What do you think?
Rate this book
Jericho #2
Aftermath
Readers everywhere fell in love with Syd, Maddie, David, Michael, Pete, and the irrepressible Roma Jean Freemantle in Ann McMan’s 2011 bestseller, Jericho. Now, return to the tiny mountain town in the much anticipated sequel, Aftermath.
Over the past eighteen months, Syd, Maddie, and little Henry have become a family, and things are going surprisingly well for most of Jericho’s residents . . . if you don't count the devastating storm that whips through town. In the weeks and months to come, Syd, Maddie, and all of Jericho are forced to pick up the pieces and rebuild their homes, their lives, and their town. The task is sometimes hard, sometimes emotional, and sometimes absurd, but is always full of smart and sassy humor and an abundance of good food and wine.
Over the past eighteen months, Syd, Maddie, and little Henry have become a family, and things are going surprisingly well for most of Jericho’s residents . . . if you don't count the devastating storm that whips through town. In the weeks and months to come, Syd, Maddie, and all of Jericho are forced to pick up the pieces and rebuild their homes, their lives, and their town. The task is sometimes hard, sometimes emotional, and sometimes absurd, but is always full of smart and sassy humor and an abundance of good food and wine.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 2012
53 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
About the author
Ann McMan
34 books571 followersCollege at an indifferent liberal arts institution taught Ann McMan that understanding subject/verb agreement was not enough to secure her fame and fortune. After graduation, she got a job driving a young adult bookmobile—and spent her days piloting the great rig across the dusty back roads of rural North Carolina. Her duties included making certain that the mobile library always contained at least six copies of "Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret", visiting the county detention unit (it was a great way to catch up with her brothers), and showing public service films about safe sex to pre-teens at 4-H Clubs all across her part of “The New South.”
Soon, the allure of higher education coaxed Ann back to school. For the past three decades, Ann has worked at a succession of premier institutions, designing marketing and advancement materials that promote, promulgate, and extol the benefits of indifferent liberal arts education.
Somebody has to do it.
All this time, she continued to write. And when, at the ripe old age of thirty, she realized that she was not like other girls, the great world of lesbian literature opened its arms, and provided her with a safe haven in which to grow and learn about her new identity. She will forever be indebted to those literary pioneers who had the courage, the talent, and the temerity to gift us all with an art form of our own. Ann’s first and subsequent attempts at writing lesbian fiction have been heartfelt attempts to pay that great gift forward.
Ann McMan is the author of three novels, JERICHO, DUST, and AFTERMATH–and the story collection SIDECAR.
In 2011, Ann, along with her novels JERICHO and DUST and her short story “I Saw Xena Kissing Senticles” were elected to The Royal Academy of Bards Hall of Fame. In 2012, she was awarded the Alice B. Lavender Certificate.
BACKCAST, further adventures of the CLIT-Con 13 (that zany cast of authors from SIDECAR’s “Bottle Rocket”) will be released in 2013.
Soon, the allure of higher education coaxed Ann back to school. For the past three decades, Ann has worked at a succession of premier institutions, designing marketing and advancement materials that promote, promulgate, and extol the benefits of indifferent liberal arts education.
Somebody has to do it.
All this time, she continued to write. And when, at the ripe old age of thirty, she realized that she was not like other girls, the great world of lesbian literature opened its arms, and provided her with a safe haven in which to grow and learn about her new identity. She will forever be indebted to those literary pioneers who had the courage, the talent, and the temerity to gift us all with an art form of our own. Ann’s first and subsequent attempts at writing lesbian fiction have been heartfelt attempts to pay that great gift forward.
Ann McMan is the author of three novels, JERICHO, DUST, and AFTERMATH–and the story collection SIDECAR.
In 2011, Ann, along with her novels JERICHO and DUST and her short story “I Saw Xena Kissing Senticles” were elected to The Royal Academy of Bards Hall of Fame. In 2012, she was awarded the Alice B. Lavender Certificate.
BACKCAST, further adventures of the CLIT-Con 13 (that zany cast of authors from SIDECAR’s “Bottle Rocket”) will be released in 2013.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
July 27, 2018
4 Stars - for the audiobook and a re-read.
Huh. I decided to re-read this after I had already started it's sequel, Goldenrod. Mainly because I couldn't remember all that happened in Aftermath or some of the new characters. It was years since I read Aftermath and I remembered that I felt that it was just OK (3 Stars) but not exactly why. At the time I wasn't writing reviews to jog my memory.
Anyway, for this time around I'm giving it 4 Stars. I enjoyed the story lines especially Roma Jean and the new character, Charlie's relationship. However, I did find that a little bit of David goes a long way - and there was just a little too much of David's antics that it grew tiresome and at times annoying.
