After the Fall by Marquita Valentine
Series: Take The Fall, #3
Contemporary Romance
Released: April 26, 2016
Loveswept

Reviewed by Sheena

After the Fall is a sweet contemporary romance about a young woman who is trying to carve out a life for herself after escaping and surviving a viciously abusive marriage to am ex who can not help but continue to torment her.  Coming up on a year after fling for divorce after the worst beating she’s ever endured, Evangeline Ambrose is learning to live her own life.  She moves into her own apartment where her neighbor is none other than the police officer who helped save her life after a fight with her ex husband left her near death and abandoned in the streets.  Evangeline wants to prove she can face her past, pretend like she does not recognize her savior, and benefit from the comfort his nearness brings.  After all, Hunter Sloan lives right across the hall, is a cop and his protective instincts are just what Evangeline’s subconscious needs in this time of tepid transition in her life. Only she will soon find out that protection is not all Hunter wants to share with Evangeline and he has no intention of pretending he does not know exactly who she is, their mutually dark pasts and how she is all but imprinted on his soul. No, Hunter is determined to be the man Evangeline needs and wants in her life and watching their courtship and relationship blossom was in a word (a cheesy word) beautiful.

Domestic violence can be a  huge trigger for some radars.  Author, Marquita Valentine deftly crafted her story in a way that does not glorify or pander to marital violence.  Even though I was horrified for Evangeline and grew teary at some of her flashbacks,  I did not once feel sorry for her.  Even when she was vulnerable and felt sorry for herself, I felt like I could lend some of my strength to her.  Evangeline’s quiet strength and insecurities, humanized her in a way that was supremely respectable.  She was not some reborn warrior woman who turned manslayer overnight.  She also did not devolve into a complete shadow of a mousy, victimized woman, unable to blink without jumping out of her own skin.  She was realistically cautious and expectantly vulnerable, yet she was rationale.  She asserted her rights to live on her on terms, but she second guessed herself and worried about her ability to make good decisions.  She was a sexy woman who was reserved but not completely frigid as a result of her previous AE’s  (dubbed by Hunter as ‘Asshole-Ex’) abuse.

As awesome as Evangeline was, as easy as she was to relate to, the real star of this novel was Hunter. A hero’s hero.  Not a perfect mad, but a good guy.  Hunter is a genuine, respectable man who grew up with his own boogeyman, a father who terrorized he and his beloved mother until the day he died, and only then was he able to heal and grow into the man he is today.  Hunter was kind and supportive and ingratiated himself into Evangeline’s trust and good graces with a gentle patience that gave me frequent swoon attacks.  So many times I happy sighed.  The man even had a foster rescue dog, I mean *sigh.*

It wasn’t easy getting Evangeline to let her guard down. But it wasn’t insurmountable either.  The novel has dual perspectives where Hunter and Evangeline have some pretty funny dialogue, which gave the story a sort of shy levity, a sweet humor that is finely twined throughout the story.  There is honestly, not much to the plot and I was okay with that because the budding relationship was so damn sweet and funny to witness all on its own.

You are not telling me what to do.  If I want to see you, I will.  If I want you to eat my pussy six times a week and twice on Sundays, then I will and you will.  Because that’s what we do.  Got it”

He rubs a thumb across his lower lip.  “That good for you, huh.”

“You can do better.”

He glances left, then right, before turning his hot gaze on me.”No one’s here but us, and since neither of us have anywhere to go for a while, I say you order me to eat your pussy…..On second thought, let’s get brunch.” He moves past me and I have no choice but to follow him, sputtering my objections.

“What about my orgasms?”

He flashes a wickedly seductive smile.

“Later.”

“But Why?” Obviously, I have lost my mind. I’m arguing with a man over orgasms.  Who does that? Except…I’m fully enjoying the banter and  I think Hunter is too.

“Anticipation….I can’t wait to see how wet you will get for me.”

“Not very wet at all,” I counter, even as my mouth searches for his.  He pulls away with a low groan, steering me out the door with one word, “Food.”

After the Fall is purely a story about two young lovers finding strength, love and a HEA after surviving pasts that could have ruined their hope for a future.  There is a pinch of drama regarding Evangeline’s ex (who seemed pretty mentally unstable, beyond just being cruel) who tries to renter her life for the express purpose to torment her and blame her for his misfortune.  The back story surrounding her AE is a little weak and took away from how, otherwise, good this story is.  In retrospect there is a little something…a faint niggling of something feeling a bit off, in regards to maybe some of the scene transitions that confused things a bit, but overall, After the Fall is a solidly enjoyable, sweet contemporary romance that made me do a neat misty eyed swoon time and time again.  I read this in one sitting, one evening and did not have one inkling to put it down.  Well done and a great introductory novel for me as I have never read a Marquita Valentine novel previously.  There are two previous books in the Take the Fall series and they are most assuredly now on my TBR list.  regardless of any sensitivity to spousal abuse, this is a respectfully, well written book who handles this troupe well.  I recommend regardless of any potential triggers.  Take a chance, take the fall! *Cue swoon*

Grade: B

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