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Everything After
The Light We Lost mixes with a touch of Daisy Jones and the Six in this novel of first love, passion, and the power of choice--and how we cannot escape the people we are meant to be.
Two loves. Two choices. One chance to follow her dreams.
Emily has come a long way since she lost her two passions fifteen years ago: music, and Rob. She's a psychologist at NYU who helps troubled college students like the one she once was. Together with her caring doctor husband, Ezra, she has a beautiful life. They're happy. They hope to start a family. But when a tragic event in Emily's present too closely echoes her past, and parts of her story that she'd hoped never to share come to light, her perfect life is suddenly upturned. Then Emily hears a song on the radio about the woman who got away. The melody and voice are hauntingly familiar. Could it be? As Emily's past passions come roaring back into her life, she'll find herself asking: Who is she meant to be? Who is she meant to love?
Two loves. Two choices. One chance to follow her dreams.
Emily has come a long way since she lost her two passions fifteen years ago: music, and Rob. She's a psychologist at NYU who helps troubled college students like the one she once was. Together with her caring doctor husband, Ezra, she has a beautiful life. They're happy. They hope to start a family. But when a tragic event in Emily's present too closely echoes her past, and parts of her story that she'd hoped never to share come to light, her perfect life is suddenly upturned. Then Emily hears a song on the radio about the woman who got away. The melody and voice are hauntingly familiar. Could it be? As Emily's past passions come roaring back into her life, she'll find herself asking: Who is she meant to be? Who is she meant to love?
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 2021
666 people are currently reading
31575 people want to read
About the author
Jill Santopolo
34 books3,470 followersJill Santopolo is the author of the The Light We Lost, the Alec Flint Mysteries, the Sparkle Spa series, and the Follow Your Heart books. She holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University, an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a certificate in Intellectual Property Law from NYU. Jill is also the Editorial Director of Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. When she’s not writing or editing, Jill is a thesis advisor at The New School in their MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults and is on the faculty of the Columbia Publishing Course. Jill has traveled all over the U.S.—and to Canada and Europe—to speak about writing and storytelling. She lives in New York City.
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Twitter: @jillsantopolo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,391 reviews
June 20, 2021
2 Stars!
... A failure.
I am honestly speechless after I finished this one. I couldn't accept the fact that this was written by the same author who wrote one of my all-time favourite romance books, The Light We Lost. I could hardly believe it because hell, this is without any question an epic failure. If you are looking for emotional stories without enough depth, underdeveloped characters, and unconvincing HEA. Well, I think this book was written just for you.
Note: This is a contemporary romance.
I have thought of ending this mess at around sixty percent mark. I was utterly bored with the story and I was overly frustrated with the heroine's decision making. But I decided against it because I felt like it was a wasted time and energy that I went this far to only just give up the remaining few chapters. Taking an initiative, I used my frustrations with the heroine to entertain myself; I cussed her like a sailor with tune, compared her with my classmate in highschool whose name also is Emily, the difference was that I liked my classmate Emily because she thought me how to play a harmonica, and making shitty theories about who would she end up with. I owe this story a lot for giving me a fuckton of ideas and absurd inspirations.
The story is about choices. The plot revolves around choices that we have control, and the choices that we haven't, bringing a story out of it. The concept was promising, but the execution was disappointing. I think it was my lack of interest—because of poor execution—about the tackled aspect that I found it hard to care with the characters and the story overall. I tried to understand the characters, but they just kept on annoying me with their decisions. It was a constant struggle tolerating the ridiculousness of it all without dnfing the story.
I loved the chapters relating with the heroine's past. It gave me new perspectives why she did what she did. But I felt like it wasn't enough to compensate with every decision she made that I didn't like. Writing her losses in paper and using it as her source of daily strength was indeed truly inspiring. It was one of the elements in the story that I liked. But the characters as a whole; their development, and the story as a whole; the romance, was a complete failure.
... A failure.
I am honestly speechless after I finished this one. I couldn't accept the fact that this was written by the same author who wrote one of my all-time favourite romance books, The Light We Lost. I could hardly believe it because hell, this is without any question an epic failure. If you are looking for emotional stories without enough depth, underdeveloped characters, and unconvincing HEA. Well, I think this book was written just for you.
Note: This is a contemporary romance.
“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
I have thought of ending this mess at around sixty percent mark. I was utterly bored with the story and I was overly frustrated with the heroine's decision making. But I decided against it because I felt like it was a wasted time and energy that I went this far to only just give up the remaining few chapters. Taking an initiative, I used my frustrations with the heroine to entertain myself; I cussed her like a sailor with tune, compared her with my classmate in highschool whose name also is Emily, the difference was that I liked my classmate Emily because she thought me how to play a harmonica, and making shitty theories about who would she end up with. I owe this story a lot for giving me a fuckton of ideas and absurd inspirations.
The story is about choices. The plot revolves around choices that we have control, and the choices that we haven't, bringing a story out of it. The concept was promising, but the execution was disappointing. I think it was my lack of interest—because of poor execution—about the tackled aspect that I found it hard to care with the characters and the story overall. I tried to understand the characters, but they just kept on annoying me with their decisions. It was a constant struggle tolerating the ridiculousness of it all without dnfing the story.
I loved the chapters relating with the heroine's past. It gave me new perspectives why she did what she did. But I felt like it wasn't enough to compensate with every decision she made that I didn't like. Writing her losses in paper and using it as her source of daily strength was indeed truly inspiring. It was one of the elements in the story that I liked. But the characters as a whole; their development, and the story as a whole; the romance, was a complete failure.
"Everything is always okay in the end, and if it’s not okay, it just means it isn’t the end."
August 24, 2020
Love. It’s never easy, is it? It is in fact, extremely complicated.
From the outside, Emily’s life appears to be quite simple. She is a Psychologist, married to Ezra, a Pediatric Oncologist. Their love makes her feel wholly special. While she likes her job and feels like she is good at it, oftentimes she feels like it becomes harder and harder to help people. Ezra loves and is consumed by his job. When he loses a patient it destroys him. Both Emily and Ezra want one thing and one thing only. To become parents.
One day while listening to the radio, Emily hears a song and she recognizes the voice instantly. It’s him. Her first love: Rob. As for the song on the radio? It’s about her. The one that got away. Her heart catches, her throat constricts and every memory the two shared comes rushing back.
Of course Emily can’t help but search the internet for “him” and when she does, her past becomes her present.
Turbulent, tumultuous, and full of crazy emotions, this book will make you examine love and what’s meant to be. “Everything After” is compelling and captivating and full of heart.
A huge thank you to Edelweiss, Penguin Publishing Group - G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Jill Santopolo for the arc.
Published on Edelweiss and Goodreads on 8.23.20.
From the outside, Emily’s life appears to be quite simple. She is a Psychologist, married to Ezra, a Pediatric Oncologist. Their love makes her feel wholly special. While she likes her job and feels like she is good at it, oftentimes she feels like it becomes harder and harder to help people. Ezra loves and is consumed by his job. When he loses a patient it destroys him. Both Emily and Ezra want one thing and one thing only. To become parents.
One day while listening to the radio, Emily hears a song and she recognizes the voice instantly. It’s him. Her first love: Rob. As for the song on the radio? It’s about her. The one that got away. Her heart catches, her throat constricts and every memory the two shared comes rushing back.
Of course Emily can’t help but search the internet for “him” and when she does, her past becomes her present.
Turbulent, tumultuous, and full of crazy emotions, this book will make you examine love and what’s meant to be. “Everything After” is compelling and captivating and full of heart.
A huge thank you to Edelweiss, Penguin Publishing Group - G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Jill Santopolo for the arc.
Published on Edelweiss and Goodreads on 8.23.20.
April 29, 2021
4.5 stars, rounded up.
Everything After , the third book by Jill Santopolo, is a beautiful, emotional story about the choices we make and the dreams we choose or choose not to follow, and how those choices shape our lives.
“Choices are made all the time. One choice doesn’t have to define a life.”
Emily is a psychologist at NYU, helping students navigate the things that are troubling them. Although the job weighs on her from time to time, she once was rescued by a psychologist and feels this is her way of paying it forward.
Emily and her husband, Ezra, a pediatric oncologist, have a good, loving marriage. Each draws strength from the other. They’ve finally decided they’re ready to start a family, and neither can wait to be parents.
When tragedy strikes, it reminds Emily of an earlier time in her life, when she was a musician, in love and performing with Rob. But when faced with tragedy and pain, Emily makes the difficult choice to put that side of her life away, and ultimately, that choice leads her down the path her life has taken, to being a psychologist and marrying Ezra.
When Emily hears a familiar voice on the radio, singing about the one that got away, her life is once again upended, and the secrets she’s kept for so long suddenly are revealed. Did she make the right choices years ago? Is she on the right path now? Will she have to abandon some dreams to pursue others?
What I love so much about Santopolo's writing is how she captures emotions of all kinds—love, grief, excitement, pain—and the trajectory of relationships. That talent is on full display here, and I was really moved by Everything After , even when I didn’t necessarily agree with a character’s behavior. (I also loved her first book, The Light We Lost , and enjoyed her second, More Than Words .)
This may be a difficult story for those dealing with or who have dealt with fertility issues, but it’s really a powerful and emotional read.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the last decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Everything After , the third book by Jill Santopolo, is a beautiful, emotional story about the choices we make and the dreams we choose or choose not to follow, and how those choices shape our lives.
“Choices are made all the time. One choice doesn’t have to define a life.”
Emily is a psychologist at NYU, helping students navigate the things that are troubling them. Although the job weighs on her from time to time, she once was rescued by a psychologist and feels this is her way of paying it forward.
Emily and her husband, Ezra, a pediatric oncologist, have a good, loving marriage. Each draws strength from the other. They’ve finally decided they’re ready to start a family, and neither can wait to be parents.
When tragedy strikes, it reminds Emily of an earlier time in her life, when she was a musician, in love and performing with Rob. But when faced with tragedy and pain, Emily makes the difficult choice to put that side of her life away, and ultimately, that choice leads her down the path her life has taken, to being a psychologist and marrying Ezra.
When Emily hears a familiar voice on the radio, singing about the one that got away, her life is once again upended, and the secrets she’s kept for so long suddenly are revealed. Did she make the right choices years ago? Is she on the right path now? Will she have to abandon some dreams to pursue others?
What I love so much about Santopolo's writing is how she captures emotions of all kinds—love, grief, excitement, pain—and the trajectory of relationships. That talent is on full display here, and I was really moved by Everything After , even when I didn’t necessarily agree with a character’s behavior. (I also loved her first book, The Light We Lost , and enjoyed her second, More Than Words .)
This may be a difficult story for those dealing with or who have dealt with fertility issues, but it’s really a powerful and emotional read.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the last decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
March 9, 2021
Everything After by Jill Santopolo is a complex and emotional love story. I became an instant fan of Santopolo after reading The Light We Lost and Everything After has everything I expect in her novels. The story is emotional and realistic. Emily is suddenly reminding of the past she left behind and wondering if she made the right decision. Emily starts to wonder if leaving music behind was a mistake and reconnects with her ex. Everything After is a story with a love triangle but there is so much more to the book than that. Everything After is about a woman figuring out what she wants to do with her life. Part of the story is told in journal entries from Emily. Infertility is a theme throughout the book, so I would keep that in mind if that is something that you don’t want to read about. It is hard to talk about without giving too much away but I highly recommend Everything After to fans of emotional romance.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jill Santopolo and I loved the narration. I’ve read all of her books but this was my first one I listened to and I am so glad I did. Jill does a great job portraying the character’s emotions and even sings in part of the book.
Thank you Putnam books, Penguin Random House Audio, and Edelweiss for Everything After.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jill Santopolo and I loved the narration. I’ve read all of her books but this was my first one I listened to and I am so glad I did. Jill does a great job portraying the character’s emotions and even sings in part of the book.
Thank you Putnam books, Penguin Random House Audio, and Edelweiss for Everything After.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
December 3, 2021
It has been a while since I literally struggled to rate a book. My goodness, the rollercoaster my emotions has gone through was not fun!
I thought I was going to have basically the same plot as Santopolo’s other book The Light We Lost, and that honestly was pissing me off. It ended up going a different route, so the book just ended up not being bad.
I’m actually a fan of back and forth story time telling, but the trick is to make sure they connect throughout the story and Santopolo did a great job with that.
Ezra and Rob were both babies in a grown man’s body. I’m glad they both showed some maturity by the end of the book.
Overall this wasn’t bad and I would recommend it. If you’ve read the The Light We Lost, I would say you’ll probably feel like you are kinda-maybe-almost-lowkey reading the same plot. I would still give it a shot.
‼️SPOILERS‼️
The fact that for some parts she was talking to the child she might have had was really beautiful. I really liked those chapters. It made it so emotional.
So the reason I said I felt this plot was going to end up being like The Light We Lost is because of Emily kissing Rob. If you haven’t read that book, don’t worry I won’t spoil much. I’ll just say that for me, seeing something similar happen twice in two of the author’s books just feels unoriginal.
I thought I was going to have basically the same plot as Santopolo’s other book The Light We Lost, and that honestly was pissing me off. It ended up going a different route, so the book just ended up not being bad.
I’m actually a fan of back and forth story time telling, but the trick is to make sure they connect throughout the story and Santopolo did a great job with that.
Ezra and Rob were both babies in a grown man’s body. I’m glad they both showed some maturity by the end of the book.
Overall this wasn’t bad and I would recommend it. If you’ve read the The Light We Lost, I would say you’ll probably feel like you are kinda-maybe-almost-lowkey reading the same plot. I would still give it a shot.
‼️SPOILERS‼️
The fact that for some parts she was talking to the child she might have had was really beautiful. I really liked those chapters. It made it so emotional.
