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Aftermath #2
Escape
When aid workers Will, Melanie, and Jon find themselves tangled in an incident with devastating consequences, throwing them into a world of chaos and despair. Can their loved ones help them find their way back to life?
Escape is the second in this series of interconnected novellas.
Melanie
All I want to do is numb the guilt and pain. And the best way I know to do this is to go out and find a hot guy to distract me for a few hours. I don't see a problem with that.
Well, someone tell this to my housemate - and best friend - Owen, who just won't stop nagging me about getting help "to heal." Why won't he let me deal with this my way?
These novellas are interconnected but can be read standalone.
The book is written in British English and includes adult content. Please read the trigger warnings.
Escape is the second in this series of interconnected novellas.
Melanie
All I want to do is numb the guilt and pain. And the best way I know to do this is to go out and find a hot guy to distract me for a few hours. I don't see a problem with that.
Well, someone tell this to my housemate - and best friend - Owen, who just won't stop nagging me about getting help "to heal." Why won't he let me deal with this my way?
These novellas are interconnected but can be read standalone.
The book is written in British English and includes adult content. Please read the trigger warnings.
127 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 11, 2025
3 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Dani Elias
46 books222 followersAuthor Dani Elias loves writing about British working-class hotties and the women who are their happily-ever-after. Her stories are short, sweet & steamy.
She lives in the South of England and has a great passion for travel, something that does appear in her books as well.
To stay up to date on new releases, copy and paste this link to a new window and sign up: www.daniebooks.com/sign-up
Follow her on Instagram (@dani_elias_books) and Facebook (@DaniEliasBooks)
She lives in the South of England and has a great passion for travel, something that does appear in her books as well.
To stay up to date on new releases, copy and paste this link to a new window and sign up: www.daniebooks.com/sign-up
Follow her on Instagram (@dani_elias_books) and Facebook (@DaniEliasBooks)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
March 1, 2025
This is the second part of the series and chronicles Mel after the landslide that traumatized her team on a rescue mission. What I really liked was that this one focused on how Mel dealt with the experience but also included a splash of an incredible love story done the way Dani Elias knows how to do so well. Cannot wait for the final piece of the story!
March 9, 2025
Trauma, healing, and romance
Dedication: To the ones who carried guilt
that was never theirs to bear. This book is for you.
Mel (FMC): Program Manager for GHHI (Aid Worker for a NGO)
Owen (MMC): CEO of a Renewable Energy Company
Tropes:
⛑️ Friends to Lovers
⚡️ Roommates
⛑️ MCs in their 40s
⚡️ Healing from Trauma
⛑️ Novella
⚡️ Text Conversations
Rating: ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹 (3⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️
T/W: car accident (on page), mudslide (on page), CPR (on page), death (on page, minor side character), survivor’s guilt (on page), mental trauma (referenced), PTSD (on page), panic attack (on page), attempted SA (on page)
Escape, the second novella in the Aftermath series, delivers a fast-paced, emotionally charged story about Mel, an aid worker struggling with the fallout of a traumatic mission gone wrong. Now back home, she’s dodging her feelings (both for the past and for her best friend, Owen) by throwing herself into a nightlife of distractions.
While Escape packs plenty of emotion and drama into its short length, I couldn’t help but wish for a bit more. Mel’s internal struggles were compelling, but I found myself wanting a deeper exploration of her connection with Owen. Their shift from friends to something more felt rushed, like a puzzle missing a few pieces. The chemistry was there, but I needed more moments to truly believe in their transition from best friends to lovers. The story’s conclusion, mirroring the first book’s ending in a meeting about “The Incident,” adds a thread of continuity that ties the series together.
Still, this was an engaging and heartfelt read. If you love friends-to-lovers romance with an undercurrent of healing and personal growth, this novella is worth picking up.
I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.
Dedication: To the ones who carried guilt
that was never theirs to bear. This book is for you.
Mel (FMC): Program Manager for GHHI (Aid Worker for a NGO)
Owen (MMC): CEO of a Renewable Energy Company
Tropes:
⛑️ Friends to Lovers
⚡️ Roommates
⛑️ MCs in their 40s
⚡️ Healing from Trauma
⛑️ Novella
⚡️ Text Conversations
Rating: ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹 (3⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️
T/W: car accident (on page), mudslide (on page), CPR (on page), death (on page, minor side character), survivor’s guilt (on page), mental trauma (referenced), PTSD (on page), panic attack (on page), attempted SA (on page)
Escape, the second novella in the Aftermath series, delivers a fast-paced, emotionally charged story about Mel, an aid worker struggling with the fallout of a traumatic mission gone wrong. Now back home, she’s dodging her feelings (both for the past and for her best friend, Owen) by throwing herself into a nightlife of distractions.
While Escape packs plenty of emotion and drama into its short length, I couldn’t help but wish for a bit more. Mel’s internal struggles were compelling, but I found myself wanting a deeper exploration of her connection with Owen. Their shift from friends to something more felt rushed, like a puzzle missing a few pieces. The chemistry was there, but I needed more moments to truly believe in their transition from best friends to lovers. The story’s conclusion, mirroring the first book’s ending in a meeting about “The Incident,” adds a thread of continuity that ties the series together.
Still, this was an engaging and heartfelt read. If you love friends-to-lovers romance with an undercurrent of healing and personal growth, this novella is worth picking up.
I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.
March 13, 2025
In this second installment of the Aftermath novella series, we follow Melanie, another one of the Aid workers who was caught in the landslide. She was injured, but not as bad as Will. Mel has a guilty conscience about what happened and all she wants to do is numb the pain with hot guys that she finds when she goes out. But her best friend, Owen, tells her she needs to heal from the incident. But what does that look like? Owen is a constant in Mel’s life, but could he be more?
