I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

The After Wife was a surprising read — a good one at that. It is a story about a widow living with grief who decided to find a new beginning in a small town. From here, she meets new people, finds new reasons to go on, and sees herself falling in love again. Her journey was filled with hope, though there are sad days. Overall, it is a wonderful story.

This new find from Melanie Summers is definitely a fun one! Grab it if you're in the mood for some self-love!

Great book. After losing her husband, Abby is trying to find her purpose again in everyday life and in love. She begins to hang out with Laim and his daughter. Will the secret Laim is keeping drive them apart? Can she risk giving her heart again? This is a wonderful story about starting over and learning to love again.

Very rarely does a book make me want to shed tears but this one sure did! However, this book was worth the emotional ride, I didn’t want it to end. I will be thinking about it for a long time! Looking forward to reading more from this author.

{3.5 stars}

The After Wife is the story of Abby, a recently widowed writer who is forced into making a new start when she can't afford her apartment following her husband's death. She takes a giant leap and moves to a fixer upper in a small town in Canada. She wants to be left alone in her grief and find her way back to her writing. The nosy neighbors in the town have other ideas, they embrace her right away and practically force her to immerse herself in their attentions. In a familiar trope, she is thrown together with a handsome contractor while he is fixing her house and she begins to wonder if her life is over after all.

Abby’s journey reminds me in a lot of ways of Mel’s in Virgin River. The town is full of lovely people, the love interest becomes a friend first, there is a lot of focus on grief and finding a path forward after loss. There were times where I was annoyed with Abby’s behavior but I understand the need for the arc in her behavior. There is a twist at the end that I didn’t expect so while the book sounds like it follows a pretty popular trope, it just may surprise you.

Thanks to Netgalley for advanced access to this novel and apologies it took me so long to get to it! All opinions above are my own.

A marvellous book! So heartbreaking and also heartwarming. I loved Abby (although I think Olive was probably my favourite character). Abby was so wounded and closeted in her grief, and it was wonderful to see her slowly come to terms with her loss and her new life. The setting is wonderful, as are the secondary characters (loved Liam). An emotional story about coming to terms with grief, and learning how to move on. Extremely well written.

“Reading through tears, and a few giggles, and more tears...The After Wife is beautiful, in so many ways. Well-done, Melanie Summers, it’s wonderful.”-Green Gables Book Reviews


I loved every part of The After Wife by Melanie Summers! I loved feeling the emotions I felt, the hope for Abby, the sadness for Olive missing her mom, the frustration Abby felt with Gus (hilarious)! It was so great! The After Wife is the first book I have read by Melanie Summers. What an amazing introduction!

I’m so glad I read the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book. I think it helped knowing there would be something I didn’t expect. The story of Abby and her husband, Isaac, was lovely. They had the life they wanted. When he died, Abby was so stricken by grief, her entire world literally stopped as she became of shell of herself, devastated.

When ignoring her mail leads to a difficult decision, Abby makes a big life change. She moves to a place she knows Isaac would want her to be-in Canada. She buys a home, packs up, and moves, all in a matter of weeks. When she arrives, the house is not the house of her dreams, instead it is the house that will deplete her life-savings from her career as an author.

She is overwhelmed, lost, and doesn’t want to admit her mom may have been right. With unwanted help from the neighbors at the B&B, (and their hope of match-making), she is introduced to Liam, construction worker, mover, a jack of all trades. Soon the Abby that was grieving discovers therapy in outdoor projects and renovations. And, along the way, she makes friends in this small town. Abby is learning it’s ok to open up, be a neighbor, and be a friend.

When Abby meets Liam’s daughter, Olive, her heart melts for this sweet girl. Abby learns through Olive that sometimes it’s ok to change your mind and it’s ok to care about someone.

5 stars absolutely! The After Wife is highly recommended by Books and Pens on Green Gables!

I received a free copy of this book to read and review. Thank you!

This is the first book of Melanie Summers I have read and it wont be the last.
A good book and the more you get into the story, the harder it becomes to put down. I must warn you though, you will shed tears so keep the tissues hand

I loved this book by Melanie Summers!!!!!!!!! The way she told this story completely pulled you in from page one & made you feel like you personally knew these characters!!!!

Interesting read by Melanie Summers. The After Wife is about love and coping with the loss of love. Leaning to love again after your world has been turned upside down is such a hard thing. This book is one of my best reads.

This is a delightful, beautifully written, sad but heartwarming story about a young widow starting over. Abby, an author, loses her husband Isaac & shuts herself away for nearly two years, at which time she is forced to move. They had once spoken about moving to the Canadian maritimes, & so Abby decides to do it on her own. She buys a house, which in its need for extensive repairs & remodeling, helps her to heal from her loss.

I very strongly recommend this book. It was a joy to read, made me laugh more than a few times & features an adorable cat, Walt Whitman.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Melanie Summers, and the publisher Indigo Group/Xpresso Book Tours for the free ARC of this lovely book in return for an honest review.

The premise is not new, author loses husband, relocates to small Canada town, Handsome handyman, quirky villagers, rundown house, writer's block. However, you will fall in love with the main character as she realizes who she is, her villagers, her renewal of family relationships. The discussions about mutual grief are delicately and beautifully written. As a seasoned reader, I was delighted when I read this in one sitting and cried

I loved this emotional and tender book. It needs to come with a cry warning! It caught me from the first page until the last. Wonderfully written characters and a deeply moving storyline.

Such a well written story...had me stuck within the pages from the beginning! This story broke my heart! (Have tissues handy!😢 I LOVE tearjearkers!) I loved the characters. They were well written and true to life. The plot was wonderful!
5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley the publisher and author for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

The After Wife is a wonderful story of the aftermath of grief and the subsequent healing process. I have not previously read any books by this author so didn't quite know what to expect. But I will definitely be looking for more to read in the future. This was a heartfelt and heartbreaking story. I enjoyed the small town community characters that middle-aged, newly widowed, Abbie comes to know and value as she starts over with a move from NYC to a small village in Canada. The characters are strong, realistic, and relatable. Some emotionally evocative twists to the plot that keep the reader's interest wondering where the story will go now. A great story of forgiveness and love and their healing power in one's life. Tavia Gilbert did a great job with narration, which made for an enjoyable listening experience. I listened to a library copy of the audiobook and was not required to write a review.

"Did you ever feel like maybe the life you built for yourself isn't necessarily the one you should be living?"

A profound read. The first 50% read easily and without much character growth.
But thereafter Abby undergoes what one can only call a "losing the shutters" moment thanks to her best friend/agent Lauren.
She starts to review her life and see how her choices influenced everyone around her and herself.
What started off as a woman mourning her husband turns into a woman finding her identity after losing it in her marriage.

A wonderful ending that tugs on the heartstrings - one I definitely didn't see coming or could even predict.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book.

The After Wife was an interesting tale. I admittedly struggled to get into the book, but about 35% in I was hooked. The emotional rollercoaster of the main characters and the small town feel draws you in to the story. Waiting for the main characters to click was my biggest hangup. I will definitely give this author another shot in the future.

I was drawn right in to this wonderful book.Great characters and story line,Highly recommend an author I will be following.#netgalley#indigobooks.

Dear Reader, this book is going to hit you so you never forget it. Filled with emotions, laughter, tears. A lady trying to escape from the claws of grief and learn to live. This is the 1st book I've read by this author and I LOVED it. The author writes so beautifully that you feel all the emotions. I highly recommend this book and author to you. You won't regret it. Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the chance to savor this book.

This book was so so good. I did not expect to connect to it in the way I did, nor did I expect if to effect me as much as it did. It was well-written, thought provoking, and a beautiful story! I’ve already told many friends to get their hands on a copy.