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Falling Home #2
After the Rain
From New York Times bestselling author of the Tradd Street novels comes the sequel to Falling Home, a novel set in the picaresque town of Walton, Georgia, where one woman is about to discover that the best journey is the one that brings you home.…
Freelance photographer Suzanne Paris has been on her own since she was fourteen—and she has no intention of settling down, especially not in a tiny town like Walton. She’s here to hide out for a little while, not to form connections. Her survival depends on her ability to slip in and out of people’s lives, on never staying in one place for too long.
But Walton is a town where everyone knows everyone else—and they all seem intent on making Suzanne feel right at home. She can’t help but feel drawn to this tight-knit community—or to the town’s mayor, Joe Warner, and his six kids. But Suzanne can’t afford to stick around, even if she’s finally found a place where she belongs. Because someone is looking for her—someone who won’t stop until her life is destroyed…
CONVERSATION GUIDE INCLUDED
Freelance photographer Suzanne Paris has been on her own since she was fourteen—and she has no intention of settling down, especially not in a tiny town like Walton. She’s here to hide out for a little while, not to form connections. Her survival depends on her ability to slip in and out of people’s lives, on never staying in one place for too long.
But Walton is a town where everyone knows everyone else—and they all seem intent on making Suzanne feel right at home. She can’t help but feel drawn to this tight-knit community—or to the town’s mayor, Joe Warner, and his six kids. But Suzanne can’t afford to stick around, even if she’s finally found a place where she belongs. Because someone is looking for her—someone who won’t stop until her life is destroyed…
CONVERSATION GUIDE INCLUDED
386 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 31, 2012
562 people are currently reading
3445 people want to read
About the author
Karen White
42 books7,520 followersWith more than 2 million books in print in fifteen different languages, Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 34 novels, including the popular Charleston-set Tradd Street mystery series.
Raised in a house full of brothers, Karen’s love of books and strong female characters first began in the third grade when the local librarian issued her a library card and placed The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery, in her hands.
Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance.
Not entirely convinced she wanted to be a writer, Karen first pursued a career in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, in a weak moment, she wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. Her books—referred to as “grit lit” (Southern Women’s Fiction)—have since been nominated for numerous national contests including the SIBA (Southeastern Booksellers Alliance) Fiction Book of the Year.
Karen’s next book, THAT LAST CAROLINA SUMMER, will be published by Park Row Books in July, 2025.
When not writing, Karen spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking. Karen and her husband have two grown children and currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with two spoiled Havanese dogs.
- See more at: http://www.karen-white.com/bio.cfm#st...
Raised in a house full of brothers, Karen’s love of books and strong female characters first began in the third grade when the local librarian issued her a library card and placed The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery, in her hands.
Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance.
Not entirely convinced she wanted to be a writer, Karen first pursued a career in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, in a weak moment, she wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. Her books—referred to as “grit lit” (Southern Women’s Fiction)—have since been nominated for numerous national contests including the SIBA (Southeastern Booksellers Alliance) Fiction Book of the Year.
Karen’s next book, THAT LAST CAROLINA SUMMER, will be published by Park Row Books in July, 2025.
When not writing, Karen spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking. Karen and her husband have two grown children and currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with two spoiled Havanese dogs.
- See more at: http://www.karen-white.com/bio.cfm#st...
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October 24, 2016The Hook - After The Rain by Karen White is not my usual fare but there it was one day, sitting on the library shelf, the cover teasing me to pick it up. Happenstance? Fate? I’m not certain but it was the right book at the right time.
The Line(s) - “How wonderful. To know your place in the world before you’re even born.”
The Sinker - After The Rain is a story of the ache of not fitting in, the urge to belong and ultimately one of finding home. It is a love story at heart; a book that will make you wistful, smile, laugh out loud at times, and shed a few tears at its sense of longing. After The Rain is a Southern helping of sweet tea; a sweet story in the end undeniably.
Note: I did not realize After The Rain was a sequel to Karen White’s Falling Home. I haven’t decided if I’ll be reading this one yet.
The Line(s) - “How wonderful. To know your place in the world before you’re even born.”
The Sinker - After The Rain is a story of the ache of not fitting in, the urge to belong and ultimately one of finding home. It is a love story at heart; a book that will make you wistful, smile, laugh out loud at times, and shed a few tears at its sense of longing. After The Rain is a Southern helping of sweet tea; a sweet story in the end undeniably.
Note: I did not realize After The Rain was a sequel to Karen White’s Falling Home. I haven’t decided if I’ll be reading this one yet.
January 21, 2013
I have read all of Karen White's books, and this one, like the others, only took me a few hours to read. I was hooked from the first page. Suzanne Paris moves to a small town in Georgia in hopes of running away from her past, but realizes that the past isn't always that far behind her. During this book, I realized that it's almost a sequel - some of the characters (Sam and Cassie Parker, Joe Warner, Ed Ferrell and Lena Larson) are from a previous book of White's, "Falling Home". Although reading that first isn't necessary to understand this story (Suzanne is a new character and her story as well as the other character's are explained pretty thoroughly), it would make a lot of sense to read it first. Also, I'm a shameless fan of White's, so I won't pass up and opportunity to recommend another one of her novels!
Overall, this book was charming and full of mystery and romance, plus a dash of comedy and family themes that pull the novel together nicely. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who has a few hours to kill; I found it hard to put it down once I started.
Overall, this book was charming and full of mystery and romance, plus a dash of comedy and family themes that pull the novel together nicely. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who has a few hours to kill; I found it hard to put it down once I started.
January 16, 2013
I know it sounds a bit cliche', but I was hooked by page 2 of this story and basically read until I finished the book! I loved this sequel and thought White did a fabulous job of putting the reader right back in lives of the characters from Falling Home. Oh my did I fall in love with the southern town of Walton, Georgia and yes, I fell in love with many of the people who walked those quaint streets. White has a way with creating a story line that doesn't seem far-fetched. My heart broke a few times as Joe learned how to be a parent without his beloved wife, how to trust another person with his children, and to allow himself the freedom to love again. Each character added something to this story and left an impression on my heart.
Recommend? Oh my, yes!!! But please read Falling Home first. It adds extra depth to this story and the characters might not really get to you without doing so!!
Source: Karen White and Fiona Brown @ Penguin Group
Disclaimer: Thank you to Penguin Group and Karen White for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel.
Bookish Thoughts #72
© 2013, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
January 3, 2013
I am such a huge fan of Karen White. Whenever I pick up a Karen White novel, I know I am in for a great few hours of reading, living vicariously through vividly drawn characters and their crazy Southern-fried lives. After the Rain takes us back to the small town from Falling Home, little Walton, Georgia. Not only do we return to Walton, but we are smack dab in the middle of the lives we left in Falling Home. I still remember the moment I finished Falling Home and how I was laughing and crying at the same time! Such a fabulous book! Here's a guest post from the author regarding the Southern Perspective and Falling Home.
After the Rain begins with Suzanne Paris stepping off the Atlanta Greyhound Bus in Walton, Georgia. Almost immediately Suzanne offends the Mayor when confronted with his six children in various half-dressed states running around the small-town store, and she states "Don't they have leash laws in this state?"
Upon discovering that Suzanne has no place to stay, is not visiting "her people" and as a matter of fact, doesn't know any people in Walton, the widowed Mayor finds a place for Suzanne to stay, although there is not a motel anywhere near Walton. Soon, Aunt Lucinda (sister and caretaker to the Mayor's six children) has Suzanne working for her in her lingerie shop and the oldest of the Mayor's six children has Suzanne teaching her the finer points to photography upon discovering Suzanne is a gifted freelance photographer.
What no one knows in this small town is that Suzanne is on the run from her abusive ex-fiance. And she has never been in a small-town community where everyone knows everyone and people care about you. Suzanne comes from a life of moving in and out of foster homes and from a mother who chose the bottle rather than her daughter. To be welcomed in Walton, to make friends and discover a life she didn't even know she craved, Suzanne lays down her armor and allows her heart to be melted. But there's still one person out there intent on destroying Suzanne's life.
Karen White has a way of pulling the reader into the story and can have you laughing one sentence and in tears the next. It was so nice to re-visit several of the characters from Falling Home (one of my all-time favorite Karen White novels!). Although in After the Rain I was put off by both Suzanne and the Mayor's characters; I came to love the growth and development each went through in the novel ~ Suzanne learns to trust and heal while the Mayor and his brood of children learn to love and heal. Karen White is also quite adept at pulling a community into the novel to where it is almost a character of itself ~ Walton, Georgia becomes a prime example. And although After the Rain is a follow-up novel to Falling Home, it is not necessary to first read Falling Home. (but I would recommend you read Falling Home simply because it's one of White's most entertaining!)
After the Rain begins with Suzanne Paris stepping off the Atlanta Greyhound Bus in Walton, Georgia. Almost immediately Suzanne offends the Mayor when confronted with his six children in various half-dressed states running around the small-town store, and she states "Don't they have leash laws in this state?"
Upon discovering that Suzanne has no place to stay, is not visiting "her people" and as a matter of fact, doesn't know any people in Walton, the widowed Mayor finds a place for Suzanne to stay, although there is not a motel anywhere near Walton. Soon, Aunt Lucinda (sister and caretaker to the Mayor's six children) has Suzanne working for her in her lingerie shop and the oldest of the Mayor's six children has Suzanne teaching her the finer points to photography upon discovering Suzanne is a gifted freelance photographer.
What no one knows in this small town is that Suzanne is on the run from her abusive ex-fiance. And she has never been in a small-town community where everyone knows everyone and people care about you. Suzanne comes from a life of moving in and out of foster homes and from a mother who chose the bottle rather than her daughter. To be welcomed in Walton, to make friends and discover a life she didn't even know she craved, Suzanne lays down her armor and allows her heart to be melted. But there's still one person out there intent on destroying Suzanne's life.
