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

An emotional and different type of story line that is about the aftermath of infidelity. Ethan finds out his wifes affair but forgives Jessica. That is until he finds out that the child, whose conception was after the so called affair. She and Gavin kept up the affair, thus producing a child. Gavin was also married, to Sarah. This was a tormented story that showed how Ethan coped, or not coped. His demons and how he was able to grow and overcome her infidelities. Not an entertaining read. So much hurt. And the adulterous couple didnt seem to get any negative effects toward them It all seemed to focus more on Ethan.

Its rare that all I want to do is read a book. This story drew me in because it was so powerful at its core. I am not even sure how I stumbled upon it. I think I was on a page for one book that said at the bottom people who bought this book also purchased... so I clicked on it and read the description and decided to go for it. Though this story was much longer than most e-books I normally read, I simply couldnt stop until I finished. If I hadnt had to sleep and work, I would have read it straight through. But I still read it every chance I got. When all was said and done, I loved the story. It has some language and a few pretty steamy scenes in it, but it didnt take away from the value of the novel for me. What I loved about the story was how deep it went and how honest it was. Ive never seen a more compelling portrayal of alcoholism and the damage it can do to adults. For the most part I loved all of the characters. There were times when I didnt like some of them at all, but thats like real life. Sometimes we dont like the people we love. And sometimes we just need to know when to walk away and let someone learn the hard way that they need help. The ending was fanstastic and I think it worked well for the story. There are people that are good for us and the relationship is healing. There are some people that are like poison to our souls. Ethans insight about the healing power of forgiveness toward the end was enough to move a reader to tears. I was so glad when he found peace and joy in life again. Some picky little things that drove me nuts were the excessive use of exclamation marks. Any seasoned writer knows that they are not needed most of the time and should be rarely used. If it hadnt been for all of those marks in the story I would not have believed this was the authors first novel. It was very well-written and other that, had few flaws. This story engaged not only my head, but my heart. I was afraid - more like terrified - at times as well as extremely sad about situations that occurred. There were no easy answers, but the author had the characters acting in ways that made sense and fit their situations given their lives and what they knew. More than that, I felt like I knew these people kind of like I knew characters in a soap opera I used to watch many years ago. I often held my breath as they did crazy things that fit the drama of the day and couldnt wait to find out what would happen next. And though the author did not have a pure point of view (in other words there was some head-hopping) she actually did this very well. Its not easy to have multiple viewpoints in a scene and do it well. I am sad that this story ended, but was excited that a prequel is coming out in 2012. Im definitely getting it as I want to know how it all began and I know for sure it will be told well. Hopefully it wont have a thousand question marks in the story, but even if it does, Im sure Ill enjoy it.

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It was my first time reading this author. She went into detail, gave a backstory and drew you in. This author is a great story teller. 10 stars!!

It was definitely a page turner! The way the author wrote was okay. It didnt stop me from reading, but I wish things could have been written differently, like the characters feelings. Thats just my opinion. I also felt like scenes ended quickly and jumped to the next.

The story is a little unbelievable: that a man (Ethan), would want so much to stay with an unfaithful wife (Jessica) who bore the child (Ryan) of another man (Gavin). Ethan seems to be more condemned for his reaction to the deceit and betrayal than Jessica and Gavin are for having the affair. Ethan is taunted and belittled at work by Jessicas and Gavins comments and confrontations. Their flirting at the company Christmas party drives Ethan to create a disturbance there with both of them. Eventually Ethan is confined to the hospital psych ward through the conspiracy of his sister, Renee, and the hospital staff. Of course his adulterous wife and her cousin, Grace, are assigned to be his doctors and they torment him with humiliating examinations and force-feeding. Jessica is especially cruel by bringing their son, which was fathered by Gavin, to visit Ethan to further remind him what he has lost and her contempt for him. In the end there is no comeuppance for Jessica and Gavin who seem to have had all their desires fulfilled and, I suspect, later on get married and have a family with their son. The hospital staff all go on with their lives while Ethan is left to rebuild from the devastation that has befallen him. He marries Sarah (the other discarded spouse in this love quadrangle) and they move to England. I guess I was expecting more of a story about someone excising a cancer from their life and moving on & moving up. It just did not satisfy me that way.

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

Life and love are not always fair. The characters in this book made choices without considering the way others would be affected. The affair between Gavin and Jessica started a snowball of negative reactions that drove the content of the story. I greatly enjoyed the book and felt it dealt realistically with some tough issues.

Great characters but did he really have to forgive her for her actions. Great ending and only fitting for two lost characters

This book kept me guessing. I couldnt put it down. I was rooting for Ethan the whole time and my heart sank when he reached his darkest hour.

I am not a fast reader, but this book captured my attention immediately, and I finished 654 pages in less than three days. The book is well written and the pages just flowed throughout the entire story. You can find yourself relating to these characters and their real life situations. I was sad when the book ended, because I missed reading about Ethan, Jessica, Gavin, and Sarah. I loved this book, and hope to read more from this author.