After All: A Sapphic Romance

by Bryce Oakley

What happens in Vegas might just save their marriage.

Maggie and Gwen Pierce aren’t divorced, not technically. They’re just on pause. Separate bedrooms, strained silences, and young kids who accept vague answers as fact. It’s easier than admitting their marriage is over.

Except, Maggie hasn’t told her best friends.

When the group heads to Vegas for Pete and Danica’s bachelorette party, their friends are so excited to invite Gwen for the first time, thinking Maggie and Gwen are the happily married couple of the bunch. So, to keep the peace, they decide to fake it. A smile here, a kiss on the cheek there. Just until the weekend is over.

Of course, Vegas has its own ideas. Now, Maggie and Gwen have to decide if their story is over or if it is just getting good again.

After All is a second-chance rom-com packed with fake dating, marriage-on-pause angst, and the kind of meddling friends who make sure you never face heartbreak or hope alone.

Genres: Lesbian, Romance, Second Chance, LGBT, Contemporary

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2025

About the author

Bryce grew up in the mountains of Colorado with a taste for adventure and a head full of clouds. She never grew out of either. She lives in Denver with her partner, two adorable rescue dogs, and a very opinionated cat.

Reviews

[Diane (IF U'RE PRIVATE, PLEASE SKIP ME!!!) Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhilarating read!
Just a nice and delightful conclusion to this 'Latitude & Longing' friendship series. A bit disappointed because i really did not want it to end -- just a well-paced and written book #3.
Highly recommended book and series!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a lot of will power to hold off reading this book until the new year because I have been so invested in this series, in this group of 5 college friends that continually show up for each other and, in the case of the previous books, even fall in love with each other.

But the previous books had the same issue, which I’ll call the Maggie problem. Because Maggie’s life is very different compared to her friends, at least when we start book 2. She’s married to an outsider of the group. She has 3 kids. She lives in Texas. She’s been the 5th wheel in all their get-togethers—a cagey fifth wheel who avoids discussing her wife. And do you know how hard that she has to work to avoid anything with this group of friends?

Bryce Oakley did me a huge favor (let me think this, Bryce, even though it’s definitely not true) by giving Maggie her own book. All I’ve wanted this whole time is for Maggie to be happy like her friends and to get to know Gwen better.

I’ll admit my expectations were low coming into this book. That’s not a knock on the author at all but because this is the 3rd book in a series—and, let’s be honest, first books are usually the best of the bunch—and because this is a romance about an already-married couple. Writing about established couples is hard, which is why there aren’t that many. But, Bryce, you hit this out of the park. Honestly. I didn’t want to put this book down and was so mad when I made the very adult decision to force myself to sleep last night at the 80% mark.

What you’ll find within these pages is a well-earned romance with ups and downs, heartbreak and hilarity, chaos and order. And you’ll also be rewarded with time with the friend group, which, to me, is where so many series fail—in not letting the reader spend enough time with the other characters with whom they are invested. Not here, though. I love them all and I loved this book. I can’t wait to reread the whole thing again.

One last note: I would not read this unless you’ve read the previous books. It would work as a standalone, yes, but there’s a lot of context you’d miss if you started here. But, hey, maybe you’d know how Gwen feels without al the inside jokes between these friends?

[Megzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay! I wasn't convinced by #2 of this series, but thank god this one was an absolute delight. I loved reading about a current married couple trying to make it - a different formula from the usual. The emotional depth throughout had me invested from start to finish, and the dynamics with their friends were heartwarming.

I would have loved a few flashbacks to see their love grow over the years, just to feel their history more deeply. That said, I'm just being extra picky - there were moments that made me laugh out loud and others that brought tears to my eyes. Always a sign of a great book. This story is genuinely feel-good, even as it tackles the very real challenges of marriage—the fragility, the effort it takes to stay aligned as a team. The balance between angst and fun was perfect.

I’ll definitely be reading this again. Highly recommended!

[kay.grace424 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t really know how I feel about this book. It was good, a great story about a couple coming together after a tumultuous time apart. I think it was just a lot heavier on the angst than I was anticipating. It’s very much about the hard parts of a relationship and marriage, very much not your typical romance book. I knew that going in but I think I was expecting more of the romance you usually see in Bryce Oakley books.

There were definitely moments typical of a classic fake dating romance. They were also loaded with the fact that they’ve been married for years. This was the most adult romance I’ve read, not because of “adult themes” (which usually refer to spice) necessarily but more that it felt like two real people wanting to make it work and it not working. Two people who love each other facing real adults problems and roadblocks. I totally believe that a real version of their story exists.

