Straight military men will always be straight, no matter how much you wish otherwise. Ask Marshall, geeky tech billionaire, whose high school crush is his newest employee… and roommate. Fresh out of the Air Force, Fox’s body is a weapon meant to do Marshall in for good. His toned, taut muscles; strong, broad shoulders; and work-worn hands are a wet dream come to life. The man is irresistible. … is irresistible.
And totally off limits.
As a boy, Fox saved Marshall from his high school bullies, but as a man he’s gruff, brooding, and dangerous. Secrets flicker behind his eyes. If Marshall knew what was good for him, he’d leave Fox alone… but there’s something about him that draws Marshall in and crackles in the air when they’re close. A chemistry he can’t deny.
No amount of wishing will ever change a straight man’s mind, but Fox? Marshall’s starting to get the feeling he’s not that straight at all.
After the Crash is the hot and hilarious first book in the Small Town Hearts series, where heroes scattered across the United States find love where they’re least expecting it. All books in the series can be read in any order.
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ALL THE FELLS FOR AFTER THE CRASH!!
A brooding ex-air force pilot suffering from PTSD and a quirky billionaire come together in this enchantingly sweet small-town romance. Fox and Marshall share a bit of a past and after more than a decade without seeing each other they meet again in the most unusual way.
Marshall comes home to his small-town after taking a year off of work to overcome the trials of his past. All he wants is to live in his beautifully restored old Victorian, spend time with his mom and prove that he is not that same kid from a decade ago.
Fox has come home after being in the Air Force for almost ten years. He just wants to overcome the terrors he faced overseas but with a Mom who is constantly judging him for not “sucking it up” he leaves to go at it alone.
Once Marshall and Fox re-connect it is a slow burn of friendship that leads to much more. Fox has always been straight, but he finds himself admiring Marshall for more than just his brain. Marshall can’t seem to let the crush go from all those years ago and as one simple water fight between “boys” turns into a heated romp Fox realizes that he wants much more from Marshall than friendship.
Fox was literally EVERYTHING!! His wit, charm and humor are what made this book a five-star read for me. It really rounded out his and Marshall’s relationship. After the Crash is much more than a friend’s to lover’s romance. It is a story of overcoming your past to get to the future that you deserve. I cried with Fox, I laughed with Marshall and I fell 100% in love with this story.
Opposites attract, gay for you, first time, a wee bit of angst, and a whole lotta sensual and erotic sexy-times, After the Fall is just about perfect! I’m thoroughly impressed, and anxiously awaiting the next book in the Small Town Hearts series by Emma Alcott.
The audio edition is performed by J.F. Harding and he is spectacular. His sweet and nerdy Marshall will melt your heart, and his gruff and growly Fox will melt your… well, your other bits. Fans of Harding narrating MM romances will not be disappointed!
The first thing that struck me about After the Fall was how incredibly clever it is. One look at the précis and you can tell this isn’t your average romance, and Alcott carries that humor throughout the book. The main supporting character, Sam, has just about the best snark ever, and the dialog is creative, funny, and witty the whole way through.
After the Crash is a beautiful contemporary romance about a discharged Airman suffering with PTSD and a rich businessman readjusting to small town life. Fox has been through a traumatic experience while deployed, and now medically retired from the Air Force, he’s attempting to move forward. But he can’t. He’s stuck in rut made worse by his debilitating PTSD, and he has no real way forward. And then comes Marshall. Wonderful, cheerful Marshall who knows exactly what to do when he finds Fox suffering a PTSD episode. Kind and sweet Marshall who gives Fox a job, a home, and his heart. The entire book just made me melt, and I could not get enough.
I really didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book. A lot of books that use military members as main characters really seem to lack an authenticity and the military background just seems to be a cool detail the author uses to explain away all kinds of skills and talents the character has. But Emma Alcott actually brought to life a character who felt like a real person. Fox felt like he could have served with me, and his PTSD episodes were researched and well written. To me that shows how talented and skillful a writer Emma Alcott is.
The book has a lot of romance, but it also has some dramatic and tense moments. I was completely enraptured with the book and finished it within one day. And once it was done I wanted more. I could hardly believe it was over.
