Evelyn, After

by Victoria Helen Stone

Evelyn Tester is sleepwalking through her suburban life―until a late-night phone call startles her awake. Her husband, a prestigious psychiatrist, has been in an accident. And he isn’t alone. Suddenly Evelyn’s world isn’t as tidy as she thought. And in the midst of it all is Juliette, not only her husband’s secret lover but also his patient. If news of the affair were to get out, it would ruin more than just Evelyn’s marriage. Although it’s a bitter pill for Evelyn to swallow, protecting her family means staying silent―even if, as she begins to discover, the night of the accident has consequences far more dangerous than the unmasking of an affair. But the more Evelyn learns about Juliette’s picture-perfect life―complete with a handsome, unsuspecting husband―the more she yearns for revenge…and satisfaction. Her growing obsession fuels her rage, burning away her complacency. What will be left of her after it flames out?

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook, Contemporary, Mystery Thriller

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2016

About the author

Wall Street Journal bestselling writer Victoria Helen Stone, author of the runaway hit Jane Doe, pens critically acclaimed novels of dark intrigue and emotional suspense. Her work includes Follow Her Down, At the Quiet Edge, Problem Child, Half Past, and the chart-toppers False Step, and Evelyn, After. Bald-Faced Liar is her tenth suspense.

Victoria writes in her home office in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, far from her origins in the flattest plains of Minnesota, Texas, and Oklahoma. She enjoys gorgeous summer trail hikes in the mountains almost as much as she enjoys staying inside by the fire during winter. Victoria is passionate about dessert, true crime, and her terror of mosquitoes, which have targeted her in a diabolical conspiracy to hunt her down no matter the season.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriahel...

Reviews

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not exactly sure that I'd categorize this story as a Psychological Thriller, but 'Evelyn, After' definitely had a few twists and turns along the way. It managed to hold my attention somewhat, but I never felt a strong connection to any of the characters. I listened to the Audible version, and while it was very well-narrated, I couldn't help but feel that it was missing something.

This is the story of Evelyn, a woman that has traded the better part of her life to do "what's expected" of her. She's the wife of a prominent psychiatrist and the mother of their teenage son. Somewhere along the way, she lost her own identity. Her entire being is defined by the interests of her husband and son. She does everything a dutiful wife should do, volunteering at the school and helping with PTA fundraisers. She is living a cliché.

To the surprise of no one except Evelyn, her husband is having an affair. Gary, the prestigious psychiatrist, is involved in an accident one night...but he isn't alone. It seems that Evelyn's douchebag husband has been sleeping with one of his patients.

To make matters worse, Gary has the audacity to call his wife out to help him on the side of the road while he has his patient/mistress with him! Then, when Evelyn confronts him about it, he has the nerve to get indignant with her like she's imagining things. To say the least, Gary was easy to hate right from the start.

Eventually, Evelyn gets pieces of the truth from Gary. It doesn't take long for Evelyn to discover that the "accident" was far more than it seemed at first glance. Gary's actions have thrown her entire world into chaos. Evelyn is faced with a huge ethical dilemma as she weighs the risk of losing her comfortable lifestyle against the merits of telling the truth.

Meanwhile, Evelyn becomes obsessed with the pretty blonde patient that warmed her husband's bed. What begins as a little online stalking, quickly gets out of hand. Before long, Evelyn has interjected herself into the life of Juliette Whitman.

While I wanted to feel a connection with Evelyn, it never happened. Mostly, I just pitied her. Here was a woman that was stuck in a trap of her own making, more concerned with her country club image than doing anything to change her circumstances. She was perfectly content to play the victim, all while turning a blind eye to everything going on around her. As a heroine, she came off as weak and rather pathetic.

In the end, there was a twist or two that I didn't see coming. That being said, they weren't particularly shocking or exciting. This ended up being an "okay" story for me. It wasn't terrible, but it lacked that special something that makes a story stand out.

Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I think this is another case of a book being marketed all wrong. Doesn't that only lead to disappointed readers in the long run?

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this book and there are some suspenseful aspects to the story, but I think it’s a bit of a stretch to categorize this as a psychological thriller. I would consider this to be more of a darker women’s fiction novel. So if that’s not your thing or if cheating is a trigger, I would definitely steer clear of this one.

