Before and After You

de Hope Ellis (2021) SmartyPants Romance

Résumé : Leigh D'Alessandro is a fighter. She fought to escape her dysfunctional family, to end a soul-killing marriage, and to build a new life in a small Tennessee town. When the fate of the community hospital she works for is threatened, she's primed and ready for battle. What she can't fight any longer is her unshakable attraction to her best friend's brother, who has a notorious reputation and triggers all her worst fears about trust and betrayal.

Walker Leffersbee is a lover. At least that's the reputation he's built in his hometown. Scion of a prosperous Tennessee banking family, he's a known ladies' man and a confirmed bachelor. His hands are full as he juggles competing demands from his family's bank and his growing property renovation business. The last thing he needs is to give in to his long-standing craving for his sister's headstrong and hot-tempered best friend. Especially because she's the only one who knows the secret that threatens to upend his life.

When a home renovation project brings them too close for comfort, they both struggle to withstand the growing heat. As they grow closer helping each other navigate family minefields, Walker learns that love is not a four-letter word, and Leigh realizes that some battles are meant to be lost.

But Walker's secret is the one thing that could keep them apart, unless they both decide to fight for the love they never looked for but now can't live without.


Leigh et Walker se connaissent depuis longtemps, lui est le grand frère de Zora, la meilleure amie de Leigh. Ils sont aussi tous les deux à un moment charnière de leur vie personnelle et professionnelle, entre conflit familial et remise en questions de leurs valeurs vis-à-vis de leur boulot... Ils ne sont pas près à s'engager dans une relation romantique.

Evidemment, comme ils se plaisent tous les deux, ils vont quand même succomber aux charmes de l'autre ^^ . Leigh et Walker sont vraiment fait l'un pour l'autre, mais leurs obstacles respectifs vont les ralentir dans leur réalisation de leurs sentiments.

Cette romance fait partie de mes préférées des sorties Smartypants de cette année, on a affaire à deux personnages qui n'ont pas peur d'aller au bout de leur convictions (au niveau professionnel), et même si c'est difficile et que leurs proches ne comprennent pas toujours, ils n'abandonnent pas car ils savent qu'ils sont sur la bonne voie pour leur bien-être à eux.

Alors certes, ils vont commettre des petites erreurs ça et là, mais on peut difficilement leur en vouloir, ils ne sont pas nécessairement dans leur tort. C'est grâce à ces erreurs qu'ils grandissent et vont être là l'un pour l'autre, faire des compromis pour leur bien commun, ne veut pas dire qu'ils effacent qui ils sont.

Je sais que ça fait très cryptique comme review, mais je ne voulais pas tout spoiler ^^

Leigh and Walker have known each other for a long time, he is Zora's big brother, Leigh's best friend. They are also both at a pivotal moment in their personal and professional life, between family conflict and re-evaluate their values ​​at work... They are not ready to engage in a romantic relationship.

Obviously, as they both attracted to each other, they will still succumb to the other'as appeal ^^. Leigh and Walker are really meant for each other, but their respective obstacles will slow them down in realizing their feelings.

This romance is one of my favorite Smartypants releases this year, we are dealing with two characters who are not afraid to follow their convictions (on the professional level), and even if it's difficult and that their loved ones don't always understand, they don't give up because they know they are on the right track for their own well-being.

So of course, they will make small mistakes here and there, but we can hardly blame them, they are not necessarily in the wrong. It is thanks to these mistakes that they grow up and will be there for each other, making compromises for their common good does not mean that they fade away who they are.

I know it's very cryptic as a review, but I don't want to spoil it all ^^


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Been There Done That

de Hope Ellis (2020) - Smartypants Romance

Résumé : ZORA LEFFERSBEE’S once perfect life is no longer perfect. Her tenure at the University is in question, funding for her employees uncertain, and her faux-fiancé, Jackson James’s unpredictability is wearing on her last nerve. Just when Zora is convinced things can’t get more complicated, life proves her wrong.

What the heck is he doing here?

NICK ROSSI’s complicated life is still extremely complicated. He’s used to fighting for everything he has, but he’s also used to winning. Now a man of power and influence, his return to Green Valley after so many years hasn’t gone according to plan, especially with the woman he’s always wanted.

She can’t know why I left, or why I’m back.

A powerful woman intent on righting the wrongs of the world, Zora doesn’t have time or energy to deal with the man who broke her young heart.

A powerful man intent on righting the wrongs of the past, Nick can’t help wanting to protect Zora, even if his devotion is unrequited.


Le résumé n'est pas très précis, mais pour bien comprendre ce qui passe : Zora est docteur en communication et travaille dans un hôpital sur le lien patient/médecin. Comme tout universitaire, la vie est pas facile entre les recherches et les demandes de financements... Et la famille qui essaie de la voir casée. Nick débarque tout d'un coup, il a fondé une société qui des développe des applications en lien avec la médecine. Ah oui, Nick c'est aussi le grand amour de jeunesse de Zora, ils avaient prévu de faire leur vie ensemble mais Nick a dû partir, laissant Zora sans aucune explication. Ca c'était il y a 12 ans.

Evidemment, quand ils se retrouvent face à face tous les sentiments refoulés pendant des années remontent à la surface. Nick doit faire face aux évènements passés qui l'ont légèrement traumatisé et trouver le courage de tout expliquer à Zora. De son côté, comprendre les raisons de Nick va nécessiter une petite remise en question.

J'ai bien aimé cette histoire car on sait dès le départ que Zora et Nick sont fait l'un pour l'autre et l'auteur nous titille en faisant durer le plaisir du moment où ils vont enfin se sauter dessus. Cependant, j'aurais apprécié que Nick parle à Zora plus tôt dans l'histoire, il y a eu au moins 2 occassions où c'était possible, donc au bout d'un moment j'avais envie de le secouer xD.

Hope Ellis arrive très bien à montrer que des adultes peuvent avoir du mal à se détacher des erreurs d'ados, que certains évènements marquent une personnalité et que c'est pas simple de s'en défaire. Plusieurs fois il m'est arrivé de lire des romances où les héros trainent leurs problèmes comme un boulet en me demandant pourquoi ils vivaient toujours dans le passé (ça peut énerver xD), ici je n'ai pas trop eu cette impression c'est un peu plus subtile.

Les personnages secondaires promettent des choses intéressantes pour les prochains tomes de cette série. Mention spéciale pour Jackson James, hâte de lire son tome à lui, depuis le temps qu'on le connaît ^^

The summary is not very precise, here is what the book is about : Zora is a PhD in communication and works in a hospital on the patient/doctor relationship. Like all academics, life is not easy between research and requests for grants... And her family wants to see her married. Nick suddenly arrives, he founded a company that develops applications related to medicine. And yes, Nick is also Zora's childhood only love, they had planned to live together but Nick had left, leaving Zora without any explanation. It was 12 years ago.

Obviously, when they reunited without warning, all the repressed feelings come to the surface. Nick has to face past events that have slightly traumatized him and find the courage to explain everything to Zora. For her, understanding Nick's reasons will require a little reassessment.

I liked this story because we know from the start that Zora and Nick are made for each other and the author tickles us by drawing out the pleasure as long as possible for when they finally jumping each other. However, I would have appreciated that Nick spoke to Zora earlier in the story, there have been at least 2 occassions where it was possible, so after a while I wanted to shake him xD.

Hope Ellis is very good at showing that adults can find it difficult to detach themselves from teenage mistakes, that certain events mark a personality and that it's not easy to get rid of them. Many times I have read romances where the heroes drag their problems like a canonball making me cringe on why they still lived in the past (it can annoy me xD), here I did not have that impression too much, it was a little more subtle.

The secondary characters promise interesting things for the next books in this series. Special mention for Jackson James, I'm eager to read his volume, since we know him from some time now ^^


Find Hope Ellis online
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Website: https://smartypantsromance.com/
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