Karen White has a way of pulling the reader into the story and can have you laughing one sentence and in tears the next. It was so nice to re-visit several of the characters from Falling Home (one of my all-time favorite Karen White novels!). Although in After the Rain I was put off by both Suzanne and the Mayor's characters; I came to love the growth and development each went through in the novel ~ Suzanne learns to trust and heal while the Mayor and his brood of children learn to love and heal. Karen White is also quite adept at pulling a community into the novel to where it is almost a character of itself ~ Walton, Georgia becomes a prime example. And although After the Rain is a follow-up novel to Falling Home, it is not necessary to first read Falling Home. (but I would recommend you read Falling Home simply because it's one of White's most entertaining!)
October 29, 2021
A sequel to Falling Home that Karen White fans will enjoy. I’m so glad that I watched an interview with the author where she disclosed that a main character in her current book, The Last Night in London, originally appeared in these two books. I’m sure you don’t have to read these books first but it will make it more enjoyable for me.
January 17, 2013
I loved this Nook book! As usual Karen never disappoints! After reading Falling Home, set in Walton, GA with some special characters, could not wait to return to catch up with the small town cast (Cassie and more). After the rain is also set in Walton, GA with the main character of Suzanne, a photographer from Chicago is passing thru Georgia and lands in Walton on the bus. Suzanne is running away from her past and secrets. She thinks she will be able to hideout her; however, anything but as this town embraces her.
Needing a mother of her own, she meets all sorts of mother figures and some she can be a mother to as well. Of course, she meets Joe, a mayor and a school teacher whose wife died 3 yrs ago and raising six children with an eccentric aunt (loved this character). As Suzanne only anticipates staying for a short visit, falls in love and finally learns the meaning of home. She befriends Maddie, Joe’s teenage daughter; however, in the process some secrets come out which can cause all sorts of issues for everyone. The book was well-written, funny, loveable, and true to life….makes you want to go back to small town living!
Looking forward to reading Karen’s next book – “The Time Between” June 2013.
Needing a mother of her own, she meets all sorts of mother figures and some she can be a mother to as well. Of course, she meets Joe, a mayor and a school teacher whose wife died 3 yrs ago and raising six children with an eccentric aunt (loved this character). As Suzanne only anticipates staying for a short visit, falls in love and finally learns the meaning of home. She befriends Maddie, Joe’s teenage daughter; however, in the process some secrets come out which can cause all sorts of issues for everyone. The book was well-written, funny, loveable, and true to life….makes you want to go back to small town living!
Looking forward to reading Karen’s next book – “The Time Between” June 2013.
August 11, 2016
Quick synopsis of After the Rain by Karen White:
Suzanne Paris is running from a troubled relationship as well as a troubled past. On her way to an undetermined destination, she stops in Walton, GA. Here, she stops and begins to make friends and to find exactly what she is looking for in life.
This is a great story of friendship and love and how they survive in spite of disappointments and sadness of life. There are some funny southern stereotypes and the mysterious connection between Suzanne and the town isn't really that big of a deal. What is great is how the author captured the cohesiveness of family and the power of forgiveness.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
Suzanne Paris is running from a troubled relationship as well as a troubled past. On her way to an undetermined destination, she stops in Walton, GA. Here, she stops and begins to make friends and to find exactly what she is looking for in life.
This is a great story of friendship and love and how they survive in spite of disappointments and sadness of life. There are some funny southern stereotypes and the mysterious connection between Suzanne and the town isn't really that big of a deal. What is great is how the author captured the cohesiveness of family and the power of forgiveness.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
February 2, 2017
I think I may be overly generous in giving this book two stars. I picked it up out of desperation at an airport shop in need of an extra book to read on vacation. Not a fan at all of "romance" novels, but the description on the back cover (in addition to the fact that it was an oversized paperback that cost $16!) didn't let on that "After The Rain" was exactly that. Also I've never read any of Karen White's books before so had no idea what I was in for. The first couple of chapters were absorbing, and I was hopeful that it was going to be a pretty good book, but it quickly deteriorated into a predictable, formulaic, sappy story with a ridiculous story line. Sorry Karen White fans, but if she's supposed to be a good author then I think she didn't try very hard with this one.
January 20, 2013
I can not get enough of Karen White's novels and this one did not let me down. Her stories and characters draw me in and I can not put them down till they are over. My only complaint is that I know am forced to wait for her next novel!
January 1, 2013
Suzanne Paris, as she is now calling herself, is a freelance photographer who is running away. We don’t know for a long time where she’s from but we do know that she is a woman who for years has had no “hometown” and immediately goes on the run whenever anyone tries to get too close or begins to start connecting dots to the mystery of her past. It’s a lonely life; and despite Suzanne’s tough exterior appearance, underneath she’s like a tightly-wired machine that is super-exhausted underneath.
Suzanne’s luck is holding so far when she decides to get off a cross-country bus in Walton, Georgia, a typical Southern town with extraordinary hospitality and just as extraordinary nosiness. Everyone knows everyone and makes sure everyone else knows the whole story about each resident, guest and visitor! One has to laugh if it didn’t freak out Suzanne more, yet one does as the caring nature of these “strangers” is warming to the heart, a counter to the irritating qualities of town busybodies.
