Oh my goodness. What a read! Probably the best book I’ve read in years. No wonder there was such a bidding war over it. In time, Betty becomes a widow after an accident takes the life of her husband. She makes friends with a colleague of hers at the school where she teaches. Mr. Chetan captures her heart and that of young Solo through a very mutual friendship. Mr. Chetan presents the opportunity of moving into Betty's spare bedroom. They share the cooking, the shopping, and the gardening. Mr. Chetan provides a safety net for both Betty and Solo. The child was crouched down behind the kitchen counter, crying. I found his letters book and pushed it in front Sunil. Then the lovely man they took in. The family grew only with a hidden secret from him which lead him into some very dark corners. This book teems with real, Trinidadian life: neighbors so nosy they know your business before it happens; descriptions of food that’ll have you googling recipes; feting and liming and plenty of sex. There’s darkness here, too—violence, loneliness, moments of despair—and how Ingrid Persaud weaves all these elements together in one book, with so much warmth and humor and love for her characters, is a wonder.” —Claire Adam, award-winning author of Golden Child

I can’t help but think that if I had read this book as a teenager, when my problems seemed never-ending, perhaps my life would have been different. The representation of a healthy relationship between two teenage girls is something that I missed, but I’m glad that many other teenagers will now be able to read this story and feel heard. They will be able to hold onto this book when things are difficult for them. This is the main reason I have felt this book so close to my heart and why I would recommend it to everyone who has experienced growing up as a queer teenager. there could’ve been less references to a certain book series (i mean just ONE reference to it is enough but.) because there were SO MANY!! and i’m not sure there’s any excuse for a 2021 release to have those ??? i read a review copy though so hopefully they’ve been taken out now The story is narrated by Betty, Solo and Mr Chetan, and switches between their individual stories as well as how their lives are entwined. We have a story of truths, lies, love and regrets. However, none of the story was terribly interesting so I will not drag out this review, because ‘Love after Love’ just did not work for me, and I did not love during and after reading.

Like? The first half of the book had me hooked and I was straight (not really) up sobbing with some of the passages about Ash and Poppy’s relationship. It was twee, adorable— and then the grim reaper plot just kind of. Happened. That’s the only way I can describe how it unfolded. It just happened.

The billing summarised the books as "unconventional love stories, poetic language, a re-imagining of fiction and post-colonialism. Lyrical, fierce and subversive, these writers weave mythology, landscape and feminism into vividly imagined storytelling whilst challenging and revisioning colonial history" which certainly covers Roffey and Ross's novels well. Betty Ramdin's husband, Sunil, is abusive towards her and Betty does her best to protect their young son, Solo. After an accident leaves Sunil dead, Betty takes in a boarder named Mr. Chetan. Over time, Mr. Chetan develops a bond with both mother and son. But Solo discovers Betty's long-held secret, and from that moment things are going to be different for these three characters. Where do they go from here? Another thing I loved about this book is how Ash’s sexuality is portrayed. It was one the things that kept me hooked to this book, the sixteen year-old version of me that still exists somewhere within, felt understood and represented in these words. As I mentioned before, the author speaks from her undeniable truth, making this book feel real and honest. Ash is a queer sixteen year-old girl who lives in one of the most inclusive cities in the UK: Brighton. However, the reality is that when you’re a queer teenager, finding a date, no matter where that is, it is still a nightmare. And when you finally have one, most of the times it doesn’t go as expected. We can see through Ash’s thoughts how her heart has been broken many times in spite of her age and how she thinks she will never find love. It is never easy to admit who you are and accept yourself as you are but it is even harder if you’re not what society expects you to be. Regardless of all that, Ash finds Poppy Morgan, the person that takes her breath away and makes her heart beat faster. The one who shows her that despite of all the obstacles she has found in her path, in the end she can be happy next to the person she loves. Since then, she has written three young adult novels, including FLOORED, a unique collaborative novel with six other bestselling and award-winning authors: Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson and Eleanor Wood. Persaud writes a story that’s bewitching and beautiful without relying on the staple ingredient of a comforting story—romantic love. She chooses to foreground friendship instead, on how two single, lonely people can share a caring, tender relationship without it being romance. What I admired most about Persaud’s storytelling was the way it rattled me the moment I would start getting comfortable with the way the narrative was developing. Because isn’t that how real life unfolds— our expectations get thwarted, our hopes are quashed, and our journeys seem to be one long exam? And isn’t life also about the little moments of respite and succour, of feeling loved and cared for, of feeling like it’d eventually all be okay, of being washed up in gratitude for these tiny-big blessings.I must admit, I have never read a novel with any LGBTQ+ characters or relationships before, so I do not have anything to compare this novel to, except that I felt so much heartache and love for these characters, just as much as all the other love stories I have read before, so I think it is absolutely brilliant. I will definitely be looking to read more from Tanya! And then, the love story, i don’t have words, Poppy was ash’s first love, the person who really saw Ash and want to know her in every way possible, poppy love her out loud. Not even death separated them. Ash and Poppy are made for each other. They made me happy and break my heart, an emotional ride. Not even death can tear them apart, like really. The separation of the book into two parts – love and after – was really effective as it allowed the readers time to fall in love with Poppy and Ash and their relationship, making Ash’s death and the resulting grief all the more heartbreaking. I also really enjoyed the lore surrounding the reapers and felt that Byrne did a really good job of explaining everything you needed to know about this world without overwhelming the reader. I won’t go into too much detail on the next point but I will say that the ending fits the book perfectly.

The After section was just as compelling. I was so curious to see what would happen to Ash, how the reapers worked and if she'd find Poppy again. I loved these characters so much. The ending was equally sad as the rest of this, but no other ending would've fit for this book. Make sure you read the author's note too because it made everything even MORE emotional. I definitely want to read Byrne's other work after this. But it's not the task of trans people to educate every single author on this planet. Honestly, if you can do your research on myths or the 17th century or whatever - you can spend a minute to educate yourself about transphobia and how to avoid including it in your writing. I’ve always felt off to the side, like I’m watching on. An extra in everyone else’s story. But here I am and here she is and I finally get the lead role and while I don’t know how this story ends, this is how it starts: outside the station, commuters bustling past in their effort to catch the 17:58, her hand in mine”To conclude, I enjoyed the writing style, the setting and found the idea of the plot intriguing - the execution only to some degree, unfortunately. The romance is, simply put, adorable. Despite the length of the book, the plot feels incredibly fast which I suppose reflects the teenage dream of a whirlwind romance that takes your breath away. And it certainly does. We see Ash struggle with past heartbreak and the fear that Poppy isn’t truly interested in girls, but not for long. Soon enough the pair are spending all of their time together, and you cannot help but sigh dreamily as they explore the streets of Brighton falling more and more in love. Persaud’sauspicious debut traces the gut-wrenching lives of a makeshift Trinidadian family over the past two decades. . . . In chapters alternately narrated by Solo, Betty, and Chetan in vibrant Trinidadian dialect,Persaud expertly maps the trio’s emotional development and builds a complicated yet seamless plot full of indelible insights and poignant moments.This affecting family saga shines brightly.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) In vibrant, addictive Trinidadian prose, Love After Love questions who and how we love, the obligations of family, and the consequences of choices made in desperation.