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Life After Joe

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 991 ratings · 132 reviews

It's not the breaking up that kills you, it's the aftermath.

Ever since his longtime lover decided he'd seen the "heterosexual light," Matt's life has been in a nosedive. Six months of too many missed shifts at the hospital, too much booze, too many men. Matt knows he's on the verge of losing everything, but he's finding it hard to care.

Then Matt meets Aaron. He's gorgeo

...more

ebook, 115 pages

Published June 28th 2010 by Carina Press (first published May 26th 2010)

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Best Gay Tear Jerker with a Happy Ending

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Best M/M Romance Published in 2010

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Community Reviews

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Feb 10, 2013 Blacky *Mistress of doom* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-contemporary, m-m, favorites, read-contemporary, oooooooooooooooooooooooo, 4-stars-for-quality, 5-stars-for-enjoyment, favorite-m-m

"I didn’t know what I was to Aaron, but to me, he was—oh God, so much—warmth and life, proof I could, despite all post-Joe expectations, find it in my heart to fall in love again."

“Come in. For God’s sake, come in and…f*ck my brains out.”
He put his hands on my shoulders again.
“I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my time,” he said quietly. “But I’ve managed never to screw someone as drunk, stoned and fucked-up as you.”

Amazing! I just finished and I still don't know what to say except...more

60 likes · like · see review

May 01, 2013 Heather K (dentist in my spare time) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-the-best, contemporary, favorites-2013, full-of-angst, great-chemistry, hot-hot-hot, loved-it, m-m, made-me-cry, romance, short-story-or-novella, cover-love

This book was indescribably fantastic. Harper Fox just wrecked me with this book!!!

I ADORED "Life After Joe". In only 100 or so pages it packed an emotional punch that rivals any book that I have ever read.

Matt has been in a tailspin since his partner since childhood left him for a woman. Meaningless sex, non-stop drinking; life is a blur for Matt at the moment. Only the green eyes of a reticent stranger at a bar seen to draw Matt out from his haze of misery. Aaron seems perfect to Matt; intell...more

25 likes · like · see review

Oct 12, 2010 BarkLessWagMore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, netgalley-review, romance

Life After Joe is an emotionally grueling read. Matthew had a beautiful home, a promising career as a doctor and was living his happy ever after with the man of his dreams, the man who had been his friend since childhood and his lover since their early teens. And then Joe left Matt to marry a woman who he had been seeing on the sly for two years. Matt can’t compete and is completely and justifiably destroyed. He has fallen into a devastating depression, drinking and screwing any man who will hav...more Life After Joe is an emotionally grueling read. Matthew had a beautiful home, a promising career as a doctor and was living his happy ever after with the man of his dreams, the man who had been his friend since childhood and his lover since their early teens. And then Joe left Matt to marry a woman who he had been seeing on the sly for two years. Matt can’t compete and is completely and justifiably destroyed. He has fallen into a devastating depression, drinking and screwing any man who will have him just to forget all that he has lost. Matt has lost all hope, risks losing everything and is just about to hit rock bottom when he catches the attention of a handsome oil rigger named Aaron. Aaron’s rugged beauty immediately appeals to Matt but it’s his compassion and patience that help Matt begin to believe that he may be able to share his heart with another man again. But it will be a difficult road. Matt is suffering from an alcohol addiction and major trust issues and Aaron is keeping a major part of his life a secret.

If you want obstacles and heart-aching conflict as well as the steamy m/m sex this book has it. As I was reading I became increasingly worried that this book wasn’t going to end with anyone living happily ever after but to the author’s credit it was pulled off and pulled off believably. This book is painful and made me cry and that isn’t an easy feat. Matt is the major character here, and the one whose head we are in most often. He is just so broken that when he begins to find happiness with Aaron I was nearly holding my breath hoping he wouldn’t get hurt again. He’s a damaged character who evokes empathy and I sympathized with him throughout the story, knowing always where he was coming from. Aaron is damaged as well but I won’t go into the how or why’s because I’ll spoil a major reveal. He is less fleshed out as we see him mostly through Matt’s eyes but he’s a balm to Matt and hard to resist. Now that I know his secret I think I’ll have to go back and reread a few scenes which will make them even more poignant. My only complaint is the writing style, which was sometimes too wordy and had me rereading passages a few times to get the gist of what the author was trying to say. Much like the last m/m book I reviewed, Resistance by LM Turner, this one left me feeling emotionally raw and satisfied and I can easily recommend it to anyone willing to get put through the emotional wringer. After these two books I need to find me some fluff!(less)

