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The After Wife Kindle Edition

by Melanie Summers (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,300 ratings
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Women's Fiction Silver Medal Winner, Reader's Favorite Awards 2020. From bestselling author Melanie Summers, comes a heartfelt and uplifting tale of love, loss, and letting go...

After losing her husband, writer Abigail Carson has all but given up on life. Having spent the last year cocooned in her Manhattan apartment, Abigail is suddenly forced to find a new home where she can stretch her dwindling savings. Intent on isolation, she moves to a tiny village in Nova Scotia where she’ll have no one to interrupt her solitude. Little does Abigail realize that small-town life offers far less privacy than the big city. With neighbors knocking on the door bearing homemade treats and invitations, Abby soon finds herself immersed in the lives of the people of South Haven. She forms an unlikely friendship with Liam Wright, the handyman renovating her dilapidated cottage, and his daughter, seven-year-old Olive. As the dark cloud engulfing Abigail lifts, she starts to think she may have found love again. But just as Abigail is ready to leap, she discovers Liam carries with him a shocking secret that will ultimately cause everything to unravel. Abigail must decide if she will turn away from his pain or open her heart in the most hopeless of circumstances.

Insightful, heartwarming, and filled with hope, The After Wife reminds us of the importance of human connection and the inseparable nature of love and survival.
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  1. Print length
    394 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    January 10, 2020
  5. File size
    1271 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

Book review and rose petals
Book review and rose petals
Book review and rose petals

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An achingly lovely, endearing love story. One of my favorite reads." ~Kelly Collins, Bestselling author of The Aspen Cove Series


"A beautifully written page turner that will stay with you long after the end." ~Whitney Dineen, Bestselling author of Relatively Normal


"I loved everything about this book,the story was excellent and heartwarming, the characters were exceptionallydone. Highly recommend!" ~ Melissa Borsey, Netgalley Review

"...will keep you glued to the story. The After Wife is about love, loss, sadness, happiness, friendship, and life." ~ Trudi LoPreto, Readers' Favorite Awards

"...beautifully written and absolutely heartbreaking... This is a book for fans of women's fiction books like Evvie Drake Starts Over, The Overdue Life of Amy Byler, and charming characters and locations." ~ Megan, Netgalley

"The story is a slow burn, raw and gritty. I was captivated from the start and I read the whole book, cover to cover in one sitting, I couldn't put it down ... absolutely heart-wrenching and gutting. The writing is more than excellent and the story line is exquisite ... one of the few books that had an impact on me. I highly recommend the book, 5+ Stars." ~ Konny, Goodreads Review

"The author has destroyed me with this book... My soul can't take it ... I applaud the author for writing such a heartfelt story... It's a book everyone, and I really mean everyone, should read." ~ Mindy Martinez Borda, Goodreads Review

"I should not have started this book last night, because I ended up with only 2 hours of sleep. I had to keep returning to the book to learn more. This was a novel I needed to sit with for a few hours after finishing it in the wee hours of the morning because I didn't want it to end and I wanted more as I had grown connected to her characters." ~ Tracey Doerrer, Netgalley

"...sweet and charming, even in the midst of a soul deep sorrow, and I simply could not put it down. A few curve balls thrown in to really pack that punch and all in all it's a definite five star cry fest for me!" ~ Erin Remen, Goodreads Review

"...deeply moving ... her best so far. I rarely rate any book 5 stars, but this one deserves it." ~ Patty, Netgalley Review

"The character and world building in this book are perfection ... filled with so much heart and emotion. I couldn't help but fall in love with Abby, Liam and Olive. There are some really fabulouslessons in this story and it's definitely one that will stay with me for awhile." ~ Courtney Hagel-Swinson, Goodreads Review

About the Author

Melanie Summers is a multi-award-winning, Amazon best-selling author of romantic comedies and women's fiction. She's written over thirty books for people who have 'had it up to here' with the real world and need to laugh, feel good, and sigh happily. When she's not writing or reading, she's usually out for a walk somewhere nature-y with her two adorable dogs, hanging out on the beach with her husband and their three teenagers, or curled up on the couch for family movie night. Melanie resides on Vancouver Island, Canada where her life goal is to become one of those fabulous people who take daily ice baths in the ocean. So far, she can get in up to her ankles, which is not awful, thank you very much.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07XKDL3MJ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Indigo Group (January 10, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 10, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1271 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 394 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1988891744
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,300 ratings

About the author

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Melanie Summers

Melanie Summers

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Melanie Summers is a multi-award-winning, Amazon best-selling author of romantic comedies and women’s fiction. She’s written over thirty books for people who have 'had it up to here' with the real world and need to laugh, feel good, and sigh happily. When she’s not writing or reading, she's usually out for a walk with her two adorable dogs, hanging out on the beach with her husband and their three teenagers, or curled up on the couch for family movie night. Melanie resides on Vancouver Island, Canada where her life goal is to become one of those fabulous people who take daily ice baths in the ocean. So far, she can get in up to her ankles, which is not awful, thank you very much.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
2,300 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Charlotte
5.0 out of 5 stars Where to start?
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2020
Verified Purchase
I honestly don't know what to say as I finished this book 2 minutes ago. Maybe I should wait and process the story more, but I'm going to try to forge ahead with a review. My heart and head is all over the place with this book. It has a little humor, some tense moments, and a lot of angst. I guess I have to say that I am in love with the characters, flaws, and all. They were real, very real, to me. The personal journey that Abby finds herself on, not by choice, is one that you think, "What is she doing to herself?" and wanting to sit her down over a good stiff drink to talk some sense into her. But, the decisions she makes leave you with hope and silent cheers for her, even at the end. I don't want to do spoilers, but I wonder if I would find the strength that she does. I would like to think that I would, but I can't help but question, "What would Charlotte do?"

The story is beautifully written, and I was left wanting an epilogue AFTER the epilogue. The story was tied in a nice loose bow, but one that left me wanting to tighten the knot to make it stick. Alas, that would not be prudent, because it allows you to imagine how these beautiful lives continued.

All I can say is, job well done, Melanie Summers!!! Thanks for the journey in "The After Wife." ❤ 5 stars and more if I could give them.
8 people found this helpful
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Mary W. Matthews
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
I discovered Melanie Summers with "The Honeymooner," and was so delighted with it that I read every one of her romance novels available on Amazon. These are vastly superior to the usual romance novels, with well fleshed-out characters, intriguing plots, sparkling dialogue, and frequent moments of laugh-out-loud humor. If the standard romance novel is the kind of chocolate bar you pick up in a checkout line, Ms. Summers' novels are hand-dipped truffles made by a talented confectioner.

I hesitated to read "The After Wife" because it isn't the typical romance novel, and in a sense I was right. To continue the dessert metaphor, this is raspberry white chocolate cheesecake made by a great chef. If I had read it first, I would have been mildly disappointed with those wonderful truffles, just because 'The After Wife" is so much better.

Of course the novel has minor flaws. For example, if Ms. Summers ever does a revised edition, I would suggest making it clear early on what Isaac died of and how anguishing it was to be his caregiver. (And, just to be snarky, it would be good for Ms. Summers and her editor to learn the difference between bring and take, lay and lie, and nominative and dative.)

But this is mere carping. "The After Wife" is the best novel I have read in a long time -- and I read a LOT. I was happy to see a publication date of January 2020, because it means I can look forward to more superior Summers novels for years to come.
5 people found this helpful
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Donna
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, endearing and heartfelt story
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2020
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This was my first read of Melanie Summers but it definitely won't be the last!
I was pulled into Abby's world from the very beginning. As she learns how to live after loss and open her heart to love I was drawn in living her experiences with her.
This is a heartfelt story of love and loss and finding your way "home" that I didn't want it to end!
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mzelaineousmom
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!! Abby, Liam and Olive.....
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
A roller coaster ride of a story....Moving to Canada from NYC, Abby is trying to rebuild her life after the death of her husband, not looking for friends or relationships. The cottage she purchases sight unseen needs more repair than she understood... that is how she meets Liam and Liam's sweet daughter Olive. I smiled, I cried....a must read!
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PRJ
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book but I need more!
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2020
Verified Purchase
I loved this book. The characters were nuanced, charming, and I instantly fell in love with them. Abby and Liam have amazing chemistry and seeing them support each other while they deal with their own personal tragedies was incredibly moving to see.

That being said, Melanie Summers, I know it took 4 years to write this book, but I DESPERATELY need you to write a sequel to this because I really need to know what happens with Liam. I got the biggest book hangover after reading this and it's because I can't handle where it left off. Leaving it open ended like that was rude!

*Spoilers*

I genuinely would like to see a sequel about Liam dealing with his non-hodgkins lymphoma, how it affects their little family, and eventually seeing him get cured because him dying after everything is quite cruel especially to his little girl, Olive and I hate to imagine that since life already dealt her such an awful hand already.

*End Spoilers*

Regardless, this was an amazing book, it touched my heart, and while the ending is incredibly bittersweet and left me wanting more, I don't regret reading it.
2 people found this helpful
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Angela Mclaughlin
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
I loved this book. It had all the emotions: happy, sad, and hopeful. It is about losing love, secrets, imperfect people holding on to hope, and finding love again.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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evacaroline
4.0 out of 5 stars Ending
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
I understand why she ended it the way she did. But I don't have to like it. Just go on.
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Alaska Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Real life...
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2023
Verified Purchase
...has no promises. Some people maybe do get their "happily ever afters," but most of us get real life, with its ups and downs -- and even sideways. Live what you can, while you can, and hold on to the precious moments with the ones you love.
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Top reviews from other countries

Cathy Mask
5.0 out of 5 stars Don’t let this book pass you by!!
Reviewed in Canada on January 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
I grabbed this book as a $3.99 pre-sale and even though it has come on for $.99 it was well worth the $3.99 and even more! I love the author and even if it’s a slightly different direction it’s still great writing with a story that is hard to put down. In her other books the stories are romantic and silly and fun and this one is more grounded in reality and you can see yourself and your friends in the situations and the story. The characters are likeable and the small town setting rings true. Just buy it already! Have some tissues close at hand though, you will need them.
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Marian Chawner
5.0 out of 5 stars Life is for living
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2020
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I have read a lot of this talented authors previous books. This one is very different. Almost unique. It is a romantic novel, with humour, excellent descriptions and wonderful characters. However it is not typical. It is very sad in places, as death is something that happens to every living thing, but!. I have no intentions of spoiling the enjoyment of following readers, but his book leaves you with what ifs. It is a stand alone but I would love it to continue. I can imagine it left the author exhausted. I loved Abby’s personality. Witty, sarcastic, heroic and thoughtful. Liam’s character is solid, reliable and honest. Olive his daughter is lively, mischievous and has a great imagination. Walt is a lovely cat, that is affectionate, adorable and a coward. A great storyline, but warning, have tissues.
One person found this helpful
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CM
5.0 out of 5 stars The After Wife
Reviewed in Australia on February 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
At first I didn't like Abbey's character but as Melanie developed this story I started to change my mind. The clever dialogue between Abbey and Liam had me smiling not to mention the Olive and Abbey interactions, the story started to steal my heart. I needed a few tissues for this story and this story is not being forgotten in a hurry.
A story well told by Melanie Summers.
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CJ
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in Canada on April 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
Great read! Recommend to anyone that enjoys romantic comedy.. It's a fun light book that can be enjoyed by many!
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Maria
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it!
Reviewed in Germany on November 6, 2020
Verified Purchase
Good holiday read.
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