Well, I’ve finally come up for air after binge reading this incredibly addictive series!
Since I don’t read a lot of romance, I’m often late in discovering series’ like this. It’s good and bad. Bad because I wish I had read AFTER a long time ago, and good because I get to read all of them without waiting. And I do mean without waiting, as in I have been reading them non-stop since I downloaded book #1 Sunday evening. Seriously, these books are like chocolate!
AFTER (Release Date: October 21st, 2014)
Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.
But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.
But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.
He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.
Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?
Unless…could this be love?
Now newly revised and expanded, Anna Todd’s After fanfiction racked up 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet’s most talked-about book for yourself!
There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER … Life will never be the same.
You Never Forget Your First
Why are women people so often attracted to damaged people? What is it about us that makes us determined to fix those poor, broken souls? I’m genuinely curious, since I parted ways with my own ‘Hardin’ so many years ago. I’m no psychiatrist, but I have a hell of a lot of experience with it, and I have come to the conclusion that often, we try to fix in others, what we ourselves need fixing. I’ve also learned that no matter how much you love someone, whether it be a spouse, friend, or family member, unless they want to fix themselves, you will never, EVER be able to change them.
One of the many things that makes Tessa and Hardin’s story so enthralling, well at least for me, is that these all-encompassing love stories happen. As toxic, wrong, and often abusive as their relationship is, their love is passionate and fierce, making them unable to end what is clearly bad for both of them, and that happens in real life. What made me continue to read these books despite how awful they clearly were for each other, is that I was hoping for redemption for them both, especially Hardin. The author says it best when she says, “Even Hardins need love.”, and I agree with that 100%
Sorry for my dime store psychology but it’s important that I make my feelings clear, that I don’t condone violence in any form, addiction, or toxic co-dependency, but I understand it, and I believe the author does too. What’s important if you read these books, is that you keep that in mind, and be patient, because it will be worth it!
Catherine & Heathcliff
I can see many readers making comparisons to the 50 Shades books, or even Twighlight. For me, this series was more a mix of Beautiful Disaster and Wuthering Heights. Yes there is a ton of sex, very hot, & steamy sex, but the story, and the writing is a million times better than 50 Shades. The only similarity in my opinion is that both series’ had a lot of sex, and their MCs experienced abuse as children. That’s it.
The chemistry between Tessa and Hardin is off the charts, and these books made me laugh, cry, and get hot and bothered, sometimes, all at the same time. Lol, that’s powerful writing if you ask me.
Many times I asked myself why I found these books so entertaining, especially when Hardin does the things he does. The answer is in the story and the writing. I wanted them to get their shit together! I wanted Hardin to get help! Mostly, I just had to know what happened next. This series is more addictive than any other I’ve read in a very long time, and that includes the Twighlight saga.
These books won’t be for everyone, but their following is HUGE and I totally get why! There’s even a movie coming out in April 2019, and you can bet your best Christmas gift, I will be seeing it. I know it won’t be as good, or as x-rated but if it delivers a fraction of the heat these books do, then it will be good.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this series. Have you read AFTER?
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Reblogged this on Reads & Reels and commented:
These books are more naughty than nice so I had to share it twice 😉🎄
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I’ve always chalked the Hardins I’ve dated/tried to save in the past up to a combination of a masochistic and messianic streak. I appreciate your acknowledgement of the unhealthy nature of their relationship while outlining how it can still be (and is!) and important story to read. I think too often reactions to stories that depict relationships like this go to one extreme or the other – they refuse to see any problem in the relationship or they only see the problems without any potential value to the story. I appreciate your point that the author is aware of and uses this too. If not for a review like this, I don’t know if I’d consider picking it up but now I’m really intrigued!
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Thanks so much! It’s true, the first couple of books are a out the passion and toxicity of their relationship, but they evolve as people often do when they acknowledged their problems. They’re teens at the beginning who are volatile to begin with, then you add childhood trauma, first love, family drama, and hormones, and you can just imagine how these kids would be. It is very extreme but I don’t think its done just for sales, or whatever. I really think the author is trying to show readers that people can change, and love can prevail if people are willing to do the work
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My struggle with a lot of these kinds of series is it seems the author doesn’t know much (or knows it and chooses to ignore it) about toxic codependency or emotionally abusive relationships, if the story goes that far with it. So I become frustrated with a story that offers an unreal hope for love conquering all because it misinforms readers with no background in relationships like this and, even worse, it gives people trapped in abusive relationships a dangerous lie to hang on to in the hopes theirs will get better. But it sounds like this author is trying to do something more mature and more informed than many books “like this” and that’s admirable. Like I said, you’ve intrigued me! I don’t know when I’ll get to reading these :), but I certainly want to check them out.
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This is a very “grey” area series.
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I think that’s really helpful. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned consistently as I’ve grown up is life’s far more grey than I ever expected. We have to learn how to deal and live with that.
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I couldn’t agree more
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