After The Night

Steamy and fraught with sexual tension. Linda Howard has done it again. Gray and Faith are an excellent match and find each other although years of animosity stand in their way.
An excellent read.
Go Linda!

First chapter was excellent and I was thinking I'd found another LH great. This book could have been half the length. Dragged redundantly through the characters same thought processes until I could have recited them in my sleep, I have not seen a story where the characters mused over their problems so often. Though the characters were strong, they were brought together by one element - sex, which really doesn't hold a story together as well as deep abiding love, earned by overcoming adversity. Too bad really, because it could have been so much more.

This book is vintage Linda Howard. I actually read it many years ago and decided to give it a second go on Kindle. I enjoyed it as much now as I did then. Linda Howard's old books were always a great read.

This counts as one of my favorite stories ever and I read a lot. I have read it twice and Linda Howard is a great story teller. This and Heart of Fire are two of my favorite reads ever. Great reads!

The female character was kind of lame and a pushover when it came to the lead guy. He was kind of a flat character. Sex was kind of steamy but lost a bit of punch with the whole rapey vibe that went with it.

The male protagonist is more like a cartoon character rather than an actual well-developed dynamic character. He is written to be sexist, single minded and unrelenting. Not attractive and embarrassing for men to be depicted in this way.

I haven't posted a #StealthRead review in forever, and I'm absolutely thrilled that the honor goes to AFTER THE NIGHT - a book I've been wanting to read for years and lived up to all of my trashy expectations. One of my friends' one-star reviews for this book was actually the impetus for getting me to buy this. She said the hero was an obsessive creep who was lusting after the heroine when she was still basically a child. "That's f***ed up," I said to myself, while counting out dollar bills from my Kate Spade wallet. "I'll take it!"

AFTER THE NIGHT is definitely f***ed up. It takes place in Louisiana. Faith Devlin and her family are the local "trash," living in a shack at the grace of the Rouillard family because Renee Devlin is the go-to bedwarmer for Guy Rouillard, the richest man in town. One day, Renee and Guy abscond, and the oldest son Gray, in a fit of pique, evicts the rest of the Devlin from the shack, having the cops throw all their possessions in the street while threatening to torch the place. Meanwhile, fourteen-year-old Faith is scrambling around in a transparent nightie and all the cops and Gray are ogling the hell out of her and going DAT ASS.

It's super disturbing. I hated Gray for that. What a disgusting pig. I wanted to read more.

Cut to 10+ years later and Faith ("RED HEADS HAVE NO FUN") Hardy, nee Devlin, has made something of herself, and strolls back into her hometown to rub her designer clothes and professional career into all of the people who called her "trash." On the one hand, you go girl. But on the other hand, there's also a lot of "the rest of my family might be trashy hoes, but I'm not! Praise me for living up to the puritanical standards society sets for women!" and that's a no go, girl. Don't judge.

Meanwhile, Gray ("THEY HAVEN'T BUILT A CONDOM BIG ENOUGH") Rouillard is managing all of his family's affairs and has taken over his father's position as richest man in town. When he's not pooping $100 bills out of his muscular, ex-quarterback rear-end, he's protecting his delicate mother and sister from anything indecent. I swear to God, Monica and Noelle are so stereotypical that I have expected one of them to fall into a swoon while muttering something about "the vapors."

Gray plans on running Faith out of town yet again, but the little Gray (or not-so-little-Gray, IYKWIM) in his pants has different ideas, and let's just say that HORSES aren't the only thing that Gray rides without a saddle in this book, IYKWIM. Come on, guys. My eye is getting sore from all this winking. CAVEMAN SEX. Gray is literally so alpha that it hurts, and the sex scenes are alternately hot as hell and weird AF, with lines like "Anglo-Saxon sex words"and "jackhammering". "Anglo-Saxon sex words" is especially hilarious to me because last year I buddy-read a vampire romance with my friend Heather, also from the 90s, called FOREVER AND THE NIGHT, which involved the phrase "pleading, in stark Anglo-Saxon terms." Maybe this is a thing.

#AngloSaxonSexWords

God this was fun. The writing was pretty bad, but the story was like an HBO miniseries. Soap opera drama, brutish alpha males, archaic gender stereotypes, rough sex, and a murder "mystery" that was maybe one level above Scooby Doo in terms of overall execution and sophistication. I loved every second of it. If you enjoy the romps of vintage romance WTFery, definitely pick up this book.

3.5 out of 5 stars

I borrowed this book from the public library.

Faith Delvin is the youngest girl in the outcast family known as white trash with the last name of Delvin in Prescott, Louisiana. She works hard to keep their shack clean, take care of her younger special needs brother and keep order with her drunk father and two older brothers and one older sister and a mother that is taken care of by Guy Rouillard. Guy and her mother both disappear one night and her entire world changes when the family is forced from their meager home in the middle of the night.