The first person Suzanne meets is the town mayor, Joe Warner, a man totally blasted from taking care of his six kids and grieving today for his wife who died years ago. In fact, he grieves as intensely as he did the day she died. He seems to always be showing up in situations where Suzanne is desperate for help and at first her irritation at his questioning is downright annoying. That takes quite a while to overcome and their relationship begins to improve when Suzanne shares her gift for photography with Joe’s daughter, Maddie, and gradually becomes a major influence in her life. So the story goes on and on and on….
All the characters have something to learn about their strengths and weaknesses. Suzanne may look “tough as nails” but has a heart of gold and is a very, very talented, skilled, sensitive photographer. Slowly but surely the picture gets better and better until the past returns with a vengeance and seems to make everything go wrong. Will it all be sorted and resolved – no spoilers here, LOL!
After the Rain is another hit novel for Karen White who knows how to balance the ups and downs of emotional women and crisis situations with just the right amount of revelation to make each scene more than credible. She is one very knowledgeable and talented writer, proven again in this wonderful work of romance and/or contemporary fiction!
Suzanne’s luck is holding so far when she decides to get off a cross-country bus in Walton, Georgia, a typical Southern town with extraordinary hospitality and just as extraordinary nosiness. Everyone knows everyone and makes sure everyone else knows the whole story about each resident, guest and visitor! One has to laugh if it didn’t freak out Suzanne more, yet one does as the caring nature of these “strangers” is warming to the heart, a counter to the irritating qualities of town busybodies.
The first person Suzanne meets is the town mayor, Joe Warner, a man totally blasted from taking care of his six kids and grieving today for his wife who died years ago. In fact, he grieves as intensely as he did the day she died. He seems to always be showing up in situations where Suzanne is desperate for help and at first her irritation at his questioning is downright annoying. That takes quite a while to overcome and their relationship begins to improve when Suzanne shares her gift for photography with Joe’s daughter, Maddie, and gradually becomes a major influence in her life. So the story goes on and on and on….
All the characters have something to learn about their strengths and weaknesses. Suzanne may look “tough as nails” but has a heart of gold and is a very, very talented, skilled, sensitive photographer. Slowly but surely the picture gets better and better until the past returns with a vengeance and seems to make everything go wrong. Will it all be sorted and resolved – no spoilers here, LOL!
After the Rain is another hit novel for Karen White who knows how to balance the ups and downs of emotional women and crisis situations with just the right amount of revelation to make each scene more than credible. She is one very knowledgeable and talented writer, proven again in this wonderful work of romance and/or contemporary fiction!
January 7, 2013
After the Rain by Karen White is a republished and remastered novel that is full of twists and turns, touches lightly on the desolation of a broken family life and the darkness people can fall into as a result, and the hope that just might be around the corner. Suzanne Paris is on a bus to Atlanta when she decides on a whim to get off in Walton, Ga., where she meets a large family and finds the home she’s been looking for all of her life. But with the sun comes rain. And there is a deluge of it in this book.
Suzanne has a past that is not far behind her, even as her freelance photography job takes her to many places. She’s running from a life and for her life, and White has created a character who is both likeable and unlikeable. She keeps secrets even from those know care for her, and her ability to trust others is very tenuous and easily broken by the wrong word or action, which White captures easily in her imagery. From how she’s described by the muscular, hot mayor Joe Warner — who also teaches at the high school and coaches football — to how Suzanne pauses before answering questions about her past, readers will find a character who is taken in slowly by the small town and its residents but frightened of how her own past could harm them.
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2013/01/a...
Suzanne has a past that is not far behind her, even as her freelance photography job takes her to many places. She’s running from a life and for her life, and White has created a character who is both likeable and unlikeable. She keeps secrets even from those know care for her, and her ability to trust others is very tenuous and easily broken by the wrong word or action, which White captures easily in her imagery. From how she’s described by the muscular, hot mayor Joe Warner — who also teaches at the high school and coaches football — to how Suzanne pauses before answering questions about her past, readers will find a character who is taken in slowly by the small town and its residents but frightened of how her own past could harm them.
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2013/01/a...
September 9, 2024
3-3.5 ⭐️ a moving story about overcoming hardships and new beginnings.
January 2, 2013
Suzanne Paris is running away. Someone terrible is trying to find her. Suzanne is heading to Atlanta, when the bus stops at Walton, Georgia. Suzanne feels a strong pull towards this small town. Well it also does not hurt that the necklace that Suzanne’s mother gave her has the name R. Michael Jewelers, Walton inscribed on the back. Suzanne does not make the best first impression, especially on the mayor, Joe.
After the Rain is the follow up to Falling Home. You do not have to read that book prior to reading this one. In fact, it has been a while since I read Falling Home that I did not realize in the beginning that this book was the follow up to Falling Home. One thing that I enjoy about Karen White’s books are her characters. Good or bad the characters do draw me into their world. When I say bad what I really mean is that the character may be a bad person but I still feel something towards them. Luckily for this book, there was not really any “bad” persons, other then the person that Suzanne was running from. This means that I am invested in that character. So for this fact, this book is a fast read.
In the beginning I was not so fond of Suzanne or Joe. I understood about Suzanne having a guard around herself but she came off standoffish. Joe was rude to Suzanne, which I did not think he needed to be. However, after getting to know them more as the story progressed, I could feel the chemistry between Suzanne and Joe. The people of Walton are friendly and entertaining. Or course, some of my favorites were Joe’s Aunt Lucinda and his younger children like Amanda. The younger kids always get me in the books. They have such innocence. After the Rain is a good read with nice characters.