16 likes · like · see review

Jun 21, 2010 Josh rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a pleasure it was to read such a literate, mature, intelligently written m/m romance. It's a deceptively simple story: two grieving men come to terms with their loss and learn to love again, but the author handles it deftly and with great sensitivity.

The writing itself is lyrical and lovely.

20 likes · like · see review

Sep 05, 2010 Angel Martinez rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love a beautifully written work. My degree is in English lit, and while I came to appreciate Romance novels for what they are in middle life, I often wish that many of them were better written. This one is, with beautifully crafted turns of phrase and sentences that aren't ashamed to be more than six words long. In many ways, it feels more like a denizen of the literary shelf than the erotic romance shelf.

Don't let the lovely writing fool you, though. The story is often dark, perhaps too real...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jun 08, 2010 Kassa rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I wanted to read this due to a largely positive review and a new publisher. While I didn’t like the book as much as the other review, Life After Joe is a solid contribution to the genre. It’s not perfect and some of the angst goes overboard while the writing tends to be awkward and wordy. The characters are well rounded and interesting, with depths that are well portrayed among the angst. The story is strongly character driven and those romance fans who love underdog protagonists with a...more 3.5 stars

I wanted to read this due to a largely positive review and a new publisher. While I didn’t like the book as much as the other review, Life After Joe is a solid contribution to the genre. It’s not perfect and some of the angst goes overboard while the writing tends to be awkward and wordy. The characters are well rounded and interesting, with depths that are well portrayed among the angst. The story is strongly character driven and those romance fans who love underdog protagonists with a healthy dose of drama are going to especially appreciate this offering.

Matt’s having a bad year. His childhood best friend and long time lover has left him for a woman and all the trappings within. Matt hasn’t been able to handle his grief, instead spiraling into a self destructive tendencies. He’s drinking too much, sleeping around, and blowing off his duties as a doctor. He is disgusted with himself but he can’t quite get himself out of the hole he slid into, no matter how much he may want to. The first sign of hope comes from meeting the incredibly kind oil rigger Aaron. Aaron shows a kindness that almost hurts as much as Matt’s grief but slowly Matt starts to pull himself together with Aaron’s help. However Aaron has his own past and secrets which may throw Matt’s new happiness into a tailspin.

The story is somewhat drama filled as the first half goes into detail showing just how far Matt falls. This is both interesting and difficult since Matt’s depression and actions aren’t going to appeal to all readers. He drinks like an alcoholic, popping pills, and repeatedly picking up random strangers for dangerous sex. This is especially difficult to see against the information that Matt is a doctor, but displays virtually no awareness of his destructive behavior. Matt is both a frustrating and sympathetic character, likely both for most readers at different times. While I sympathized with his breakdown, I also got frustrated with his lack of spine. He didn’t seem to have the energy to stand up for himself but he also didn’t really justify his apathy. I didn’t always enjoy reading his journey and he wasn’t the most likable character for me at times, but reader preference is likely to vary.

Aaron is the real star of the story with his kindness and quiet intensity. He treats Matt well without giving the impression he’s pitying or condescending to the other man. One of the best scenes is where Matt is drunkenly passed out and Aaron simply leaves a glass of water, aspirin, and a bowl for Matt to be sick. There’s no overwhelming mothering, just support, understanding and strength for something better. The resolution between Aaron and Matt does stretch belief quite a bit (just wouldn’t ever happen) while I think going too easy on a very important point (Aaron’s past) but this isn’t likely to bother anyone too much. Either way the characters presented are thorough, well thought out and interesting.

