After the Shadows, Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing by Amanda Cabot
Publication Date: March 21, 2023 by Revell Fiction
Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance
4 Stars!

Summary/Description: A brighter future awaits--if she can escape the shadows of the past. 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.

After the Shadows is magnificently written by bestselling author of inspirational fiction, Amanda Cabot. I highly recommend After the Shadows to everyone who enjoys reading delightfully written historical fiction, mystery, and romance!

This lovely novel is set in Texas Hill Country in the 1880s. The multi-faceted characters, including the main characters, Emily and Craig, and two sweet and lovable children, Beulah and Noah, are masterfully developed with individuality, backstory, priorities, strengths, and weaknesses.

The flow and the realism of After the Shadows intertwine with sorrow, family relationships, hope, friendships, heartaches, grace, love, mystery, faith, and romance. There are a few intense concepts woven into the shadows that is done delicately and flawlessly.

After the Shadows truly touched my heart in a multitude of ways. It gripped my attention --and I didn’t want to stop reading it! I encourage you to spend time in Sweetwater Crossing -- you will be blessed! I am anxiously waiting for the second book in this series!

I received an eArc of After the Shadows, Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing from Revell Fiction through NetGalley.com. I was not required to write a review or paid to do so. The words above are my honest review. After the Shadows is released (03.21.23), I will post this review to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ChristianBook.com, my blog, and each of my social media platforms.

#AftertheShadows #NetGalley #AmandaCabot #RevellFiction

"After the Shadows" is a Christian romance set in 1882 in Texas. While people were dying left and right, this story wasn't a mystery: Emily didn't investigate (or even seem to notice) possible clues as to who killed her father until two-thirds of the story was done. Then she and Craig quickly ran out of leads. Whereas I'd guessed both whodunit and who would reveal the murderer long before then (though I was wrong about motive). Anyway, this was primarily a romance.

Emily was a kind, hardworking woman who didn't quite trust any man not to become an abusive husband and believed she was barren and so no man would be happy married to her, anyway. Craig was clearly gentle--for example, effectively disciplining children in non-violent ways--so she started to trust him. He built her up and tried to show her how he valued her character and saw her worth beyond her ability to have children. They shared similar values, became friends, and came to care about each other as they spent time together.

The Christian element was mostly in how the main characters treated other people as valuable even when others didn't see them that way. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romance.

a very enjoyable read. The reality of life, including loss, along with some romance and mystery.
The main character Emily, oldest of three girls, is the typical responsible, caring for everyone else firstborn. I could really relate being the firstborn of a large family myself.
The struggles of a small town along with a high death rate keeps you turning the pages.

Amanda Cabot is off to an excellent start with After the Shadows, the first book in her new Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series.

Emily Leland finally escapes her abusive husband when he dies in a bar fight. She returns home to Sweetwater Crossing after discovering her mother died. Upon arriving, she encounters an angry sister who questions why Emily was not there for their mother. Shortly after their confrontation, a fire breaks out in the house where the new school teacher is to reside. Everything seems to happen at once after that. When Emily and her sister return from the fire, they discover their father has died. And the circumstances around his death are hard for Emily to accept. So she continues (much to her sister's anger) to pursue how he really died.

Meanwhile, the new school teacher needs a place to stay since the house where he would have stayed burned down. Knowing they will now require an income, Emily (without consulting her sister Louisa) turns their home into a boarding house.

A lot is coming at you in the first few pages, making this book hard to put down. Louisa's anger with her sister is never resolved because Emily never tells her the truth about her husband, and Louisa leaves in a fit of anger.

The growing romance between Craig and Emily is sweet, and I loved how Craig was so sensitive to her once he learned about her abusive husband. Craig also didn't ridicule Emily when she wanted to discover how her father died. The supporting characters were also endearing and played a huge part in Craig and Emily's relationship.

This great historical romance with a mystery turns into so much more! Amanda Cabot never disappoints. I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through NetGalley for my honest review.

