Title: Before and After You
Author: Hope Ellis, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Leffersbee #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Year: 2021

I thought that this would be a book that I would just completely rip through. I mean, I absolutely loved Been There Done That. And I loved the idea of Walker and Leigh from Been There Done That. But, it did take me a little while to actually sink into this. I think because whilst it is obvious that Walker and Leigh need to end up together, and that they will, they were really beating around the bush to get there. Plus, there wasn’t a whole lot of action and conflict to be dropped into straight away. Once I got past the first quarter though, and the romance part really started… I couldn’t put this down.

I think one of the reasons that I found this a little bit more difficult to get into was the fact that Leigh and Walker both continuously get in their own damn ways. Sometimes that’s a fun trope, but when I’m just so excited for a couple to get together, I find it kind of seriously painful. And I was really excited about Leigh and Walker getting together. It probably doesn’t help that Ellis left a bit of a Red Herring in the end of Been There Done That. One that was seriously misleading and made me think that I was getting dropped further into a relationship than I actually was… yeah, I tried to say all of that without giving away any major spoilers… I’m not sure that I did so well there.

Leigh’s hangups, although a little bit painful at times, were also completely understandable. I mean, she has a father who was a serial cheater, and then married a man who ended up doing the same. To top it all off, her family has effectively chosen him over her repeatedly and decided that she’s actually in the wrong for walking away from a sham of a marriage. I mean, just one of those aspects in her life as part of her history would have made her reticence to be with Walker understandable, but all three? It was pretty hard to read about. And then there’s her battles at the hospital. I love Leigh’s strength and ability to stand up for what she believes in when it comes to her professional life. It just takes most of this book for her to figure out how to carry that same strength and courage into her personal life.

Then there’s Walker’s battles with his health and his family. I mean, the battle between Leigh and Walker (and honestly, there are so many shots fired that it’s a serious battle), is intense enough. But add in Leigh’s family and past, and her fight to keep the hospital a safe place… there’s a lot going on already. And then you realise that there is something seriously hinky going on with Walker’s health. It takes most of the story to unravel just what that is. Even in the happy moments, you have that health diagnosis hanging over their relationship, the sword that is about to drop. Finally, there’s Walker and Zora’s sister – the one with a whole lot of hidden agenda and baggage. I was kind of hoping she would get her own spin off tale to be honest, but it’s been a while since this book was published, so I’m not too hopeful.

It might have taken me a little while to truly sink my teeth into Before and After You, but once I committed, man did I love this. There is just something special about any of the SmartyPants Romance stories and the Leffersbees hold a fairly special place in my heart…

Image source: Goodreads

Title: Been There Done That
Author: Hope Ellis
Series: Leffersbee #1, SmartyPants Romance
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2020

Stories that feature a past and reconciliation in the romance department pretty much always make me happy. There is just something so sweet and beautiful about them. And often, a little bit heartbreaking. And this story really was no different. It was kind of tragic in moments when you realised all that was lost because of one teenage idiots’ rash decisions. But, it was also lovely – teenage sweethearts don’t always end up having their happily ever after because it is ridiculously hard to grow with another human being.

I love that there is a bit of a moment throughout this in which Zora points out that it is probably good that she and Nick didn’t run off into the sunset to get married. By being apart for the majority of their 20’s, they’re able to grow into their own people. It makes them a lot less reliant on each other in their structure for identity. And so much more sure of themselves. My partner and I have been together since we were eighteen – it is incredibly difficult to maintain some aspects of a relationship when you go through the drastic changes that your 20’s bring.

The title of this story makes it pretty obvious that there is history, and I love that it has this sense of yup, been there, done that. Not doing it again. Especially from Zora – she is such a little firecracker and is able to seriously hold her own. Which, of course is why I fell in love with her so quickly. I always love a strong, slightly off-kilter woman who is able to stand up for herself. Also whilst continuously being slightly uncoordinated and a little bit unable to stop the word vomit. She is so quirky and cute – the type of heroine that is pretty common in the SmartyPants Romance books and the reason I’m so obsessed with these stories.

This is yet another wonderful contemporary romance that made me incredibly happy and content. It’s so easy to understand the flaws and mistakes of both of the characters. And, it is just so damn cute. I definitely have a huge weakness for the SmartyPants Romance books, and I am steadily filling my shelves very happily with these…

Image source: Goodreads