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After All
In Ashley’s mind, her new neighbor Brandt is definitely a “Clive Owen” - one of the few perks of her move halfway through law school. The other perk is getting as far away from where she grew up as possible.
With a best friends’ ashes in a jar in her room, and a million reasons she’s determined to finish law school and put bad guys in jail, she’s also decided she wants to get to know this “Clive Owen” neighbor better.
Brandt is just trying to stay afloat as a single father of two teens—both of which he had when a teen himself. The last thing he’s looking for is to fall in love, but when his new neighbor, Ashley, finds her way into his life, it’s as if they’ve found their missing piece. But Brandt knows he doesn’t deserve this kind of happiness. Not after the way he let his family shatter.
Just when Brandt and Ashley find some common footing in the way they feel, Ashley goes to her internship, opens a file, and it destroys everything she’s learned about the family next door.
Both Brandt and Ashley are in a fight to forgive their pasts, navigate the present, and to find a way to hold on to the future they started together. But with everything on the line, and so much to overcome, they begin to wonder if their happily ever after is worth the struggle.
With a best friends’ ashes in a jar in her room, and a million reasons she’s determined to finish law school and put bad guys in jail, she’s also decided she wants to get to know this “Clive Owen” neighbor better.
Brandt is just trying to stay afloat as a single father of two teens—both of which he had when a teen himself. The last thing he’s looking for is to fall in love, but when his new neighbor, Ashley, finds her way into his life, it’s as if they’ve found their missing piece. But Brandt knows he doesn’t deserve this kind of happiness. Not after the way he let his family shatter.
Just when Brandt and Ashley find some common footing in the way they feel, Ashley goes to her internship, opens a file, and it destroys everything she’s learned about the family next door.
Both Brandt and Ashley are in a fight to forgive their pasts, navigate the present, and to find a way to hold on to the future they started together. But with everything on the line, and so much to overcome, they begin to wonder if their happily ever after is worth the struggle.
298 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
3 people are currently reading
407 people want to read
About the author
Mia Josephs
9 books59 followersMia's a middle and high school teacher turned writer. She's obsessed with modern art, places with real museums, and In N Out Burger. She is more afraid of snakes than bears, rivers than oceans, and loves to sail. Writing smart, tough women and the men who can keep up with them is her passion. She is most often found sitting next to her computer with a bottle of Pellegrino and dark chocolate almonds, or hiding behind the pages of a fabulous book.
She writes contemporary and historical love stories - almost always in the New Adult age group.
She writes contemporary and historical love stories - almost always in the New Adult age group.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 20, 2013
Three things I love about this story?
The Precociousness of Mia (the daughter).
The scruffiness of Brandt (her father).
The shy awkwardness of Ashley (the new neighbor).
June 21, 2013
Ohhh I can't wait is it June 2013 yet???? Edit 20th June I really enjoyed this story although I wished it had a bit more hotness between the two main characters and a epilogue!! I would love to read books about Marie & Trevor to see how they are in the future!!!
May 30, 2013
Yes. This is an author review, so of course it's biased.
This is a story that's been re-written and re-shaped until i was FINALLY able to tell the story of Ashley and Brandt the way I wanted to.
I love stories with mis-matched ages, or with people who are in very different places in their lives, and that made this book a lot of fun to write.
The rich, spoiled, brother Cooper is my favorite side-character, followed closely by Ree - the fifteen year old girl who is quite determined to get her father set up w/ the new neighbor...
If you enjoyed The Next Door Boys series by Jolene B Perry, you'll like this book, too :-D
This is a story that's been re-written and re-shaped until i was FINALLY able to tell the story of Ashley and Brandt the way I wanted to.
I love stories with mis-matched ages, or with people who are in very different places in their lives, and that made this book a lot of fun to write.
The rich, spoiled, brother Cooper is my favorite side-character, followed closely by Ree - the fifteen year old girl who is quite determined to get her father set up w/ the new neighbor...
If you enjoyed The Next Door Boys series by Jolene B Perry, you'll like this book, too :-D
April 27, 2012
Jolene let me read through this wonderful book while she was getting it ready to publish. Such a fun story. I loved the alternating POV's. It was so interesting just how alike and different Mia and Ashley were. And I'm with Jo--I love Brandt's scruffiness too :)
November 26, 2013
I once read a quote by Jodi Picoult who said she put teenagers in her books because they keep things real. I think that's what I loved about AFTER ALL by Mia Josephs. Marie and Trevor were awesome, and they brought an incredible depth to the relationship between Ashley and Brandt. A great story that's real, sometimes heart-wrenching, but beautifully told, with plenty of romance to make your toes curl.
August 29, 2013
This book was adorable. One sitting read for me. I loved our leading man, Brandt was a guy who was nervous, who wasn't very sure of himself, yet he was strong and mature... very capable of fathering two teens. I loved the relationship that bloomed between Ashley and Brandt, and not only was the love story captivating, the secondary characters were strong, and yes, I cried a few times. Loved.
September 22, 2013
I adored how awkwardly adorable Brandt was at the start. I loved how fiercely protective he was over his family.
