*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Maybe just shy of 4 stars. This was an enjoyable book to read, and it went very quickly. It was as much about family relationships as it was a love story. After a little while, solving the mystery of Pastor Vaughn's death was put aside to focus more on everyday life and the growing relationship between Emily and Craig. Or at least it felt that way.

Emily (24) was a gentle, formidable woman who repeatedly put aside her own grief and pain in order to care for others. Craig (probably mid-20s) would likely have been considered unusual at the time due to many of his views, but he's the type of male character we need more of--good, kind, respectful, protective but not macho. I liked both him and Emily.

Note: Nothing bad.

I enjoyed After the Shadows very much! It has a good story line, great characters, a light romance, and a mystery to keep you reading. I will definitely be reading the next book!

Emily's abusive husband has just died, leaving her free to travel home for the first time since her marriage. She arrives to find her mother buried, and her father's body hanging in the barn. Faced with having to sell their home to pay taxes, Emily decides to open their large home to boarders. Her younger sister, Louisa, so overcome with change and tragedy, promptly leaves town. Emily is left alone to pick up the pieces with a shattered heart. She is also convinced that her father did not kill himself as he could never master the knot his rope was tied with.

One of her new boarders, Craig, is a widower with a toddler son, who has just arrived In Sweetwater Crossings as the new school teacher. Even though he thinks she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, he admires her strength and dignity in the face of so much sorrow. He decides the best way to win her heart, is to help her discover what really happened to her father. When a string of deaths occurs throughout the town, Craig and Emily are sure they are linked to her own father's murder. As tragedy brings them closer, Emily must admit that not all men are like her deceased husband and she finally opens her heart a second time.

There is so much more that happens in the book. There are good friends, superstitious neighbors, alcoholism, bullying and a cute girl with Downs Syndrome that makes the town uncomfortable because she's different.
I would definitely recommend others to read After the Shadows!

Emily Leland has left Sweet Water crossing when she married. Never knowing that her husband would be abusive. When he dies in a Bar Fight she is happy and moves back to Sweet Water. When she arrives her sister is not happy to see her. Emily never knew her mother died because her husband never gave her the letters from back home. Her sister thought she just did not care and Emily did not want everyone to know about her abusive husband. When Emily finds her father hung in the barn she does not believe her father killed himself. She has no money and her sister leaves so she turns the house into a boarding house. As things start to happen such as the house that the new schoolteacher and his son is to live burns down before he arrives she invites the old lady who was to board the teacher and his son for them all to live with her. Lots of action in this book. Love the characters. Love the mystery behind her fathers death. Wonderful read and waiting for more.

Amanda Cabot returns to 1880s Texas in her new series, Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing. in this first book, Emily returns home after the death of her abusive husband to find her father dead, possibly by suicide. As Emily tries to figure out how and why he died, she finds herself opening her home as a boardinghouse. I always enjoy Cabot's writing and this is no exception. I also appreciate how Cabot doesn't shy away from more contemporary topics like domestic violence and suicide. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

What a wonderfully heartwarming story with a bit of a mystery woven in. Emily and Craig have both lost spouses under entirely different circumstances. Both have just arrived in Sweetwater Crossing, Emily returning after the death of her husband and Craig to be the new schoolmaster.
As he boards in Emily’s family home with his young son they soon find they have much in common. Might friendship become more?
This book draws the reader into the community, introducing a various group of personalities. Each is real and has their own unique place in the story. I love the thread of faith that flows throughout, connecting the characters’ lives.
The romance is sweetly written, not thunder and lightening, but rather a sweetly flowing tributary leading to a predetermined destination.
I’m happy to recommend this book and look forward to the next in this series.
I was given a copy through NetGalley courtesy of Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. This is my honest opinion of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. Set in 1880's Texas. It's both a sweet love story and a murder mystery. Am excited to read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.

I really enjoyed this book. 1880s America, a surprising amount of murder for a Christian novel, and a delightfully sweet romance between two characters who have suffered through tragedy. Check trigger warnings for sexual assault and murder. I greatly loved the addition of a neurodivergent character with learning difficulties and a speech impediment (Downs Syndrome?)…representation is important!

After the Shadows is an excellent beginning to a new series. The main characters are very likeable, and both face real issues. My only quibble is the circumstances surrounding the mystery stretched the imagination. But it is minor compared to the rest of the story.

I enjoyed the novel and recommend it to everyone. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Family friendly.

Amanda Cabot delivered a suspenseful mystery that kept me guessing longer than most. Early in the novel she set the stage for a perplexing number of unusual deaths in the small town of Sweetwater Crossing, the most devastating was Emily’s father. As Emily struggles to recover from grief, she is convinced that her father’s death was not all that it appeared to be, yet no one believes her.

As Craig and his young son start over in a new town, they end up living in Emily’s boardinghouse. While he and Emily start a friendship quickly, the romance played out much slower. The way the author handled the romance felt very true to the characters and their heartbreaking pasts.

The suspenseful mystery part of the story kept me hooked, eagerly trying to solve it along with the characters. There were a few chapters about a third of the way through the book that seemed to meander but then the story picked up pace again.

I liked how Cabot wove real-life questions about faith and how to process a loved one’s suicide. It’s a difficult topic that Cabot handled delicately and lovingly from a Biblical perspective. While some readers may have a different view of suicide, I don’t think you will find Cabot’s approach offensive.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this first book in the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing and look forward to more works by this author. I strongly recommend it for fans of murder mystery with a touch of romance in a historical setting.

Genre: Christian Historical Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Inspirational Romance
Location: Sweetwater Crossing, Texas
Time Period: 1882
Romance: Very clean. Light kissing.
Faith: Solid message of faith


Disclaimer: I requested and received an advanced copy of this book courtesy of Revell and Celebrate Lit Blog Tours through NetGalley. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

I have always loved reading Amanda Cabot historical fiction. I was exited that she had a new series called Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing releasing and having the opportunity to read book one, After the Shadows. I loved every single page and had no problem reading it from cover to cover in one sitting. I am giving it five stars

After The Shadows is the first book in a new series by Amanda Cabot. It’s also the first book I’ve ever read by this author, and it surely will not be my last. The story, set in Texas Hill Country, was full of mystery and intrigue, and of course, love. And the biblical truths through the tale were inspiring. I’m looking forward to continuing this series and I highly recommend this book!!

My latest read was After the Shadows by Amanda Joy Cabot . It book one of the Secrets of Sweet Water Crossing. The setting is 1892,and Emily Leland is coming home-- a new widow. An abused woman who can tell no one of the abuse she suffered. Her husband wanted an heir and when none were forthcoming-- the worse the beatings. Her husband was killed in a bar fight and Emily was going home. When she arrived, it seemed that her father had committed suicide and she took it upon herself to clear his name. Times at home were rough for Emily and she decided to take in boarders to help out. The school master with his son Noah were forced to take refuge there after a fire. I don't like giving away too much plot but this book has it all. Small town living, a brutal mystery, a nice romance. It's all there for the taking. This book releases March 21,2023 but is available for pre-order now. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. I rate this book a solid 4 star read.

1880s Texas Hill Country. The beginning of a new series, about three sisters, starts with Emily the oldest. When her abusive husband dies she returns home, but what awaits her is not the welcome or the comfort she had imagined, first she discovers her father has died under mysterious circumstances, one sister is out of the country, and then her youngest sister Louisa leaves home when the two do not agree on turning their home into a boarding house. A lot is coming at you in the first few pages, making this book hard to put down. Love Emily and Graig both are sweet and caring but very determined to escape the shadows of the past to a brighter future.

This was a sweet romance with an honorable heroine and hero, A beautiful telling of what life can be like when grieving. I loved the mystery that was entailed, it had me guessing almost toward the end.

Clean read, There was no sex or bad language, only kissing. The Christian elements are how people are treated one another, and trust God's timing. A subtle reference to spousal abuse is important yet carefully handled.

A great historical romance, it gripped my attention. I am anxiously waiting for the second book in this series!

I highly recommend After the Shadows to everyone who enjoys reading delightfully written historical fiction, mystery, and romance!

I received an eArc from Revell Fiction through NetGalley I was not required to write a review. The words above are my honest review.

Historical fiction has always had my heart, and Amanda Cabot's beautiful writing may have carved herself out a place in my heart too!

A beautiful story of breaking free from the mistakes and darkness of the past and forging ahead into a bright future by the grace of God.

After the Shadows
By Amanda Cabot
Publisher: Revel
Series: None
Rated: 3-4
Obtain: Borrow
Back of the Book: “A brighter future awaits--if she can escape the shadows of the past
Emily Leland sheds no tears when her abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, but what awaits her back home in Sweetwater Crossing is far from the welcome and comfort she expected. First she discovers her father has died under mysterious circumstances. Then the house where the new schoolteacher and his son are supposed to board burns, leaving them homeless. When Emily proposes turning the family home into a boardinghouse, her sister is so incensed that she leaves town.
Alone and broke, her family name sullied by controversy, Emily is determined to solve the mystery of her father's death--and to aid Craig Ferguson, despite her fears of men. The widowed schoolmaster proves to be a devoted father, an innovative teacher, and an unexpected ally. Together they must work to unmask a killer and escape the shadows of their own pasts in order to forge a brighter future.
Bestselling author Amanda Cabot transports you to 1880s Texas Hill Country for a brand-new series that will have you flipping pages to solve the mystery and get to the happily-ever-after you long for.”

Impressions: The loss of Emily’s husband was no loss to her and finally coming home was not the warm welcome as she had imagined. The death of her mother was expected but the death of her father has Emily broken. Her sister's discord adds to the weight she now carries as she tries to make right all that has gone wrong. This was a sweet romance with honorable heroine and hero. It wasn’t a can’t put down book, but it wasn’t’ boring either. It was a tender romance with the edge of mysterious strange deaths.

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://thebluestockingbooknook.wordpress.com

What an arrival home Emily receives, she is at the home she has known most of her life, but as she arrives she learns things will never be the same. We are in Sweetwater Crossings Texas, a quaint town, but is it a safe town? Emily arrives to find herself an orphan, an adult, but now both parents are gone, one of her sisters is in Europe and the other is gone within a few days of her arrival.

The author gives us a sweet caring young woman who has suffered more than she should have, and is now a widow, but she is safe.

Enter the new school teacher with a sweet two year old, and we hope that something will happen between these two people who have both lost their spouses, time will tell, as will page turning!

This is the beginning of a new series by an author I love, and was surely not disappointed! Now I can't wait for the next book in this series!

I received this book through the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

After the Shadows is a well written historical romantic suspense. Great plot and character dynamics. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC. This is my unbiased review.

This is an excellent start to Amanda Cabot's new Sweetwater Crossing series. Set in Texas Hill Country the series is focused on the three sisters of a family in the early 1880's.
Newly widowed Emily Leland returns to her parents' home to find devastating changes. Her mother is deceased, one sister is out of the country and her youngest sister Louisa, is an angry stranger. She discovers more devastation when she seeks out her father, the town minister. Louisa leaves home when the two do not agree on turning the building into a boarding home of sorts to keep from losing it to taxes.
Craig Ferguson brings his toddler son to the town to start over as school master after the tragic death of his wife. Displaced before he even arrives, by a fire, the man agrees to board at the Finley House after an invitation by Mrs. Leland.
I enjoyed this book very much and appreciated the nagging mystery throughout. (I figured part of it out.) This book gave me a good look at 1880's Texas and life for women, a special needs child and small-town society that involved school and church. There is a sweet romance and a decent telling of what life can be like when grieving. A subtle reference to spousal abuse is important yet carefully handled. I was given this advanced reader's copy by the publisher through NetGalley. This is my own personal opinion. It's a good story filled with several topics that all blend well together. I look forward to the second book in the series.

After the Shadows
by Amanda Cabot
March 21, 2023
Revell
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. The cover is beautiful!
Amanda Cabot transports you to 1880s Texas Hill Country for a brand-new series that will have you flipping pages to solve the mystery and get to the happily-ever-after you long for.
I have read a lot of books from this author and I always like them.
I loved the mystery in this one, the romance, and the sweet description of Sweetwater. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Well Done!

After the Shadows, Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing by Amanda Cabot
Publication Date: March 21, 2023 by Revell Fiction
Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance
4 Stars!

Summary/Description: A brighter future awaits--if she can escape the shadows of the past. Emily Leland sheds no tears when her abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, but what awaits her back home in Sweetwater Crossing is far from the welcome and comfort she expected. First she discovers her father has died under mysterious circumstances. Then the house where the new schoolteacher and his son are supposed to board burns, leaving them homeless. When Emily proposes turning the family home into a boardinghouse, her sister is so incensed that she leaves town. Alone and broke, her family name sullied by controversy, Emily is determined to solve the mystery of her father's death--and to aid Craig Ferguson, despite her fears of men. The widowed schoolmaster proves to be a devoted father, an innovative teacher, and an unexpected ally. Together they must work to unmask a killer and escape the shadows of their own pasts in order to forge a brighter future. Bestselling author Amanda Cabot transports you to 1880s Texas Hill Country for a brand-new series that will have you flipping pages to solve the mystery and get to the happily-ever-after you long for.

After the Shadows is magnificently written by bestselling author of inspirational fiction, Amanda Cabot. I highly recommend After the Shadows to everyone who enjoys reading delightfully written historical fiction, mystery, and romance!

This lovely novel is set in Texas Hill Country in the 1880s. The multi-faceted characters, including the main characters, Emily and Craig, and two sweet and lovable children, Beulah and Noah, are masterfully developed with individuality, backstory, priorities, strengths, and weaknesses.

The flow and the realism of After the Shadows intertwine with sorrow, family relationships, hope, friendships, heartaches, grace, love, mystery, faith, and romance. There are a few intense concepts woven into the shadows that is done delicately and flawlessly.

After the Shadows truly touched my heart in a multitude of ways. It gripped my attention --and I didn’t want to stop reading it! I encourage you to spend time in Sweetwater Crossing -- you will be blessed! I am anxiously waiting for the second book in this series!

I received an eArc of After the Shadows, Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing from Revell Fiction through NetGalley.com. I was not required to write a review or paid to do so. The words above are my honest review. After the Shadows is released (03.21.23), I will post this review to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ChristianBook.com, my blog, and each of my social media platforms.

#AftertheShadows #NetGalley #AmandaCabot #RevellFiction