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 … 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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After All wraps up Kristen Proby’s Manhattan series perfectly!
I will say … seriously her epilogues when a series wraps up… they kill me in the best way possible!
I loved this boss/employee relationship and watching it mature! Add a single dad with a preteen daughter…. seriously amazing!
This is another from Kristen Proby. I was in a total mood funk and needed something to lift my spirits. This book was exactly what I needed
This is a great love story. You will fall in love with Carter.
After All is the third book in Kristen Proby’s Romancing Manhattan series. All of them can be read as standalone books, but most of you guys know I’m a series junkie, so I can honestly tell you they are all worth reading and reading them in order. However, it’s not necessary. There’s no point in the book where you’ll feel lost if you haven’t read the first two books. It’s no secret I’m a long-time Kristen Proby fan. As in, I was a fan of her writing years before I began reviewing books on a book blog. And there’s a really good reason why. She quite simply tells a great story each and every time. Now, I’ve liked some of her books more than others. Let’s be real. We aren’t always going to LOVE every book…even from a favorite author. But I can honestly say that I’ve never regretted purchasing or reading a book by Kristen Proby to date. After All is included in that statement, by the way. And it ranks pretty high up there on my favorite KP books list!
NICUnurse’s Rating: I’m a sucker for second chance romance books. Most likely because I lived my own second chance romance, and it’s what really speaks to me. Luke and Natalie (With Me in Seattle series book 1) are my top favorite KP characters, but Nora and Carter are a very close second. Nora and Carter both come with some baggage. Nora’s baggage is from a failed marriage. Carter’s is from grief and loss. Not to mention, Carter comes with a sassy and volatile daughter to boot. I love that the author didn’t make any of the characters perfect. Nora has major self-esteem issues when it comes to relationships because of her failed marriage, but she’s confident in herself in most other areas. Especially in her career. Carter may be super hot, but he’s a bit of a bumbling oaf when it comes to a romantic relationship. I loved that it didn’t come easy for him because of his looks or his wealth. And Gabby is just as real as it gets for a preteen girl who has lost her mom and has a dad with a demanding career. Carter is a very hands-on single father, but he doesn’t always have the answers to every challenge Gabby throws his way.
Honestly…I just simply loved this story. It had all the right elements for me to fall into it and not want to come back to reality. There was a bit of angst, a bit of humor, a lot of reality, and a resolution that wasn’t over the top but still a HEA. If I say much more, I’ll delve into spoiler territory, and that’s not something I like to do. So, I’ll just say it was yet another hit for me from a favorite author. Trust me. You want this book!
I give After All by Kristen Proby 5 out of 5 stars!
I felt for both Carter and Nora. For different reasons they have not given romance a second thought, but they find themselves unexpectedly seeing each other in a different light. I love that Nora already has a relationship with his daughter Gabby so it does make it easier. But there are some angsty moments that add to the story without overwhelming it.
Si vous avez envie d’une romance sympathique , sans prise de tête avec des thématiques qu’on connaît déjà, alors After All saura vous faire passer un bon moment de lecture. Les héros seront attachants et devront surmonter les obstacles pour vivre pleinement leur amour.
Nora Hayes est une jeune femme de 34 ans qui travaille depuis plus de 10 ans en tant qu’assistante de direction de Carter Shaw. Elle ne compte plus ses heures et ses tâches à effectuer ne se limitent pas au cadre professionnel. En effet, il n’est pas rare qu’elle doive gérer les soucis liés à Gabby , sa fille de 12 ans qui commence à faire de belles crises d’adolescences. L’entente entre les deux femmes est parfaite mais elle ne remplacera pas Darcy, la mère qu’elle a perdu il y a 5 ans. Elle n’a jamais vu son patron d’un oeil autre que professionnel mais un léger rapprochement pourrait changer largement la donne. Alors que les règles de conduite au travail stipulent qu’aucun rapprochement n’est toléré pour le bien de l’entreprise, il sera de plus en plus difficile de ne pas céder à la tentation. D’autant plus que les sentiments pourraient aussi être présents de l’autre côté. J’ai aimé le caractère de cette jeune femme qui ne compte pas ses heures, mais qui sait aussi être à l’écoute. Heureusement en cas de coup dur, elle pourra compter sur son ami Christopher car il est parfois difficile de s’en sortir quand une adolescente vient mettre son grain de sel dans une histoire déjà délicate.
