After Hours Again: A 30-Minute Romance Short Read

by Simone Monet

A Kindle Top 5 Bestseller in Romance Short Reads
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She didn’t come for love. She just came for tea.

Zahra only stopped by her old café out of habit. She didn’t expect the lights to still be on—or for Solomon, the quiet man who used to watch her from the corner booth, to be the one behind the bar.

What begins as a cup of tea turns into something a slow-burn collision of memory, heat, and the kind of desire that listens before it touches.

After Hours Again is a steamy, emotionally rich Black romance short story cinnamon-sweet late-night café settingA soft but steady Black man who’s been watching with reverence, not hungerA heroine rediscovering what it feels like to be wanted without performanceOne unforgettable night of sacred sensuality, soulful connection, and slow-burn steam
Perfect for fans of Alexandria House, Love Belvin, or Christina C. Jones, this short delivers everything your heart and Kindle came for.

[This is a ~3,700-word romance short read featuring beautiful Black characters, lots of soul, and a sprinkle of spice.]
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Simone Monet writes steamy, spiritual, and emotionally rich romance for Black women who want more than just spice—they want depth. Each story offers sacred intimacy, unhurried healing, and love that listens before it touches.

23 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2025

Reviews

[Toya Davis-Stokley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zahra stops by her old cafe and sees the man inside that she used to admire from afar. But why is the cafe still open this late, she wonders. Moving on instinct she goes inside, and that is where the magic happens. Although Zahra and Solomon don't speak much, you could feel their intense chemistry, and the intimacy of the cafe after dark. Quick, steamy read.

[Carol Gadient · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautifully written book but the characters had no chemistry for me and maybe it's the novellas I have read but there wasn't any feeling or story it was just a sad lonely woman who went to place she used to be a barista at, sees a man she used to serve, they do below navel lip kissing and that's about it...It didn't feel substantial in any way and I didn't believe that either character actually felt what they claimed, it felt like fluff words after great head

[Rhina M. Finley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Short Cozy Love Story!

After Hours Again was an intimate, romantic love story that will give the right dose of all the feels! If you are looking for a short love story read After Hours!

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and sensual

This book is for readers who like a poetic type of love. Where the scenes are described in emotional instead of physical terms.