*𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌* & ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ᴘᴜʙ ᴅᴀʏ!
Love After Love
By Ingrid Persaud
4 / 5 🌟


I was drawn to this novel because it is written by a Trinidadian author and is largely set in the country of Trinidad. I loved experiencing the sights, sounds, and smells of Trinidad through the lives of Ingrid Persaud’s characters. Although a somber story of untidy, chaotic relationships; it does shine a light on the lasting effects of true friendship.

This story centers around three main characters: Betty Ramdin, her son, Solo, and Mr. Chetan who live in Trinidad. Betty had survived an abusive marriage, protecting her young son the best she could. When her husband dies in an accident, Mr. Chetan, a friend and colleague, takes up residence with Betty and Solo. The three soon become a sort of unconventional family: Solo looking to Mr.Chetan as a father figure, and all three depending on one another. But Betty and Mr. Chetan are both holding onto secrets that will cause them a lifetime of heartache.

One fateful night, Solo overhears Betty and Mr. Chetan talking. When a secret is revealed, one Solo feels he cannot forgive, he chooses to leave for New York City. Not understanding the dire consequences of his rash choice.

This story is truly engrossing. Not only was I swept away by Persaud’s spirited prose; I was so desperate for these characters to have peace and resolution. As a mother with a son, it was hard to take the strained relationship between Betty and Solo; my heart ached for them. Mr. Chetan is a wonderful friend to both mother and son, but again we see the burden of secrets come into play in this gentle man’s life.
Trigger warnings: Homophobia and self-harm.

Thank you to @oneworldbooks and @netgalley for this advanced copy for review. Get your copy today!!

Netgalley sent me digital copies of Vanishing Falls, Three Apples Fell from the Sky, and Love After Love. Unfortunately, for me, all three of them were somewhat of duds. I made it about 100 pages into each. About 30% of the way through, and found that I wasn't interested in any of them. I really struggled just to get to 100 pages. Normally I try to give books time to get into it, but none of these worked for me. It's not a hit to the authors at all. They just weren't what I was looking for. I usually don't do group reviews for books either, and I think this is the first time I've done one. But I didn't see the point in reviewing three separate times. Maybe the next ones will be more interesting.

2/5 Stars for all

Thank you NetGalley and One World for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful, richly written book about a modern family.

Love After Love chronicles the lives of Betty Ramdin, her son Solo and Mr. Chetan. When Betty’s abusive husband dies, she invites Mr. Chetan to live with them and they enter into a platonic relationship of sorts. But Betty’s husband still haunts her and ultimately a dark secret drives a rift between Betty and her son, while he still holds a connection with Mr. Chetan. This book covers some heavy themes and it did NOT end how I expected it to, but I can tell you this, I was in tears.

Some readers may initially struggle with the writing style, but please stick with this little gem. The characters are well developed and I found myself wanting to learn more about Trinidad and Tobago’s history. It’s an incredible story about a love we don’t often here about, the non-romantic love between family and friends.

I know this might come as not a huge shocker, that this book was a very sweet one. Betty, Solo and Mr. Chetan seriously are the most amazing characters. This book couldn’t be this sweet, even through all they all went through, without them.

This book is the type of book that comes at a moment that you least expect. Maybe you are going through something or some minor challenges, in life, with whatever? This makes you feel like everything will be all right, everything will work itself out.

The tone is something that threw me off, since the Trinidadian lingo is something that I am not used to, but let me tell you the characters? so funny especially Betty's friends. And even her relationship with Mr. Chetan, complicated but all love, even when it came down to Betty's son Solo.

I always give small little details about a book and say something about the book that might reveal a little something, but when a book strikes the heart the way this book has? You have to give other readers the opportunity to follow through a read a something that will enlighten them, and after reading a book like Ingrid’s book? It makes you take a deep breath and smile.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book, I cant wait til it gets in every ones hands. This is a GEM.

Recently, my book club and I have read several books that have raised the question of explanatory commas in literature (thanks for that vocab, NPR's Code Switch) and how much "multicultural" novels are written with a white American reader in mind. I was delighted to find that (to my white American mind, at least), this book was not written for me. I was thrown right into the culture, the food and the language of Trinidad, and I adored it. I didn't always understand everything right away, but it in no way detracted from the beautiful story that was being told, and I appreciated Persaud all the more for this.

This book was a beautiful tale of love and how it can overcome the obstacles we face in life. I loved this story of how when faced with challenges people can choose those they call family and support each other.

I spent an entire day reading Love After Love and I absolutely could not put it down. Ingrid Persaud’s writing is beautiful, engaging, nuanced and hilarious at times. The characters are all well developed and people you would actually want to meet in real life. I felt the author did an amazing job of showing Trinidad and Tobago’s history, culture and country’s current landscape. I tend to not try to speak on behalf of Trinidadians (even though I have been living here for over 6 years) but I did find the author paid homage to her country in a very beautiful, yet nuanced way.

A lot of themes are explored in Love After Love with love being the grounding theme. Persaud showcase the different forms of love and the different ways we love or show love. I have to admit, I enjoyed hearing from a 40 year old women about what it is like dating at that age in Trinidad and Tobago- it was so well done and I find we don’t read a lot about “older” Caribbean women dating and finding love. There is the theme of friendship and what that "should" look like, and I felt Persaud did just a spectacular job of taking us into a real genuine friendship between Betty and Mr. Chetan- I think that was so well explored and I wanted more of it.

Honestly, I could go on and on about this book. It is well written, it explores modern Caribbean life in a realistic way and the book will leave you feeling gutted. So many unforgettable moments and beautiful characters. A must read for me

What a beautiful, beautiful book. The characters are very well written and the writing transports you to the sun-kissed beaches of Trinidad.

I understand that the language may not be for everyone as it takes a bit of getting used to to the way sentences are structured and the use of colloquial words strewn around. However, once you get into the language, you realize how well the three main characters are fleshed out. All 3 are on a quest of their own for love. The book makes you smile and also pulls at your heartstrings.

The middle of the book stretches a bit but that is more of a nitpick than anything. I would love to read more from the author.

This is a beautifully told story with a lot of layered themes. Persaud weaves a narrative that showcases a culture we don't get to read much about ordinarily. The richness, texture, and musicality of Persaud's language engages us from the start. The plot does have some holes in it and it does drag in a few places. But the slowly-unfurling arcs for each of the main characters can be appreciated and enjoyed just as deep character studies.

(Note: I've been pitching this novel to review venues but it is very difficult right now with freelance budgets drying up. I'll keep trying because this is a lovely little book and deserves a lot more attention. As does this writer.)

Love After Love is a character study centered on an unconventional Trinidadian family - Betty, her son, Solo, and a young bachelor Mr. Chetan. As someone of Caribbean heritage, I felt comforted by reading slang and sayings in an accent similar to my family members. The novel is low on plot, which isn't necessarily a problem for me. However, though I felt connected to the characters, I had difficulty feeling drawn into the story. Love After Love was well worth reading, but I'm not sure for how long I will remember it.




full review at jdreads.com

I’m judging a 2020 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.

“At the funeral, I told people it was no big deal. I must stop being so careless with ladders. But I talk half and left half. People used to look at me and Sunil and say, Betty girl, you real lucky. In my head, I wanted to ask if they making joke. Lucky? That man only gave love you could feel. He cuff you down? Honeymoon. He give you a black eye? True love in your tail. He break your hand? A love letter. He put you in hospital for a week? Love will stay the course. He take a knife and stab your leg? Until death do us part.

Marlon James called it. Electrifying.

I really, really enjoy books set in countries I am not too familiar with. This book was set in Trinidad.

This novel is about a blended family. It's about love and betrayal and deception. However, it's ultimately about family.

This novel begs many question about love and family. What happens when you are deceived by a family member in a big, big way? How can that trust be resolved?

