After happily ever after tells the story of a woman that left her career as an editor in order to raise her kid -a teenager now-. She is dealing with her husban that is absentminded, her angsty teenager, her relationship woth her mom and the disease of his father. She is going to meet-cute a 34 year old on the Gym, and the story will unfold from here.

Honestly I hated the protagonist, she seemed like a teenager with the responsibilities of a mom. All the time she was belitting herself, her looks and abilities. It hurts to know that some women are like this, because is obvious that she is not having a good time.

At the end the story composes itself, but in general it was painful.

I found this book slow to get into. I felt it showed a deep look at one family and how events, time and choices make a person who they are. Once I got into the book I wanted to finish it. I love the multiple perspectives in the book, even though sometimes it was confusing. I expect to see these characters again.

I thought this was an enjoyable book for the most part. However, I did feel the narrator didn't quite capture my attention. At times she was quite dry.

A mid life crisis will rock Maggie’s world. Her father illness, her daughter impending going away for college, her strangled relationship with her mother and brother, and a husband too distracted to pay attention to her. All of it push her to a younger and attractive man. A life journey to find herself again. Great audiobook.

I’m really enjoying After Happily Ever After, the debut novel from @leslierauthor. The book is about a Stay At Home Mom who is dealing with not being needed any more as her only child is headed off to college. Her husband is distant and her family is no help to her. She meets a young and handsome man at her gym that has her all turned around. It’s very unlike her which is exactly what she needs right now.

I really like this book so far! I appreciate that Maggie our MC is a little older, although as a newlywed, I don’t quite relate to her situation. I do however like the very realistic situation of growing apartment from people and dealing with aging parents. I’m excited to see how this novel ends. I can’t believe this is a debut, I can see a long career ahead for Leslie!

My first impression of the book based on its blurb was that it could be a revenge drama chick-lit (for the lack of a better word) .
The plot showed a disgruntled , underappreciated and tired stay at home mom + entitled daughter and husband. Usually in such stories , there is a cheating spouse involved and I assumed this would lie the foundation for Maggie to do hot girl stuff and undergo a transformation.

Though that did not sound like a groundbreaking story, I assumed the book would have some empowering "woman clapping back and taking control of her life" moments, which never gets tiring.

The book turned out to be completely different. Maggie is a spoiled , boring and whiny character and stays that way to the very end. She makes bad decisions that don't even make the book interesting to read, but somehow make you care less. There were so many plot lines and subjects introduced, but none of them were used at all.

----Spoilers ahead--------

A spouse with burn out is an interesting problem to tackle; much better than the usual lying and cheating fare. It was very frustrating to see the author not follow that thread in any capacity.
Maggie's dad and husband get a few random chapters in the middle told through their POV , which were too few to lend any real perspective to the story and simple felt odd. It was astounding to see that a book can have so many issues (aging, dementia, relationships with aging parents, family dynamics, burn out, teenage drama) to tackle and still be so bland.
There is no redemption for Maggie even as the book ends quite abruptly and all the story lines just hover in the air without anything coming out of them.

I listened to the audio book sent by NetGalley and the narrator seemed to just read out of the book without much voice modulation. Did not care much for it.

I found this book hard to get hooked on. Once I did, I had to finish it. I love the multiple perspectives in the book. I like that we don’t get an ending tied up nicely with a bow, but an open-ended future for the characters.

After Happily Ever After follows Maggie, a mother to Gia, and wife of 20+ years. She gave up her career to stay at home and now that Gia will be headed off to college she is evaluating her prospects in the job market. At the same time her satisfaction with her marriage is waning and she longs for attention. In steps the man that is more than willing to give it to her. He's younger, attractive, and attentive to her. Will she jeopardize her marriage? To put more stress on the situation, her father is diagnosed with dementia. A lot going on in Maggie's life and it was a good read as I couldn't wait to see if her marriage would implode. The grass looks greener on the other side, but is it?

I was granted an audio book from NetGalley. My only criticism is that the readers voice didn't change when reading Maggie's father's thoughts and that was confusing. Thank you to the author.

This was a fun premise and I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read a physical copy rather than the audiobook. It was sometimes hard to follow and confusing as to who was narrating. maybe I will give it another go when the book is published as it had so much promise.