The writing while competent without glaring mistakes or problems, tended to be wordy and awkward at times. The structure and verbose writing had me working while reading. I kept thinking there are too many odd comments mid thought thrown in and the clunky prose never let me sink into the story. It’s not enough to ruin the book but it did take away some of my enjoyment and I took much longer to finish the novella even though it’s rather short. For the most part though, this likely isn’t going to take away from the dramatic and interesting story, filled with seriously hot sex scenes and well rounded characters. A decent offering from a new author that I’ll be checking out again in the future.
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Mar 12, 2013 Kristalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kristalia by: Blacky *Mistress of doom*

Shelves: glbt, be-my-hero-plz, adult, reviewed

Final rating: ★★★★/★★★★★

This is truly wonderful book.... My heart was shattered into pieces and then put back again! Breaking up with someone you loved, you wanted, the person who was always with you, for you, can only be devastating. Especially if it's not you who did the breaking up....

So...the things go pretty downhill when Matt gets dumped by Joe...he is devastated, he is ruining himself, until he meets Aaron, who brings him back to life ♥

“It’s all right.
Nobody noticed.”
“Matthew,” he repe

...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Valentina Heart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 25, 2010 Mandi Schreiner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Why I read: Two of my favorite authors LB Gregg and Josh Lanyon both recommended this book.

Favorite Quote: …and when I returned the embrace in kind – hesitantly, because something about him made me shy, even after my recent performances – he smiled against my ear. Ah yes.

Matthew is no longer with the love of his life, Joe who left him for a woman, and he is not handling it well. He spends his days missing school and rounds as he tries to become a doctor, and spends his nights drunk, on pills, an...more Why I read: Two of my favorite authors LB Gregg and Josh Lanyon both recommended this book.

Favorite Quote: …and when I returned the embrace in kind – hesitantly, because something about him made me shy, even after my recent performances – he smiled against my ear. Ah yes.

Matthew is no longer with the love of his life, Joe who left him for a woman, and he is not handling it well. He spends his days missing school and rounds as he tries to become a doctor, and spends his nights drunk, on pills, and having sex with any warm body he can find at the clubs. He is lost, and seriously spiraling out of control.

One night at a club, he notices a very attractive man at the bar. This man happens to be Aaron, an oil rigger home on break. They make eye contact, but at that moment, Joe is busily going down on another man – that is until he gets thrown out of the club. As he is walking home, Aaron saves him from a brutal beating. Something clicks between Aaron and Matt and they soon become inseparable. Aaron helps Matt deal with his drinking and drug use, and Matt knows he is giving Aaron comfort, but he is not sure why he needs it. Problems arise when a mystery person named Rosie comes out of Aaron’s past and Matt’s past is about to haunt him too when Joe comes crawling back.

Life After Joe is a dark book that gives us a story told in Matt’s point of view and it is of a man who is very broken. He literally does not care about his life anymore. He cannot fathom a life without Joe in it, Joe he has known since his teenage years. So he has decided to self destruct, and it is not a pretty picture. Aaron arrives on the scene as his angel of hope. Actually Aaron tells Matt, why don’t you just not drink,and Matt goes, Oh. Like that thought never occurred to him. And then he pretty much stops. It seemed a very easy solution for a man who is apparently that far involved in drugs and alcohol. At the same time, I like the raw, gritty details Harper Fox gives Matt. He does everything to the extreme, and then goes home to this perfectly clean, lonely house. The contrast really stands out.

We don’t learn a lot about Aaron. By the end his history is revealed more and we understand why he latches onto Matt. BUT – I wanted to know more about him. I know he has green eyes and is a sexy lover. Although this is told through Matt’s voice, I still think there could have been more time devoted to getting to know Aaron.

This is a different type of story. I was intrigued the entire time I read it and there is something intense and dramatic between these two men. For all chaos Matt throws out, he is a very endearing character and you just can’t help the “awww” factor when Aaron comes in to take care of him.

Life After Joe is the debut book by Harper Fox and I hope to see more from her in the future.