Au bureau , elle pourra aussi compter sur Sienna , la femme de Quinn mais aussi sur un de ses connaissances London. La soirée entre filles à laquelle nous allons assister lui donnera un côté plus léger. Elle a parfois besoin de ce lâcher prise mais face à Carter et sa fille, elle ne peut pas tout se permettre. D’autant plus qu’elle devra faire face à une ennemie coriace en la personne de Mary qui n’hésitera pas à la menacer si jamais elle a une relation avec le grand patron. Heureusement , Nora semble avoir les épaules assez solides pour faire face à ce mini dragon qui crache son feu mais qui n’a pas vraiment les moyens de ses ambitions. Elle devra faire face à des soucis plus importants qu’une vile jalousie. On pourra donc compter sur notre héroïne pour se remonter les manches et affronter les obstacles un à un. Il faut donc espérer qu’elle ne soit pas de nouveau trahie car son histoire avec son ex mari Richard n’est pas anodine. Sa famille est assez particulière et on comprend aisément qu’ils n’ont pas à coeur le bien être de leur fille. Pourra t-elle vivre pleinement son histoire?
Carter Shaw est notre héros de 40 ans. Il s’est plongé dans le travail pour panser ses plaies et oublier sa peine mais heureusement il pourra compter sur Nora pour remettre sa vie sur les rails. Il sait qu’il peut compter sur elle lors des réunions tardives mais aussi pour gérer son emploi du temps de ministre. J’ai aussi aimé le fait que bien qu’il ne soit pas très présent auprès de sa fille, il saura voir quand Gabby va arriver à un point crucial de sa vie et quand elle ne parviendra pas à exprimer ce qui la touche au plus profond. Il peut compter sur sa belle famille pour l’épauler mais aussi l’aider à aller de l’avant. Les lettres que sa défunte femme lui a laissé à lui et Gabby seront très touchantes car criantes de vérité. Carter est donc un homme rouillé quand il s’agira de séduction et on va souvent rire de ses faux pas. Il a tendance à se renfermer sur lui même en cas de peur et de stress mais il devra aller de l’avant s’il ne veut pas perdre cette seconde chance au bonheur.
Bref, j’ai passé un bon moment avec ce roman de Kristen Proby qui est une romance contemporaine sympathique. Les personnages seront attachants et on passera un bon moment en leur compagnie. Même s’il s’agit du 3ème tome de la saga Romancing Manhattan, il n’y a eu aucun souci de compréhension.
That day when you all of a sudden see things through a different light. A spark of interest arises and now you have to decide if it is worth the risk of loosing what you already have in place. Is it?
Carter was certain after loosing his wife to cancer all those years ago that he would never love again that way. It wasn’t possible. He has made his way by raising his wonderful daughter. Thanks to the help of family that accepted him with open arms when he married her. They are still there by his side to this day. Slowly he started to notice his assistant Nora differently, but she is his right arm. He can’t risk it, can he?
Nora strives to do well at her job and doesn’t mind that it takes more than the average workday to get everything done. She like spending time with Carter’s daughter Gabby when she needs to help out. She has been finding a new normal herself after her divorce a year ago. She has recently noticed just how hot and sexy her boss is, but she can’t go there. There is a no fraternizing policy anyway and she needs this job.
Will Carter finally do what the guys have been telling him and ask Nora out? Could they make it work? Could it be worth the risk?
This book brings many emotions packed in a little package. It isn’t easy to move on after your loved one is gone. Replacing a parent for a child can be very difficult. But finding the best version of the person you are, it priceless and always worth the risk when you are ready. Wonderful characters that help draw you into their story,
*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***
The billionaire trope is pretty worn out for me, but this talented lady breathed new life into it with this book! She added some fresh and surprising elements, with Nora, an assistant who has worked for her boss, Connor Shaw, and saw him through his darkest days after his wife died.