I thought this novel had some beautiful, lyrical writing. In addition, the characters were each very interesting in their own ways. An excellent book.

Love After Love is a beautiful story of, well, love! Love in many different forms is examined here, in ultimately devastating and heartbreaking ways. Betty's relationship with her son Solo, and their individual relationships with their boarder-turned-family Mr. Chetan, are the heart of this story. Of course romantic and sexual love is also explored, and the all-too-common intimate partner violence in its many forms.

I loved the writing style that celebrated the Trini dialect as it jumped through time and space. I appreciated getting the perspectives of all of the main characters and that we didn't waste time - we could jump months or years just by turning the page.

I was devastated by the tragedy that occurs in this book but I will definitely be recommending it to friends!

I really enjoyed this book . Only fault the middle dragged on a tad too long . Loved Betty , Mr. Chetan and could relate to Solo’s anguish but felt he was a little too harsh on his mother . The other characters were interesting and added to the story . The dialect , the culture and food of Trinidad was an education lesson for me . This book dealt with so many topics : abuse , gays, self cutting , isolation, friendships, religion, hatred , forgiveness and love . An unique read .

When I picked up this book with it's beautiful cover, the word 'love' in the title and its Caribbean island setting, I have to admit I thought I was settling in for a light, pleasant read. Was I ever wrong. But don't get me wrong. This is a great book--just not the 'up-lit' read I'd been expecting. Within pages, I was hooked into the horrid situation Betty and her son find themselves in, found myself breathing a sigh of relief when the lovely Mr. Chetan comes to live with them, worried about the various twists and blows life deals to all three.

This is the first novel I've read by a Trinidadian author and I loved how Persaud created such a rich world for her characters. The food, the language and the setting are all so skilfully drawn that, even though I've never been to Trinidad, I felt like I was there. I especially loved how quickly the story travels through time, skilfully covering quite a long time span in a relatively short number of pages. Though I loved Betty and Mr, Chetan and wasn't as gripped by Solo's story, I still am really glad I read this novel and recommend it to anyone with an interest in international fiction.

This story has all the feels. It's vibrant and stunning. Beautifully written and filled with lyrical prose. Pick up this winner of a book and prepare to be dazzled. Happy reading!

3.5 stars

It's no big surprise given the title that love is a theme that is explored within this novel. And while that is a common topic in fiction, the author managed to create something that sets it apart from so many other books. With the setting of Trinidad and island dialect used throughout the story along with complex relationships between characters, I finished the book feeling like I had a unique reading experience. And that is always a good thing in my opinion.

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?

What I like about this story is that every reader has the potential to take something different away from it. I personally gravitated towards the relationship between Mr. Chetan and Betty as it felt real and special. Mr. Chetan is the heart of the story and there were good moments between him and Solo as well.

I did not think the second half of the book was as strong as the first half. I realize a setup is needed for things to come near the end but it did seem to drag on for a bit. There is substance to the second half, but I wish I could have better maintained my interest level.

Even though this wasn't a perfect read, I do recommend checking this one out. One thing the author does well is really show that you don't necessarily have to be blood related in order to be a family.

I received a free advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was good, but I didn't love it. I found the characters to be super hard to relate to for myself and that made it kind of hard to really care what happened to them. The plot was pretty great, I just wish I had liked the characters more.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. There was some of the writing with the lack of punctuation for dialogue that was weird at first. Once I got over that I read the book fairly quickly.

This is a story of three people who become a family of their own. There is Betty, recently widowed from an abisive husband, and her son , Solo. Then there is Mr Chetan (who is never called by a first name) who moves in with them. The story follows their lives for a number of years.

I enjoyed this but it wasn’t great. I found it hard to really emotionally connect with the characters due to the writing style and odd things like calling the male character Mr Chetan. There were some heavy themes in the book but I didn’t really feel emotionally invested in the story.

It’s a good story and I mostly enjoyed the writing.

So well written so involving.Characters that come alive dialogue that was so well written.Really enjoyed this book.#netgalley#randomhouse