I just finished reading this book and throughly enjoyed it. It held my interest from the first page until the end…complete with unique characters and mystery. I never would have guessed the ending and the reason for the “why” of the mystery. I can’t wait for the next book to be released. Amanda Cabot is an amazing author.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received the the publisher and NetGalley. All views expressed are my own.

The faith content was good it was more of a Christian love story. I love the characters and the plot line. It pulls you in. If you like a good Christian book this is the story for you. This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher for me to read and review

Amanda Cabot starts a new series with this book. She has placed her characters in the small town of Sweetwater Crossing in the state of Texas. This author is well known for her historical romances and in After the Shadows she takes her readers back to August 19 1882. I loved this book and it kept me up late so I could finish it last night. Amanda has blended in a mystery that kept me guessing into the wee hours of the morning. I found this book to be unpredictable and I loved the characters that came to life in the story. Historical Fiction is a pleasant break from my usual genres and I love to be transported back in time to these frontier days . The mystery part of the book kept me glued to the pages and I found myself carried away into 1882. The ending was a shocker when the mystery is solved but it is also a beautiful ending that didn’t leave me up in the air.

I recommend this book to readers of Historical Fiction and to fans of Amanda Cabot. This is the first book of Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series. This is a clean historical romance .

I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#AftertheShadows#NetGalley

Emily has escaped an abusive husband with his death. She returns to her parent's home, where her father had died from suicide. She is the oldest of three sisters and the love between the three seems to be missing since her marriage. She does not believe her father committed suicide and is determined to prove it. The new school-
master and his son come to live in her home. More people in her town die, is there a connection?

This was an excellent story, I hope you will take the time to read it. The author did a fantastic job.

Emily Leland has left Sweet Water crossing when she married. Never knowing that her husband would be abusive. When he dies in a Bar Fight she is happy and moves back to Sweet Water. When she arrives her sister is not happy to see her. Emily never knew her mother died because her husband never gave her the letters from back home. Her sister thought she just did not care and Emily did not want everyone to know about her abusive husband. When Emily finds her father hung in the barn she does not believe her father killed himself. She has no money and her sister leaves so she turns the house into a boarding house. As things start to happen such as the house that the new schoolteacher and his son is to live burns down before he arrives she invites the old lady who was to board the teacher and his son for them all to live with her. Lots of action in this book. Love the characters. Love the mystery behind her fathers death. Wonderful read and waiting for more.

The perfect book for fans of Christian Fiction! I really enjoyed this new book from Amanda Cabot. I would absolutely recommend it to friends and family. Emily is returning home after the death of her husband. After the sudden death of her mother and now father, Emily and her sister's relationship is strained. Emily is convinced that her father's death is suspicious while her sister disagrees. Craig Ferguson and his son are new in town. Craig, the new schoolmaster is immediately drawn to Emily. When he and his son have to move into Emilys house, turned bonding house the two are fighting off the attraction to each other. Join Emily and Craig as they look for the truth in a mess of mystery.

i loved the book it was sad what happened to the husband. I love a romantic suspense story. And it was clean which I loved.

"After the Shadows" is a inspirational romance following a newly widowed preacher's daughter who returns home from her abusive relationship to learn her father just passed away under strange circumstances. Fans of Karen Witemeyer and Regina Jennings will enjoy this rosy mystery.
Filled with vivid scenes, "After the Shadows" dives into heavy concepts while maintaining a light atmosphere, encouraging the reader to continue on through the story without feeling bogged down with grief.
However, the plot seems to forget that it's supposed to be a mystery and new conflicts enter the story halfway through only to be whisked away quickly with minimal clashing. Emily spends the first half of the book simply running her boarding house; it is only in the second half she begins looking into the details surrounding her father's murder and a challenging family moves in to take over her father's position just to leave after one major conflict of opinions. It would have helped retain the conflict and make the story feel less disjointed to have the family remain a part of the story longer, with Emily learning to deal with their unpleasantness.
Craig was a lovable romantic interest for Emily, but it was hard to see the chemistry between them. There was respect and a solid foundation for friendship and a transition into showing Emily as a mother figure to Craig's son, but Emily looking at Craig romantically came in a little lackluster in my opinion.
However, I am being a bit harsh here. This is an inspirational romance that is sure to catch the interest of readers.

