Before The Credits Roll

by Iolanda R. Santos

Ana Silva left the film industry the way you leave a fire: fast, scorched, and swearing never to go back.
Then Cooper shows up.
He's a celebrated director now–the kind of man who fills a room without trying–and he needs her to produce Somewhere, Sometime, the passion project she convinced him to pursue a decade ago.
But returning to Toronto means facing everything she left behind: the anxiety she's never outrun, the habit of shrinking herself into whatever shape the room needs, and the wreckage of a past relationship that did more damage than she admits.
And then there’s Cooper—intense, attentive, impossible to ignore—and somewhere between shared sets and late nights on location, old admiration starts rewriting itself into something riskier. Wanting him would mean jeopardizing the one thing she came back to reclaim: herself.
The goal was simple: produce the film, prove her worth, and leave. She didn't plan on falling for the one person who never needed her to prove anything at all.

435 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2026

About the author

Iolanda is a Portuguese author and filmmaker. She lived in Toronto, Canada, where she studied and worked in the film industry for six years before moving back home to sunny Portugal. As a lover of all kinds of storytelling, she watches too many tv shows and reads too many books – but never as many as she’d like. With a love for board games, music, good food and walks on the beach, she finds any excuse to spend time with her husband, dog and friends.

Find out more about Iolanda at www.iolandarsantos.com or follow her on her socials @iolosantos

Reviews

[Sofia Belchiorinho]

I'm so glad I decided to peek into this book's sample — the writing is so good it captivated me right from the first few lines (not to mention the first chapters taking place at a beach so close to my hometown). I immediately wanted to be inside Ana's head and know more about her and her struggles, about Cooper and the project who was about to bring them together after a decade apart.

Being Portuguese, a people pleaser and struggling with relationship trauma, Ana is such a realistic character it feels like a good friend of yours, one who lives with her heart torn between two countries. I loved following her journey back to filmmaking, her relationship with Cooper and her healing journey, finally taking back everything she deserved — career, peace of mind and unconditional love.

If you're debating whether giving this book a go, trust me, this story truly reads like a romance from our favorite American romcom authors.

Can't wait to read more from Iolanda! :)

[Catarina Ribeiro]

4,75 ⭐️

It's so refreshing to be able to read such a good book by a Portuguese author. A novel where we can truly feel the connection, tension and emotional depth between the characters, a heart-wrenching slow burn and a compelling and well crafted plot.

Cooper was undoubtedly my favorite character, also I just wanted to pet Nolan!! 🐾

For those who love cinema, you’ll find a captivating story here as well as a beautiful love letter about “home” being a place but also a person.

[Mariana Cabrita]

Oficialmente dos meus romances favoritos 😭

Todo o setting da história é muito envolvente, ver o background de fazer um filme é incrível!

As personagens 😭 com problemas reais, com um ótimo desenvolvimento e absolutamente amorosas!!!

E a escrita da Iolanda 🥹 10/10

Leiam, leiam, leiam!

[Nicole Marie]

4.5 ⭐️ - Before the Credits Roll was such a heartfelt, beautifully written romance that completely swept me away. I loved that this wasn't just a love story, but also a story about healing, finding your confidence again, and learning to take up space without apologizing for it.

Ana was such an easy character to root for. Watching her return to an industry that had left her burned out while confronting her anxiety and past wounds made her journey feel incredibly authentic. I appreciated that her growth was just as important as the romance.

And Cooper... I adored him. He was patient, attentive, supportive, and so clearly gone for Ana without ever trying to overshadow her. Their chemistry was undeniable, but what really sold me on their relationship was the quiet trust and admiration they built over years. The slow burn was absolutely worth the wait, and every moment they shared felt intentional.

I also loved the behind-the-scenes look at the film industry. It gave the story a unique backdrop and made the long hours, shared creative process, and emotional vulnerability between the characters feel even more intimate.

Overall, Before the Credits Roll is a tender, emotional slow-burn romance with mature characters, beautiful character growth, and a love story that feels earned every step of the way. If you love romances where emotional intimacy is just as swoon-worthy as the chemistry, this is definitely one to pick up

[Sofia Marques]

5⭐
Nunca pensei ficar tão agarrada a um livro escrito em inglês.
A partir de metade do livro não parei mais! A escrita é envolvente, os personagens têm uma boa evolução, conhecer o mundo por dentro da produção e realização de filmes é algo que achei muito interessante.
O facto de acontecer entre Portugal e o Canadá aconchegou-me o coração.
Gosto muito da Ana, mas o Cooper é o homem que todas merecemos.
As cenas de 🌶️ estão muito bem escritas e são das minhas favoritas dos livros que já li.
O slow burn é incrível 🤤

Não pares de escrever, Iolanda. Se tinhas duvidas sobre livros de romance, não tenhas. Tens que apostar mais no género. 😊

[Kimberly]

I don't even know where to start because there is so much I enjoyed. I think Ana's story is relatable. Too often we push things down to move on only to realize later that isn't actual healing.

I appreciated that she was strong but vulnerable, I also appreciated Cooper was the same way.

Cooper's anger was justified and something I don't think we see enough of in books like this. It makes it more real. One can understand why someone does something but still be angry at them.

The footnotes were great, informative but not an overwhelming number of them.

Only disappointed Nolan didn't get more page time!