So the reason I said I felt this plot was going to end up being like The Light We Lost is because of Emily kissing Rob. If you haven’t read that book, don’t worry I won’t spoil much. I’ll just say that for me, seeing something similar happen twice in two of the author’s books just feels unoriginal.
March 30, 2021
3.5 stars
Throughout my reading of this book, I wasn't really enamored with it. Once I got to the end of Everything After, I realized that as a package, I did enjoy it. There were many parts that I disliked along the way, most of all because I could not identify with or relate to Emily's choices.
I think that you need the whole picture of Emily and her past before you can make any judgments about this novel. What seem to be reckless and immature choices on her part actually have a bit of rationale behind them. However, I still didn't agree with some thing she did, but overall this is a poignant story about the choices we make in life and how it is ok to rethink and reevaluate those choices.
I don't really get the comparison to Daisy Jones & the Six because this book is nothing like that one except that it in part involves music, but that's honestly not the overall focus. There are some difficult emotional sections of the narrative dealing with infertility and miscarriage, but the author handles it well and presents multiple ways of dealing with the situation, some of which are healthy and some aren't, but they all ring very true to life.
I didn't totally buy into the way things all worked out and wrapped up, it all seemed way too conveniently tied up in a nice bow. I would have liked a bit of messiness because life doesn't always have that perfect "happily ever after." Overall it is an interesting read and if you like emotional, character-driven stories you will enjoy this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Throughout my reading of this book, I wasn't really enamored with it. Once I got to the end of Everything After, I realized that as a package, I did enjoy it. There were many parts that I disliked along the way, most of all because I could not identify with or relate to Emily's choices.
I think that you need the whole picture of Emily and her past before you can make any judgments about this novel. What seem to be reckless and immature choices on her part actually have a bit of rationale behind them. However, I still didn't agree with some thing she did, but overall this is a poignant story about the choices we make in life and how it is ok to rethink and reevaluate those choices.
I don't really get the comparison to Daisy Jones & the Six because this book is nothing like that one except that it in part involves music, but that's honestly not the overall focus. There are some difficult emotional sections of the narrative dealing with infertility and miscarriage, but the author handles it well and presents multiple ways of dealing with the situation, some of which are healthy and some aren't, but they all ring very true to life.
I didn't totally buy into the way things all worked out and wrapped up, it all seemed way too conveniently tied up in a nice bow. I would have liked a bit of messiness because life doesn't always have that perfect "happily ever after." Overall it is an interesting read and if you like emotional, character-driven stories you will enjoy this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
April 1, 2025
“My life has always been filled with love. I just didn’t know where to look for it.”
I loved, “The Light we Lost,” so was looking forward to reading this author again.
With this story, readers will meet Emily Gold, a married therapist and Rob, a musician who was her long ago love interest.
A central point in the plot revolves around miscarriages and depression, which may be a trigger for some readers.
The story takes place in Manhattan, but skips back and forth in time. Told from the main narrative and Emily’s confessions in her journal.
“In my heart you will never be lost.”
Readers will have the opportunity to also meet, Emily’s husband, Ezra, a pediatric hematologist. What appears as a perfect marriage, will change in perception throughout the story.
So, what happened to Emily and Rob? And, what will bring Emily back to her music? And, how will this affect Ezra and Emily’s marriage?
The story is heart-warming and tender. Poignant and thoughtful. One that will most likely resonate well with some readers. Have Kleenex handy.
I loved, “The Light we Lost,” so was looking forward to reading this author again.
With this story, readers will meet Emily Gold, a married therapist and Rob, a musician who was her long ago love interest.
A central point in the plot revolves around miscarriages and depression, which may be a trigger for some readers.
The story takes place in Manhattan, but skips back and forth in time. Told from the main narrative and Emily’s confessions in her journal.
“In my heart you will never be lost.”
Readers will have the opportunity to also meet, Emily’s husband, Ezra, a pediatric hematologist. What appears as a perfect marriage, will change in perception throughout the story.
So, what happened to Emily and Rob? And, what will bring Emily back to her music? And, how will this affect Ezra and Emily’s marriage?
The story is heart-warming and tender. Poignant and thoughtful. One that will most likely resonate well with some readers. Have Kleenex handy.
August 21, 2021
I tried writing a review twice. As I wrote out the plot, it became clear I didn’t like this book that much. So it went from three stars to two, then eventually to one. Here’s why:
(My review is as long as the novel. Sorry.)
I picked up this book because I loved Daisy Jones and the Six, and this book said it had a touch of that. By “touch”, it means two characters in a band who have chemistry and write songs together.
The book follows Emily through present (third person narrator) and past (journal entries) as she deals with loss and choices she’s made because of loss. The book explores what ifs, choices and how said choices or lack thereof affect our path in life. The book takes care to explore the pain of miscarriage, but it is hard to empathize with the character because she is not a believable character in any version presented.
When I met Emily she is a professional women who wants to start a family. Ok, I know people like that, I’ve been her— but then I find out she is married to the perfect man— a doctor who is everything she ever wanted and needs (not her journal entry by the way, this is portrayed in the third person present). Then, three pages after that, I’m reading a journal entry of a deeply depressed college student who lost a baby. I slowly realize this is past Emily— a piano virtuoso who was on her way to fully realizing her dream of becoming a famous musician on tour with her equally perfect charismatic, guitar playing, 70s music loving FIRST love. I discover they fell in love with each other because of their mutual love for music. They were living by the holy trinity of music— sex, drugs, and rock and roll. So her life was going well for a while in college. Even when she finds out she’s pregnant, her boyfriend isn’t horrible about it, he’s just torn because their dream is to tour and be famous musicians. She is just not sure if pregnancy is what she wants. However, Emily doesn’t have to make the choice between mother hood and fame because a horrible accident happens. She falls out of a tree house. That part was pretty anticlimactic, but probably the most relatable thing she’s done so far.
The fall breaks her arm and causes her to lose the baby. She breaks up with her boyfriend because she can’t play anymore (she tries when her arm is out of the cast but it’s too painful). He disappears and so does that part of her. UNTIL, she and doctor miscarry and she pours her soul out on the piano at a hospital event, oh yeah, a song her long lost musician man wrote for her (despite a decade, a marriage, a divorce, and two girls). He never knew she could play, what else doesn’t he know? They argue and she reveals he doesn’t really know much about her at all because she basically became the girl she thought he wanted so she didn’t have to be alone— she didn’t say that last part, but that’s pretty obvious when you read it—and besides he has secrets too. Like he didn’t tell her about his bad day at work and break doctor patient confidentiality like a good husband would. Doc, being mad that she failed to communicate which he is totally against, decides the best move for him is to take some time away to collect his thoughts and... stop communicating... with her...
Before Doc’s side of the bed gets cold, Emily is looking up music man on social media and taking a lighter with her to ignite that old flame. Not that she needs it because music man is such a hopeless romantic he looks for her at every concert hoping she’ll pick up his not so secret message of love he released on top forty radio. At this point, I didn’t even like Doc, and I kind of rooted for Emily to just leave him and get with music man because he is an open, honest, passionate guy— total opposite of Doc. Sure, he’s blatantly confessing his love and flirting with a married woman— I’m supposed to ignore that and root for true love, right? *sarcasm* That’s not what the author was saying I should want, and I commend her for wanting to have the characters value their vows. However, it was a case of telling not showing. Everything showed Emily wanting to be this free spirit and Doctor not knowing her truly at all.
The journal starts telling me about what a sweetheart Doc used to be attempting to sway my heart. That was the problem with the novel though. The author wanted me to root for Doc and Emily, but showed all of Doc’s good qualities in the past through Emily’s depressed and lonely eyes. His present self didn’t have any of that until about the last three chapters. And Emily molded herself to be what he wanted so much she buried all of her identity. In contrast, Music man was shown in growth and maturity (ok, maturity is stretching it) in the present. In the present, Emily is so attracted to music man she can’t contain it, yet, I’m also supposed to believe that she loves Doc. The author says Emily is in love with Doc and wants her marriage to work, but also has her kiss music man, flirt like mad, escape to Mexico to stay at his freaking villa and sing with him on stage, things I could look over as moments of weakness in pain and grief. BUT the author also reveals even more important events like Emily being happy for the first time in a while, find herself again, and shows how he helps her get there. You don’t do all that and expect me to believe she still loves Doctor or even needs him in her life.
But the author makes sure I know who Emily chooses when she has Emily write her first song and it’s about Doc. She and music man come to terms that she truly loves Doc because she wrote a song about how he broke her heart (even though she wrote in a journal for a decade about how much she lost and regretted leaving music man but music is louder than journal entries). Anyway, she and Doctor get back together, he decides to support her, learns how to be open despite (that not being his natural personality at all), and is no longer jealous of music man— who still wants to go on tour with Emily and, miraculously, is able to put aside all love and flirtatious instincts to just be her friend. That part was actually painful to read because he was so obviously in love with her, it almost came across as cruel the way Emily behaved toward him.
Yes, this dumpster fire of a love triangle was wrapped up neatly— well, more like someone found a dirty tarp and threw it over the flame hoping it’d work to put it out because that ending wasn’t the slightest bit believable. I definitely had questions. To come full circle with the miscarriage arc, Emily is pregnant, but wait, does she even want to have a baby now that she has music back? She didn’t seem to know, until someone told her she could have both! This book said it was a book of what ifs, but it was a question of what do I want. Emily wanted it all (or did she even know what she wanted?), and she got it all— she fixed her marriage, had a baby, and went on tour with her old flame— making all these messy conflicts resolve simply discredits the story. It seemed everything would work out just fine for them all and that’s just not believable.
(My review is as long as the novel. Sorry.)
I picked up this book because I loved Daisy Jones and the Six, and this book said it had a touch of that. By “touch”, it means two characters in a band who have chemistry and write songs together.
The book follows Emily through present (third person narrator) and past (journal entries) as she deals with loss and choices she’s made because of loss. The book explores what ifs, choices and how said choices or lack thereof affect our path in life. The book takes care to explore the pain of miscarriage, but it is hard to empathize with the character because she is not a believable character in any version presented.
When I met Emily she is a professional women who wants to start a family. Ok, I know people like that, I’ve been her— but then I find out she is married to the perfect man— a doctor who is everything she ever wanted and needs (not her journal entry by the way, this is portrayed in the third person present). Then, three pages after that, I’m reading a journal entry of a deeply depressed college student who lost a baby. I slowly realize this is past Emily— a piano virtuoso who was on her way to fully realizing her dream of becoming a famous musician on tour with her equally perfect charismatic, guitar playing, 70s music loving FIRST love. I discover they fell in love with each other because of their mutual love for music. They were living by the holy trinity of music— sex, drugs, and rock and roll. So her life was going well for a while in college. Even when she finds out she’s pregnant, her boyfriend isn’t horrible about it, he’s just torn because their dream is to tour and be famous musicians. She is just not sure if pregnancy is what she wants. However, Emily doesn’t have to make the choice between mother hood and fame because a horrible accident happens. She falls out of a tree house. That part was pretty anticlimactic, but probably the most relatable thing she’s done so far.
The fall breaks her arm and causes her to lose the baby. She breaks up with her boyfriend because she can’t play anymore (she tries when her arm is out of the cast but it’s too painful). He disappears and so does that part of her. UNTIL, she and doctor miscarry and she pours her soul out on the piano at a hospital event, oh yeah, a song her long lost musician man wrote for her (despite a decade, a marriage, a divorce, and two girls). He never knew she could play, what else doesn’t he know? They argue and she reveals he doesn’t really know much about her at all because she basically became the girl she thought he wanted so she didn’t have to be alone— she didn’t say that last part, but that’s pretty obvious when you read it—and besides he has secrets too. Like he didn’t tell her about his bad day at work and break doctor patient confidentiality like a good husband would. Doc, being mad that she failed to communicate which he is totally against, decides the best move for him is to take some time away to collect his thoughts and... stop communicating... with her...
Before Doc’s side of the bed gets cold, Emily is looking up music man on social media and taking a lighter with her to ignite that old flame. Not that she needs it because music man is such a hopeless romantic he looks for her at every concert hoping she’ll pick up his not so secret message of love he released on top forty radio. At this point, I didn’t even like Doc, and I kind of rooted for Emily to just leave him and get with music man because he is an open, honest, passionate guy— total opposite of Doc. Sure, he’s blatantly confessing his love and flirting with a married woman— I’m supposed to ignore that and root for true love, right? *sarcasm* That’s not what the author was saying I should want, and I commend her for wanting to have the characters value their vows. However, it was a case of telling not showing. Everything showed Emily wanting to be this free spirit and Doctor not knowing her truly at all.
The journal starts telling me about what a sweetheart Doc used to be attempting to sway my heart. That was the problem with the novel though. The author wanted me to root for Doc and Emily, but showed all of Doc’s good qualities in the past through Emily’s depressed and lonely eyes. His present self didn’t have any of that until about the last three chapters. And Emily molded herself to be what he wanted so much she buried all of her identity. In contrast, Music man was shown in growth and maturity (ok, maturity is stretching it) in the present. In the present, Emily is so attracted to music man she can’t contain it, yet, I’m also supposed to believe that she loves Doc. The author says Emily is in love with Doc and wants her marriage to work, but also has her kiss music man, flirt like mad, escape to Mexico to stay at his freaking villa and sing with him on stage, things I could look over as moments of weakness in pain and grief. BUT the author also reveals even more important events like Emily being happy for the first time in a while, find herself again, and shows how he helps her get there. You don’t do all that and expect me to believe she still loves Doctor or even needs him in her life.
