When the Smoke Clears

by Jewel E. Ann

From USA Today bestselling author Jewel E. Ann comes a bittersweet second-chance romance about deferred love, impossible timing, and the courage of choosing happiness after devastating loss.

Everleigh Reichart and William Landry fell hard—and far too fast. Their weeklong romance ended the moment Will, a twenty-nine-year-old firefighter, learned the Everleigh was seventeen. He walked away to protect them both. Destiny had other plans.

Eleven years later, Will is still running into burning buildings, while Everleigh has become a brilliant psychiatrist. When a house fire strands her on his land, their old feelings ignite like patient embers. But she’s desperate to keep concealing the childhood trauma that has shaped her life, and he’s struggling under the weight of his father’s terminal illness. Too soon, the strain snaps their fragile reunion, flinging them farther apart than ever before.

Now Everleigh must face her past to salvage a future with Will… if he can accept that loving her includes the broken parts too. But first, he needs to come and find her—this time by faith, not fate.

Genres: Second Chance, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Audiobook, Second Chance Romance

331 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2026

About the author

Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today best selling author with a quirky sense of humor. When she's not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance.

Her newest release is The Homemaker, a contemporary romance.

Upcoming Projects: The Muse, book 2 in the Chain of Lakes Series coming in May.
Stay in the loop by subscribing to her newsletter!—> Sign up here!

Reviews

[cat]

"Everything was easy with Everleigh. I wore a permanent smile. And she was shaping up to be the most interesting woman I had ever met.”


on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ‎♪ˎˊ˗
“ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴍʙᴇʀ” x ᴛᴀʏʟᴏʀ sᴡɪғᴛ
0:47 ──♥──────── 4:31


Everleigh and Will had a brief connection years ago that ended before it ever really had a chance to become something more. Eleven years later, they find their way back into each other’s lives, but with old feelings, complicated circumstances, and plenty of emotional baggage standing between them

This was definitely not what I expected, but in the best way. i spent SO much of this book stressed out, desperate for Everleigh and Will to just figure themselves out already. The yearning, the tension, the almosts… I was losing my mind😭

I was definitely conflicted about these two at times. Will had me frustrated with his mixed signals, while Everleigh had me wanting to shake her for continuously pushing for something that clearly wasn’t meant to be at that time. But honestly, I also understood why she couldn’t let go. She had loved this man for so long, and that made so many of her choices feel painfully understandable 😭

And the banter?? Top tier. Everleigh being ridiculously smart and always having a comeback ready was one of my favorite things about her. I loved watching her hold her own, and the back-and-forth between these two kept me thoroughly entertained.

I did struggle a little with Will’s friend group, particularly with how they treated Everleigh. My heart hurt for her because underneath all that intelligence, she was still someone who just wanted to fit in and feel normal. I really felt for the younger version of her and how hard she worked to belong 🤧🙁
I also wish we had gotten a little more of Will’s firefighter life because I wanted that side of him to feel more developed.

but regardless of that, THIS BOOK BROUGHT THE ANGST. The yearning was immaculate, the unrequited-love vibes had me suffering, and that twist toward the end genuinely surprised me. I was sitting there like ??? UMMMM HELLO??? 😭

I do wish the ending had slowed down a little because everything wrapped up so quickly, and selfishly, I wanted more of Everleigh and Will together after everything. 🤷🏼‍♀️ But overall, this was such an emotional, angsty read that had me completely invested in these characters

favorite quotes ↓

“I wasn’t a beggar, but I would have rolled onto my back like a dog, pleading for her to rub my belly or tell me I was such a “good boy.””

“Wanting to be with someone until one of you takes your last breath is the ultimate love.

I chose to be close to you over fancy titles at the most prestigious medical institutes because I’m smart enough to know that love is the most fulfilling emotion. And even if we don’t work out, I won’t regret anything. I would only regret not knowing. Not trying.”

“You deserve to be chased. Pursued. Respected. Coveted. And Will is a very nice man.
Handsome to the extreme. But if he doesn’t want to chase you, then he’s not the one.”

things to know about the book ↓

🔥 age gap (28/40)
🔥 second chance
🔥 he’s her first love
🔥 unrequited love
🔥 firefighter MMC
🔥 so much banter
🔥 minor plot twist
🔥 dual POV

swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 22, 32

Thank you Valentine PR, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕

september 2nd- i just love Jewel E Ann so much. AND I LOVE FIREFIGHTER ROMANCE HEHEHE

[Mira]

3.25⭐

This book is a spin-off of the Wildfire series, which I absolutely love! I had been waiting for Will’s story for almost two years (since I read From Nowhere), but I have to admit that I expected something a little different.

I adore the author’s humor, and I don’t think anyone writes banter as well as she does, but there was a bit too much of it for me here. After the halfway point, I was hoping for more serious conversations and angst, and there were some, but they were mostly caused by the MMC’s father. It was sad, but I would have preferred the drama to be more focused on the main characters themselves. Honestly, I think Will was overreacting, and the reasons he had for not being with Everleigh weren’t as serious as he thought they were.

But the main reason I didn’t rate this higher was Everleigh. She pushed Will and his friends too hard. It was fun during the first half, but it started to get annoying after a while. I’m convinced they wouldn’t have ended up together if it weren’t for Everleigh wanting it so badly. Also, her behavior, in my opinion, didn’t really fit her age or profession.

But despite the flaws, I devoured this book in a day, sacrificing my sleep and putting everything else on the back burner. I was also so happy to see the main characters from Wildfire, especially Jamie and Fitz. They were so sweet here!

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Jan]

*** 3.75 Stars ***

It’s been a while since I enjoyed a story by this author. I am glad this one was a hit.😅
It has a refreshing plot, interesting characters, great chemistry, an unpredictable twist and the banter was top-notch! On top of all that, a delicious age-gap, which I am a sucker for!
That said, it was a heavy read in some ways the MC's dad had a terminal illness.. I usually love angsty reads, but lately, I don't feel like reading this kind of emotional weight.

[Sim-fully Ever After]

4🌟 | 2🌶️

This one had me laughing one minute and getting emotional the next.

I loved the humor, banter, familiar faces, and the messy history between Will and Everleigh. Their chemistry and constant back-and-forth made this such an easy book to fly through.

Everleigh was definitely a unique FMC, and while some of her persistence was a little much for me at times, I really enjoyed how unapologetically herself she was. Will had his moments of being frustrating too, but watching him slowly work through his feelings and finally let himself want what he’d been fighting for made their journey worth it.

The emotional side of the story really got me, especially Will’s relationship with his dad and the themes of grief and family. I laughed, got a little emotional, and completely devoured this in a day. And getting to see Jamie, Fitz, and everyone else again was such a bonus.

Definitely a fun and memorable read!

~~~~

A huge thank you to Jewel E. Ann, Valentine PR and NetGalley for the ARC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own. ✨

[Bozica]

3.5 Stars

When the smoke clears is the 3rd interconnected standalone in the wildfire series.
This is Will and Everleigh’s book which is an age gap and what I consider a very loose 2nd chance romance.

I struggled on how to review and rate this book because it fell short of the usual 5 star book that JEA writes. I wait with bated breath for every new release and always gush about how much I loved it, and I am devastated this book was not that, which hasn’t happened to me with a JEA book in years.

Will is a single 40 year old firefighter, but is not the usual swoony book boyfriend that we have become accustomed to in JEA’s books. I found Will to be a selfish man child and a complete drama queen. He first met Everleigh 11 years earlier when they were both part of a bridal party. They spent time together in that week and when Will finds out his assumptions about Everleigh were wrong he leaves and refuses any contact with her whatsoever. This was a complete overreaction to the point that 11 years later he still can’t get past it.

Everleigh is 29, a psychiatrist and child genius who has been obsessed with Will from the first time she laid eyes on him 11 years ago. She stalks him and inserts herself into his life and that of his friends. She unashamedly tells him she loves him and wants a forever after with him whilst Will on the other hand doesn’t want anything to do with her…. He treated her so badly but she didn’t give up and for such a smart women I didn’t understand why she accepted this behaviour from him. She didn’t have a consistent voice and it wasn’t until the end of the book that it became apparent why.

Anyone who has read a few of JEA’s books (or all of them like me!), knows she views death as a part of life and it appears in each of her books. In this book however I felt it was overdone to the point it overshadowed everything else. In the acknowledgments JEA explains what has been going on in her own life and that explain the why, and whilst I can relate to that on a personal level it just didn’t work for me.

What I did enjoy was the witty banter, some of the conversations where very clever. I loved seeing the Maren, Ozzy, Lola, Jamie and Fitz that we met in the 2 previous books. Thankfully, it did all come together in the end and some of reasons for my frustrations whilst reading were revealed.

Notwithstanding that this wasn’t my one of my favourite JEA books, JEA is my favourite author and I still eagerly wait to read what she release next.

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

[Megan Coggins]

The queen of rollercoasters.

Jewel e Ann has a way of making me dislike a character for almost the entire book and then bam. Uno reverse.

Will.
I’m so glad he got a book.
Single bachelor.
Firefighter.
Boy can be dumb.

Everleigh
Prodigy / genius
Psychiatrist
In love with Will. Hard.
Odd duck she is.

There’s an age gap. 28/40
There’s a situation revolving losing her virginity at 17.

I never know where one of JEAs books are going to take me. She’s just one of those authors I just hop in the car with and pray we make it our destination in one piece.

There was a huge grief aspect to this book.
Parental death.
I lost my dad so some sucker punching happened.

Nothing more to say without spoiling/hinting things.

Arc review ✨

[Milica's Bookshelf]

You could say I had high expectations for this story, because I loved the little crumbs we got about the MCs in the previous two stories.

I enjoyed the first half of the book, and I don't know where it all went downhill for me. All I know is that I felt weird at the end.
Both MCs annoyed me a lot with their actions.
The emotional punch of this story is strong, but I was so frustrated with the characters that I felt the author rushed the ending a bit.

What you can expect:
♡ age gap
♡ firefighter/doctor
♡ forced proximity
♡ grumpy/sunshine
♡ enemies to lovers
♡ small town
♡ banter
♡ found family
♡ emotional rollercoaster
____________________
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[Marina]

The more I think about it the more I dislike it. Bringing the rating down to 2.5⭐️ from the initial three-star rating.
________
It took me some time to cool off before I reviewed this book because when I was in the middle of it, I wanted to give it one star. So now that I have gathered my thoughts, here comes the review. I was still riled up while writing all the quotes. In a nutshell, I kind of hated Will, and Fitz as well for that matter.

To start from what I liked about the book, I am always emotionally wrecked by the topic of dementia and how the rest of the family are affected by this disease alongside their loved one. It’s always heartbreaking and never stops bringing tears to my eyes. So even though this is a devastating topic, it gives an emotional edge that I was looking for in this story.

I also enjoyed the past timeline, Will and Everleigh were so cute together. These two plot lines are probably the only reason this book got 3-star rating.

As for the characters, I liked Everleigh in her doctor mode. It felt like she had two personalities in her: one was an esteemed psychiatrist, prodigy and genius and another just a girl with a crush who makes some dumb decisions. I really liked how eloquent she was in expressing her thoughts and feelings which made her an emotionally mature person. Or so it seemed until the moment her personalities switched and she started throwing herself at Will and showed no sign of self-respect, regardless of the feelings she harbored for 11 years.

As for Will, oh how many words I had for him while reading. This a 40-year old man-child who started questioning his life choices after all his friends got themselves families and loved ones. He is a player and manwhore who constantly uses women, makes false promises just to get laid and feels quite remorseless and proud about it. The proof of it - Will, 11 years ago at the age 28 was already quite a pig.

“The sex gods were punishing me for all the one night stands. All the times I didn’t call someone back despite promising to. The “lost” phone numbers. Forgetting someone’s name the morning after and have to call her “you”. The tears. The nasty texts. I was a player with no regrets.”

Another perfect example of his absolutely unreasonable behavior resembling tantrums was when he made this speech and promised Everleigh to just listen and not say anything and at the end of it she did keep silent, he was so pissed that he ignored her for three months.🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

The cavalier attitude towards Everleigh’s feelings was so frustrating. I could understand that he’d lived all his live with not much regard towards other people’s feelings, but even with the person that he supposedly is in love he is incapable of putting himself in somebody else’s shoes and not hurting her.

“You’re going to break my heart again,” she whispers. I pause, lifting my gaze to hers. Is it a question? I already told her as much.

He contradicted himself when it came to Everleigh. One moment he says that he always had feelings for her, and then that he hasn’t thought about her for 11 years. Also, he was blaming Everleigh for all his failed relationships. Huh?! Obviously it has nothing to do with him being a player and mistreating women. 😤🙄 For the record, I don’t have anything against consensual one-night stands if both parties agreed to this, but it was explicitly stated that he made promises to call the girls back or meet up with them again and then completely ghosting the girls over and over again. This is not the same thing.

“She hasn’t been on my mind for 11 years, but she’s been the invisible obstacle to every failed relationship. Other women have felt good but this one feels right.”

Yet at the end he says:

“I gave your space for 11 years. I don’t think you need space I think you need the one thing you wanted for as long as you can remember.”
She parks around on her hip “what’s that?”
“Me.”

Well, someone thinks highly of himself even though it may be true about Everleigh, but I was just constantly pissed at whatever Will did or said.

* The conversation between him and his friends Maren and Jamie.

“For the record, I’ve never held onto her”
“You’re having sex with her. Women don’t do casual the way men do. Our hearts always trump our minds.”
“She knows where we stand. She’s going to Baltimore.”

He is one of the most noncommittal men I’ve read about. He kind of goes with the flow without making any sort of decisions. And here is his thought process at about 85% into the story when they discuss Everly with his group of friends:

“We all just need to let her go. After she moved into the shed, I wanted to kill her, you, and everyone else. The things just sort of happened as they always seem to do with her.”

Great stance to have and just blame everybody else but himself about whatever happened in his life.

I didn’t really buy this big “trauma” that he was left after sleeping with Everleigh 11 years ago and still holding on to this all these years later. Was it a shitty thing to do on her part? Absolutely. But a decade later it doesn’t feel as monumental as everyone made it out to be.

What bothered me the most was the objectification of women by both Will and Fitz. I was so pissed whenever some of them dismissed women’s feelings or made it seem like it was okay what both of them used to do. One example was when Will slept with her parents’ neighbor’s daughter, and the next morning called her the wrong name in front of her mother. And Fitz and Will had the audacity to make this a joke and laugh it off. All the dismissive comments about how it was okay to use women just to make themselves feel better regardless of how it affects them just made me detest both of these men. Namely, the conversation with Fitz after Will slept with Everleigh for the first time in the present timeline.

“ What about your parents’ neighbor? Didn’t you say she has a daughter who is in her early 30s? Single. An attorney in Bozeman?” Maren asks.
“He already tapped that. Called her the wrong name the following morning when she and her mom were on the deck having coffee.” Fitz laughs.

“Semantics. Right?” Fitz says. “Jamie asked if you slept with Everleigh, and you have not closed your eyes and fall asleep with her. Did you have sex with her this weekend?”
I chuckle and shake my head as if it’s a ridiculous question.
“It’s fine, Will. You can hate her and screw her. No one would blame you for needing a quick release. There is a lot of shit going on in your life”.

* Yet another “delightful” thought of Will’s about his two best female friends.

”I like Maren and Jamie. Hell, I love them like sisters. But women feel the need to dissect everything until it’s ruined. Men skim the surface and move on. Fitz knows I had sex with Everleigh, and I didn’t have to say the words. And he won’t bring it up again. Diplomacy has its place, but so does bluntness.”

He is so selfish when it comes to Everleigh. He exploited her feelings for him, slept with her multiple times, stating that this is all she gets knowing that she is completely obsessed with him and just cannot reject his advances because she’s too deep. While I understand the tragic events that were happening in his family, he didn’t plan on staying with Everleigh so basically he used her for comfort and to ease some of the tension in his life.

“I love how you kiss me,” she whispers when I release her.
“I know you do.” I smirk.
“Is this it will I see you again before you go back to Somers tomorrow?”
“This is it. And I need that to be okay with you. I don’t have the emotional capacity for anything more than my dad right now.” do I sound like an asshole? Absolutely. Is it intentional? No.

The amount of hurtful things that Will says to Everleigh even close to the end of the story was staggering. When she visited him at home:

“Tell me you’re leaving tomorrow,” he whispers. “Then I can tear off your clothes now.” … “But it’s only Sunday. And I won’t want you here after we have sex.”

Anyway, I have very few books where the MMC elicits such a strong negative reaction from me. And I'm afraid, Will is one them. Everleigh wasn't perfect by any stretch but I felt really bad for her this entire book. The only reason it's not one- or two-star read is because of the ending and emotional component of it.

[Skylar Fink]

Thank you PR Valentine for the arc copy!

I wanted to love this one. It started off so strong for me. I absolutely love Jewel E. writing style. I will definitely read more of her books.

I usually love an age gap trope but for some reason this one did give me a little of the ick & that could be me personally. How Everleigh just laser focused on Will and kinda stalked him. It just rubbed me the wrong way.

All the other aspects of the book were great for me.

[Em (semi-hiatus)]

This story is about two people carrying things they’ve never quite managed to put down. Everleigh and Will have such a complicated history, and I appreciated that the book does not make their separation feel like a simple misunderstanding that can be fixed with one conversation. There is so much time, pain, guilt, grief, and personal growth between them. When they find their way back into each other’s lives, you can feel all those old feelings sitting underneath every interaction.

Their romance was my favorite part. It has so much yearning woven into it. There is this feeling that they never really stopped being important to each other, even while life kept moving them in different directions. Ann’s writing made all of those emotional moments hit even harder. The story is layered and completely absorbing, with so much passion, tenderness, and emotion woven through it. And when Everleigh and Will finally get those happy moments, it was pure euphoria. The ending left me ridiculously happy after everything these two had been through. I enjoyed it.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰]

3.9 / 4 Stars

Everleigh + William

We all remember them from the previous books.
Everleigh is a 28 year old child genius turned psychiatrist and Will is a 40 year old firefighter.

Eleven years ago Will spent one week with what he thought was a 25 year old med school friend of his childhood buddie's future wife leading up to their wedding weekend.
He spent years scared that he'll be arrested for that last night!

Now they're working in the same town, trying not to run into each other too much.
And suddenly - after her house burned down - she's also kind of his new renter. LOL!

══════════════════



Well.
I loved it. I would've adored it completely, but I just can't get over the cringey age-gap situation. And yes, I know, he didn't know she was only 17 and it was only a month until her 18th birthday. But still.
I might've been okay with it all if we had just mentioned it once and then spent the rest of the book in the present time. But nope - we go back in time and re-live every second they spent together back then. And that is just way too pedo for my tastes. It makes us hate Will for being attracted to her - even though he didn't know. It's just disgusting that we're concentrating on the past so much. And it's even worse that Everleigh is a genius - that makes her emotional age even younger, because she never really had a childhood. Ugh. It was just so cringey disgusting for me. I mean, there are sexy age-gap books with a hot 30 year old professor and a 22 year old student. Then there are sexy taboo things... and then there's this really weird and illegal thing here.
Also. I hate when people get fake boobs for no medical or psychological or trans reasons. I hated that Everleigh got fake boobs and that he liked them. Ew. Red flag. But that's just me.
But I still loved both Everleigh and Will and I loved their banter and flirting and arguing. This could've been an amazing second chance love story.
It was so funny and sparky and adorable and a bit sad and heartbreaking.
I really enjoyed the parts that made me forget the age gap thing!

WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS was a sweet and funny and sparky and emotional second chance love story... with an unfortunately way too cringey (illegal!) age-gap situation.

If you can't click the buy-links
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💜 💜

[Jackie]

I’m not going to lie, I was a bit skeptical at the beginning of this story. The FMC is a very unique character & she does things that make her a pretty unlikeable person. I also wish we had gotten a few more emotionally intimate scenes between the characters - a lot of their relationship was based on physical intimacy.

But god, that ending absolutely broke me 🥺 I don’t cry often during books, but chapter 38 had be SOBBING. at the end of the day, this held my attention, kept me guessing, and had an ending I absolutely loved 🫶

[QuinnReads]

Awkward & Fumbling

William "Will" Landry and Everleigh Reichart have some brow lifting baggage from more than a decade earlier. While interesting to see how they were independently impacted by those events, I also found it distracting early on. Given where the story goes, it's necessary, but it doesn't always flow well.

I struggled to get behind these two. I would like her and dislike him. Then, a chapter or two later, like him and dislike her. They're dysfunctional in a way that takes the fun out. It's uncomfortable. Perhaps that's what will draw some people to them, but it didn't work for me.

The ending was the best part. No, silly, not because it was over, although I can understand why you might think that. It's because that was the first time I felt a connection between them. It was the first time that it felt like they belonged together, had any business being in the same space together. I do like the ending, I just wished I was more into them the whole time.

I had a hard time writing this because I was over the moon about the prior Jewel E Ann book and thinking about that in the same sphere as this seems unfathomable. Yet, here we are.

I listened to the audio book. The narrators, Natasha Chandel and Sean Masters, are good. I really, really wish they're in duet but like them all the same. 🎧🧡🎧

Story: 3 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Listening Speed: 1.75x

H = 29/40; h = 17/29

TROPES & TRIGGERS:
🧠 Mental health rep
🔥 Open-door steamy scenes 🌶
🫣 Angsty read
👩‍🚒 Fireman x child prodigy / psychiatrist
💞 Second chance romance
😢 Self-harm
🐟 Fish out of water
💔 Death of loved ones
🕐 First person, dual POV

[✨️ Jessica's Bookshelf ✨️]

I wasn't prepared for the emotions you'd book pulled from me. I shouldn't have been surprised because it's a book by Jewel E. Ann, but yet, here we are.
The first half of the book was good and entertaining but the second half? The second half evoked all the emotions. I didn't expect the last 1/4 of tbr book to go the way it did.

Check your trigger warnings though because this book is an age gap romance but also deals with death.

[Tyla 🧚 🗡️ ☠️ 🩸 🖤]

ALC 2 ⭐
I reeeeeeally wanted to love this. Parts of it was really drawing me in & I could feel the emotions of the characters.. but there was parts I just couldn’t get past.
Firstly, I love an age gap. But this was done all kinds of wrong.
It was made to be wrong in the book but they kept going on & on about it and revisiting the past. It was the main part of the book!!
The FMC was a psychologist.. but why did she act like a teenager in this? It was so juvenile it made the age gap feel even more prominent 🫣🫣
There was a very big aspect of grief & parental loss in this, which is the part that got me the most. This part was written really well and I really felt the emotions of the characters.
Then the twist at the end with the FMC absolutely lost me. It felt completely unnecessary. And sadly the audio wasn’t greats the FMC sounded AI for majority of it. I think this could have been such a good second chance romance but it just didn’t hit for me sadly!

[Anna (annareadit)]

I love Jewel E. Ann because she always manages to surprise me, even when I think she can't anymore.
After a friend brought this series to my attention, I was hooked and couldn't wait for the sequel. The book turned out a bit different from what I had imagined, but I loved it. I really enjoyed spending time with the characters, despite the heavy topics addressed throughout the book.

Thank you to Valentine PR for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Serialbookstarter:Marla]

The dreaded time flip flops always make me skip. I hate them. There was so much that I didn’t like about the characters in this book that it’s a salute to
The author that I gave it 3 stars. Eveleigh is a child prodigy who met firefighter Will eleven years ago at a wedding. She was 17 and in medical school with the bride. He was 28. They have a week long love affair and then he finds out she is only17 and freaks. Time flips galore. Everleigh is now a psychiatrist and her house just burned down so shes the new occupant of the she shed In Wills backyard. Will is basically a mean girl/man for 85 percent of the book. You feel second hand embarrassment for Everleigh the whole book because she is chasing him so hard. I think Will is one of the most unlikable H’s I’ve read in awhile. What a dickhead! He’s constantly downing the fmc and hiding their relationship. He does a turn around in the last few pages of the book but it wasn’t enough.

[Christine]

3.75⭐️ Everleigh’s childish antics grated on my nerves at the start of the book but her and Will’s romance was admittedly adorable.

[Kelsey H]

This one hurts a little bit to rate because the premise was basically MADE for me. Big age gap? Second chance? Taboo history? A couple with a complicated past? Sign me up 😂 I went into this ARC genuinely excited, but unfortunately, the execution just never pulled me in

Everleigh was the biggest struggle for me. I understand that her personality and social quirks are intentional, but I just never connected with her, and some of her choices and behavior actively frustrated me. Will was more likable, but even with him, I never developed that I need to know what happens to these two kinda feeling

The past timeline was probably my favorite part because it gave me a little more insight into their connection. But even then, I never really felt the chemistry that was supposed to tie everything together. Their present-day relationship felt more like two people who happened to have history than two people who genuinely belonged together

And for a book with such an intriguing taboo setup, I really wanted more emotional tension, chemistry, and payoff. Instead, I found myself skimming toward the end just to see where everything landed

I didn't hate it, and there were definitely pieces of the story I appreciated, but ultimately this one just wasn't for me

*3 stars because I felt the need to skim the last handful of chapters*

Thank you to Valentine PR and author Jewel E Ann for the opportunity to read this ARC 💕

[Tammy -]

No one, and I do mean NO ONE writes banter like Jewel E. Ann.

Seriously, if you have not read one of her books, you don't know what you're missing. And it's not just the banter. It's the humor that has you laughing out loud, but the emotion that has tears streaming down your face. Sometimes, both happen at the same time. This book brings all that and more.

Will and Everleigh could have become something special when they met eleven years ago, but Will got spooked and ran away. He has resented Everleigh for it all ever since. Now, they're living in the same small town, spending time with the same group of friends, and even though it's been eleven years, Will wants to continue hating Dr. Everleigh Reichart. There is a very thin line though between love and hate.

I've wanted Will's story ever since I started this series and it definitely did not disappoint. I came to understand him better in this book, and while I wasn't absolutely sure what to make of Everleigh at first, she ended up being so different than what I was expecting. These two characters have a tricky past, but neither can deny the chemistry that still exists between them.

As with all of this author's books, this is more than just a romance, and it's those other layers of this story that had me the most emotional. This wasn't an ugly cry, but I definitely choked up and teared up more than a few times. I loved seeing all of the other couples from the previous books in this series, and while you could read this as a stand alone novel, I highly recommend that you read them all. So, so good!

[Romance.Booktalk]

DNF at 30% 💔

I’m honestly so disappointed to be DNFing this one because I absolutely loved the previous two books in the series and was soooo looking forward to Will’s story. I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately, I just can’t find it in me to keep reading.

My biggest issue is the FMC. I simply don’t like her, and I haven’t been able to connect with her at all. By the 30% mark, I found myself struggling to care about her story, which made it really difficult to keep going.

I’m also finding the back-and-forth between the different timelines incredibly frustrating. Just when I start getting into the present-day story and becoming invested in what’s happening, we jump back into the past and it completely pulls me out of the moment. I understand why the author chose to structure the story this way, but unfortunately, it just isn’t working for me.

I think I would have preferred the past to be dealt with as a prologue or opening section, and then have the present flow forward as the main story. I feel like that would have worked much better for me.

It honestly hurts to DNF a book I was this excited for, especially after loving the first two books in the series. I really wanted Will’s story to be one I adored, but at 30%, I just can’t find it in me to continue anymore. 😭

[Melanie (mells_view)]

We are a self-contained fire destined to burn out.

Everleigh and Will have a bit of a traumatic beginning. Like imagine finding your soulmate and it going oh so wrong. Proximity brings them back together and while Will tries to avoid Everleigh and their shared past, she’s just there slowly weaving her way into his life. A fire and an ailing family member sort of force them together, but not without complaint.

When the Smoke Clears is mainly a second chance romance, but it’s also a story about two people dealing with (or avoiding) their own trauma and pain. I think that Jewel E Ann balance humor, emotion, romance, and real life struggles in this story well and gave us a rollercoaster ride of a story to follow. I think this story is a good reminder to live your life for you and live the life you want to be leading.

[Amber is Always Reading]

When the Smoke Clears is a stunning story of deferred love,grief, and second chances that are hard earned.

Everleigh and Will’s book is one that I’ve agonized over and waited for since I first read “From Air”.
I expected angst and unresolved feelings,but I couldn’t have imagined the depth of emotions that the entirety of their relationship would bring out in me.

I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s,less than two months ago, and this book perfectly depicts the gamut of emotions one goes thru,sometimes in a single hour, when watching your loved one lose every memory and memento of their former self.

It’s a cruel and heartbreaking disease to experience,and I can’t thank Jewel enough for adding a bit of levity into Will’s Dad’s diagnosis and story arc.
There are joyous moments in the midst of suffering,and reading that was so true to life that I both laughed,and cried while sitting with my own thoughts and memories.

Everleigh is such a multilayered character, and I wanted to wrap her in my arms to hug, and protect her kind heart,and beautifully misunderstood soul.

Will is the epitome of eternal bachelor and fun-uncle.
He desperately needed to be challenged and held down,and Everleigh provided the spunk and sass he fought so hard to reject.

These characters and their friendships have been so meaningful and so rich to experience, I’m sad to see the end of this series.
I’m doing so while smiling and enjoying the happiness in the midst of grief because as this trilogy shows,life is made up of a million moments, and the special people on the journey of experiencing them with you ,are the most important parts of that life.

[Daffy Kraizel]

Such a unique and sometimes heartbreaking story. I was completely enamored by this book. It brought out so many emotions in me, and I absolutely loved reading it. I laughed, shed a tear, and felt so many emotions along the way. Highly, highly recommend!
4.5 stars

[Jenny Lovez Bookz]

There's nothing wrong with the writing. It's quirky and fun to read as usual. The problem is that all of her books/characters are starting to feel the same

This book in a nutshell: Everleigh is a liar and stalker, forced herself into Will's life even after he repeatedly did not want anything to do with her and yet somehow he fell in love with her

[Nicole]

3.5 ⭐️

[Diane (Books and Tequila Blog)]

“You’re killing me William Landry. I’m the dumbest genius in the world for loving you.”

Heartbreaking at times but laced with humor.
I cannot stress this enough, but JEA books have the most amazing twists and this is not an exception!

My Full Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Blaine (⫩)]

I was so excited for this release and really wanted to love it, but this one ended up being a huge disappointment for me.

I don’t mind books going back into the past, especially when it helps me understand the characters or adds something to their relationship in the present. But the amount of times this book went back and forth became annoying after a while. It started to feel like we kept returning to eleven years ago to justify why I should believe these two could fall back in love after being in the same vicinity again for a week.

But I didn’t believe it.

Eleven years had passed and the FMC sounded just as immature as she did in the past. And it’s not because she is quirky… I kept waiting to see the growth that would make their relationship feel different this time around, and I never really got that. Instead, the past chapters seemed to be doing most of the work for the romance, constantly reminding me that they had loved each other once rather than making me feel why they would fall in love with each other again now.

Their history was there, but I never felt the emotional pull between them in the present or believed that, eleven years later, these were still two people who belonged together.

This one was a miss for me, which is disappointing because I genuinely love Jewel E. Ann as a writer and have loved so many of her books. This absolutely won’t stop me from reading whatever she releases next.

[Samantha Ramsay]

Thank you so much Jewel E Ann & @valentine_pr_ for the opportunity to receive this alc in exchange for my honest opinion .

If you’re looking for an emotional rollercoaster and angsty read , look no further than Jewel E Ann’s writing . She has that way of hitting you in your feels in the best way .

I truly felt for Will for being so scared about the week he spent with Everleigh in the past , due to her age and things . He wasn’t aware at the time and the feelings he endured from having such chemistry with someone he spent a week with to finding out that huge detail how Everleigh’s age . It still impacts him in the present .

Years later , trying to keep their distance but life just has a way of throwing a wrench into things . When something is simply meant to be it will be .

I love how Will and Everleigh are characters that are relatable to people in real life . Flawed , make choices that aren’t the best , actions that aren’t thought through , do things that are questionable . Will I felt was selfish at times but had such a big heart in the same breath while Everleigh was so smart but never dealt with her problems and accepted behaviours she didn’t deserve — but I loved that about them , and how they supported each other despite all the chaos . It makes this book so unique and their characters relatable

There was amazing banter and I loved the chemistry between Everleigh and Will . Their massive history makes you root for them in the end . Their story was so unique , emotional and at times funny . I do recommend reading from air and from nowhere prior to reading this one .

[jordan]

4 STARS

If you know me then you know I love Jewel E Ann’s books so much and this one is no different. I have been dying for Will’s story since reading about him in From Air.

I went from being so mad to feeling bad to cheering on Everleigh. My emotions were all over the place with her that I didn’t know how I felt about her at the end of the book. I’m glad for her happy ending but I’m not sure how I feel about her and Will ending up together.

Even with those thoughts, I still couldn’t put this book down. I wanted to keep reading to know what happened next to wanting Will to get his HEA.

(arc review)