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Later, Only Love Remains
From award-winning, bestselling writer Leah Swann comes a lyrical, powerful, dark and devastating novel. once you start reading, you will not be able to put this novel down.
Jack Wolfe, a difficult, complicated old man, retreats to a remote family shack in the Otway Forest near the Great Ocean Road to grieve his wife's death in a car crash where he was the driver. It's cold, with endless wind and rain, and the bush shack is basic. But he's half mad with remorse and old memories of wrongs he has done to others, so what Jack craves more than anything is forgiveness - and solitude.
Instead, he meets Lotus, an exuberant yet lonely young woman who insists on trying to help him, although he's determined to keep her at bay. He doesn't want or need anyone. But late one night, when his dog starts howling, Jack discovers a shivering and wet stranger on his property. Is this man a dangerous threat, or someone who simply needs his help? His late wife would want him to show kindness, but he can't help suspecting the man's motives. And what should he do about the unwanted friendship from Lotus, with whom he has a surprise connection?
A tense, powerfully compelling story with a spiralling, slow-burn intensity which escalates into a gut-wrenching, dark and achingly beautiful read, Later, Only Love Remains is a propulsive and unputdownable novel about the violence of men, birth and death, the yearning for redemption, and the endless wellspring that is love.
Jack Wolfe, a difficult, complicated old man, retreats to a remote family shack in the Otway Forest near the Great Ocean Road to grieve his wife's death in a car crash where he was the driver. It's cold, with endless wind and rain, and the bush shack is basic. But he's half mad with remorse and old memories of wrongs he has done to others, so what Jack craves more than anything is forgiveness - and solitude.
Instead, he meets Lotus, an exuberant yet lonely young woman who insists on trying to help him, although he's determined to keep her at bay. He doesn't want or need anyone. But late one night, when his dog starts howling, Jack discovers a shivering and wet stranger on his property. Is this man a dangerous threat, or someone who simply needs his help? His late wife would want him to show kindness, but he can't help suspecting the man's motives. And what should he do about the unwanted friendship from Lotus, with whom he has a surprise connection?
A tense, powerfully compelling story with a spiralling, slow-burn intensity which escalates into a gut-wrenching, dark and achingly beautiful read, Later, Only Love Remains is a propulsive and unputdownable novel about the violence of men, birth and death, the yearning for redemption, and the endless wellspring that is love.
336 pages, Paperback
Published May 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 17, 2026
Atmospheric. Tense. Slow-burn. Lyrical. Achingly beautiful.
Later, Only Love Remains is a haunting and powerful follow-on from Sheerwater, which was an unforgettable debut novel.
The characters in this story were believable, and I felt myself reading this long into the night. I enjoyed how forgiveness, redemption, kindness and love are depicted. Some challenging topics were also depicted, however I found they were covered with nuance, consideration and care.
If you enjoy literary suspense, I highly recommend this.
I have really enjoyed both stories by Australian author Leah Swann and I am looking forward to reading more of her stories.
Later, Only Love Remains is a haunting and powerful follow-on from Sheerwater, which was an unforgettable debut novel.
The characters in this story were believable, and I felt myself reading this long into the night. I enjoyed how forgiveness, redemption, kindness and love are depicted. Some challenging topics were also depicted, however I found they were covered with nuance, consideration and care.
If you enjoy literary suspense, I highly recommend this.
I have really enjoyed both stories by Australian author Leah Swann and I am looking forward to reading more of her stories.
June 10, 2026
A drop everything read!
What a brilliant psychological thriller. Beautifully written with excellent characters and stunning setting on the Great Ocean Road. There was only one unnecessary element/loose end with the plot regarding the scooter (the police aspect) but otherwise it is so tightly woven I had to remember to breathe.
Excellent thriller if you’re after the atmospheric read in one sitting novel.
What a brilliant psychological thriller. Beautifully written with excellent characters and stunning setting on the Great Ocean Road. There was only one unnecessary element/loose end with the plot regarding the scooter (the police aspect) but otherwise it is so tightly woven I had to remember to breathe.
Excellent thriller if you’re after the atmospheric read in one sitting novel.
June 16, 2026
Wow! What an intense, atmospheric, dark yet beautiful story. I couldn’t put it down!
Jack Wolfe, is a complicated man and quite difficult but I had a soft spot for him. After his wife’s death, he decides to live in his remote shack. He spends his time angry and thinking about his past, filled with remorse and needing time alone.
