, curveball!

The After Wife was so good. I hope Melanie Summers finds a sequel in her head somewhere because I am not done with their story.

I couldn’t believe that my favorite all-time romance book had just dropped a notch after I read The After Wife! This book has easily become one of my treasured “go-to” love story books. This book had me feeling as giddy as a school girl about what was in store for Abby - what new awesome adventures Abby was going to experience next in her day to day encounters with the other wonderfully developed characters in the book. This daring, coming of age story is told through the eyes of a woman who has suffered a great loss but pushes through to find and embrace a bit of “old” herself back despite the odds. This novel had me spitting out water from laughing 😂 to grabbing the tissues through the heartaches Abby has endured in her life. Expertly written and a “no vote necessary “ book 📖 for my book club!

I was so curious to read The After Wife because it's so different from Melanie Summers' previous works and I wasn't disappointed.
Hours after I have closed this book it's still difficult for me to write a review because whenever I think to this story the only thing I want to do is to curl up in a fetal position and cry, but I'll try because it deserves to be shared and recommended to all people who love beautiful,emotional,heartbreaking,humorous and realistic tales.

Abby has lost her husband of 15 years and the sorrow and grieving are too much to bear in the house they shared in New York so she decides to move to a little canadian village. Here our heroine will meet a lot of people who'll try to be part of her life even if she'd like to be left alone. But her plans to live like a hermit are ruined by a charming builder and his lovely daughter.

I liked Abby with her flaws, her fear to let love in again is so relatable but sometimes you have to take a leap and find out what life brings you in order to feel alive.

After a personal tragedy, Abby decides to uproot and move to Canada. Here she buys a house to begin her "after" journey. Having not seen the house prior to the purchase, she finds there's much work to be done. She hires Liam to help with the renovation. She begins to open up with Liam and to care for his young daughter. But Liam has baggage too. Will they, or won't they? Buy the book to find out the answer to this question as well as many others. I highly recommend it.
Thank you Melanie Summers, Indigo Group and Netgalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

This author is new to me so I didn't know what to expect. This book offers the reader lots of sadness in the beginning and then over time life, love and friendships bring profound happiness to Abby. There was nothing earth shattering in this book, however it was well written with a good premise and likable characters. A good book to read between other heavier, plot driven books.

Happily every after is the goal we aspire to from the fairytales of our childhood. Melanie Summers explores the 'after' and how one woman copes when her 'after' is less than she expected in this poignant story.
When we meet Abby her life is at a low point and she ultimately makes a change by moving to Canada. Her new community welcomes her with open arms, but Abby isn't interested in forming relationships. The home she purchased sight unseen is in need of some TLC, and she hires Liam to complete the needed repairs. I was both moved to tears and laughed out loud as Abby's journey led her to find herself and live in the 'after." I highly recommend this beautifully written tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Melanie Summers, for allowing me an ARC of the book for a voluntary review.

This author has a winner!!

I absolutely loved everything about this book, from the first page to the last. I was steadily rooting for Abigail and hoping that life ended well for her. I was then blindsided by the secret that Liam has, and reading about Abigail trying to overcome his secret and open her heart, really put me right into this book.

The author has a beautiful written book, full of hope and learning to overcome.

The story is very well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!! 5 out of 5. Can't wait for the next one by Melanie Summers.

The After Wife is a story of growth and rebirth, of reinventing one's self when circumstances change, and a gentle love story. It was an enjoyable read with interesting characters. I have only given it 4 stars as I found the ending somewhat abrupt and disconnected from the flow of the story up to that point.

Thank you to Netgalley, Expressobooktours and the Author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely LOVED this book! I loved the characters, the setting and just the entire story line.
Heartwarming and yet bittersweet.
My first book by this Author and won't be my last.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.


The After Wife was heartfelt, emotional read. Abby moved to a small village in Nova Scotia seeking isolation after losing her husband. But, comes to find that she's not so isolated in a small village after all.
The relationship between Abby and Liam was so real and full of emotion. I really enjoyed this book, and I don't have a problem not getting the bow on the package ending.
Well written, good character development, and great overall story.

The After Wife by Melanie Summers was a nice break from some of the heavier suspense I’ve been reading.

After losing her husband, writer Abigail Carson has all but given up on life. Having spent the last year cocooned in her Manhattan apartment, Abigail is suddenly forced to find a new home where she can stretch her dwindling savings. Intent on isolation, she moves to a tiny village in Nova Scotia where she’ll have no one to interrupt her solitude.

Little does Abigail realize that small-town life offers far less privacy than the big city. With neighbors knocking on the door bearing homemade treats and invitations, Abby soon finds herself immersed in the lives of the people of South Haven. She forms an unlikely friendship with Liam Wright, the handyman renovating her dilapidated cottage, and his daughter, seven-year-old Olive.

As the dark cloud engulfing Abigail lifts, she begins to believe she may have found love again. But just as Abigail is ready to leap, she discovers Liam carries with him a shocking secret that will ultimately cause everything to unravel. Abigail must decide if she will turn away from his pain or open her heart in the most hopeless of circumstances.

