After The Rain: Volume 1 (One Pass Away) Paperback – 23 Jan. 2016

I was given a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an independent review.Sassy, hot romance novel.A quick and easy read, enjoyable with great chemistry between the main characters. 3.5***

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.This is a typical romance with the ending obvious from the start.I still have to say the book is well written and the story flowing well.3 stars because I finished the story.

3.5 StarsThis is the first novel I've read by this author and I doubt it'll be the last, I quite enjoyed this book. Although it's Written in third person this is definitely Logan's story.  I find it hard to connect with characters when books are written in third person and this was no different, I felt a little removed from the story, like I couldn't fully immerse myself into the characters, the feeling and the flow of the story, but it didn't stop me enjoying it.Logan Price is a fallen football star, he was injured during a vital game. That knee injury cost him his career, now years later he's back in the small town he fought so hard to get away from, working in his dad's bar and running the streets of Denville during his sleepless nights.When Gaige Benson, Logan's ex team mate shows up in town with a pretty blonde and the offer of a lifetime in tow it's easy to see that Gaige never gave up on Logan's dream even when Logan did. Gaige brought Claire, the pretty blonde to check out Logan and see if she could work with his injury to get him back on the field and give them both a shot at the Super Bowl.Claire Thornton is a freshly qualified trainer, she has all necessary knowledge to help Logan get back to the NFL. She met Gaige when she had nothing and he helped her through school so she could follow her dreams of making it in a male dominated profession. It will be hard work but if she can fix Logan, he will be the proof she needs to be taken seriously by the big leagues.Claire and Logan hit it off from the word go, her personality is exactly what he needs to pull him out of his depression. She's quick witted, funny and very smart and she immediately draws his attention. Their chemistry is good but I think it could have been better. They seem to get caught up in each other quite quickly and their working relationship and private one seem to intermingle quite well. The supporting characters are the kind that you could take or leave most aren't vital to the story and lacked much depth. But the characters that were vital  were well written.I found it slightly confusing how the story seems to jump backwards and forwards in places. In one instance it will say someone has left and then you'll get dialogue from them. I think the structure definitely needs looking at. There aren't obvious breaks between the present situation and the past that they talk about. I'm not sure if it was my Kindle version but I felt like there was sometimes something missing that would help the scenes flow from one to the next. I had to go back and re-read some parts a few times to make sure I'd not missed anything.  Again it could have just been the net galley/kindle version but I thought it worth mentioning, as it may be a formatting problem.Overall I liked the book and the story but I felt it left something to be desired. So for that reason I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Awesome! I couldn't put this book down. I was close to being late for work yesterday. Looking forward to reading the next one. After The Rain, is a must read for those that like romance, football and a little bit of tugging heart strings. Logan is the football player that ended up with a blown leg/knee at the start of his career. Claire comes into his life to help him rehabilitate him back to perfection and back to playing football. The story will play at your heart strings where you will be rooting for Logan and Claire as a couple and as individuals. Don't miss out on this. It deserves more than FIVE STARS. You have done yourself proud Mary J Williams.