Before Ever After: A Novel"A smartly written romance, mystery and historical adventure all wrapped up in a page-turner that will have you guessing until the very end." – Adena Halpern, author of The Ten Best Days of My Life Three years after her husband Max's death, Shelley feels no more adjusted to being a widow than she did that first terrible day. That is, until the doorbell rings. Standing on her front step is a young man who looks so much like Max--same smile, same eyes, same age, same adorable bump in his nose--he could be Max's long-lost relation. He introduces himself as Paolo, an Italian editor of American coffee table books, and shows Shelley some childhood photos. Paolo tells her that the man in the photos, the bearded man who Paolo says is his grandfather though he never seems to age, is Max. Her Max. And he is alive and well. As outrageous as Paolo's claims seem--how could her husband be alive? And if he is, why hasn't he looked her up?--Shelley desperately wants to know the truth. She and Paolo jet across the globe to track Max down--if it is really Max. Along the way, Shelley recounts the European package tour where they had met. As she relives Max's stories of bloody Parisian barricades, medieval Austrian kitchens, and buried Roman boathouses, Shelley begins to piece together the story of who her husband was and what these new revelations mean for her "happily ever after." And as she and Paolo get closer to the truth, Shelley discovers that not all stories end where they are supposed to. |
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Abbot Thomas Adrien Altinum Antoine arms Austria baked eggs Basilisk Bee Gees believe bishop boat Boracay Brad Brother Aidan campers cheek cheese chest chickens closed Communards Dex asked door egg timer eyes face feel felt filled find finding fingers first fisherman floor Gestrin grabbed grinned hair hand head Herculaneum husband inside Isabelle Jonathan kissed knew lips live Livia LJUBLJANICA Marcus Marija Max's Max’s Maximus Miren morning never night nodded Nonno okay pain Paolo Paris Commune Pavel PHILIPPINES pulled remember river rooster Rose Sari SCHOTTENSTIFT seat Shelley asked Shelley looked Shelley thought Shelley's shoulder sighed Simon asked sleep Slovenia smiled soup stared stood story sure Swiss Swiss mercenary sword tears tell thing told took Torcello tour turned Veneria Venice Viktor voice waiting walked wanted watched wondered