After We Fall by Marquita Valentine Pages: 197
Published by Loveswept on April 26, 2016
Series: Take the Fall #3
Genres: adult, Abuse, contemporary, Romance
Source: eARC from Publisher
After winning raves for Take the Fall (“crackling with tension, intrigue, and romance”—Katy Evans) and When We Fall (“sexy, emotional, heartfelt”—Monica Murphy), Marquita Valentine ratchets up the tension as new beginnings lead to undeniable passion.
A tough cop with an even tougher past, Hunter Sloan has never let anyone stop him from getting what he wants—and he wants Evangeline Ambrose bad. With her gentle curves and raw vulnerability, Hunter’s beautiful, mysterious new neighbor awakens his protective side. Determined to do right by a woman who’s gone through hell and back, Hunter could be the one to take away the pain—so long as his own secrets don’t sink their relationship before it begins.
Having escaped an abusive marriage, Evangeline simply wants to start over in the small, quiet town of Forrestville. She’s also avoiding all contact with the opposite sex, because she just can’t trust her instincts when it comes to men—not even with the sinfully sexy cop next door. So why can’t she stop thinking about him? Hunter has darkness in his soul, and yet no one ever made her feel so safe. For all her best laid plans, Evangeline didn’t count on choices this hard—or temptation this hot.
After We Fall is the third book in the contemporary romance series, Take the Fall by Marquita Valentine. I have not read either of the first two books in the series, but this one caught my eye. It was a heartbreaking story, but also a sweet one. It is told in dual narrative between Hunter and Evangeline. By the way, can we just talk about how pretty of a name that is? I just loved both of the characters names. Hunter is a strong name and Evangeline is so pretty. I thought they were very fitting.
Evangeline knows Hunter as the cop who was there the night she finally escaped her abusive ex husband. I would have thought that would be a comfort to her to see him again, but it was much more of an embarrassment for her. But Hunter is not someone that is easily deterred. He stuck by Evangeline and was as patient as could be. I admired that about him. Hunter is just a good guy, through and through. I do have to say that I found his extra curricular activity very out of character for his day job. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get them to add up to me. It didn’t make any kind of sense, to me at least. It was the only aspect of the book I didn’t love.
After We Fall is a bit heavier of a contemporary romance than I normally read, but I really enjoyed it. Sometimes it is nice to read a more somber book to balance out the light and fluffy books. (I still think I prefer the light and fluffy books most of the time.) My heart just broke for Evangeline. It would be hard for it not to. But she is a strong person and she is a survivor. It was nice to see her get her happily ever after as well.
Bottom line: After We Fall is a great book for people that enjoy darker contemporary romances. It deals with some tough issues, such as abuse. In the end, it is a lovely romance for two characters that are easy to root for. I enjoyed it.
Book 3 in the #TakeTheFall series, After We Fall by @marquitaval @readloveswept @BookBriefs #review Click To Tweet
About Marquita Valentine
Marquita Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Holland Springs and Boys of the South series.
Since first taking the plunge in July of 2012 to self publish, Marquita Valentine has sold over a quarter of a million books around the world. She’s appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling Ebooks Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes&Noble. She’s been called “one of the best new voices in romance” (Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews) and her books have been accused of being “a sexy, fun, and slightly addicting contemporary read” (The Book Queen).
When she’s not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys shopping, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south with her husband, two kids, and a dog.
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