I think ultimately my thoughts can be summed up by: it was more serious than I was anticipating based on past Bryce Oakley reading experiences and thus this book just wasn’t what I was anticipating. I think I would generally have more positive feelings about it if I had a better grasp of the tone going in. Also basically the whole time I wanted to grab Gwen by the shoulders and shake her. Like all love, get a grip. There is clearly something you could do to solve a good portion of their issues and it took her forever to actually get to that conclusion.

It was a good conclusion to this group I feel. Full transparency, I’ve read the first book and not the second so I was confused at parts (this is definitely closer to a full series than a collection of standalone) but I feel like I got the big picture.

TLDR: It was good because it was real. It was just not a level of real that I was expecting. But you will never catch me not recommending a Bryce Oakley book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4 stars)
🌶️🌶️(3 full scenes in more vague terms)

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great wrap-up of this trilogy, I think my favourite book in the series. It was so good to finally get a book about an already married couple that struggles with their relationship, and this book was written in such a believable way. After a few years together and small children so easy to no longer prioritize, communicate and see each other even though you still love each other. In this case they have even decides a separation is best and they are so close to a divorce.

The book is written in dual POV and that is a great move since you get insight on how both Gwen and Maggie see things and that is quite different. They are such different personalities, Gwen the one with everything in perfect order and all planned and the very messy Maggie that does not at all get how Gwen can prioritize her job over her family. I must say that I sympathize with Gwen a lot that I think is misunderstood by Maggie, but of course always room for improvement.

Fortunately, they have meddling friends that can nudge them to potentially turn everything around, make sure Maggie and Gwen realize they still love each other and should give this relationship a second chance.

[SSA · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love books that centre an established couple that are working on their relationship but I didn’t enjoy this story. It felt both long and extremely dull. There really wasn’t much romance or tension in the relationship. I honestly thought they had irreconcilable differences and that their relationship shouldn’t continue. And there wasn’t any on page reasons to suggest they had this amazing relationship that I should believe in or they should fight for. It was mundane and pretty disappointing to me.

I also thought it was insane of Maggie to be so pissed off about Gwen prioritising her work. I mean, they are a single income household with three kids. It sounded really unreasonable and borderline childish to be annoyed at her for earning money for their family. “The stress of being the sole monetary provider for the family had been her constant, not Maggie’s need for time together.” Exactly what I thought. It seems like Maggie has no empathy whatsoever about Gwen’s situation and refused to see Gwen’s side of the issue.

“Not showing up. Not putting her first. And now she was standing in a lake house two flights away from home, when she should’ve been in a glass tower conference room nodding at renderings.” I am so confused/annoyed by the message of this story. And why was Gwen’s boss painted as a heartless person all of sudden who was all work and no balance for no reason? Wasn’t she the one who convinced Gwen to go on the lunch date where she got invited to the Vegas trip?? And Gwen giving up her professional goals to basically meet Maggie’s insane demands didn’t feel very balanced. It felt very unrealistic and bizarre.

And the resolution of their problems being a grand gesture from Gwen was lacklustre and pretty out place for the story. In my opinion, it didn’t really solve anything and was so cliche.

[Julianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

God, maggie leaves a bad taste in my mouth. She is hypocritical as hell and seems to only think about herself. Im only on page 70 and i really can’t stand her. Maggie keeps fucking stalling, not telling HER friends about the separation. And then she actively blames gwen for being complicit in said lies maggie keeps spewing. She and i quote said “now gwen moved through space like it was nuetral ground, like she hadn’t just detonated the social bomb in the group chat.”

Then Maggie says outloud “ I was going to tell them and then you popped in and they lost their minds”

Gwen- “ going along with it seems easier for everyone”

Maggie- “ not for me it isn’t”

Okay you goddamn hypocrite. You are the one lying, making this harder for Gwen because u are sweeping her up in the lie. Maggie will be mad at her either way clearly.

MIND YOU all she did was walk in the front door after coming back from a business trip while Maggie was on call with her whole fucking friend group. And when they asked if Gwen was coming on the trip, gwen didn’t answer because she left it up to her wife to answer! Like fucking duh these are ur friends. And mind u this is the phone call where she was gonna break the news about the separation, but of course she doesn’t. She just stalls and stalls and fucking stalls.