Rating: 3.5/5(less)

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Jul 01, 2010 Smokinhotbooks K.C. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

Read Full Review Here you can purchase at Kindle Here

I found out about this new to me author lurking at my favorite m/m author site, LB Gregg. So, of course I had to read it. I did have a little bit of trouble initially getting into Life After Joe, I think it was due more with the sentence structure. This is probably more of a style issue, but I often lost track of where the sentences were going, which made it difficult for me to find my pace up until Matthew meets Aaron. Once the book shifted...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Phaney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

I’m thinking this book should not be titled “Life Without Joe” but rather “Life With The Memory Of Joe”.

I’m also thinking I should never ever look at reviews even sideways before I embark on a book. All of those snippets swirling in my head (“OMG, literature”, “OMG, painful”, “OMG, beautiful”) met with my inner voice’s contradiction as I read. My inner voice is perverse like that. (It makes comforting me a bitch but that’s another topic.)

During roughly the first half this story is a mood piece,...more

2 likes · like · see review

A.B. Gayle It's not only reading reviews, becoming a writer is a great way to spoil your reading. But it's also a necessary part of becoming a good writer.

I tota...more
Apr 17, 2013 03:28pm

Phaney I'm not certain that having English as a second language is actually at fault here? (Usually it's idioms and propositions that are my enemy, not so mu...more
Apr 17, 2013 09:46pm

Oct 28, 2012 Mandy*reads obsessively* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cry-me-a-river, ebook-owned, hurt-comfort-disability, m-m, sniffle, abuse, cheater, evil-ex

3.5*
This story was heavy and exhausting, at least most of it.
Matt is trying to recover from his lover and BFF leaving him for a woman, they had been together for practically his entire life, had built a life together and then he finds out not only is Joe 'going straight' but has been seeing the 'other woman' for the last two years.
I was amazed at how nice Matt still was, he was nice when talking and thinking about Joe, Marnie and even Lou, who had known and was silent about it.
Matt's life is spi...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Macky rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. An endearing romance about betrayal, mistrust and loss - in its different forms - but also a story about new beginnings and learning to trust again.

I've just recently discovered Harper Fox and admit to be very taken with her style of writing. She tells her stories without any unecessary frippery but at the same time still seems to be able to make them lyrical. When the story begins, Matthew is barely managing to exhist after being dumped by his lover Joe, but what makes it worse, is he has left...more An endearing romance about betrayal, mistrust and loss - in its different forms - but also a story about new beginnings and learning to trust again.

I've just recently discovered Harper Fox and admit to be very taken with her style of writing. She tells her stories without any unecessary frippery but at the same time still seems to be able to make them lyrical. When the story begins, Matthew is barely managing to exhist after being dumped by his lover Joe, but what makes it worse, is he has left him for a woman who he's going to marry. Matthew sees Aaron in a club one night, sat at the bar, rejecting advances from all the guys cruising him. There is something about him that captures Matts interest and vice versa as Aaron watches Matt having a public sexual encounter with one of the casual hook ups he has been using to try and deaden his emotional pain. From then on they are drawn to each other and in Aaron , Matt finds a rescuer, a friend and ultimately a lover but Aaron is also holding a secret that could shatter Matthews newly found trust and ruin what is turning out to be a true romance between them. The love scenes are sensual but never gratuitous and the chemistry they have is palpable.

* Spoiler *
The only reason this didn't get a 5* rating was because I couldn't quite believe that knowing how ' skittish ' Matthew was about Joe's betrayal, Aaron wasn't more careful in keeping certain things about his own secret away from him and then when Matthew finds ' clues ' on his computer and becomes suspicious doesn't just explain and nip the misunderstanding in the bud at that point in their relationship. There is also an incident involving Joe that causes a rift between them later in the story that didn't quite feel right to me considering how much they had come to feel for each other by this point in the story and for a moment dropped my opinion of Matthew .... but it is the catalyst that makes Matthew do one of the most romantic things in a m/m romance that I've ever seen before that lead to a wonderful HEA - so he was forgiven!
* spoiler over*

I absolutely adored ' Scrap Metal ' the first book of hers I read, but this comes a close second. I'm now a Harper Fox convert. 4.5*(less)

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Sep 04, 2010 Janna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: z2010-100plus-reading-challenge, z2010-m-m-romance-challenge, favorite-reads-2010, m-m, favorites

