SYNOPSIS

After All is a STANDALONE lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance from the NYT and USA Today bestselling author of The Pact and Before I Ever Met You.

Emmett Hill is the perfect gentleman.

At least that’s what his PR team wants the world to think.

Tall, handsome, and wickedly charming, Emmett is in the midst of a career comeback, having landed the role of a villain in a popular TV show. The only problem is, Emmett has come a long way from the “nice guy” characters he used to play and his old squeaky clean image is quickly being tarnished by bar fights, womanizing and bad boy behaviour. Considering he’s two years shy of forty, it’s an act he needs to drop. And fast.

Enter Alyssa Martin.

At twenty-eight, Alyssa is tired and ready for a change. Her job as office manager has grown stagnant and unfulfilling, while she’s become continuously frustrated with Vancouver’s lackluster dating scene, always searching for Mr. Right in a city of Mr. Wrongs.

When Emmett and Alyssa’s paths cross at a mutual friend’s wedding, their chemistry is off-the-charts hot, culminating in a steamy one-night stand.

What neither expected was for the media catch wind of their coupling – and run with it.

Now Emmett has to convince Alyssa to date him for the sake of his image. Her curvy, cute and “normal” persona is just the ticket to smoothing out his reputation, while Emmett provides Alyssa with the excitement and change her life has been lacking.

The only problem is, the two fight like cats and dogs outside of the bedroom.

And considering their arrangement is just for show, they shouldn’t be in the bedroom with each other anyway.

Right?

Try telling them that.

*****Mel’s Review*****

4.5 Stars!

-She lights me up inside, puts the sun in my sky.

Alyssa Martin is a 28 yr. old single woman living in Vancouver. She’s worked in the film business as an office manager for Mad Men Studios for the past six years. She’s bored with her job & her love life is non-existent. She has some excitement come her way when she attends her boss & her best friends wedding. She meets a playful, cocky, gorgeous guy named Emmett Hill. They are both in Will & Jackie’s wedding. Emmett is an extremely hot, famous actor. Alyssa can’t figure why he keeps shamelessly hitting on her. She knows his type & how they treat women. The privileged celebrity who plays the field, can’t be faithful & doesn’t stick around. She’s totally judged him without even getting to know him, but it doesn’t stop her from enjoying everything he has to offer physically. He’s delicious & she’s affected by the dirty, filthy things he says. She has a one night stand with him & enjoys every sinful moment.

Emmett Hill grew up poor & on the streets. He had a rough childhood and now is guarded with his private life. After living in London & doing theatre, he’s now a TV star. He’s recently had a comeback, and his career has been on the rise since he landed the villain role on a superhero show. The only problem is his bad behavior the media always seems to capture. Between his womanizing ways & fighting his image lately, has taken a hit. Recently photos emerged of Emmett being affectionate with Alyssa & the media thinks their a couple. That Emmett has settled down with a normal girl. When his publicist suggests a fake relationship with Alyssa to fix his bad boy image Emmett approaches Alyssa with a proposition to be his girlfriend for three months. He convinces her to date him to smooth over his reputation in the public eye.

As Emmett & Alyssa enter into this arrangement for show they clash & really get under each other’s skin. Alyssa is a handful on a good day, & Emmett loves to push her buttons. They decide to keep things professional & keep their hands off each other, but that doesn’t last long. Neither can quit thinking of their night together, and their chemistry is too overwhelming to deny.

-The thing is… she’s getting under my skin.

-I want her. Every day. Every night. I want her in my bed, I want her in my arms.

-I don’t think I could ever get enough of her, ever get my fill.

-Everything inside me is coming alive.

-My body molds to him, adapts to him, like magnets you can’t keep apart.

Soon everything that is supposed to be a lie feels real. Lines get blurred & they both have real feelings for one another. Things become very intimate between them, and eventually, Alyssa is the one real thing in Emmett’s life, when everything else in his world seems fake. She brings him a sense of peace, & he wants her in his life.

This was a fabulous, flirty, fun read. I really enjoyed it. Emmett was sexy & swoony, and Alyssa was a total spitfire that challenged him and gave him something real.

*****Patty’s Review*****

*****FOUR STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}

I want to bury myself deep inside her and never let go, let her light wash over all my darkness, let it dissolve my past. Alyssa is my sun, pure golden warmth that leaves only love behind.

AFTER ALL is the perfect low on angst but heavy on the combustible steam summer read! I know that Karina Halle is a truly versatile writer who doesn’t limit herself to one type of story but I have to say that I happen to love her “adult contemporary” books more than the others! We met the Hero and Heroine in BEFORE I EVER MET YOU and theirs is a sort of “hate to love” relationship, but more so on the Heroine’s side. What I enjoyed most was that all that “enemies to lovers” drama didn’t last for too long because honestly, I think I have had my fill of that trope!! This story has some of the most intensely steamy scenes but there’s also a ton of heart to round it out quite perfectly!!

Emmett Hill is a tv actor who has had his fair share of bad publicity lately over his ill-tempered outbursts in public. To be fair, it seems that the paparazzi love to instigate fights with him in hopes of snapping pics of Emmett while in the midst of his blow-outs. His publicist advises him that he needs an image makeover. While at his best friend’s wedding, he meets Alyssa Martin, who is one of the bridesmaids. He’s instantly attracted to her but she’s as cool as a cucumber towards him. It’s throwing him for a loop because woman are usually falling all over themselves to get his attention. Alyssa is not in the least bit impressed with him and lets him know she thinks he’s just a slick Hollywood actor looking for an easy lay. But by the end of the night and after several cocktails the two end up sharing an intense and passionate moment during the wedding reception. A kiss that they share winds up landing on some social media gossip sites the next day.

The picture of them starts to generate a lot of interest because of Alyssa. She’s just a regular gal who doesn’t have ties to the industry and so speculations start to spread across the gossip sites that maybe Emmett is finally mellowing out because he’s found himself a nice girl. Looking to capitalize on all of the current publicity, Emmett proposes a deal with Alyssa. She is to be his pretend girlfriend for the next few months in order to boost his public image and at the end of their contract, she’ll get a forty-thousand dollar check. Alyssa is so unhappy with her career at the moment and this money is what she needs to quit her job and pursue her life-long dream.

Alyssa and Emmett may seem polar opposites but that’s because of the act they put on in front of everyone to protect themselves. They actually couldn’t be more perfect for each other if they tried. As they spend time together as a “so-called” couple, real feelings are constantly bubbling up to the surface. The only problem is that while their hearts are starting to get invested, their insecurities keep telling them that it’s all fake and that they’re just acting the part of a couple in love.

Will Emmett and Alyssa get over their fears of abandonment and take a real chance on true love?

AFTER ALL is currently available! Be sure to one-click!

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