I connected with Evelyn immediately because she's living my worst fear. This might sound selfish, but I don’t want to be a woman that loses her whole identity trying to raise a family. Evelyn was once a painter with dreams and aspirations and now her days are filled volunteering at her son's high school, getting dinner on the table and watching her husband pursue his career. There's no balance. She’s completely let herself go and allowed her husband to take full control of everything. It’s complacency and monotony at it’s best.

Evelyn is forced to face a harsh reality when her husband calls her in the middle of the night demanding that she come and meet him on a desolate road. I guess his other option was worse than letting his wife find out the truth.

Evelyn’s existence is completely shattered. Can you imagine? Everything she held true was tarnished in one single moment. No more living in oblivion for her. What she does isn’t what I would have done. Sure, I might have been curious, but stalker status? No way. Doing exactly what was done to me? Absolutely not. When it all comes to a head it’s honestly sad. Sad that Evelyn felt like she lost in both situations. I’m not sure how she thought things would turn out any differently though, but that’s just me.

“Aren’t you embarrassed to be so damn typical?”

I like that Evelyn found her voice along the way and started standing up for herself, but the resolution was kind of flat and lifeless. It felt like a missed opportunity in some ways. While there was the potential for a way more interesting and unexpected ending, the story was wrapped up with a limp bow instead. A great story overall - diminished by a lackluster ending.

I listened to the audio version and was hooked almost all the way through. Tanya Eby does a phenomenal job narrating, once again.

[Kylie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evelyn Tester is a dull middle-aged housewife, living a dull middle-aged suburban life, until one night a phone call turns her world upside-down. Awakened from a deep sleep, she is surprised to find it's her psychiatrist husband calling. He has been in an accident and needs help to tow his car out of a ditch.

When she turns up at the scene she's even more startled to find he isn't alone. A beautiful young blonde woman is with him. He claims the woman is a patient of his, but what are they doing on a back road at eleven o'clock at night? Realising the truth of the matter Evelyn is thrust into a world of betrayal, and soon becomes obsessed with her husband's young lover...

A tale of lies, betrayal and obsession, Evelyn, After is the story of one woman's transformation after her world is shattered. Not all of her changes are positive, however, and she finds herself heading down a very destructive path.

I did enjoy this book, and read through it quickly. Evelyn is an interesting character, and watching her life change over the course of the book, both positive and negative, is compelling. A tale of mild suspense, it's not really the psychological thriller it's made out to be, however it's enough to keep the reader turning the pages. Having said that I do think it is, for the main part, forgettable.

[Zoeytron]

Though touted as a novel of psychological suspense in the Kindle-First selections for the month of October, there was an utter dearth of it during the first half of this book. Perhaps it makes an appearance during the latter half but at 52%, I was not interested enough to even skim the remainder to find out. I gave it a fair shake, just not my flavor, I suppose.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written, enthralling fiction!

I found this book whilst browsing Amazon and had not heard of this author before. I absolutely loved this book!

The plot is intriguing and wonderfully delivered. A wife discovers a secret, a secret that influences everything she does going forward. I loved being right inside Evelyn's head and life. What would I do? The pace is solid and fluid and I loved each page. I wanted to know what was coming next.

Its very character driven and they are done so well. If you like imperfect, flawed people this will win you over. With the story moving fluently from before and after it keeps you eager for more.

Others who enjoy a realistic novel with some twisty twists will enjoy this a lot. I was excited as we built to the end outcomes and found the book both
empowering and very entertaining! Honestly, there was nothing I did not like. This one pulled me out of a big reading slump.

I'm going to read the authors other published novel and I'm a new fan. This is a psychological novel with plenty of good reasons to turn the pages. Highly recommended and five stars from me. I'd love to hear your comments on this book if you read it too.

I've also now devoured this authors novel Half Past and also loved it so check out my review!

Thanks SO much for taking a little time to read my review. Your likes and comments mean a lot to me. 😻

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[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Because the truth was that she belonged anywhere she wanted to be, and she was beautiful just for being brave.”
― Victoria Helen Stone, Evelyn, After

I found this book curiously touching and a bit painful at times. It was sure different than I had thought it would be.