Now lets rewind it back to page 46, but before that let me give you background. Gwens opening scene is talking about work, then her wifes friends find out shes in town and then her boss forces her to go on break. So she meets them. She polite and silent, obviously uncomfortable. None of them are perceptive to tell, and they basically lay it on thick that they are the dream couple and they look up to them. Honestly though im 90% sure they already know, these women arent good liars. Then THEY ask her to go on a trip, gwen doesnt say yes or no, just a we’ll see. Perfect neutral ground especially because ur complicit in ur wifes lie. Gwen clearly just does what maggie wants and then blames gwen for not making a decision or making one. Maggie finds this out and is PISSED. So they do an online therapy session.

This is the script.

Maggie- “gwen is crashing my friends bachelorette party. She said yes to the bachelorette party last night on the call with everyone didn’t even hesitate.”

Gwen- “ I didn’t want to be the one to tell them the truth about us. I didn’t want to make a scene.”

YES, like you are lying to ur fucking friends and u KEEP lying.

Maggies eyes turn sharp “you WERE the scene.”

Is this bitch actually serious?

Gwen- i panicked. I didn’t want to derail the whole group. They all started in about how we’re their favorite couple and I just felt so complicit in this lie I didn’t want to be the one to break it.”

Maggie laughs bitterly - “ there were plenty of other choices here and you skipped straight to the most difficult one.”

Honey, ur the difficult one here, clearly.

Gwen- “isnt that what youve been doing?”

YES, thank you gwen. Girl knows how to communicate at least.

Maggie says she felt blindsided after that.

Dr therapist- “ Maggie what did it feel like when Gwen said you made her complicit in a lie?”

Maggie “i don’t know im still considering that.”

Okay, just admit nothing is ur fault. Great. Got it.

Maggie makes excuses, like how it will ruin everyones wedding plans if she tells them. She doesn’t want a pity party she says.

Ok cool i get that. Massive bitch to ur wife tho.

Now lets go back to page 60 something where she just got off the phone with her friends.

Thankfully gwen can hold her own, this is her next line.

“ What do you want Maggie? You want to be separated but not divorce you want me to sleep in the guest room but you won’t tell your friends I don’t make decisions anymore because no matter what it’s always wrong.”

Ding ding ding

Maggie- thats not fair

Gwen- no? Because it sounds an awful lot like you’re mad I went along with yet another decision you didn’t want to deal with.”

Maggie makes excuses- i’ve been dealing with everything the kids the house, pretending we’re fine-

Gwen- no one asked you to pretend. Youre the one that didn’t want to tell anybody

LITERALLY.

More thats not fair shit from maggie

Filler argument lines then

Gwen- you say you’re tired of making all the choices but you won’t let anyone else make them either

Yes queen love you

Now this is maggies internal dialogue - the words hit hard because they weren’t wrong, and Maggie hated that Gwen had the upper hand in this. He did that she could sound so reasonable when Maggie felt like she was spinning out.

At least you can recognize it!!

Now, let me defend maggie on THIS lol-

Gwens been distant with maggie a combination of work and i don’t know what else yet.

And maggie feels resentful that gwen wasn’t there for her when her mother passed, which i actually understand. Gwen seems to recognize that shes the one that needs to ask for forgiveness.

Here were the words maggie said in a memory flashback “ you weren’t there. not when my mom died. not when I needed you. You buried yourself in work and asked me what I needed like I was gonna hand you a list. I didn’t wanna list Gwen I wanted you.”

I understand that fully. You shouldn’t have to tell your lover what to do when ur grieving. U need to be there for her regardless.

Gwen knows she was wrong. And she has trouble trying to judge whether Maggie wants her to step up or wants her to stay away. Because gwen just does what her wife wants now, she doesn’t want to step on her toes. Its a tricky slope, not knowing when to insert urself when ur separated but clearly love each other.


And let me not even lie, its annoying and entertaining that maggie is the aggressor while gwen has hope for this trip. Gwen doesn’t seem like the affectionate type, but shes the one that tells her they should practice holding hands and kissing. It’s absurd and funny, maggie is clearly the madder party. Ans honestly i can see how gwen deserves some of it. Maggie is privileged enough to be a stay at home mom, but gwen is also privileged, she needs to be more present while she IS home. U do not need to be on ur phone, its not an emergency. Maggie wants them to break down and be vulnerable together but gwen comfort is too clinical and felt manufactured.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't my intention at all, but I suddenly found myself bingeing the Latitude & Longing series. After One Last Run, my first Bryce Oakley book, I was hooked. The series centers on five college friends who reconnect after more than a decade apart. In the first book, I got to know all five of the women well, and that made me eager to absorb their stories as the main characters as quickly as possible.

