After the Bell

by J. Valencia

Some lessons begin after the bell rings…

Kennedy Voss thought she’d buried her chance at love when she buried her husband. A devoted principal in the small town of Harvest Hills at Sweet Pea Academy, she’s spent the last two years building walls around her heart while pouring everything into her students. Love was something for her past—until Griff Banks walked into her life...again.

Griff Banks never planned on small-town life, but the assistant principal job in Harvest Hills is the fresh start he needs. Focused on his career and finding his footing, love wasn’t on his agenda—until Kennedy Voss. Strong, beautiful, and off-limits, she stirs something in him he can’t ignore. And when his heart begins to reach for hers, he realizes he’s not just falling for Kennedy…he’s falling for the family she’s built too.

Set against the heart of a small town, After the Bell is a soulful Black romance about resilience, unexpected love, and the courage to open your heart again. With a strong heroine, a steadfast hero, and a love that feels like home, this story promises a happily-ever-after worth believing in.

Perfect for readers who
✔️ Workplace romance
✔️ Small-town southern charm
✔️ Strong Black heroines
✔️ Stepdad & family-centered love stories
✔️ Emotional second-chance romance with a happy ending

If you believe love can find you when you least expect it, you’ll fall for Kennedy and Griff’s story in After the Bell.

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2025

Reviews

[BrownBookNerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this soo much!!

[ReadnliftwithShar · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥰

4.5✨After the Bell was a solid debut! It’s short, but held my attention from beginning to end. I’m a sucker for characters who are struggling to accept love and help, and Dr. Kennedy Voss was the poster child for suffering in silence. A widow, single mother, school Principal, and all around independent woman who kept everything together, until she no longer could. But fret not, Dr. Griff Banks was there to peel back those layers and repair the broken parts. It was truly the pressure for me! I enjoyed this book; the dialogue, tension, and close proximity, was done well. I cannot wait to see what is next.

[southern_bookbabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-2.75 ⭐️ the epilogue was my favorite part. I love the thought process behind the story I just don’t think it was executed to its full potential. For this to be author’s debut project it was pretty good. I know with time and nurturing her craft it will only get better.

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad for a debut novel. This was a slow burn story about grief, moving forward, and allowing others to help carry your load. I wish the author spent more time on the front end exploring Griff and Kennedy’s past dynamic because it would have made her disdain for working with him make a bit more sense. I’m also not sure how I felt about their love story. Something just didn’t connect for me. There were also some editing issues. at one point there was a flashback but it wasn’t clear that it was a flashback at first so it was confusing. And towards the end the voice changed from 3rd person to 1st person POV sometimes within the same sentences🙄. While this wasn’t a favorite of mine, someone may enjoy it and I’m sure things will only improve as the author progresses in her career☺️

[Danielle Wright-Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Griff and Kennedy seemed to work well together in the work place but that didn’t transpire over into their love life for me. I missed where Griff and Kennedy actually connected romantically. I was wanting maybe certain cues or looking for certain moments to stand out that let me feel the romance of a slow burn but I never felt it between them.
Their relationship gave close friends so as the story progress it was just like “ok, he doing all of this for a friend he cares deeply about.”
I needed more for Griff and Kennedy to make sense romantically.

I liked Griff and Kennedy as separate characters which made me finish the story because I did want to see what would happen to them, individually.

At one point there was switching of 1st to 3rd person POV and that was also different for me.

I liked the overall story. The romance just wasn’t there for me which is why I rated it low.

[Chantel M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like it!

I like the story it was cute and had its’ tender moments. It was a slow burn in the beginning. Griff was very patience and kind to Kennedy from the start even though she was being guarded! I loved that he never pushed but was always there supporting. I wanted to give it more than ⭐️⭐️⭐️ but I felt like the story was missing key information that was needed in the story. I was a little confused on how we jumped from A to D in certain places. I would have like a little bit more in depth in the story. I know these series aren’t meant to be long but it needed more. Still I liked the story.

[Brisace · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the Bell was a solid 3-star read for me. I appreciated Kennedy’s strength and the way she was trying to protect her heart after so much loss, and Griff was a patient, steady presence that balanced her well. Their story had a sweetness to it, and I loved the message of second chances at love.

That said, some parts didn’t fully pull me in the way I hoped, and I found myself wishing for a little more depth in certain moments. Still, it was a heartfelt story about resilience and learning to open yourself up again, and I can see it being the perfect cozy read for others.

[C.M. M. Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good forced proximity

Kennedy gave Griff the blues but his persistence and grounding in who he was as a professional and a lover broke her walls down. This was a great forced proximity romance, we get to see a grieving widow find love again with her professional nemesis. Daddy Griff is swoon worthy. He stepped right up to the step daddy plate and hit a home run, I can’t wait for more from new pen, J Valencia!

[Tash. Tash. · Rating 5 out of 5]

well done!! t

This was a ten ten and so beautifully written! Kennedy was the epitome of a strong woman but you could see that strength too so much out of her but she kept pushing until Griffin comes along to let her know it’s okay to show you’re not okay! Ughh! This was good. Read like a narration to a perfectly shown lived story ! I cannot wait to read more from J!

[Raylin Weathersby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing debut!! I don’t why it took me so long to read this book! I’m absolutely loved every second of it. This book deals with heavy topics like grief and death. It was beautifully written, as someone who understands losing a family member. The author did amazing showcasing life without them and finding new love and beginnings. Over I love this book. 4.5/ 5 stars

[April Snowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done, I really enjoyed it!

[Shameka Erby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kennedy and Griff

[_dulcekk · Rating 3 out of 5]

living again….

Grief is nonlinear. It’s okay not to be okay. It’s okay to receive help. “You don’t have to carry it all alone”. I loved Griff’s patience with Kennedy.

[jordyneIAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a cute short story, i actually enjoyed this .

[Precious Coppadge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed watching this book develop. It was a joy. I shed a tear or two.

[Evie Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a daughter of a teacher, this is so real lol. I love Griff and Kennedy dynamic. OMG the banter had me rolling. If you want a quick read, I definitely recommend this book.

[Reem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Corynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besides the typos, I loved this story!