Evelyn, the central character is on the verge of a breakdown. I really do not want to say WHY but suffice to say, she is not happy. And much of her anger is direct ed at her husband.

This isn't a mystery. In fact, I do not really know what I'd classify it as.It is pretty dark with alot of inner dialogue which can be either good or bad depending on the book but I loved it here. It fit.

I think I'd call this book a mid life crisis gone wrong. There are affairs and sordid happenings. But at the essence of the book is finding oneself and one's identity.

I did not adore this. It will not go down as a favorite. But it is one of the more interesting books I've read this year. The writer really gives the characters depth. Evelyn is pitiful at times but who isn't on their worst day? And these are some bad days for Evelyn.

She's reevaluating everything..and it doesn't help that Hubs is a jerk and a half. She hates herself, her life, her body and her spirit. She feels she's gone nowhere in life and seeths with resentment, causing her to go down a rather sordid and bitter path.

I enjoyed the book. It is a quick read but is quite reflective and I enjoyed it more than expected.

The themes here are more abstract than originally presented and I even (without spoilers) found the ending beautifully written and appropriate.Recommended for fans of Women's fiction.

[Cynthia Corral · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so many things, and I loved them all.

It’s about a woman struggling to come to terms with her husband’s betrayal.

Or it’s about a woman’s descent into madness as she tries to make sense of a no-win situation.

Or it’s Fatal Attraction told from Alex Forrest’s point of view.

It’s a horrific tragedy as a woman loses everything after making endless mistakes in an attempt to fix things.

But no, it’s a story of a woman picking up the pieces of her life and Winning. The last pages of the book turned the whole thing around from a deliciously terrible story about a sort of awful woman, into, honestly, a kind of inspiring story. I think it’s easy to blame Evelyn for all the terrible choices she makes – and yes, she makes some really awful ones - but let’s not forget what started her on this path, WHO started her on this path. Absolutely none of this would have happened if not for the one truly terrible character in this story. Each character in this story makes their own choices and they all pay for them, Evelyn included. But the really unexpected (to me) situation at the end brings a lot of hope and comfort and… well, hope.

This story could only have been told this well by a female author. We all have a bit of Evelyn in us. You can disagree with everything Evelyn does in this book, but don’t judge this woman until you’ve walked a mile in her shoes. There truly is a little Evelyn in us all.

[Selene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The demise of forty-one year-old Evelyn Tester's twenty-year marriage to her husband is the focus of this story. Their relationship is severely wounded by his infidelity and Evelyn becomes obsessed with the other woman and infiltrating the other woman's life. While letting her feelings of betrayal fester, Evelyn becomes just as callous, conniving, and deceptive as her husband.

This story features:
Drama ✓
Suspense ✓
Highly unlikable characters ✓
Very realistic feel ✓

I was in the mood to read some messy, outlandish drama and gravitated towards this book. Sadly, this story painted a very depressing view of a middle-aged woman's life, but when Evelyn became increasingly angry and bitter, I warmed up to her. Slightly. She found her backbone and it gave her character some edge, but she used her feminine charms in a way that ultimately backfired, and I mostly just had unlimited disdain for her and ALL the other characters in this book.

The first quarter of this book provided an eyeful into Evelyn's psyche. It showed just how jealous, insecure, and emotionally fragile she was becoming. She slowly began to understand how much of her identity was wrapped up in being a wife and keeping up with appearances, all the while remaining an arm's length away from her husband and his carefully constructed psychiatrist image.

Issues?
This story twists back and forth: before Evelyn learned of her husband's affair, and after, highlighting just how she and Gary became so disconnected. Essentially, every other chapter alternated between the past and present, and it frustrated me to no end! For me, this style of storytelling was mostly jarring and I would've enjoyed this book more without all that flip-flopping! The alternating transitions made me feel confused at times and I had to flip to the previous chapter to know whether I was reading about before the affair, or after the affair.

➜ Snippets of Evelyn's unstable but entertaining thoughts concerning her nemesis/ the other woman?

