Before and Aftermath: A Romantic Comedy

by Pru Warren

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2024

About the author

Pru Warren (who is writing this in the third person as if simply too modest to toot her own horn) bores easily and thus has been a daydreamer since roughly the Bronze Age.

She is addicted to writing romcoms because in a novel, you can make things come out the right way. Life and karma really ought to take note. There are better solutions to these pesky daily annoyances!

Besides her in-the-laptop god complex, Pru laughs often and easily, loathes cooking, and plays way too much solitaire. She’s plotting world domination even as you read this, as long as she doesn’t have to wake up too early to accomplish it.

Reviews

[Emily Utsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

To the point: Drummer/Society girl, childhood classmates, found family, and hot hot spice.

Expanded: This book was an amazing conclusion to the trilogy. It wrapped it up so nicely. I almost wish there was a whole more book of just their HEA in LA and all of them living their lives and we get to see them all married and years in the future. I could see fanfiction about it. Oh what about a book about some of their kids falling in love! That would be hilarious to see the boys as dads and how they would handle it! Ok but back to this book! Prentice is just the best, I love how she knows herself and is not ashamed. I hate she had to deal with bullies, but man, I'm glad she had a Mal and her dad in her corner. Mal is such a golden retriever. He feels so deeply even though he tries to have concrete walls up. I love that his 'brothers' know him so well and can see through it. They know exactly what he needs. When he needs to talk and when he needs space. I wish I had friends like that. I just want Mal to hug me!!!

Need to know: This is the third and final book in the series and can be read as a complete stand alone but I highly recommend reading the first book as you will get a lot more out of the band dynamics and the other characters.

[Shoppermom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you heard the band Aftermath? They are fantastic! Their music is super, but equally important: Archer, the lead vocal, is sex in neon flashing lights, Ian is patient, sexy strength, with guitar solos to make you swoon, and Mal has the rhythm of the deepest passions on earth beating sexily through his drumsticks. But if you can't make it to their concerts, Before and Aftermath, the third volume of Pru Warren's delightful rock band trilogy, will sweep you up out of your chair and have you dancing with joy around your living room. That said, the plot in Before and Aftermath is complex: we meet Mal's mom: the fiercely competent and loyal Gerda, his childhood friend Prentice, who's grown up to be a most beautiful and determined young woman, and his dastardly father and half-brother, neither of whom acknowledge his existence except to bully him. There are wacky fashion gurus, sailing lessons, charity events, and rock 'n roll concerts on the rooftop of a truck, but most importantly, there's a swoon-worthy love story. Like a beautiful song that keeps replaying in your head, the members of Aftermath will steal a part of your heart and keep it forever beating in memory of the time you got to spend with them.

[Cindy Fong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally found time for Mal and Prentice's story and I absolutely loved it. From the first word til the last I was captivated with these characters and their story.

With Mal getting his book last he is the character that I feel like I know the best. He played a significant part of Ian and Archer's story to be a known character. What I wasn't prepared for was his background and the drama with his mother. I love the second chance Prentice had with Mal and she worked it to her advantage. Who knew sailing was so sexy.

This was a great rockstar series with characters who are humble and not so full of themselves that they don't respect their roots. I love how everyone becomes part of the Aftermath family.

[L. Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tome Enthusiast

A pleasantly surprising series. I didn’t plan to enjoy the series as much as I did. Having strong females made this series both enjoyable and fun. I can’t wait to see if there’s a sequel chronicling Aftermaths rise to fame.

[Adena Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the childhood sweetheart story that I always wanted to read. There is something about falling for your childhood hero as an adult (with all sorts of bruises and imperfections) that makes the story real for me. It doesn't hurt that the childhood hero has a childhood bully as a foil - except the bully has not grown up emotionally. School yard fight, begin!!

I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Meg Napier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Influencers! They’re everywhere! And they have a LOT of power. Archer is the lead singer in Aftermath, the band that’s growing fans at every venue with its captivating music and Charlotte, the Great Dane the whole world loves. He’s also a renowned Don Juan, although the wildly popular influencer, known as the “Opinionated O’Connor,” seems determined to paint him more as a clueless Lothario. To test her theory, O’Connor takes him for a test run, and her review is less than favorable. Archer is affronted, but he’s also bewildered. He thought their date went well, and he’s quite taken with the beautiful blogger. Archer’s sweet combination of justified egotism and touching vulnerability pairs well with O’Connor’s similar traits, and their shared sheer stubbornness keeps them coming back for retries and an agreement for O’Connor to tutor Archer. The Morning Aftermath is a fun journey, literal and figurative, as Aftermath tours the country and Archer and O’Connor discover hidden depths of each other and themselves. Bravo and Encore!!