The audiobook was narrated by J.F. Harding who does a great job throughout the book. His voice is smooth and enjoyable to listen to, and he keeps all his characters distinct and easy to identify. The audiobook production was well done and overall I highly enjoyed my listening experience.
Wonderful book, better in Audio.
Great start to a great series. The audio is fantastic, J. F Harding does an incredible job but he had a wonderful story to start with.
Marshall a multi millionaire heads back to his hometown that he vowed he’d never go back to.
Fox ex military with PTSD heads back to home, but his mother kicks him out as he won’t go to church and visit with the town. Then we meet Sam, a young kid 18 who refers to gay sex as grounds keeping. It hilarious in parts, extremely sexy and raunchy but also their are sad bits and child abuse. But in all its a brilliant book, you need to read or listen. Plus a happy ever after.
After the Crash
A Small Town Hearts Novel
By: Emma Alcott
Narrated by: J.F. Harding
Series: Small Town Hearts, Book 1
Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
Overall
Narration
Story
Read at 1.10 on audible
This first book in this series was emotional and heartwarming with geek turned millionaire, Marshall and broken down vet, Fox finding each other after years apart and building a friendship that turned into a romance and a happily ever after. The two men each had their own issues to work out and found that working them out together was better than finding their way apart. I could have kept reading about these two men forever.
I love the strength and courage of both Fox and Marshall who both had to overcome their own struggles. What I appreciate the most was that there was no easy fixes. Just being in a relationship didn’t bring about instant healing it still took work and hard choices so that they could build a relationship. This was shown again in another instance where money helped but procedures still had to be followed. The story felt very real and genuine. I listened to the Audible version which was very well done.
5 stars
Heat Level: 3.5
Narration: 5
So sweet, powerful, and heartwarming!
I loved it! A second chance story with a twist. I loved these characters, both are so vibrant and special. This story deals with serious issues and was sad at times as my heart broke for the challenges and hardships each character endured.
I found Marshall optimistic, smart, and passionate & Fox, strong, protective, and a bit broken but these two, compliment each other perfectly and I found Fox’s sexual discovery organic, believable, and endearing. Fantastic work by Emma/Piper and amazing narration too! Highly recommended!!!
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Nerds and vets. Abandonment and pain. Building trusting relationships and opening your heart to love. Not just for Marshall and Fox but also for Sam.
It makes one think…how many people do we pass each day on the street each day with similar issues…
After the Crash by Emma Alcott is the first book in the Small Town Hearts series. This is a contemporary m/m romance that is full of emotions, drama, humor, and romance. Fox and Marshall are fantastic characters that have a beautiful and wonderful story. As the first book in a series, this does a fantastic job of making me need more books.
I can’t wait to read more in this series!! Wow! I love second chance romances and boys who aren’t as straight as they think they are. Add in snipe hunting and drop bears, the story is just incredible. Fox and Marshall are totally opposites who belong together.
Marshall is finally going home. He’s taken a leave of absence from his very successful (try billions) business so he can relax a bit and have some freedom from the craziness that Silicon Valley brings. He certainly didn’t expect to run into his former crush to be sitting in a bush in their hometown, looking all kinds of lost and in pain.
Fox left his small-minded hometown and never looked back. But he’s home now after having been let go from the Air Force because of the same event that’s causing him so much pain. When the boy he rescued back in high school finds him sitting in a bush and brings him home and offers him a job, Fox is only too glad to take him up on the offer. When his feelings for Marshall morph into something he’d never felt before, will he and Marshall be able to maintain their changing relationship, or will the small minds of their hometown get in the way?
Marshall and Fox are so sweet together. I appreciated how much Marshall worked to help Fox deal with his PTSD, how patient and sweet he was with him. And I especially loved how they were together. I may have doubted how quickly and easily Fox accepted his newfound sexuality and how easily he jumped into having sex with Marshall, but damn, when they got together, it was HOT! Throw in the boy they adopted into their new family, Marshall’s awesome mom, all of it is just such a great story. I am so looking forward to more from this author.