Matthew is having a hard time after his lifelong boyfriend Joe left him six months ago for a woman (hence the title). The beginning of the book shows his raw feelings and his out of control behavior involving drugs and alcohol abuse, which is a pretty intense start of the story enhanced by Harper Fox’s intensive writing style. Then Matt meets Aaron and things start to shift for the better for him.
I instantly loved this couple’s chemistry; they felt just right for each other. But Aaron has a secr...more Matthew is having a hard time after his lifelong boyfriend Joe left him six months ago for a woman (hence the title). The beginning of the book shows his raw feelings and his out of control behavior involving drugs and alcohol abuse, which is a pretty intense start of the story enhanced by Harper Fox’s intensive writing style. Then Matt meets Aaron and things start to shift for the better for him.
I instantly loved this couple’s chemistry; they felt just right for each other. But Aaron has a secret of his own… Although I figured out what sort of secret it had to be before it was revealed, I still think this addition gave their story this little extra that I like in my romances. It made that not only Matt, who’s telling the story in first person point of view, but Aaron as well got more character depth.

For me the author’s writing style is one of the strong characteristics of this romance. Ms Harper is not afraid of using uncommon words and letting the reader think for himself. I’ve experienced the lack of explanation as refreshing. In that sense her writing was quite literary, especially for a debut.
Another characteristic that I enjoyed was the pace, which was high. For example after the ex-boyfriend Joe made his physical appearance I felt as if I suddenly was in the middle of a highly dramatic filmset-like action scene, altogether with an explosive outcome. Even while Joe’s role was just a small one its impact was big; it brought a whole new dynamic to Matt and Aaron’s relationship.

The high paced plot and the intense emotional parts of this story kept me reading and made me forget my surroundings. The love scenes played a part in that. They were hot enough and far from predictable but perhaps could’ve been more detailed (for my taste). Many times they were just mentioned, instead of shown, and I happen to be a big fan of the showing. In detail. Although I’m willing to admit that it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, because the ‘mentioning instead of showing’ kept the pace high as well.
All in all, this debut novel had me glued to my seat for a few hours in a row. Its compelling and moving love story is making me look forward to Ms Harper’s second book, Driftwood, that I immediately purchased when it came out a few weeks ago.

4.5 out of 5 stars(less)

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Oct 27, 2010 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, read-in-2010, romance-contemporary, qgbc

I liked this book. The characters were raw and real and complex and sweet and flawed...

Matt has been in a relationship his entire life with Joe. They were friends growing up, then they become lovers and then they moved in together and became doctors. Their life was set... until Joe decides that he wants to be straight. So Matt turns to alcohol and faceless, nameless, meaningless sex with a lot of men. Then he meets Aaron who looks at him and tells him he's better than that. Matt & Aaron the...more

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Jan 11, 2011 Sayuri_x rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, m-m, jan-2011

I don't know if this book failed me or if I failed it. I just wasn't interested. Plot didn't hold me and I skimmed through it in an hour. I felt the lead was a whiny bitch and couldn't understand what his love interest was all about.

Not sure if I would have enjoyed this another time or if It just didn't grab me. It's a shame to because I loved this author's offering in the 'His For The Holidays' anthology.

After this disappointing read, I think it's time to crack open my yearly re-read of JCP Psy...more

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Jan 06, 2013 SheReadsALot rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of angsty short stories

Recommended to SheReadsALot by: Plainbrownwrapper

Shelves: m-m-romance, damaged-hero, contemporary, doctor-or-nurse, exhibitionist-scene, strong-silent-type, angst, short-story

Oh yes!

Why haven't I read Harper Fox already? (Thanks Plainbrownwrapper for giving me that boot in the ass.) She's been sitting in my TBR shelf for too long. And it wasn't even this book. But I digress, the story's key here.

It had angst, it was darker than I expected and it made me think. Love stories like these. Two damaged men who quietly turn their affections on each other while mucking their way through life and their problems.