But then he meets Lotus, who brings a huge twist and a side of friendship that he doesn’t want. Once the stranger appears at Jack’s shack everything intensifies, the suspense is incredible, I lost count how many times I gasped out loud.
I couldn’t stop reading, it was so intense and full on, I couldn’t believe what was happening! I was left completely devastated. Wow just wow! What an incredible novel.
I loved the kindness in this book and the way it was written so lyrically and beautiful. There’s a whole lot of love, in all forms, so much pain, regret, forgiveness and difficult decisions being made. This is truly an unforgettable story.
I loved it! Now I must read Leah’s first novel!
Thank you so much @harpercollinsaustralia for the early copy!
Jack Wolfe, is a complicated man and quite difficult but I had a soft spot for him. After his wife’s death, he decides to live in his remote shack. He spends his time angry and thinking about his past, filled with remorse and needing time alone.
But then he meets Lotus, who brings a huge twist and a side of friendship that he doesn’t want. Once the stranger appears at Jack’s shack everything intensifies, the suspense is incredible, I lost count how many times I gasped out loud.
I couldn’t stop reading, it was so intense and full on, I couldn’t believe what was happening! I was left completely devastated. Wow just wow! What an incredible novel.
I loved the kindness in this book and the way it was written so lyrically and beautiful. There’s a whole lot of love, in all forms, so much pain, regret, forgiveness and difficult decisions being made. This is truly an unforgettable story.
I loved it! Now I must read Leah’s first novel!
Thank you so much @harpercollinsaustralia for the early copy!
May 28, 2026
Later Only Love Remains is a tense, atmospheric, slow burn thriller. Set in Victoria over four days it focuses on the three main characters of Jack, Lawrence and Lotus. All three have their own issues and their meeting sets of a chain of events that culminates into a big finish. I enjoyed Leah’s lyrical writing style and the way she created atmosphere and tension over the novel. It explores life, death, grief and redemption. It is a follow on from the author’s first novel Sheerwater and features characters from that and I’d like to go back and read it now. For fans of literary suspense novels.
June 12, 2026
I swear this book reached into my chest, squeezed my heart, and didn’t let go until the final page. If you want a story that will drag your emotions across the floor, this one is for you. Something told me to think about Leah’s last book, Sheerwater and remember where it ended before I started reading this one, and I am glad I spent those few moments reminiscing about it. But you don’t need to do that to experience this book. It stands alone in all that happens in such a short amount of time.
Jack Wolfe was so broken: he was basically held together by the glue of guilt and stubbornness. After losing his wife Iris in a horrific crash, he escaped to a remote shack on Victoria’s wild coastline, determined to disappear with his dog, Gep. But the universe had other plans. Enter Lotus, the chaotic young woman full of sunshine who refused to let Jack rot in his misery. And Lotus had her own baggage to carry, including her relationship with Christos (Jack’s grandson), and the life she was carrying. And then there was the mysterious stranger who showed up drenched and shaking on Jack’s doorstep. Suddenly Jack’s isolation was shattered, and the emotional tension never dropped below a simmer. The story spiralled slowly, and painfully.
This was a novel about the violence that men commit and the brutality of grief. It illustrated the desperate need that people have for redemption, and the stubborn, unstoppable force of love, in all its forms. The coastal wind and salt spray were not relaxing: they were rugged, dangerous, unkind. Jack and Lotus are the emotional axis of the story: the balance grumpy with tender, and trauma with hope, and beginnings and endings. Their dynamic was gripping and powerful, even in the smallest of moments. And it was the horrific crimes within this small community that forced Jack to confront the mysterious stranger and his motives, as well as the impact of Iris’ death on his own heart and soul.
Every character and moment mattered in this story, and every detail was important. The characters you warm to will surprise you, and the ones you rely on might just break your heart.
Jack Wolfe was so broken: he was basically held together by the glue of guilt and stubbornness. After losing his wife Iris in a horrific crash, he escaped to a remote shack on Victoria’s wild coastline, determined to disappear with his dog, Gep. But the universe had other plans. Enter Lotus, the chaotic young woman full of sunshine who refused to let Jack rot in his misery. And Lotus had her own baggage to carry, including her relationship with Christos (Jack’s grandson), and the life she was carrying. And then there was the mysterious stranger who showed up drenched and shaking on Jack’s doorstep. Suddenly Jack’s isolation was shattered, and the emotional tension never dropped below a simmer. The story spiralled slowly, and painfully.