I loved the relationship that developed between Ashley and Ree.
This is a romance like no other I have read before. It was a refreshing, feel good and heartwarming story.
Can't wait for more stories by Mia Josephs!
I loved the relationship that developed between Ashley and Ree.
This is a romance like no other I have read before. It was a refreshing, feel good and heartwarming story.
Can't wait for more stories by Mia Josephs!
June 17, 2013
Such a great book filled with romance and a touch of secrecy. I spent much of the book wishing to have known Josh. This book is refreshing as it is not the same old story with new names.
August 9, 2016
A fresh start. That's what this move was suppose to be about. Ashley is a law student doing an internship for the summer which looks good on paper, but unsettling as she thinks about the friend that she has lost. Her focus was to help people and to finish her degree. Things take a turn for a new direction when she meets Brandt, a man in his thirties with two teenage children. He keeps telling himself that he is too old for her, but as she lives next door it makes it hard to escape her.
If you enjoy Jolene Perry or other Mia Josephs works, you will not be disappointed. There are sweet moments, witty comments, true emotions that make these characters seem real. It will give you the warm and fuzzies that you need. However there are some dark moments and sexual situations so if you do not like either this is not your read. I would recommend this book to readers though.
If you enjoy Jolene Perry or other Mia Josephs works, you will not be disappointed. There are sweet moments, witty comments, true emotions that make these characters seem real. It will give you the warm and fuzzies that you need. However there are some dark moments and sexual situations so if you do not like either this is not your read. I would recommend this book to readers though.
August 30, 2013
4.5 stars -- oh Brandt....you are so freaking adorable. I loved how real and nervous and genuine the characters in this book were. Watching Ashley and Brandt do the nervous liking each other dance complete with overanalyzing was awesome....just reminded me so much of my first crushes.... Even Ree and Trevor were fabulous characters -- sometimes the kids can not work out, but they were both loveable, and had shades of realistic teenager-ism to them. This book did characters so well...right down to the smallest roles. And dealt with so many shades of gray situations where evil isn't black and white, and people make mistakes, and you have to figure out how to live in that world b/c it's the real world. So yeah, thoroughly enjoyable.
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July 20, 2016The good:
Nice guy hero
Liked the atypical relationship. Age difference, guy with kids.
Liked the development of the heroines relationship with the kids
While there was chemistry we didn't have to read pages upon pages of lusty thoughts and preoccupations like a lot of NA
Neutral:
Still some typical NA tropes. However, I think it was one of the points of the novel.
Borderline:
The heroine and hero got stuck in redundant thinking for a while but it wasn't as much as what you often get in NA.
I couldn't always relate to the way the heroine thought. She could be a bit of a drama Llama.
Verdict:
Quick, easy read with a definite NA feel but still some good key differences from a lot that is coming out in the category.
Nice guy hero
Liked the atypical relationship. Age difference, guy with kids.
Liked the development of the heroines relationship with the kids
While there was chemistry we didn't have to read pages upon pages of lusty thoughts and preoccupations like a lot of NA
Neutral:
Still some typical NA tropes. However, I think it was one of the points of the novel.
Borderline:
The heroine and hero got stuck in redundant thinking for a while but it wasn't as much as what you often get in NA.
I couldn't always relate to the way the heroine thought. She could be a bit of a drama Llama.
Verdict:
Quick, easy read with a definite NA feel but still some good key differences from a lot that is coming out in the category.
January 6, 2015
I once read a quote by Jodi Picoult who said she put teenagers in her books because they keep things real. I think that's what I loved about AFTER ALL by Mia Josephs. Marie and Trevor were awesome, and they brought an incredible depth to the relationship between Ashley and Brandt. A great story that's real, sometimes heart-wrenching, but beautifully told, with plenty of romance to make your toes curl.
January 20, 2014
I really like enjoyed reading After All. I think I had a smile on my face the entire time I read it! I loved reading both sides of the story with Ashley and Barndt. The characters were genuine and the story flowed – I quickly became hooked and with the little twist in the story it was just enough drama to make it a 4.5 star read for me.
September 18, 2013
Loved this book....the storyline was very well written with lots of depth and emotion. Fell in love with the characters and thought they were all well thought out and perfectly written. Ashley & Brandt had lots of chemistry and had been through so much that they both deserved a happily ever after!! Look forward to more books by Mia Josephs!!!
May 11, 2016
L’ho semplicemente amato. Mi è piaciuta la storia e i suoi personaggi.
Davvero, davvero, davvero bello. Mi ha preso tantissimo e Brandt mi ha immediatamente conquistata <3
Assolutamente consigliato!
Davvero, davvero, davvero bello. Mi ha preso tantissimo e Brandt mi ha immediatamente conquistata <3
Assolutamente consigliato!
June 18, 2013
I enjoyed this story. Didn't know what to expect when I started, and found myself totally engrossed in the story. Almost finished it in one sitting. Will definately read more from this author!
July 7, 2013
I just loved it! Loved the story, loved all the carachters! It's a "must read" book! :-)
June 28, 2013
**4+ stars**
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews