After All Is Said And Done: A Novel of Infidelity, Healing & Forgiveness

*SOME SPOILERS* In a nutshell, this story is about one mans triggers and downward spiral to alcoholism as well as his steep climb back to reclaim his life. The last happens only with the friendship and love in one womans heart, which is what really matter After All Is Said And Done. Ms. Buchanan either works in healthcare or has done impressive research. If someone is reading this, do not take that to mean that this story is in any way ugh! gray-and-dreary and therefore to be avoided. I usually sidestep health issue-related novels myself, not wanting to be inundated after a days work of it. But I made the exception here because the author is an excellent writer as well as a storyteller. Once I started reading, I could not stop until I;ve reached the end. The characters, the storylines, the writing is t-h-a-t good & compelling. The hero s basic goodness really shines through so that I was kept rooting for him to come out on top and kept page-flipping for that HEA he richly deserves. There is nothing soap operatic about this story. Such a description implies that life imitates art / fiction whereas this story quite accurately portrays the low-point, rather ugly dramas that do occur in an alcoholics life. It really opens with the repeated cheating of two people who were each married to others. What made it more painful was the cheaters were already forgiven by their spouses the first time around yet they did it again and this time resulted in a pregnancy. If thats not bad enough, the female cheater lets her husband believe the baby is his! He is so happy. Imagine how feels when the truth comes out! At this point Im already looking for a romantic angle and hoping this cheaters husband will end up with someone more deserving of him. Before I can feel too sorry for him, (and yes hes the hero) the story moves on to his fathers death which at first seems like its just another event. In reality this is the last straw that breaks the hero because he, in fact, had an abusive childhood. From herein on, the hero descends into a full-blown alcoholism and all aspects of his life, slowly but surely, falls apart. Again, this might sound either depressing or simply blech. But what makes this story readable is that while Ms Buchanan acquaints us with the main points of certain tragic turns, she does not linger over it ghoulishly through TMI but instead moves along briskly. The reader is spared that dreaded blow-by-blow ugliness of detail and equally dreadful soppy sentimentality. My heart just ached for the hero every time hes in denial about having just a little too much to drink and each time he does so, he loses something / someone. Except one wonderful, wonderful human being who stands by him to the very end. YES! He does get a happy ending. The other characters are just as fascinating though not always in a good way. Theres the other man, the unfaithful but very sorry cheater wife, the other mans wife who is also the heros clinic partner and friend, the innocent baby, the heros troubled, mercenary sister, the abusive dad, the stand-back / hands-off / judgmental friends or colleagues and a couple of supportive ones. The POV is mostly the heros, his cheating wife, the other man and his wife and to a lesser extent, the other characters when they come on. This works for me, I had no problem distinguishing whos thinking what. By the time the story got to the romance part & happy ending, I was just too glad. The hero really deserves it, so does the heroine. Theirs is not merely a first-sight-sexy-pull kind of love but one that survived tests of fire. Because of the storys 2-year span, it might seem too long especially when one looks at the number of pages, not that I noticed. I was just too busy reading and was a little sorry when the story ended. If asked to qualify this book, it isnt Harlequin goody, nor does it have the blitheness of chick-lit, its certainly not erotica. More like A Novel as it ought to mean, with a strong substance and a nice vein of friendship & romance. I liked, too, that towards the end, the setting switches to the UK from Maine. So, I rate this story a solid 5+. Its a keeper. Id suggest looking round for a slightly better price than is offered in this site. I bought my ebook elsewhere.

I honestly felt like she got off too easy. I can’t stand the way she excuses her behavior. I kept waiting for her to get karma... but he ends up begging her for another chance... NOT FOR ME

Ive gotten somewhat into reading books about infidelity and this one was so different from others Ive read. From forgiving the adulterous party, to ending the marriage, I never thought Id read this story where the spouse uses a gun. With the heightened emotions and the fall into alcoholism, you get the real sense of all that is lost in the end of a marriage in which both parties are to blame. Even though there is a hint of forgiveness, it cant be followed through after everything that was said and done. A string of sorries by the guilty party after committing adultery again, leaves a consequence that involves both families and causes subsequent breakups. A very truthful look at what infidelity does and its not sugar-coated. Great read. I couldnt put it down.

What a fantastic read. This book had me in right from the start. Well written, mature characters, interesting storyline and a decent size book (650 pages) for a change. I have read many books about cheating spouses and I can honestly say that this one strands out above the rest. A well deserved 5 stars. I will certainly be reading more from this author.

Excellent book. The story kept my interest and I throughly enjoyed it.

After All is Said and Done is a powerful story, gripping and unputdownable right from the start. From the opening scene, you are caught up in the drama and the lives of these four characters, watching their joy, pain, anger and depression as though you are viewing it firsthand. Its a fast paced novel, with short bursts of scenes, some only a couple of pages long. It helps to keep the novel moving forward, so you do not even realize how long it is. Even with these brief scenes, you become enthralled with Ethan, angry at Jessica, disgusted with Gavin, and sympathetic to Sarah. There were times when I just wanted to reach out and hug Ethan during his trials... I just couldnt help it. Each character has their flaws and strengths, and you can relate to every one of them as they struggle in life to pick up the pieces and move on. This was such a great tale that I would highly recommend it. I am really looking forward to watching this author grow.

I chose this new novel as a pick from kindle. I was surprised how quickly I was drawn into the intriquing lives in Serenity Harbor. There are four main, strong characters, doctors Ethan and Jessica Harrington and Gavin and Sarah Williams but family and friends become involved as questionable foes or friends. As you become involved in the story, you will question the decisions and morals of the team of doctors. Love and honor, betrayal and injustice, jealousy and envy rip through the novel. You must decide what actions are a choice and what decisions are made to live by, FOREVER!

I really enjoyed this book. It was an honest look at love and infidelity.

I dont usually read this genre, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. This novel reminds me of a Danielle Steel book, and I think if it had the benefit of slick editing and the backing of a Random House-type publisher, it would do as well. The story was much deeper than I anticipated and the characters were amazingly fleshed-out. All in all, this was an intricate story well crafted by a first-time author. I recommend it.

I was pleasantly surprised how this new author was able to take such a complex plot and still retain control of all of the characters. This is the story of two families who have been shattered by infidelity ... Ethan and Jessica remained together because she was pregnant - while Sarah and Gavin end up splitting up - the infidelity was between Jessica and Gavin. The plot grows even more complex when Ethans father dies, and he struggles with his own demons concerning his childhood. Of course, with Gavin working with Jessica, and Sarah working with Ethan, there are some serious interpersonal issues that are detailed. If you are looking for a book with intimate scenes, you know youve found it - since the first chapter opens with Gavin and Sarah having sex in his office. In fact, every time the males in the story want to confront an issue or show their love - well, they act like males and go for it. Obviously, it doesnt always work - but hey, a guy can try, cant he? I found the story fast-paced, perhaps a little bit too much at times. But it held together well, and the conclusion made for a good ending. The one thing that was problematic for me was the fact that while spell-check was used, it does not catch misused words - homonyms. Peaked vs. piqued, poured vs. pored, youre vs. your, self-conscience vs. self-conscious. I tend to be a bit anal, and I tripped over these every time they happened. So, I deducted a star for that. Otherwise, I did enjoy the book.