Two bumped and bruised men, some PTSD and other obstacles thrown into the mix and we have a very interesting book! I really liked the story and the emotions it portrayed.
What a great start to a new series. After the Crash gives us Marshall and Fox, former classmates who both left their small town to escape their lives. Upon returning and meeting again they connect in ways they never dreamed possible. Marshall was bullied throughout his childhood for being “different”. He comes back to his hometown to find closure and healing. This time around he is a very successful man. Fox left to find more that what he could find in his hometown. After serving in the military he returns broken and alone. These two together show what true love and acceptance is. The trust that grows between them is amazing. Knowing life isn’t easy doesn’t stop them from doing the hard work needed to move forward. When they befriend a teen in need their found family is complete! I just loved everything about this story and I can’t wait for more!
This was a very good story. The characters are well developed throughout the story, and the writing style is smooth and flows nicely. The fifth star was lost because with Fox’s state of mind, the romance began just too easily for my tastes.
Marshall was the kid in school that the macho boys loved to bully. He was an introvert, smart, a bit too feminine, and definitely too gay. But one day, a friend of those bullies stood up for him, and for the rest of his senior year in high school, Marshall had a new crush.
Somewhere around a decade later, Marshall has made his fortune, and has taken a year’s sabbatical from his company to return home to face his past. What he never expected to find was a very unhappy man sitting in a bush as he was on his way to a coffee shop for tea. When he recognizes the man as his rescuer from high school, he knows that it is his turn to be the strong one this time.
Fox couldn’t wait to get out of Bulrush when he graduated high school. He joined the Air Force and became a top gun Airman. That was until one terrifying and devastating crash ended his career. He didn’t lose his position because of the crash itself, but due to the aftermath that Fox has been trying to hide and fight against on his terms. When his family goes too far, Fox looses not only his temper, but also the roof over his head.
The meeting in the bush begins a business arrangement for Fox that also provides room and board. Over time, the acceptance and freedom he feels around Marshall begins to make him think about things he’s never considered before. Meanwhile, Marshall is secretly enjoying watching his old…current?…crush do manual labor in his yard. He repeats his mantra of Straight, Straight, Straight, but his body and heart don’t seem to be getting the message.
Along comes Sam, a senior in high school, looking for help getting prepared for college and life. The men agree to teach him, but are oblivious to what, IMO, is right in front of their eyes. Sam is snarky, and Lord of Umbrellas, but Marshall sees a lot of his younger self in the boy.
The romance between Fox and Marshall begins quickly and with no hesitation on Fox’s part; even prompting Marshall to ask if Fox has been with a man before. This is where my sense of reality had to be set aside for a while, because Fox is fighting a losing battle with his demons. When the worst happens, he does the right thing, and they must both work together to make their relationship strong enough to weather the storm.
This is where the story takes another turn, and Sam becomes the center of attention, but due to a heinous crime, not anything happy. Marshall used his money and pulls the right strings to make sure that things end up with the best possible outcome, and he and Fox support Sam as well as they can. Now, along the way, Sam has met a young man online he is sure is perfect, but the men decide chaperones are necessary for the first meeting. But, in the end, things work out for the best, and Marshall and Fox get their happily ever after. As for Sam and Emilio, apparently, that is a story yet untold.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *
Marshall and Fox both return to their small hometown after a decade away, both having to face their pasts and who they’ve turned into. Bullied all through high school, Marshall is now successful and confident in himself, but still retains his adorably unique and geeky personality. We see this when he takes on mentoring Sam, a young, bright and hilariously awkward student who, too, dreams of escaping the town. It’s honestly impossible not to love these two characters and their own unique brand of banter!
The other MC, Fox, had been through a gruelling time in the military and a lot of focus is placed on his battle with PTSD and panic attacks. I think the author did a brilliant job of balancing out the very raw pain experienced by Fox and the hope and healing his connections with both Marshall and Sam inspire. His fierce possessiveness and protectiveness over Marshall is sweet and, once he realises that there is more behind it then friendship, is incredibly hot. I’m a huge fan of the GFY or bi-awakening trope, and this here certainly hit the mark for me.
I laughed and cried for both Fox and Marshall (and especially for Sam who will no doubt break your heart). But, ultimately, this is a beautiful small-town romance that has at its heart: love, hope and happiness, and all three of these characters get to find it with the family they create in each other.
A Chance to Heal!
A billionaire who is back in his hometown for a much-needed vacation after ten years of working. He used to be called the “weird and the princess” in high school.
A soldier who is broken. He was one of the popular guys back then, but now just a hollow shell of what he used to be after his stint in the military.
A sweet story of two men who are broken but wanting to heal and move on. Both came back home in order to do that, instead they found each other.
I love how sweet Marshall remained after what he experienced bullying when he was young. My heart breaks with what Fox is going through. I love how the story revolve not only around the two main characters but also the town, its people and a few side characters who adds colour to the overall story. I will be looking forward to the next book in this new series!
After the Crash is A Small Town Hearts story by author Emma Alcott. This book is written in dual pov, and I loved this story from the start. There are lots of emotional angst and lots of really well-done characters I am wanting more from.
Marshall was a painfully shy kid in high school. He got beat up a lot by homophobic bullies. But now he is a perfectionist, millionaire, and smart. He has a wonderful adult life and a mom who supports all he does. I liked how he came full circle. He is strong inside and still shy and kind.
Fox had kept his head down in high school. He used his smarts to save Marshall. He felt connected to Marshall but fought it. No way was he going to let the bullies know he might be gay. Now he is a vet with lots of guilt. He has some inner demons that need slaying. His mom… don’t get me started there. She is a piece of work, to say the least. He really needs Marshall now.
I liked these two have a connection that is sizzling hot. I also love the friendship and strength they have together. I loved this book; I would recommend this one to any true romantic at heart.
Five Shooting Stars
Amazing!!
This was so much more, more emotional, deeper in its knowledge and approach as well. What got me the most was how well the author handled all the PTSD and trauma the characters dealt with. I have read many books that have had characters who suffer some form of PTSD and have never come across it written so well. Balancing the intense with the mild and the moments of calm before the storm plus it’s toll on all those around. My heart goes out to Emma Alcott. This truly was a labor of love as well as an emotional journey for both the reader and the writer.
Fox and Marshall both return to Bulrush with holes in their souls,hoping for some kind of new direction in their lives. One more messed up than the other,but they never would of expected to find solace in each other’s arms,or to eventually create their own brand of found family with the addition of young Sam.
is brilliant. The story made me laugh my pants off,while at the same time treading serious matters like PTSD, bullying and parental abuse. There are a lot of profound, weighty moments during the book. But they are so amazingly weaven with the hilarious,hot,cute and sweet ones that by the time I finished reading, I was left with a wholesome feeling of joy and excitement for the trio’s future.
I loved it and I can’t recommend it enough.
3.5 stars- After the Crash is the first book in a new series and marks a well-known author’s launch of a new pen name for her contemporary romances. I enjoyed the characters and storyline in After the Crash, and though it definitely addresses heavy topics, it doesn’t feel angst-ridden like traditional hurt-comfort romances.
After the Crash follows two men as they return to their small hometown in an attempt to reset their lives for very different reasons. I liked the history of Marshall and Fox’s relationship, who were acquaintances but not necessarily friends in high school. Their opposing experiences both in and following high school offered an interesting juxtaposition. While I appreciated their backgrounds and liked the couple and their story, the romance between Fox and Marshall moved rather quickly and felt a bit underdeveloped, a quality that would bother me normally but especially gives me pause considering Fox identified as straight before falling for Marshall. I think a slower transition where Fox explored his burgeoning feelings on page would have made the romance feel more natural and led me to be more invested in their relationship. Additionally, though I know their quirky humor and sentiments and the dirty talk in the bedroom will be a hit for some readers, it occasionally felt a little over-the-top and cheesy for my personal taste, especially within the hurt-comfort, contemporary romance genre. Overall, I found After the Crash to be a nice read with a good blend of storylines and an honest, respectful look at mental health and pertinent social issues. Though I had some ups and downs with this one, I’ll likely check out more from this author in the future.
*eARC received via LesCourt Author Services*