This installment was definitely more focused on the romance aspect as compared to the first installment. Owen is a great character. He’s steady and supportive. His love for Mel is never unwavering. He will be whatever she needs him to be, whether it be friend or more. Mel knows that she has feelings for him, but she can’t seem to accept them or maybe she’s just too scared.
We see Mel go to therapy for the incident and we see part of a therapy session. I wanted to see more time when Mel says she wants to go slow. I wanted to see more work done on herself, more healing. But otherwise, I really enjoyed the book and the connection between Mel and Owen.
This installment was definitely more focused on the romance aspect as compared to the first installment. Owen is a great character. He’s steady and supportive. His love for Mel is never unwavering. He will be whatever she needs him to be, whether it be friend or more. Mel knows that she has feelings for him, but she can’t seem to accept them or maybe she’s just too scared.
We see Mel go to therapy for the incident and we see part of a therapy session. I wanted to see more time when Mel says she wants to go slow. I wanted to see more work done on herself, more healing. But otherwise, I really enjoyed the book and the connection between Mel and Owen.
March 5, 2025
Escape is the second book in the Aftermath novella series. This is Mel's story about how she is trying to deal with what happened and escape from her feelings. She's ignoring her roommate Owen and going out a lot. One night, her and Owen get together but she's scared. It feels like more and she's not sure what to do. Her new therapist works with her about her and Owen' s relationship and the incident. She realizes she's always loved him since they were younger. The story ends like book one, in the meeting going over The Incident.
March 11, 2025
This is the second book in the Aftermath series and I liked it a lot. I liked that Melanie deals with her trauma in an unhealthy way at first but her best friend Owen and others help her to see that she needs help. I also love the best friends to lovers trope and this is a good one but the disadvantage to it being a novella is that I needed more of their HEA in this book. Thank you to Dani Elias and Happily Booked PR for the chance to read Escape and the rest of the Aftermath series early.
March 16, 2025
ARC Review:
Despite their years of friendship, Mel and Owen find one another after Mel experiences a traumatic incident. This is the second book of the aftermath series. Can’t wait to read the third and final book Rescue.
Despite their years of friendship, Mel and Owen find one another after Mel experiences a traumatic incident. This is the second book of the aftermath series. Can’t wait to read the third and final book Rescue.
March 9, 2025
Wow, this was a deeper story in the Aftermath series. I enjoyed both MC's and especially the growth of Mel.
Thank you Dani for an ARC copy!
Thank you Dani for an ARC copy!
March 13, 2025
Part 2 of the Aftermath series follows Melanie upon her return from the "Incident". I did not find this instalment to be as gut wrenching as Mission. Mission just ripped my heart out and then sewed it back together. Don't get me wrong there is still a lot of emotion in this one. Melanie is dealing with severe PTSD and you feel it all with her. Dani has a way of literally plopping you in the story and painstakingly putting her readers through it all. I really liked Owen, he was strong, compassionate and just that walking green flag we're all searching desperately for. The love these two have for each other is a beautiful journey and I enjoyed it immensely. Can't wait for the last instalment.
March 11, 2025
Thanks to Happily Booked PR for the arc! Really enjoyed. Cool setting & enjoyed the characters. Excited for the final book!
March 28, 2025
This one is a a sweet slow burn, friends to lovers romance with an emotional impact. I loved the connection between Mel and Owen. I loved how Owen was always there for Mel no matter what. I loved how real Mel felt, and how she dealt with the guilt and ptsd she had. This is a story about trauma, recovery, and the finding love.
March 11, 2025
*𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.0 ⭐
*𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 3.0 🌶️
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂
𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 is book 2 in Elias’ 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉 Series. In Book one we saw how the MC, Will, dealt with the aftermath of an accident that occurred while he was away from home working for an NGO. In book 2, we get a different characters’ perspective of how the accident changed her, threatened to destroy her, molded her, and ultimately led her to the arms of the one who loved her the way she needed and deserved to be loved.
In 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞, the story is told through the eyes of Melanie. Mel is a strong and resilient person. She has been through a lot and since childhood, she has mastered the art of pretending to be okay. She has always worn a mask, where smiling on the outside, would hide the hurt and pain on the inside.
After the accident, Mel does what she has always does. Though suffering with survivor’s guilt, Mel tries to hide and smile through it all, but the internal turmoil proves to be too much. She tries to numb her pain through outside, sometimes dangerous, activities, but she finds that though this is enough to numb the pain for a little while, the pain never actually goes away. What she discovers through her journey is, this time, her healing cannot be done alone. And it is Owen, her childhood best friend, who while trying to help Mel through the hurt and pain, while trying to push through to her, finds that he can no longer hide his true feelings for her.
Will Melanie be able to push through the guilt and grief and make it through to the other side? Will their friendship survive? Will Mel’s search for an escape and her desire to run from anything that is real and makes her feel again, lead her to where she has always belonged….in the arms of her childhood best friend Owen, who has always loved her.
Like book 1, 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 is a short, quick, easy, yet very emotional read. It is a story about guilt, grief, coping with one’s trauma and pain, and finding healing through love. It is beautifully written, fast-paced, and has relatable, likeable characters. Owen and Mel’s chemistry was magnetic and realistic and like Elias’ previous novellas, you are sure to get the perfect blend of spice and plot in this novella. I really enjoyed reading Owen and Mel’s story and I cannot wait to read 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞, book 3 in the 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉 series.