Evelyn growled in fury. This was her life now. Hers. For better or worse. She wasn’t going to let some dirty blond bitch take that away from her. As stupid, boring, and steady as this life might be, it was hers.

This whore. This home-wrecker. Every molecule of her was a lie, and no one could see it.

Did every male love her? Was it that petite, golden helplessness they couldn’t resist? Maybe they’d all love her more if Evelyn ran up and punched her in her cute little nose.



Even though I didn't care for any of the characters in this story, some of Evelyn's devious thoughts were highly entertaining and I couldn't help but laugh! I also wouldn't be opposed to reading more of this author's work.

*ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for a review.*

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evelyn's husband, Gary, is in a late night accident. Evelyn learns that not only is he having an affair, but it is with one of his patients. To protect her family, Evelyn needs to keep quiet about the accident and his affair with Juliette. Instead, Evelyn decides to get revenge on Juliette.

A suspenseful story of a woman who slowly loses control. Evelyn's unhappy life gets worse when she receives a late night call from her husband. Now, she not only has to keep quite about his car accident, but she can't have it getting out that he is involved with a patient. To Evelyn, revenge on the other woman seems like a good option. Evelyn becomes obsessed with learning more about Juliette. The more she learns, the more she realizes not everything is as it seems.

Lies, bad decisions, and unlikable characters in a drama filled story. Entertaining read.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

What did I think? What did I think? I COULD NOT STAND ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK, NOT ONE! ESPECIALLY EVELYN!

I really should have known better. I hate cheating, but the blurb had me curious.

Evelyn is married to Gary, a psychiatrist. She is the typical wife and mom, involved in school events and basically leading a humdrum life. Then, an accident turns her world upside down. She became obsessed with finding out the truth.

All of the characters were ugly on the inside and I pretty much guessed what really happened.

Anticlimactic ending. Blah!

[Berit☀️✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should have been called Evelyn Throws Herself an Extremely Long Pity Party....

Before you pick this book up, please understand this is not a psychological thriller...it is a book about an extremely unhappy housewife, she is not fulfilled by being a wife and mother, and blames this on everyone else, rather than trying to improve her situation... truly finding out her husband was cheating on her, was the best thing to ever happen to her, she finally woke up.... although it took her some stalking and bad decision making for her to get to that point, but thankfully she did.... not sure if I like this book, because it was definitely not what it was advertised to be, so things I was expecting to happen never did, probably not the authors fault, it should have probably been marketed differently...

[SusanAhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She wasn’t nothing…And if she’d lost her mind, she could get it back. It was somewhere waiting. She’d find it.”

For me, this is a story…wrapped in an erotic and suspenseful framework… about how a woman finds growth and insight into her “self” and her worth after her neat construct of the world crumbles in the face of her finding out her husband has committed a crime.

Sometimes, we readers fall into a trap of our own design assuming that the writer is making yet another presentation of a cliché wife and mother who sacrificed her self-actualization to disastrous consequences in her future life…the cheating professional husband, the self-absorbed older children ready to flee the nest leaving the good mom and wife alone and with nothing…not even her own identity.

Yes, some of this story runs along this vein…but, it goes deeper if you pay attention. Additionally, there is added suspense and mystery that builds with the author employing a clever alternating time jump device of “Before” and “After”. Both time periods meeting at the present which is ultimately, Evelyn, After .

“She’d chosen a life she felt she didn’t belong to. A neat, wealthy world of country clubs and nuclear families. A life she’d only known from TV shows and movies. She’d thought she needed to earn her way in. So she’d worked hard at it.”

There are dramatic and well-done erotic moments that are lovely and bittersweet…and, they add a touch of hopefulness for our main character, Evelyn. Yet, is our hope well placed?

“Strange that something so animal could feel divine. His thrusts felt like worship.”

The entire story is narrated in the third person from Evelyn’s POV. This was an intricate story and my first actual intricate suspenseful story to which I listened. I was held captive by the writing and narration the entire time. I am just learning how to appreciate the audible format after shunning it for so long. Words still look so beautiful on paper to me and I suppose they always will, then again, audible has its charm. To whit, this book is narrated well.

