After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot ~ Book Review

 

About the Book 

Book: After the Shadows

Author: Amanda Cabot

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Series: Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 21, 2023

Emily Leland sheds no tears when her abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, but what awaits her back home in Sweetwater Crossing is far from the welcome and comfort she expected. First she discovers her father has died under mysterious circumstances. Then the house where the new schoolteacher and his son are supposed to board burns, leaving them homeless. When Emily proposes turning the family home into a boardinghouse, her sister is so incensed that she leaves town.

Alone and broke, her family name sullied by controversy, Emily is determined to solve the mystery of her father's death--and to aid Craig Ferguson, despite her fears of men. The widowed schoolmaster proves to be a devoted father, an innovative teacher, and an unexpected ally. Together they must work to unmask a killer and escape the shadows of their own pasts in order to forge a brighter future.

Bestselling author Amanda Cabot transports you to 1880s Texas Hill Country for a brand-new series that will have you flipping pages to solve the mystery and get to the happily-ever-after you long for.

My Thoughts 

This was a great introduction to the town of Sweetwater Crossing. We meet sisters Emily, who is the true main character of this story and Louisa who leaves to a town in which is the setting for another of Amanda Cabot's book. I think it's neat when authors can interweave their other stories into their current ones. Let me knot get sidetracked though... there is mention of another sister but she is off in Europe so we don't really get to know much of her. 

Emily comes from an abusive marriage. She comes home after her husband dies only to find out her mother has passed and her father supposedly commits suicide. She however believes this is not correct and tries to find out the truth. In order to make ends meet she opens up her home as a boarding house. Craig and his son are one of the boarders along with Mrs.Carmichael. There is another boarder Beulah who has down syndrome and comes and stays with them so she can attend school. I absolutely loved her character and thought it was a nice addition to the story. 

I must admit that this story was a slow one. It took me quite a few chapters to get into it. Although I felt for Emily and her situation I felt like her storyline dragged and even though I wanted to get to the culprit of her father's murder that took way too long to be figured out. 

Overall I thought it was good. I really like Amanda Cabot as a writer so this story won't deter me from reading her other books. If you enjoy historical fiction and a Dr. Quinn type of setting then you will definitely enjoy this story. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

About the Author

With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than forty novels. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading.