After We Break

by Jill Hannah Anderson

Single mom Eden Everson reaches a breaking point in her high-pressure career when her soul-sucking job affects her health and relationship with her son, Ryan. Ready to jump from the corporate ladder but needing a safety net, Eden takes time off to regroup.

While going through old memorabilia from her parents, Eden finds the Vietnam POW bracelet her mom wore decades ago. After checking online, she discovers the veteran, David, is alive and lives just two hours away. Eden travels to the quaint Minnesota town of Crimson Creek to return the bracelet and feels a connection to David and the town that reminds her of her youth and the lifestyle she​ has missed.

During their marriage, Eden’s ex-husband had chosen their city life, pushing her up the corporate ladder to support his lifestyle. Eden wants to pursue her dreams, but leaving the Twin Cities means possibly losing her son. Eden must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to reclaim the life she was meant to live.

340 pages, Unknown Binding

First published March 17, 2026

About the author

Jill writes about women determined to reclaim their lives. Stories of family, friendship, forgiveness, and fortitude. Jill lives on a lake in Minnesota, where she and her husband love having their kids and grandkids come to visit. Jill's latest book, After We Break will be released March 17, 2026. She is also the author of Closer to Home, A Life Unraveled, Crazy Little Town Called Love, and The To Hell and Back Club. Follow her on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jill-... and connect with Jill on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jillhannah.a... and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillh.ander...

Reviews

[Susan Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would have thought that the key to a young mother’s future would be connected to a POW bracelet from the Vietnam War? As a teenager during that time frame, I, along with most of my friends, wore the same kind of bracelet, so this is such a fascinating premise for me personally. Eden is a divorced mother of a young son, who is unhappy with her job in the city, searching for a place to work and live outside of the corporate world. When she discovers the whereabouts of the man whose name is etched on her mother’s bracelet, she travels to a small town to meet him. Her visit to the town and getting to know him, sets the wheels in motion for big changes in her life—but at what cost? Eden’s story is not unlike many women torn between their careers and their families, and at times the complications seem hard to overcome. Her relationship with David, the former POW, is so genuine, and they each brought so much to their friendship. Readers will find Eden very relatable, and there are music and other references that add a bit of nostalgia. I received an advance review copy of this book from the author.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill Hannah Anderson, the Author of “After We Break” has written an emotional, heartfelt, intriguing and captivating novel with the Historical Background of the Vietnam War. The Genres for this novel are : Contemporary Women’s Fiction, and Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age, Divorce and Family Fiction. I appreciate that Jill Hannah Anderson mentions a time in History that was both unpopular, and difficult for the men and women who served our country. Breaking free from the emotional restraints of war, and also difficult times in our lives take courage and conviction. In this well written book, this author vividly describes small town living vs. big city living, the plot, and the dramatic and colorful characters. The characters are complex, complicated, flawed, and confused by different choices. The female protagonist, Eden Everson, is a divorced, single mom that shares custody of her son, Ryan. Eden feels like she is in a pressure cooker, while at work, and also trying to be a great mother. While Eden is clearing out her apartment, she discovers a Vietnam POW bracelet that her Mom had worn decades ago. Eden is curious, and discovers that the person who the POW bracelet is still alive today. The man lives in a small town, and Eden wants to return and meet this man.

Eden falls in love with the town, and becomes good friends with David, the gentleman who had the bracelet. Eden is also revisiting a newer and better life away from her toxic job in the city. She discovers many things that her son Ryan would like to do. At the same time, this might be a great opportunity to live her dream. Her ex-husband was manipulative and controlling and prefers the city life, and they do share custody. Ryan is a young boy, and would have to make adjustments. There are new friends and opportunities. Is it possible to break free, and take a chance? I love the references to the music, and the snippets of his life, when David, the veteran opens up. I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of family, friends, community, neighbors, love and hope. I highly recommend this book.