This was my first book by the author and I wasn’t sure what I would find myself reading but I don’t regret reading this book. I always love a romantic suspense mixed with history. It felt like I was right there with them.

Emily returns home to Sweetwater after the death of her husband. Greeted by a hostile sister, and later finding her father dead has her scrambling to find answers. Her idea of turning their home into a boardinghouse to make ends meet, meets with much resistance and a bad attitude from her sister Louisa. The other sister, Joanna, is mentioned, but not a part of the story. We meet Craig, Noah, Mrs Carmichael, The Anderson family, particularly Beulah, Alice, Doc Sheridan, the Sheriff, and Mayor Alcott. The story draws you in quickly and has enough interaction between various characters, as well as Emily’s belief her father was murdered, to keep the pages turning. Set in the 1880’s in Texas.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell, via Net Galley. A review was not required and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Her abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, leaves her nothing and she returns to her childhood home to be scorned by her sister and face the death of her parents. No simple story here. Her compassionate heart won't turn people away and after an elderly widows home burns to the ground she invites her to stay, along with the new schoolmaster and his son.

Her lack of trust in men doesn't make for easy beginnings, but one of the themes in this story is learning to hope again after tragedy. Another is God's love for every life.

The mystery of her father's death plagues her. So as healing begins in all their lives, a killer in their midst lurks on. Emotion and suspense are entwined throughout this story and it makes for a great read!

*A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and for the opportunity to post an honest review.

this was a beautifully done beginning to the secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series, I was invested in what Amanda Cabot wrote. It had what I enjoyed from this type of book and characters within this world. It was a really well done mystery that I enjoyed trying to solve, and enjoyed how good the characters were. I enjoyed this overall and glad I got to start this series.

"The tension that had made the widow’s shoulders rigid began to dissipate, but her voice held concern. “Are you certain? Small children can disrupt a household. Noah’s only two and a half. His mother died a year ago, and you know that children that age can be a handful.”It wasn’t the child who worried Emily. It was his father. What would she do if Mr. Ferguson was like George? He was a stranger, someone no one in town had met."

I enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to the next one in the series.
I haven’t read any Cabot books for awhile but I will need to go back and catch up!

I've been a reader of Amanda Cabot since her first book. She is primarily known for her historical fiction but has also written excellent contemporary fiction as well. This book is a great addition to Amanda's catalogue of books.

I loved the setting, the mystery and the main characters. I enjoyed the reference to characters in previous series and as a result, I can't wait to read the next could of books in the series. The book is well written, follows a nice pace. I definitely recommend this book.

I receive complimentary books for various sources including, Netgalley, Authors, and other such sources. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received compensation.

The beginning of a new series, Sweetwater Crossing features a small town in Texas. Emily, the oldest of three sisters is a strong, admirable character that has a heart of gold. When she arrives home to find her father, the town's minister has hung himself, Emily is determined to find out the truth about his death. While some readers will be able to determine the truth, the reasoning behind it is a little more complicated. Love the characters but all the deaths were concerning. Looking forward to the next in the series.

After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot features a Regency style romantic mystery. From the first chapter, readers are thrown for a loop as they are introduced to Emily and her sister, Loisa. Right away, there is a dead body and a parsonage that has burnt to the ground. A new teacher. Where to put people as the town tries to fix what has went wrong. The writing was nicely handled. Cabot's writing style fits nicely into the Regency genre on the plains of Texas. Readers will empathize with Emily with all the struggles that she has to endure as the plot moves along. Speaking of the plot, readers will enjoy getting to know the numerous characters who make this quirky little town move. A whole cast of characters with different personalities. Emily stands out as a brave, yet timid woman who is determined to solve the mystery of her father's death while trying to stay humble with her visitors. I enjoyed how she wanted to help everyone in the community. Even the new teacher and his young son. The romance is not the main issue of the story, but it does develop as the story progresses along. Overall, After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot is a small town mystery filled with heart. A delightful story.

I received a complimentary copy of After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.