But the author makes sure I know who Emily chooses when she has Emily write her first song and it’s about Doc. She and music man come to terms that she truly loves Doc because she wrote a song about how he broke her heart (even though she wrote in a journal for a decade about how much she lost and regretted leaving music man but music is louder than journal entries). Anyway, she and Doctor get back together, he decides to support her, learns how to be open despite (that not being his natural personality at all), and is no longer jealous of music man— who still wants to go on tour with Emily and, miraculously, is able to put aside all love and flirtatious instincts to just be her friend. That part was actually painful to read because he was so obviously in love with her, it almost came across as cruel the way Emily behaved toward him.
Yes, this dumpster fire of a love triangle was wrapped up neatly— well, more like someone found a dirty tarp and threw it over the flame hoping it’d work to put it out because that ending wasn’t the slightest bit believable. I definitely had questions. To come full circle with the miscarriage arc, Emily is pregnant, but wait, does she even want to have a baby now that she has music back? She didn’t seem to know, until someone told her she could have both! This book said it was a book of what ifs, but it was a question of what do I want. Emily wanted it all (or did she even know what she wanted?), and she got it all— she fixed her marriage, had a baby, and went on tour with her old flame— making all these messy conflicts resolve simply discredits the story. It seemed everything would work out just fine for them all and that’s just not believable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2021
I had to stay up late to finish this book and I’m doing so sobbing. This book was so real and one I won’t soon forget.
This one hit home for me as my husband and I struggle with infertility and know this pain and heartache- it’s real and unbearable at times and the author did an amazing job portraying that! I had a hard time reading the words through my tears at times but I appreciated this book because it’s a topic that I don’t read about often and I think it’s an important one.
I fell in love with Emily. I wasn’t sure where I wanted the book to go and my feelings were all over the place at the end and I almost feel like I wanted or needed more at the end but this will definitely be a favorite book of the year!
My favorite Jill Santopolo book to date!
Thanks to Edelweiss for my advanced ebook copy.
This one hit home for me as my husband and I struggle with infertility and know this pain and heartache- it’s real and unbearable at times and the author did an amazing job portraying that! I had a hard time reading the words through my tears at times but I appreciated this book because it’s a topic that I don’t read about often and I think it’s an important one.
I fell in love with Emily. I wasn’t sure where I wanted the book to go and my feelings were all over the place at the end and I almost feel like I wanted or needed more at the end but this will definitely be a favorite book of the year!
My favorite Jill Santopolo book to date!
Thanks to Edelweiss for my advanced ebook copy.
August 20, 2021
I’ve now read two books by this author and both of them are about rich white women in their 30’s who by all accounts have relatively good, happy lives with their rich/successful/kind husbands but then for some reason decide to spend the entire book annoyingly pining over and semi-cheating with their mediocre college ex-boyfriends until you want to throw the whole book away
June 3, 2025
Emily Gold is a psychologist at NYU. In her position there she helps troubled college students. Emily lives happily with her doctor husband Ezra and they are looking forward to starting a family. Though happy, is a far cry from her life fifteen years earlier when her two passions were music and performing with and loving Rob. A tragic event in the present brings echoes from her past back. Parts of her story she has kept buried come to the fore.
Her life is turned on its head, especially after she hears a song on the radio that feels like it is about her. Could it be? Though years have passed she recognises the song and the voice. It stirs up a lot of emotions, regret, among them. She realises how much she has missed music in her life. It is a side of her life Ezra knows nothing about. Emily has a choice to make. Will she make the right choice and what will her choice mean for her current lifestyle and her marriage to Ezra?
At times I grew frustrated with Emily and Ezra. I really liked Ari, Emily’s sister. Ari is a great support to Emily though some words she rashly spoke years earlier still niggle at Emily. I struggled to relate to Emily or the other main characters in any meaningful way. It is a story about secrets, expectations of others and choices.
However, timing can be everything with books and I am aware that for me it could be that this book suffered from being read straight after my last book which was a five star emotion packed read. In my opinion this book went on far too long, or was it my lack of real connection with the characters? The end result is I liked it but didn’t love it, though I am sure there will be others who respond better than I did.
Her life is turned on its head, especially after she hears a song on the radio that feels like it is about her. Could it be? Though years have passed she recognises the song and the voice. It stirs up a lot of emotions, regret, among them. She realises how much she has missed music in her life. It is a side of her life Ezra knows nothing about. Emily has a choice to make. Will she make the right choice and what will her choice mean for her current lifestyle and her marriage to Ezra?
At times I grew frustrated with Emily and Ezra. I really liked Ari, Emily’s sister. Ari is a great support to Emily though some words she rashly spoke years earlier still niggle at Emily. I struggled to relate to Emily or the other main characters in any meaningful way. It is a story about secrets, expectations of others and choices.
However, timing can be everything with books and I am aware that for me it could be that this book suffered from being read straight after my last book which was a five star emotion packed read. In my opinion this book went on far too long, or was it my lack of real connection with the characters? The end result is I liked it but didn’t love it, though I am sure there will be others who respond better than I did.
March 4, 2021
2.5 stars
Read this and all my romance book reviews on my blog, She Reads Romance Books.
I love to check out new authors, especially when the story line of a book sounds appealing, but this book was not a hit for me.
While the writing was decent, I found the book read flat and felt like many of Emily’s feelings were force fed to the reader instead of it feeling organic.
The characters and the story are what make a great book in my eyes but neither worked for me in this case.
Emily is going through some tough times which I can totally commiserate with but I just felt like she was one depressing character.
I really did not care for her husband AT ALL and Robert just didn’t stand out to me either.
I am not sure why this is even considered a romance book as it read more like a chick lit story. There was no romance to the story and in fact I just felt really sad for the first half of the book.
The story is told from Emily’s point of view only but the chapters of the present are interspersed with pages from her journal in the past. I honestly think the story would have been better without these pieces. Where they meant to drum up a love triangle angle to the story? I’m not sure and didn’t feel like they added to the story and began to just skim or skip them.
*Trigger warning: I feel like this book should carry a trigger warning to let people know that miscarriage is a central part of the story. This is a very sensitive topic for some and I think readers should know this topic is discussed a lot before going into this story.
Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me.
*Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Read this and all my romance book reviews on my blog, She Reads Romance Books.
I love to check out new authors, especially when the story line of a book sounds appealing, but this book was not a hit for me.
While the writing was decent, I found the book read flat and felt like many of Emily’s feelings were force fed to the reader instead of it feeling organic.
The characters and the story are what make a great book in my eyes but neither worked for me in this case.
Emily is going through some tough times which I can totally commiserate with but I just felt like she was one depressing character.
I really did not care for her husband AT ALL and Robert just didn’t stand out to me either.
I am not sure why this is even considered a romance book as it read more like a chick lit story. There was no romance to the story and in fact I just felt really sad for the first half of the book.
The story is told from Emily’s point of view only but the chapters of the present are interspersed with pages from her journal in the past. I honestly think the story would have been better without these pieces. Where they meant to drum up a love triangle angle to the story? I’m not sure and didn’t feel like they added to the story and began to just skim or skip them.
*Trigger warning: I feel like this book should carry a trigger warning to let people know that miscarriage is a central part of the story. This is a very sensitive topic for some and I think readers should know this topic is discussed a lot before going into this story.
Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me.
*Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
July 9, 2022
Thank you to @putnambooks for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
“Things happen, and you react, and those reactions determine your path.” But what if you had reacted differently? What if you went down a different path? This "what if" game becomes a reality for Emily when her former love comes back into her life and offers her a second chance to make their musical dreams come true. Problem is she's married, given up on music, and moved on. Or has she?
Beautifully written with character depth, Emily's story is told through two storylines, with the past being told through journal entries to her child. Pregnancy, infertility, and miscarriages are present in both timelines as it becomes a story about love, grief, regrets, and second chances. By the end of the book, my emotions were shot and I could not pick up another book for several days.
If you loved the author's THE LIGHT WE LOST (@reesesbookclub pick) and your heart is ready, read EVERYTHING AFTER. You won’t regret it.
“Things happen, and you react, and those reactions determine your path.” But what if you had reacted differently? What if you went down a different path? This "what if" game becomes a reality for Emily when her former love comes back into her life and offers her a second chance to make their musical dreams come true. Problem is she's married, given up on music, and moved on. Or has she?
Beautifully written with character depth, Emily's story is told through two storylines, with the past being told through journal entries to her child. Pregnancy, infertility, and miscarriages are present in both timelines as it becomes a story about love, grief, regrets, and second chances. By the end of the book, my emotions were shot and I could not pick up another book for several days.
If you loved the author's THE LIGHT WE LOST (@reesesbookclub pick) and your heart is ready, read EVERYTHING AFTER. You won’t regret it.
November 1, 2022
R u kidding me?
This book was a quarter life crisis and I did not like it.
Full review to come. Maybe.
~15 hours later, I'm back to fill in the gaps on this...
Okay, I'm not one to write "negative" reviews about books often, because honestly I find that they're usually not constructive and tend to give people something to be upset about. Books are supposed to be fun, and I don't want to take away from the fun, but for some reason with this one..I just need to get it out. Maybe it's my depression creeping in, but anyway...
For starters, I liked the pacing of this novel. The short chapters and the writing style made it super readable/listenable (I did the audio). This was something I also really liked about Jill Santopolo's THE LIGHT WE LOST and is why I picked this one up. It sucked me in early and I thought I was along for a great ride. However, it turns out that's the only thing I liked about this book, and the pacing/writing style is the only reason I finished.
Now onto the reason that this gets 2 stars...
The main character made me want to pull my eyelashes out one by one (something I actually did as a child and probably should've been an early sign of anxiety, but I digress) and/or scream. This gal is in her 30's and ping pong-ing between her feelings she has for two men - one that she's married to and one that she broke up with in college. WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS? I am a big believer that a good marriage is something worth fighting for, and honestly, from what I read, their marriage WAS pretty darn good. But she's over here writing a song about how her husband has "love in his heart for everyone but her" (don't get me started on how cringeworthy that was to listen to on audio) basically because he didn't immediately spill the beans about why he had a bad day at work? Seriously, that was the start of the tipping point for her...
I also couldn't fathom the fact that these two were in a marriage and he had NO idea about her life before him. Did these two meet on a reality TV show? Were they on Married at First Sight? How did she not think it was important to mention that she'd lost a baby with the first man she loved? Or that music was her true passion? It's like they found out each others names and favorite colors then decided to get hitched and figure out the rest later.
If her ping pong-ing/clinging to her past life habits weren't infuriating enough, flying to another country to spend time with her ex to "pursue her passion" was the nail in the coffin for me. She could say it was about the music all she wanted, but we all knew she wanted to see the "what if" - what if she had married him instead of her current husband? She spent the entire dang book making terrible decisions repeating the mantra "every decision we make is the right one" in her head. Ahem, people make bad/the wrong decisions ALL THE TIME. Idk what kind of philosophy this MC was living by, but it had my eyeballs rolling into the back of my head. Talk about a quarter life crisis...
Anyway, that's my thoughts. I would not recommend this book to anyone and am now trying to decide if it belongs in a Little Free Library or my trash can (jk, I'll 100% donate it because someone else should have the opportunity to maybe enjoy it).
And if you loved this book, good for you - just was not good for me 🤣
This book was a quarter life crisis and I did not like it.
Full review to come. Maybe.
~15 hours later, I'm back to fill in the gaps on this...
Okay, I'm not one to write "negative" reviews about books often, because honestly I find that they're usually not constructive and tend to give people something to be upset about. Books are supposed to be fun, and I don't want to take away from the fun, but for some reason with this one..I just need to get it out. Maybe it's my depression creeping in, but anyway...
For starters, I liked the pacing of this novel. The short chapters and the writing style made it super readable/listenable (I did the audio). This was something I also really liked about Jill Santopolo's THE LIGHT WE LOST and is why I picked this one up. It sucked me in early and I thought I was along for a great ride. However, it turns out that's the only thing I liked about this book, and the pacing/writing style is the only reason I finished.
Now onto the reason that this gets 2 stars...
The main character made me want to pull my eyelashes out one by one (something I actually did as a child and probably should've been an early sign of anxiety, but I digress) and/or scream. This gal is in her 30's and ping pong-ing between her feelings she has for two men - one that she's married to and one that she broke up with in college. WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS? I am a big believer that a good marriage is something worth fighting for, and honestly, from what I read, their marriage WAS pretty darn good. But she's over here writing a song about how her husband has "love in his heart for everyone but her" (don't get me started on how cringeworthy that was to listen to on audio) basically because he didn't immediately spill the beans about why he had a bad day at work? Seriously, that was the start of the tipping point for her...
I also couldn't fathom the fact that these two were in a marriage and he had NO idea about her life before him. Did these two meet on a reality TV show? Were they on Married at First Sight? How did she not think it was important to mention that she'd lost a baby with the first man she loved? Or that music was her true passion? It's like they found out each others names and favorite colors then decided to get hitched and figure out the rest later.
If her ping pong-ing/clinging to her past life habits weren't infuriating enough, flying to another country to spend time with her ex to "pursue her passion" was the nail in the coffin for me. She could say it was about the music all she wanted, but we all knew she wanted to see the "what if" - what if she had married him instead of her current husband? She spent the entire dang book making terrible decisions repeating the mantra "every decision we make is the right one" in her head. Ahem, people make bad/the wrong decisions ALL THE TIME. Idk what kind of philosophy this MC was living by, but it had my eyeballs rolling into the back of my head. Talk about a quarter life crisis...
Anyway, that's my thoughts. I would not recommend this book to anyone and am now trying to decide if it belongs in a Little Free Library or my trash can (jk, I'll 100% donate it because someone else should have the opportunity to maybe enjoy it).