She’s his girl Friday, doing anything and everything to make Connor’s life easier, including helping out with his twelve-year-old daughter, Gabby. They’ve been strictly business for years, but somehow things change.
I loved everything about this book – the characters, the storyline, and the impeccable writing. Nora and Connor both have some baggage but are so endearing and relatable, I couldn’t get enough. Connor’s daughter, Gabby is a precocious, hilarious addition and she steals the scene repeatedly. This book has the perfect balance of humor, heat and heart, and you absolutely won’t want to miss this phenomenal read!
And again Kristen Proby presents us an amazing love story. I read this book in one sitting, because I could not put my kindle down.
Carter and Nora know each other for years already as Nora is working as his assistant. He’s a widower, and she’s recently divorced, when one day they are starting to see each other through different eyes. It was fun to see how they were working through their new developed feelings, because an office romance is also sometimes not easy to get used to. But there’s also some twist in the story, which had me glued to the kindle, as I could totally feel how Nora felt. Being a step mom to two kids, I knew exactly what’s going on there.
All in all it was a fantastic read. It’s lovely, funny, sexy, emotional. Everything you’d want and I’m a bit sad that this was the last book in the series. I can’t wait to see what the author has next in store for us!
I have been waiting for this book so much and let me tell you it was so worth it!! we have know Carter since book one and i have been waiting to see him find love again… I mean i love single dad stories and this one was perfect!!
It was so good to see how Carter decide to give it another chance to love and specially with Nora who has an incredible relationship with his daughter, a bit of a rebelion kid but i think is something common of her age and her situation about losing her mom.
This book is the perfect ending for the series Carter has his HEA and we can know more about the previous 2 couples.
If you love Kristen’s book this one you will enjoy it so much!
4.5 Hearts
After All is the third and final book in the Romancing Manhattan series by Kristen Proby. You can read it as standalone but I do recommend reading the series since they are all fun, sexy, and romantic. I met Carter in All the Way as a partner with his brothers-in law in their firm. I met Nora in All it Takes as his executive assistant.
Nora loved her job even if she was in the office for sixteen hours on some days. She enjoyed it. She was great at it. She has worked for Carter for the last decade. As his assistant for the last five. She even loves helping him with his twelve year old daughter, Gabby. Even since Gabby’s mom died five years ago, her father has needed some extra help while he was in court or in an important meeting. Even hanging out on the weekends. Not once did Nora look at her boss in an inappropriate way until now…
Carter has been a little busy the last five years. Raising her daughter. Working long hours. He hasn’t had the time or the desire to date. Not. At. All. He doesn’t even know if he would be any good at it. No one has brought out the fire in him to start dating either. That was until one day, his eyes are wide open and staring at her. Nora. The one woman who should be off-limits. He wants her but doesn’t know the best way to go about it. So, Fate steps in along with Mother Nature. One snowstorm. Two people in the middle of their own storms.
Carter and Nora’s relationship is sweet, fun, and sexy. They have known each other for a decade but there are always surprises. They have obstacles to face. A preteen to navigate. A professional work environment. It’s all new to them. It’s definitely a wild ride full of friendship, love, family, and laughs.
Quotes:
“Don’t ever do that in front of me again. I feel like I need to gouge my eyes out. Go to church. Take a bath.”
“You’re so dramatic, Gabs,” Carter says with a laugh.
“You’ve just ruined my whole childhood with that disgusting display. Are you proud of yourself?”
“Ridiculously proud,” Carter says. “And if one kiss ruined your whole childhood, I’m doing pretty well, I think.”
“I might need a puppy to make up for it,” Gabby says, making us all laugh.
“We’re still looking at art.”
His lips twitch as he gives my hand another squeeze. “I’m looking at the most beautiful work of art I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Well, isn’t he the charming one?
“You think you’re the boss, but I make the schedules around here.”
I don’t read Kirsten Proby often but when I do it’s always amazing and this one was no different.