In this book, Meddling Maggie is the main character, along with her wife Gwen. But of course, the other women also play a major role in the story.

There's a lot of grief, loneliness, and longing for what once was. It was all quite sad and heartbreaking. It felt like things wouldn't work out, even though they clearly still loved each other.

This book was also very worthwhile and, in my opinion, is on par with the previous two books. 4+⭐️

[zagzig · Rating 5 out of 5]

look clearly the author's calling is to write emotionally fraught girls trips and I commend her for channelling that into romantic comedies

I love a second chance romance, and it turns out I especially love a second chance romance which is still technically on its first chance? I mean second chance romances thrive on baggage, and what's more baggage than a marriage on the precipice. it's just a great set up for angst. Maggie and Gwen are at a very painful place where they see the life they built together crumbling and can only keep repeating the story of how it's the other partner's fault and they did everything they could

the marital issues are a tale as old as time - a breakdown in communication, grief that should be shared but ends up dividing them, a reminder that while the five love languages aren't really a thing (at least, they're not as ironclad as Hogwarts houses) people do expect love in different ways and you should really check in to make sure the way you're communicating love is getting through. and then just a lot of Maggie lashing out for any kind of connection and attention while Gwen stoically goes "I'm going to respect your wishes and offer you space even though I'm just as miserable as you are"

not to mention the biggest facepalm moment in the history of romantic comedies when Gwen takes a post-coital work call Gwen what the fuck woman

it's tragic, and it's emotional, and it's sweet, and very good book yes. I don't know if it's even available worldwide yet I just got in early because of timezones and wanting to know how the girls trip trilogy ended

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn’t hit like i thought it would

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of this series, sad to see it end. We rarely get to read about a sapphiic couple who are struggling to stay in a long term relationship. This was tender and real. It made my heart hurt in moments and smile too. I world recommend this while series!

[Lexi · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of my least favorite romance cliches is the third act breakup caused by communication issues, that this book started with that having already happened before dropping a second one later on didn’t make me love it! I grant that the premise was kind of unique, but I didn’t really get the chemistry between the leads that would make their reconciliation and recommitment to one another satisfying, and I still hate how contrived the recapitulation of their breakup felt (I also think I’m a hater of Las Vegas and most of that section read like shallow wish fulfillment).

[FemmeFataleReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

After all is a funny and equally angsty read about giving your marriage another chance. The marriage that fell apart because both women wanted to be chosen in different ways that resulted in the other pulling back.
This is the most interesting premise I've read in a long time and I can happily report that Oakley fulfilled every last bit of it.

I love her writing style, the characters, the plot, everything really. Both MC's personalities clashed perfectly. Gwen always composed while Maggie is a whirlwind.
There were great descriptions with great emotional impact. The story is really well thought-out.

I appreciated that Oakley chose not to include flashbacks and that I could definitely feel they're love for one another, even though they mostly argued in the story.

I don't think I've ever read a book where I was this invested. I highlighted so many lines and argued with them in my annotations.
For the longest part of the book I wasn't on anybody's side. It was all just so complicated and messy and both Gwen and Maggie were understandably hurt. But in the end, I did think one side was better off than the other and I didn't quite agree with who had to do the grand gesture and apologise.

What really annoyed me was that multiple times the pov character described something she couldn't see. Like they were in the middle of a really heated conversation and it's like 'they are so engrossed that they didn't notice anything else, Pete dancing in the background, Danica doing something else...' She can't see that!
But that was about the only thing I didn't like.

[Samantha Holder-Venter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fully emotionally invested almost immediately and I genuinely felt the pain from both Maggie and Gwen. What I really loved is that the author didn’t let either of them just coast past their mistakes. They both had to sit with their shit and take responsibility for their part in how everything fell apart, which made the story feel raw and honest instead of convenient.

I loved how the heartbreak wasn’t about cheating or not loving each other anymore. It was about unresolved issues, not communicating properly and not taking accountability soon enough. That kind of pain feels so real and relatable. The pining, the distance and the quiet suffering on both sides honestly hurt in the best way and I was completely here for it.

Maggie’s friends meddling was such a good touch and added a lot of warmth and pressure at the same time. And seeing both Maggie and Gwen actually grow over time felt satisfying without being rushed or unrealistic.