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
🆆🅷🅰🆃 🆃🅾 🅴🆇🅿🅴🅲🆃
🦋Friends to Lovers
🦋Trauma / Healing
🦋MCs in their 40’s
🦋Roommates
🦋Novella
🅵🅰🆅🅾🆁🅸🆃🅴 🆀🆄🅾🆃🅴🆂/🅻🅸🅽🅴🆂/🆂🅰🆈🅸🅽🅶🆂
🦋 “Loving her means putting her first. Even when it hurts.”
🦋 “With you, it felt meant to be. And that scares the hell out of me.”
🦋 “For you…I’d wait forever.”
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
* 𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 & 𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝑳𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 5.0 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒆
*𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 3.0 🌶️
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
🆃🅷🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃🆂
𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 is book 2 in Elias’ 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉 Series. In Book one we saw how the MC, Will, dealt with the aftermath of an accident that occurred while he was away from home working for an NGO. In book 2, we get a different characters’ perspective of how the accident changed her, threatened to destroy her, molded her, and ultimately led her to the arms of the one who loved her the way she needed and deserved to be loved.
In 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞, the story is told through the eyes of Melanie. Mel is a strong and resilient person. She has been through a lot and since childhood, she has mastered the art of pretending to be okay. She has always worn a mask, where smiling on the outside, would hide the hurt and pain on the inside.
After the accident, Mel does what she has always does. Though suffering with survivor’s guilt, Mel tries to hide and smile through it all, but the internal turmoil proves to be too much. She tries to numb her pain through outside, sometimes dangerous, activities, but she finds that though this is enough to numb the pain for a little while, the pain never actually goes away. What she discovers through her journey is, this time, her healing cannot be done alone. And it is Owen, her childhood best friend, who while trying to help Mel through the hurt and pain, while trying to push through to her, finds that he can no longer hide his true feelings for her.
Will Melanie be able to push through the guilt and grief and make it through to the other side? Will their friendship survive? Will Mel’s search for an escape and her desire to run from anything that is real and makes her feel again, lead her to where she has always belonged….in the arms of her childhood best friend Owen, who has always loved her.
Like book 1, 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 is a short, quick, easy, yet very emotional read. It is a story about guilt, grief, coping with one’s trauma and pain, and finding healing through love. It is beautifully written, fast-paced, and has relatable, likeable characters. Owen and Mel’s chemistry was magnetic and realistic and like Elias’ previous novellas, you are sure to get the perfect blend of spice and plot in this novella. I really enjoyed reading Owen and Mel’s story and I cannot wait to read 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞, book 3 in the 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉 series.
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
🆆🅷🅰🆃 🆃🅾 🅴🆇🅿🅴🅲🆃
🦋Friends to Lovers
🦋Trauma / Healing
🦋MCs in their 40’s
🦋Roommates
🦋Novella
🅵🅰🆅🅾🆁🅸🆃🅴 🆀🆄🅾🆃🅴🆂/🅻🅸🅽🅴🆂/🆂🅰🆈🅸🅽🅶🆂
🦋 “Loving her means putting her first. Even when it hurts.”
🦋 “With you, it felt meant to be. And that scares the hell out of me.”
🦋 “For you…I’d wait forever.”
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
* 𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 & 𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝑳𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 5.0 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒆
June 17, 2025
⭐️ARC REVIEW⭐️
Aftermath Series by @dani_elias_Books
This is book 2 in a Novella Series from @dani_elias_books, centuring around 3 members of a NGO group providing aide in a foreign country. During their most recent mission and incident happens during a rescue attempt which leaves all 3 members with scars and not all of them visible. Each book is the retelling of the incident from the main characters POV and how they are facing the aftermath… the people around them who are just as affected or are just trying to provide love and support.
Book 2 Escape: 4 ⭐ / 2🔥🌶
Mel is running from the guilt. If she hadn’t insisted they try to complete the mission, would the incident have happened. She’s burying her grief in partying and an unlimited number of men… but she lives with her Best Friend. The one she has always been able to lean on and know he would always have her back. After a rough encounter, and a talk with Owen, Mel knows things need to change. Will she allow herself to see what’s always been right in front of her? Dani captures the will they won’t they, its always been you, promise we will always be friends no matter what torment perfectly. As they navigate the road from best Friends to lovers, you cannot help but feel every emotion along the way with them.
The final chapter of a heart wrenching journey for all 3 that Dani wraps up in a perfect epilogue of happily ever after!
I recommend you Read the Aftermath Series. You will not want to put it down. Add to your TBR today!. Thank you @dani_elias_books and @happilybookedpr for my ARC.
#arc #arcreader #arcreview #arcreviewer #angrycatreads #angrycatreviews #aftermathseries #oneincident3liveschanged #danieliasbooks #secondchance #bestfirendstolovers #singlemomsexydoctor
Aftermath Series by @dani_elias_Books
This is book 2 in a Novella Series from @dani_elias_books, centuring around 3 members of a NGO group providing aide in a foreign country. During their most recent mission and incident happens during a rescue attempt which leaves all 3 members with scars and not all of them visible. Each book is the retelling of the incident from the main characters POV and how they are facing the aftermath… the people around them who are just as affected or are just trying to provide love and support.
Book 2 Escape: 4 ⭐ / 2🔥🌶
Mel is running from the guilt. If she hadn’t insisted they try to complete the mission, would the incident have happened. She’s burying her grief in partying and an unlimited number of men… but she lives with her Best Friend. The one she has always been able to lean on and know he would always have her back. After a rough encounter, and a talk with Owen, Mel knows things need to change. Will she allow herself to see what’s always been right in front of her? Dani captures the will they won’t they, its always been you, promise we will always be friends no matter what torment perfectly. As they navigate the road from best Friends to lovers, you cannot help but feel every emotion along the way with them.