After the Rain is the follow up to Falling Home. You do not have to read that book prior to reading this one. In fact, it has been a while since I read Falling Home that I did not realize in the beginning that this book was the follow up to Falling Home. One thing that I enjoy about Karen White’s books are her characters. Good or bad the characters do draw me into their world. When I say bad what I really mean is that the character may be a bad person but I still feel something towards them. Luckily for this book, there was not really any “bad” persons, other then the person that Suzanne was running from. This means that I am invested in that character. So for this fact, this book is a fast read.
In the beginning I was not so fond of Suzanne or Joe. I understood about Suzanne having a guard around herself but she came off standoffish. Joe was rude to Suzanne, which I did not think he needed to be. However, after getting to know them more as the story progressed, I could feel the chemistry between Suzanne and Joe. The people of Walton are friendly and entertaining. Or course, some of my favorites were Joe’s Aunt Lucinda and his younger children like Amanda. The younger kids always get me in the books. They have such innocence. After the Rain is a good read with nice characters.
April 27, 2021
I am usually a huge Karen White fan..in fact when I learned this was a sequel to Falling Home I went back and re-listened to Falling Home to reacquaint myself with the story and the characters.
In After the Rain we meet Suzanne Paris who is a mysterious woman who on a whim decides to get off the bus in Walton,Ga where she's befriended by the town and warily my Joe..who lost his wife Harriet to breast cancer she was diagnosed with while she was pregnant with their son and died shortly after his birth.
Suzanne is sucked in by a feeling of home and being needed..but is a woman running from a troubled past..and that's as interesting as it gets..
As for Suzanne being troubled and mysterious..she's just annoying..not even an interesting kind of troubled..no tattoos, or piercings..she's been on her own since she was 15..but remarkably free of body art..not likely.
Then there's Joe..widowed dad of 5/6..a bunch..now we know why he didn't say much in Falling Home..he's a tad bland..but that could be exhaustion from the single Dad gig..I couldn't find it in me to care..
Maddie..sassy prankster is now ready for college..but Dad is holding on too tight..probably needs the babysitter..but still a manages to pull some stunts that give this story a little boost..
All and all.. I was sadly disappointed.. I'm a huge Karen White fan..and this one felt like she was fulfilling a two book deal...and just phoned #2 in.. The sad thing is..this could have been a good book...I really wanted to like it and I couldn't. I actually returned it to Audible..which I've only done with a few books and I have over 300 titles in varied genres. I'm going to think that this book is an exception rather than a rule..in regard to Karen White as an author. She's a wonderful storyteller.
In After the Rain we meet Suzanne Paris who is a mysterious woman who on a whim decides to get off the bus in Walton,Ga where she's befriended by the town and warily my Joe..who lost his wife Harriet to breast cancer she was diagnosed with while she was pregnant with their son and died shortly after his birth.
Suzanne is sucked in by a feeling of home and being needed..but is a woman running from a troubled past..and that's as interesting as it gets..
As for Suzanne being troubled and mysterious..she's just annoying..not even an interesting kind of troubled..no tattoos, or piercings..she's been on her own since she was 15..but remarkably free of body art..not likely.
Then there's Joe..widowed dad of 5/6..a bunch..now we know why he didn't say much in Falling Home..he's a tad bland..but that could be exhaustion from the single Dad gig..I couldn't find it in me to care..
Maddie..sassy prankster is now ready for college..but Dad is holding on too tight..probably needs the babysitter..but still a manages to pull some stunts that give this story a little boost..
All and all.. I was sadly disappointed.. I'm a huge Karen White fan..and this one felt like she was fulfilling a two book deal...and just phoned #2 in.. The sad thing is..this could have been a good book...I really wanted to like it and I couldn't. I actually returned it to Audible..which I've only done with a few books and I have over 300 titles in varied genres. I'm going to think that this book is an exception rather than a rule..in regard to Karen White as an author. She's a wonderful storyteller.
November 24, 2014
Not knowing that this was actually a follow up to Falling Home where the main characters were introduced, I still found After the Rain to be an engaging stand alone novel. It just made me want to go to small town Walton, Georgia and meet the wonderful people who know each other and everyone's business and who care about each other in spite of their flaws.
Suzanne Paris is running from her ex-fiance and from her life as a successful photographer in New York. She is used to moving around--in and out of foster care while her mother tried to cut back on the alcohol, the only permanent thing she has is a heart necklace engraved with an inscription and the name of jeweler that brings back fuzzy memories of a loving touch and a soft voice. It seems to be destiny that she get off the bus in Walton rather than her plan to lose herself in Atlanta.
Joe Warner is the mayor of Walton, a high school teacher, and widower with 6 children. He has little time and less desire to look at another woman let alone have a relationship with one, especially one that has just insulted his parenting and his children. Of course, that changes.