The narrator, Christine Williams also narrated Jericho. I wasn't too impressed with her work on Jericho, but I admit, its probably because I read Jericho myself enough times that I had their voices in my head already, and it didn't match Williams' version. Better this time around, tho Maddie's voice is still comically deep at times but not as bad as in Jericho (or I just tolerated it more). She has a big cast and is able to do a number of voices and a few times sound effects.
Huh. I decided to re-read this after I had already started it's sequel, Goldenrod. Mainly because I couldn't remember all that happened in Aftermath or some of the new characters. It was years since I read Aftermath and I remembered that I felt that it was just OK (3 Stars) but not exactly why. At the time I wasn't writing reviews to jog my memory.
Anyway, for this time around I'm giving it 4 Stars. I enjoyed the story lines especially Roma Jean and the new character, Charlie's relationship. However, I did find that a little bit of David goes a long way - and there was just a little too much of David's antics that it grew tiresome and at times annoying.
The narrator, Christine Williams also narrated Jericho. I wasn't too impressed with her work on Jericho, but I admit, its probably because I read Jericho myself enough times that I had their voices in my head already, and it didn't match Williams' version. Better this time around, tho Maddie's voice is still comically deep at times but not as bad as in Jericho (or I just tolerated it more). She has a big cast and is able to do a number of voices and a few times sound effects.
July 18, 2017
**Four years later and the audiobook of Aftermath has me changing my review and rating from a 4 to a 5 star review.
Hard to believe but reading/listening to Jericho and Aftermath back to back I found I preferred Aftermath to its rambling precursor.
Jericho sets the stage and gives us a cast of quirky and memorable characters. In Aftermath these characters get to romp and play. It helps to just sit back and let the broad comedy in many scenes envelop you. You know what's coming and still can't help yourself but laugh. The red Camaro spread across the county after the storm, the snakecapade at the revival meeting, Maddie and Syd's weekend getaway and the luncheon dustup when Sydney and Doris meet to discuss her prenup are all written with McMan's dry wit and perfect comedic timing.
What elevates Aftermath over Jericho for this reader is the way the author balances humour with the pathos of impending loss. Henry's dad is recovering from injuries sustained overseas and will soon be reclaiming his son from Maddie and Syd. The end of their foster care is in sight but it doesn't change the love Maddie and Syd feel towards young Henry or the need they have to make this transition painless for the boy.
Roma Jean Fremantle has been the face of pure slapstick in both Jericho and the opening scenes of Aftermath. Her clumsiness is often mentioned and generates lots of laughs. In Aftermath we see a Roma struggling to come to terms with her feelings towards girls. The conversations she has with Maddie voicing her fears and concerns are universal and oh so relatable.
5 stars for the perfect balance of comedy and tragedy.
On to Goldenrod
Hard to believe but reading/listening to Jericho and Aftermath back to back I found I preferred Aftermath to its rambling precursor.
Jericho sets the stage and gives us a cast of quirky and memorable characters. In Aftermath these characters get to romp and play. It helps to just sit back and let the broad comedy in many scenes envelop you. You know what's coming and still can't help yourself but laugh. The red Camaro spread across the county after the storm, the snakecapade at the revival meeting, Maddie and Syd's weekend getaway and the luncheon dustup when Sydney and Doris meet to discuss her prenup are all written with McMan's dry wit and perfect comedic timing.
What elevates Aftermath over Jericho for this reader is the way the author balances humour with the pathos of impending loss. Henry's dad is recovering from injuries sustained overseas and will soon be reclaiming his son from Maddie and Syd. The end of their foster care is in sight but it doesn't change the love Maddie and Syd feel towards young Henry or the need they have to make this transition painless for the boy.
Roma Jean Fremantle has been the face of pure slapstick in both Jericho and the opening scenes of Aftermath. Her clumsiness is often mentioned and generates lots of laughs. In Aftermath we see a Roma struggling to come to terms with her feelings towards girls. The conversations she has with Maddie voicing her fears and concerns are universal and oh so relatable.
5 stars for the perfect balance of comedy and tragedy.
On to Goldenrod
December 18, 2019
Another great book by Ann McMan. After reading and loving Jericho again, I just had to follow Syd, Maddie and Henry and their friends in Aftermath. Loved Aftermath nearly as much as Jericho. Aftermath is also a very warm-hearted and funny read and in my opinion deserves 5 stars.
I am now going on with Goldenrod, the last in this series. I would love a new sequel to follow that one and to know what happened to all the protagonists in this series after Goldenrod.
I am now going on with Goldenrod, the last in this series. I would love a new sequel to follow that one and to know what happened to all the protagonists in this series after Goldenrod.
November 11, 2020
Ann McMan is a wonderful author. Makes me wonder why I haven't read more of her books. I especially love Jericho, which I have read and re-read a few times. This book, the sequel to Jericho, has more of the same lovable, colorful characters of this small Appalachian town. Syd and Maddie have now been together for a couple of years and they've been caring for Henry, their surrogate son, whose soldier father is away at war. We see the town just as a tornado hits and cuts a huge swathe of devastation. We are there as the town rebuilds and life marches on. This book made me laugh and it made me tear up too. I highly recommend reading Jericho first before this book. I think it makes for a deeper appreciation of the people in this town.
August 2, 2018
This book starts with a big bang and then it's a complete Carnaval, with quirky dialogues and colorful characters.
It's a complete different piece from Jericho despite sharing characters and background, but it is still a work of art.
It's a complete different piece from Jericho despite sharing characters and background, but it is still a work of art.
August 28, 2021
After I loved the first book and all the characters in the series I just had to read the second book right away.
And even if I loved Jericho more than this one I still had a wonderful time reading it. The writing once more was exquisit. And also the humour in the story was again fantastic. So many times I had to laugh out loud. Especially when David was included. But there were also other scenes where other characters like Maddie‘s mother Celine surprised me with her wittiness. I already had a soft spot before for her but in this book I fell in love with her even more.
We also get to know more about the sweet (klutz) Roma Jean that is slowly growing up during the book. So while she needs advice first for herself she is a pretty good listener for others too. I thought it was wonderful how the author dealt with her discovery of her sexuality and how she showed her struggles.
And of course Maddie and Syd had some wonderful moments again. Some of them were bitter sweet, others just beautiful and then there were scenes that were just hilarious too. I especially loved when Syd showed her possessiveness side. That was quite hot. They grow together even more during the book and even if not everything is happy and sunshine they make it work with real adult talks.
After finishing this part I’m going over to book 3 right away. Knowing that I’m a bit late to the party and have to catch up. ☺️
And even if I loved Jericho more than this one I still had a wonderful time reading it. The writing once more was exquisit. And also the humour in the story was again fantastic. So many times I had to laugh out loud. Especially when David was included. But there were also other scenes where other characters like Maddie‘s mother Celine surprised me with her wittiness. I already had a soft spot before for her but in this book I fell in love with her even more.
We also get to know more about the sweet (klutz) Roma Jean that is slowly growing up during the book. So while she needs advice first for herself she is a pretty good listener for others too. I thought it was wonderful how the author dealt with her discovery of her sexuality and how she showed her struggles.
And of course Maddie and Syd had some wonderful moments again. Some of them were bitter sweet, others just beautiful and then there were scenes that were just hilarious too. I especially loved when Syd showed her possessiveness side. That was quite hot. They grow together even more during the book and even if not everything is happy and sunshine they make it work with real adult talks.
After finishing this part I’m going over to book 3 right away. Knowing that I’m a bit late to the party and have to catch up. ☺️
April 20, 2020
Aftermath by Ann McMan is the second novel in the “Jericho” series, and occurs about a year and a half after the first book ends. Syd and Maddie are living on the farm with Henry, the young boy they are fostering while his father is serving in Afghanistan. Things have been pretty good for them, but life never stands still, and it sometimes decides to throw obstacles in the way. When a tornado roars through the small town of Jericho, things quickly change for many people. This book shares the ups and downs that Syd, Maddie, Henry, and the rest of the folks we’ve come to know and love must go through as they recover.
This is a perfect second novel for this series. Ms. McMan has taken the characters we met in the first book, and created a whole new story that will suck you into their lives once again. It’s a sweet story with lots of laughs, a few tears, love, and some bittersweet moments. The strength of this novel is in the characters themselves, their stories, and the humor that runs rampant through the tale. The characters, both main and secondary, become real and very important to you as you read about them.
Ms. McMan has a wicked sense of humor, and boy, does she know her Southernisms and how to use them in the story. Trust me. I grew up in the Deep South, so I’m kind of an expert on this. She had me laughing out loud so often, my family was beginning to be concerned about me. And now I’m craving Southern food.
I do want to mention that this is probably not a really good stand alone novel. You could read this one first since David, one of the book’s characters gives you a short and humorous review of Jericho at the very beginning, but I truly think you should read these books in order. They are both great books and have my highest recommendation. Just one word of warning, don’t read this book in bed at night with your partner sleeping beside you. They will not appreciate it when you wake them up with your giggles and laughter. Trust me. I’m an expert on this as well.
Thanks to Bywater Books for a copy of this novel, and this is my honest review.
This is a perfect second novel for this series. Ms. McMan has taken the characters we met in the first book, and created a whole new story that will suck you into their lives once again. It’s a sweet story with lots of laughs, a few tears, love, and some bittersweet moments. The strength of this novel is in the characters themselves, their stories, and the humor that runs rampant through the tale. The characters, both main and secondary, become real and very important to you as you read about them.
Ms. McMan has a wicked sense of humor, and boy, does she know her Southernisms and how to use them in the story. Trust me. I grew up in the Deep South, so I’m kind of an expert on this. She had me laughing out loud so often, my family was beginning to be concerned about me. And now I’m craving Southern food.
I do want to mention that this is probably not a really good stand alone novel. You could read this one first since David, one of the book’s characters gives you a short and humorous review of Jericho at the very beginning, but I truly think you should read these books in order. They are both great books and have my highest recommendation. Just one word of warning, don’t read this book in bed at night with your partner sleeping beside you. They will not appreciate it when you wake them up with your giggles and laughter. Trust me. I’m an expert on this as well.
Thanks to Bywater Books for a copy of this novel, and this is my honest review.
January 27, 2020
And the banters continue... If you like Jericho, then you would want to continue with Aftermath and find out what’s next with Maddie and Syd.
June 19, 2016
I loved this book so much it's embarrassing. Between the quality of AMFA's writing and Christine Williams's narration, it was an absolute joy. I'll be listening to this one again and again.
Full review here: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/after...
Full review here: http://www.thelesbianreview.com/after...
February 11, 2019
Not usually in to sequels - but loved this one, made me laugh out loud - always embarrassing! - and enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. Really recommended it & by golly there's a third book! Where did that come from! So many subjects it covers almost everything on my shelves!
December 21, 2019
A great sequel to Jericho. I was so happy to read about Maddie, Syd and all the other great characters.
June 30, 2022
After reading Jericho, I think I had such high expectations that probably kept me from enjoying Aftermath fully.
I felt the constant need to read more about Syd and Maddie and less about the othee characters. This couple together is just amazing, the dialogues between them are wonderful and I could just read about anything that includes them.
I also wanted to know more about Roma Jean and Charlie. I hope there will be more in the next novels of the series.
I enjoyed it quite a lot as I love the witty, nerdy humour of it, and the over-the-top scenes with Celine, which should have a novel only for herself.
In conclusion, it was entertaining, but I think some scenes stayed too long on the page.
I did like the mix of genres in it, disaster, drama, comedy of errors, twists and the many word jokes.
Still, Maddie and Syd are one of my favourite couple ever.
I felt the constant need to read more about Syd and Maddie and less about the othee characters. This couple together is just amazing, the dialogues between them are wonderful and I could just read about anything that includes them.
I also wanted to know more about Roma Jean and Charlie. I hope there will be more in the next novels of the series.
I enjoyed it quite a lot as I love the witty, nerdy humour of it, and the over-the-top scenes with Celine, which should have a novel only for herself.
In conclusion, it was entertaining, but I think some scenes stayed too long on the page.
I did like the mix of genres in it, disaster, drama, comedy of errors, twists and the many word jokes.
Still, Maddie and Syd are one of my favourite couple ever.
March 25, 2022
A nice return to Jericho as the town tries to heal from the aftermath of a devastating tornado. I was into the first half of the book but was a little disappointed as I progressed and found out a lot of the "town comes together" tropes happened mostly off-page. I was just expecting more town wholesomeness than what was present.
In addition, had a small issue with the ending. It felt like it happened suddenly out of nowhere. In one way this could be a good thing, I could have easily read another 100 pages on the antics of our main characters, so when I flipped to the next page and realized I had reached the epilogue I was shocked.
Would definitely recommend this book if you enjoyed Jericho. The series is also easy to recommend if you are looking for a nice small-town slice of life with queer leads.
In addition, had a small issue with the ending. It felt like it happened suddenly out of nowhere. In one way this could be a good thing, I could have easily read another 100 pages on the antics of our main characters, so when I flipped to the next page and realized I had reached the epilogue I was shocked.
Would definitely recommend this book if you enjoyed Jericho. The series is also easy to recommend if you are looking for a nice small-town slice of life with queer leads.
November 30, 2012
It is said in reviews, and at the beginning of the book itself, that Jericho doesn't have to be read before this one. This book stands alone. However, i 100% recommend reading Jericho first for a couple of reasons. I personally liked Jericho better than this book. It had more action, hotter romance, and getting to know all of these people for the first time just can't be beat. So if you truly can't afford both, i'd go with Jericho for sure. And if you can't afford buying this one as well, ask for it for christmas. It's worth it.
There is intelligent and witty dialog throughout the whole book. Maddie's dry sense of humor is the best i've seen. The references to other books and fictional characters and other subtle 'family' jokes, make you feel like you are on the inside track with these people and understand the joke when the others in the room don't. (that's another reason to read Jericho first. Some of those jokes refer back to that book). I didn't find it as 'laugh out loud funny' as Jericho, but that might be because i expected it. Or because i just finished Sidecar, which has some absolutely laugh until you cry stories. But it was still extremely enjoyable.
This book though, absolutely mastered tugging on heart strings. I'd say there are several parts in this book that will have the sturdiest of you blubbering and sniffling. So be sure to stuff tissues under your pillow before you start reading.
As with Jericho, you get a nice long story for your money, a beefy 300 pages or so, but at no point did it seem to drag on for me. The author's writing is just fluid and enjoyable. Again, this book isn't as action packed as the first, no killers (other than a rampant bull, the violence is limited to a food fight between two older women dressed to the nines (definitely the funniest scene in the book!), and there are practically no sex scenes worth mentioning. But i still enjoyed it, and recommend it. But only after you read the book that brought the people in this community into existence.
The author would be foolish, if she doesn't spot the excellent opportunity she has created by the end of this book, to offer a book 3 of the Jericho series. A book that no doubt her readers will want. Where Maddie and Syd take the next logical step (that i actually expected throughout this book), and where we get to see more of Charlie and Roma Jean (who could have a book all her own).
There is intelligent and witty dialog throughout the whole book. Maddie's dry sense of humor is the best i've seen. The references to other books and fictional characters and other subtle 'family' jokes, make you feel like you are on the inside track with these people and understand the joke when the others in the room don't. (that's another reason to read Jericho first. Some of those jokes refer back to that book). I didn't find it as 'laugh out loud funny' as Jericho, but that might be because i expected it. Or because i just finished Sidecar, which has some absolutely laugh until you cry stories. But it was still extremely enjoyable.
This book though, absolutely mastered tugging on heart strings. I'd say there are several parts in this book that will have the sturdiest of you blubbering and sniffling. So be sure to stuff tissues under your pillow before you start reading.
As with Jericho, you get a nice long story for your money, a beefy 300 pages or so, but at no point did it seem to drag on for me. The author's writing is just fluid and enjoyable. Again, this book isn't as action packed as the first, no killers (other than a rampant bull, the violence is limited to a food fight between two older women dressed to the nines (definitely the funniest scene in the book!), and there are practically no sex scenes worth mentioning. But i still enjoyed it, and recommend it. But only after you read the book that brought the people in this community into existence.
The author would be foolish, if she doesn't spot the excellent opportunity she has created by the end of this book, to offer a book 3 of the Jericho series. A book that no doubt her readers will want. Where Maddie and Syd take the next logical step (that i actually expected throughout this book), and where we get to see more of Charlie and Roma Jean (who could have a book all her own).
December 12, 2012
Ann McMan will ruin your bad taste by totally raising your expectations for genre fiction. The aptly named Aftermath is the sequel to a lesbian romance (Jericho) that came into being as online fiction. Those of us who first became addicted to lesbian romance by rooting around in the semi-clandestine, TV-series-driven world of online fanfiction (Star Trek: Voyager; Xena Warrior Princess; the X-Files), were not surprised that the clever one-liner-trading heroines of Jericho were a tall, ravishingly beautiful, multi-skilled brunette, and a no less beautiful petite blonde with a special devotion to the written word; but other than the occasional metafictional wink at the XWP leads, McMan's story went its own way, embedding its two principals in a richly depicted social world, small-town and rural, but not quite: Maddie and Syd are sophisticated urbanites with impeccable oenophilic and musical tastes. They also face their share of adult crises, in addition to an exceptional run of screwball incidents. In Aftermath, the balance between comic and serious is sustained. The screwball episodes are embedded in the tender story of Maddie and Syd fostering a six-year-old boy who's lost his mother, and whose dad is posted to Afghanistan; and in the aftermath of a catastrophic tornado-strike on the town of Jericho. Both stories--the lesbian couple's and the small town's--are beautifully textured. McMan has no difficulty bringing their world to life, and making us believe the truly extraordinary coincidences that fuel some major plot elements. Maddie's brainy and beautiful mother, a peripheral if crucial figure in the earlier book, has a starring role this time, as does Maddie's best friend David, already a major player in Jericho-the-book. He emerges as the trickster-hero and Deus-By-No-Means-Ex-Machina of Aftermath.
For the academics and fanfiction nerds among us, Aftermath provides an absolutely delicious riff on the genre: look for the chapter with "The Story of Rolf and Tobi." After I read it, I pledged myself to Ann McMan forever--marriage may be out of the question, but whatever she publishes, I will buy it!
For the academics and fanfiction nerds among us, Aftermath provides an absolutely delicious riff on the genre: look for the chapter with "The Story of Rolf and Tobi." After I read it, I pledged myself to Ann McMan forever--marriage may be out of the question, but whatever she publishes, I will buy it!
August 21, 2018
Is it really necessary to read this after Jericho?
Yes, it it is especially if you want more of Maddie and Syd. We have POV from several characters in this one but not that much from Syd. Again, I'm quite annoyed with the Henry addition, in this book, Henry had been living with Maddie and Syd for two years and the father will be returning home to take him. Maddie and Syd were greatly affected by that news and caused a minor strain in their relationship. Please don't worry, Maddie and Syd were still the I.T. couple. Loads of drama but none eye rolling ones.
Yes, it it is especially if you want more of Maddie and Syd. We have POV from several characters in this one but not that much from Syd. Again, I'm quite annoyed with the Henry addition, in this book, Henry had been living with Maddie and Syd for two years and the father will be returning home to take him. Maddie and Syd were greatly affected by that news and caused a minor strain in their relationship. Please don't worry, Maddie and Syd were still the I.T. couple. Loads of drama but none eye rolling ones.
June 21, 2020
This last installment in the world of Jericho is a little darker and a bit more frightening. There is still humour, David still figures prominently, so of course, there's humour. And if two people dress in drag and call themselves Amanda Playwith and Buster Cherry, you just know you don't want to read this while drinking anything!
But this novel is every bit as intelligent and witty as the first two. It is just as captivating and addictive as the first ones. And I still want to move there.
There are so many layers to this book that I hardly know where to begin.
The names on these people *insert eyeroll here* All of them memorable and good Southern names. Roma Jean Freemantle always reminds me of a teenage, lesbian Sandra Bullock (think Miss Congeniality's Gracie Lee Freebush). And some of the expressions..."I swanny..." when my partner first came for a visit from South Carolina and said that, I asked her what in the hell a swanee was.
I still don't know for sure, but I think it's the Southern equivalent of swearing.
The music is brilliant and thought-provoking and so, so captivating that it begged consideration long after I'd finished. Just like the rest of the book.
But don't assume you know where this one's headed, because I guarantee you that you aren't ready for that jaw-dropping ending!
Can I give this more than five stars? Ten, perhaps?
Thank you Salem West for a copy of this brilliant novel in exchange for my humble gushing. Thank you Ann McMan for allowing me to visit Jericho and the gang one more time, and always keeping me on my toes.
But this novel is every bit as intelligent and witty as the first two. It is just as captivating and addictive as the first ones. And I still want to move there.
There are so many layers to this book that I hardly know where to begin.
The names on these people *insert eyeroll here* All of them memorable and good Southern names. Roma Jean Freemantle always reminds me of a teenage, lesbian Sandra Bullock (think Miss Congeniality's Gracie Lee Freebush). And some of the expressions..."I swanny..." when my partner first came for a visit from South Carolina and said that, I asked her what in the hell a swanee was.
I still don't know for sure, but I think it's the Southern equivalent of swearing.
The music is brilliant and thought-provoking and so, so captivating that it begged consideration long after I'd finished. Just like the rest of the book.
But don't assume you know where this one's headed, because I guarantee you that you aren't ready for that jaw-dropping ending!
Can I give this more than five stars? Ten, perhaps?
Thank you Salem West for a copy of this brilliant novel in exchange for my humble gushing. Thank you Ann McMan for allowing me to visit Jericho and the gang one more time, and always keeping me on my toes.
July 20, 2017
Audiobook version was flawless. That is how you do a sequel. Loved it.
September 5, 2018
the plot started out pretty interesting and the end was sweet, but the middle was a whole mess for me... i found a few of the significant secondary characters to be pretty unpleasant, the blackmail story line was in such poor taste, there was some unfortunate transphobia and whorephobia, and the fanfic discussion was kinda weird. it didn't really feel like the aftermath concept was part of the story, even though it clearly kept trying to set it up that way. i wish it had delved into those storylines more instead of playing up the high dramatics.
January 8, 2018
There is much to enjoy in the follow-up to Jericho. First, the writing is engaging, poignant, and clever, Second, the characters are written in scuh a way that you care about what is and will happen with them and between them. Third, I like that the story is long and have stories within the story. Fourth, the characters, wow! Finally, there is a big difference between falling in love and being/staying in love. Day-to-day relationships have their challenges and what is so neat about this read is how Maddie and Syd communicate to navigate the challenges.
June 24, 2017
Following on from “Jericho” we catch up with Syd, Maddie, their foster son, Henry, along with all the friends and family in the small town we have come to love. When a devastating storm whips through the county it leaves a trail of destruction wider than a Camaro. In the aftermath the community needs to pull together, but some take longer to come to terms with their losses than others, and some need more help. In typical southern style the community comes together to make the most of whatever life throws at them.
This isn’t a melodramatic and fast placed plot. It’s a continuation of the daily lives of the people we came to love in the first novel. Syd, Maddie and Henry develop into a family, Maddie’s mom, Celine, takes a more prominent, and frequently hysterical role, David and Michael are further developed and Roma Jean continues her adorable path towards adulthood along with a charming new character called Charlie.
The wit and humour continue, with several laugh out loud moments and a classic portrayal of southern manners in the face of extreme provocation. Who would have expected southern belles to resort to a food fight? At the same time there are real emotions, hurts and fears underlying the polite façade, none more poignant than being gay in the small town South.
Once again the writing is excellent, the wit razor sharp and the observation of human behaviour is right on point. Break with tradition and start reading this from the cover in, even if it’s an e-copy. McMan’s cast descriptions and play on words will amuse and entertain from the start.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Aftermath”, it’s like coming back to a favourite movie or sitcom and finding out what happened a year after the main story, where the romance has gone, how everyone is doing, and what happen next. It’s a small local situation drama, where the characters take centre stage, and life moves along at its own pace, just like life does.
This isn’t a melodramatic and fast placed plot. It’s a continuation of the daily lives of the people we came to love in the first novel. Syd, Maddie and Henry develop into a family, Maddie’s mom, Celine, takes a more prominent, and frequently hysterical role, David and Michael are further developed and Roma Jean continues her adorable path towards adulthood along with a charming new character called Charlie.
The wit and humour continue, with several laugh out loud moments and a classic portrayal of southern manners in the face of extreme provocation. Who would have expected southern belles to resort to a food fight? At the same time there are real emotions, hurts and fears underlying the polite façade, none more poignant than being gay in the small town South.
Once again the writing is excellent, the wit razor sharp and the observation of human behaviour is right on point. Break with tradition and start reading this from the cover in, even if it’s an e-copy. McMan’s cast descriptions and play on words will amuse and entertain from the start.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Aftermath”, it’s like coming back to a favourite movie or sitcom and finding out what happened a year after the main story, where the romance has gone, how everyone is doing, and what happen next. It’s a small local situation drama, where the characters take centre stage, and life moves along at its own pace, just like life does.
August 5, 2018
Oh dear. There was a lot to like in this but not enough to make it a worthy follow up to the wonderful Jericho, imho.
I’ve always had a bit of a strained relationship with some of the this authors humour. And here I still loved the repartee between Maddie and Syd. Plus the tornado set up is great. But that doesn’t fully follow through. And the humor finally lapses into irritating and puerile.
My major stumbling block was Henry (the foster child Maddie and Syd are deeply enamored of). When they are central to the plot, sometimes children are made to behave in a far too knowing and adult way, in order to serve the narrative. Here, neither the narrators attempt at a youthful voice, nor the ‘out of the mouths of babes’ contributions worked for me.
Meanwhile, Maddie and Syd are still great characters, together or separate. And Maddie’s mother and backstory continue to entertain.
There was so much so good about Jericho, so much that deserved to be developed, the author was completely right to revisit the town. For many, this will be a wonderful rekindling. Unfortunately for me, it’s a case of ‘you can’t step in the same river twice’. Way harsh, I know!
(PS Even after all my reservations I am in no doubt that Goldenrod (number 3 in the Jericho triptych) deserves a listen and I’m eager to do that. This author is too good not to assume that it was my judgement that failed here, rather than her efforts.)
I’ve always had a bit of a strained relationship with some of the this authors humour. And here I still loved the repartee between Maddie and Syd. Plus the tornado set up is great. But that doesn’t fully follow through. And the humor finally lapses into irritating and puerile.
My major stumbling block was Henry (the foster child Maddie and Syd are deeply enamored of). When they are central to the plot, sometimes children are made to behave in a far too knowing and adult way, in order to serve the narrative. Here, neither the narrators attempt at a youthful voice, nor the ‘out of the mouths of babes’ contributions worked for me.
Meanwhile, Maddie and Syd are still great characters, together or separate. And Maddie’s mother and backstory continue to entertain.
There was so much so good about Jericho, so much that deserved to be developed, the author was completely right to revisit the town. For many, this will be a wonderful rekindling. Unfortunately for me, it’s a case of ‘you can’t step in the same river twice’. Way harsh, I know!
(PS Even after all my reservations I am in no doubt that Goldenrod (number 3 in the Jericho triptych) deserves a listen and I’m eager to do that. This author is too good not to assume that it was my judgement that failed here, rather than her efforts.)
February 23, 2022
4 stars. After the amazingness that was book one, I wasn’t expecting this to be anywhere near as good and it wasn’t but it was still a pretty great read. I loved being back in Jericho. This starts with a hurricane tearing through the town and everything that happens after. Also, Syd’s divorce drama was interesting but really it was all of the things going on with Henry and his dad that really gripped my heart. I got all emotional especially in the epilogue. Maddie and Syd are really tested here but their relationship is so solid and I loved how they got through everything together. I just adore their relationship. The other characters in town were also a big part in this which was fun as it’s such a unique cast of characters. This series is lovely and are such comfort reads.
August 10, 2021
What happens after happily ever after? After Jericho, Syd and Maddie... keep living their lives. This book explores their deepening relationship, but also delves into the lives of other characters and the town itself.
Plus, who can resist McMan having her characters poke fun of her book's own origins in altfic?
Plus, who can resist McMan having her characters poke fun of her book's own origins in altfic?
October 18, 2022
This was the 2nd book in the Jericho series. It was a continuation of the same characters but showed how the town of Jericho dealt with the AFTERMATH of a terrible tornado that destroyed so much of the town and how it affected the lives of so many. This was a fun listen with the same audiobook narrator, Christine Williams. I cried and I laughed with this book. Ann McMan really is a great writer and her addition of humor really hit the mark.
November 27, 2021
Some questionable content at times but ultimately a cute follow up on the town and sweet lil fam. Interested to see where 3 goes
September 22, 2019
A great follow up to Jericho. Looking forward to the next one
December 11, 2012
It was definitely fun to come back and revisit these characters. I don't usually make a habit out of picking up sequels, because usually there isn't any story left to tell -- and frankly, that wasn't untrue, in this case -- but I did enjoy coming back and spending some more time with the characters from Jericho that I'd grown attached to.
If I'd read this first or without having read Jericho, there's no way I would have liked it as much as I did. My favourite part is always the buildup, the chase, the beginning interactions between characters as their relationship builds in books, and since the main pairing had already been established, there wasn't much of that in here for me. That's not to say I didn't appreciate seeing a stable, happy relationship play out, although one or two of the choices made by Maddie in regards to her relationship with Syd got a few eyebrow raises from me.
The author's sense of humour has definitely grown on me since Jericho. It felt a little forced, a little too quick, a little too clever when I read Syd and Maggie having such incredibly ~chaming, ~clever, ~sharp repartee in Jericho, but either I got comfortable with it or the author did when the UST got removed from the picture. The introductory pages and author bio were also an amusing set of bookends.
If I'd read this first or without having read Jericho, there's no way I would have liked it as much as I did. My favourite part is always the buildup, the chase, the beginning interactions between characters as their relationship builds in books, and since the main pairing had already been established, there wasn't much of that in here for me. That's not to say I didn't appreciate seeing a stable, happy relationship play out, although one or two of the choices made by Maddie in regards to her relationship with Syd got a few eyebrow raises from me.
The author's sense of humour has definitely grown on me since Jericho. It felt a little forced, a little too quick, a little too clever when I read Syd and Maggie having such incredibly ~chaming, ~clever, ~sharp repartee in Jericho, but either I got comfortable with it or the author did when the UST got removed from the picture. The introductory pages and author bio were also an amusing set of bookends.
July 24, 2022
Hear me out, this is my second read and I can say 200% sure, it's hilarious. From foreword to the very end. It got me cracking like an idiot the first time and the second wasn't very different. But not only that, the story is full of surprises and made me feel many different feelings, my heart went especially to Maddie/Syd and the their woes about Henry, I'm glad they got to grow as a couple and I got to witness it.
I love (most of) the folks of Jericho with all their quirky and oddness and I find it hard not to make a comment over every tiny little detail I've read, because I'm in love with everything. And I probably said this before, but Roma Jean takes the cake. I just love her character so much I want to protect her of all the bad stuff in the world.
The camaro bit was so good, my goodness, every time I see one on the roads of my neck of the woods my mind takes me back to Jericho.
I love (most of) the folks of Jericho with all their quirky and oddness and I find it hard not to make a comment over every tiny little detail I've read, because I'm in love with everything. And I probably said this before, but Roma Jean takes the cake. I just love her character so much I want to protect her of all the bad stuff in the world.
The camaro bit was so good, my goodness, every time I see one on the roads of my neck of the woods my mind takes me back to Jericho.
January 10, 2020
There is much to enjoy in the follow-up to Jericho. First, the writing is engaging, poignant, and clever, Second, the characters are written in such a way that you care about what is and will happen with them and between them. Third, I like that the story is long and have stories within the story. Fourth, the characters, wow! Finally, there is a big difference between falling in love and being/staying in love. Day-to-day relationships have their challenges and what is so neat about this read is how Maddie and Syd communicate to navigate the challenges.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews