After Everyone Else by Leslie Hooton

 From the acclaimed author of Before Anyone Else comes a captivating new novel about the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.

Bailey thought she’d gotten her happy ending. She is married to the man she loves, she has started a family, and her design business is flourishing. But when Bailey’s ex-husband, a famous TV chef, is found murdered with her DNA all over his apartment and body, she is suddenly facing murder charges in a high-profile case. Already burdened by the demands and challenges of marriage, motherhood, and her career, Bailey now must do everything she can to prove her innocence. But it’s the ones she thought would surely be on her side—her enigmatic lawyer and her husband—who might be doubting her innocence the most.

Alternating between the past and present, After Everyone Else chronicles the grip of the past, the challenges of forgiveness, and the resilient love we save for the person we love after everyone else. 

Pick up your copy here...

After Everyone Else: Hooton, Leslie: 9781684428397: Amazon.com: Books

Leslie Hooton is the author of three novlels. Her debut novel, BEFORE ANYONE ELSE, garnered a Zibby nomination. Leslie's second novel, THE SECRET OF RAINY DAYS, was a book club favorite. Her third novel, AFTER EVERYONE ELSE, is a standalone sequel to BEFORE ANYONE ELSE. Kevin Wilson, Jane Rosen, Patti Callahan, Lisa Barr, and other wonderful writers have offered praise for Leslie's novels. She has had essays published in "Moms Don't Have Time to Grieve," and "Newsweek." Leslie attended the Sewanee Writers Conference for many years. Leslie has been a guest on numberous podcasts and her talks are engaging and thought-provoking.

Leslie has often said some people have a stroke of luck, she had one at birth. Having limited use of her right side and numerous surgeries allowed her to be a keen observer of human behavior. She referes to her body as her "bargain basement body" and doctors as the "men in white coats" because she has had a lifelong relationship with them. She uses dictation for each of her novels and often jokes "I haven't typed a single word." She brings this unique perspective to her writing with humor and heart. 

My Thoughts...

A time slip (dual timeline) Mystery. This is family drama at its best. There is a whole lot going on in the one. The book moves slow at times but I think it was because so much is going on. You get it all. Hooton never disappoints.
4 stars from this reader.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

The Secret of Rainy Days By Leslie Hooton

 

Growing up in Erob, Alabama, Nina "Little Bit" Barnes Enloe lived in the shadow of her imposing and harsh grandmother, Nina "Biggie" Barnes Enloe. If she wasn't being bossed around by Biggie, then the task fell to her best friend Win...who did win. At everything. Bit never seemed to share Win's lifetime supply of “lucky dust.” Perhaps the only thing Bit has ever chosen for herself is her friendship with Avery, the out-of-towner who showed up on the saddest day of her life―unpretentious and decidedly un-Southern―with a funeral casserole in hand.

Bit believes she can escape her grandmother’s controlling grip once and for all by moving somewhere where she is the only Nina Enloe listed: New York. Yet her world is turned upside down when an unexpected loss forces her to leave her new life in the city and return to Erob, where she must face everything―and everyone―she left behind. In the process, Bit discovers her true identity, learns the hard lessons of acceptance and forgiveness, finds herself falling in love in unexpected places, and finds comfort in the secrets of rainy days.

Leslie Hooton, author of Before Anyone Else, brings her signature wit and Southern charm to the page again in this triumphant coming-of-age story. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: The Secret of Rainy Days: 9781684427048: Hooton, Leslie: Books

Leslie Hooton is many things: a fabulous friend, a powerful speaker, a flower enthusiast, and a lover of language, but most recently an author. You don’t want to miss her fantastic debut novel, Before Anyone Else.

Leslie attended the Sewanee Writer's Conference, and studied with Alice McDermott, Jill McCorkle, and Richard Bausch. Growing up in a small Alabama town, Leslie went on to earn her B.A. and M.A. from Auburn University and J.D. from Samford University. She became intrigued by people and discovered everyone has their own unique stories.

Leslie resides in Charlotte, North Carolina and is currently finishing her much-anticipated sequel to Before Anyone Else. 

My Thoughts...

I love Southern Fiction and I love coming of age stories. I get both with Hooton's books. I really enjoyed this one.

I love small town reads. Hooton makes the small town seems so real. There is no mistake that this is going to be a huge hit.

4 stars and highly recommend. 

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.