The final chapter of a heart wrenching journey for all 3 that Dani wraps up in a perfect epilogue of happily ever after!
I recommend you Read the Aftermath Series. You will not want to put it down. Add to your TBR today!. Thank you @dani_elias_books and @happilybookedpr for my ARC.
#arc #arcreader #arcreview #arcreviewer #angrycatreads #angrycatreviews #aftermathseries #oneincident3liveschanged #danieliasbooks #secondchance #bestfirendstolovers #singlemomsexydoctor
March 1, 2025
Escape, the second romance novella in the Aftermath series, follows Mel, a woman grappling with the aftermath of a rescue mission that went awry. Seeking a distraction and a path to healing, she finds herself engaging in meaningless one-night stands. However, this approach proves ineffective in helping her move on from her past. Amidst this emotional turmoil, her housemate and best friend, Owen, emerges as a potential source of solace and understanding. As they navigate their complex relationship, they may just discover that their bond transcends friendship, hinting at the possibility of something more.
Mel, a formidable and independent female protagonist, was perfectly paired with Owen, who complemented her character flawlessly. This fast-paced romance novella effortlessly draws readers into its captivating world. I devoured it in a single sitting, relishing every moment of it.
Mel’s past work-related baggage and trauma added depth to the romance, allowing readers to witness her emotional journey as she began to heal. Owen served as an ideal support system for her, and their budding relationship was a delightful aspect of the story.
If you’re a fan of the friends-to-lovers/roommates trope, this book is a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. I can’t wait to read Rescue.
Check trigger warnings: death of side characters, Near death experience and Mental and physical trauma
Mel, a formidable and independent female protagonist, was perfectly paired with Owen, who complemented her character flawlessly. This fast-paced romance novella effortlessly draws readers into its captivating world. I devoured it in a single sitting, relishing every moment of it.
Mel’s past work-related baggage and trauma added depth to the romance, allowing readers to witness her emotional journey as she began to heal. Owen served as an ideal support system for her, and their budding relationship was a delightful aspect of the story.
If you’re a fan of the friends-to-lovers/roommates trope, this book is a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. I can’t wait to read Rescue.
Check trigger warnings: death of side characters, Near death experience and Mental and physical trauma
March 1, 2025
Escape is the second romance novella in the Aftermath series. Following a rescue mission gone wrong, Mel needs something to distract her and help her heal, but she keeps throwing herself into meaningless one night stands. This approach isn’t working and doesn’t help her move on from the past. Owen, her housemate and best friend, might be the only one able to get through to her and they might just discover that more than friendship is on the table for them.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was excited for this one. I absolutely loved Mel, she was a great, strong female lead and Owen was perfect for her. This is a fast paced romance novella that is so easy to fall into. I read this in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I like how this one was handled. Mel’s baggage and trauma from work was another great addition to this romance. I enjoyed seeing her process things and learn how to handle everything as she started to heal. Owen was the perfect support system for her and I loved seeing their relationship start to play out. If you are a friends to lovers or roommates trope fan this book is a quick a land easy read that’s worth picking up. I can’t wait to read the final book in this series.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was excited for this one. I absolutely loved Mel, she was a great, strong female lead and Owen was perfect for her. This is a fast paced romance novella that is so easy to fall into. I read this in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I like how this one was handled. Mel’s baggage and trauma from work was another great addition to this romance. I enjoyed seeing her process things and learn how to handle everything as she started to heal. Owen was the perfect support system for her and I loved seeing their relationship start to play out. If you are a friends to lovers or roommates trope fan this book is a quick a land easy read that’s worth picking up. I can’t wait to read the final book in this series.
March 9, 2025
💙 Friends to Lovers
💙 Healing
💙 MC’s in their 40’s
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🔥🔥
This Book 2 in the Aftermath Serie. In this book we see Mel’s point of view of the incident and the toll it took on her. I finished this book in one day.
The guilt and blame that Melanie is carrying is too much for her. She’s tried to escape it by avoiding talking about what happened. She keeps shutting out Owen, who is worried about her and wants the best for her. Owen knows her so well, and that alone scares Mel. Mel knows that she needs to talk to someone but she’s afraid to talk about what happened, because talking about it means you have to come face to face with it.
On top of the feeling of guilt, she is also fighting her feelings for Owen. They both have feelings for each other, but don’t want to mess up their friendship. Owen is patient with her and tells her he wants her at whatever capacity she is willing to give him. Will Owen win Mel’s heart? Or will Owen decide he’s waited long enough and their destiny leads them on a friendship road only? And most importantly, will Mel get the help she needs to set herself free of the guilt?
“Maybe, you need someone who looks at you like you’re the only woman in the world. Someone who you can’t stop thinking about, Someone you crave to touch you, to hold you... someone who sets off butterflies every time they’re close.”
💙 Healing
💙 MC’s in their 40’s
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🔥🔥
This Book 2 in the Aftermath Serie. In this book we see Mel’s point of view of the incident and the toll it took on her. I finished this book in one day.
The guilt and blame that Melanie is carrying is too much for her. She’s tried to escape it by avoiding talking about what happened. She keeps shutting out Owen, who is worried about her and wants the best for her. Owen knows her so well, and that alone scares Mel. Mel knows that she needs to talk to someone but she’s afraid to talk about what happened, because talking about it means you have to come face to face with it.