[Susan Gromis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill Hannah Anderson has penned a poignant story tying together the Viet Nam war era with present day characters.
Divorcee and single mom Eden Everson has a high-power job in the finance industry, until her misogynistic boss, who has kept Eden underpaid and overworked for too long, crosses a line and Eden leaves the company. She shares custody of her son Ryan with her ex, and they reside near the Twin Cities. But Eden was never a city girl growing up, yet she conceded to her ex on every major decision to keep the peace. Now, since their son is almost 10, and Eden has the chance to change direction, she finds a house and a business in a small town two hours from the cities, where she visited a war veteran to return the POW bracelet her mother wore for several years. As the story unfolds, Eden meets the townspeople and her love for country life and a new business startup grows. She develops a friendship with David, the veteran, who becomes a surrogate grandfather figure to her son. She also convinces her childhood best friend to relocate to the small town, and each of them embarks on a new relationship. Of course there are bumps and troubles along the way, but the well-developed plot keeps things moving along.
The characters are well-conceived, the setting and scenery are beautifully described, and the author has included a great playlist of songs from the 60’s to satisfy those of us from that era!
I will be recommending this book — very enjoyable!

[Rebecca Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill Hannah Anderson sure can write books that interest me as an older woman later in life! After We Break is no exception and a very enjoyable read!
Eden Everson,the main character, finds a POW bracelet that was in her mother's belongings. In doing a search on the bracelet, she finds the POW, David, who lives only two hours away from her. She takes a trip to Crimson Creek to return the bracelet to him. In doing this and meeting the residents of this small town, brings about a change for her that she desperately needed!
What happens to her in moving from the big city to a small town shows us what can make up a story that we love and care about. Also loved reading about the songs from the 60's and 70's. Sure brought back memories for me.
Well worth reading After We Break by Jill Hannah Anderson!

[Gena - My Book Reviews for You · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an interesting and enjoyable read for me! I’ve always enjoyed Jill’s books but this one I think is my favorite. The story depicts real life. In particular, women’s challenges with work, family and relationships. The challenges involved in being brave enough to make a change, start over, and live your dreams. A part of the story intertwined throughout involves the POW bracelet. The history of it and the people connected to it. What this veteran went through and his challenges and the life he’s living now.

[Stephanie (Littlebookpage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After We Break is an incredible tribute to our POW’s and life for them after they were released! Always a privilege to be able to read a novel by Jill Hannah Anderson and this was is no exception! She is brilliant at writing about new beginnings and finding your happy in unlikely places! 4 stars because there is a lot going on in this story and I was a little overwhelmed towards the end but ultimately loved how it all wrapped up!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eden needs a break from the corporate life and wants to spend more time with her son. While going through old boxes, she finds a POW bracelet that her Mom used to wear. She decides to make it her mission to find the POW and return it to him. When she does, they become like family to each other and she falls in love with the small time he lives in. She decides this is the change that she has been waiting for, but will her son want to live in a small town when he is used to the city life?

This is a great story from beginning to end! The way Ms. Anderson tells the story, you are immediately drawn into it and feel like you are in the story with them. I highly recommend this book!

[Susan Borgerson]

After We Break by Jill Hannah Anderson is her best book that she has written! This is a powerful story about finding a POW bracelet and then finding the man that it represented. This story was told very well! I loved the characters. I enjoyed reading about the history but yet the story is set in a recent timeframe. I would recommend this book for all!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The solution to Eden Everson's unhappiness with her life all begins with a POW bracelet. While she was going through some of her mother's memorabilia, she found the POW bracelet that she remembered her mom wearing in the early 1970s. She decided to do a search and found out that the service member on the bracelet had been a POW and returned to the US. David lived only 2 hours away so she decided to take a trip to the small town of Crimson Creek to return the bracelet to him. She had reached her limit with her job - the stress and lack of recognition from her boss pushed her to realize that she was no longer happy with her high pressure career. It was affecting her health and her time with her son Ryan, who she shared with her divorced spouse. When she visited Crimson Creek, she found that life was much calmer there and realized that she could be happier in a small town that reminded her of the town she grew up in and loved. Through her friendship with David, she meets other people in town and decides to move there and start a new business. But she has to make some big decisions -- will her 10 year old son want to move from the big city to a small town and will her husband who has joint custody even allow Ryan to move away.

This book is so well written and Eden is a well written main character. While she is dealing with the ups and downs of starting a new business and trying to spend time with her son, she is becoming immersed life in Crimson Creek. The author also weaves stories about David's time as a POW and how it is still affecting his life. Eden was becoming so much a part of the town that she realizes that there are two kinds of families -- families that are joined by blood and families that are created by people that you love and care about as much as they care about you.

