BLURB
Widowed family lawyer Merritt Clarke isn’t looking for love. Grief has carved out a life of quiet routine, where work keeps her steady and Sophie, her loyal husky, keeps her company. Then a chance New Year’s Eve encounter introduces her to Beau Laurent—handsome, steady, and carrying a life far more complicated than he lets on. For the first time in years, something stirs.
She doesn’t know that Beau is Norland’s Minister of Finance. She doesn’t know the weight he is already carrying, or how quickly the ground beneath the country’s leadership is about to shift.
Drawn together by chemistry neither of them expected, Merritt and Beau find themselves in a relationship that refuses to stay private. Political ambition comes with scrutiny, and Norland’s capital holds rivals, old loyalties, and secrets ready to be used. As an election looms and pressure builds around Beau’s role, their connection is tested by public attention, the ghosts of their pasts, and the simple fact that loving him means stepping into a world that does not forgive weakness.
When danger reaches them, Merritt is pulled into a reality of power, protection, and choices she never asked to make. With the country watching and everything they have begun still fragile, she and Beau must decide whether what they feel is worth the risk of losing the lives they have spent years building.
BOOK LINKS 🔗
REVIEW
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
BOOK: On the Edge of After by Britt Wolfe (Format: e-book)
I saw a post on the author's Instagram feed about this book being free to read and knew I had to pick it up for my October reads—and I’m so glad I did.
TITLE: On the Edge of After
Author: Britt Wolfe
Status: Read | Rating: [4.75/5 ⭐]
Progress: Read [437] of [437]
QUICK IMPRESSION
I started reading this book during breakfast and was so completely hooked by the characters that I kept reading whenever I could, and even went to bed early and finished in the wee hours of the morning!
QUICK NOTES
This book is a second-chance romance with a political backdrop, and the author created a scenario that, although completely fictional, felt so relevant—especially at the moment, with us going into elections for our next government here in NZ. I would definitely vote for Beau's Progressive Alliance party; I wish we had a party here with their views! 🤔
Anyway... suffice to say, I really enjoyed the political aspect of the book.
As for the romance...
I really connected with Merritt. I could have easily been in her shoes if fate had been cruel (🙏🏼 I'm so grateful I still have my hubby), so the emotional resonance was easy to fall into, making this a very emotional read for me. Others may not feel the same way... but I always base my reviews on my personal experience 🤷🏼♀️. Be prepared for an emotional ramble...
At 55%:
🖤 I definitely didn't trust Delphine...
💔 I really hurt for Merritt...
😍 And Beau? Total swoon.
At 64%:
🖤 My issues were verified 😡
🫣 I thought Beau may have lost his 🤯
Thankfully, 🖤 slipped up and I breathed a sigh of relief 😮💨, and by 68% my hopes for Merritt and Beau were looking positive 😍❤️🩹
QUOTES TO KEEP
• “That isn’t innovation. That’s exploitation with better branding.”
• “You can carry what you had with Everett and whatever comes next at the same time. One doesn’t make the other less real.”
• “I love the life I have when you’re in it, and I want all the ordinary days we haven’t had yet.”
KEY CHARACTERS
• Merritt Clarke: FMC / Divorce Lawyer. Merritt lost her husband Everett in a car accident and has been unable to move forward; work is her only escape from her grief.
• Beau Laurent: MMC / Minister of Finance. Divorced, but still has close ties to his ex, Delphine, through their children.
(There are more, such as Delphine Moreau: Beau's ex, who gets an honorary mention because she was so easy to dislike. Quinn and Sylvie, Beau's security detail, are also key characters who I clicked with.
FINAL THOUGHTS
• The Good: I loved the political worldbuilding! It was just enough to set the backdrop for the romance without being overly political—which I appreciated, as I'm not really into real-world politics (it's too depressing in our current world... but as I said earlier, I wish we had a party like Beau's!). The pacing was great, and I deeply connected with Merritt. There are scenes in this book that I could directly identify with from my own life, and the author did a brilliant job with the emotional tone throughout.
• The Bad: Honestly this was very nearly a 5 ⭐, but Merritt's friend Avery is a character who confused me at the end of the story, - this was the reason I settled on 4.75 at the end there was an epilogue that somewhat gave an answer, but it was a total 180 character change and I guess the author will reveal more about that in the next book.)I guess some people might take the political worldbuilding to heart if their views differ, but for me, it was just a fantastic fictional backdrop with policies I wish existed in reality.
• Verdict: I loved disappearing into this author's world for the last 20 hours 😁. I'm so happy that Instagram's algorithm brought this author to my attention!
View all my reviews
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