Love between a suicidal, damaged, drunk of a doctor resident, Ma...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Tiya Rosa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, this-gave-me-the-sads, favorites

4.5 stars

Matt is in a downward spiral after being dumped by his longtime lover - and I mean longtime since they've known each other since they were kids and were lovers as soon as they realized what sex meant - and late blooming douchecanoe, Joe, after asshole decided he wanted to be straight. And he didn't just decide to leave Matt as soon as he knew what he really wanted from life. Noooo, he had to line up his options first and conducted a pretty well planned affair for two years. Joe and Pete...more 4.5 stars

Matt is in a downward spiral after being dumped by his longtime lover - and I mean longtime since they've known each other since they were kids and were lovers as soon as they realized what sex meant - and late blooming douchecanoe, Joe, after asshole decided he wanted to be straight. And he didn't just decide to leave Matt as soon as he knew what he really wanted from life. Noooo, he had to line up his options first and conducted a pretty well planned affair for two years. Joe and Peter from Bad Boyfriend should really share notes and STDs or something. The cheating dicks.

Anyway, Matt's in a bad place and is pretty much one step away from total self destruction when in comes Aaron, a tall dark handsome intelligent mysterious oil rigger, who takes it upon himself to make Matt see how there's still life after the cheating slimeball that calls itself Joe.

This is such a beautifully written story about loss and hope and love. That sounds really cheesy, and I prolly will add something inappropriate later just to even the tone of this review, but true nonetheless.

The story is told in Matt's POV and I've said time and again how I'm not that into first person narration, but this is brilliantly done. You can feel Matt's desperation in the beginning, the hopelessness and depression as he continues with his self destructive ways, and you just want to give him a long huge hug when he's almost rock bottom and knows it. You feel thankful for Aaron's understanding and patience and overall awesomeness and you feel the love and hope build as Matt feels them.

The mood and the environment around Matt is done pretty well, too. The cold gloomy London in the depressingly joyful holiday season is the perfect background for Matt's emotional journey.

There is so much to love about this book and its characters, but the one thing that stands out is just how intelligently written it is. This is my first Harper Fox book and I'm so glad for my bookshelves lurking without which I wouldn't have discovered this.

I'm rating this a half star short of perfect since I'd love for some more info on why Aaron fell for Matt (view spoiler). Matt does a great job of narrating and we know enough to believe their love for each other is real and lasting, but a bit more from Aaron - like why he followed Matt that first time in the first place or what drove him to finally make the move - would have been appreciated. Another reviewer mentioned it as a dramatic necessity - this mysterious shroud wrapped around our narrator's savior - and I get that, but would have loved just a little bit more. (less)

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Sep 23, 2010 Lily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, m-m, what-i-read-in-2010

Emotional and at times very angst-filled story of two men dealing with the loss of their lovers. One goes a bit crazy, drinking and sexing to an extreme while the other suffers in a more internalized fashion. Well written and interesting I found myself engaged in this story of loss, grief, healing and second chances at love.

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Apr 05, 2012 SueM rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, mourning, contemporary-romance, ipad-kindle

I've really come to appreciate Harper Fox's writing lately, with this story confirming my impression.

Matthew, 6 months after being dumped by his childhood best friend come partner of 6 years, is still reeling from the aftermath. Just when he hits about as low as he can go, he meets Aaron, a man with his own emotional scars and secrets. Theirs is not an easy romance, as their pasts leave them with issues or insecurities that seem to rise up and bite them on the ass just at the worst possible time...more

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Jan 24, 2011 Elisa Ramblings added it

All right, from page one it’s quite clear that Matthew is out on a suicidal mission. He is not at all over the break-up with his former lover Joe, a lover that was not only first but also the only one until 6 months ago; a lover who has left him not for another man, something Matthew could have accepted, or related to, but for a woman: I think this is the same thing a woman experiments when her lover leaves for another man, she cannot compete, there is no way she can do that. And for Matthew is...more All right, from page one it’s quite clear that Matthew is out on a suicidal mission. He is not at all over the break-up with his former lover Joe, a lover that was not only first but also the only one until 6 months ago; a lover who has left him not for another man, something Matthew could have accepted, or related to, but for a woman: I think this is the same thing a woman experiments when her lover leaves for another man, she cannot compete, there is no way she can do that. And for Matthew is the same, Joe wants the 2.5 kids’ family, to appease his family and the world, and Matthew has no way to satisfy that desire.

So Matthew is self-destructing with alcohol and drugs, and above all with unprotected sex. He more than once is out on the street completely drunk and easy prey for a bashing or a raping, or both. When nothing of that works, he even tries the “traditional” way of pills. Actually all above is something I couldn’t really understand: Matthew is a medicine student and he is doing his foundation year; he is often missing days at the hospital and he is most of the time drunk or drugged… how can he manage that? And above all if he really wanted to try suicide, I think he will manage to. But maybe Matthew wants to be rescued? That is the reason why he picks up Aaron? Because Aaron is the only one who didn’t get into Matthew’s pants as soon as he had the chance to and actually is trying to help him?

We don’t have many info on Matthew and Joe’s relationship, and the little we see of Joe is not positive, but maybe Joe was the strong one in the couple, the one who was leading them into their future, and when he left, Matthew lost is balance and target. Matthew is desperately trying to find a substitute or to find an end to the pain: the first to arrive he will accept.

Aaron has a secret on his past, a secret that is the main reason why he cannot abandon Matthew: he needs someone to take care of, someone who gives him a reason to live and come back home. He didn’t pick up Matthew because he was the cuter or funnier of the place, but because he was the most desperate, and lucky Matthew he didn’t understand it.

The story felt a bit rushed in the end, I think that another 30 or 50 pages wouldn’t have done bad to it, above all since we had enough details to like and understand Matthew, not so many for Aaron. One thing I noticed of the story was that most of the action was into the characters mind and not all of it was shared with the reader, like when Matthew is snooping on Aaron’s emails and then we find him drunk in bed; what happened in the middle is pretty clear, and the author didn’t feel necessary to lead the reader step by step into the drama. I actually found this “dry” way to deal almost refreshing, way different from many similar books which are heavy on angst. If I remember well this was the first attempt to M/M romance of this author, so I would say that the output was pretty good.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003NX7BZ8/?...(less)

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Jun 28, 2010 Buda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I want to come up with something pithy and brilliant to say about this book, but my heart is still racing from having finished it only 15 minutes ago or so.

The other reviews and the blurb give the story line, so I'll just give my impressions. Matt is deep in a self-destructive cycle six months after the break up of his 6-year relationship with his childhood sweetheart. Because of the way the relationship ended, Matt is left with zero self-worth, fighting a black depression. He turns to alcohol...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Meraehl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: harper-fox

From what I understand Harper Fox is a newcomer to the publishing world, but you wouldn't think so to read this book. She's definitely talented and if this is her beginning work then I'm looking forward to see what she'll come up with in the future.

"Life After Joe" is an intense and engaging story. For me the biggest strength of this book was the nuanced and empathetic characterisation of the protagonist Matt. I initially thought I might be put off by Matt's self-destructive behaviour, but this...more From what I understand Harper Fox is a newcomer to the publishing world, but you wouldn't think so to read this book. She's definitely talented and if this is her beginning work then I'm looking forward to see what she'll come up with in the future.

"Life After Joe" is an intense and engaging story. For me the biggest strength of this book was the nuanced and empathetic characterisation of the protagonist Matt. I initially thought I might be put off by Matt's self-destructive behaviour, but this wasn't the case because Harper described Matt's thoughts, actions and motivations very well. I could empathize with his pain because he is shown to actually be a normal, relatable man who expected a loving companionship with his childhood friend and was badly betrayed, rather than merely a self-indulgent tosser. One thing that wasn't really touched on which may have helped explain the extent of his self-destruct was the stress he'd have also gotten from his job - long hours of challenging work on top of his personal woes would have contributed a lot to his meltdown. In any case, I felt for him all through the book, highs and lows. It made for a satisfying reading experience.

The characterisation of Aaron, the romantic interest of the book, felt a bit more uneven. Partly this is because we only see him through Matt's POV so although his basic character is deftly drawn right from the beginning, certain important aspects are unknown. I was immediately attracted to how quiet, decent and unassuming Aaron was. This is a romance where, thankfully, one can understand why the protag falls in love! That's not to say there's no conflict, or that he's annoyingly perfect by any means - he does become a bit more confusing, perversely more human and (in my opinion) unecessarily secretive in the middle of the story. This was the only thing that didn't make sense to me, as I thought someone so decent (and at one point at the end painfully honest) would have explained his situation to Matt earlier, especially as it would have shown Matt how Aaron could understand what he was going through. However, this was not enough to dampen my enthusiasm for the story, and the conclusion was very satisfying.

Any other flaws? Well, on occasion the prose was a little overwrought for my taste, and at the climax of the story both characters were a little over the top with angst. Despite this, there's not much to dislike about this well-written story. "Life After Joe" has likeable, sympathetic characters and a journey that is well worth reading. Fans of character-driven m/m books shouldn't miss out on this.
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Jul 19, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, glbt-fiction

Life After Joe was a lovely angst infested read about breaking up and moving on and dealing with grief. I really liked this book, even though I thought Matt at times needed a boot in the arse and a bit of a hurry up. The beginning of the book felt a little choppy at times with Matt’s overwhelming sadness at the end of his relationship. But it did make me think lots about how we deal with grief and even though I’m much more of a ‘sort your bloody self out’ kind of girl, I did appreciate Matt’s re...more

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Jul 07, 2010 thelastaerie rated it 5 of 5 stars

For a first-time effort, the writing is excellent and the writer shows a mature grasp of pacing and easy-flow.

The story is straight forward but wrapped with complex and strong emotions. While the romance is solid and heartwarming to read and I adore both characters, but for me, this story is beautiful torch song about break-up.

The confusion, the devastation, disappointment... the feeling of unlovable and loss sense of worth - anyone who ever has their heart seriously broken could identify. Told...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Hilcia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbt-books, my-bookshelf

4.5 Stars

Life After Joe by Harper Fox. My introduction to this author was through the novella she wrote for the "His for the Holidays" anthology: "Nine Lights Over Edinburgh." Let me tell you, that story was quite a surprise! I'm really liking this author. She creates and develops some tough, flawed characters that might not necessarily be likable, lovable or heroic, yet she makes her romances work. After reading Life After Joe, I will definitely purchase more of her books. Thank you Mariana for...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Book Utopia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 15, 2013 Sunne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is hard for me - but I'm raiting the audiobook here.

The story itself was intense, heart breaking and not always comfortable. Matt wasn't always likable but always understandable. Aaron felt like a real person. This is what made the story so good - it felt authentic, real, the guys not some pretty boys on steroids and atificial conflicts but the real deal. I would give the book 5 stars.

But - I'm rating the audiobook and it hurts me to say it - but Sean Crisden was the wrong narrator for this...more

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Mar 11, 2013 rameau rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbt, contemporary, too-stupid-to-live, who-needs-friends-like-these, read-in-2013, suckity-suck

Back when I was still feeling optimistic about Scarp Metal I bought this novella on a Valentine’s Day sale. Then I lost my optimism and I had this ebook lingering on my Kindle.

Again, at first, I thought maybe I hadn’t made such a huge mistake after all. Fox will never be one of my favourite authors but her stories are entertaining and I do have certain reading moods when I devour emotional anguish like candy. Yeah, no.

Matt is a horrible self-pitying mess with the worst taste in friends and chi...more

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 10, 2013 Tutu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved-it

Sometimes you don’t need 300 pages to fall in love with a book. 100 incredibly well written ones will do the trick.

This is the second time I read this story and it had the same impact on me as reading it for the first time. Funny thing was that I remembered only barely the plot of the book but the feeling it evoked then and now stayed with me some years after reading it.

After Joe is a beautiful story about coping with losing the person you loved and made a life with. Matthew, our main character...more

4 likes · like · see review

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About Harper Fox

Harper Fox is an M/M author with a mission. She’s produced six critically acclaimed novels in a year and is trying to dispel rumours that she has a clone/twin sister locked away in a study in her basement. In fact she simply continues working on what she loves best– creating worlds and stories for the huge cast of lovely gay men queuing up inside her head. She lives in rural Northumberland in nort...more

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