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After the Night
Prescott, Etats-Unis. Nous avons l'histoire de deux familles : les Bouvier et les Devlin. La mère de Clémence Devlin est la maîtresse de Guy Bouvier, un homme riche, marié et père de famille. Clémence, quant à elle, a le béguin pour le fils Bouvier, Gray. Les Devlin sont pauvres, on les considère dans toute la ville comme de la racaille. Ils n'ont un toit sur la tête que grâce à la générosité de Guy Bouvier. Quand celui-ci et la mère de Clémence disparaissent, Gray comprend tout de suite qu'ils se sont enfuis ensemble et que son père a abandonné sa famille et ses affaires. Effondrée, sa soeur fait une tentative de suicide. Fou de rage, Gray ordonne l'exclusion des Devlin. Clémence, son père et ses frères et soeur, sont jetés dehors. Une nuit de cauchemard que ni Gray ni la jeune fille de quatorze ans ne pourront oublier. Douze ans plus tard, Clémence revient à Prescott. Car elle sait maintenant que sa mère ne s'est jamais enfuie avec Guy Bouvier. Celui-ci n'a plus donné signe de vie depuis tout ce temps. Clémence en est persuadée, il est mort. Reste à savoir ce qui s'est passé. Mais dès son arrivée, elle se heurte à la population de Prescott, peu ravie du retour d'une Devlin, et surtout à Gray...
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1995
About the author
Linda Howard
259 books7,012 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,668 reviews
March 25, 2015
This book has the best asshole/jerk hero EVER!
OMG I loved every damn scene when he was horrible to her <3
I wanted him to be worse!!! I couldn't wait for it!
He is just that good! Or maybe I am that wrong bwahahhahahahhahahahh
But seriously, he is one of the best jerks I've read <3 I want to read more of those now <3
The story
I don’t know why you’re here, and it doesn’t matter. This motel belongs to me. You aren’t welcome. You have half an hour to get packed and get out." He gave her a wolfish smile that wasn’t really a smile. "Or do I have to call the sheriff again to get rid of you?"
It starts off in the past, showing Faith Devlin's life in childhood and teen years.
You'll be happy to know it only lasts 5 chapters (YAY!!!)
Her family is pretty much horrible, as everyone in town calls them, trash.
She is the only sensible among them, taking care of her little brother and basically the whole family.
One night changes everything, both for her and for Gray, a guy she's had a crush on for forever.
Her mother runs away with his father.
Yep, you can imagine how that turns out, and that is what causes the endless hate between the Rouillards and the Devlins.
Twelve years after the incident, Faith returns to her hometown, only to find Gray trying to throw her out of it again.
Bad for him, she won't back down :DDD
The romance
"You haven’t listened to my… suggestions yet."
"I don’t intend to, either. Go back to your table and leave me alone."
"I’d planned on doing the first." He stood and trailed a long forefinger down her cheek. "There’s no way in hell I’ll do the last."
The sexual attraction is through the roof here!
The romance isn't sweet, they fight constantly, but the dialogue, everything between them... Uber chemistry!
For one, I loved how they were trying to outsmart each other throughout the book. He wanted her out of town, she wanted to stay.
It was basically war :D
And in the middle of it, they were fighting the huge attraction, well, poor them because it didn't really work :)
What I loved best because even though Gray was pretty much a jerk to her all the time, he was also very protective. Yes, I know that sounds weird but if you read it you will understand. I loved him even more because of that :))))
Overall
Danger glittered in those dark eyes, and before she knew it, he was right in front of her again, almost playfully pinching her chin. "You’re a ballsy little babe, aren’t you? Maybe too ballsy for your own good. Don’t take me on in a fight, sweet thing, because you’ll get hurt."
My only objection here was the mystery.
Really predictable and not done so well.
BUT!
Gray more than made up for it.
I can't tell you how much I loved this, one of the best books I've ever read!!!!
If you like jerkish heroes, people, READ THIS NOW!!!!!
I can't recommend it enough!
*buddy read with Glam <3*
July 8, 2023
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I haven't posted a #StealthRead review in forever, and I'm absolutely thrilled that the honor goes to AFTER THE NIGHT - a book I've been wanting to read for years and lived up to all of my trashy expectations. One of my friends' one-star reviews for this book was actually the impetus for getting me to buy this. She said the hero was an obsessive creep who was lusting after the heroine when she was still basically a child. "That's f***ed up," I said to myself, while counting out dollar bills from my Kate Spade wallet. "I'll take it!"
AFTER THE NIGHT is definitely f***ed up. It takes place in Louisiana. Faith Devlin and her family are the local "trash," living in a shack at the grace of the Rouillard family because Renee Devlin is the go-to bedwarmer for Guy Rouillard, the richest man in town. One day, Renee and Guy abscond, and the oldest son Gray, in a fit of pique, evicts the rest of the Devlin from the shack, having the cops throw all their possessions in the street while threatening to torch the place. Meanwhile, fourteen-year-old Faith is scrambling around in a transparent nightie and all the cops and Gray are ogling the hell out of her and going DAT ASS.
It's super disturbing. I hated Gray for that. What a disgusting pig. I wanted to read more.
Cut to 10+ years later and Faith ("RED HEADS HAVE NO FUN") Hardy, nee Devlin, has made something of herself, and strolls back into her hometown to rub her designer clothes and professional career into all of the people who called her "trash." On the one hand, you go girl. But on the other hand, there's also a lot of "the rest of my family might be trashy hoes, but I'm not! Praise me for living up to the puritanical standards society sets for women!" and that's a no go, girl. Don't judge.
Meanwhile, Gray ("THEY HAVEN'T BUILT A CONDOM BIG ENOUGH") Rouillard is managing all of his family's affairs and has taken over his father's position as richest man in town. When he's not pooping $100 bills out of his muscular, ex-quarterback rear-end, he's protecting his delicate mother and sister from anything indecent. I swear to God, Monica and Noelle are so stereotypical that I have expected one of them to fall into a swoon while muttering something about "the vapors."
Gray plans on running Faith out of town yet again, but the little Gray (or not-so-little-Gray, IYKWIM) in his pants has different ideas, and let's just say that HORSES aren't the only thing that Gray rides without a saddle in this book, IYKWIM. Come on, guys. My eye is getting sore from all this winking. CAVEMAN SEX. Gray is literally so alpha that it hurts, and the sex scenes are alternately hot as hell and weird AF, with lines like "Anglo-Saxon sex words"and "jackhammering". "Anglo-Saxon sex words" is especially hilarious to me because last year I buddy-read a vampire romance with my friend Heather, also from the 90s, called FOREVER AND THE NIGHT, which involved the phrase "pleading, in stark Anglo-Saxon terms." Maybe this is a thing.
#AngloSaxonSexWords
God this was fun. The writing was pretty bad, but the story was like an HBO miniseries. Soap opera drama, brutish alpha males, archaic gender stereotypes, rough sex, and a murder "mystery" that was maybe one level above Scooby Doo in terms of overall execution and sophistication. I loved every second of it. If you enjoy the romps of vintage romance WTFery, definitely pick up this book.
3.5 stars
January 14, 2022
I honestly don’t know what made me love this book that much. I guess just did.
It started with the hero throwing the heroine’s family out of their house and him calling the heroine a “trash”
“You’re trash,” he said in a deep, harsh voice as the girl drew even with him. She halted, frozen to the spot,
Then her coming back to her hometown years later to unravel what truly happened years ago determined to prove that she’s not the trash everyone thinks she is. I just loved how determined she was and how she made something for herself despite how her family was.
Then all the sexual tension, the angst, and the struggle the hero have between trying to make her leave the town to protect his family and wanting to have her. This is such an addicting haters to lovers story that was just so good! I loved the characters, the suspense even if it was all so obvious, the plot, the romance, and just everything. I can see myself binge reading more of the author’s books!
It started with the hero throwing the heroine’s family out of their house and him calling the heroine a “trash”
“You’re trash,” he said in a deep, harsh voice as the girl drew even with him. She halted, frozen to the spot,
Then her coming back to her hometown years later to unravel what truly happened years ago determined to prove that she’s not the trash everyone thinks she is. I just loved how determined she was and how she made something for herself despite how her family was.
Then all the sexual tension, the angst, and the struggle the hero have between trying to make her leave the town to protect his family and wanting to have her. This is such an addicting haters to lovers story that was just so good! I loved the characters, the suspense even if it was all so obvious, the plot, the romance, and just everything. I can see myself binge reading more of the author’s books!
September 21, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and if you are a Linda Howard fan and have yet to read it you better make sure you do.
This one was different than Cry No More (the only other LH book I’ve read) which was great because I am very curious about the different storylines she writes. In After the Night we get two very different main characters whose past and future are intertwined with hatred, lust, sadness and long awaited happiness.
Faith Devlin’s didn’t have much in her life. She knew she had nothing of value whether it was the house she lived in or the clothes on her back. Her mother was nothing but a whore and her father was a drunk. But Faith knew she wasn’t trash like the rest of them. She dreamed of finding a way for her and her little brother Scottie to get out of the dirty world they lived in. Little did she know it would be at the hands of the man that she dreamed about. The one she had come to love.
Grayson Rouillard ~ What a bastard he was. I hated the fact that I liked him, that I found him sexy and alluring. He was tall, dark and handsome. Had hair that reached the nape of his neck. His words and actions towards Faith were hateful but I had a sense that his anger toward her was misplaced. It has been 12 years since he drove Faith away. But Gray has never able to forget her. He was never able to let go of that desire he felt for her.
Faith Devlin ~No one expected her to amount to much. She had been a fragile little girl within a family that everyone considered trash. But Faith was strong and knew differently. Life had thrown that final blow 12 years earlier, a blow that only strengthened her resolve to prove everyone wrong. She wasn’t looking for redemption. She just wanted to go home. Returning home would mean searching for answers to questions from her past and it also meant facing the one man that she has loved for as long as she can remember. Would she be strong enough to stand up to him and the people who rejected her?
When Faith returns home to try and get answers to what happened so many years ago she is met with expected resistance and hostility. As she inches towards getting answers to things that happened that summer she is lead back to the Rouillard’s lake house. A place that brought back heated memories from the past and a place where more heated memories would be made. But someone was going to do whatever was needed to make sure Faith never got her answers. There was too much as risk and Faith needed to be stopped.
When Gray and Faith could no longer resist each other, things get pretty intense between them. The sex scenes were written with such raw sensuality and were off the charts HOT. I have to say the sexual build up left you with no other choice but to FEEL everything within those scenes. Gray had to possess Faith in such a way that was dangerous yet necessary to his being. Faith had no choice but to surrender.
This was such an amazing story and I loved every minute of it. Though certain things were a little predictable it didn’t bother me one bit. There was enough swirling around in the plot that kept me engaged and intrigued. Both Gray and Faith were wonderful characters but I give a little more love to Faith. She was that flower that would grow no matter what.
Another highly recommended read!!
March 22, 2024
Grey is an asshole and Faith is a love/lust struck bimbo. Still wondering how I ended up loving this book.
LH is a freaking marvel!
LH is a freaking marvel!
January 21, 2011
I love Linda Howard! So when I kept hearing about After the Night I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Well, I did. It was horrible!!! The hero is abusive and the heroine is a doormat who makes excuses for his ill treatment of her. It's not fair to blame someone, treat them poorly, and encourage the whole town to treat them poorly because of the sins of the parent. This is one very unhealthy "romance."
An After the Night reviewer stated that if this was your best friend you would encourage her to leave the abusive jerk. I agree. After the Night now sits in some used bookstore waiting for the next person who will love it or hate it.
An After the Night reviewer stated that if this was your best friend you would encourage her to leave the abusive jerk. I agree. After the Night now sits in some used bookstore waiting for the next person who will love it or hate it.
March 9, 2014
How I feel about this book:
❥The storyline
❥The characters
❥The dialogue
❥The fights
❥The reunions
I loved it ALL.
This is an absolute MUST READ. Linda Howard, why did I wait so long to read your books !!??
I have no idea but I do know that from now on I'll be devouring LH's books like crazy, that's a given! ;)
PS: I love Gray Rouillard <3
February 25, 2014
I first read this book in 1995...when I was 12. And I still re-read it at least once a year. Once of my all time favorites.
August 9, 2016
Re-read in April 2014.
I mean if an opening sentence like that doesn’t draw you in …
This was a re-read for me. I was stranded in the West of Ireland with no WiFi over the weekend and decided to do a couple of re-reads. Fantastic book. The first time I read it I really thought Gray was a complete and utter bastard. He did not come across as such this time around, for some reason. Still a bit of a prick but you gotta love him.
There is mystery, suspense, sadness, happiness, hot sex. What more could one ask for?
I loved how strong Faith was after the childhood she had. She dusted herself off and held her head high and faced the people from her past.
FAITH DEVLIN: A poor, outcast child in Prescott, Louisiana, she'd always adored the town's golden boy from afar. But he called her white trash that sultry Southern night when his rich, respected father disappeared, along with her pretty Mom.
It was a good day for dreaming. It was late in the afternoon, the sun throwing long shadows when it could manage to break through the thick woods, but for the most part the translucent golden light was tangled in the tops of the trees, leaving the forest floor mysteriously shadowed.
I mean if an opening sentence like that doesn’t draw you in …
This was a re-read for me. I was stranded in the West of Ireland with no WiFi over the weekend and decided to do a couple of re-reads. Fantastic book. The first time I read it I really thought Gray was a complete and utter bastard. He did not come across as such this time around, for some reason. Still a bit of a prick but you gotta love him.
Do you know why men name their cocks?"
"No, why?" she asked, trying to stifle her laughter.
"So most of the major decisions in their lives won’t be made by a total stranger.”
There is mystery, suspense, sadness, happiness, hot sex. What more could one ask for?
“It was amazing how flowers could grow in the damnedest places, but the Devlin weed patch had sprouted quite a wildflower in Faith.”
“It was just a kiss – "
I loved how strong Faith was after the childhood she had. She dusted herself off and held her head high and faced the people from her past.
He was fully aroused, his erection as hard as marble, straining against her ….
February 4, 2009
Wow. I couldn't put this book down last night and ended up pulling an all-nighter to finish it. It was THAT good.
It goes without saying that Linda Howard is an incredible writer, my personal favorite in the romantic suspense genre. I would read anything written by her. That includes her grocery list. I'm sure it would be interesting.
After the Night takes place over a span of several years, thus giving the reader the opportunity to watch Faith and Gray grow up, develop their characters and understand their backgrounds and thought processes. My heart broke for Faith when her family was tossed out of their home in the middle of the night. When the sheriff's deputies leered at her young body and Gray referred to her as "trash" just like the rest of her family, I felt like crying right along with her. Her father was a nasty, abusive drunk, her mother was a whore who was rumored to have run off with Gray's father, her older brothers and her sister, Jodie, were mirror images of her parents. Faith was different - more respectable than her family. She alone took care of her disabled little brother, Scottie, and made every effort to prove herself. I cheered when she returned to town twelve years later, successful, happy and more self-confident.
And somehow, Linda Howard made me sympathize with Gray. As someone else said in their review - I'm sorry that I can't recall who - Gray walks the fine line between being an alpha and a jerk. There were many reasons for his hatred toward Faith's family when he was a kid, including his father's mysterious disappearance. (The real truth is later revealed years later when Faith returns to town and begins receiving threatening notes.) IMO Gray is one of Howard's best heroes - tall, broad shoulders, long dark hair. A beautiful, cynical man.
The relationship between Faith and Gray is full of sexual tension. Good Gawd - the scene on the porch is HOT! Most authors try to write sexual tension and fail, only managing to focus on an overload of lustful thoughts. But Howard is a master at writing true sexual tension, even in the bickering between the H and H. The pages were burning up beneath my fingers and I caught myself skipping ahead in the book to figure out when/if this couple would EVER give in.
All in all this was an awesome book and it has earned a permanent spot on my keeper shelf. =)
It goes without saying that Linda Howard is an incredible writer, my personal favorite in the romantic suspense genre. I would read anything written by her. That includes her grocery list. I'm sure it would be interesting.
After the Night takes place over a span of several years, thus giving the reader the opportunity to watch Faith and Gray grow up, develop their characters and understand their backgrounds and thought processes. My heart broke for Faith when her family was tossed out of their home in the middle of the night. When the sheriff's deputies leered at her young body and Gray referred to her as "trash" just like the rest of her family, I felt like crying right along with her. Her father was a nasty, abusive drunk, her mother was a whore who was rumored to have run off with Gray's father, her older brothers and her sister, Jodie, were mirror images of her parents. Faith was different - more respectable than her family. She alone took care of her disabled little brother, Scottie, and made every effort to prove herself. I cheered when she returned to town twelve years later, successful, happy and more self-confident.
And somehow, Linda Howard made me sympathize with Gray. As someone else said in their review - I'm sorry that I can't recall who - Gray walks the fine line between being an alpha and a jerk. There were many reasons for his hatred toward Faith's family when he was a kid, including his father's mysterious disappearance. (The real truth is later revealed years later when Faith returns to town and begins receiving threatening notes.) IMO Gray is one of Howard's best heroes - tall, broad shoulders, long dark hair. A beautiful, cynical man.