I absolutely adored Carter and Nora. I loved her attitude and strong will. Or how she stood-up for herself.
And Carter was such a great man. He did have his moments of being an idiot but he corrected his mistakes and gave them the HEA they deserved.
This story was a funny, filled with hot chemistry and had me sitting on th edge of my seat to see how the HEA would turn out.
I highly recommend this story!!
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
Miss Proby made me cry for the majority of this book! what an incredible story! I couldn’t put it down, it was the best out of the 3 books!
After All, by Kristen Proby is a smash hit with me. It’s the best contemporary romance story that I have read thus far. Kristen has written this story, thinking clearly about her readers and what they are looking for when they read her books. Kristens grabs you the reader, with an ever emotional plot topic that is so dramatic. The plot leaves you with tears and filled with so much love for her characters. She has also brought a little laughter, to lift your spirits in certain parts of the book.
Kristens writing provides you the vision of each scene. Her details of the story really taps into your imagination. Each character that Kristen brings to this book has the reader loving the book all the more. These characters help the leading characters out so much, as they stumble through their romance. Carter and Nora are great!
You will absolutely freakin love them. You will love Carter’s daughter, Gabby even more. Nora works as a Paralegal assistant at Carter’s law firm. Carter owns this law firm with two other gentlemen, Finn and Quinn. Well, Nora some how becomes Carter personal assistant in and out of the office over a ten year period.
One after noon Carter gets short with Nora and the gloves come off. She stands up to him and tells him where to go. Carter’s caught off guard by this and then he starts to look at her in another light. He likes this side of Nora. He peruses this side and the hunt is on.
Nora is shocked but not shocked and the two share enjoy all that comes with their romance in and out of the office. And let me tell you, thank God Carter’s office didn’t have windows facing out to his staff. I don’t think that the two thought about his big office window facing out to the New York view either. These two did not come up for air. Back to the story.
Carter and Nora go through the story learning about each other and their family. They also take on the challenge of discipling and raising a preteen together. They attack and conquer office romance rules and co-workers who are jealous. There are some health scares and tragic loses that they learn to cope and deal with. But one thing was sure.
Carter kissing Noras hand and placing it over his heart, is the sweetest and most romantic thing that a writer could have thought of for a male lover. Yes my fellow readers. I recommend this book with two snaps. A, “ how you doing”? And on back order.
A black pair of high heels with a tiny red bow on the back, that I definitely will be buying for myself. Until next time my fellow readers…read on! I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.
Carter is a single-father, widowed when his daughter was young. Now that his daughter is approaching her teen years, he’s feeling out of his league dealing with a tween girl. He is also getting pressure from those around him to jump back into dating, but his confidence is lacking.
Nora has worked as Carter’s assistant for 10 years and since his wife’s death, her duties have expanded to helping out with child care as well. She is recently divorced, and has filled her time with work, work and more work. A few close calls has them rethinking the working relationship they have.
They have always been a team at the office, but when they cross into testing the chemistry between them, their perfect office chemistry takes a hit. This was overall a smooth easy read, but there are some definite growing pains and angst as they work out what their relationship could be. They have known each other as colleagues for a long time, but the jump to something more intimate is quick once they decide to take that leap. I loved watching as they tested the limits of what they could handle between themselves and where they needed pushes from the ones around them, especially when they thought no one knew what was going on between them.
I loved Gabby’s interactions with both of them. Her pre-teen attitude is authentic and adds another element that Nora and Carter must navigate as they test out their relationship. The other side characters also add some fun push and pull for the couple. I missed the second book in this series, but as each book follows a different couple, there is no need to have read all of them to enjoy Carter and Nora’s story.
Great ending to a great series
I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. I loved Carter and Nora and Of course gabby. This was a great ending to this series and was not disappointed. Getting to see Sienna, Quinn, London, Finn, Maggie and Gabby was great. This story hit all the different feelings. Meeting Christopher was great. So many tropes I loved. Kristen proby did not disappoint and I lobe that you don’t have to read the other books in the series to know what’s going on but if you do it’s 100% better.
