Life After Taylah

by Bella Jewel

Amazon, International & USA Today Bestselling Author. I fell in love with a married man. It wasn’t how it was meant to go. But I don’t regret it. A friendship is formed. A relationship is built out of the weakest foundations. A love that blossoms until it’s riding on the edge of dangerous. A forbidden love that will change their worlds forever. My mother was taken from me when I was just a girl. She disappeared into nothing, leaving us no answers, no clues, and no closure. Ten years on and my life has never been the same. My brother is withdrawn and angry, caught up in a world of drugs and pain. My father barely speaks. I don’t have answers. I don’t know if my mother is okay. I don’t know if my life will ever be the same. How can you move on when you just don't know? Then I meet Nate. Champion Motocross Racer. Bad boy. Married. He will soon become my everything. There’s only one problem with that. He’s not mine to have. Our relationship isn’t right. Our love is forbidden. Nate teaches me to breathe again. He teaches me to laugh. But most of all he teaches me that regardless of the pain I’ve lived through, that there is, in fact, Life After Taylah. This book contains cheating in the form of a love affair. It has a HEA. No cliffhanger. 18+

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Sports, Drama, Contemporary, Forbidden Love

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2014

About the author

Heya!! My name is Bella, I'm a new aussie author and I am as crazy as they come. I'm playful, friendly and always up for a chat so stop on by x

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★☆ 3.5 Stars!

"Your past only defines you if you let it."

When I read the blurb of Life After Taylah and saw the mention of a "forbidden" love element, I immediately had to add it to my TBR. Then when I saw it was written by Bella Jewel, who has written some of my favorite biker stories, I became even more curious to find out what she would to with a motocross racer as a hero. ;)

Avery is a 22 year old girl studying ballet and teaching dance classes practically every day of the week. Unable to forget about her mother who mysteriously went missing ten years ago, she sought out a way to drown out thought of her mother, Taylah. That's how dancing became her everything. Her entire life evolves around it. And with a controlling father, a fiancé who's only with her so he can carry out her father's business once he retires and a drug addict as a brother, there's not much happiness in her life. So she stays numb, unattached, and still hoping to one day find out what happened to her mother.

"How do you find happiness when you’re so consumed with darkness? I don’t know a way out. I’m trapped."

But then she meets Nate. He's everything forbidden, everything she should stay far away from. Still, she's drawn to him and once they get to know each other and build up an intense friendship, neither of them is willing to let the other one go.

"I’m sure I met you for a reason.”
"To give you advice?”
"No. To give me a friend. I really need a friend, Dancer.”

Nate is a 30 year old Champion Motocross racer who's the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. For the past three years he's been unhappily married and when he meets Avery, she makes him feel again for the first time in years. With her he can talk, have fun and feel the attraction he once felt for his wife. Because of his daughter he's trying to save his marriage and stand by his wife, but his rapidly evolving feelings for Avery make doing so harder and harder each day.

"I risk it for you because you're giving me a chance to see again, to feel again, to just be again."

To be honest, Nate pissed me off sometimes. I mean, I understand about him wanting to fix his marriage and fight for his daughter, but how could he have been so blind to all the lies his wife was feeding him for so long? Even I could see they weren't destined to stay together and I honestly don't think a judge would have ever granted custody to a alcohol, negligent mother instead of a hard-working, doting like himself... What I am glad about though is that he waited until the separation with his ex was final before he sought out Avery to make amends. At least then, they could start out fresh, without any ties to his ex-wife.

Avery, on the other hand, was a strong heroine and very mature for her age. Most of the time she was the one making the smart decisions and I felt really bad for her with all the misery that had been part of her life for so long.

All in all, Life After Taylah was an intense, angst-filled, sexy, fast-paced standalone romance that I really enjoyed reading. Some elements of the storyline were a bit predictable or clichéd but the unexpected plot twists more than made up for them. If you're looking for a passion-filled forbidden romance, I would recommend giving this one a try!

"Love creeps up on you at the most inopportune moment, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Love cannot be reasoned with and it can’t be as simple as right or wrong."

***ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book – Life After Taylah
Author – Bella Jewel
Publication Date – May 26, 2014
Type – Stand Alone
Genre – Romance/New Adult
Rating – 3 ¾ Stars

Complimentary Copy provided by Author (Blog Tour) in exchange for an honest review.
 

Review
First I have to say that when I see the name ‘Bella Jewel’, I automatically gravitate to the book.  This one ahhh….so many conflicting emotions with this story.  I don’t know if it’s the cheating…or the “I’ll be the other woman” that had me pissed off half the time.  Then to find out conflicting issues with Avery’s mom, Taylah and the reason for her disappearance, I felt like I was in a world of the “anti-Scarlet Letter”.



