The Ever After series concludes in Aftermath. Tragedy, redemption, love… Ever AfterOnce upon a time, Casey flirted with a pretty boy at a bar, and that changed everything. Recently released from jail, he’s starting to rebuild without the family who raised him to hate himself. He’s got a new job, a room at his aunt’s, and community service hours at an LGBTQIA community center. But his biggest … community center. But his biggest challenge is figuring out how to live as the one thing his father and brother drilled into him he could never be: a gay man.
Once upon a time, Brooks was a confident Dom with a particular taste for bigger men. But since his run-in with a dangerous homophobe, he’s lost his touch. Big, buff guys are hot but scary, and hurting people isn’t as much fun as it used to be.
Until he meets Casey, the big guy with the problematic past. Casey’s willing to do anything, but does his submission stem from healthy kink or from an unhealthy need to be punished? And is Brooks doling out release or revenge? Two people who share a past as violent as theirs could never fall in love. Unless, somewhere in the aftermath, there’s forgiveness.
Content warning: internalized homophobia, homophobic language, and references to homophobic hate crimes that have occurred in the past
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4.5 stars
Heat Level: 3.5
Powerful, compelling and forgiving.
This story is powerful, gripping and in some ways confronting. I’ve read so many ‘happy’ stories recently, that I feel like I’ve been lost in a world of fairytales and this story opened my eyes to the real possibilities, challenges, and reality of what being gay can be like for some people.
This is my first story by Tanya and her writing style is gripping and compelling while being easy to read, it had me engrossed. Her characters are so real and a little broken. As this was my first book I did feel a little lost about the other characters and their stories and how everyone was connected but not enough to stop me from reading all about Casey and Brooks.
Casey was so broken, to a point he doesn’t even realize how badly. The reality of his upbringing and his internalized homophobia was devastating, confronting and heartbreaking. What he’s been through is touched on and is confronting and saddening. I really enjoyed his overall character development and feel he grew so beautifully into himself as an eventually out and proud gay man. I loved his healing and honest process. His care and buddying friendship with Finn was so wonderful to read and the love and trust he has for Brooks is great to watch unfold.
This is a very honest and real story and I loved the relationship between Brooks and Casey. Great writing, great story and now what more from Tanya Chris!!
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This author seems to get better with each story. I thought Locked was intense but this brought out all my emotions.
Casey’s story by itself is enough to break my heart. Living with a dad and brother like his seems to be enough torture without adding in his sexual preference. Then blaming himself and not even sure why made me want to cry. When he is faced with Brooks his whole life seems to change. Then when they meet again both are in for a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Brooks has enough of his own baggage but when he tries to deal with it using his excuse of being a sadist things really get intense. Watching Casey come into himself is heartwarming. He faces things head on and holds firm to what he feels. I think the author did a great job of resolving the relationship between these two and Casey’s relationship with his dad. I also appreciated how the previous characters Syed and Dashiell play such a big part of the story. I was glad to see how Finn’s dilemma was solved. There is so much to this story and as always I can’t wait to see what this author will have next.
I loved this series. Each book is about a different couple. But the plot intertwined the three books together and it ended in a satisfying conclusion. I loved how much Casey grows in this book and how Brooks while helping him grow ends up getting his confidence back which he lost after his own hate crime attack. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
I knew Tanya Chris would give Casey redemption, but she managed it even more skillfully than I imagined. His path is not a simple one, but it’s beautiful as he navigates owning his sexuality, his actions, and his life.
Even if he and Brooks had not ended up together, I would have been satisfied with this book because the journey with Casey is so captivating and poignant.
This book could be read as a standalone,, I suppose, but for the most enjoyment, start at the beginning with Aftercare.
Awesome read! Part of an excellent series and it definitely did not disappoint. Tanya has one so caught up in the characters that you cannot put the book down. Even dealing with difficult subjects one does not lose the connect with the characters. It saddens me what happens to her characters but she always leaves on with hope and love. Absolutely adore this book and the series as a whole.
Aftermath is the 3rd and final book in the Ever After series.
We met Casey in previous book, so I would definitely recommend reading Aftercare & Aftershock.
Casey is riddled with guilty over his involvement in the bullying of gay men by his brother. Brooks was one of their victim and Casey follows him home to try and apologise. Their meeting is awkward and one thing leads to another.
Casey is broken. His brother and father are homophobic, and Casey just wants to be loved and accepted. He has spent his adult life hiding his sexuality and internalised homophobia.
Brooks is a broken Dom. After he is attacked by Casey and his brother, he finds it difficult to dominate his preferred type… the bigger, buff type.
Aftermath is intense, and not for the faint hearted. It is well written and heavy on the BDSM.
Congratulation Ms Chris on another well written book.
This is a fantastic conclusion to this series with wonderful, complex characters. The ability of Syed to forgive and move on from Jamie; even after everything, he is able to see Casey as a person and care about his well-being. Dashiell remains one of my absolute favorite characters in this series. He always seems to be going out of his way to help others, even those society might see as flawed or criminal. Who would have thought that Syed and Dashiell would be the ones to pick up Casey and see him to safety when he got out of prison? I love the way this author presents everyone’s view in this series. We see the pain, shame, and regret Casey feels for his actions. We also see the denial of his responsibility and eventual awakening. We see the after-effects of the attack on Brooks, and how it changed him. We see the anger, healing, forgiveness, and love. This is a powerful and emotional conclusion to the series, and the author brings all the characters in it all to a very satisfactory end.
I received a complimentary ARC from the author and have voluntarily left this honest review.
Aftermath is the perfect title for this book, because the aftermath created a major book hangover. I love the Ever After series and am incredibly saddened to see it end but only Tanya Chris could deliver that perfect of an ending.
Having followed from the beginning, it was hard to imagine Casey’s story and how it could even play out. I am certain that only this author could make it work. The character development is so well done; I felt these characters—their pain, their complexity, just everything about it. One of my favorite aspects is Tanya Chris’ ability to give depth to not just the main characters but secondary as well. It pulls me in even more. The world building was intricate and vivid; I couldn’t put this book down.
The story itself is so layered, with complexity and major themes running through it and yet it all works. The author definitely keeps an original premise and pushes boundaries. Yet it is so important. While I read this book in one sitting, it definitely left an impact on me that I’ll carry forever. There is nothing that comes across as unnecessary in this book. Each word appears carefully chosen and it’s a delight to read. Most of all, this is a book that made me feel. I admit there was definite ugly crying going on. It’s books that pull so strongly on my emotions that I love and this one more than delivered. This story left me breathless with the magic the author weaved. This series has been a must read and this book is a perfect ending to it.
5+ stars for a compelling, breathtaking and emotional read.
P.S. I’d love to see Finn’s story!
This is a story that will make you think and feel. The characters go through so much and have some hard choices to make. Brooks and Casey’s story pulled me in right from the start. I enjoyed seeing the way their story unfolded. While Casey is trying to start his life over after jail he sees Brooks and apologizes to the man and tries to explain what happened. That one conversation leads Casey’s life into a better direction than it was before. As Brooks helps guide Casey and teach him to be safe emotions begin to blossom and lines begin to blur. Brooks and Casey never saw it coming but love can be sneaky and the two must figure out just where they stand. Can past deeds be forgiven, and will the men grab for a future that they can have? It was nice to watch Casey begin to find his way and learn to accept himself. Brooks and Casey make a good couple and it was nice to se the two work hard to find love in a safe way. I requested a free review copy of this book through StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The trickle down effects (after Jamie’s death in the first book) are far reaching as this story shows. My heart went out to Casey. He was so lost and making bad choices in hookups that could get him killed. The phone call to Dash and Syed (re: emancipation of Finn) made me chuckle a bit. I liked watching Casey grow in self acceptance and self awareness throughout the story- he blossomed and thrived under Brooks’ tutelage. Finn’s parents made my heart break even more. They had such ugly empty souls and no heart beat! I had empathy for Brooks with his ambivalence and inner turmoil, but he had the strength to overcome past prejudices and to take and give the love they both deserved. I liked that Casey’s dad was making positive changes. Great 3rd book in a phenomenal series.
This fantastic, fascinating, powerful, raw, gritty, gripping, intense, engrossing, enthralling, heartbreaking yet hopeful, smoking hot, grab-you-by-the-feels, and totally awesome tale by Tanya Chris pulled me in from the very first page. I ended up with a massive book hangover because I just could NOT put it down. I would DEFINITELY recommend getting this marvelous masterpiece immediately!!!
I requested a free review copy of this book through StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow. This book tackled a tough subject—anyone who read the first two parts of this trilogy (and I think they should be read first) knew that going in. As usual, Tanya Chris handled the various topics with what I thought was realism and sensitivity. Casey’s redemption may be more than some readers can accept—I admit I questioned whether Syed would ever have gotten there—but it went step by step in a way that worked for me.
I loved the secondary characters we got to see in this book, as well as the appearances by the couples from the earlier books.
With all the other hard-hitting (in more ways than one) scenes in Aftermath, the moment that brought tears to my eyes was (minor spoiler ahead) in the scene where Casey comes out to Kit: “[I]t made him suddenly very angry that he hadn’t known about hugs before today, that they’d always been a thing for other people. He should have had this.”
There were some typos in the advance copy I received via StoryOrigin; I hope most of those were fixed before publication.
I’ve loved this trilogy, and I eagerly await Tanya Chris’s next book. 4.5 stars!
Intense, graphic, heartbreaking and healing journey to acceptance and love. This was a thought provoking story of how love can grow and growth can occur in the most unusually situations. This story was often painful and really pushed some of my boundaries, however it did always feel authentic to the characters and their pain. This is definitely a book that i needed my tissues. There are some really well done supporting characters that you will love or really hate.
Casey and Brooks have an intense connection and have to figure out where their lines should be and how to give and get what they need from each other.
This is a compelling story and i found myself wanting to see how they could work through and find happiness together.
This is the third in the Ever After series and is a really worth while read.
Redemption. Forgiveness.
Casey needs redemption for all the hurt and damage that he’s caused and Brooks needs to forgive Casey…that’s the only way to have a real life without the past overshadowing their future.
Their story is heartbreaking.
For the first time in his life Casey can act and think as his own man,without his father’s or his brother’s influence. Accepting his sexuality and his submissive side, coming to terms with his past mistakes, is a rough and gut-wrenching journey. And Brooks,still troubled by the trauma of having been attacked. I understood his struggles, his back and forth, warm and cold with Casey,his staggering inner conflict between needing revenge and being a good Dom.
I love Aftermath so much. Both men with their tormented souls had me in tears many times throughout the book and I really hoped for their healing and finding happiness.
Tanya Chris, congratulations for another beautiful and touching book.
A great book in this series. I really liked the characters, and the story was great. Tanya did a great job, as usual.
Thank you for the ARC read, I requested a free review copy of this book through StoryOrigin I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Casey Hax grow up intimidated by his father and brother, never allowed to show his true self. One mistake was all it took to send him to jail. Now with a second chance how can he really live? First step was to try to make up for the wrong MJ had done. Apologies to the victims was in order, starting with the guy that had claimed his attention that night that started this mess. Brooks was expecting to be confronted by one of the guys that attacked him over three years ago, much less to feel a bit of pity when the man claimed to be guy. Giving him a card to volunteer at a local LGBTQIA. Brooks wasn’t prepared for the the feeling that this man brings to his life with the request to learn more of the world Casey we struggling to come out to. With a homophobic brother nd father that started his life down the path his was on of denial and pain. Can helping out at the community center ease Casey in the right direction before he falls into more trouble with the unknown of the kink world he craves? Will working at the center help Casey learn to love him self and help others in need also like one young man that befriends him his first day on the job? This was such a moving and emotional story. warnings of hate and self loathing, willing to punish one self for the way they feel.