BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'After The Crash' by Emma Davies.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 16th March 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'A Year At Appleyard Farm' which I would also highly recommend!!

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. I have also previously read 'A Year At Appleyard Farm' written by Emma and LOVED it so I'm hoping this will be just as good. The synopsis stated this book is perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Kerry Fisher. I am a huge fan of both so am interested to see if it will live up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 25 chapters. The chapters are medium to long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Devon, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited and stayed in Devon so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise any places mentioned in the book.

This book is written in first person perspective with the protagonist being Louisa Adams. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them.

Another huge success by Emma Davies!!! This book is beautifully written and filled with vivid descriptions to the point where I can hear the sea crashing and smell the beach while curled up on the sofa reading. The cover and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

The storyline is just beautiful and had me completely absorbed throughout. It is filled with loss, hope, grief, love, secrets and is just a beautifully realistic story that will stay with me for a long time. The settings were perfect for the storyline and it really felt like Louisa was talking directly to me throughout. I believe it will really make the reader re-evaluate life, hope and loss, it really is a very easy to read book filled with meaning. I loved some of the quotes from the characters especially Isaac and one of the ones that will stick with me is "Sometimes when you have nothing you have to look for the smallest things to give you hope".

I absolutely adored all the characters who each had their own unique and strong personality. When I began I wasn't so sure how I was going to get on with Louisa and her attitude on several occasions really annoyed me, I felt that she was acted quite childish on occasions, but she definitely redeemed herself as a strong willed mum and woman. Isaac is most definitely an intriguing and mysterious character and I felt really drawn to him. Robin and Leah make a great couple and you can really feel the love with them. You can tell that Leah is Louisa's daughter throughout with how stubborn she can be. I adored Francis and would love to meet each of these characters again in another novel (hint, hint Emma).

This would make an absolutely fantastic movie and I would love to see that happen.

Overall a beautiful, addictive and heartwarming book that will stay with you for a long time.

Genres covered in this novel include Literary Fiction and Family Drama amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans .

277 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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When I first started reading this book my thoughts were I didn't think it was for me but I carried on and bang, so glad I did, what a brilliant family drama it was, I couldn't put the book down and read it over two days just a brilliantly addictive read.

All the characters are so well developed and interesting, the story line is great with a few twists and turns along the way and I cannot speak highly enough about this book, a very worthy five+ stars from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

A book you didn’t know you needed to read until you’ve put it down after the last page with tears in your eyes and a bit more hope in your heart. A story involving two people who each must come to terms with a loss and must find hope to overcome their grief. Louisa, a freelance writer, moves to a little seaside town to live with her daughter and son in law after losing her husband in a car accident. She is grieving the life she had and needs to regroup and figure out what she wants to do with her life. She meets some interesting people there and is asked to write an article about an artist on the island. When she finally meets the man she is stunned. There is something about him that draws her to him that she can’t explain. She gets to know him better and feels that he has secrets he is keeping. But what are they? Will he tell her or will she have to find out herself. I absolutely loved the story and the beautifully described seaside setting. It was touching and really made me think about what forgiving and letting go does for us and others.

Emma Davies’s unforgettable family drama, “After The Crash,” will challenge you to examine both sides of an issue before passing judgement.

Louisa Adams lost her husband, William, 18 months ago in a tragic car accident. Unable to dig herself out of grief, she agrees to move into the seaside hotel her daughter and son-in-law have just bought. The plan was to involve her in the renovations to keep her mind occupied and in doing so, help put their broken family back together.

Grasping at straws to keep her journalism career, Louisa agrees to write a feature piece on a local sand artist, Isaac. It’s not the kind of article she wants to write, but agrees, thinking it’ll be a perfect stepping stone back into her career. Louisa is drawn in by the way Isaac celebrates the little things in life. She finds herself exploring the coastline with him and ‘building bridges’ between how he thinks and what she believes in an attempt to maintain their friendship. He challenges her like nobody has ever done.

As the deadline approaches for her article, Louisa uncovers a piece of evidence linking him to her husband’s death. How she deals with it is paramount as it has the potential to undo everything she’s worked to overcome, to ruin a friendship, and to rip apart her grieving family.

I loved Isaac’s character; a misunderstood and lonely soul. He shared so much with Lousia in an attempt to free her from her grief. The teacher in me identified with the teacher in him as he explained the golden ratio to Louisa using whelk shells as a reference.

Davies’s novel gives readers a chance to re-examine the concept of hope. Julia admits that she’d let grief and the pall of doom become the biggest barrier to anything changing in her life. She admits to having made no effort to change nor to live in spite of the changes in her life. She agrees to not give up on life because of the changes and the lack of choice left in her life. It’s this small window where Isaac knows he can make a difference; the little opening she’s left for hope to reside. I love his encouraging words, “nothing lasts forever, Louisa, but we don’t have to mourn something just because it’s gone. Instead, we can choose to celebrate that it was here at all.” In teaching her through his lines in the sand, he reminds her that “just because something of beauty can no longer be seen, it doesn’t mean that it no longer exists.” Just as the sea claims his beautiful art, it doesn’t mean that the image has been erased from his mind. Midst this pandemic, we could all do with a gentle reminder to make room for hope. Otherwise, it will always stay hidden.

Published March 16, 2021

Thank you to Emma Davies, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.