This was a novel about the violence that men commit and the brutality of grief. It illustrated the desperate need that people have for redemption, and the stubborn, unstoppable force of love, in all its forms. The coastal wind and salt spray were not relaxing: they were rugged, dangerous, unkind. Jack and Lotus are the emotional axis of the story: the balance grumpy with tender, and trauma with hope, and beginnings and endings. Their dynamic was gripping and powerful, even in the smallest of moments. And it was the horrific crimes within this small community that forced Jack to confront the mysterious stranger and his motives, as well as the impact of Iris’ death on his own heart and soul.
Every character and moment mattered in this story, and every detail was important. The characters you warm to will surprise you, and the ones you rely on might just break your heart.
June 19, 2026
Leah Swann’s debut was one of the most emotionally powerful, searing novels I have ever read. And she follows it up with this, a novel equally powerful, equally strong, equally unforgettable!
I raced through the last pages of this novel, desperate to know what happened, and then promptly went back to read the last few chapters again to fully appreciate the brilliant writing. This book is just… wow.
Swann has subtly linked this to “Sheerwater”, her unforgettable debut, in a way that rewards readers of both but does not disadvantage readers new to her work. If you’ve read “Sheerwater”, there are elements here that you’ll really appreciate. If you haven’t, it doesn’t matter – you won’t notice anything is missing and you’ll still be caught up in this story.
Swann cleverly interlinks characters in a way which feels believable but also ratchets up the stakes, emotional and physical, for those we’re most concerned with. Her characterisation is sharp, vivid and believable. She generates empathy for a remarkable range of characters in different circumstances.
The action of the story is relatively straightforward, balancing well the complex relationships and characterisation. This novel is so easy to read, in that you get entirely caught up and that the narrative just flows so smoothly that you barely notice the pages turning. But it rewards slowing down; savouring the language, the ideas, the web of relationships. It’s rare that I re-read a book immediately, but I did here, knowing I’d missed subtleties in my initial headlong rush to find out what happened.
This contemporary novel is extraordinary, and deserves a wide audience. It’s not just hard to put down, it will be hard to forget.
You may be interested in my review of Leah Swann’s debut novel:
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
I raced through the last pages of this novel, desperate to know what happened, and then promptly went back to read the last few chapters again to fully appreciate the brilliant writing. This book is just… wow.
Swann has subtly linked this to “Sheerwater”, her unforgettable debut, in a way that rewards readers of both but does not disadvantage readers new to her work. If you’ve read “Sheerwater”, there are elements here that you’ll really appreciate. If you haven’t, it doesn’t matter – you won’t notice anything is missing and you’ll still be caught up in this story.
Swann cleverly interlinks characters in a way which feels believable but also ratchets up the stakes, emotional and physical, for those we’re most concerned with. Her characterisation is sharp, vivid and believable. She generates empathy for a remarkable range of characters in different circumstances.
The action of the story is relatively straightforward, balancing well the complex relationships and characterisation. This novel is so easy to read, in that you get entirely caught up and that the narrative just flows so smoothly that you barely notice the pages turning. But it rewards slowing down; savouring the language, the ideas, the web of relationships. It’s rare that I re-read a book immediately, but I did here, knowing I’d missed subtleties in my initial headlong rush to find out what happened.
This contemporary novel is extraordinary, and deserves a wide audience. It’s not just hard to put down, it will be hard to forget.
You may be interested in my review of Leah Swann’s debut novel:
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I really struggled with this book, and after reading some reviews of Sheerwater, I feel like I have a better understanding of what I might have been missing.
It seems that Sheerwater introduces several of the characters who reappear in Later, Only Love Remains, and without that background, I found it difficult to fully connect with the story.
The novel follows Lawrence, who has driven his car off a cliff with his two young sons inside. He survives and goes on the run, eventually befriending Jack, a man grieving the loss of his wife and struggling to find meaning in his life. Then we meet Lotus, who is pregnant to Jack’s grandson, Christo, and the storyline begins to feel increasingly complicated.
Additional characters—Trevor, his wife Courtney, and his mother-in-law Anne—are introduced, and I found myself questioning how their stories connected to the main narrative. At times, it felt difficult to keep track of the relationships and understand their purpose within the broader plot.
I can see now that reading Sheerwater first may have helped me feel more connected to the characters and their histories. Unfortunately, the ending also left me confused, as there was little clarity around what ultimately happened, which made it hard to feel a sense of resolution.
Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and other readers may have a very different experience—particularly those who have read Sheerwater first.
It seems that Sheerwater introduces several of the characters who reappear in Later, Only Love Remains, and without that background, I found it difficult to fully connect with the story.