On top of the feeling of guilt, she is also fighting her feelings for Owen. They both have feelings for each other, but don’t want to mess up their friendship. Owen is patient with her and tells her he wants her at whatever capacity she is willing to give him. Will Owen win Mel’s heart? Or will Owen decide he’s waited long enough and their destiny leads them on a friendship road only? And most importantly, will Mel get the help she needs to set herself free of the guilt?
“Maybe, you need someone who looks at you like you’re the only woman in the world. Someone who you can’t stop thinking about, Someone you crave to touch you, to hold you... someone who sets off butterflies every time they’re close.”
March 12, 2025
“𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦, 𝕚𝕥 𝕗𝕖𝕝𝕥 𝕞𝕖𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖. 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕞𝕖,”
This one follows Mel’s POV of the incident and how she copes with her PTSD, Mel’s story shows more of the accident and the way she chooses to block the noise does bring on some danger so check your cws. Owen is everything before and after the incident his goal is to always make sure his best friend is taken care of.
Their friendship goes through so much and you can see Owen fighting with himself on how to help Mel between letting her deal and no to push or push her to get the help she needs.
I do wish that we had more of these two I feel there could be so much to their story and would have loved the angsty parts to have a little more and lasted a little longer but still a great story loving the different POVS in each story. They can be read as standalones but they are all happening at once and I do recommend reading in order.
I really enjoyed these two cannot wait to get Jons POV.
~~What to Expect~~
⛑️Childhood Friends to Lovers
⛑️Close Proximity
⛑️Roommates
⛑️Novella
⛑️Under 200 Pages
⛑️MC’s in their 40s
⛑️Multicultural
⛑️Mental Health Rep *PTSD
⛑️Dual POV
~~Quotes~~
❤️🩹The world outside may be crumbling into chaos, but right now, in this moment everything feels perfect
❤️🩹Maybe you need someone who looks at you like you’re the only woman in the world
❤️🩹For you? I’d wait for ever
This one follows Mel’s POV of the incident and how she copes with her PTSD, Mel’s story shows more of the accident and the way she chooses to block the noise does bring on some danger so check your cws. Owen is everything before and after the incident his goal is to always make sure his best friend is taken care of.
Their friendship goes through so much and you can see Owen fighting with himself on how to help Mel between letting her deal and no to push or push her to get the help she needs.
I do wish that we had more of these two I feel there could be so much to their story and would have loved the angsty parts to have a little more and lasted a little longer but still a great story loving the different POVS in each story. They can be read as standalones but they are all happening at once and I do recommend reading in order.
I really enjoyed these two cannot wait to get Jons POV.
~~What to Expect~~
⛑️Childhood Friends to Lovers
⛑️Close Proximity
⛑️Roommates
⛑️Novella
⛑️Under 200 Pages
⛑️MC’s in their 40s
⛑️Multicultural
⛑️Mental Health Rep *PTSD
⛑️Dual POV
~~Quotes~~
❤️🩹The world outside may be crumbling into chaos, but right now, in this moment everything feels perfect
❤️🩹Maybe you need someone who looks at you like you’re the only woman in the world
❤️🩹For you? I’d wait for ever
March 9, 2025
“I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to talk about everything without falling apart, without letting everything I’ve been holding in spill out all at once.”
Escape is the second novella in the Aftermath series. It will feel repetitive if you read all my reviews, but like all other Dani’s books, it’s super easy to read and you just don’t see the time pass.
This time, we follow Mel and witness her healing. I adore the friends to lovers trope, and I have to say that I would have loved for the story to be a little bit longer, in order to have more details of what happens in her life, regarding how she copes with her trauma, but also how she deals with the evolution of her relationship with Owen.That being said, I loved how we get this window inside her head (and that’s probably why I wish it were longer), and witness how she forbids herself to be happy, as a self-inflicted “punishment” for the events that happened.
Even though it was (too) short, I loved the relationship between Mel and Owen, sweet and full of hope (and spice).
Thank you Dani Elias and Happily Booked for the eARC. My opinions are my own.
Escape is the second novella in the Aftermath series. It will feel repetitive if you read all my reviews, but like all other Dani’s books, it’s super easy to read and you just don’t see the time pass.
This time, we follow Mel and witness her healing. I adore the friends to lovers trope, and I have to say that I would have loved for the story to be a little bit longer, in order to have more details of what happens in her life, regarding how she copes with her trauma, but also how she deals with the evolution of her relationship with Owen.That being said, I loved how we get this window inside her head (and that’s probably why I wish it were longer), and witness how she forbids herself to be happy, as a self-inflicted “punishment” for the events that happened.
Even though it was (too) short, I loved the relationship between Mel and Owen, sweet and full of hope (and spice).
Thank you Dani Elias and Happily Booked for the eARC. My opinions are my own.
March 9, 2025
Format: 📱 eBook 📱 (ARC)
Check CWs before reading
Another great entry in the Aftermath universe from Elias.
One thing I've grown to love her for as an author is that she's not afraid to write about the difficult topics, and following the trauma of the accident Mel, Will and Jon go through, she wrote Mel's story really well. To me it was a very good depiction of grief and not having dealt with the events of a trauma, and Mel's responses felt real and true.
I adored that this was a friends-to-lovers romance. You could tell from the opening few pages just how strong the relationship between Mel and Owen was, and I loved reading as they changed their relationship for the better - even though you could feel how scared Mel was through it all (and I mean, who doesn't love a nerdy MMC with a filthy mouth?)
Another great novella in the series, and we got to see a little more of the overarching storyline for the NGO, as well as a different perspective on the incident. I'm really looking forward to Jon's book to round out the series, and see how he gets his happily ever after, too.