The relationship between Faith and Gray is full of sexual tension. Good Gawd - the scene on the porch is HOT! Most authors try to write sexual tension and fail, only managing to focus on an overload of lustful thoughts. But Howard is a master at writing true sexual tension, even in the bickering between the H and H. The pages were burning up beneath my fingers and I caught myself skipping ahead in the book to figure out when/if this couple would EVER give in.
All in all this was an awesome book and it has earned a permanent spot on my keeper shelf. =)
February 10, 2019
4.5 Stars
January 17, 2022
If i read one more time how the h looks like her "whore" mother who broke the H's parents marriage🔪. It was mentioned approximately 30 times.
And when they finally have sex he goes and says this:
ASSHOLE MUCH?🤢
She was 14 year old girl!!! 🤢🤢
I hated the H so much. He was so gross.
And there was this side plot with his sister having an affair with her father's best friend.
This book was full of issues.🤦♀️
And when they finally have sex he goes and says this:
"My God," he said, his voice still harsh from his wrenching climax. "If fucking Renee was like that, I understand why Dad couldn’t stay away from her."
ASSHOLE MUCH?🤢
"I wanted you that night, Faith." He began moving slowly inside her, his eyes darkening with the slow build of passion. "You were only fourteen, but I wanted you."
She was 14 year old girl!!! 🤢🤢
I hated the H so much. He was so gross.
And there was this side plot with his sister having an affair with her father's best friend.
"He didn’t seem to know he’d been the first. In his mind, she’d been Mama.And in her mind, God help her, he’d been Daddy. It was so sick that she was still disgusted at herself. She’d never had any sexual feelings for Daddy; hadn’t had any at all, until Michael."
This book was full of issues.🤦♀️
January 3, 2016
After the Night was my first Linda Howard book, and I absolutely LOVED it! It’s a riveting read, with a stormy and sizzling romance!
Faith Devlin has come back to Prescott, Louisiana after twelve years away. She was cruelly thrown out of her home at the young age of fourteen. Though it was no fault of hers, Faith suffered the disgrace her mother, Renee, had brought down on them. Being regarded as white trash and suffering the stain her mother’s reputation made Faith determined to never be like any of her family so she made something of herself, but has never truly been able to move past the jarring events of the past:
At the age of fourteen she had literally been thrown out into the night like a piece of trash, and she had lived with that pain ever since.
Where is her mother and her mother’s lover, and why did they leave never to be heard from again? Their actions left two families very nearly destroyed, and Faith is back to find out some answers and closure. However, bringing up the past doesn’t sit well and soon Faith is facing threats and danger that may silence her forever.
Faith fell in love with Gray Rouillard, the admired son of the most powerful and wealthy family in Prescott, from afar when she was just a little girl. Unfortunately, the years have done little to diminish her attraction, but if Gray Rouillard thinks he can bully her out of town again, he’s got another thing coming! Faith is no longer a little helpless girl, and I loved her determination. Even in the face of her blinding attraction to Gray, she didn’t let him distract her from her goals.
I adored Faith! She was a woman who came from nothing with zero advantages and still managed to have a strong, positive spirit without being overcome by bitterness over the past. The cruel way in which Faith was treated because of the action of others angered me so much! At first I hated Gray! His actions tore Faith’s life apart in such a humiliating way I wanted to kick him in the teeth! But after getting some of his perspective I eased up on my feelings. Be patient with Gray and you’ll fall for him every bit as much as I did!
Gray can’t help the attraction he feels for Faith. At the age of fourteen she possessed unmatched beauty; as a grown woman she’s gorgeous, but she’s the image of her mother and reminds Gray of the pain heaped on his family. Still, he can’t help himself; can’t stop pursuing her to the point of obsession. Even though I wanted Gray and Faith together, I was happy she didn’t just fall for him or let her guard down even though she was wildly attracted to him. I love a smart heroine! Faith kept her goals in place, and her resolve meant that Gray had work to prove himself, to gain her trust. Their romance was hot, lusty, and tumultuous, and I loved every battle they fought!
Linda Howard wrote an epic, captivating story, and soon after finishing After the Night, which by the way, was published over sixteen years ago (!!), I went through her backlog of titles and added several to my TBR. I highly recommend her addictive writing!
As a side note, I bought the Kindle/e-Copy version and then added the audio version for an extra $3.49. It was totally worth it because Natalie Ross' narration is excellent!! If you're cramped for reading time like I am this is an excellent way to read a book by switching back and forth between e-copy to audio. I listen on my commute back and forth to work, when I'm getting ready and when I cook dinner.
Faith Devlin has come back to Prescott, Louisiana after twelve years away. She was cruelly thrown out of her home at the young age of fourteen. Though it was no fault of hers, Faith suffered the disgrace her mother, Renee, had brought down on them. Being regarded as white trash and suffering the stain her mother’s reputation made Faith determined to never be like any of her family so she made something of herself, but has never truly been able to move past the jarring events of the past:
At the age of fourteen she had literally been thrown out into the night like a piece of trash, and she had lived with that pain ever since.
Where is her mother and her mother’s lover, and why did they leave never to be heard from again? Their actions left two families very nearly destroyed, and Faith is back to find out some answers and closure. However, bringing up the past doesn’t sit well and soon Faith is facing threats and danger that may silence her forever.
Faith fell in love with Gray Rouillard, the admired son of the most powerful and wealthy family in Prescott, from afar when she was just a little girl. Unfortunately, the years have done little to diminish her attraction, but if Gray Rouillard thinks he can bully her out of town again, he’s got another thing coming! Faith is no longer a little helpless girl, and I loved her determination. Even in the face of her blinding attraction to Gray, she didn’t let him distract her from her goals.
I adored Faith! She was a woman who came from nothing with zero advantages and still managed to have a strong, positive spirit without being overcome by bitterness over the past. The cruel way in which Faith was treated because of the action of others angered me so much! At first I hated Gray! His actions tore Faith’s life apart in such a humiliating way I wanted to kick him in the teeth! But after getting some of his perspective I eased up on my feelings. Be patient with Gray and you’ll fall for him every bit as much as I did!
Gray can’t help the attraction he feels for Faith. At the age of fourteen she possessed unmatched beauty; as a grown woman she’s gorgeous, but she’s the image of her mother and reminds Gray of the pain heaped on his family. Still, he can’t help himself; can’t stop pursuing her to the point of obsession. Even though I wanted Gray and Faith together, I was happy she didn’t just fall for him or let her guard down even though she was wildly attracted to him. I love a smart heroine! Faith kept her goals in place, and her resolve meant that Gray had work to prove himself, to gain her trust. Their romance was hot, lusty, and tumultuous, and I loved every battle they fought!
Linda Howard wrote an epic, captivating story, and soon after finishing After the Night, which by the way, was published over sixteen years ago (!!), I went through her backlog of titles and added several to my TBR. I highly recommend her addictive writing!
As a side note, I bought the Kindle/e-Copy version and then added the audio version for an extra $3.49. It was totally worth it because Natalie Ross' narration is excellent!! If you're cramped for reading time like I am this is an excellent way to read a book by switching back and forth between e-copy to audio. I listen on my commute back and forth to work, when I'm getting ready and when I cook dinner.
January 13, 2014
~~~~ 5++++++ FANTASTIC STARS ~~~~
I've never read Linda Howard till now....and I'm rectifying that poor judgement on my part. Aside from the fact that I had never heard of her until recently, well, I've rectified that too. This book was GOLD.
I loved this and every second spent reading it. This book has been around for a while and so many people have read it, so I'll skip any type of synopsis. The plot was great, the suspense built up beautifully. I did suspect the culprit early on, but the reasons for why stumped me. The characters were incredibly well developed. They were infused with the perfect blend of good and bad, right and wrong. They were fleshed out thoroughly, their actions making sense with who they were.
I loved Faith from the start. Growing up poor and being called trash all based on the actions of your family and not you, is tragic. Being removed from your home and being made to feel like an animal is heartbreaking. What I loved about her so much was the degree of empathy and understanding regarding her circumstances and those responsible for them. She empathized with Gray and despite his severe assholish tendencies, she gave him the benefit of the doubt.
It took some major backbone to walk back into Prescott resembling the woman that brought the town to its knees. It took even bigger character to face off with the man that haunted her dreams and resided in her fears. But Faith Devlin did it with style. Gray was such an interesting character. His hurt and contempt towards Faith was often ill directed, but he came to see that your family doesn't decide who you are, but your actions do. He wanted Faith from the start. He couldn't understand the dichotomy between his mind and need, but that didn't stop him from trying! He was incredible to read about, sounded sexy as sin.
