When I first started reading this book my thoughts were I didn't think it was for me but I carried on and bang, so glad I did, what a brilliant family drama it was, I couldn't put the book down and read it over two days just a brilliantly addictive read.

All the characters are so well developed and interesting, the story line is great with a few twists and turns along the way and I cannot speak highly enough about this book, a very worthy five+ stars from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

A book you didn’t know you needed to read until you’ve put it down after the last page with tears in your eyes and a bit more hope in your heart. A story involving two people who each must come to terms with a loss and must find hope to overcome their grief. Louisa, a freelance writer, moves to a little seaside town to live with her daughter and son in law after losing her husband in a car accident. She is grieving the life she had and needs to regroup and figure out what she wants to do with her life. She meets some interesting people there and is asked to write an article about an artist on the island. When she finally meets the man she is stunned. There is something about him that draws her to him that she can’t explain. She gets to know him better and feels that he has secrets he is keeping. But what are they? Will he tell her or will she have to find out herself. I absolutely loved the story and the beautifully described seaside setting. It was touching and really made me think about what forgiving and letting go does for us and others.

Emma Davies’s unforgettable family drama, “After The Crash,” will challenge you to examine both sides of an issue before passing judgement.

Louisa Adams lost her husband, William, 18 months ago in a tragic car accident. Unable to dig herself out of grief, she agrees to move into the seaside hotel her daughter and son-in-law have just bought. The plan was to involve her in the renovations to keep her mind occupied and in doing so, help put their broken family back together.

Grasping at straws to keep her journalism career, Louisa agrees to write a feature piece on a local sand artist, Isaac. It’s not the kind of article she wants to write, but agrees, thinking it’ll be a perfect stepping stone back into her career. Louisa is drawn in by the way Isaac celebrates the little things in life. She finds herself exploring the coastline with him and ‘building bridges’ between how he thinks and what she believes in an attempt to maintain their friendship. He challenges her like nobody has ever done.

As the deadline approaches for her article, Louisa uncovers a piece of evidence linking him to her husband’s death. How she deals with it is paramount as it has the potential to undo everything she’s worked to overcome, to ruin a friendship, and to rip apart her grieving family.

I loved Isaac’s character; a misunderstood and lonely soul. He shared so much with Lousia in an attempt to free her from her grief. The teacher in me identified with the teacher in him as he explained the golden ratio to Louisa using whelk shells as a reference.

Davies’s novel gives readers a chance to re-examine the concept of hope. Julia admits that she’d let grief and the pall of doom become the biggest barrier to anything changing in her life. She admits to having made no effort to change nor to live in spite of the changes in her life. She agrees to not give up on life because of the changes and the lack of choice left in her life. It’s this small window where Isaac knows he can make a difference; the little opening she’s left for hope to reside. I love his encouraging words, “nothing lasts forever, Louisa, but we don’t have to mourn something just because it’s gone. Instead, we can choose to celebrate that it was here at all.” In teaching her through his lines in the sand, he reminds her that “just because something of beauty can no longer be seen, it doesn’t mean that it no longer exists.” Just as the sea claims his beautiful art, it doesn’t mean that the image has been erased from his mind. Midst this pandemic, we could all do with a gentle reminder to make room for hope. Otherwise, it will always stay hidden.

Published March 16, 2021

Thank you to Emma Davies, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.