Lost in the Aftermath

by Allasandra Buckner

Ceci never expected her life to be measured in "before" and "after." But in the aftermath of a devastating accident, she finds herself tethered to the unknown—caught between grief, guilt, and the fragile hope of a future she can’t quite grasp.

Juliette, the friend who always kept her grounded, now lies unconscious, leaving Ceci to navigate a world that suddenly feels unrecognizable. As she struggles to hold herself together, a chance encounter with Adrian—a paramedic with his own ghosts—offers her something she never saw a reason to keep moving forward.

But healing isn’t linear, and neither is love. As past regrets and new temptations pull Ceci in different directions, she’s left to Can you rebuild a life when the foundation is still cracked? Or is she destined to lose herself in the wreckage of what once was?

Lost in the Aftermath is a story of heartbreak and resilience, of unexpected connections and the weight of unspoken truths. Because sometimes, survival isn’t just about making it through the storm—it’s about figuring out who you are once the dust finally settles.

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2025

Reviews

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I’m honestly speechless. I devoured this book in one sitting. This story took me through every emotion anger, sadness, and even some joy in certain moments. Just when I thought there was no way another wild plot twist could catch me off guard, I was wrong. I loved seeing this from Ceci’s perspective. Thank you for this arc I was excited when this hit my kindle.

[Wendy Marie (myrisingphoenixera.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost in the Aftermath starts off the night of the car accident. Where book one was told from Juliette’s pov, this story shows us Ceci’s life while Juliette was in the hospital. Ceci is sitting in the hospital when she first meets Adrian, the emt that was at the scene of the accident. A friendship quickly formed leading to more. Adrian was there providing support to Ceci when she had no one. This story takes you on a journey of grief, finding love, and learning you don’t have to go it alone. I don’t want to give too many details and spoil the story. Just know, there are revelations and twists that I did not see coming. The ending might not have been what I had hoped for, but it was a happy ending.

Thank you to Allasandra Buckner for the privilege to read an advanced copy of Coldhearted King.

4.5⭐️
2🌶️
📚ARC Review📚All thoughts and opinions are my own📚
🐦‍🔥Follow me on socials @myrisingphoenixera 🐦‍🔥

[Abhijeet Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

“She was the one thing that felt solid. The one person who saw me for everything I was and still stayed. Our friendship wasn’t perfect, but it was real. And now, she’s slipping further and further away…”

Lost in the Aftermath by Allasandra Buckner is the story of Ceci in the aftermath of the car accident that leaves her best friend, Juliette, unconscious. And this is my sob-filled review as an ugly-crying ARC reader.

It’s book 2 of the Lost in the… series, and it’s a story of heartbreak, resilience and complex relationships. As Ceci tries to survive her collapsed world, Adrian offers a glimmer of hope, while having a broken soul of his own.

At its heart, this story is about grief and healing. It’s written in dual POVs, and it’s both heartfelt and immersive. Loved how each chapter has a dedicated song to be played alongside.

You get to live inside both Ceci's and Adrian’s heads, around their everyday life, as they’re trying to hold on to anything that still feels remotely normal.

The story gives you hope. A quiet, persistent kind of hope.

Then come twists that turn your world over. It’s messy, it’s real, and it’s heartbreakingly painful.

If you love stories about friendship, love and loss, you must read this book. Just keep a gap between reading the first book and this one. Some parts felt like rinsed-and-repeated.

[bookowlcourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️star read!
I was doing so well reading this book.Then the first plot twist hits and i’m over here going through the emotions again just like book one 😭 I went through all the emotions anger, happiness, sadness, and of course I cried at the ending. This series has been so great book 2 gets 6 stars! The writing style is amazing and the characters are everything worth every single tear I have shed while reading this. If you haven’t read book 1 yet make sure you do! I am looking forward to reading book 3!

[Annie Gockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
Let me start by saying this series was mind blowing! I absolutely loved both books in this series Lost in the Meantime and this book Lost in the Aftermath!! If you love major plot twist this series is definitely for you!

One minute you thought you knew what was going to happen or had a gut feeling and then once it was revealed you were like woah 🤯 I didn’t see that coming! So many plot twist it was perfectly written! Also kept me on the edge of my seat!

This book was a quick read for me I read it within 2 nights and if life didn’t get in the way I would have finished it in one sitting like I did with Lost in the Meantime. Honestly both books give you a brief minute where you’re like what the heck just happened total mind f***!

10/10 recommend this series you will not be disappointed! I honestly want more!

[Freya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adore how every chapter has an assigned song. The whole book is a playlist. Very unique.

This book is from Ceci and Adrian’s POV. Story about life struggles, loss, love and growth. It also has some 🌶️🌶️

Ceci and Adrian both have common insecurities and past exes that burned them. Battles they are still fighting.

Story of course is an emotional roller coaster and had my jaw dropping towards the end. Like what?!?

Something happened that night to cause the accident….will they confess….or stay silent?

That is all I can say without giving anything away. 😉

Thank you to the author for this gifted ARC.

[Carra Copland · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
🌶

This sequel shook me.

What a beautiful story!

Adrian and Ceci were so well developed that I genuinely grew to live them as people and understand them from all sides.

Allasandra executed this story of romance, miscommunication (or lack thereof in some parts), and heartache so well!

What i learned is that sometimes, it's tough to say the hard things, to allow yourself to be truthful and be honest with people. We build high walls no matter the kind of person we are, and all it takes is the RIGHT person to help you open the proverbial flood gates.

