Contemporary Romantic Fiction Book Review: The Aftermath

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About the Book


Title: The Aftermath
Series: Love in Chaos (Book 2)
Author: Amy Matayo
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Fiction
Release Date: September 10, 2019


Publisher's Description

"According to Riley Mae Floss, life is a ten-page menu of possibilities. As the owner of a cupcake shop in small-town Missouri, she thrives on candies and rainbows and spreading joy every chance she gets. Even her hair is the color of bubble gum. Life is just the way she likes it, so why would she want anything to change now? But when a tornado rips into Riley Mae’s southern town and destroys nearly everything in its path, her happy little life changes in less than forty-two seconds. Buildings gone. Homes carried away. People missing or even dead. Her bakery a shell of what it once was; also her life. Riley Mae’s picture-perfect world is shattered, and everyone she cares about has been hurt in the process. According to insurance adjuster Chad Gamble, life always works out exactly the way it’s supposed to…for other people. As for him, life is a bit of a crapfest—one where he never wins the prize, makes the starting team, or gets the girl. He’s straight-laced, suit-and-tie, all-business, and sees the world for the color it is: muted gray with a little black around the edges. So when Chad Gamble walks into Riley Mae’s ruined bakery to “assess the damages”—his words, not hers—he has no intention of getting bogged down by sentimental nonsense. Sparks immediately start to fly, and not the good kind. Who does this pushy, pink-haired chick think she is, treating him like an outsider when all he came to do was help? He can’t figure out why the locals like her so much. Or worse, why he can’t stop thinking about her." 

Click here to purchase a copy of this book for yourself.

My Review

The Aftermath, by Amy Matayo, is the second book in the Love in Chaos series. With plenty of wit and a great deal of heart, this book tells a compelling story of survival, perseverance, and generosity amid great loss and uncertainty. Told effortlessly through the first person perspectives of the two main characters, this novel abounds with an energy and authenticity that renders it utterly endearing and truly entertaining. From start to finish, this novel easily held my attention with its riveting plot and genuinely likable characters.
 
A gifted storyteller, Ms. Matayo excels at writing stories that are incredibly immersive. No sensory detail is overlooked, no thought or feeling is left unexplored, and no motivation is left underdeveloped. The Aftermath is vivid and real and wholly captivating. Page by page, Ms. Matayo skillfully builds and maintains levels of tension and suspense that ensure a thrilling reading experience. And the many moments of playful romance within the story add a depth of humor, vulnerability, and tenderness that makes this novel thoroughly memorable and moving. 

The Aftermath is a particularly well-written, enjoyable, unforgettable, and worthwhile novel. It is a redemptive story of courage, faith, healing, and love. I recommend it wholeheartedly to all readers who appreciate clean romance that is clever, thoughtful, and uplifting.

*I was given a copy of this book by the author/publisher. A review was not required. The review I have written contains opinions that are entirely my own.

About the Author


"Author Amy Matayo is an excellent speaker, mathematician, seamstress, chef...and liar. She's decent at writing books but not much else. Then again, the book thing makes her marginally cool and a whole lot intimidating.

Not really. Not even her kids are afraid of her.

She graduated with barely passing grades from John Brown University with a degree in Journalism. But she's proud of that degree and all the ways she hasn't put it to good use.

She laughs often, cries easily, feels deeply, and loves hard. She lives in Arkansas with her husband and four kids and is working on her next novel.

You can find Amy on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/amymatayo

Twitter: @amymatayo

Instagram: amymatayo.author

Snapchat: amymatayowrites --Biography from Amy Matayo's author page on Amazon.com.

Click here to visit Amy Matayo's website.

*Be sure to read my review of The Waves, by Amy Matayo

 (Love in Chaos, Book 1)

 Click here to read my review of The Waves (Love in Chaos, Book 2)

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