This book was predictable, light, and fluffy; but it wasn't the plot that engaged me--it was the delightful characters full of quirks and love in their well-meaning hearts. Combined with some manipulation by the people of Walton who love Joe and have fallen in love with Suzanne along with mystical glows in photographs, pennies from heaven, and a quote that appears wherever Suzanne goes, the story unfolds just as I predicted and just as I wanted. The story made me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and sometimes a reader needs just that!
Suzanne Paris is running from her ex-fiance and from her life as a successful photographer in New York. She is used to moving around--in and out of foster care while her mother tried to cut back on the alcohol, the only permanent thing she has is a heart necklace engraved with an inscription and the name of jeweler that brings back fuzzy memories of a loving touch and a soft voice. It seems to be destiny that she get off the bus in Walton rather than her plan to lose herself in Atlanta.
Joe Warner is the mayor of Walton, a high school teacher, and widower with 6 children. He has little time and less desire to look at another woman let alone have a relationship with one, especially one that has just insulted his parenting and his children. Of course, that changes.
This book was predictable, light, and fluffy; but it wasn't the plot that engaged me--it was the delightful characters full of quirks and love in their well-meaning hearts. Combined with some manipulation by the people of Walton who love Joe and have fallen in love with Suzanne along with mystical glows in photographs, pennies from heaven, and a quote that appears wherever Suzanne goes, the story unfolds just as I predicted and just as I wanted. The story made me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and sometimes a reader needs just that!
June 24, 2013
I have to stop giving Karen White chances.
This was really bad. The characters were so uninteresting, but worse, unrealistic. Well, to be fair, Suzanne wasn't so bad, but Joe was just beyond belief. Maybe I'm just turning into a cynic, but he really was too good to be true. Maddie was also a mess. A teen-ager (with a believable fear of mortality) who so easily forgives such a betrayal of trust and then proceeds to give her father words of wisdom? Maybe it could happen, but the way White wrote it. Also, the girl's tendancy to pull pranks did not fit with such an eagerness to be loved by Suzanne. I know people are complex, but nothing about Maddie's actions indicated that she was a prankster. She helped with her siblings, she was so eager to bond with Suzanne. It just didn't work.
I usually blindly enjoy stories without giving too much thought into what will happen, but this was so predictable, I could have told the story in three sentences. The kind-of supernatural touches placed in the story were cliche and simple. The book made people from the south look like extreme morons. If I lived in a small Southern town, I'd be insulted. The dismissal of "the bad guy" was really silly.
Sorry, I liked some of White's books, but of late, I haven't been impressed.
This was really bad. The characters were so uninteresting, but worse, unrealistic. Well, to be fair, Suzanne wasn't so bad, but Joe was just beyond belief. Maybe I'm just turning into a cynic, but he really was too good to be true. Maddie was also a mess. A teen-ager (with a believable fear of mortality) who so easily forgives such a betrayal of trust and then proceeds to give her father words of wisdom? Maybe it could happen, but the way White wrote it. Also, the girl's tendancy to pull pranks did not fit with such an eagerness to be loved by Suzanne. I know people are complex, but nothing about Maddie's actions indicated that she was a prankster. She helped with her siblings, she was so eager to bond with Suzanne. It just didn't work.
I usually blindly enjoy stories without giving too much thought into what will happen, but this was so predictable, I could have told the story in three sentences. The kind-of supernatural touches placed in the story were cliche and simple. The book made people from the south look like extreme morons. If I lived in a small Southern town, I'd be insulted. The dismissal of "the bad guy" was really silly.
Sorry, I liked some of White's books, but of late, I haven't been impressed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2013
Another outstanding book from one of my favorite authors. Even though I knew from the very beginning what was probably going to happen, I had great difficulty putting this one down. Heartwarming, delightful, uplifting---these are all adjectives that come to mind when I think about this book. It also causes one to think, how do you handle "the rain" that inevitably falls in each of our lives?
January 13, 2013
This was a really good book, a nice sequel to Falling Home.
January 26, 2013
Did not like. I finally skipped to the last few chapters just to find out Suzanne's (boring) secret. Just went on and on.
February 10, 2025
I always enjoy a Karen White story after a string of historical fiction with hard subjects and death and hurtful scenarios. I call her my “beach read” as her writing style has a calming effect, she is a wonderful great story teller with dark family secrets and intrigue. . Although I did not know that this was book two of two not reading the first book I still enjoyed the characters the town of Walton, how people take care of each other in hard times, and make each other laugh in good times. It reminded me of my dad’s little hometown where everybody knew each other whether you liked it or not. Always a pleasure to read one of her beautifully written stories, even if I did have an idea of how it was gonna end.
January 7, 2024
This book is a sequel of Falling Home. I didnt realize that and ended up reading it. Not sure if that would make a big difference or not with my overall impression. I tend to like a little more drama and 'spice' with the books I read and this needed more. It did have some mystery but you almost could guess what would happen. The chapters and paragraphs also seemed to join around a little which then caused confusion at times. Overall, I gave it a 3 because it was an okay read and I did enjoy it and the ending.
February 26, 2013
When free lance photographer Suzanne Paris impulsively decided to get off the bus in Walton, Georgia, instead of going on to Atlanta, she knew she was taking a risk. A risk that might threaten everything she held dear. But there was an incredible pull that seemed to be guiding her that day....
Almost immediately, she is thrust into the middle of Joe Warner's life, and the huddle of his six offspring that surround him; and when she starts forming connections with his family and friends, she is risking more than just her past, but also her heart.
How does a person avoid forming connections in a small town that seemingly wraps its arms around her? How does an unusual necklace somehow unleash the secrets of the past for both Suzanne and someone else in Walton? What is the special meaning of the inscription: "A life without rain is like the sun without shade"? And how does a photographer's exhibit in Atlanta start the unraveling of her secrets, even as she begins to realize that she has overstayed her time in Walton?
Wonderful characters from "Falling Home" join the reader in "After the Rain," its sequel. We get to connect with Cassie again, even as we come to know more about Joe and Harriet and their special love. And at the center of the story is Joe's teenaged daughter Maddie, with whom Suzanne develops a special bond.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, and could feel myself settling into the scenes as the writer brought them to life with the dialogue and the special Southern sayings that tell us exactly what small town life in Walton looks and feels like. I could almost taste the sweet tea, even as I also savored the special dishes that felt as much a part of the story as the characters. More than a romance or even a mystery, this tale felt like a walk along the pathways of a town; a journey that I really didn't want to leave behind. A journey that leads full circle and straight back to home. Five stars.
Almost immediately, she is thrust into the middle of Joe Warner's life, and the huddle of his six offspring that surround him; and when she starts forming connections with his family and friends, she is risking more than just her past, but also her heart.
How does a person avoid forming connections in a small town that seemingly wraps its arms around her? How does an unusual necklace somehow unleash the secrets of the past for both Suzanne and someone else in Walton? What is the special meaning of the inscription: "A life without rain is like the sun without shade"? And how does a photographer's exhibit in Atlanta start the unraveling of her secrets, even as she begins to realize that she has overstayed her time in Walton?
Wonderful characters from "Falling Home" join the reader in "After the Rain," its sequel. We get to connect with Cassie again, even as we come to know more about Joe and Harriet and their special love. And at the center of the story is Joe's teenaged daughter Maddie, with whom Suzanne develops a special bond.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, and could feel myself settling into the scenes as the writer brought them to life with the dialogue and the special Southern sayings that tell us exactly what small town life in Walton looks and feels like. I could almost taste the sweet tea, even as I also savored the special dishes that felt as much a part of the story as the characters. More than a romance or even a mystery, this tale felt like a walk along the pathways of a town; a journey that I really didn't want to leave behind. A journey that leads full circle and straight back to home. Five stars.
July 26, 2013
I was all excited about starting this really great book by Karen White. I sat down and just couldn't wait to read it because the back of the book sounded like my type of book that I would read. Right from the beginning it was really good about the main character Suzanne Paris who is a freelance photographer decides to runaway from her life back home and wants to move to a little place but not to make roots there and not fall in love with anybody because she is just passing through and is hiding from a certain someone that won't stop looking for her until her life is destroyed. After I got more into the book it felt so familiar and then I remembered reading a book about this same situation but it was called Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks.
I am not saying I didn't like the book I loved it because Safe Haven was a really great book also. But reading another book about the same thing happening to the main character that happened in another book was kinda hard for me to read that book and not think about the other book. The main character Suzanne doesn't want to get close to anybody or fall in love with anybody. Until she meets a handsome mysterious guy named Joe Warner that has 6 kids because his wife passed away. But Suzanne just wants to hide for a little bit and then get out because she doesn't want to make any friends. I finished the book and loved it but just wish it had a bit of a different story then Safe Haven. So when you read it try not to think about that book and try to think about this book and love the story and the characters. Sorry this review is so short but I tried my best but all I wanted to write about was Nicholas Sparks Safe Haven instead of this book. But take a chance and read it. If you didn't read that other book then you will love this book.
I am not saying I didn't like the book I loved it because Safe Haven was a really great book also. But reading another book about the same thing happening to the main character that happened in another book was kinda hard for me to read that book and not think about the other book. The main character Suzanne doesn't want to get close to anybody or fall in love with anybody. Until she meets a handsome mysterious guy named Joe Warner that has 6 kids because his wife passed away. But Suzanne just wants to hide for a little bit and then get out because she doesn't want to make any friends. I finished the book and loved it but just wish it had a bit of a different story then Safe Haven. So when you read it try not to think about that book and try to think about this book and love the story and the characters. Sorry this review is so short but I tried my best but all I wanted to write about was Nicholas Sparks Safe Haven instead of this book. But take a chance and read it. If you didn't read that other book then you will love this book.
January 24, 2013
I received a copy of After the Rain by Karen White in exchange for an honest review. I can never turn down a Karen White book, no matter how busy my schedule may be. Her books have a way of drawing me in, to surrendering to the plot and the characters, and I am just drawn to them. I had a fabulous time reading After the Rain, and thought it was quite a charming novel. It starts off with freelance photographer Suzanne Paris on a bus, escaping from something or someone. While at a stop in Walton, Georgia she makes the fateful decision to step off – and everything changes. She is quickly pulled into the small town, its residents, and all the special quirks and characters that fill the town. She is especially drawn to the mayor, Joe Warner, and his six children. But Suzanne is always on the run, she must never settle or get too comfortable. But the town of Walton has different ideas for her.
I was immediately invested in this story, and not just because of Suzanne, though her back-story is quite intriguing. Joe and his children were fascinating to me, and the other characters from Walton filled out the book in all the right places. The only, only part that didn’t make much sense to me and had such a big storyline was Joe’s run for mayor. Walton is described as a small town where everyone looks out for each other, but Joe was so concerned about losing the race to a guy that is seemed no one in the town liked. I couldn’t fully grasp that plot point because the two stories then seemed to contradict each other. But overall, I thought this was such a good read and one I highly recommend. I look forward to more from Karen White!
I was immediately invested in this story, and not just because of Suzanne, though her back-story is quite intriguing. Joe and his children were fascinating to me, and the other characters from Walton filled out the book in all the right places. The only, only part that didn’t make much sense to me and had such a big storyline was Joe’s run for mayor. Walton is described as a small town where everyone looks out for each other, but Joe was so concerned about losing the race to a guy that is seemed no one in the town liked. I couldn’t fully grasp that plot point because the two stories then seemed to contradict each other. But overall, I thought this was such a good read and one I highly recommend. I look forward to more from Karen White!
November 29, 2023
Dar viena graži meilės istorija, dar viena autorės knyga, kuri absoliučiai mano skonio. Skaitant vis regėjau filmo Saugus prieglobstis siužeto dalis, nes kažkaip labai panašiai vyko veiksmas, ir istorija, vienišas tėvas, besislapstanti nuo buvusiojo simpatiška mergina, bijojimas įsipareigoti, išsiduoti, bet meilė apakina ir priverčia viską iš naujo apmąstyti. Kadangi istorija tęsiasi po trijų praėjusių metų nuo to, kas vyko autorės knygoje Sugrįžimas namo, tad labai rekomenduoju skaityti vieną po kitos, bus lengviau suprasti įvykius ir įdomu buvo kaip kas gyveno toliau. Kuo toliau, tuo labiau man ši autorė patinka, tad ir kitas knygas jau įsitraukiau į skaitymo sąrašą 😊
May 15, 2013
After the Rain, the sequel to Falling Home, was first published in 2003 and then again in 2012 after revising. This is the eighth Karen White book I have read, and I liked it much better than Falling Home. The story begins as Suzanne Paris comes to Walton, Georgia, and meets Joe Warner, the town's mayor, who is a widower with six kids. Suzanne is on the run and this little town seems the perfect place to stay for awhile. Of course she becomes enamored of life in a small Southern town with all its eccentric residents, but she has to face her past before she can make a future in Walton. My favorite character in this book was Maddie, the daughter most affected by the death of Joe's wife. The relationship Suzanne and Maddie develop is life-altering for both of them. Familiar plot devices of White's are present in this book as well, including Maddie's scrapbook and the necklace Suzanne wears that was a gift from her mother. Still a great read about a lovely little town!
June 4, 2023
This was not my favorite Karen White book. I enjoy her style of writing but I had difficulty believing the characters and the various plot twists and turns. I didn't get drawn into the characters and their problems and challenges, though I did enjoy her description of the lovely town of Walton where everyone lived. She made it sound like a charming place to live where everyone cares about one another. It's a lovely, easy read but I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed some of her other novels.
January 2, 2013
3-1/2 stars
Enjoyable women's fiction leaning towards romance. Story of a woman who had grown up in the foster system with a mother who continually came and took her out again but could never straighten her life up. The daughter is now grown but is living a rootless life as a freelance photographer who wanders into a small town in Georgia and gets mixed up with all the people there. She falls in love with a widower who has six children. The story is at its strongest when showing the relationship of the hero with his children. Very clear and vivid imagery. The ending was a bit simplistic and hokey but all in all I enjoyed it enough that I will more than likely look up more by this author.
Enjoyable women's fiction leaning towards romance. Story of a woman who had grown up in the foster system with a mother who continually came and took her out again but could never straighten her life up. The daughter is now grown but is living a rootless life as a freelance photographer who wanders into a small town in Georgia and gets mixed up with all the people there. She falls in love with a widower who has six children. The story is at its strongest when showing the relationship of the hero with his children. Very clear and vivid imagery. The ending was a bit simplistic and hokey but all in all I enjoyed it enough that I will more than likely look up more by this author.
January 31, 2013
To be transformed through the kindness of others and challenges of new people is a rare thing today and Karen White captures a beautiful picture of it in this story of a wayward woman trying to hide and yet longing to be found. Suzanne finds herself stepping off the bus from Chicago into the rural town of Walton, Georgia to give herself a temporary stopping place of running from an abusive ex-fiance and a motherless past and begins to find that this is where she has always belonged and that she has been loved all along.
February 8, 2013
So I loved "Falling Home" this was just as good. I definitely liked the first novel better though. She definitely did a great job picking up where she left off. Walton sounds like a town where you would want to run away too. I loved the new characters and seeing how the old characters from the early books developed later. I can't wait to read the next book she writes! Hopefully she will write another book with the Walton , Georgia characters. Maddie could always have a story of her own! I love Karen White!
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