AFTER ALL
Series: Romancing Manhattan #3
Author: Kristen Proby
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 14th, 2020
The last sizzling novel in Kristen Proby’s Romancing Manhattan series finds a widower falling deeply in love again with a woman who has scars of her own.
When Carter Shaw’s wife died five years ago, he was left to pick up the pieces not only of his own broken heart but also that of his devastated eight-year-old daughter, Gabby—leaving him with no time for anything else, let alone dating. But recently, Carter has noticed women again and soon even begins dating. No one has stuck around for long, mostly thanks to one very angry Gabby.
Nora Hayes has worked as Carter’s assistant for years. Recently divorced herself, Nora spends many hours at the office and helping Carter with his daughter whom she adores. Despite loving her job and being wrapped up in the Shaw family, Nora’s never given her handsome, kind workaholic boss a second thought, especially in the romance department.
But then the snowstorm of the century hits, and Nora finds herself stranded at work with Carter overnight. And suddenly, she sees Carter in a whole new, sexy light. The sadness that’s lived in his eyes for so long has now been replaced with pure, unadulterated lust—and Nora isn’t quite sure what to do about it. For after the pain of her divorce, she never thought she would give love a second chance.
Carter and Nora have always believed in never combining business with pleasure. But how can they possibly deny the all-consuming chemistry between them…?
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4.5 ‘Press It To My Heart’ Stars
Oh my, all the swoons! Talk about the most perfect of endings, a true HEA epitome! AFTER ALL is a bundle of office romance, second chance at love, amazingness. Carter and Nora’s emotional and uber sexy love story is pure KP deliciousness!!!
Can’t believe we are saying goodbye to one of my all time favorite series/world! How bittersweet… And what a way to end with a blossoming new love and ‘new’ beginnings. Carter and Nora are the perfect bow to wrap up this fantastic Romancing Manhattan gang.
“I think there’s plenty about both of us that we don’t know,” he says and I nod in agreement.
A working relationship is very different from a romantic one.“If Nora’s the one you want—”
“Without question.”
Carter, the last of the fantastic trio of hotness that is the Cavanaugh/Shaw men, is the widower from the two previous heroes of the series. Having lost his wife five years prior, he is now beginning to feel truly alive again, and looking at the world with new eyes. These new eyes are laser focused on the brilliant woman that has been his support for many years and he is now more than ready to move forward and pursue what he wants most, Nora. I adored that so much I think it was what made me fall in love with his character right of the bat, just how much only Nora was who he wanted, it was truly swoon worthy!
I’ve never loved anyone the way I love Carter,
“I have a hunger for you, Nora. It seems no matter how much I feast on you, it’s never enough.”
Nora has been Carter’s secretary for ten years, but only now, seems to see him in a new light. After a unhappy marriage, and the betrayal that came along with it, she has been divorced now for a year, but only now seems ready to open herself to the dating world, but not an easy task on itself giving she he absolutely and utterly devoted to her job, and her boss, Carter. So when the man himself, starts getting close to her and showing a new side of himself, she can’t help but start noticing him, and his charm and appeal.
Things between us have changed so quickly, and yet, I can’t imagine a life without her.
I survived tragically losing love once. I don’t know that I could do it again.
I honestly don’t know how Ms. Proby does it, but even with a background that I normally have a certain drawback – widower/dead loved one – she makes me feel like I’m right there with them, and FEEL the attraction start appearing, the feelings shifting, and love blooming. That how naturally organic the development of the chemistry and the relationships that she writes make us feel while reading it. Carter and Nora was the perfect example of that. I felt that very moment their relationship changed, the ‘click’ that had nothing instant about it, but so much richness of background, plus the shift in their interaction. That how emotionally deep and intricate their feelings, their love is described, I felt every second of that evolution, and the richness of the emotions behind them both.
Yes, it’s fast.
No, I don’t give a fuck.
It seems my life has been on hold for five years, and I’m ready to start a new chapter with Nora. She’s wonderful.
She’s everything good in my life, aside from Gabby.
And I can’t wait to officially make her mine.
“Mine,” he says simply. “You have to agree to be mine.”
“I already am.”
AFTER ALL is a brilliantly crafted love story, a tale of healing, and rebirth of love and passion, a new beginning, that led us to most perfect of endings. Once again Kristen Proby’s natural and incredibly mature characters that feel as real as one of us, shone through, and made me identify with them, specially Nora. It was fantastic to how the previous couples were so involved in the story, while rooting for Carter and Nora.
And not once, not even once was my fear going in brought to life. I should have known Ms. Proby would never do that, and indeed it was so, because not even once from the very first page did I feel that Nora was second best, to Carter’s late wife. The way that the trope was incorporated, worked not to lessen their love story, but to me, I felt it elevated their love even more, and made Carter value even more this unique second chance at love, at a blissful life.
The hilarious moments, the companionship between the guys, the friendship between the girls, the banter, the sexy moments, so incredibly romantic and steamy, and the deeply emotional charge, were weaved together perfectly to give us once again a unforgettable love story, and characters I will dearly miss. Romancing Manhattan will remain branded in my heart! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
I’ve never loved anyone else the way I do you, Nora. You will never know a day when you’re unloved by me, because your soul is so tangled in mine, there will never be a time that I’d let you go.
This life, this beautiful amazing life full of new sisters, a big family, a daughter that makes me crazy, and the sexiest man on earth is mine.
It seems I believe in happy endings after all.
ARC kindly provided by the author via publisher Avon / Harper Collins
for an honest review
ALL THE WAY (Romancing Manhattan #1)
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ALL IT TAKES (Romancing Manhattan #2)
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Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.
During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops, and more mornings than she can count up before the dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike, but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.
Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series.
Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two pugs and two cats.