The novel follows Lawrence, who has driven his car off a cliff with his two young sons inside. He survives and goes on the run, eventually befriending Jack, a man grieving the loss of his wife and struggling to find meaning in his life. Then we meet Lotus, who is pregnant to Jack’s grandson, Christo, and the storyline begins to feel increasingly complicated.
Additional characters—Trevor, his wife Courtney, and his mother-in-law Anne—are introduced, and I found myself questioning how their stories connected to the main narrative. At times, it felt difficult to keep track of the relationships and understand their purpose within the broader plot.
I can see now that reading Sheerwater first may have helped me feel more connected to the characters and their histories. Unfortunately, the ending also left me confused, as there was little clarity around what ultimately happened, which made it hard to feel a sense of resolution.
Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and other readers may have a very different experience—particularly those who have read Sheerwater first.
June 17, 2026
Later, Only Love Remains was my first book by Aussie author Leah Swann and it certainly won’t be my last. This was a powerful, tense and beautifully dark novel that had me completely enthralled.
🌊 This is a beautiful slow-burn thriller told from multiple perspectives. It was dark and haunting, yet had moments of light, love and kindness that made for compelling reading.
Swann’s writing style is lyrical, layered and atmospheric. Small moments matter as the story builds, and the use of nature and the elements adds an eerie and tense undercurrent to the narrative.
I wasn’t aware before starting that this follows on from Sheerwater, which was Leah’s debut novel. But regardless, I found the characters complex, the overall storyline gripping and the setting vivid.
Thank you to @harpercollinsaustralia @hqbooks and @leahswannwriter for a copy to read.
🌊 This is a beautiful slow-burn thriller told from multiple perspectives. It was dark and haunting, yet had moments of light, love and kindness that made for compelling reading.
Swann’s writing style is lyrical, layered and atmospheric. Small moments matter as the story builds, and the use of nature and the elements adds an eerie and tense undercurrent to the narrative.
I wasn’t aware before starting that this follows on from Sheerwater, which was Leah’s debut novel. But regardless, I found the characters complex, the overall storyline gripping and the setting vivid.
Thank you to @harpercollinsaustralia @hqbooks and @leahswannwriter for a copy to read.
June 27, 2026
My first read by the author and not the last.
Jack Wolf wants time for himself when he retreats to the family’s remote shack in the Otway. To make sure he is not getting bothered, he even deposits his phone at the local shop. He wants to be alone, grief his wife, and come to terms with his own involvement in her death.
But he can’t get away from people all together. There is Lotos, a young woman from the shop and a stranger who suddenly turns up on his doorstep.
Though there was a hint of “something” early on, I didn’t mind it this at all and actually thought it added as foreboding to the story and made me want to read on even more to find out what happens.
Great tension building IMHO and although I wanted to speed up the audiobook to find out the ending, I couldn’t as I also didn’t want to miss a thing!
I had a great time reading this. Now I need to read Sheerwater.
Jack Wolf wants time for himself when he retreats to the family’s remote shack in the Otway. To make sure he is not getting bothered, he even deposits his phone at the local shop. He wants to be alone, grief his wife, and come to terms with his own involvement in her death.
But he can’t get away from people all together. There is Lotos, a young woman from the shop and a stranger who suddenly turns up on his doorstep.
Though there was a hint of “something” early on, I didn’t mind it this at all and actually thought it added as foreboding to the story and made me want to read on even more to find out what happens.
Great tension building IMHO and although I wanted to speed up the audiobook to find out the ending, I couldn’t as I also didn’t want to miss a thing!
I had a great time reading this. Now I need to read Sheerwater.
June 14, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐.80
between tense and slow burn i was hooked! This was a beautiful written and i was glued to the storyline and was very intense and left me being with devasted . Now im going to read Leahs other novels that she
between tense and slow burn i was hooked! This was a beautiful written and i was glued to the storyline and was very intense and left me being with devasted . Now im going to read Leahs other novels that she
June 25, 2026
This book started out well and I was enjoying it to a point. As soon as Jack and lotus were tied up in the cabin it was all down hill from there and I couldn’t wait for it to end.
Giving birth in the bush for gods sake - straight out of a B grade midday movie. And what happened to GEP?
Giving birth in the bush for gods sake - straight out of a B grade midday movie. And what happened to GEP?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2026
4.8 stars
Review to follow
Review to follow
June 27, 2026
I loved this. Moody setting, tense twist and turns and beautifully developed characters. I will go back and read her debut Sheerwater now.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews