Omg this book, what an emotional rollercoaster of feelings. Diving into the next

I really enjoy this book even though it is not the genre I usually go for. IT was for sure an emotional ride! I am a big fan of 1D and my favourite is Harry... went to see him live 3times so , yes I LOVED it!! Great story.
*Arc kindly provided for an honest review

I was given this highly recommend book series by a teenage book friend and will admit I was hesitant to read this story at first being it was originally a One Direction fanfic. Curious I gave in...

Let me tell you THANK GOODNESS I read this novel! It gave me so many feels and thoughts that it had my mind reeling! Even though it may have started out as a 'hello new roommate my name is this and these are my friends’ type of first meeting' standpoint it held so much more as the story progressed on. Hardin is the tattoo bad boy with piercings who does not really care for anyone but himself and Tessa is the naïve girl starting in her first year of college and being on her own for the first time.

This book started a new love and hate relationship with me but not just with the Hardin but with Tessa too! The constant back and forth throughout the book facing different OMG! WTF! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!? situations (where at times I wanted to just throw the book) made it unique in my eyes. Do not let the number of chapters and the size of the published version fool you because I seriously could not put it down and read it within a days time. I am avoiding spilling any spoilers because the first time you read it will give you an overload of feelings being there and that was what got me hooked and addicted to the novel.

This book, this book, I just don't even know where to start! I immediately connected to the main character, Tessa, as I started listening because she reminded me so much of myself when I started college. Except for the way she dressed, I soooooo did not dress that bad. Except for she had the obsessions with Toms and I had/still have an obsession with Keds. But I was so naive, so innocent. I also did not have a boyfriend like she did. A lot of the things she did, said, ways she acted, were all things that I have either done, or could totally see myself doing. As I read about Tessa and the other main character, Hardin, I found myself falling in love with him along with Tessa. There were times when she was mad at him, and she would think about not going with him, but then she did. I would be shouting in my car, "Don't do it! Don't get in his car, slam the door and go back into the dorm!" But later, when I got to thinking about it, I can see that I probably would have done the same as she did, being more worried about being rude to someone. The sex scenes were very steamy. The fact that this guy, kind of an asshole, (sorry about that language, but it's the truth), gave her the first sexual experience as him pleasing her, instead of demanding she do something for him, well at the time I wished for someone like that back when I was in college, instead of the first real boyfriend I ever had, my freshman year of college. I know that their relationship is totally an emotionally abusive one, but you kind of were rooting them on, as Hardin seemed to try a little more each time she thought she couldn't take any more. But then, the end, whoa. You find out that the whole relationship started based on something so terrible. I won't tell you though. But, and while my bad experience in college was not the same as what happened to Tessa, it still brought back to me the feelings about what did happen to me, and I seriously, literally, physically felt the pain Tessa felt as it was all revealed to her. What Tessa said to Hardin, it totally summed up how I feel about what happened to me: "You took something from me that wasn't yours, Hardin. That was meant for someone who loved me, loved me truthfully. It was his, whoever he is, and you took that..." I spent the rest of that night barely able to breathe, like there was a weight on my chest, like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. And the way it ended? While the author is great as these kinds of cliffhangers as I found throughout the rest of the series, none of them compared to this one. It was so sudden, ended with basically Tessa telling someone to "Tell me everything, every single detail." That was it. I tweeted to the author about this, and she retweeted me. So, after I was able to recover a bit, a few hours later on Monday night, I picked up the sequel, and was glad to be dropped right back into the story so that I could get all the details along with Tessa.

Just so you know, if you start this, you'd better have book two, After We Collided, handy and ready to pick up, because I'm guessing you'll be just like me!

I honestly loved this whole series so much that about a month after I finished reading all of them, I had to get a tattoo. And then, I had to meet her, and so I volunteered to work at ApollyCon in Orlando back in March, then had to come up with the money for a plane ticket and a place to stay, but I did it, just so I could meet her. Seriously, get out and get your copy of this today!

This is the first book I have read by Anna Todd. After was a smash hit on wattpad, for many reasons. I love the whole college angsty genre so it was an enjoyable read. It was a tad too long, and there was so much push and pull between the characters. It was so hard to like Hardin, and it was also hard to like Tessa too, however, most if not all women have been though at least 1 relationship like this one.
You want like hell for everything to work out, and you want the fairy tale, but on the other hand you know its so toxic it should have a warning label. The author keeps you riveted and makes you want to keep reading, dangling the fact that there is a huge secret, and boy was it ever, I am so glad that it was a secret worth keeping until the end of the book, and it didn't fizzle out. I would have been so disappointed. This does end on a cliff hanger, but never fear, all the books are out, so you can keep reading. Honestly this was a good book, I would recommend it. I was put off my so many mixed reviews, and to be honest, I wanted to form my own opinion, and I am glad I did. This book it told totally in Tessa's POV.

Sometimes you read a story that strikes you hard where you're drifting in the haze left from characters who clenched every part of you. After by Anna Todd rendered me SPEECHLESS for the first time ever after finishing a book. I was left in a DAZE, my mind SPINNING. My heart pounded fast like drums in my chest. I was struck so hard by this TORNADO of a TALE that twisted and turned my heart so many times that I could barely breathe. After removed me from everything where I did nothing but LIVE this book.



After started out slow but a burn built that beckoned me right into the flames as my heart caught fire, a slow burn seeping into my soul. My emotions were heightened, swirling around in my head like a hurricane, waiting to hit. My feels flooded…all over me. After is thigh-clenching, adrenaline-inducing, emotional-exploding edge-of-your-seat exhilaration in words.

Tess is a beautiful and innocent...a good girl. Her focus is on school and she doesn't need any distractions, even if it's the beautiful disaster of a bad boy named Hardin.

Hardin is like a drug; each time I take the tiniest bite of him, I crave more and more.

After was MY DRUG and I CRAVED this story the more I read...like air needed to breathe.

Hardin is my favorite type of hero: a hot, inked, cocky, built, and broken alpha. I loved him. I hated him. Often, I didn't know how I felt about this devastatingly beautiful but mixed-up man.

I am a moth to his flame, and he never hesitates to burn me.

Tess and Hardins' story was my FIRE with flames that blazed and burned...DETONATING ME. The chemistry between Tess and Hardin, polar opposites in looks but kindred souls, is COMBUSTIBLE. Hardin is smoldering inked perfection, a man who commands, where you can only succumb to the desire.

"Do you want me fingers or my tongue?" he whispers seductively.

"Both."

"As you wish."

Oh did Hardin's words POSSESS ME.

He makes me laugh and cry, yell and scream, but most of all he makes me feel alive.

After, this EXHILARATION in words, made me feel ALIVE.

Tess...this heroine gains more strength with the turn of each page. This heroine grows up so much in this story. I wanted to high-five her a few times for standing up for herself.

"You...you make me want to be good, for you...I want to be good for you, Tess."

These words, so PASSIONATE and POIGNANT, MELTED ME.

Tess and Hardin are fire and ice. The push and pull between them is PALPABLE. I both loathed and loved Tess and Hardin together. I wanted to both hug and hit some much-needed sense into them.

"You promised you wouldn't ruin me."

Just WOW!!! I was WRECKED!!! My kindle almost didn't survive this story and neither did I. Anna Todd's After RUINED me!!! After is DEVASTATINGLY BEAUTIFUL. This book is bittersweet and broken love at its best.

Anna Todd is my newest LITERARY HERO!!! Her words are LIFE!!! Anna Todd delivers ALL THE ANGST in After that makes you FEEL ALL THE FEELS!!! Oh did I feel every word in After where I was a PRISONER to its words.

After was my HIGH...its angst my ADRENALINE and ADDICTION. I smiled ... swooned ... cried ... frowned ...sighed ... and wanted to gut-punch a character or two. This ROLLER COASTER of a ROMANCE was my RUSH, this riveting ride in words, where I could do nothing except hold on tight as my soul soared and shattered so many times. This book BROKE ME IN THE BEST WAY!!!

After crashed into me with a force I never saw coming, one where I COULD ONLY FEEL, which made me splendidly succumb to this story over and over again. I not only LOVED THIS angst-ridden love story, After, I NEEDED IT!!! I CRAVED this book that is angst and adrenaline meets POWER and PASSION. After was my DRUG and I need more, as one hit was not enough.

If I could only feel one thing for the rest of my life, this would be it.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 'but worth all of the' soul-slaying stars

A Top 2017 MUST-MEET ROMANCE!!!

These characters drove me crazy lol. So many times I felt like throwing my phone at the wall because of their constant back and forwards. Hardin was the worst, that's one messed up boy. I wanted to give him a big kick in the pants so many times. Their relationship is like a train wreck. They had their tender moments and those moments definitely got the heart pounding.
Even though they annoyed me so much, I still found myself unable to put the book down, I was glued to this book for hours needing to know what's going to happen next. I've only just finished and I now have blurry eyes and trying to wrap my head around everything.

Cliffhanger ending. I have a love hate relationship with those lol. So now I NEED to know what's going to happen next.

Besides the constant war zone between Tessa and Hardin, I did enjoy the story... an emotional pager turner.

Sweet Jesus. I finished After and immediately purchased the second book because I was hella curious what was going to happen with the leading duo. So be warned this book ends in a cliffhanger and you will want After We Collided already in your book library when you start reading.

Here's the deal - I don't really need to recap the book because the blurb does a fabulous job describing what you are entering into with After.  It's a intense romance filled with ups and downs, hot sex and lots of drama.

Honestly though, I can't decide if I actually like the main characters or not. Tessa and Hardin's relationship is filled with passion (and heartache) which leads to these crazy fights.  The problem is  I'm not sure if I'm rooting them on or wishing for Tessa and Hardin to break up and end all the angst!!

All I know is that I feel addicted to them and their crazy mixed up love affair. Which is a really weird feeling for a hopeless romantic.

So I can't guarantee you'll thank me for recommending these books because it's an anxiety filled read. However, the set of characters in After are ones that you can't walk away from even if you were over there chaos.

The story of Tess and Hardin is set in the college environment and I have to say, I usually don’t read those books anymore, but I’m so glad I read this one!

Tess is a sweet innocent teenage girl who has just started college. Hardin? He is anything but innocent. Or sweet. And yet, despite their differences (or maybe in spite?) their worlds collided, merged and are not easily torn apart.

They have this hate thingy going on, but we all know how that works out usually, don’t we? I was so excited when they got together! And then sad when they broke up. And then excited again. And then sad. And then angry that it became a never-ending cycle for them. Although I have to be honest here, for me, their on and off relationship seemed slightly annoying after a while, but it the story is so catchy you just want to see their happily ever after so you just have to finish it!

And I did…and now I’m already on the book No. 2

I really feel for poor Tessa. There’s a major plot twist I did not expect in the book. I knew something was bound to happen, but is shocked me nevertheless! I’m truly looking forward to how it all plays out in the second book!

Other characters – I love Landon! He is the perfect guy, sweet, smart, friendly, handsome. He is dreamy! Other characters, like Tess’s roommate Steph or Hardin’s friends were the cool guys, the untouchables. I usually don’t like those kind of characters, but I have to say I enjoyed the way they were portrayed in this book.

After by Anna Todd is the first book in the five book series After.
This is Hardin and Tessa's story.
I literally just finished this book and now I'm sitting here and I'm speech- and breathless.
But lets start at the beginning.
Tessa is a college freshman and Hardin a sophomore. Tessa was sheltered her whole life and is a bit a prude. That will change rather quickly with her new friends. And there is Hardin. He is a mystery. He's hot and cold, fights with her and makes up. Is more than cruel and then nice enough.
Tessa falls for him hook, line and sinker. Their chemistry is through the roof, but their relationship is toxic.
And then the book ends with a firework and a major cliifhanger.
Let me tell you, this book gutted me. I started reading and after some time I awaited the other shoe to drop. And o boy, did he drop. I promise you really really want to read this book. Don't miss out on it.
This book has everything in it, a great story, wonderful writing and words I love. It has twists and turns, turns I never had expected. My jaw hit the flor and I was speechless.
I really, really wanted to like Hardin, but he made it very difficult to.I can't say how much I love this book. The writing is brilliant and the story is great !
I Highly recommend After- This Book is a Must Must Read !! I wish I could give more than 5 Stars and thank you Anna Todd !!

I wasn't sure how I wanted to rate this book after reading it. So I waited a day. Still kinda unsure, lol. But I gave it 4 stars anyways. I haven't read the version on Wattpad, only the edited and revised copy that was published. I was really drawn in at the beginning of the book. Maybe the first half, I couldn't put it down! But then it seems the author just kept throwing in more drama, and more drama, and more drama. And then ended up with an almost 600 page novel filled with pretty much nothing but drama. Some of it seemed unnecessary to further the storyline. Just added in for good measure.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good book filled with drama, but some was just a little over the top, and very repetitive. The story was good, and I think it really had the potential to be really great if not for a few key things.

One, this book has a few errors, and inconsistencies in the storyline. (I know, I can't help finding the errors, they just jump out at me, lol!) and with it being picked up by a publisher, re-edited and reformatted to be sold, it should have been better edited. One of the major pet peeves for me was the use of contractions. It was driving me insane through the entire 592 pages! One sentence would be "I am" or "I can not" and then the next sentence would be "I'm" and "I can't" and sometimes using both in the same sentence! Might just be me, but that was aggravating reading it that way. Either don't use any contractions, or only use them. (Ex: “I am sorry that this is happening between the two of you. I know it’s my fault, but I’m far too selfish to remove myself from the situation.”)


Two, there's cheating in the book. I know it's fiction and not real life, but I'm not too keen on cheating, even in fiction. (Not a huge make or break deal for me though if I really like the story but it's not for some people).

Three, Hardin is a jerk. Majorly! Most of the book is him spent putting Tessa down, calling her immature, and yelling at her. Telling her to mind her own business, that she asked too many questions, and he would just walk away from her and not talk to her. And to some aspect, that was Tessa draw to him. He treats her poorly throughout most of the book. But, I still couldn't stop myself from reading it.

Four, Hardin is supposed to be from England and I would never have know that by they way his character speaks if it wasn't told in the story where he is from. There was maybe 2-4 words that I would expect from someone from his origin...like buggers. Most of the time he talks, he seems American. Not a huge issue, but I would have liked more of the way Englanders talk be incorporated more in his speech. I love a man with an accent ;) and wish that was brought out more.

----“You have no idea how good I can make you feel,” he says, and I gasp. How does he go from yelling at me to this? And why do I like it so much? I have no words. Hardin’s tone and dirty words make me weak, vulnerable, and confused. I have become a rabbit in a fox’s trap.

She's addicted to him, regardless of how he treats her. And she keeps going back to him for more verbal abuse just to get a glimpse of the sweet side he sometimes shows her. And it's the sweet things that kinda make you like him too...a little. It's the kinds of things that you want the hero to say to the heroine. Hardin is a hard person to get to know, with a past that has left him angry and unable to show his feelings towards others. That is another draw for Tessa. She sees the sweet side through the gruff exterior, she sees him struggling with himself to try to fight the demons of his past and be a better person.

It's like they are toxic together, broken and unable to express their feelings without the anger and the drama. But at other times, they are good together, Tessa bringing out the better side of Hardin.

-----“No, you didn’t. You make me feel . . . something unfamiliar. I don’t know how to handle these types of feelings, Tessa, so I do the only thing I know how to do.” He pauses and blows out a small breath. “Which is be an asshole.”

----Hardin is like a drug; each time I take the tiniest bit of him, I crave more and more. He consumes my thoughts and invades my dreams.


-----“You are maddening, absolutely maddening, Theresa.”
“How?” I squeak.
“I try to tell you that I . . . that I want to help you and I hold your hand but that doesn’t do anything . . . you still don’t get it. I don’t know what else to do.” He puts his face in his hands. He can’t possibly mean what I think he does?
“Get what? I don’t get what, Hardin?”
“That I want you. More than I have ever wanted anyone or anything in my entire life.” He looks away from me.

Tess seems to think all Hardin is doing is playing a game with her. He pushes her away, but then begs her to stay, to never leave him.

----Before I will let myself believe him and turn me to putty in his arms, I ask, “This isn’t part of your sick game, is it?”
“No, Tessa. I’m done with the games. I just want you. I want to be with you, in a real relationship. You’ll have to teach me what in the hell that even means, of course.” He laughs nervously and I join him with earnest laughter of my own.
“I have missed your laugh. I haven’t heard it enough. I want to be the one to make you laugh, not cry. I know I am a lot to handle—”

----“I won’t,” he says. He looks away for a second, then meets my eyes again. “I like who I am with you.”

-----“You are everything to me. I can’t lose you,” he says as my lips move over his neck and shoulder.

All in all, it was a good read and I'll read the rest of the series since I just went and bought them, lol. I have to considering how this one ended. I've seen a lot of reviews about this showing young readers (hopefully no one under 18 is reading this anyways because it is not YA!) that verbally abusive relationships and codependency on that abuser is ok. I disagree. It's fiction. And hopefully people are smart enough to distinguish between the two. I would never let anyone treat me this way, or my daughters, and I hope no one else would either. But that doesn't mean I won't read about it in books. Look at it this way, yes Tessa kept taking him back, yes she is naive and inexperienced when it comes to guys but she found her backbone and started demanding to be treated better. She stood up for herself and I hope she continues to be that way in the rest of the series! Hardin has A LOT of groveling to do!

*received a copy via Netgalley

Okay I have seen some pretty hateful reviews for this book. I was a little nervous going in after seeing them. However, I was intrigued by the story and I wanted to be able to form my own opinion.

I am actually really glad I did, because I did enjoy it. It was really addictive. It made me want to read the next books in the story.

I am giving it a three star rating because I did have trouble relating to and liking the characters a lot of the time. I thought that at times, they should not have been together, which is not something I normally find myself thinking of the main characters in a story like this.

However, it kept me completely interested and wanting to find out what happens next. I found myself clicking on the next book in the series. I will definitely be reading it soon.

OMG....I can't even with this book!
I loved every minute of it. Hardin and Tessa...I mean...no words.
This story is amazing and it broke my heart like a million times while reading it...that ending...I mean I can't even buy the next book fast enough to find out what happens.
Must read!!!!

After by Anna Todd is such an incredible novel!!

Tessa was such a terrific character to read about. She had this presence and aura about her, that made me constantly want to find out more about her.

Hardin is such a brooding, bad boy type, who will also make you love him. Trust me, there are moments where you will probably want to hate him, but it's simply impossible to do so.

I have heard so many incredible things about this novel, and can't believe I waited so long to pick it up! Everyone needs to go and read this novel for themselves ASAP! You certainly won't regret it!

5/5 Stars!

3.5
'AFTER' by Anna Todd is book One in the "After" series. This is the story of Tessa and Hardin. Please know that this book does end so that the next book ' After We Collided' can continue their story. Tessa has just graduated High School with a younger boyfriend who will be turning 18 soon. But she has left him and her home to go off to College. There she meets some new friends and also keeps having a run in with Hardin who seems to be pretty mean and rude to her. But they start to work through their issue of rubbing each other wrong until it goes past what they should be doing. Tessa has a boyfriend and Hardin knows it but it doesn't seem to stop either one of them nor their feelings.
This book did seem suited for the younger college crowd so if you are looking for that type of book this one is for you. Overall the book was good and would like to see where these two are going.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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After was a very emotional read for me. I was hooked from page one. I was happy one minute, the cursing at my Kindle the next. I love Anna Todd's writing and was happy to revisit this book. I feel like it had been ages since I read through Tessa and Hardin's story. Then I remember how it all started when I got to their first meet. I wondered what in the h#ll did I find so enticing in Hardin. Through the heavy emotions, you come to find that Hardin has struggled with the "feels" for what seems like a life time. He just does not know how to deal with wanting to care for someone else.

Oh Tessa. She is one of my favorite people. She seems like she is small and meek. But when it is time to fight, she fights with her heart and soul! She can not help how Hardin makes her feel alive. Yes she has her relationship that her mother approves of. But it is so clinical that it is almost funny. But I could truly understand the confusion she had when she wanted to stay true to one man, but had this urge to explore with another.

The battle that Tessa and Hardin go through in book one is just the beginning. I loathed Hardin when he went into a bet with his friends that had came back and destroyed Tessa. This book truly made me understand what a love/hate relationship was about. After will suck you in and not let go. You will crave for more and only hope that these two will make it out okay before destroying each other. This book will always stay in my heart.