I suppose this author is of some renown based on the large number of reviews the book has. I am surprised though by some of the sheer meanness of some of the reviews. When an author tells a story, characters often do bad things much like people. There are truths to be discovered and unearthed in our flaws and failings…in human drama, real or imagined.

Evelyn is also a plausible character of a certain age from a certain chapter of our social history. If understood as such, the last thing the author invokes in the reader is a feeling of “pity” for her. I personally have not traveled Evelyn’s path but I can say she is entirely understandable. I felt her confusion, her betrayal, her self-loathing and her reckoning. I saw some of my humanity in her and I learned from Evelyn, After.

“Because the truth was that she belonged anywhere she wanted to be, and she was beautiful just for being brave.”

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️🎧📚 Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio - 5 stars
Story - 3 stars

Yet another story with chapters alternating between the past and the present (in the case of this story, it’s before the discovery of the affair and after the discovery of the affair). I guess that’s the trend these days???

I thought this was going to be a story about revenge, but it wasn’t. In my opinion, it was more in the lines of a twisted romance. The heroine, whose husband has an affair, ends up falling for and having an affair with the other woman’s husband. Two wrong didn’t make a right, and that affair does not end in an hea.

The ending was anticlimactic, and there was little justice for the injured parties.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a book is marketed as suspense, mystery or psychological thriller there are certain expectations. You expect your heart to race a little at the tension, don't you? In fact, this book borders heavily on the romantic literature side; perhaps the furrow into infidelity are what the author hoped would bring the intensity.

The storyline is just okay. I wasn't shocked by any parts of it, although I did warm to Evelyn who despite the watered down plot, is a fairly engaging character. The writing paints a good picture of its settings although there are at least two characters I felt were under used and under developed.

I felt the ending to be almost slapdash, which was a bit disappointing. Everyone loves a happy ending, but when you are reading a "thriller" is that always a necessity? As a reader, I like to be left a little slack jawed sometimes. This book finished too neat and tidy for my liking.

The author shows promise in her work but I felt let down by the bold promises made in the synopsis. The episode with the young girl is merely a backlight in the overall story.

I wish there were a better word for this book other than 'okay' but that's exactly what it was.

[Bea Sneed · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a psychological thriller. None of the characters are likable.

[Linda Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

A call in the middle of the night usually always means bad news. For Evelyn Tester, it's her husband. Evidently he has had a small accident and needs her to come help him. She can't help but wonder why he way out in the boondocks and in the opposite direction of home.

Whens she spots the blonde woman, she gets her first inkling of what's going on. Of course, her husband, a psychiatrist, says the blonde is one of his patients .. he was taking her home ... in the middle of the night?

Evelyn decides to deal with it later, until the next day when she hears the news. A teenage girl has been killed by a hit and run driver .... just a very short distance from where her husband and his 'patient' was.

When the husband admits the affair, she becomes obsessed by this woman who slept with her husband. She stalks the blonde's Facebook pages and then she hits upon a plan to make her pay .... she also has a husband and since the blonde took her husband, maybe she should take hers in retaliation. Rage, obsession, and depression take over Evelyn's life.

The characters, even though a couple of them are unlikable, are well-rounded and defined. There are several twists and turns that keeps the plot running smoothly. Only one area seemed to be not entirely credible, but not enough that I did not enjoy the story being told.

[Jamie ♡♡ submits to books ♡♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

***** 5 "Cheaters Never Win" Stars *****

Evelyn's marriage is good. Better than good, it is great. Her life is great. She has a great teenage son, a devoted husband who is a doctor, a great job at her son's high school, and a past time filled with volunteer work that she excels at.

Then she get's a phone call one night from her husband. He's ok but he's been in a car accident. An accident that is about to forever change her life.



Nothing is what Evelyn thought it was. The life she was leading is not the life she was destined for. Everything she has worked for is shattered and she is forced to take on a new Evelyn. An Evelyn that is very different to the one that existed before receiving that phone call.



As the new Evelyn sets forth a plan, everything she thought she had figured is not what it really is. The new Evelyn is now faced with a truth she can't live with. The destruction this truth has caused must be made right even though the price will be paid by several.