There are a lot of song references throughout the book -- songs from the 60s and 70s that had me listening to music from that time period while I read the book.

This is another well written and fantastic book by this author. I've read all of her books and this one is my new favorite! (at least until the next book publishes!!)

[Big Time Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After We Break by Jill Hannah Anderson was such a wonderful read. Not only does it explore the life of a single mother who wants to find a different life for herself - a more fulfilling career, a home in a small town, and more time to spend with her son - but themes such as the Vietnam War and the veterans that served during that time, found family, adapting to unwanted change, and trusting your inner strength.

Eden was a lovely character that many will be able to relate to and the characters she meets in Crimson Creek are heartwarming and the type we'd all like as friends.

Having a father that served 3 tours in Vietnam, I appreciated the fact that the author didn't just touch on the war as a way to move the story forward, but explored how veterans of that time were affected and how their families often paid a very heavy price as well. These parts were handled very well - exploring, explaining, experiencing, but with a light touch and definitely in context with where the story was at the time. There was nothing heavy handed or preachy about these parts.

All in all, After We Break is a read that I think will deliver something special to many and leave readers with a feeling of satisfaction with the way the story progressed and where it ends. I loved the descriptions of Crimson Creek and imagine others wishing they could visit, as I did.

If you haven't read anything by this author, now is the time! If you have, I'll just say get this book, you'll be glad you did!

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts, as always, are my own and happily shared.

[Letty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book by Jill Hannah Anderson. I have yet to be disappointed with her books. She writes stories about strong women usually with big life choices to make. This was no exception. I loved the main character, Eden, as well as the supporting cast of characters. Eden is a single mom making big decisions in her life that could also affect the life of her young son with whom she shares custody with her ex husband. Unhappy with and eventually leaving a big, good-paying corporate job in the Twin Cities, she struggles in finding another job there but is also struggling with whether just to open her own business. After she finds a Vietnam POW bracelet amongst her old belongings, she tracks down that POW in a small town two hours from her home and ends up loving that town, Crimson Creek. Could that be the place for her to make a big move and start a new life and possibly a new business? What will this do to her relationship with her son? Would he go with her or stay with her ex in a city where he's lived his whole life and has many friends in school and out of school? Such a tough decision to make that isn't always an easy one for a woman to make. And her ex isn't that cool about it.

The writing here is so very well done and the story flowed beautifully. I did like the POV of both Eden and Lt. Col David Carpenter, the POW that bracelet belonged to. He was a hoot! I would say all of the characters are pretty relatable and like I said earlier, very likable and lovable. Well, the ex-husband maybe not so much. I was very satisfied with the way this book ended. Another thing I loved (and something the author has done in her other books), is how she incorporates songs from the past, and a few current, throughout the book. Some songs from the 60's and 70's really brought back some memories from my younger days. Add this one to you TBR list. It publishes March 17, 2026

I received a digital arc from the author for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Carol Bruchhof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eden grew up in a small rural town in southern Minnesota. After graduating college and getting married, she's now divorced and living in Minneapolis, sharing custody of her son with her ex-husband. Eden's job in upper management with a large financial institution has been "financially fulfilling but emotionally draining for too many years"!
One day Eden comes across a POW bracelet she remembers her mother always wearing in her younger years. The name of the POW, Lt Col David Carpenter, is engraved on the bracelet. She can't stop wondering about what may have happened to this man, and makes a decision to find out. What she discovers will change Eden's life forever.
This is a fast moving, touching story about the ties that bind a family, biological members as well as extended members we choose to include. Eden must navigate some trying times and summon all of her strength and determination in order find her true happiness.
This amazing story seamlessly weaves interesting references regarding the lives of soldiers involved in the Vietnam War, as well as songs from the 1960's & 70's which connect the past with the present.
As a child of the 60's, I really connected with the story. Once again the author has written a wonderful book that you can't put down.

[Cathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for an advance reader copy.
Eden Everson doesn’t like her job or her boss. After her boss crosses a line and she files a complaint, she quits. Eden shares custody of her son, Ryan, with her ex-husband, Trent. After she quits, Eden is cleaning her apartment and finds a POW bracelet her mom had worn for years. Eden remembered the story her mom told her of a woman giving her the bracelet and saying it was for the woman’s dad, David. Eden decided to look him up and discovers he’s still alive living just a few hours away in a small town named Crimson Creek. She decides to return the bracelet to him and, upon doing so, and meeting him, falls in love with the town he lives in. She feels it reminds her of the small town she grew up in.
Eden ends up moving to the town and opening up a business there. Her son spends time with her there and is suddenly enjoying the outdoors rather than being cooped up inside playing video games.
This is a story of friendship, love, heartbreak and peace. The characters are totally relatable and flawed. I highly recommend this book (and Jill Hannah Anderson’s other books as well).

[Carla Suto · Rating 5 out of 5]

AFTER WE BREAK is the latest heartwarming and emotional novel by Jill Hannah Anderson. I have read and loved every one of this author’s previous novels and this one is my new favorite. In this story, a Vietnam POW bracelet changes the lives of several characters with ties to it. Eden Everson is a single mom with a high-pressure job that has begun to damage her health as well as her relationship with her son, Ryan. During her marriage, Eden’s ex-husband forced them to live in the city, but Eden misses the slower, small-town environment she grew up in. While going through some old boxes, Eden finds the Vietnam POW bracelet her mother used to wear decades ago. Some online research revealed that David, the veteran named on the bracelet, is actually still alive and living only a couple of hours away from her. She travels to the quaint town of Crimson Creek to meet him and return the bracelet. Eden is immediately drawn to the town and develops a strong connection with David and several others who live there. She wants to move to Crimson Creek and start a new life, but will she lose her son in the process? This was such a heartfelt story. I felt like Eden and David were my own friends. The author also includes lots of references to songs of the 60s and 70s that brought me right back to my childhood and teens in those years. I was thrilled to find that she has a fantastic playlist to go along with the book. Loved it! I highly recommend this touching and perceptive book. Thank you to the author for allowing me the chance to read and review an early copy.

[Angelica Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully told story that weaves past and present together with an emotional depth I was not fully expecting. What begins as a simple discovery unfolds into a layered journey of healing, second chances, and unexpected connections that sucked me in and kept me flipping pages. The author did a beautiful job developing her characters, allowing their struggles and growth to feel authentic and relatable through the entire journey. The small-town setting is so well created that I could see myself there, creating a backdrop that enhances both the heartache and hope threaded throughout the novel. Just when I honestly felt like I could predict the end of the story, there were still revelations to be had. This is a heartfelt, satisfying read that I would highly recommend.

[Vicki Carbone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jill Hannah Anderson books. Every one of them gives a great plot line, terrific characters that you love and root for, and an ending that, in this case is so sad, is also satisfying. In After We Break, Eden misses the joys of small town life as she tries to make her way in the corporate world, living in the Twin Cities in order to co-parent her son Ryan with her ex, Trent. A theme that repeats in Anderson's work is the joy of self-determination, and Eden chooses to do just that with a move to a small town in which she builds a business and a new life. It's a wonderful book, joyful and uplifting.

[Kathy Haugen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read! The impacts of life decisions and the support of being true to one’s self is illuminating. Appreciation and respect for the illustration of sacrifices and life impacts of serving in the military renews appreciation for all who answer this calling. These messages are poignant throughout the story with the uncertainties of decisions relating to all. Thought provoking while also entertaining.

[Jan Peterschick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant story of Eden who is faced with challenges in finding herself and figuring out what she wants for her life. Set in Crimson Creek, it was delightful to figure out the town and surrounding area. I loved that the story was tied to Closer to Home - In my opinion, Jill’s best book yet - a must read!!

[Marlies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story of love and loss. A small town community experiencing growth and change, and how the residents, both young and old, are impacted and embracing the expansion. It incorporates both present and past. A must read!

[Linda Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved every single book of Jill Hannah Anderson’s, so I was very excited about her most recent work, After We Break! She creates characters that could be anyone we know. In this story she created a character that reminded me of myself!! Different circumstances, but realizing after years of marriage that you really never had control of your own life was quite a wake up call for both of us. I was right along with her as she found her self starting over a new life of being more in control of how and where she wanted to live it.

What added even more to this story was the mission Eden was on to find a former POW in the Vietnam War. And I loved how she tied in music of the era which I can ALWAYS relate to!

This was certainly a 5 ⭐️read for me and I hope she keeps them coming!