And if you loved this book, good for you - just was not good for me 🤣
March 9, 2021
Emily Gold is a psychologist at NYU. She’s married to Ezra, a compassionate pediatric oncologist. She has a good life. But something is missing preventing her from being truly happy. There’s been a new love song playing on the radio from a rising star named Austin Roberts who sings about the one who got away. It is clear to Emily that she is the one the song is about. She starts to think about her life more than a decade earlier when she was madly in love with Rob (now Austin) and was a talented musician who loved performing. They played in a band together and dreamed of being a famous duo.
In Everything After, Jill Santopolo tells the story of a woman who must decide what path her life should take. Should she remain with the man she is married to, even as they face rough times, or find her way back to the great love of her past as well as her passion for music, which she also left behind? This heartfelt story is told in the third person as well as through Emily’s journal from her past. It’s an emotional “what if?” story of love, loss and second chances. And there are tough topics presented which make this book much more than a story of a love triangle.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, G.P. Putnam's Sons / Penguin Publishing Group and author Jill Santopolo for the opportunity to read Everything After in advance of its publication.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
In Everything After, Jill Santopolo tells the story of a woman who must decide what path her life should take. Should she remain with the man she is married to, even as they face rough times, or find her way back to the great love of her past as well as her passion for music, which she also left behind? This heartfelt story is told in the third person as well as through Emily’s journal from her past. It’s an emotional “what if?” story of love, loss and second chances. And there are tough topics presented which make this book much more than a story of a love triangle.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, G.P. Putnam's Sons / Penguin Publishing Group and author Jill Santopolo for the opportunity to read Everything After in advance of its publication.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
February 1, 2023
3.5 stars
Emily Gold is a woman who must decide what path her life should take. Currently a psychologist at NYU she seems to have it all but something is preventing her from being happy. Should she stay with her husband Ezra, even as they face rough times, or will a past love who fueled her music passion be the better choice? This heartfelt story is told in the third person and alternates in the present and the past. Overall I really enjoyed the story but I am not a fan of the whole cheating trope so had to knock it down to 3.5 stars instead of 4. It is much more than just a story of a love triangle and it is more a story of a woman finding out what truly makes her happy and going for that.
Emily Gold is a woman who must decide what path her life should take. Currently a psychologist at NYU she seems to have it all but something is preventing her from being happy. Should she stay with her husband Ezra, even as they face rough times, or will a past love who fueled her music passion be the better choice? This heartfelt story is told in the third person and alternates in the present and the past. Overall I really enjoyed the story but I am not a fan of the whole cheating trope so had to knock it down to 3.5 stars instead of 4. It is much more than just a story of a love triangle and it is more a story of a woman finding out what truly makes her happy and going for that.
Want to read
September 11, 2020Sounds amazing <3
Cannot wait to start it soon <3
Cannot wait to start it soon <3
June 10, 2021
I tried and couldn't. Started out well enough I just couldn't roll with the rock star part. It felt shallow for me, especially in contrast with the beginning. This is a no from me.
February 23, 2021
I loved Santopolo’s first two books so it pains me to say that this one was a disappointment for me. Though the plot and frame of the story is appealing, the prose did not move me in the way the author's writing usually does. Of course, it's possible that it was the state of mind I was in while reading and maybe I'll feel differently if I go back and read it at another time, as has happened before with several books. I'll still read anything that Santopolo writes, hoping that this was one of those reader mismatches.
The novel starts out with such potential. A young, married couple, Emily and Ezra Gold, living in New York City—he working as a pediatric oncologist at NYU medical and she a successful therapist at the same hospital—are ready to start a family. After a few chapters of their lives the narrative switches to an all italicized section written in letter form from a mother to her daughter. These letters continue to be inserted into the story every few chapters. At first I couldn’t figure out who exactly they were to/from but then it’s established that they are to Emily’s unborn child that she miscarried at 7 weeks when she was only 20. Which explains why she feels comfortable going into sensual details about sexual foreplay and condoms, which seems an odd thing to reveal to a child. To me, these letters disrupted the flow of the main plot, which was already missing the subtle emotion and magic that her other books had. I think that maybe if they had not been a part of the book, I may have felt more connected to the characters.
When Emily suffers another miscarriage, she and Ezra deal with the loss in different ways. Ezra loses himself in his work and Emily reconnects to her musical days when she was in a college band. She starts playing the piano again and shocks her husband, who knew nothing of her talent. She’s offered a musical gig right away and has to decide if she is going to continue her secure life in Manhattan or live on the edge and chase her old dreams.
Though any of the plot lines could have been believable, they come off a little contrived and the characters’ feelings are not backed up by substance. While I completely sympathize with Emily’s miscarriages (I had one 15 years ago when I was 9 weeks pregnant and still think about it all the time), I became annoyed with the way she dealt with her grieving process. Her sadness comes across as shallow for some reason, maybe because she dwells on her past so much and doesn't focus on other events in her life. The musical aspect also fell short for me. I’m always up for a musical romance but the song verses and singing scenes did not seem authentic and the words fell flat.
Ultimately this book came across as a first draft that was never fully developed. I have so much respect for Jill Santopolo and admire her as an author but this one did not work for me. As always, don't let my opinion stop you from reading this. Many people have loved this book and reading is such a personal experience that it's impossible to judge a book by someone else's review.
The novel starts out with such potential. A young, married couple, Emily and Ezra Gold, living in New York City—he working as a pediatric oncologist at NYU medical and she a successful therapist at the same hospital—are ready to start a family. After a few chapters of their lives the narrative switches to an all italicized section written in letter form from a mother to her daughter. These letters continue to be inserted into the story every few chapters. At first I couldn’t figure out who exactly they were to/from but then it’s established that they are to Emily’s unborn child that she miscarried at 7 weeks when she was only 20. Which explains why she feels comfortable going into sensual details about sexual foreplay and condoms, which seems an odd thing to reveal to a child. To me, these letters disrupted the flow of the main plot, which was already missing the subtle emotion and magic that her other books had. I think that maybe if they had not been a part of the book, I may have felt more connected to the characters.
When Emily suffers another miscarriage, she and Ezra deal with the loss in different ways. Ezra loses himself in his work and Emily reconnects to her musical days when she was in a college band. She starts playing the piano again and shocks her husband, who knew nothing of her talent. She’s offered a musical gig right away and has to decide if she is going to continue her secure life in Manhattan or live on the edge and chase her old dreams.
Though any of the plot lines could have been believable, they come off a little contrived and the characters’ feelings are not backed up by substance. While I completely sympathize with Emily’s miscarriages (I had one 15 years ago when I was 9 weeks pregnant and still think about it all the time), I became annoyed with the way she dealt with her grieving process. Her sadness comes across as shallow for some reason, maybe because she dwells on her past so much and doesn't focus on other events in her life. The musical aspect also fell short for me. I’m always up for a musical romance but the song verses and singing scenes did not seem authentic and the words fell flat.
Ultimately this book came across as a first draft that was never fully developed. I have so much respect for Jill Santopolo and admire her as an author but this one did not work for me. As always, don't let my opinion stop you from reading this. Many people have loved this book and reading is such a personal experience that it's impossible to judge a book by someone else's review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2020
I wish I could give this book waaaaay more than 5 Stars!!! It was heartfelt and moving and just sets the feelings of the reader on fire. The MC is likable and relatable and you somehow find yourself rooting for both men in her relationships!! Amazing talent here!
I loved Jill Santopolo's first book, but the second was a bit too depressing... this one hit all the right notes.
I definitely recommend this one as soon as it releases!
I loved Jill Santopolo's first book, but the second was a bit too depressing... this one hit all the right notes.
I definitely recommend this one as soon as it releases!
August 25, 2020
Jill Santopolo writes so beautifully and powerfully about love and life, with all their twists and turns, imperfections and unpredictability. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you reconnected with your first love (and haven’t we all?) then this story is for you. Two intertwined love stories written with such depth and emotion that you want them both to work out. But that’s just not possible....
January 2, 2021
a solid 4 stars (would round up to 4.5 if i could!) for Jill Santopolo’s latest romance. it was a perfect combo of THE LIGHT WE LOST + DAISY JONES & THE SIX—two of my favorite books. i love the dual POVs from Emily (“before” and “after”) and the ending made me soooo happy. full review to come on my Instagram before pub day!
did-not-finish
March 14, 2025DNF @ 25% ~ ugh ugh ugh. I almost wish I had finished this so I could give it 1 or 2 stars but I don’t need to waste my time. 2 things I hated - every other chapter being a flashback in ITALICS (puke, my eyes can’t bear it) and also using miscarriage as a surprise. I HATE when it’s used as an unnamed “tragedy” in book descriptions when it is literally the entire plot of the first part of the book - TWICE.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2021
This was a book club read, not chosen by me. It’s not something I ever would have chosen and that’s the fun of a book club, it forces you to read outside of your norm. It’s hit or miss though and for me, this was definitely a miss. I think your own life experiences going into this book will largely affect how you feel about it. I don't relate to the main character Emily in any way—in any feeling or experience. Nothing. Now that being said, I could read about someone who I don't relate to and still feel it, but that did not happen with me here. I don't think the depth of connection to the characters exists enough for me to feel for them despite not relating personally. It's too fast and light, not in content but in connection. It’s not light in content, in fact it deals with serious matters like miscarriage and loss, yet it still feels light to me some how. A fast and disconnected read. It just didn’t hit me emotionally at all in the way I think the author intended. It fell short for me. But again, I can’t relate to Emily. I’m not married, I’ve never had a miscarriage, I’ve never longed to have a child, I’m not a musician.... I just got nothing. The person I related the most to in this book, by far, was Tessa.
May 20, 2021
Trigger Warning: Miscarriage
This is my first time reading work from Jill Santopolo. I heard that her previous books are so good. I need to find out why. Everything After reminds me of All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover because of the pregnancy issue.
Let's hear my thoughts
I thought that this book has a potential to be better. Emily has been writing a journal or letters since she had her first miscarriage with her ex boyfriend. She is very talented musician and she had to stop playing piano after she had a miscarriage breakup with her ex boyfriend. Now she is a psychologist and married to her husband, Ezra. Same accident happened again and now with her husband. She never told Ezra about her past. She met her ex boyfriend and all the pain memories in the past are coming back. The past can become her present and she is struggling to reconnect with her husband after the miscarriage happened.
The lack of depth in scenes is the reason why I gave this book 3 stars. It could be better if we get more past history from Emily. I honestly didn't care much about Ezra or Rob. The journal/letters that became chapters should be less.
Overall, the book is good if you are looking for something to read about marriage, love and commitment.
This is my first time reading work from Jill Santopolo. I heard that her previous books are so good. I need to find out why. Everything After reminds me of All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover because of the pregnancy issue.
Let's hear my thoughts
I thought that this book has a potential to be better. Emily has been writing a journal or letters since she had her first miscarriage with her ex boyfriend. She is very talented musician and she had to stop playing piano after she had a miscarriage breakup with her ex boyfriend. Now she is a psychologist and married to her husband, Ezra. Same accident happened again and now with her husband. She never told Ezra about her past. She met her ex boyfriend and all the pain memories in the past are coming back. The past can become her present and she is struggling to reconnect with her husband after the miscarriage happened.
The lack of depth in scenes is the reason why I gave this book 3 stars. It could be better if we get more past history from Emily. I honestly didn't care much about Ezra or Rob. The journal/letters that became chapters should be less.
Overall, the book is good if you are looking for something to read about marriage, love and commitment.
October 24, 2021
Everything After
was one of the most anticipated books for me this year, but now I'm not sure how I feel about it, and it makes me sad to say that because I love Jill Santopolo's work and her writing style. I wished Emily, Ezra, and Rob's characters and the back story of Emily and Rob was more developed. I feel like Emily didn't have the connection and chemistry with Ezra or Rob. I tried so hard to like Ezra, but I couldn't bring myself to; I don't know if I'm the only one who feels this way about him... Another thing that left me disappointed was the lack of depth in the scenes. I felt like they were cut short too soon. When I started to get excited about a certain scene, I was left disappointed and wanting more because we just scratched the surface of it. However, I loved Emily and all the side characters, and that this story was more than romance. It was also about mental health, loss, pain, grief, healing, starting over, following your dreams. Overall,
Everything After
kept me on my toes anticipating what would happen next.
June 13, 2021
3 Stars
This was another women's fiction book that I've read this week that was basically fine. Neither amazing, nor terrible. I found it compelling enough to finish, but it's not one I would rush to recommend nor will it be very memorable. I actually enjoyed the writing for the most part, but I truly questioned some of the decisions made by the characters. I felt like there was a bigger message that got lost in some of those decisions, as well as some knee-jerk reactions that I rolled my eyes at. It's all about an emotional connection to the characters or the overall story and I simply didn't have much of one. The story arc was good and I enjoyed how the book concluded. I just wish I cared more about the characters.
June 13, 2024
no thank you!! this was unfortunately not enjoyable. once u get like halfway it’s a mess. and then the end is unrealistic and not suitable to the book. what even happened in the book? felt all over the place.
i hate books with cheating. i also hate miscommunication.
one of the main topics of the book is miscarriages and yet i feel like it was addressed poorly. its a sensitive topic and i would have at least liked more spotlight on it in a more effective manner.
i hate books with cheating. i also hate miscommunication.
one of the main topics of the book is miscarriages and yet i feel like it was addressed poorly. its a sensitive topic and i would have at least liked more spotlight on it in a more effective manner.
April 8, 2021
I REALLY wanted to like this one. There were moments when I thought it was going somewhere that I was going to connect with, but it just never got there for me.
I honestly thought the songs included were a little cheesy and didn't do it for me.
3.5 stars
I honestly thought the songs included were a little cheesy and didn't do it for me.
3.5 stars
March 17, 2021
Jill Santopolo is a gorgeous writer. I think she gets better with each book.
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