When The Smoke Clears

by Tatum James

And they lived happily ever after!For some, happily ever after is just a tag line used in movies and children’s books. Aleesia Monroe’s fairy tale life had nothing to do with love or Prince Charming for that matter. All of her dreams were of success and notoriety. As a prosecuting attorney, Aleesia is quickly climbing the ladder after only five years of being hired under District Attorney Aaron Swartzberg.Part of her dream was to clean up the streets by making sure criminals were brought to swift justice. Aleesia had everything that she had ever wanted; her dream career as assistant district attorney under one of the city’s most infamous District Attorneys to date and was well on her way to the top of the ladder. Although she enjoyed companionship, she knew that with her demanding career, love and starting a family probably wasn’t in the cards for her, and she was perfectly fine with that.After a series of unfortunate events change her life, Aleesia is forced to rebuild her confidence and reevaluate her dreams. Taking time to focus on her innermost desires opens Aleesia up to love again. Before she can live happily ever after though, Aleesia’s dreams come back to haunt her as nightmares. Having accumulated so many enemies over the years as a prosecutor, could Aleesia ever feel safe again?

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 21, 2020

About the author

Tatum James is a passionate author of romance, urban fiction, and women’s fiction. Since publishing her debut novella Identical Sins in 2018, she has written more than 30 titles—each one known for its unique storylines, unpredictable twists, and vivid characters. A true storyteller at heart, Tatum loves painting pictures with words, weaving emotion, tension, and passion into every page.

A South Georgia native from the small town of Abbeville, Tatum grew up surrounded by the quiet of the rural South—a place where imagination had room to run wild. That early creativity now fuels her writing, often infused with her love of storytelling and music. These twin passions frequently shape the themes and rhythm of her books.

Outside of writing, Tatum has worked as a dedicated nurse for over a decade. Her compassion and life experience shine through in the depth of her characters and the realism of her stories.

Reviews

[Shannon Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

not your typical love story

I enjoyed this book. I will admit Vincent was making me want to jump through the pages and tell him to get a life but Devon and Alessia were perfect together. I love the plot twist with Devon’s brother. It definitely was a surprise.