This book was awesome!! If you have a hard time with cheating, this book is not for you but I can say, this is a very well written adultery book!

[Sarah Joint · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to describe what this book is. Perhaps domestic fiction with a bit of suspense thrown in. It has a lot of qualities common in popular books of this sort today: a disgruntled wife that's unsatisfied with her uneventful life, a husband that doesn't pay her much attention, a marriage that can be considered successful if you only consider stability and a comfortable amount of money in which neither party is happy. It's also a bit different. We have the cheating husband which seems very typical, but the story and Evelyn are not typical or predictable. She has been going through the motions for years but she doesn't seem to be really there. They have a son together, but he seems well-adjusted and soon on his way to college. He and Evelyn have a good relationship that she doesn't want to shatter by tearing their family apart.

When she's awoken from sleeping pill induced slumber by an emergency call from her husband, she dutifully rushes to his side. He's been in an accident and needs help pulling the car from a ditch. But he's not alone. He has a pretty, petite blonde with him a bit younger than Evelyn. Psychologist husband Gary assures her that she is a patient. But that can't be right, can it? She becomes convinced that he's been cheating on her and that part is true. But how they ended up in a ditch and he resorted to calling his wife for help is much worse than an affair.

Evelyn becomes obsessed with this woman, forcing her husband to tell her details about her. While I think many of us might resort to some light Facebook stalking, she goes beyond that. She wants to know all about pretty Juliette with her slim figure and two adorable children. Her job, what makes her tick. And soon, her handsome husband that owns an art gallery. Having been an artist before familial life made her abandon it, she goes to visit. Just to see him. Things soon spiral even more out of control as she becomes obsessed with getting some form of revenge.

Evelyn is a very interesting character. She's not always likeable, but that's okay. She's not going through an easy situation. She becomes a bit of a wildcard and I was never exactly sure what she was going to do next. She's not exactly driven by logic, but if she were we wouldn't have a story. She does things some of us might have a crazy fleeting moment of considering but wouldn't actually do.

The book is very well written and flows smoothly without any drawn out or unnecessary chapters. A lot of drama, a bit of sex, and some surprises.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com

Told in alternating timelines, before and after, the entire story is from Evelyn’s perspective. Before starts immediately when the accident happens and after deals with the aftermath until everything finally merges together and there is one final chapter entitled now. I know many are sick of alternating timelines, but it really worked well here. The Evelyn from both was almost like reading about two different characters as she evolved and grew so much. You have a vague idea of what happened, but there are missing pieces, yet everything ties together and makes sense in the end.

Evelyn is caught in a monotonous life, and she doesn’t even realize that’s she unhappy until her husband’s accident. She’s a typical suburban mother who’s entire identity has been so wrapped up in being the perfect mother and wife that’s she’s totally lost track of herself. Plagued with self doubt and insecurities, she’s weak and doesn’t even realize she gave up all of her hopes and dreams to support her doctor husband, Gary and her bright and charming son, Cameron, until after the accident changes everything. Though there are many secondary characters that play important roles in this book, this is truly Evelyn’s story. She is a very well developed character and she undergoes a startling transformation by the end of the book. She’s wholly relatable and easy to like, even when she was behaving erratically I was rooting for her.

This is yet another one where I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that it was a very engrossing read. It’s on the shorter side too, so it can be read fairly fast. I’ve also seen some griping about the romance here, but I don’t see the problem. This isn’t a romantic love story, it’s full of lust, desire and obsession. I also felt it was an important part of Evelyn’s journey and it just made sense to the story.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book (I almost hate to admit it...), in a weird sort of way. I know it has gotten a lot of bad and mixed reviews, but I don't think it deserves all the negativity. I do agree that marketing this as a psychological thriller was not a good idea, because it really isn't that. But, it IS a really good look into the mind of a middle-aged woman in crisis. As I read the things Evelyn said and did, both Before and After, I could sympathize. In a parallel universe, it could have been me. I wouldn't make the choices she did in this life, but it's not too far fetched to see where she is coming from. I found that I can't stop thinking about it, so I have upped it to a solid 4 *s. I think it would make a good discussion book among friends or in a book club. To avoid spoilers, I can't say more. Just take a chance on it, if you can think of it more as a Women's fiction than psychological thriller:)

**Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for an ARC to read and honestly review!**

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually did not finish this. I got to chapter 21 of 30 and my friend offered to summarize it for me Bc I couldn’t read anymore of it. I really want to give it one star but since I didn’t see it to the end I’ll up it to 2. Benefit of the doubt and all. Not recommended. I think also marketed wrong. Was not a psychological thriller.

Buddy read in Reading for Pleasure with Terry and Malina. We all felt the same unfortunately.

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I am making my way through some Kindle Unlimited picks as it is hard to bring books on the road....and I thought it was time for a thriller. I find a nice sounding "psychological thriller" where a house wife finds that her husband cheated on her.... Ok cool, it's free.

Well - I wasn't thrilled. At all. I didn't hate the book but I really can't see that this is a thriller. There wasn't much psychology either despite the husband being a psychiatrist. The mental manipulation was briefly stated in 2-3 nstances, not shown.

The story was told in alternating segments from "before" and "after". Before and after what though? The 'before' started one night when Evelyn's husband was caught, and the 'after' started when Evelyn met Noah. As the 'before' chapters started catching up to the 'after'.... I was waiting for one pivotal event, like Evelyn murders Gary or something crazy. The pivotal event had already been stated though and maybe I just read the book wrong, but it all felt extremely anticlimactic.

The resolution was...something. I was almost hoping Gary would threaten Evelyn or something to make it more interesting, but it wrapped up too nicely for a thriller. I didn't feel disturbed at all except to wish that Gary got jail time, not just a slap on the wrist as a well respected white man, so thanks for that Ms Stone. If the women had poisoned him or something...

Anyway - it's a shortner novel that read quickly. I would sort of categorize it under women's fiction with a mystery element if that is your thing, with a little bit of sexy time involved, try it!

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing and a gripping plot

Totally worth my time. I cheered at the end. So glad when a character finally finds herself. Evelyn's art focused on female subjects. It was only fitting that Evelyn take a leap of faith and regain a bit of her more daring, happier youthful spirit. Not what I was expecting - that ending - but this story took me down so many unexpected turns. Stone took a Whodunit thriller type plot and turned it into a personal journey out of the social cage Evelyn had willingly locked herself in. Well done!

[Patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been so much more. It is about a women who finds out her husband, a psychiatrist has been having an affair with one of his patients, so she decides to have an affair with that women's husband. That's pretty much it. There is a small part in this book about a hit and run which left a young girl dead, but it is lightly discussed and the weight that should have been given to this child never really comes about, not really.

[Cam · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I tried another book by the author that wrote Jane Doe, which I really liked. This book wasn’t as good. It was kind of blah in comparison. A woman finds out her husband is cheating on her. The wife decides to seek out the other woman’s husband and sleeps with him.

[✦ Ellen’s Reviews ✦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with biting wit and sharp observation, 'Evelyn, After' tells the story of one woman's struggle to come to terms with her once picture-perfect life. Alternating before and after a tragic accident, this book poses complex questions which are not always easily answered.

As I read this compelling story, I found myself asking, "What would I do if this happened to me?" At first, I thought the answer was clear. But as Evelyn's journey reveals, we don't always do what's right. People can be selfish and self-centered. The world can sometimes be a gray place.

Evelyn is the perfect wife and mother, devoted to her distant husband and her busy teenage son. But she has hidden her real self away for years, trying to be everything to everyone. She tries to please everyone but doesn't even realize it. The author has a very keen eye for suburban life:

"Her real purse was shoved under the passenger seat, stuffed full of receipts and Kleenex and hand sanitizer and Band-Aids and cough drops and an emergency flashlight and anything else that any person in the world might need from her while she was near. An eternal diaper bag for the eternal mother."

Of course this is a thriller and not everything is at it seems on the surface. Evelyn flip-flops between acting on what she has witnessed and letting everything go back to way it was "before."

Evelyn had been so sure just a few minutes ago. Gary had to turn this woman in. He had to tell the truth. It was the only way to put this behind them and start over. Now she didn’t know anything.

