Love After Hours by Radclyffe is about Carrie Longmire and Gina Antonelli. It takes place in the Rivers community hospital and is part of the Rivers series of books.
Carrie excels at being the hospital CEO’s admin and she is the star pitcher for the Rivers softball team. She prides herself on being punctual and efficient which is why she is so taken aback when Gina Antonelli appears in her office and accuses her of being disorganised.
Gina runs a construction team for her father’s company and wants nothing more than to get on with building the new wing for the Rivers hospital. Unfortunately the hospital administrators have caused a mess with permits and she finds herself having to delay the construction. Add to that an uppity secretary who won’t let her talk to the woman in charge and Gina’s day is not going well.
Little do the two women know that the permit problems are possibly the best thing to ever happen to them and their personality clashes may be because they have more in common that they think.
A story about finding love when you think it’s impossible, opening yourself even when you are scared and realising that love can happen, even after hours.
The Characters
Gina is emotionally and physically broken a car accident when she was younger left her dreams trashed and her body no longer capable of the physical activity she was used to. Now her life is about building and baseball, and when Carrie arrives in her life like a whirlwind possibilities open up that didn’t seem available until now.
Carrie runs her life on an unwavering schedule right down to the second thanks to her infallible internal clock and when the gorgeous builder walks into her life she threatens Carrie’s stable and predictable routine.
The women clash and their attraction is palpable.
The Writing Style
The story was well written. I loved that the romance and attraction started off as mere hints when they first met and then as they get to know one another we see their connection build.
There were perfect moments in this one where external storytelling devices were used to mimic the internal turmoil, making it a satisfying book.
The Narration
Paige McKinney did a good job with the narration. Carrie’s voice was a little high pitched for me at first and took some getting used to. Other than that the voices were done well, the timing was excellent and she conveyed the story flawlessly.
The Pros
I really loved the characters in this one. They were unique and so fleshed out that I felt like I could reach out and touch them.
The Cons
Nothing.
The Conclusion
One of my favourite things about this series is that each book has a unique couple at the core. And the community around which the series revolves is utterly charming. In this instalment you see what happened with Flannery and Abby after Prescription For Love. And you get a glimpse of Blake and what happens with him.
I highly recommend that you listen to the series and adore the audiobooks. Disperse your listening because each book is narrated by a different narrator and so it can be jarring to go from one to the next immediately.
As far as this one goes, Love After Hours is a perfect romance. Radclyffe got the chemistry so right and the characters are unique and interesting. Definitely get it, but do yourself a favour and start with book one, moving your way through the series. While this can be a stand alone there is a depth to the community that you will miss if you listen out of order.
I give this entire series full marks. If you want to sink your teeth into a great romance series then this is it.
Excerpt from Love After Hours by Radclyffe
“Is the boss in?” a husky, irritated voice demanded, jerking Carrie’s attention up from her screen.
A woman in khaki canvas pants cinched by a wide, worn brown leather belt, work boots, and a faded blue T-shirt with the sleeves torn off stood in front of her, dark eyes snapping, her equally dark hair ruffled and sweat slick even at this hour of the morning. A thick black lock dragged across her forehead, almost falling into her right eye. Her arms were tanned and muscled, her hands long fingered and, at this moment, hooked over the waistband of her pants. Her long lean legs were spread wide, her expression impatient. A hard hat rested in the crook of her arm, clamped against her side as if it was simply another appendage.
“No, she isn’t,” Carrie said with her office voice, calm and collected and friendly. “She’s not expected until this afternoon.”
“Well, I have to talk to her.” The woman wasn’t making a request. She stared back at Carrie, as if Carrie could conjure Presley from her top desk drawer.
Carrie kept her smile in place. “I’m very sorry, but she’s unavailable. Perhaps I can help—”
“Nope, you can’t. Look, miss, here’s the situation—I’ve got six guys, a heavy excavator, a dump truck full of crushed stone, and a front loader idling in your parking lot—”
“It’s Ms.,” Carrie said, feeling the smile slip and not particularly caring. Really, it must be the job and not the hormones that made some of these hard-hat types just plain hardheaded. “And what parking lot are you talking about? We don’t have security scheduled to reroute traffic, and if you’re blocking—”
“We wouldn’t be blocking anyone, if we had—”
“So you are blocking access? What parking lot? Tell me it’s not the emergency room.”
The woman blew out an exasperated breath. “Do you want an extension to the emergency room or not? Because if you do, I have to bring my equipment across the parking lot to get to the excavation site.”
“And exactly when did you inform us you would be starting this morning?”
“I called and left a message on Friday afternoon.”
“With whom?” Carrie felt her eyebrow rise. “I didn’t take a call from you, Ms.—” The dark brows drew down. “Somebody by the name of…Phillips, maybe? Some guy in resources.”
“How on earth did you end up with Stan Phillips?”
“What does it matter? I’m wasting fuel and man-hours chatting with you. Under other circumstances, that might be pleasant, but right now, I don’t have time for this. I need you to get Worth on the line for me.” Carrie snorted. As if there’d ever be a time when a conversation, let alone a chat, with this woman would be on her must-do list. She’d lost count of the times she’d been interrupted. Way too many times to worry about making a professional impression. “That is Ms. Worth, and who might you be exactly?”
“Gina Antonelli. The contractor who’s going to build your new wing if I can actually ever get to work.”
Damn it. That project was a priority, and her baby to boot. Carrie sighed. “Okay, let’s start at the beginning.”
“Let’s not. Just get me the boss.”
Would snarling I am the boss carry any weight at all? Carrie’s jaws tightened and her back molars began to throb. Not a good sign. Not the morning to try her patience. Definitely not anytime, any day to pull a strong-arm act on her. Good looks—okay, fabulous looks—could only get you so far, and in this circumstance, no mileage at all.
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Series
Rivers Family Romance Series
Bits and Bobs
- ISBN number: 9781635550900
- Publisher: Bold Stokes Books
- Audiobook Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Inc
- Narrator: Paige McKinney
Radclyffe Online
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