A second chance to have a family and love. For Carter and Nora starting a relationship was unconventional and a little bit cliché. Over coming obstacles and rules, their relationship blossoms into something that is all together beautiful.
An emotional and romantic story of two people getting out of their own way to become the family they both deserve.
Perfection from cover to cover!
Well, this book has all the feels. Carter makes some really HUGE mistakes, that I’m not sure he did enough groveling to make up. Nora is so strong and really handles the issues with Gabby so well. Be prepared, I cried like four different times during this story. The beginning of their relationship is so much fun. It’s pretty angsty from about 60% on. HEA with the sweetest epilogue.
4.5 stars–AFTER ALL is the third and final instalment in Kristen Proby’s contemporary, adult ROMANCING MANHATTAN erotic, romance series focusing on business partners and attorneys: Finn and Quinn Cavanaugh, and Carter Shaw. This is forty year old, attorney, widower and single father Carter Shaw, and thirty-four year old, divorcee and executive assistant Nora Hayes. AFTER ALL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Nora and Carter), and a final chapter by Maggie, AFTER ALL follows the forbidden, workplace romance between forty year old, attorney, widower and single father Carter Shaw, and thirty-four year old, divorcee and executive assistant Nora Hayes. Nora Hayes has worked as Carter’s executive assistant for close to ten years, and in the five years since the death of his wife Darcy, Nora has become babysitter, caretaker and friend to his daughter Gabby. Married to the job, Nora’s divorce one year earlier finds our heroine working fourteen hour days to keep her boss and the office running smoothly but the sexual tension between Carter and Nora is growing exponentially, and it is only a matter of time before Nora and Carter cross the line into full blown romance when an unexpected snow storm strands our couple at the office, over night. Carter Shaw knows there is a work place rule about fraternizing with fellow employees, but as the boss and owner, Carter begins to push the boundaries with the woman with whom he will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Nora and Carter, as our couple traverse the employee/boss / single father minefield, and a personal crises of which Carter will fail.
Both Carter and Nora struggle with their parental relationships destroyed by issues of control. Nora is about to get a crash course in restraint when Carter’s twelve year old daughter Gabby begins to push the child-parent boundaries, and Carter battles between head and heart as it pertains to his relationship with our story line heroine.
The relationship between Carter and Nora is a forbidden boss/employee affair but Carter finds himself intrigued by the woman that is currently running his professional life. Having remained single for close to five years, Carter’s partners Finn and Quinn push our hero to take the next step toward his future, and a relationship with Nora Hayes. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
The colorful and strong secondary and supporting characters include Finn and London (All the Way #1), Quinn and Sienna (All It Takes #2), Carter’s daughter Gabby, and Finn and Quinn’s mother Maggie; Nora’s bestie Christopher, as well as the head of HR Mary, who may or may not have it out for our story line heroine.
AFTER ALL is a story of second chances for our leading couple. Both have love and lost, and are about to discover that love is better the second time around. The premise is heart warming, emotional and energetic ; the romance is sassy and provocative; the characters are playful, spirited and dynamic. AFTER ALL is my favorite instalment in the Romancing Manhattan series with a little bit of everything for the romantic in all of us.
I’ve never read a Kristen Proby book that I didn’t love and I’m happy to report that that is still the case. After All is a beautiful story about finding love after heartbreak and about opening your eyes and seeing that your future has been there right beside you. This story is so much more than a simple love story. I did not read the first 2 in this series, but you can believe I will be buying them today! Amazing book, Kristen Proby 5 stars just isn’t enough!!
Soooo good! If you are a fan of Kristen’s, she once again did not disappoint! This book was filled with laughter, friendship, companionship, love, and very hot chemistry. But it also contained some anger, sadness, and miscommunication. This is part three of the Manhattan series, but they don’t need to be read in order. I’ve read one and now three and I wasn’t lost. I loved how Kristen added some letters within the story. But you may want to have some tissues when you get to them. She also made sure the Cavanaugh was included throughout the entire book. I love knowing that the family is there for one another, even if your last name isn’t the same. Again, this book will not disappoint Therefore, it’s a definite most read.