I love the premise of the book and wonder how often a woman loses her husband and moves to a new place to start over. I thought the author did a wonderful job of creating a character that we, the readers, could root for and want to see succeed and be happy. I also enjoy a cute small-town setting. All in all, a very good book!

Get this for $3.99! Go here to download to your Kindle.

Unfortunately could not connect with the main character and found her desperate, whiny, and just too much. Did not enjoy this book consequently

Tears, grief, a true honest story! It felt so real, made me seem like I was part of it. Shows true joy and pain!

Quick Summary:
After losing her husband, writer Abigail Carson seeks isolation in a small village in Nova Scotia. She soon realizes there isn’t isolation in a small town. She forms a friendship with her handyman Liam and his 7 year old daughter. Abigail struggles to deal with her grief and open her heart again.

Genre:
Contemporary fiction

You will enjoy this book if:
You liked Evvie Drake - excellent comparison @megmcreads

You will not enjoy this book if:
You go into it thinking it will have a Hallmark movie ending. The author’s note at the beginning even talks about this.

My Thoughts:
This was beautifully written and a story of healing from loss. The characters were charming and the writing about difficult topics was well done. Very sweet book.

The After Wife by author Melanie Summers really took me by surprise. It was so much more than I had anticipated it would be. It’s a story about love, loss and learning to live again. I loved this authors writing style. It was easy reading and I can tell by her writing that she must have a great sense of humor. There were lines in the story that actually had me laughing out loud. Although parts were funny, the storyline was actually quite sad. It’s about a woman named Abby, who after losing her husband, finally decides to move on and find love again only to have to face losing it yet a second time. The story really took me by surprise when I learned of Liam’s secret. It was an emotional read but one I really enjoyed and would definitely recommend. It tugs at your heartstrings and leaves you wondering how her life turns out in the end. I’d like to thank NetGalley and author Melanie Summers for the arc to read and review. All opinions are my own. I think this is a 5 star read and I’m looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Melanie Summers has written a truly endearing novel which is exactly as described, “a heartfelt and uplifting tale of love, loss, and letting go…”

“The After Wife” tells a story that will sit and resonate after you are finished.

Abby’s relationship with Liam throughout the story was touching and emotional yet complicated in so many ways. My favorite character was Olive, Liam’s daughter. Olive was so honest and memorable. And well of course Walt the cat – he was a fun character in this novel too.

You will laugh, smile and probably shed a tear or two throughout the novel. I know I did.

At the end, I asked myself, would I have made the same decisions that they did or would I have chosen a different path?

This is my first book by this author but am very glad that I found her!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a unique human interest story, with interesting, likable characters. Abby Carson is 39 years old when her older husband dies of cancer, leaving her devastated and broken. She’s an author, who is now unable to find that next novel, unable to shake the grief and mourning that consumes her.
She leaves NY and her small circle of friends, after buying a fixer up cottage on the water in Canada, sight unseen, with the forecast of months of repairs and a flatter wallet.
Moving to a small village, where everyone knows your story, before you arrive, is a culture shock, as she tries to isolate herself from the busy body town folk. Abby and the handyman Liam get off on the wrong foot, but she is drawn to his young daughter Olive. This novel by #MelanieSummers is funny, sad, loving examples of new friendships, caring neighbors and the affection you’ll feel for a sweet motherless child, just trying to be like the rest of her 8 yo playmates.
We see how a woman that wanted no children, can find her maternal feelings, when that child is in pain.
This is a perfect Beach read and I thank #NetGalley #GretzCorp for the ARC It’s definitely a 5 star. These independent opinions are my own.

The After Wife by Melanie Summers is a wonderful book that deals with love, loss and letting go. Abigail Carson is struggling to deal with her husband dead, and finding a new home that will streach her savings. Abigail decides to move to a small town in Nova Scotia, when she can stay isolated herself, but no one can hide in a small town. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading this author again. Highly recommend.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In a small town there's nowhere to hide. Abby learns this lesson the hard way when looking for a fresh start after her husband's death. She wants to be left alone but that's impossible in the face of relentlessly cheerful Canadians who refuse to be put off by New York City snark. And then there's Liam and Olive who completely change the game. This book had me feeling all the feelings. I was laughing, crying, cringing and raging and enjoying it all. This book was a little heartbreaking but very much worth the read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. Abigail Carson has reached her breaking point. After a year of mourning the unexpected loss of her husband, and a looming deadline of a finished novel that she has yet to start, she knows she must make a change. Reflecting back to a road trip vacation with her husband, she makes the decision to move from Manhattan to the small town of South Haven in Canada. While all she wants is to be left alone to write her novel, the town conspires to be included in every aspect of her life-from remodeling the fixer-upper she purchased to setting her up with the local handyman, Liam Wright. Abigail has to make the decision to bravely push forward and leave the past behind or push everyone away who wants to help her the most. This was a touching and beautiful story!