Gray Rouillard, son of Guy suddenly is faced with the responsibility of his family's wealth and taking care of his mother and younger sister. He orders the Delvins off his land and After the Night he quickly changes from a carefree young man to a dependable and serious businessman.

When Faith moves back to Prescott all kinds of trouble starts for her. Gray and Faith have a connection that they understand is tied to the night he had her humiliated, called her trash and watched as she struggled to save a few of the families possessions. The small town gossip in a Southern town is alive and working in Prescott. Emotions are high, trouble comes from unexpected sources and the charm of the Southern way of life is a strong part of the plot of this excellent romantic suspense

So this one is another Openlibrary (read for free legally-just get pdf not epub) AND Shame File. And unlike Shades of Twilight, I am just going to go ahead and admit, yes, I have actual shame for enjoying this book, despite the fact I’ve gone back to it on numerous occasions like an addict looking for my next fix.

Here’s my obligatory warning, there will be spoilers here. I can’t very well discuss the issues if I can’t say what they are. Also, trigger warnings, all the trigger warnings.

So it starts with Faith Devlin as a small child. She is infatuated with Gray, and as she grows older (she is a young teen now) this infatuation turns sexual in nature-of course. In any event Faith grew up in the town’s trashy family, and her mother is having an affair with the town scion who happens to be Gray’s father. When the two disappear, it starts a chain reaction that culminates in Gray and law enforcement going out to the shack the Devlin’s live in and running them out of town. It is the middle of the night and Faith is in a nightgown trying desperately to get her family’s thing packed as LEOs are throwing their stuff in the dirt. The cop cars have their headlights on and it turns her nightgown transparent and all these grown damned men, particularly the “hero”, are gawking and lusting after this teenager, thinking how she looks sexy like her mother. Hence the title – After the Night.

Eventually Faith grows up and finds out her mother actually didn’t run off with Gray’s father, so she heads back to her hometown to find out the truth. And back home all anyone can think about is how Faith looks like her mother and must be a trashy whore like her too. Sparks immediately start striking off Faith and Gray, and while Faith may be a feisty one in any other situation, when it comes to Gray she is a perpetual and unremitting doormat. He pushes her, and coerces her, and manhandles her and is in general a misogynistic a-hole toward her. And basically she just lets him treat her that way and the least little bits of anything remotely resembling kindness she just soaks it up like a sponge-forgiving his every transgression. Never mind that he and his family would have cheerfully bought out her house and run her out of town if she hadn’t bought it outright, that they would have messed with her banking if she hadn’t kept that out-of-state, that he turned the entire town against her so that she couldn’t buy gas or groceries in town, never mind any of that-he says he’s proud of her and she preens. This is a woman who needs freaking therapy, not the dubious love of a jerk who holds literally all of the power in the relationship.

Eventually they do end up together, but he never really apologizes for any of it, and then there is quite possibly the creepiest thing EVER said by a so-called hero. They are talking about the night that her family was thrown out of town and he tells her it wasn’t all bad because he wanted her then. That’s right the most traumatic night of her entire life wasn’t all bad because she gave him a boner when she was 14 years old. Add to that the fact that apparently the villain had been using Gray’s sister as a sexual surrogate for their mother, and she felt compelled to let him so her wouldn’t leave like their father supposedly did, and there are entire levels of sexual creepiness here. And that last was just gratuitous, there wasn’t a real need for it to further the story.

So why do I keep circling back to it? Damn but there are sparks there. And their banter is often hilarious. And Gray could also be funny and humorous, and once he quits trying to run the heroine out of town he’s oddly likable. And there is this just intense and funny and bonding intimate scene that I always go back to. Linda Howard just has a way of writing characters that I can always come back to.

In this case I think I shouldn’t come back to it. There is everything wrong and really nothing really redeemable about this story. And looking at it objectively, the things I enjoy about it should never have outweighed the bad. It is just that I never looked at it objectively. As it always left me on an emotional high, that is the way I always think of it, and I never went past the surface of the emotions I was left with. And now I am looking at it objectively, and it is objectively horrifying…and yet…I still enjoy it. What does that say about me I wonder?

In any event, I should probably quit picking exclusively on Ms. Howard, whom I still love and who has some of the absolute best and favorite books, the author who got me to see that birth control in romance is a good thing and that it can be sexy and funny and good, and that heroes could make me cry too. It is just that I have read and reread her books so many times, and her characters and stories are complex so that it was inevitable that some would have issues. So I think I’ll pick another excellent one next, and then try to pick on someone else next time.

The review:
Okaaaayyyy, I don't know about this. This is what I think of as and a partridge in a pear tree kind of book. Everything tossed in plus the kitchen sink:
Tiny h with a crush on the big H.
Tiny h's hussy of a mom has affair with big H's lusty pop.
Big H's ice-old as in frigid mother
Nasty, feral white trash family (the h's)
Over-emotional clingy sister with HUGE daddy issues
Small town shunning squared
MIA big H father
MIA tiny h's mother 'cause they left town
Southern seersucker suit
Threatening letter
Serious, serious boundary issues and I'm talking emotional, social and sexual ones. Ick.
Inherited magic Rico Suave moves adds new dimension to like father like son

Cussing will ensue shortly.