This book hurt, healed and sat heavy on my heart and I really loved it.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie and Gwen are separated, but Maggie hasn't told the friend group yet. She doesn't want this to cast a shadow on her friends Bachelorette party and Vegas trip. But Maggie figures it'll be fine, as Gwen isn't coming.

Only Gwen gets invited out by the others and is asked to go. Oops. So they resolve to pretend to be a happy couple so not to spoil things.

Part of the problem is several of their friends literally call them 'couple goals.' So, telling them is hard.

The three days in Vegas are fun, and as they play out Gwen and Maggie start to rediscover what they mean to each other. But the issues still remain.

OK, that's funny. They friends group realized they were having issues, and deliberately invited Gwen to try to help out. Maggie is mortified.

Third act breakup.

Mostly liked the ending, tho Gwen's sudden realization felt a bit weird. Still, good read.
4 stars out of 5

[Lindsay Ottens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. After All hit me right in the feelings. I went in expecting a lighthearted second-chance rom-com and ended up getting this beautiful, emotional gut punch of love, regret, and hope. Bryce Oakley really knows how to write complicated women who still make you root for them every step of the way.

Maggie and Gwen Pierce are technically still married—but just barely. They’re living like polite roommates trying not to bump into the ghosts of what they used to be. When a Vegas bachelorette trip forces them to fake being “the happy couple” again, it’s supposed to be harmless. Except… it’s not. All those old sparks, old wounds, and old habits come rushing back, and watching them navigate that mess was both hilarious and heart-wrenching.

I loved how Oakley didn’t shy away from the hard stuff. Gwen’s guilt, Maggie’s resentment, the exhaustion of parenting and pretending—it all felt so real. But amid all that, there’s still love. There’s laughter. And there’s this growing sense that maybe what’s broken doesn’t have to stay that way. The banter is great, the emotional moments hit deep, and yes—the spice? It’s absolutely there and perfectly done. Intimate, tender, and full of that “oh, they still know each other” energy.

By the end, I was smiling like an idiot because Maggie and Gwen really earned their happy ending. This book reminded me that sometimes love isn’t about starting over—it’s about coming back, older, wiser, and ready to do it right this time.

[Sandi D · Rating 5 out of 5]

can a broken marriage be fixed..

What happens when one of you forgets what’s important. Maggie felt unheard, alone, forgotten. Gwen thought she was providing for her family by spending long hours at work constantly checking her email taking calls over the weekend. Maggie tried to reach her but Gwen wasn’t listening. She forgot what was important and it almost cost her her wife and family. Add in a group of meddling friends and things get interesting.

[Dotty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely more emotional than the others in the series. I reread the other two before starting this one and loved them all! (But this one made me cry!)

Meddling Maggie and her unfortunate accidents always added some comedy in the series, but Maggie's own story reveals the struggles that she has tried to keep hidden.

The power of friendship will always bond this group if amazing women. ❤️

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked all other settlements of longing and latitude ig. but this one... hmmm

it's weird. gwen being the sole breadwinner for the family... it made sense that she didn't have time for them... 3kids+wife. damn, lots of mouths to feed + wife and friends have surprisingly many trips.
idk. it didn't seem too realistic ig.
still good tho.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely just loved this book. It was so refreshing from all the cutesy fluffy romances around. The dialogue between Gwen and Maggie were so real. It magnified the importance of communication in relationships and how love languages can determine the need of a partner. I felt for Maggie and I hurt for Gwen. The characters were believable and the angst really takes you there so be prepared.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read

Maggie and Gwen second chance romance. Its nice catching up with the character's from the first two books. The characters are interesting and very likable. Thanks for another winner. Mmm

[Shannon Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!!

If this is the end, it is perfect. If there's more, say Lilian, maybe, I definitely won't be sad. Either way, this whole series was just fantastic, as is everything, Ms. Oakley writes!

[Leslie J Holbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved! Loved! Loved!

I always enjoy reading any books by Bryce Oakley. This book is now my favorite by her. Well done Bryce!

[Sheila M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I love everything by this author. It's laugh out loud funny, heartfelt, and relatable. The characters are amazing. Can't wait to read all of her books.

[Midnight Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the book.

[MAC · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful end to the series

I laughed. I cried. I laughed again. I will miss this messy crew of mushy, meddling, loveable idiots. Just read it.

[justine]

they broke my heart and i loved it😭

[Mary Zupan · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

Solid read, encapsulating the heaviness of grief and obligation, and how to have the hard talks. Loved it, give it a go

[Maelie Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,825

[Paulina · Rating 4 out of 5]

cried alllot