Requested it the day before it was published and didn't download it before the archive date. I have heard nothing but great things about this book. I do plan on reading it anyway!

This funny, engaging, and well-paced book features Maggie, an upper middle class Connecticut woman mired in a full-blown mid-life crisis. Her husband Jim is emotionally distant with problems at work, and doesn’t have enough energy or attention to give her, or their marriage. Her 17-year-old daughter Gina (who thinks she knows everything), is snarky, and doesn’t want or appreciate any advice from her parents—yet is herself undergoing huge changes. Maggie’s Mother is ageing, and her father is deteriorating in assisted living. At the same time, Maggie is drawing keen interest from a single man, and trying to decide what to do about it. Maggie is witty, her observations are enjoyable, and her behavior is believable.

Two things keep this from being a 5-star rating: first off, there is a logical problem with the chapters written from the perspective of the father (‘Dad’), who can’t remember Maggie’s name, nor where he is, but who still narrates a coherent story, replete with details like his nurse’s name, the people who are visiting him, and how he is feeling…if he doesn’t know where he is, how can he tell a coherent story? Secondly, the narrator of the audiobook, Tifanny Phillips, doesn’t significantly change her inflection for male voices. As I was listening to the book, I was confused several times, thinking I was hearing Maggie’s character, when in fact, the chapter had changed to Jim. Overall, the story bogs down when anyone other than Maggie is narrating—and because those chapters don’t significantly advance the plot, the book would have been better, the story tighter, and more consistent if Maggie was the only narrator. It might work better as an e-read. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I feel that it is a worthwhile, fun, witty read with insight into a very difficult, transitional time of life for many adults. Thank
you to NetGalley and blackstone publishing for the DRC!

I was kindly gifted an audio version of this book from Blackstone Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.

After Happily Ever After is told from the view of Maggie, an older leading female, who was extremely relatable and likeable as she takes time to focus on herself instead of everyone else around her. There are a few chapters written from the perspectives of her Dad and her husband which adds the depth and background to the story, however, it would have still worked without those additions.

The plot flows well, and the narration is very enjoyable. This would make a great book club read, as there are lots to discuss love, life reflection and family relationships. This audiobook was an emotional rollercoaster but nothing too heavy to put me off it.

The author has created a great debut and I am excited to read more from her in the future. Highly recommended in all formats.

"After Happily Ever After" by Leslie A. Rasmussen is a 'Stay-at-Home Wife & Mom' story!

Maggie Dolan, forty-five-year-old stay-at-home wife and mom, is feeling neglected!

Her daughter, Gia, will be heading to college soon and doesn't need her so much. Her husband, Jim, is busy with his patient's so he doesn't talk to her so much. When he comes home, he's always too tired, very uninterested, and never romantic. Her beloved father, who has always been her 'go-to', is now in assisted living. Her mom has always been super critical of everything 'Maggie' and her brother could care even less!

Life, according to Maggie, has hit rock bottom!

I tried really hard to like our main character, Maggie, but she's not my cup-of-tea. It's clear Maggie is taking a lot on her shoulders but she's quickly spinning out control. She's making poor choices a mature wife and mother shouldn't be making in the real world. I've always had issues with immaturity, poor decision makers, and whiners and Maggie is all of these!

Although the story is written to have a humorous undertone, it doesn't come across that way for me from the audiobook's narrator, Tiffany Phillips. Her narration lacks voice inflections and sounds like she's reading the book rather than becoming the story. Her gender voicing is muddled and all the characters begin to sound the same. As a reader/reviewer who listens to more audiobook's than any other format, this is not what I look for in a great narration!

I do appreciate the inclusion of the important topics that are covered in this story: dementia, caring for aging parents, coping with loss, and becoming empty-nester's. This is what gives texture to Maggie's 'Sandwich Generation' dilemma.

This debut novel had strong positive reviews when first published last year; however it has not translated well to the audiobook. I may be an outlier in my opinion so be sure to check out other reviews before crossing this one off your list.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Leslie A. Rasmussen for a free ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

3.5 stars

Forty-five old Maggie Dolan gave us her high-level executive, seventeen years ago to be a stay at home. Her daughter is now older and will soon be going to college. Her daughter who once needed her, now not so much. Her father is having medical issues (Dementia) and is in a home. Her mother loves to come over and rearrange her kitchen and butt her nose in Maggie's business. Her husband has been pulling away and she feels he is keeping secrets. After twenty years of marriage, she feels the divide between them.