This story is twisty but well plotted, funny, but gutwrenching and keeps you pulled into the story right until the very end.

And that EPILOGUE!!!
Floods!!

Even the side character had depth and did really well at helping the story progress!

Well done, Allasandra.

What to expect:
🛌Past Trauma
🏥Death
🛌The Stages of Grief
🏥Banter
🛌A little spice
🏥Miscommunication

[Tiffany Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely NOT what I expected after reading book one. I expected this book to be Juliette’s recovery post incident, but that was only an EXTREMELY small part of the book and towards the end I actually wondered if that was a “fever dream” or real there for a while. I loved all of the new information about the original incident that we learned about in this book. The twist at the end broke my heart and definitely made me shed a few tears.

Would definitely continue to read from this author!

Now for my favorite quote-

“Ambush is my love language,”

[Tams Book Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book where I was both a beta and ARC reader, and I have to begin by saying I have zero regrets in needing to read this book twice. The second book of the series, Allasandra Buckner has smashed it out of the park. With the absolute shocking reveal of Juliette being in a coma at the end of the first book, exploring Ceci’s point of view is something not many would consider, which is why I’m so glad that this is the second book. The book dealt with many themes. Loss, grief, unexpected love, and all were done so perfectly. This is a sort of read that you cannot put down, and I had troubles myself with putting it down when I had things to do. Another side note, loved the use of music in this book! I felt like I was even more immersed with the story as I went through every song! I cannot get over how perfectly this book fit, and I cannot wait for more people to read it come its release date!

[Danielle Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautifully written book on the different stages of grief but from the perspective of losing someone who is still physically there until they aren't... yes tears were shed again... this book really gets down to the heart of trying to continue with the everyday normality of life when nothing is normal anymore and you feel like you're adrift in the ocean... really makes you sit and think

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect sequel to Lost in the Meantime (if you haven’t read that than do so now I’ll wait) this book had a great blooming romance, grief, crazy exs, a twist and a wonderful ending. Allasandra has once again knocked it out of the park. Truly a must read for everyone.

[Marcey Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another whirlwind… the twist was whacky and I really had hope for a moment only to have it torn away. I love Ceci, Adrian, and Jules. My heart breaks yet again

[Kate Edmondson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel! You need to read this if you’ve read the first one as it explains so much!!

Adrian is the perfect guy and Ceci is the best friend!!

Love it! Had to read it in one go!

[Julie Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I was chosen as an ARC reader and I have to say …it was so much better than I thought it was going to be. The story line kept you on your toes. And the tears I shed, unreal. 10/10 would recommend

[Kim Parham · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you're looking for a major plot twist that will completely f**k with your mind, this is it. Allasandra Buckner is a master of completely destroying you, yet making you want more. Her characters feel real and relatable, and you will feel anything and everything right along with them.

[Kayley Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way that this story has an almost poetic feel to it. There is something so intimate about the writing style that really drives the emotional impacts home. The dynamics of Ceci and Adrian are everything I looked for in the relationships of book 1, but didn't get. I felt deeply connected to Ceci and I loved how Allasandra really put us through the emotions of loss.

We didn't only see Ceci losing someone that she loves deeply, but we also see Adrian experiencing those same emotions and I think that really draws them closer in the overall picture. Their romance feels authentic and pure rather than forced, which I really appreciated.

The ending of this book made me cry. I was unwell. I loved this so much and would recommend to anyone who asks about it.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given an ARC copy and all I have to say is..wow. Allasandra has truly outdone herself with this one! The emotions I felt in “Lost in the Meantime” were crazy, but compared to this?? It’s a totally different feeling. I laughed, cried, and cried again.. I haven’t read a book like this in a long time. Having lost someone recently, the topic of grief really hit me hard but I loved this book. Highly recommend. Thank you Allasandra!!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, Allasandra Buckner has done it again. Just when I thought I knew where things were going… BAM. Total whiplash. Every time I made a prediction, she completely flipped the narrative on me. And honestly? I kind of love her for it… even if my brain needs a moment to recover. 😅

This story had me feeling everything—sadness, anger, joy, pure confusion, and absolute shock. The emotional rollercoaster is real, y’all. The twists? Twisting. The turns? Turning. And Alessandra (because let’s be real, we’re on a first-name basis now after this emotional betrayal) BROKE MY BRAIN. Again. And I still can’t fully forgive her.

But that's the mark of a good author, right? To make you feel this much, to leave you reeling long after the final page? It was wild, it was intense, and I loved every chaotic second.

Thank you so much Allasandra for the eARC—I’m honoured to have read this early, and I’m still picking my jaw up off the floor.

[Cas · Rating 5 out of 5]

** ARC review **
4,5 stars

I went into this book thinking Allasandra wouldn't be able to top the plottwist from book one and hoooo boy was I wrong. Also, this book was beautiful.

The characters all are so written well with their pasts, their struggles and their developments and the twists and turns in this book simply kept my attention from start to finish.
The ending is absolutely heartbreaking and yet so beautiful, I loved it so much even though I was truly sobbing.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

No spoilers in this review

I had the extreme pleasure of receiving this book as an ARC and these opinions are my own.

This is a fitting sequel to the first book. The storyline was an incredible journey that showed multiple pov's. Heartbreak and plot twists that keep the reader reading. Well done Allasandra and definitely look forward to reading more from you.

Highly recommend

[Nikki Wilbur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emotional damage was dealt again as this author always does. It dove into loss and grief. It dove into trust and love and the facets of that when you don't trust.
Always the twist with this author. I loved the KO.

[AbbieReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️