The sexual tension was off the charts. The best way to describe the sexy time in this book: RAW SENSUALITY.
It came off the pages like dust. Magic, entrancing dust. I think LH writes smexy time brilliantly. The scenes are so thick with sensuality and power. I loved it and think we need to read more of that than the formulaic sex scenes of late. The ending was perfect and really brought everything full circle. I wish there was an epilogue though, not to say it didn't end well, it ended amazingly! But I wanted to see how people treated Faith after everything she did, I wanted to see her life with Gray, that sexy pirate-like beast of a man. He was truly bigger than the pages given to write about him.
I am planning to read much more of LH now and hope her other work makes me feel as good as this book after reading it. LOVED IT.
I've never read Linda Howard till now....and I'm rectifying that poor judgement on my part. Aside from the fact that I had never heard of her until recently, well, I've rectified that too. This book was GOLD.
I loved this and every second spent reading it. This book has been around for a while and so many people have read it, so I'll skip any type of synopsis. The plot was great, the suspense built up beautifully. I did suspect the culprit early on, but the reasons for why stumped me. The characters were incredibly well developed. They were infused with the perfect blend of good and bad, right and wrong. They were fleshed out thoroughly, their actions making sense with who they were.
I loved Faith from the start. Growing up poor and being called trash all based on the actions of your family and not you, is tragic. Being removed from your home and being made to feel like an animal is heartbreaking. What I loved about her so much was the degree of empathy and understanding regarding her circumstances and those responsible for them. She empathized with Gray and despite his severe assholish tendencies, she gave him the benefit of the doubt.
It took some major backbone to walk back into Prescott resembling the woman that brought the town to its knees. It took even bigger character to face off with the man that haunted her dreams and resided in her fears. But Faith Devlin did it with style. Gray was such an interesting character. His hurt and contempt towards Faith was often ill directed, but he came to see that your family doesn't decide who you are, but your actions do. He wanted Faith from the start. He couldn't understand the dichotomy between his mind and need, but that didn't stop him from trying! He was incredible to read about, sounded sexy as sin.
The sexual tension was off the charts. The best way to describe the sexy time in this book: RAW SENSUALITY.
It came off the pages like dust. Magic, entrancing dust. I think LH writes smexy time brilliantly. The scenes are so thick with sensuality and power. I loved it and think we need to read more of that than the formulaic sex scenes of late. The ending was perfect and really brought everything full circle. I wish there was an epilogue though, not to say it didn't end well, it ended amazingly! But I wanted to see how people treated Faith after everything she did, I wanted to see her life with Gray, that sexy pirate-like beast of a man. He was truly bigger than the pages given to write about him.
I am planning to read much more of LH now and hope her other work makes me feel as good as this book after reading it. LOVED IT.
August 21, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five stars -
* new rating as of 8/2022
New upgraded rating because I just can’t stop thinking about this book! I think I loved it enough to add this to my “all time faves” shelf. I just read it for the first time about a month ago, and I’ve already reread it about twice now lol.
This book hits all my top scoring points:
. Childhood connection ✔️
. Enemies to lovers ✔️
. A Hero that’s manly, yet still sensitive in private - *swoon ✔️
. Storyline that spans over a long period of time - in this case, from our heroine’s childhood ✔️
. Enough action to keep me vested in our h’s best interests ✔️
. Intelligent fmc that has a successful career ✔️
This is one of the better books I’ve read in quite some time. I enjoyed myself, I loved the romance, and I loved the fact that it’s romantic suspense without it being graphically descriptive of the murder that’s happened as part of the plot line.
In short, this book has snuck up on me as a favorite. It’s quietly wormed its way into my little book-loving heart ♥️, and has taken up residence there in pride of place on my favorites shelf.
Highly recommend to anyone looking for an adult romantic read that enjoys a touch of suspense.
Five stars - the kind that shine brightly through the clouds ⛅️.
* original review to follow……….
Whew! I finally found a great read this month 😂 “finally!”, is all I can say 💁♀️.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip back in time, and nearly wholeheartedly enjoyed this book! The romance here was very sweet - childhood crush grows into love - I just eat that trope right up!
What a wonderful time capsule this book is! I really enjoyed that part of the story, which is humorous as it’s not meant to be that, as it was published as a modern romance. Given the fact that this was originally published back in 1995, there were so many actions that made me reminisce about life before smartphones. I just adored these parts of the story and jumped in my favorite chair with glee each time our heroine utilized items that are nearly extinct. For example: microfiche! Yes, microfiche. What a fun word we don’t get to use in everyday conversation anymore 🥲 makes me sniffle for the good old days.
I particularly enjoyed it when our heroine had to get directions to someone’s house and: went to a brick and mortar library, consulted a living, breathing human - aka the “librarian”, pulled out a map of the town - most likely a platt survey! Yes, an actual platt survey!, folded said map/platt survey back up to return, then had to drive by HER MEMORY to the destination! Yes, this is truly the actions that excited me. Millennials may fail to comprehend my glee with these actions taken by our heroine to suss out her destination, but I JUST LOVED IT!
Given the fact that this story was not meant to be taken as a time period romance 😂 and was written as a modern contemporary “thriller” romance, these aspects of the story were told merely to showcase our heroine’s sleuthing capabilities. This story by Howard is meant to be an action romance, after all, and most of the actions do stand up to the test of time, and did make my heart pound. I did fear for our heroine’s safety in moments of written suspenseful action! I did feel angst due to a perilous situation our Hero and heroine find ourselves in! I booed the villain!
Given the fact that Howard is an older, longtime writer who first began publishing in the 1980’s, I’m going to assume that I’ve most likely previously read novels by her at some point in my life, and am sure I’ll come across one at some point as I’ve decided that her writing style (romance suspenseful thrillers) are just what I need right now to get me out of my book slump.
Howard has a new fan and a new follow. Highly recommend to anyone who’s of a certain age that would love to be able to pull the word, “microfiche”, out of their hat again lol.
Four shining stars. I just loved this nostalgic, romantic stroll…
* new rating as of 8/2022
New upgraded rating because I just can’t stop thinking about this book! I think I loved it enough to add this to my “all time faves” shelf. I just read it for the first time about a month ago, and I’ve already reread it about twice now lol.
This book hits all my top scoring points:
. Childhood connection ✔️
. Enemies to lovers ✔️
. A Hero that’s manly, yet still sensitive in private - *swoon ✔️
. Storyline that spans over a long period of time - in this case, from our heroine’s childhood ✔️
. Enough action to keep me vested in our h’s best interests ✔️
. Intelligent fmc that has a successful career ✔️
This is one of the better books I’ve read in quite some time. I enjoyed myself, I loved the romance, and I loved the fact that it’s romantic suspense without it being graphically descriptive of the murder that’s happened as part of the plot line.
In short, this book has snuck up on me as a favorite. It’s quietly wormed its way into my little book-loving heart ♥️, and has taken up residence there in pride of place on my favorites shelf.
Highly recommend to anyone looking for an adult romantic read that enjoys a touch of suspense.
Five stars - the kind that shine brightly through the clouds ⛅️.
* original review to follow……….
Whew! I finally found a great read this month 😂 “finally!”, is all I can say 💁♀️.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip back in time, and nearly wholeheartedly enjoyed this book! The romance here was very sweet - childhood crush grows into love - I just eat that trope right up!
What a wonderful time capsule this book is! I really enjoyed that part of the story, which is humorous as it’s not meant to be that, as it was published as a modern romance. Given the fact that this was originally published back in 1995, there were so many actions that made me reminisce about life before smartphones. I just adored these parts of the story and jumped in my favorite chair with glee each time our heroine utilized items that are nearly extinct. For example: microfiche! Yes, microfiche. What a fun word we don’t get to use in everyday conversation anymore 🥲 makes me sniffle for the good old days.
I particularly enjoyed it when our heroine had to get directions to someone’s house and: went to a brick and mortar library, consulted a living, breathing human - aka the “librarian”, pulled out a map of the town - most likely a platt survey! Yes, an actual platt survey!, folded said map/platt survey back up to return, then had to drive by HER MEMORY to the destination! Yes, this is truly the actions that excited me. Millennials may fail to comprehend my glee with these actions taken by our heroine to suss out her destination, but I JUST LOVED IT!
Given the fact that this story was not meant to be taken as a time period romance 😂 and was written as a modern contemporary “thriller” romance, these aspects of the story were told merely to showcase our heroine’s sleuthing capabilities. This story by Howard is meant to be an action romance, after all, and most of the actions do stand up to the test of time, and did make my heart pound. I did fear for our heroine’s safety in moments of written suspenseful action! I did feel angst due to a perilous situation our Hero and heroine find ourselves in! I booed the villain!
Given the fact that Howard is an older, longtime writer who first began publishing in the 1980’s, I’m going to assume that I’ve most likely previously read novels by her at some point in my life, and am sure I’ll come across one at some point as I’ve decided that her writing style (romance suspenseful thrillers) are just what I need right now to get me out of my book slump.
Howard has a new fan and a new follow. Highly recommend to anyone who’s of a certain age that would love to be able to pull the word, “microfiche”, out of their hat again lol.
Four shining stars. I just loved this nostalgic, romantic stroll…
December 13, 2014
Written December 12, 2014
4.7 Stars - Stunning great - a heartwrencher
At last I started Linda Howard's good "oldie". I'd both the 12 hrs audiobook (narrated by Natalie Ross) in my ears and sometimes also the ebook in my other hand.
OMG, thiswill be IS so very good!
I was in a kind of dreamy 'book-love' in this romance already after a feew chapter... or minutes really.
Completely enchanted and my tears was flowing.
A keeper, an unforgettable epic romance story to remember.
Simply GRAND!!
***********************************************************
Prescott, Louisiana
After the Night is the heartbreaking and stunning love-story about Faith Devlin the former mocked "white trash" girl and the 'larger-than-life' hero, Gray Rouillard, once the towns very lucky happy rich-mans boy.
After the Night is also the story about the truth about that (by then 12 years old) devastating scandal surrounding Faith's mother and Gray's father elopement and shameless sex-affair.
That awful night, when she was 14 and he 22.
The night that so mercilessly changed both their lives. One horrible night no one can ever forget! The hate, anger, and roughness of the gritty degradation is impossible to wash off.
...Or is it possible. What was the truth, what was the rumor, what really happened?
***********************************************************
It makes no sense and does no difference that I write a thousand positive adjectives about this amazing 20 years old Howard romance. Most of you have probably already read it anyway. But a few short words...
My only tiny whining is perhaps that this narrator made our hero's voice slightly dorky and that the passage of time (since it was written 1995) sometimes is noticeable. Otherwise a fantastic good "from childishly sweet swarming love to adult mature heat need" Romance.
Best, for me, was (of course..) the first half..
The stunning first part that told the story of their childhood and the tentative teenage years. The first love, the first connection.
OMG (again..) it was so d@mn hertbreaking emotional. There, in the beginning had After the Night really true classic 'grand sob novel' status. ~ That little innocent baby brother!! Sob &Sigh!!! My heart broke...
The terrible shame, the for them all so ugly humiliation, the social injustice for these kids and all those emotions. My tear channels opened completely... — I didn't know who I wanted to yell most at.
The second half was more of an ordinary steamy suspence romance. Still captivating interesting and a very good reading (listening). ~ Highly recommended!!
Thank you dear Irina, who nudged me that this book is an absolute must-read CR. You are so right, sweetie.
***********************************************************
I LIKE - bull's-eye for a romantics who like to sob...
4.7 Stars - Stunning great - a heartwrencher
At last I started Linda Howard's good "oldie". I'd both the 12 hrs audiobook (narrated by Natalie Ross) in my ears and sometimes also the ebook in my other hand.
OMG, this
I was in a kind of dreamy 'book-love' in this romance already after a feew chapter... or minutes really.
Completely enchanted and my tears was flowing.
A keeper, an unforgettable epic romance story to remember.
Simply GRAND!!
***********************************************************
Prescott, Louisiana
After the Night is the heartbreaking and stunning love-story about Faith Devlin the former mocked "white trash" girl and the 'larger-than-life' hero, Gray Rouillard, once the towns very lucky happy rich-mans boy.
After the Night is also the story about the truth about that (by then 12 years old) devastating scandal surrounding Faith's mother and Gray's father elopement and shameless sex-affair.
“Your whole family is trash. Your mother is a whore and your father is a thieving drunk. Get out of this parish and don’t ever come back.”
That awful night, when she was 14 and he 22.
The night that so mercilessly changed both their lives. One horrible night no one can ever forget! The hate, anger, and roughness of the gritty degradation is impossible to wash off.
...Or is it possible. What was the truth, what was the rumor, what really happened?
***********************************************************
It makes no sense and does no difference that I write a thousand positive adjectives about this amazing 20 years old Howard romance. Most of you have probably already read it anyway. But a few short words...
My only tiny whining is perhaps that this narrator made our hero's voice slightly dorky and that the passage of time (since it was written 1995) sometimes is noticeable. Otherwise a fantastic good "from childishly sweet swarming love to adult mature heat need" Romance.
Best, for me, was (of course..) the first half..
The stunning first part that told the story of their childhood and the tentative teenage years. The first love, the first connection.
OMG (again..) it was so d@mn hertbreaking emotional. There, in the beginning had After the Night really true classic 'grand sob novel' status. ~ That little innocent baby brother!! Sob &Sigh!!! My heart broke...
‘For a little while, he had been happy. That first Christmas after **** left had made him delirious with joy. He had sat for hours, too tired to play but content to stare at the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree.’
The terrible shame, the for them all so ugly humiliation, the social injustice for these kids and all those emotions. My tear channels opened completely... — I didn't know who I wanted to yell most at.
“.... Men are different from women; the more excited we are, the more like cavemen we sound. I could barely speak English with you, much less French. As I remember, my vocabulary deteriorated to a few short, explicit words, ‘fuck’ being the most prominent.”
The second half was more of an ordinary steamy suspence romance. Still captivating interesting and a very good reading (listening). ~ Highly recommended!!
Thank you dear Irina, who nudged me that this book is an absolute must-read CR. You are so right, sweetie.
***********************************************************
I LIKE - bull's-eye for a romantics who like to sob...
June 22, 2024
6/22/2024
Decided to revisit one of my all time favorite Linda Howard books. It’s still as great as my first read in 2011!
Audio book review January 2015
5 Fantastic Stars!!!!
Let me start by saying, this is absolutely one of my all time FAVORITE Linda Howard books. I don’t know how many times I have read it both in print and audio format. The audio version is narrated by the very talented Natalie Ross who does a fantastic job!! She’s definitely one of my favorite narrators.
Faith Devlin was born into a poor white trash family. Her mother is the town whore, her sister is on her way to following in their mothers foot steps, her two older brother are hooligans and following in their father’s footsteps who’s a worthless mean drunk and lastly there’s her mentally handicapped little brother Scotty who she adores, she has taken care of little Scotty since the day he was born.
At the tender age of 14 Faith falls head over hills in love with the most beautiful boy/man around. Greyson Rouillard.
Greyson (Grey) Rouillard is from one of the wealthiest and most influential Louisiana families and has everything going for him. He’s a star on the college football team, he’s the adored heir apparent, and he has no trouble attracting his share of women. His mother is ice cold….shes cold hearted and distant from her husband and her children. Grey is very close to his father Guy Rouillard, who's been having a long term affair with Renee and allows Renee her and her family to live in a shack on his land. When one morning Guy and Renee don't return home everyone assumes that they left their families and ran away together. This causes Grey's distraught sister Monica to attempted suicide which sends a furious Grey over the edge. That fury has him going to the "Devlin Shack" in the middle of the night with the town sheriff in tow and throws all the Devlin’s off his land not caring that an innocent 14 yr old along her mentally handicapped little brother will have no where to go….You feel for poor Faith and little Scotty, very emotional and intense scene.
Twelve years later Faith has come back to her hometown of Prescott LA to find out what really happened that night 12 yrs ago at the Rouillard boathouse. Grey now runs the family empire and owns most the town and businesses within it. When he’s informed that a “Devlin” has returned to town and staying in one of his hotels, he wastes no time in running her out of town….again. But Faith is not the weak little 14 year old girl he threw out in the dirt 12 years ago. Faith is now a astute, and successful businesswoman who’s determined to move back to her hometown and put to rest what really happened to Guy and Renee that fateful night....but someone beside Grey wants Faith gone and will go to extreme lengths to make that happen.
Faith is dismayed to find the instant Grey shows up at her hotel door the adolescent love she felt as an innocent fourteen year old is still there. And much to Grey’s dismay he is instantly physically attracted to Faith. Faith and Grey dance around each other and their powerful & overwhelming mutual attraction. They eventually give into their attraction and it’s explosive !! Grey wants more but there are outside forces that stand in his way. He’s torn between his loyality to Mother and sister, and the hurt it will cause them "she is a Devlin" after all ....and his growing need to keep Faith as his own.