Even though Evelyn does not behave in the most admirable way in the beginning of this story, I felt strongly sympathetic towards her and I found myself saying "Yes! YES!" to her during the course of this very readable book. Yes, there is cheating in this story, so if that is a hard limit for you, look away! But that theme was an integral part of this book and vital to Evelyn's growth.

She’d spent her whole life doing the right thing. That could be someone else’s job now. She was moving on.

I could not put this book down! The synopsis intrigued me. And I loved the complete metamorphosis that Evelyn experienced. This book was at times tragic, funny, sexy and sarcastic. The author's musings on marriage were sharp and unwavering

Jesus, how had she become this? Her life had been deep and rich and complex once. She’d lived with her single mother and her older sister, and they’d been strong, resilient, quick. She’d taken city buses and negotiated dangerous neighborhoods even as a child, and she’d imagined herself growing into an artist with wild, creative friends who had little money but so much heart.

This was real page-turner, a mature story with mature themes and situations. I loved it!! The conclusion surprised me and was perfectly satisfying. Highly recommend!

From now on, if something was important to her, she would demand it. Because the truth was that she belonged anywhere she wanted to be, and she was beautiful just for being brave.

[Liza Fireman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not bad, but it is definitely not a psychological suspenses, and not great. More like cheap chick-lit at parts, especially the romantic and relationship parts.

Evelyn is a woman with no self identity, she gave everything away. Once upon a time she wanted to be a painter, but she never developed that aspect of hers enough. She is losing herself in raising her son, and in her devotion to her husband and his pursuing his career as a psychiatrist. Her husband is in control. And one day he calls her in the middle of the night, and she finds out that she lives a lie. He was involved in a terrible accident, and to her big surprise he is not there alone. Now her husband might be in a huge trouble, and she finds out many pieces that she puts together to figure out the story. Now Evelyn is a middle aged woman in a crisis.

Now her world is upside down. And she goes from depression and feeling ruined to become a stalker and weigh her next steps, especially with her approach to her husband. Unfortunately, this is not very convincing nor very interesting towards the end, but most of it is written nicely.

I really didn't like that the author decided to add many graphic sexual descriptions. The book could be better without them. Cheap tricks make cheap books. 3 stars, because I did enjoy most of the book, not great though.

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my Kindle First selection for Oct.-incorrectly depicted as psychological suspense. My definition of Contemporary women's fiction is a book where a woman deals with a messy life or relationship issue in a way that I would..expressing how I might feel, or doing what I may do. My definition of Chick Lit/Romance or Erotica is a book where the main character, a woman, faces a crisis but manages to find a seemingly perfect man, and have a lot of seemingly perfect sex, as a coping mechanism. The book starts out as contemporary women's fiction, with a suspenseful twist, hooking the reader from the start. But, then in the middle the plot comes to a screeching halt as the book turns into chick lit, with a large dose of erotica-which is not what I choose to read. I do like women's fiction. I do like psychological suspense. I do like thrillers. And, I liked the author's writing! Told in alternating chapters, Evelyn, Before (her husband's accident) and Evelyn, After, (the accident)- this book could've earned a higher rating from me, if the author had stuck to exploring Evelyn's emotions, and the "twist" instead of detailing her sex life, which wasn't necessary and slowed the pace down.

[Wrb752 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Despite the fact it was free, I still feel like I got ripped off. It's a pretty typical story. Evelyn has everything handed to her for free. She doesn't have to work, yet rides around in a Range Rover because he does. Instead of honoring the work her husband puts in, she sits around and becomes a fat tub of goo, and then blames it on the fact she has one (1) child. The kid is 17, fatty. Of course she blames it on her husband because she doesn't " feel sexy". Put down the donut fat ass.

The husband shags some hottie, and Evelyn doesn't like it. Put down the donut.

So if you are a whiny crybaby that sits around all day and turns into a beached whale because you had a kid 17 years ago, you might like it. So basically if you are like 90% of women in the US you can read this and blame your husband for you being a fat blob, and then drive to dinner loaded up on pills in the BMW your husband paid for. At least skip dessert lard ass.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.