So…that’s my teeter to….now my teeter fro…..It was a beautiful love story and part of me understood Avery’s need to be with Nick no matter what…when you feel a love that strong, you are willing to do just about anything to continue that feeling.  That was the beautiful part…but in real life…it rarely ever ends pretty.



I’m teetering to again…..Lena and Jacob…..Lena is Nick’s wife and Jacob is Avery’s fiancée (or whatever).  If you want to talk about ‘bad guys’ – these two take the cake.  I understand the need to make these two look bad in order to sugar coat the infidelity between Nick and Avery but this was a bit extreme – any sane person who had to deal with these two knuckleheads would have said “sayonara” eons ago.  So to bring me to the conclusion of this….the extreme distaste of Lena and Jacob make Nick and Avery look like fools for being with people who undoubtedly are the scum of the earth.

Let’s teeter a bit to the fro…..I understand the need of Nick to stick by his wife because of their daughter and I commend him for that…especially when she drops another bomb on him.  He believes in his vows and takes them serious…but not as serious as to step off with Avery.



I’m sticking to the fro here…..Avery and her father….what a dick.  I felt for Avery throughout this whole story….between her brother, her father, the unknown mother and a taboo love – I think I would have jumped off the first available cliff.  But not our girl…she sticks to it – driving herself batty the whole time by keeping everyone happy – what? What was that?  Yeah…EVERYONE else happy – except herself.  Self-destruction time!



Wow…another teeter to the fro – overall this was another enjoyable read from Bella and I will continue to click her new works with each one that is released.  It was hard to read about infidelity because of personal experiences but I got through it and am all the more wiser because of it.

For more reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[ZARIA (Sheldon Cooper lover) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hmm, the thing is that sometimes soulmates get mixed up with the wrong people, but , man up and get right with who you’re supposed to be with. I wouldn’t mind reading a romance where the hero’s journey is ACTIVELY trying to get out of a situation so he can be with his true love. Avery is in love with a married man. He’s in a loveless marriage with a child abuser and an alcholic and and she is engaged to a human robot.

I’m not a fan of the cheater. They usually continue to do it in the next relationship. And the next. And the next…

It’s different if the man is married and is actively trying to get out of a loveless marriage.
You don't let your wife suck you so the next day you can fuck a woman you supposably love and wheep how you love her and you can't get her over your fucking mind,


One of the things romance readers like the best is the grovel, when the hero has to apologize for something he’s done. A good grovel is one of the most satisfying things to read in romance novels.
Nate whines and sulks and accuses Avery how he is misrable...blah blah blah.

He stands by his principles in the most awful way possible. He stays married with his wife, whom he no longer loves, even if it means at first making himself and then later Avery, miserable.....
Avery TSL! Nothing more to say....

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY RATING: ☆☆☆☆ LIFE AFTER TAYLAH by Bella Jewel



☆ Complimentary copy provided by the author "Bella Jewel" in exchange for an honest review ☆
~ THANK YOU ~

4 Life Defining Stars

MARRIAGE vows are sacred, but TEMPTATION is a powerful thing..



He's MARRIED, he's FORBIDDEN, but he will quickly become my everything.

Avery's mother went missing when she was ten years old, she was there one day and vanished the next, no clues, nothing, life from that day forward was an every day struggle, her family just fell apart at the seams.

My mother was my sunshine, my happy place, my best friend and hero, she broke us when she went missing - intentionally or not.



COLD CASE

Now we're seeing what its like to live life after Taylah

This story had many elements to it, mother goes missing, Avery is set to enter a marriage of convenience, brother is off the rails, then she meets Nate and everything changes..



HE'S MARRIED, AND I'M TAKEN

Nate tries everything in his power to fight for his marriage, he knows it's not something you can just easily walk away from.

But how much fighting for a broken marriage can one person do, his daughter is the only reason he tries so hard to keep it together.

TRAPPED IN A LOVELESS MARRIAGE

The every day struggle to fight a forbidden attraction to a married man..

This was so beautifully written, the story just takes you on a journey of how life after a person vanishes changes the dynamics of a family and those around you..It's not all about forbidden love, its also about moving on and accepting the consequences..

[✝✝ Ⓓaisy ❣ ✝✝ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow!!!!

Full review to come soon x

[Vedrana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story just broke me! Beautifully written, an amazing storyline and wonderful characters!

This book had everything, it was raw and emotional. Every chapter was filled with sadness, happiness, hope, anger, lust and love.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE LOVERS STARS
Man, the cover is so bad. I saw that and I don't wanted to read it. But, the story is so good!! I loved. If you don't want to read because the bad cover, give that book a chance. It's amazing. If you love a real story of love, and superation, you will give a chance.

The story is about Nate (he is a motocross racer) and Avery (she is a dancer, studing to be a ballet teacher and Taylah's daughter).

Their love begins with a wonderful friendship. The both have a complicated life and they find comfort in each other's arms.



The disappearance of Taylah is the reason of Avery sad, and Nate don't want to be in home.

Now we’re seeing what it’s like to live with life after Taylah.

There a suspense, a sadness, emotion, HOPE, and I fell in love with the characters.

Lessons aren’t always easy to learn, but they’re there for a reason. Sometimes it’s a reason we don’t understand. So long as we learn from them, the result will always be the same.
We will become stronger people.

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nah...the cheating bastard husband is definitely not my cuppa.
Not for a reason loveless marriage as well. Don't marry your wife in a first place if there's no love.
Assholes do that all the time.

[Chiara Cilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mozzafiato, intenso, ti strappa l'anima.

[Recensione scritta per il blog Greta Booklovers]

Non ho la più pallida idea da dove cominciare. Ci sono emozioni che si possono esprimere a parole, ma altre… altre sono tue e di nessun altro. Quando ho preso questo romanzo dalla mia pila di libri da leggere, non sapevo a cosa stavo andando incontro. Era il primo libro che leggevo di questa autrice, quindi non conoscevo il suo stile e non sapevo cosa aspettarmi.

Di certo, non questa valanga emotiva.

 «Sono certo di averti incontrato per una ragione».
 «Per darti consiglio?»
 «No. Per avere un'amica. Ho davvero bisogno di un'amica, ballerina».

Il primo oh è arrivato con i ringraziamenti all'inizio, dove l'autrice cita la mitica Belle Aurora — ve la ricordate, sì? Creatrice di un certo Twitch… Il secondo schiaffo è giunto con la nota della Jewel, in cui spiegava perché avesse scelto di scrivere questo libro e affrontare questo tema delicatissimo — già lì ho avvertito una stretta al cuore.

E poi… ho iniziato a leggere.

Lei è Avery, graziosa ed elegante bellezza dalla chioma bionda che, dopo la scomparsa della madre, Taylah, ha deciso di dedicare la sua vita alla danza con l'obiettivo di diventare un'insegnante. Ma la sua vita, in realtà, è priva di emozioni. È fidanzata con Jacob da tempo immemore, ma non prova nulla per lui, se non un debolissimo affetto. Jacob è stato scelto da suo padre, la cui compagnia passerà al comando del giovane subito dopo il matrimonio. Avery ha anche un fratello, Liam, che purtroppo ha reagito in modo diverso alla mancanza della madre, lasciandosi divorare dal baratro della droga. Il loro papà lo ha praticamente disconosciuto, e tocca a Avery assicurarsi che Liam stia bene.

 Mia madre era il mio sole, il mio luogo felice, la mia migliore amica e la mia eroina. Quando è scomparsa ci ha distrutti — intenzionalmente o no.

Ed è proprio una delle sere in cui si reca dal fratello che lo incontra. Signore e signori, permettetemi di presentarvi l'arrapante Nathaniel Alexander, campione mondiale di motocross. Oh. Mio. Dio. Che cos'è questo ragazzo. Avete presente una moto da motocross, sì? Bene. Ora immaginate quanti muscoli debba avere un uomo per governare un mostro del genere. Ci siete? Ottimo. Ora, aggiungete una massa di capelli neri e due occhi di smeraldo quasi sovrumani. Fatto? Grandioso. Avete appena costruito l'immagine di Nate nella vostra mente.

 «L'unica cosa che hai sbagliato, Ballerina» mormora, fissandomi negli occhi e poi osservandomi le labbra «è essere così dannatamente perfetta da rendere impossibile resisterti.»

Mamma mia… Non ho parole per esprimere quello che ancora provo al solo ricordo del loro primo incontro. L'attrazione tra questi due giovani è immediata, lo si percepisce. Ma ci sono due piccoli, grandissimi problemi: lei è già impegnata e lui è sposato e ha una bambina di tre anni, Macy. Avete presente quando vedete due persone che sono fatte l'una per l'altra, ma non possono stare insieme? E allora cominci a borbottare che non è giusto in ogni sorta di lingua, perché se due persone si amano, devono poter esternare i loro sentimenti? Ecco, questo è ciò che mi è accaduto durante tutta la lettura.

 «Io lo amo» piango, aggrappandomi alla sua T-shirt. «Lo amo.»
 «È questo il problema, non è vero amore, Avery. È una menzogna, e non sarà mai nient'altro che questo.»

Non voglio dirvi nient'altro, perché questo è un romanzo che va assolutamente vissuto — pensate che io l'ho inserito nella mia lista Must Read!

Life After Taylah mi ha totalmente spiazzata. È stata come una zampata leonina in pieno petto, di quelle che non vedi arrivare. Di quelle a cui non sei preparata. Ho capito che mi avrebbe devastata non appena mi sono ritrovata a leggere cento pagine in un giorno — cosa che raramente faccio, anche con i libri italiani, quindi figurarsi con un romanzo straniero. Ma è stato così. Questa storia mi ha arpionata e trascinata via con sé. Il livello di emozioni, quelle che fanno male, quelle che fanno piangere, è quasi paragonabile ad Arsen: a broken love story di Mia Asher. Non trovo davvero le parole adatte per esprimere la perfezione di questo romanzo, di cui ho letto anche i puntini di sospensione — forse per riprendere fiato.

 «Fa male, Kelly» mugolo. «Fa tanto male.»
 «Deve far male, Avie» sussurra. «Perché è sbagliato.»

Dire che il rapporto tra Avie e Nate è intenso sarebbe un eufemismo, perché è molto più di questo. È angosciante, deleterio, saturo di quella passione che ti scava dentro e ti fa sanguinare copiosamente. Questa è una storia che ti strappa l'anima in ogni senso possibile. Ho adorato i momenti in cui Nate era con sua figlia, era così dolce. Ma ho adorato — e ansimato — ancora di più quando si presentava da Avery e dava sfogo a tutta la sua virilità, al suo bisogno smodato di lei. C'è una scena contro il furgone, a una gara di motocross...

 «Tu sei impegnata. Io sono impegnato. Ma sei sempre lì, cazzo. Perché sei lì, Avery? Perché cazzo mi stai consumando?»

Aww! La smetto, la smetto!

In conclusione, standing ovation per la bravissima Bella Jewel, il cui stile impeccabile mi ha completamente rapita. Non vedo l'ora di leggere altri suoi romanzi perché, ragazze, questa donna sa come raccontare una storia che vi faccia arricciare le dita dei piedi e allo stesso tempo vi cavi il cuore dal petto!


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[Tessamari ♥Many Waters...♥ ~ Sweet Spot Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

**Possible Spoilers**

“You define love by deciding if it’s right or wrong. That’s not always correct. Love creeps up on you at the most inopportune moment, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Love cannot be reasoned with and it can’t be as simple as right or wrong.” ~ Avery

Bravo, Ms. Jewel! I’m a big fan of this author and this was something I was really anxious to read. When I got this ARC, I was ecstatic! It shouldn’t surprise me at all that I couldn’t put this down. Once I started, I had to finish it. I will warn you now: This will put you through the emotional wringer, but wow! was this ridiculously good!

“Do you know what you’re doing to me, Dancer? You’re making me see that there’s better out there. You’re makin’ me feel again…and it’s been so long since I’ve felt…”

Life before her mother’s, Taylah, disappearance, Avery seemed to have a happy and stable life. She had a loving mother, father and older brother. After her mother disappeared, everything fell apart. Her father became more distant and her brother, whom she was really close to prior to the disappearance, has turned to drugs to cope. The only thing keeping her sane is her dancing. Her life complicates further when she meets her brother’s friend, Nate.

“I’m falling for you, in a way I’ve never fallen before. Don’t walk away from me. You’re the only sunshine I have left.” ~ Nate

From the outside, Nate’s life looks ideal. He’s a Motocross rider, married, and has a beautiful young daughter. However, it’s far from ideal. His marriage is on the brink of breaking; having an alcoholic, neglectful wife certainly doesn’t help. When he meets Avery, she’s like a burst of light in his dreary life. She’s innocent, sweet and one of the most compassionate people he’s ever come across. They develop a close friendship, but as much as they want more, they know try to keep things on the friend-level – it makes for some great tension, let me tell you.

I’ve allowed myself to feel possessive over something that is not mine.

This was an emotional read that had my heart and mind going in so many directions. As much as I disliked Nate’s wife, she was still his wife and the dilemma it created in my head drove me nuts because I wanted him and Avery together. Why couldn’t he just leave her? The reason seemed so simple, but alas, it was Nate that made it more complicated than it had to – at least that was my opinion.

I cannot recommend this story enough. It was angsty, hot and really emotional. I love these types of stories and Ms. Jewel delivered this story almost flawlessly. I really hope there will be more from the characters from this story. I would particularly love to hear Kelly’s story, just sayin - this would make an awesome series. Loved it!

**Complimentary Advanced Copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review**

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[CeCe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing: 5 Stars
The story: 2 Stars
The characters: 2 Stars

It is hard to express how I feel without telling you what happened. I hope what I wrote makes sense since it will be vague.
Bella Jewel was honest when she wrote in her NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR that “this is the kind of story you, my lovely reader, will either love or hate.” I think that is exactly what is going to happen… readers will either love or hate this story. The NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR set the tone for this story.

These characters are tied. Honestly, I did not like it. However, the author did an amazing job making me feel exactly what was going in the characters’ lives so I was willing/able to “deal” with it because I truly wanted to know what happened to Taylah. I also wanted to know what would happen to the main characters. But then, the characters behaviors took a turn and I just cringed. Yes, I was willing to “accept” certain behavior, but everything that happened after…just drove me nuts. The heroine, Avery, I just started to not like her at all. Her behavior I could not understand.

Avery goes to school with her brother, Liam. Their father takes them out of school to tell them their mother, Taylah, is missing. Forward 10 years, Taylah is still missing. Avery and Liam’s mother disappearance has left many scars in their lives. Avery goes through the motions of everyday life, but finds some peace in dancing ballet and giving in to her father’s wants by dating a man, Jacob, she does not love. One day when she goes to visit her brother, Liam, she meets Nate. Nate is a professional motocross driver. Nate sparks something in Avery that she has not felt in years, but both Nate and she are tied to other people and I will just leave my description at that.
I did not mind Avery until about 50% when I started wondering how this girl could be so strong one minute and appear so weak the next?? Avery you were killing me!!!!

his book had my biggest pet peeve…unprotected sex. I cannot stress how much that bothers me and turns me off from any steamy scene. If the story says that the couple is in a committed, monogamous relationship and have been tested, okay fine don’t use a condom. But…it can turn the reader off if the couple is not sure where they stand.
Please note that reading is very subjective and everyone can have a different experience from reading the same book. Bella Jewel is an amazing writer. I am a fan and will read anything and everything by her. This is a story that like Bella Jewel some will love and some will hate.

The mystery of this book was my favorite part. I loved the names in this book.

And who do I want a story about??? Liam and Max. I am not sure about Keanu. It seems like there may be someone for him already and I am worried that if a story was written about him, the heroine may come off as annoying if she is too aggressive.

A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Millie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm that was messy. Not the story per se but the feelings went freaking everywhere. Also too much contradictions in the two main characters's speeches (Lena is an alcoholic and then she's not really but she becomes one... Avery is madly in love with Nate but then "it's not a powerful and strong love" - bitch please - the day after she's on her knees because she loves him too damn much) <- and that's just the beginning.
In the end I was like...

... because really, the book could have been way shorter without all these unnecessary lines.

I didn't feel any empathy for neither Avery nor Nate because of that.

But I really liked Max and Liam. Hopefully they'll have their own book !

[Amy | Foxy Blogs]

**Won this book from a Facebook contest hosted by Belle Aurora. Thank you for the book. **

[Beeg Panda]

*Free 16 Nov 21*

[Shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if you were in a loveless marriage? You keep trying and trying but cannot fix soemthing that is beyond broken. This is how it is for Nate. He stays because he has a daughter. I just finished Life After Taylah and I liked it but for me there were some things that werent for me. Alot of marriages are like this. I can totally understand. You are in a rut, your spouse does things that tick you off but you tolerate and just live with it. But what if it truly effects your daughter? Do you stay and take a chance that your daughter might be happy or do you go with a risk that your daughter wont be with you. That is a hard one. Now here is Avery. She is in a loveless relationship with Jacob, he is really only there to take over her fathers business. What is tolerable to her ends up getting way out of hand and she starts seeing a new side to her situation. What doesnt make it better is Nate. They meet and it is an instant attraction but you cannot cross those lines or so they try. They both are dealing with alot, especially Avery (with her mothers dissappearance and not getting any answers). This has truly effected her and her decisions while growing up. They both need a friend but what happens when you cross those imaginary lines? You will have to read and see.


I love Bella and the way that she spins a story always have hooked me, not saying this one didnt but it was just not my favorite. You know, it flowed well and had a good story line but it was for me not ok to cheat. Like Bella said at the beginning for this book, some will love it and some will hate it, for me I was in the middle. I can deal with reading about cheating to an extent but this one, I just dont know what it was but I wasnt into it. I get the feeling behind it and yes I understood their decisions but I dont know, it just wasnt for me. I just dont think its ok. I know, I know double standard. I can read it but no agree in real life....ok!!


Nate for me was a hottie though. He seemed like a really good dad. He did have some questionable decisions but thats hand in hand with cheating. Avery was a sweet girl. I felt bad for her predictament and was glad that a certain points did get some questions answered. The chemistry between them was hot, off the charts. Did I want a HEA for them, well of course!! I just would have preferred it in a different way.


All in all, I love Bella. I love her writing style and love how she portrays characters. You really feel for them but again this one wasnt for me. I will always read her books no matter what.

Story 3
Sex 4
Overall 4

Reviewed by Beggin from Mommys a Book Whore

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book and I couldn't stop until reach the end, which normally doesn't happen as my bipolar reading mood keeps me reading other 2 books at the same time.
Beautiful! I loved it!

[Cassia Brightmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY REVIEW ~ Rating: 4 Delicious Stars

Bella Jewel – she’s on my list of all time fave authors, so when I was given the chance to receive an advance copy of her newest novel – you’re damn right I jumped on that lickity split. Here’s my review and thoughts on Life After Taylah.

When I opened the book on my Kindle App, one of the first things I read was a note from the author. If I’m being honest, the note did have me feeling a little hesitation about whether or not I would enjoy the story (I know, sounds so crazy right – it’s a Bella Jewel book!!). I hadn’t heard much about this new release, just little snippets of information here and there – so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. However, once I turned the first page – I was lost in the story. Bella is one of those unique authors that has the ability to completely suck you in. Life After Taylah is unlike anything I’ve read before – it touches on topics that are heartbreaking, gut wrenching and will def make you want to do the dreaded ugly cry. But the beauty of this story is the hidden treasures – the messages it delivers. Despite the dreaded ugly cry (yes it really is going to happen), there is also survival, acceptance, hope and most importantly – love. These are very powerful emotions, a lot to experience in one book. You would think that it would have that overwhelming feeling…but everything is tied together beautifully, weaved almost intricately throughout the book.

Avery is a beautiful character, definitely one of my fave female leads. At a young age, tragedy strikes her family and her mother is taken from them with no hint of an explanation. Suffering that kind of loss, it’s unimaginable – especially when given no clear reason as to why. The beginning of the book touches a little bit on the loving, caring relationship she had with her mother and when she is ripped from them, my heart truly broke for Avery. The pain of the loss was evident all throughout the entire book, I thought it was brilliant the way Bella managed to always circle the story back to the main plot line – Taylah’s disappearance and how the dominoes fell after that event. Despite the tragedy, Avery manages to grow and flourish into an amazing woman – her spirit and loving nature do not break, and this speaks to the strength of her character. Her passion for dance is what drives her forward, if there is any more books in the future with these characters, I’d love to see her take that dream further.

Liam – Avery’s brother was a fantastic character. He truly showcased how easy it is to have your life spiral out of control after losing a family member. The despair and anger he feels is so evident…I thought that Bella did an amazing job showing the contrast between him and Avery and how their lives ended up after dealing with the same loss in their family. There was one interaction in the book between Liam and Avery that really stuck in my mind:

With this, he steps out the door and slams it closed, leaving me speechless and completely heartbroken. I’ve tried so hard over the years to show Liam that I care but he’s not accepted it. He closed down the day my mother left and he didn’t look back. Between him and my father, I was the only rock, and yet neither of them wanted to let me in. She broke us when she went missing – intentionally or not.
Now we’re seeing what’s its like to live with life after Taylah.

I’m rooting for Liam – and I’m secretly hoping he gets his own story (please Bella!!!).

My biggest dislike of the book was Jacob. Ughhhhh Jacob. He is completely all of your slimy, douchey ex-boyfriends rolled into one. Trust me – it will only take reading one scene with him in it, for you to agree with me on that one. Straw hat – that’s all I’m going to say, and you’ll know what I mean when you get to that part in the book!

So now….I strangely find myself in the same position as Bella likely was when she wrote the “note from the author”, as I begin to share my thoughts on Avery and Nate. This 1000% was a difficult relationship, and you’ll either hate my opinion on them, or you’ll totally agree. Either way – here we go…

Nate…oh how I flippin love Nate. He is just that perfect amount of sexy man – hell even his arrogance is drool worthy. He is old school chivalrous underneath all of his tough exterior and I LOVED that about him. He is so deliciously HOT and Lordy do I ever want him climbing in my window for a forbidden tryst! I’m not giving anything away by mentioning that Avery and Nate are both in relationships when they meet – Nate is married and Avery is involved with Jacob. The attraction, the spark, the instant connection jumped right off the pages when they met – it all but smacked me in the face how perfect they were for each other….however, they are both involved with other people.

Throughout the course of the story, their encounters increase, they see each other more frequently and despite their best efforts to do the right thing – a relationship develops. These two characters, I found myself invested in them and I WANTED it work out despite the circumstances. They both had personal experiences driving them to look for and wish for something more out of life. Had this been a different set of circumstances, I think that the relationship they developed would have been harder to swallow…Bella does a beautiful job of portraying the anguish and guilt they both feel while trying to fight the attraction to each other. Had the book not been written that way, I think I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did. Throughout the story, a quote that I have always loved kept running through my mind – something you may want to think about too while you’re reading it…

I didn’t fall for you, you fucking tripped me.

Bella has done an outstanding job with their storyline, she really has. The heart, it is its own separate entity – we cant help who we fall in love with, and we all know that fate can be a cruel bitch on the best of days. The way this was written – you can see that things aren’t always black and white…sometimes life is grey and we have to play the hands we get dealt. Having said that, it definitely isn’t an easy road for Avery and Nate! A few snippets from Nate in his conversations with Avery that broke my heart:

“You’re taken,” he rasps. “I’m taken. But you’re still fucking there. Why are you there Avery? Why the fuck are you consuming me?”
“Marriage is for life. It’s what you sign up for. It’s not meant to be easy, Avery…”

This book…it consumed me! I loved every second of it, and it gave me one of the biggest book hangovers I’ve ever had. I struggled with this review, wanting to get it just right – the characters deserved that.

It was an emotional roller coaster ride, but definitely one worth riding….that is forsure. The whole book you are left wondering – how is this possibly going to end? Will Nate and Avery end up together? Will we ever find out what happened to Taylah?

Well….you need to buy the book to find out those answers – keep the tissues and the wine handy for this one, believe me when I say you are going to need both ;)

xo Cassia

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was real life. It’s not your fantasy romance where the hero has never loved anyone else, has never crossed any moral lines and is basically a perfect man. It’s also not about a woman who has made the best decisions in her life because life has handed her more horrible things to break her than any one person should have to bear. It begged the question of what a child would do if they live a happy life with a wonderful mother, leave for school one day and return to find her gone. Gone, with no reasons and no idea of why or where she disappeared to. Some unfortunate people face this type of situation and you know it has to screw their life up horribly. Then the woman has a cold father who has never shown her real love. She enters into a relationship with a cold unfeeling man who her father has chosen for her based on business reasons only. Her brother has gone off the tracks since the mother’s disappearance and causes her heartache. She floats along in life, knowing she is not happy and knowing that the only person who truly loved her left her for no reason.
Nate is a good man. He cares for his family and loves his young daughter deeply. He married his wife very young and admits the marriage has been on the rocks for years because of her drinking problems as well as parental neglect with the daughter. It’s one of those situations where he stays for the sake of the child and because he feels marriage is a life time commitment.
Nate and Avery meet through friends and even though there is that glimmer of attraction when they first meet, it’s not insta-love or lust. They become true friends who talk to each other about the problems in their lives and help each on an emotional level to deal with what life has thrown them. The friendship builds and morphs and they start depending on each other to help get through the dark times, of which there are many, until the fateful day they share a kiss. The relationship changes completely and they enter the sexual relationship. At this point both are battling their guilt and conscience because they know it is wrong. There’s so much emotion in reading about their emotional struggles, the guilt and their attempts to stay away from each other. It’s heart breaking and gut wrenching.
First I would like to say that cheating is never ok but we all know it happens in real life. Yes, I know people that are in a committed relationship that started out without someone else. We all make mistakes in life and it’s how we deal with those mistakes determines what kind of person we really are. And in truthfulness, the mates of both the main characters were not innocent and blame free for the degeneration of the relationships. But still, the best thing is to get out of those relationships before becoming deeply involved with someone else. But like I said, sometimes in the worst period of our life we make bad decisions. The love between Nate and Avery was real. These characters reached into my heart and made me feel their pain as well as cry tears wanting them to finally get to their HEA.
This book is not going to be for everyone. If cheating is your trigger and you have absolutely no tolerance for that situation, you won’t like this book. But if you can take life real and raw and want to read about two people who love each other deeply, then this is the book for you. This is a book I definitely will read again and again because of the love story.
On the bright side there’s lots of hot, alpha, drool worthy guys and some really hot sex scenes. I would love to read a story about Keanu, Kelly or Liam.

[Mihaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books you either love or hate. There’s no way in between.

Life After Taylah is the story of a family that has been broken apart after the mother left.

Until the age of thirteen, Avery had had everything – a loving family, the perfect home, the perfect life. But one day, her mother just disappeared and everything fell apart.

Now, ten years later, her father is a cold, cruel man. Her brother is slowly killing himself with drugs and alcohol and she’s tied to a man she doesn’t feel anything for.

Avie has one refuge and that is ballet. She always loved to dance and, surprisingly, her father supported her passion even after her mother went missing.

It’s painful to see how Taylah’s disappearance impacted their lives.

But something changes the night she meets Nathanial.

He has his own baggage but they seem to be good for each other.

Unfortunately, nothing is that simple. A relationship between her and Nate is impossible and, should they give in, the consequences would be devastating for both of them.

I can’t say more without giving you spoilers. You’ll have to read and find out what the story is.

As I said, this is one of those books you either hate or love. I don’t know if I agree with Nate and Avery. Mostly, I disagree with Nathanial. I understood his situation but I still think he should have acted differently. Yes, when you love someone and find solace in that person’s embrace, it's hard to let, go but even so. I know that as an observer it's easy to point out the mistakes so I tried to picture myself in their situation.

And I still think that all the pain and torment could have been avoided.

Before making a judgement, read the whole book, because this story is really complicated.

Also, I’d like to read more about the other characters, too.

Bella’s writing style is good and I definitely will pick up more of her books.

3.5 stars

Happy Reading!!

[~ Stephanie Lynn ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

"Love creeps up on you at the most inopportune moment, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Love cannot be reasoned with and it can’t be as simple as right or wrong."

This book is one that you are either going to love or your going to hate...There is no in between..

I will not go into a full long review I will just say this...

MARRIAGE vows are sacred, but TEMPTATION is a powerful thing..

[Raj · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I didn't expect her to be in that situation...so It was kind of refreshing...

"She's my fucking wife, how can you be angry at me for that?" He said WHAT?!?! How could she?!?! fucking asshole! Well, it was a good wake up call... *Goosebumps

There were a few (2 I think) scenes that made me cry...

[Dri ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,8 stars!
Quem me conhece sabe o quanto eu amo a escrita da Bella Jewel e como me apaixono pelos personagens e livros dela.
Infelizmente, nesse não consegui me conectar, não consegui sentir muita coisa a não ser ficar irritada com a personalidade da Avery e Nate...
Essa é a minha opinião, o livro é bom, mas não foi um dos melhores pra mim...

[Lady E · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Avery and Nate's story isn't a cut and dried one, but I appreciated that. The surrounding charcters were very well done, and the plot was well developed. Nate's brother, as well as Kelly and Liam need there own stories! Well done Bella Jewel.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Some clichés but with a good background storyline.

[Kayla.Loves.Books]

YES!!! I love everything Bella writes!

[Taryn Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this Review at Taryn Lee's Book Blog

A gifted copy was provided by the author for an honest review.

Avery is in her twenties. She's an aspiring ballet teacher/dancer. Her father shows no love for her. Her boyfriend is only in it for her father's money. And her brother would rather shoot himself with drugs than speak with his sister. Ever since he mother disappeared from her life all those years ago, Avery's been missing something. Something that comes in the form of a married motocross racer with a sweet young toddler. That something is Nate. They know it's wrong, but sometimes what's wrong, is just right.

"I risk it for you, because you're giving me a chance to see again. To feel again. To just be again."

Bella Jewel is a hit or miss author for me. This particular book was an in-betweener, in my opinion. The plot was fabulous, but the overall book lacked steam for me. I'm reading about two best friends having an affair... GIVE ME MORE HEAT!! I know Bella Jewel has it in her to bring the heat, but where was it? Where was the "I'm going to stop breathing if I don't claim you" attraction between these two? They acted like it was there, but it really wasn't. If their feelings were so intense then why wouldn't he leave his wife for her?

"It's never easy not knowing and that's what it's been like for us since she went."

Every time Nate says he wants to be with Avery, he backs up two minutes later with the claim that he can't leave his wife... um yes he could. It's called get a lawyer and fight for custody. The whole back and forth between them just got old.

"She's dangerous for me. I feel it with everything I am."

Overall, I loved the parallels between Avery's affair and Taylah's affair. We don't want history to repeat itself, because we want that HEA. I'm giving this book 3.5 STARS out of 5 STARS for the wonderful plot. I just wasn't one hundred percent sold on the relationship between Avery and Nate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read by Taryn Lee on May 29, 2014
Reviewed by Taryn Lee on May 29, 2014
Taryn Lee's Book Blog on Facebook

[~`*Ella Lee*`~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Shit Balls - I loved this book.
The H and h in this book are amazing. The story is hot and sexy and totally sucks you in. I could not put this book down.
It does have a few triggers that some may need to be wary of before picking up.

It does involve cheating, as the H is married. So in-between sexing it up with the h, I believe he gets some oral sex from his wife.
It also involves the h knowing (or feeling) that she will never be the # 1 for the hero - and as much as it pains him, he admits that its very likely for that, because he does want to try and work it out with his wife


This by no means, means that the heroine is the Hero's doormat. It is ULTRA sweet, the H is ULTRA possessive and has OTT hot and sexy moments.

I wish things with the BFF, Kelly, would have played out to be a little more interesting between the h and him than they did, but, that's just me loving the story so much and wanting more. I can't wait for Kelly, Keanu and Liam's books! At least there better be books for them! I can't possibly go on with out them! I mean - well, I guess I could, but I'd totally be hard up for them for a long time!

[Lissa Smith Reads'~A Bookaholics Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheaters should NOT win, Money hungry ho's shouldn't prosper

He's a cheating bastard, she's a cheating whore! However, she has bigger balls than Nate considering that she dumped her man before falling into bed with him. Yet, she knew he was still married.
Now the wiffy. Ugh! That raunchy whore just wanted her money grubbing hands on Nate's bank account.
Over all, I can say Nate was an exceptional father!

Yet, whores, the lot of 'em:)

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews]

So I knew before I started this that the H was married and there would be cheating.

Now I've read up to 11% and I'm annoyed that he's having sex with his wife even though he practically hates her. Just give yourself a tug and leave her to flick her own bean. Seriously!

may come back when I'm feeling more forgiving

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there nothing higher than 5 starts on here? Well there needs to be. This book was AMAZEBALLS!!! Heart wrenching, sob worthy, sweet, funny.
I love all Bella Jewels previous books but this one takes the cake. In my option, definitely her best book to date.