Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto

Goodreads Summary:

Three years after her husband Max's death, Shelley feels no more adjusted to being a widow than she did that first terrible day. That is, until the doorbell rings. Standing on her front step is a young man who looks so much like Max–same smile, same eyes, same age, same adorable bump in his nose–he could be Max's long-lost relation. He introduces himself as Paolo, an Italian editor of American coffee table books, and shows Shelley some childhood photos. Paolo tells her that the man in the photos, the bearded man who Paolo says is his grandfather though he never seems to age, is Max. Her Max. And he is alive and well.

As outrageous as Paolo's claims seem–how could her husband be alive? And if he is, why hasn't he looked her up? – Shelley desperately wants to know the truth. She and Paolo jet across the globe to track Max down–if it is really Max– and along the way, Shelley recounts the European package tour where they had met. As she relives Max's stories of bloody Parisian barricades, medieval Austrian kitchens, and buried Roman boathouses, Shelley begins to piece together the story of who her husband was and what these new revelations mean for her "happily ever after." And as she and Paolo get closer to the truth, Shelley discovers that not all stories end where they are supposed to.

My Review:

I really had to sit and think about what I wanted to write before starting my post. Even after reflecting, I'm still not 100% sure what to say. I took my time reading this book, partially because I felt as though I had to in order to fully capture the emotions of the story and partially because at times I struggled, just a little, to keep up with all of the people in the stories of the past.

Before Ever After is a story journey of love and heartbreak. You grow to know and understand the characters and Samantha Sotto writes in such a way to make the reader feel the joy, fear, love, and earth shattering heartbreak right along with them. Along with powerfully written scenes, Samantha has a knack for the philosophical. She makes you think about how you look at life and the moments in it.

I laughed, teared up, and had to pick my jaw off the floor. If you're looking for an emotional, intriguing, and thought provoking read this is the book for you.

**I won this ARC in a giveaway on Goodreads.com but that did not affect my review in any way

10 comments

  1. Hi! I wish you could see me doing my happy dance now (um, okay...maybe not. It's kind of scary. ;-) ) I'm beyond THRILLED you enjoyed Before Ever After! Thank you so much!!! It's always fascinating to see how the book comes to life in the minds of readers. (Love the photo in the side bar!)

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  2. Hi :)! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

    I don't think I've ever inspired a happy dance; I'm glad you like my review.

    I'm passing my arc along to another blogger but I look forward to buying a finshed copy!

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  4. Aww...thanks! I have to warn you though...the final copy has a photo of me *shudders*

    p.s. I hope you don't mind - I've linked your post to my Facebook page :)

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  5. Of course I don't mind that you linked me to your Facebook page!

    And I'm sure the book with your photo is amazing!

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  6. Very nice review! I can't wait to read it! I've wanted to read this since I first heard about it.

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  7. @ Wall-to-Wall - Thank you! I think you'll like it; I look forward to reading your review.

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  8. Loved it. The hero gets blown to pieces in the prologue, leaving Shelley, the heroine, a rich if heartbroken young widow. So the story is shown in flashback style, a la The Time Traveler's Wife, but this is a very different book. Yes, it's a love story, and it's happy, and sad, and there's much mystery as the story unfolds, but it's also light and funny, with tasty turns of phrase sprinkled in: "Shelly made do with a breakfast of burned toast slathered with trans-fat-free disappointment."

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  9. This book was,amazing the history 8nvolved was very intriguing. The story telling only made hungry to read more. I have bought books for other people as gifts because I love it so much. Getting ready to read it again. Do you have other books? Your writing style is perfect for me. Please keep writin

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  10. This book was,amazing the history 8nvolved was very intriguing. The story telling only made hungry to read more. I have bought books for other people as gifts because I love it so much. Getting ready to read it again. Do you have other books? Your writing style is perfect for me. Please keep writin

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