Thank you to the author and @happilybookedpr for the eARC opportunity. These are my honest thoughts that I have provided voluntarily.
Check CWs before reading
Another great entry in the Aftermath universe from Elias.
One thing I've grown to love her for as an author is that she's not afraid to write about the difficult topics, and following the trauma of the accident Mel, Will and Jon go through, she wrote Mel's story really well. To me it was a very good depiction of grief and not having dealt with the events of a trauma, and Mel's responses felt real and true.
I adored that this was a friends-to-lovers romance. You could tell from the opening few pages just how strong the relationship between Mel and Owen was, and I loved reading as they changed their relationship for the better - even though you could feel how scared Mel was through it all (and I mean, who doesn't love a nerdy MMC with a filthy mouth?)
Another great novella in the series, and we got to see a little more of the overarching storyline for the NGO, as well as a different perspective on the incident. I'm really looking forward to Jon's book to round out the series, and see how he gets his happily ever after, too.
Thank you to the author and @happilybookedpr for the eARC opportunity. These are my honest thoughts that I have provided voluntarily.
March 8, 2025
Escape is the second romance novella in the Aftermath series. Following a rescue mission gone wrong, Mel needs something to distract her and help her heal, but she keeps throwing herself into meaningless one night stands. This approach isn’t working and doesn’t help her move on from the past. Owen, her housemate and best friend, might be the only one able to get through to her and they might just discover that more than friendship is on the table for them.
Mel is such a strong & smart female lead. It was hard was after the incident and she is trying to cope it without any help. I love how Owen was always here for her. He always works with her pace and try to make her as comfortable as he can. I love how understanding her was. Owen was the perfect support system for her and I loved seeing their relationship start to play out. The flirty texts between them were so fun, specially his inside pov.
If you like friends to lover this is such a perfect quick read. Even though it is second book in series , it can read as standalone. I am so excited for Jon’s book next.
Mel is such a strong & smart female lead. It was hard was after the incident and she is trying to cope it without any help. I love how Owen was always here for her. He always works with her pace and try to make her as comfortable as he can. I love how understanding her was. Owen was the perfect support system for her and I loved seeing their relationship start to play out. The flirty texts between them were so fun, specially his inside pov.
If you like friends to lover this is such a perfect quick read. Even though it is second book in series , it can read as standalone. I am so excited for Jon’s book next.
March 9, 2025
The aftermath series is about how Will, Mel and Jon survive an incident overseas and how they "survive" the consequences once at home.
In this second book we follow Mel, who is suffering form guilt, because they lost a good person in the incident.
At home she is living with her best friend since childhood, who we all know is secretly in love with her and has to see her going out almost every night and spending some hot time with a different stranger each time.
Mel knows she isn't well but she doesn't know how to heal and going to therapy is not really in her mind. But when finally she goes to therapy she discovers that it helps because they doesn't judge her.
And when finally she hook up with Owen she runs scared because she doesn't want to lose him as her best friend, so Owen really gets a medal for waiting for her and let her see them in her own timeline.
This is a short story but full of emotions (I think the next book in the series will be too) and it's written in british english.
- ARC read-
In this second book we follow Mel, who is suffering form guilt, because they lost a good person in the incident.
At home she is living with her best friend since childhood, who we all know is secretly in love with her and has to see her going out almost every night and spending some hot time with a different stranger each time.
Mel knows she isn't well but she doesn't know how to heal and going to therapy is not really in her mind. But when finally she goes to therapy she discovers that it helps because they doesn't judge her.
And when finally she hook up with Owen she runs scared because she doesn't want to lose him as her best friend, so Owen really gets a medal for waiting for her and let her see them in her own timeline.
This is a short story but full of emotions (I think the next book in the series will be too) and it's written in british english.
- ARC read-
March 11, 2025
♡ 𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝑅𝑒𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓎 ♡
🌀ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎🌀
𝙴𝚂𝙲𝙰𝙿𝙴
(Aftermath #2)
𝔻𝔸ℕ𝕀 𝔼𝕃𝕀𝔸𝕊
Escape is a short, fast paced, friends to lovers & a good romance novella. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes & it was perfectly executed. I love the representation of mental & physical trauma. It touched my heart to see how a person copes & heals from trauma. The characters were real, raw & very well thought out & so was the plot. The whole story just flowed.
I love the friendship & relationship between Mel & Owen. Owen is an amazing support system for Mel, while she’s going thru her trauma, working thru it & trying to heal. Always nice to have that one person that’ll never give up on you. Mel is a strong FMC. But Owen is a strong MMC as well. Owen is perfect for her & I felt there was always something between them. I loved watching their relationship unfold. So sweet.
I would’ve loved to see more of Mel & Owen! Dani writes a good romance. If you’re looking for your next friends to lovers book, this is it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌀ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎🌀
𝙴𝚂𝙲𝙰𝙿𝙴
(Aftermath #2)
𝔻𝔸ℕ𝕀 𝔼𝕃𝕀𝔸𝕊
Escape is a short, fast paced, friends to lovers & a good romance novella. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes & it was perfectly executed. I love the representation of mental & physical trauma. It touched my heart to see how a person copes & heals from trauma. The characters were real, raw & very well thought out & so was the plot. The whole story just flowed.
I love the friendship & relationship between Mel & Owen. Owen is an amazing support system for Mel, while she’s going thru her trauma, working thru it & trying to heal. Always nice to have that one person that’ll never give up on you. Mel is a strong FMC. But Owen is a strong MMC as well. Owen is perfect for her & I felt there was always something between them. I loved watching their relationship unfold. So sweet.
I would’ve loved to see more of Mel & Owen! Dani writes a good romance. If you’re looking for your next friends to lovers book, this is it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 5, 2025
⭐ 4.25
🌶️ 1.5
🥵 Spicy chapters: 9, 12
📚 Tropes/Themes: friends to lovers, soulmates, it's always been you, PTSD
👀 Dual POV 1st person
🩷 Something I liked: the cheesy pick up lines LOL
🙈 Something I disliked:
🧠 Triggers: car accident, death
🛍️ Available: Now!
💬 Escape is the second book in the Aftermath trilogy, which focuses on Mel's response to the landslide/car accident that we read about in Mission. You can technically read this as a standalone, but I think it's better read in order.
I'm really enjoying this overall concept - several books written from different perspectives of the same tragedy and exploring how different people respond to and process the same situation.
This novella definitely resonated more with me versus the first one, watching Mel process her emotions and accept help along with Owen realizing what's always been in front of his face all along.
I'm also super excited to read the third book!
🌶️ 1.5
🥵 Spicy chapters: 9, 12
📚 Tropes/Themes: friends to lovers, soulmates, it's always been you, PTSD
👀 Dual POV 1st person
🩷 Something I liked: the cheesy pick up lines LOL
🙈 Something I disliked:
🧠 Triggers: car accident, death
🛍️ Available: Now!
💬 Escape is the second book in the Aftermath trilogy, which focuses on Mel's response to the landslide/car accident that we read about in Mission. You can technically read this as a standalone, but I think it's better read in order.
I'm really enjoying this overall concept - several books written from different perspectives of the same tragedy and exploring how different people respond to and process the same situation.
This novella definitely resonated more with me versus the first one, watching Mel process her emotions and accept help along with Owen realizing what's always been in front of his face all along.
I'm also super excited to read the third book!
March 11, 2025
This is the second book in the trilogy of novella style stories. They all hinge around a traumatic landslide that they experienced as they serve as aid workers.
In this book it is Mel’s story that is told. Although she came through the accident virtually unscathed physically, mentally she is scarred.
Back home, her coping mechanism is compartmentalizing what she went through and the guilt she feels for not assessing the risk of their journey. Her way of coping is going out finding a random stranger and hooking up for the night. And through it all is her best friend, Owen, who loves and supports as best as he can while Mel is self destructing.
All of this is stirring up the deeper feelings both of them have for each other. This is quick read, and for how short the story is, it is full of emotion and trauma and love. A true friends to lovers story with two characters that really love each other, not only physically but with their whole heart.
In this book it is Mel’s story that is told. Although she came through the accident virtually unscathed physically, mentally she is scarred.
Back home, her coping mechanism is compartmentalizing what she went through and the guilt she feels for not assessing the risk of their journey. Her way of coping is going out finding a random stranger and hooking up for the night. And through it all is her best friend, Owen, who loves and supports as best as he can while Mel is self destructing.
All of this is stirring up the deeper feelings both of them have for each other. This is quick read, and for how short the story is, it is full of emotion and trauma and love. A true friends to lovers story with two characters that really love each other, not only physically but with their whole heart.
March 12, 2025
Melanie only wants to forget. It is easier than facing the memories and the guilt. And her way of forgetting is one night stands and anonymous sex.
Her best friend Owen can see she's in pain. He's tried to help, but Melanie keeps avoiding her issues Owen knows he can't help her until she's ready to help herself.
As I started the story, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to connect with Melanie. But her pain and struggle with her memories is evident. I could empathize with Owen who hurt for Melanie but was at a loss as to how he could help. All he could do was patiently wait until she was ready to ask for help.
Like the first story in this trilogy of novellas, this is a well crafted, deeply moving story. While it can be read as a stand alone, the first novella provides deeper background and adds to the emotion depth of the story.
Thank you to the author for a copy of this story. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
Her best friend Owen can see she's in pain. He's tried to help, but Melanie keeps avoiding her issues Owen knows he can't help her until she's ready to help herself.
As I started the story, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to connect with Melanie. But her pain and struggle with her memories is evident. I could empathize with Owen who hurt for Melanie but was at a loss as to how he could help. All he could do was patiently wait until she was ready to ask for help.
Like the first story in this trilogy of novellas, this is a well crafted, deeply moving story. While it can be read as a stand alone, the first novella provides deeper background and adds to the emotion depth of the story.
Thank you to the author for a copy of this story. The thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 12, 2025
Second in series . escape by Dani Elias is about aid workers in circumstances beyond their control or comprehension ,not to mention despair. Don’t even go Melanie doesn’t want any help, she doesn’t WANT to heal ! Get real it happened to HER he wasn’t there. Owen doesn’t understand ,he can’t see. She just wants to be free . Free of all the angst and despair ,she doesn’t WANT to not want o go there . So she goes out hooks up . It’s how she deals with this life that’s be well and truly shook up! Guilt and Pain grows a bit too insane to fathom or read so she doesn’t go there . He’s fallen more for her ,seeing her raw pain . If he can’t find a handle to enter in ,then out if the friend zone and enter in more to help her with her pain so raw. There’s no need….truly… He wants to be there for everything alongside . There’s nothing she need hide from him . Let him in . Brilliant writing and awesome storytelling.
March 13, 2025
Escape is the second novella in an interconnected trio of books. In this book, we meet Mel and Owen, who have been friends since childhood. As adults, they are roommates and still best of friends, but have never explored their relationship further. After an accident that affects Mel and three coworkers, Mel's mental health is suffering. She pretends she's fine, but to cope, she goes out to bars and goes home with random men. Owen tries to help her and be there for her the best he can, but she's unreceptive. I had a hard time feeling any chemistry between Mel and Owen. While they had an amazing friendship, for me, it didn't translate well into any kind of sexual chemistry, which bummed me out because I loved the first book Mission. I did enjoy that we got to learn more about the incident and get a more detailed idea of what happened to Will. I'm excited to read Escape and see how the story ends.
March 7, 2025
Escape is book two in the Aftermath Series.
This book focuses on Melanie and all of the guilt she is dealing with after an incident at work. You really see her struggle with her emotions and how she doesn't want to appear weak. It was good to see she had a friend, Owen, able to help her through her emotions without making her feel bad about how she was truly feeling. He worked with her to acknowledge some of her deep seated thoughts and through this she was able to move forward with her life and be able to cope with things.
I really liked how this focused a lot on their friendship. You could really see how close they were together and how they both truly felt, but didn't want to cross that boundary in case it ruined their friendship.
This was another interesting viewpoint of the incident which we found out about in the first book of the series.
This book focuses on Melanie and all of the guilt she is dealing with after an incident at work. You really see her struggle with her emotions and how she doesn't want to appear weak. It was good to see she had a friend, Owen, able to help her through her emotions without making her feel bad about how she was truly feeling. He worked with her to acknowledge some of her deep seated thoughts and through this she was able to move forward with her life and be able to cope with things.
I really liked how this focused a lot on their friendship. You could really see how close they were together and how they both truly felt, but didn't want to cross that boundary in case it ruined their friendship.
This was another interesting viewpoint of the incident which we found out about in the first book of the series.
March 9, 2025
3.5 ⭐
This is the second book in the aftermath series that follows Mel after the landslide accident. This follows her journey/healing process after such a traumatic event. It shows how Owen, her best friend, can read through her facade. He knows she's hurting and just wants her to talk to him. You also see how her work colleagues care for her and reach out. She fills the void by going out and looking for a constant distraction. One thing leads to another and after a steamy night with Owen she realizes it's different with him and maybe it's always been him, but is it worth the risk of their friendship. She finally gets help from a therapist and does some deep reflection. She realizes that Owen is her constant and just wants to look after her. Over all a very cute friends to lovers novella. Definitely interested to see how it wraps up in the third book ☺️
This is the second book in the aftermath series that follows Mel after the landslide accident. This follows her journey/healing process after such a traumatic event. It shows how Owen, her best friend, can read through her facade. He knows she's hurting and just wants her to talk to him. You also see how her work colleagues care for her and reach out. She fills the void by going out and looking for a constant distraction. One thing leads to another and after a steamy night with Owen she realizes it's different with him and maybe it's always been him, but is it worth the risk of their friendship. She finally gets help from a therapist and does some deep reflection. She realizes that Owen is her constant and just wants to look after her. Over all a very cute friends to lovers novella. Definitely interested to see how it wraps up in the third book ☺️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2025
"You need someone who looks at you like you're the only women in the world"
Friends to lovers Mel and Owen have been friends for a long time. They live together and for the most part have maintained their friendship without crossing the line. Escape is the second book in the series aftermath series and basically follows Mel right after the landslide accident that changed her life and the crew she was working with. Mel is left to pick up the pieces of the trauma and like any stubborn person she is fine until she isn’t. The little triggers we see in her daily life and how she copes with the trauma are damaging to her mental health. Owen is left in a hard position. Does he let her spiral or does he pick up the pieces and make it all better?
The feelings are all there in this short read and Dani Elias delivers again making you root for both Mel and Owen.
Friends to lovers Mel and Owen have been friends for a long time. They live together and for the most part have maintained their friendship without crossing the line. Escape is the second book in the series aftermath series and basically follows Mel right after the landslide accident that changed her life and the crew she was working with. Mel is left to pick up the pieces of the trauma and like any stubborn person she is fine until she isn’t. The little triggers we see in her daily life and how she copes with the trauma are damaging to her mental health. Owen is left in a hard position. Does he let her spiral or does he pick up the pieces and make it all better?
The feelings are all there in this short read and Dani Elias delivers again making you root for both Mel and Owen.
March 27, 2025
💙 Friends to lovers
💙 Trauma healing
💙 MC’s in their 40’s
Part two in the series Rescue tells Mel's story after the traumatic events that occurred while on an aid mission.
Mel feels enormous guilt over the accident and this manifests in her trying to numb the pain with casual hookups and alcohol while carrying on her day job as if she's fine. But her best friend and roommate Owen knows her and can see behind her mask. As he admits his feelings towards her Mel is scared to risk their friendship, but realises she loves him too. It's a really sweet friends to lovers romance, where Owen is really supportive in her healing.
The novellas in the Aftermath series can be readalone but are interconnected.
Thank you to Dani Elias and Happily Booked PR for the advance copy, my opinions are my own.
💙 Trauma healing
💙 MC’s in their 40’s
Part two in the series Rescue tells Mel's story after the traumatic events that occurred while on an aid mission.
Mel feels enormous guilt over the accident and this manifests in her trying to numb the pain with casual hookups and alcohol while carrying on her day job as if she's fine. But her best friend and roommate Owen knows her and can see behind her mask. As he admits his feelings towards her Mel is scared to risk their friendship, but realises she loves him too. It's a really sweet friends to lovers romance, where Owen is really supportive in her healing.
The novellas in the Aftermath series can be readalone but are interconnected.
Thank you to Dani Elias and Happily Booked PR for the advance copy, my opinions are my own.
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