* First read: May 2011
Reread on:
1/19/2015
6/18/2019
4/16/2022
Decided to revisit one of my all time favorite Linda Howard books. It’s still as great as my first read in 2011!
Audio book review January 2015
5 Fantastic Stars!!!!
Let me start by saying, this is absolutely one of my all time FAVORITE Linda Howard books. I don’t know how many times I have read it both in print and audio format. The audio version is narrated by the very talented Natalie Ross who does a fantastic job!! She’s definitely one of my favorite narrators.
Faith Devlin was born into a poor white trash family. Her mother is the town whore, her sister is on her way to following in their mothers foot steps, her two older brother are hooligans and following in their father’s footsteps who’s a worthless mean drunk and lastly there’s her mentally handicapped little brother Scotty who she adores, she has taken care of little Scotty since the day he was born.
At the tender age of 14 Faith falls head over hills in love with the most beautiful boy/man around. Greyson Rouillard.
"It was amazing how flowers could grow in the damnedest places, but the Devlin weed patch had sprouted quite a wildflower in Faith."
Greyson (Grey) Rouillard is from one of the wealthiest and most influential Louisiana families and has everything going for him. He’s a star on the college football team, he’s the adored heir apparent, and he has no trouble attracting his share of women. His mother is ice cold….shes cold hearted and distant from her husband and her children. Grey is very close to his father Guy Rouillard, who's been having a long term affair with Renee and allows Renee her and her family to live in a shack on his land. When one morning Guy and Renee don't return home everyone assumes that they left their families and ran away together. This causes Grey's distraught sister Monica to attempted suicide which sends a furious Grey over the edge. That fury has him going to the "Devlin Shack" in the middle of the night with the town sheriff in tow and throws all the Devlin’s off his land not caring that an innocent 14 yr old along her mentally handicapped little brother will have no where to go….You feel for poor Faith and little Scotty, very emotional and intense scene.
"It was just a kiss -"
"Yeah, and King Kong was just a monkey."
Twelve years later Faith has come back to her hometown of Prescott LA to find out what really happened that night 12 yrs ago at the Rouillard boathouse. Grey now runs the family empire and owns most the town and businesses within it. When he’s informed that a “Devlin” has returned to town and staying in one of his hotels, he wastes no time in running her out of town….again. But Faith is not the weak little 14 year old girl he threw out in the dirt 12 years ago. Faith is now a astute, and successful businesswoman who’s determined to move back to her hometown and put to rest what really happened to Guy and Renee that fateful night....but someone beside Grey wants Faith gone and will go to extreme lengths to make that happen.
Faith is dismayed to find the instant Grey shows up at her hotel door the adolescent love she felt as an innocent fourteen year old is still there. And much to Grey’s dismay he is instantly physically attracted to Faith. Faith and Grey dance around each other and their powerful & overwhelming mutual attraction. They eventually give into their attraction and it’s explosive !! Grey wants more but there are outside forces that stand in his way. He’s torn between his loyality to Mother and sister, and the hurt it will cause them "she is a Devlin" after all ....and his growing need to keep Faith as his own.
* First read: May 2011
Reread on:
1/19/2015
6/18/2019
4/16/2022
August 15, 2015
I just finished this book. This is my opinion as a reader.
I found this book grotesque.
The main characters are completely unreal. The alpha male must be tough, jealous, insensitive and in love, so he is, who cares about the context. She must love him, whatever he does. She must be a good girl, proud, strong, independent, but her qualities suddenly disappear when she sees him.
You may say “Women may be not logical”. I say “The writer desperately counts on this concept.”
The most ridiculous thing is that Gray pops up from everywhere. Faith is in the kitchen, Gray pops up from the oven. She’s drinking coffee, he pops up from the cup. She’s in the bathroom, he pops up from the toilet. … I understand that it’s fiction, but what the hell! At least give me something credible every now and then.
The worst thing is that I can see the writer in the story. She struggles to create suspense, and I really could see her efforts. All the time. I can’t feel suspense this way. The story doesn’t flow by itself.
The only thing I appreciate is the way how she describes the places. I can really visualize them. But this is not the main factor when you read something that is supposed to make you thrill.
I read an Italian translation, and I hope that she doesn’t describe the hot scenes the same way. In this translation, they use the same words and verbs any time, especially about what happens to her breast when she gets excited. At a certain point, I was sick of it (and I like breasts :)
I don’t think that my reaction is due to the fact that I am a man and this is a book for women. It’s that the writer hasn’t camouflaged the events well. “I need this thing to happen in order for me to get at my point, and it will. No matter what. I am the writer, so I decide.”
I don't care of the genre is something is well written.
When I read a story or watch a movie like this, I like to spot the killer asap. So I pick a character and I stay with that. I don’t like to change my mind while the story goes on. Sometimes, I'm wrong, and I applaud the writer for fooling me. Sometimes I'm right, and I don’t applaud for letting me down. This time, I don’t.
I found this book grotesque.
The main characters are completely unreal. The alpha male must be tough, jealous, insensitive and in love, so he is, who cares about the context. She must love him, whatever he does. She must be a good girl, proud, strong, independent, but her qualities suddenly disappear when she sees him.
You may say “Women may be not logical”. I say “The writer desperately counts on this concept.”
The most ridiculous thing is that Gray pops up from everywhere. Faith is in the kitchen, Gray pops up from the oven. She’s drinking coffee, he pops up from the cup. She’s in the bathroom, he pops up from the toilet. … I understand that it’s fiction, but what the hell! At least give me something credible every now and then.
The worst thing is that I can see the writer in the story. She struggles to create suspense, and I really could see her efforts. All the time. I can’t feel suspense this way. The story doesn’t flow by itself.
The only thing I appreciate is the way how she describes the places. I can really visualize them. But this is not the main factor when you read something that is supposed to make you thrill.
I read an Italian translation, and I hope that she doesn’t describe the hot scenes the same way. In this translation, they use the same words and verbs any time, especially about what happens to her breast when she gets excited. At a certain point, I was sick of it (and I like breasts :)
I don’t think that my reaction is due to the fact that I am a man and this is a book for women. It’s that the writer hasn’t camouflaged the events well. “I need this thing to happen in order for me to get at my point, and it will. No matter what. I am the writer, so I decide.”
I don't care of the genre is something is well written.
When I read a story or watch a movie like this, I like to spot the killer asap. So I pick a character and I stay with that. I don’t like to change my mind while the story goes on. Sometimes, I'm wrong, and I applaud the writer for fooling me. Sometimes I'm right, and I don’t applaud for letting me down. This time, I don’t.
August 26, 2020
*Re-read: 23th Aug, 2020*
This is another mind-riveting read by Linda Howard I enjoyed. I came across this book when I was searching to read books with cruel heroes, the hero here was cruel at one point not throughout. I like heroes who are cruel at intervals and caring in their twisted way. It wasn't as much as I expected but I got involved with the story and the main characters were amazing. This book has mystery, tragedy and romance.
Faith Devlin (26), was a sweet and caring girl born to a drunk father and a whore of a mother. Fourth among five children it seemed she was the only responsible person in the family. Always a wanderer person she wished to take away her little brother who is ill and retarded, and to be someone of success instead of the labelled "trashy Devlins". When one night thrown away like a trash by the man she loved changes her life drastically.
Grayson Rouillard (34), was an alluring and mean a-hole. Rich, tall and handsome he was the man of every girls dreams. Gray's father was also a playboy but he loved his children. Gray's mother was a woman who prefers to stay alone and vehemently hates anyone touching her. It's a wonder she birthed two children. Gray was devastated and felt betrayed when his father left the town and the reason led to the Devlins.
Now 12 years later Faith is back in town very different from the way she left. She is back for answers of the past. Unfortunately, the cruel treatment done to her by Gray didn't diminish the feelings she had for him. Even if he tries to chase her out of town again she is determined to finish what she came here to do. Faith and Gray's attraction is sizzling, Gray keeps pursuing her and is helpless to his lusty thoughts. I love their fights, how stubborn Faith is and the authors description of Gray.
There is a little tragey, an unrequinted love and betrayal. Gray's mother is a top notch bitch, to me she is worse than Faith's mother. In a way Gray, Faith and Gray's father suffered because of her. The crimes are also done in her favour, when she didn't even participate in any human business.
This book is a crime/thriller story with a nice plot.
This is another mind-riveting read by Linda Howard I enjoyed. I came across this book when I was searching to read books with cruel heroes, the hero here was cruel at one point not throughout. I like heroes who are cruel at intervals and caring in their twisted way. It wasn't as much as I expected but I got involved with the story and the main characters were amazing. This book has mystery, tragedy and romance.
Faith Devlin (26), was a sweet and caring girl born to a drunk father and a whore of a mother. Fourth among five children it seemed she was the only responsible person in the family. Always a wanderer person she wished to take away her little brother who is ill and retarded, and to be someone of success instead of the labelled "trashy Devlins". When one night thrown away like a trash by the man she loved changes her life drastically.
Grayson Rouillard (34), was an alluring and mean a-hole. Rich, tall and handsome he was the man of every girls dreams. Gray's father was also a playboy but he loved his children. Gray's mother was a woman who prefers to stay alone and vehemently hates anyone touching her. It's a wonder she birthed two children. Gray was devastated and felt betrayed when his father left the town and the reason led to the Devlins.
Now 12 years later Faith is back in town very different from the way she left. She is back for answers of the past. Unfortunately, the cruel treatment done to her by Gray didn't diminish the feelings she had for him. Even if he tries to chase her out of town again she is determined to finish what she came here to do. Faith and Gray's attraction is sizzling, Gray keeps pursuing her and is helpless to his lusty thoughts. I love their fights, how stubborn Faith is and the authors description of Gray.
There is a little tragey, an unrequinted love and betrayal. Gray's mother is a top notch bitch, to me she is worse than Faith's mother. In a way Gray, Faith and Gray's father suffered because of her. The crimes are also done in her favour, when she didn't even participate in any human business.
This book is a crime/thriller story with a nice plot.
May 17, 2018
Yes!!! Exactly, what I needed to get me out of my book funk!! Sigh, the story was so “dramatic” it reminded me of the good ol’ days of daytime soaps. I loved it!! Favorite book character as well, Faith and Gray. Lol. Linda Howard is officially an all time favorite author!!
August 14, 2021
5 million stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I hate all men but when he…
The angst and the sexual tension between the MCs in this book: U N M A T C H E D.
I read this book years and years ago and I am so incredulously furious at myself for not remembering any of the characters or the storyline. I had no memory of this book apart from remembering the way I frantically scoured the internet looking for books like After The Night.
Despite my selective amnesia, the title of this book always managed to elicit a warm feeling in me. So I decided to reread it again. Best. Decision. Ever. Because reading it was as exhilarating as the first time, if not more.
As much as I love this book. I don’t recommend you to read it. Because I can’t have you falling in love with Gray Rouillard. 👩🏻🦽💅🏼
Stay away from this book. *Growls*.👹
I hate all men but when he…
“You’re trash," he said in a deep, harsh voice as the girl drew even with him. She halted, frozen to the spot, with the kid still clinging to her legs. She didn’t look at Gray, just stared straight ahead, and the stark, pure outline of her face enraged him even more. "Your whole family is trash. Your mother is a whore and your father is a thieving drunk. Get out of this parish and don’t ever come back.”
“Did you come back thinking you might step into your mother’s shoes? Do you want to be my whore, the way she was my dad’s?”
“Stay off my property," he said evenly. "If I catch you on Rouillard land again, I’m going to give you the fucking you’ve been asking for.”
The angst and the sexual tension between the MCs in this book: U N M A T C H E D.
I read this book years and years ago and I am so incredulously furious at myself for not remembering any of the characters or the storyline. I had no memory of this book apart from remembering the way I frantically scoured the internet looking for books like After The Night.
Despite my selective amnesia, the title of this book always managed to elicit a warm feeling in me. So I decided to reread it again. Best. Decision. Ever. Because reading it was as exhilarating as the first time, if not more.
As much as I love this book. I don’t recommend you to read it. Because I can’t have you falling in love with Gray Rouillard. 👩🏻🦽💅🏼
Stay away from this book. *Growls*.👹
September 20, 2017
I love Linda Howard, BUT! Ugh. The hero of this book is appalling. Gray is a complete and utter bastid, even to a sick young boy (). He was SUCH a jerk, back when Faith was an adolescent. His sexual interest in her that night — that terrible night — grossed me out, given her youth.
And in present time, he behaved like a spoiled bully. So she bought a house. Deal with it! Maybe he had a reason for being mad when his dad left, but his rage was totally misdirected. He continues to throw his weight around. A socially prominent thug.
This book sizzles. Great chemistry. Good suspense, with some surprising plot twists.
But maybe two stars is too much. Except I do like the last chapters.
And in present time, he behaved like a spoiled bully. So she bought a house. Deal with it! Maybe he had a reason for being mad when his dad left, but his rage was totally misdirected. He continues to throw his weight around. A socially prominent thug.
This book sizzles. Great chemistry. Good suspense, with some surprising plot twists.
But maybe two stars is too much. Except I do like the last chapters.
February 1, 2016
4 ½ stars – Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
Gray is a really hot alpha hero, but his treatment of the heroine throughout most of the book pissed me off. Although, his whole macho, lion hear me roar thing was admittedly pretty sexy and hard to resist at times. And OMG, the notorious porch scene is scorch your fingertips, drink some ice water, YOWZA, smokin' hot and makes this a definite keeper!! It's another great LH read, but I wish Gray had done a little bit more groveling to Faith and an epilogue would have been golden! 4 ½ stars!
Gray is a really hot alpha hero, but his treatment of the heroine throughout most of the book pissed me off. Although, his whole macho, lion hear me roar thing was admittedly pretty sexy and hard to resist at times. And OMG, the notorious porch scene is scorch your fingertips, drink some ice water, YOWZA, smokin' hot and makes this a definite keeper!! It's another great LH read, but I wish Gray had done a little bit more groveling to Faith and an epilogue would have been golden! 4 ½ stars!
December 4, 2013
The name Devlin is synonymous with being a drunk and/or a whore!
Faith Devlin grew up as white trash. Her mom was the town whore and her dad was the town drunk. Her siblings were no better, except for her mentally handicapped brother, Scotty. She made sure to not be like her family. As a young girl her mother was the mistress to Guy Rouillard (a powerful and rich man).
Gary Rouillard is Guy’s son and like his dad he is a lady’s man. He's also a town powerhouse and when he talks people listen. He is a total bad boy who is protective of those he loves. He has all 3 H factors (according to Faith): Hot, Hard and Hairy.
One night changes everyone’s life. SCANDAL rocked their town and tore families apart. The mystery around the scandal was an intriguing part of the story. Along with the steaminess of Gary and Faith's love/hate relationship.
Standalone
October 5, 2015
"You were only fourteen, but I wanted you."
Gray says this to twenty-six year old Faith while he's having sex with her.
Gray is fucking disgusting pedo perv. He's a twenty-two year old man getting turned on by a fourteen year old girl.
Unwillingly, Gray felt his shaft stir and thicken, and he was disgusted with himself. He looked around at the deputies and saw his response mirrored in their eyes, an animal heat that they should be ashamed of having for a girl that young.
God, he was no better than his father. Give him a whiff of a Devlin woman and he was like a wild buck in rut, hard and ready. Monica had nearly died today because of Renee Devlin, and here he was watching Renee’s daughter with his cock twitching in his britches.
She's not a WOMAN -- she's a CHILD you fucking perverted pedophile (or hebephilie if you want to get technical) piece of shit.
Why in the hell did the author feel the need to even include him and the cops being turned on by a fourteen year old child? WHY? Him getting all hot and bothered by a fourteen year old child has no bearing on the rest of the story whatsoever! So WHY did the author feel the need to include this? Like, do we need this shit about a fourteen year old fucking child:
She was too innocent, and too dazed, to realize how the lights of the cars shone through the thin fabric of her nightgown, silhouetting her youthful body, her slim thighs and high, graceful breasts. She bent and lifted, each change of position outlining a different part of her body, pulling the fabric tight across her breast and showing the small peak of her nipple, the next time revealing the round curve of her buttock. She was only fourteen, but in the stark, artificial light, with her long, thick hair flowing over her shoulders like dark flame, with the shadows catching the angle of her high cheekbones and darkening her eyes, her age wasn’t apparent.
Fucking gag. The author compounds it by erasing her age and having Gray compare her to her mother and saying things like "her age wasn't apparent." Disgusting.
Oh, yeah...and he's doing this while she's in distress. Her family is being thrown out of their house (on Gray's behest) and she's frantically running around trying to pick up their clothes and other items that the cops threw around when they stormed in and trashed their place (again, on Gray's behest). She's in a hurry because they're being removed from the property ASAP. SO, while this fourteen year old child is doing this, Gray and the cops are standing there getting turned on by her fourteen year old body.
The two girls were rushing around, valiantly trying to gather up the most necessary items. The male Devlins took out their vicious, stupid frustrations on the girls, snatching things from their arms and throwing the items to the ground, loudly proclaiming that no goddamn body was going to throw them out of their house, not to waste time picking things up because they weren’t goin’ nowhere, goddamn it. The oldest girl, Jodie, pleaded with them to help, but their drunken boasting drowned out her useless efforts.
The younger girl didn’t waste her time trying to reason with them, just moved silently back and forth, trying to bring order to chaos despite the clinging hands of the little boy. Despite himself, Gray found his gaze continually seeking her out, and himself unwillingly fascinated by the graceful, feminine outline of her body beneath that almost transparent nightgown. Her very silence drew attention to her, and when he glanced sharply around, he noticed that most of the deputies were watching her, too.
More than once throughout the novel, Gray reminisces and recalls that night and a fourteen year old Faith...and it's fucking disgusting.
Faith Devlin. Just hearing her name had brought back that night and he had seen her again in his mind, silent and willowy, with that dark-fire hair tumbling over her shoulders and her slender body silhouetted inside her thin nightgown, weaving a sensual spell over the deputies and himself. She had been only a kid then, for God’s sake, but she had had her mother’s sultry aura even then.
I read this book almost a year ago and gave it a two then because I liked some scenes...but it's been bothering me ever since. I just can't get over the disgustingness above regardless of the fact that they are a handful of paragraphs in an entire novel. It's fucking disgusting.
----- previous review -----
Clearly, I've got no love for Gray. I'm not a fan of alpha males...but I don't hate them entirely, either. Gray is the most annoying version of an alpha male. He's can't just settle for ordering a person around and shouting and getting angry all the time -- oh, no...Gray is the type who gets all wrist- and arm- and body-grabby and likes shaking the person when they anger him and just generally getting all up in their space. He simply looks remorseful after the fact and gets all apologetic...but, of course, OF COURSE he does it again!
The only reason this book is even got two stars from me is because I liked the writing and there were some scenes that I enjoyed and found amusing (like the courthouse bathroom).
November 2, 2020
I'm a big fan of Linda Howard but not so much a fan of this book. Unfortunately for me, the actions of the hero and his family in the beginning, during and almost to the end made it impossible for me to like the content. So much prejudice agains a little girl based off her family and even 12 years later was just not cool in my book.
Read
October 15, 2018This is definitely one of Linda Howard's best. The story is sultry, peppered with intrigue and it makes for a thoroughly engaging read. I would highly recommend this book.
December 7, 2013
Rate: 10 stars :O
All the hype about this book is WELL deserved. I love love loved it!!!
I loved the way Linda Howard crafted the plot. It was utterly supurb. Only a truly talented writer can give a book just the right amount of everything.
There was the poignant childhood crush...
"The best smell in the world, Faith thought as she meandered through the woods, staring up at the captured sunlight and holding her secret happiness cradled deep in her chest, was Gray Rouillard."
There was forbidden love...
"There were a hundred reasons, all of them good, why he shouldn’t want Faith Devlin in his arms, but in that instant none of them mattered a rat’s ass."
There was a thoroughly despicable but wickedly delicious male...
"I want to fuck you," he muttered indistinctly, the sound low and harsh as he hoisted her a bit, adjusting her position. "Let me in. Now."
And then there was the cherry-on-top-of-the-cake ending...
"So, baby, I’m going to be rattling around in that big house all by myself, and I need my own personal redhead to keep me company."
Not to mention a crafty little murder plot (although any experienced reader would recognise the killer with the first, say, 10 pages... hmmmm). But that suited me fine. I'm not one for suspense and neither am I one for a messy web of deception with a whole cast of would-be killers and motives. Eeek, that's why I don't read crime or thriller. I really enjoyed the suspense in this book though and I have to applaud Linda Howard for re-piqueing my interest in romantic suspense.
Go pick this book up NOW!!!!
All the hype about this book is WELL deserved. I love love loved it!!!
I loved the way Linda Howard crafted the plot. It was utterly supurb. Only a truly talented writer can give a book just the right amount of everything.
There was the poignant childhood crush...
"The best smell in the world, Faith thought as she meandered through the woods, staring up at the captured sunlight and holding her secret happiness cradled deep in her chest, was Gray Rouillard."
There was forbidden love...
"There were a hundred reasons, all of them good, why he shouldn’t want Faith Devlin in his arms, but in that instant none of them mattered a rat’s ass."
There was a thoroughly despicable but wickedly delicious male...
"I want to fuck you," he muttered indistinctly, the sound low and harsh as he hoisted her a bit, adjusting her position. "Let me in. Now."
And then there was the cherry-on-top-of-the-cake ending...
"So, baby, I’m going to be rattling around in that big house all by myself, and I need my own personal redhead to keep me company."
Not to mention a crafty little murder plot (although any experienced reader would recognise the killer with the first, say, 10 pages... hmmmm). But that suited me fine. I'm not one for suspense and neither am I one for a messy web of deception with a whole cast of would-be killers and motives. Eeek, that's why I don't read crime or thriller. I really enjoyed the suspense in this book though and I have to applaud Linda Howard for re-piqueing my interest in romantic suspense.
Go pick this book up NOW!!!!
April 28, 2017
***3.5 stars***
My first Linda Howard book and I'm in the middle of the road...I liked it but didn't love it. With the exception of the first 20%, which was AMAZING, this book for me was a combination of
and
Alright, let's start at the beginning shall we.
The first 20% of this book describing and setting up the history between the Devlins and Rouillards was fantastic! I could feel EVERY emotion, injustice and unfairness that Faith had to endure. Her infatuation, worship and love for Gray poured off the page. And then the big dramatic evening consisting of the heartbreaking eviction of the Devlins.....OH MY GOD! Ripped my heart out.
Now fast forward to present day...and Faith has returned to Prescott to find out what the true story is of what happened on that fateful night....the night where her mother supposedly ran away with Gray's Dad.
Somehow in the next 80% I lost the genuine emotion between Gray and Faith. I knew her history, but I couldn't connect to Gray's infatuation with Faith, at least not above and beyond the lust burning in his loins.
Gray's inner monologues and confession to Faith that he was attracted to her when she was 14 (and he was 22) was not romantic or sweet to me.....instead it was a whole big dose of
Once they finally did come together, the author glossed over the re-connection with a couple of paragraphs of "we talked all day and night, filling each other in on where we've been and what we've gone through." I would have liked to have read about that. To actually see Gray and Faith re-acquaint themselves as adults. I needed, and wanted, to see that transition. I would have preferred this over the overly descriptive passages of things that were inconsequential. I don't really care about the lighting and landscaping of the courthouse, and don't need paragraphs describing it. I wanted emotion, not shrubbery sizes and lightbulb shapes.
Overall, even though my first Linda Howard wasn't a huge success, I will definitely check out her other books. My feelings about the first 20% definitely take precedent over the rest and it appears that this particular book just wasn't the right fit for me.
November 30, 2013
A super sexy, totally engaging story! I really have been missing out on some great Linda Howard reads!
There are so many fantastic reviews that I'll just add a few thoughts....
It took awhile for me to like the hero, Gray Rouillard. He’s a sexy, hot, alpha from the elite side of town. His treatment of Faith took a huge dose of redemption, but it does happen and by the end I was a happy reader.
The past hasn’t been good to Faith and I loved how she took charge and came out shining. She’s a strong, proud, intelligent young woman who overcame the circumstances surrounding her life. While all is not perfect, she's a shining star in this read.
My only quibble is that I wished Gray's redemption would have been given more page time; An epilogue would have been perfect. He does redeem himself but I wanted a little more groveling. Or, maybe I wanted a little more Gray; he is a sexy as sin bad boy who can make the pages near ignite.
After The Night is a well written, intriguing story. I was completely hooked to find the answers and the sultry, explosive chemistry made this a great read.
There are so many fantastic reviews that I'll just add a few thoughts....
It took awhile for me to like the hero, Gray Rouillard. He’s a sexy, hot, alpha from the elite side of town. His treatment of Faith took a huge dose of redemption, but it does happen and by the end I was a happy reader.
The past hasn’t been good to Faith and I loved how she took charge and came out shining. She’s a strong, proud, intelligent young woman who overcame the circumstances surrounding her life. While all is not perfect, she's a shining star in this read.
My only quibble is that I wished Gray's redemption would have been given more page time; An epilogue would have been perfect. He does redeem himself but I wanted a little more groveling. Or, maybe I wanted a little more Gray; he is a sexy as sin bad boy who can make the pages near ignite.
After The Night is a well written, intriguing story. I was completely hooked to find the answers and the sultry, explosive chemistry made this a great read.
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