That is a lot to deal with. So, when Maggie finds an escape, she takes it. She years to matter, to be heard, to have a shoulder to lean on.

Maggie is dealing with things a lot of people in her age group are dealing with - children leaving the home, aging parents, reflection on your life, your choices, and feeling as if your long term relationship has become more routine than exciting.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. Maggie is a character to relate to but also shake your head at. Some of the characters in this book are more likeable than others as is the case with all books.

This was a debut book that worked for me. I enjoyed the story, the journey of Maggie and the narrator. I look forward to reading what this author writes next.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Reminiscent of the "class mom" series, we find a strong female character driven narrative.

Looking for self improvement before their daughter heads off to college, dealing with aging parents and a husband who seems to be drifting away, Maggie finds herself wondering where she belongs and wonders what's happened to her sense of self.

Enjoy this light hearted novel, with split narrative and a great narrator in the audio version. 3.8*

TW: palliative care, dementia, affairs, narcissism

Thank you so much to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to review the audiobook.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I hate writing negative reviews for books, but I would be lying if I said I love this book.

I’m always reading audiobooks! I think they are a perfect for the reader with little time to sit down or large commutes. But, this audiobook was a bit of a downer for me. The narrator of After Happily Ever After sounds a bit mocking, rude and sarcastic. Though to the narrator’s credit, the character voice is unhappy in her marriage, unhappy with her family, and doesn’t seem too content with the people around her.

I don’t know if it’s the content or the narrator, nonetheless this audiobook is not for me.

I really could relate to Maggie, a 45 year old SAHM mom with a 17 year old, who spent most of her time focused on her daughter's and husband's needs. Now, that her daughter is nearing college, Maggie is trying to remember what she likes and trying to figure out how to reconnect with her husband who doesn't seem the slightest bit interested in her anymore. I felt Maggie's struggle and was hoping for so much more, however, the ending seemed a little vague and rushed. I'm not normally one for epilogues, but in this instance it would have been nice.

I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator read the chapters that were insights from Maggie's husband and dad, which didn't have as large of an impact as it would have with a male voice reading those. Those chapters were also a nice insight and I normally like them, but in this story, it wasn't enough of them to give it that extra depth that most back and forths do.

For this being a debut novel from Leslie A Rasmussen, I have a feeling she is at the beginning of a great journey. A little tweaking here and there and no doubt there will be other great stories from Leslie about 40 year old women that moms need to hear to know they are not alone!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

After Happily Ever after - Leslie. A. Rasmussen

Attention seeking usually has undesired consequences and seeking the attention from someone other than her spouse almost cost her marriage. Marriage is not a joke.

i thought this was such a refreshing read! the title, the cover, the characters, the audio… everything was chef’s kiss! yes, there’s some romance weaved into the plot, but i felt like it focused more on maggie’s midlife crisis. her marriage isn’t what it was like seventeen years ago and she’s about to be an empty nester. as she navigates through the unknowns circling her life, she realizes that life’s messy! i really enjoyed that aspect of the novel… it doesn’t shy away from maggie’s ups AND downs. my heart broke whenever she was faced with the obstacles thrown in her path and it was mended back with the support of maggie’s friends. this novel definitely had me feeling all the feels!

i was really touched by maggie’s relationship with her father. it really hit close to home since i shared a similarly close bond with my grandpa. most of the novel is maggie’s pov but there are occasional chapters told by her husband or her father. i really liked this detail because i was able to get a glimpse of how THEY viewed maggie. to them, she exudes a confident, determined persona, but inside she’s anxiously trying to figure out how to go along with life! after enjoying “after happily ever after” i will be in the lookout for more books written by leslie a. rasmussen!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. Wow I did not like this book at all. The main character was the most selfish self-centered person. There is nothing to like about her at all. She is in her mid 40's and acts like a teenager. She doesn't take responsibility until the very very end of the book and even then she blames everything on other people. The ending of this books just ends! There is no satisfying ending. This mid 40's woman put herself in all these situations and it ruined everyone's lives.