The h's floozy mom ran off with the the H's dad creating a scandal that lingers in the air 12 years on. The h and her remaining rats' nest of a family were practically stoned out of town... by the HERO. Yep the HERO.

The h is now back and ready to take on the town because it's her town too, and she wants to find out what really happened as all is not as it looks. She looks like her mother, the queen of Hades. She's in town about 5 minutes, and the H finds out. Spine of steel, she takes it on the chin again and again, and actually throws back some nice comebacks in her own quiet way. She can't buy groceries or gas in town because no one wants to offend the H's family.

The H wants her out of town because his nightmare of a sister and mother can't handle it, boo hoo, and because he can't have the affair he wants to have with her while she's in town. Such a romantic. The heroine is smart enough not to want an affair, but since she's been in love with him forever the odds aren't in her favor.

Let's just say lots of stuff happened that both made the story interesting and did not make sense. The real kicker for me was SPOILER, SPOILER
Why in the ever loving heCK did the H's stupid sister have sex with her father's attorney, the not so pseudo father figure, that was in love with her m-o-t-h-e-r and is using the sister as a substitute. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. Why put this in? Why?

I actually bought the romance, kind of, at the end. Definitely an entertaining rollercoaster ride of a book: fun while it lasted and left me a little sick to my stomach.

I liked the entire atmosphere of this story - the small southern town, and the dynamic between Gray - born into a well-known, wealthy family; and Faith - born into a poor, "white trash" family.

I've always loved these rich and poor dynamics. Their lives and interactions are so different, it's such a ride seeing them interact, putting aside what society expects of them, or what it doesn't.

Faith's mother is a beautiful loose woman; she'll sleep with anyone with money. Faith's father is an abusive alcoholic, more concerned about his next drink than his four kids. Faith's little brother is mentally challenged, who the doctors say won't live very long. She was only fifteen and caring for him full-time.

Faith's mother doesn't come home one night. It was known she was having an affair with Gray's father. Everyone expects that they ran off together, because both Renee and Guy were missing. Gray's sister tried to kill herself and his mother is so distraught she won't come out of her room. Gray's anger grows at his father and the white trash family living on his property. So he drags them out of their beds and kicks them out.

It's only ten years later that Faith comes back to their little town with the knowledge that her mother never ran off with Gray's father. She wants to move home, and she knows the town won't accept her unless she can prove that Guy never left with her mother. Little does she know she's stepping into a dangerous mystery that might just get her killed.

Gray and Faith's relationship is very much an enemies to lovers. He wants her gone from their little town; he doesn't want to bring more pain to his mother and sister. But there's a huge problem: he can't seem to not want her. I didn't like how Faith has always been infatuated with him. She says she always been in love with him, while it seems Gray only lusts after her. She's a stong heroine; that dynamic just kept me from loving their relationship.

I figured out the mystery pages into the story it seemed. It was still interesting with enough tension in their relationship to keep me invested.

After the Night is a mystery suspense with a ton of steam and tension.

This was a delightful, moderately paced read. AFTER THE NIGHT is set in the small parish of Louisiana where the old-monied Rouillard family reigns supreme. At the head of the family is patriarch is Guy Rouillard, a womanizing, but doting father to his two children Gray and Monica. His wife Noelle is a self-centered southern belle, who had no problem with his cheating ways as long as he's discreet.

It's a small town, therefore Guy isn't as discreet and everyone knows he's been carrying on with Renee Devlin, the whorish matriarch of the Devlin clan composed of a drunk father, two drunk sons and a daughter made in her mother's image. Then there's Faith, the only one of the family who wants more out of life (and as a child, takes care of her younger mentally disabled brother as well as the duties abandoned by her wastrel mother). Faith has loved Gray Rouillard--8-years her senior--from afar for years. One night, when it's believed her mother has run off with his father, he evicts them from their shack on his family's land (in which they lived rent free thanks to Renee's arrangement with Guy). This sets off a chain of events for Faith that ultimately land her back in Prescott 12-years later to learn what really happened that night.

There's much more to the story than the synopsis I've provided, but detailing anymore would take away from story for the untold reader. Howard's storytelling is superb. She crafts a story rich in detail and well developed characters. Most of the other reviews I've read discuss how awful Gray is to Faith, but I didn't really feel it conveyed to the extreme I've seen in other reviews. There is sexual frustration between the two from when they first reunite, but it didn't jump out to me as much as I'd anticipated. This story is as much Faith's coming-of-age as it is a romance. The same goes for Gray and his sister Monica. Howard takes the reader on the journey with the characters as they come to terms with the night that shaped their lives forever. It was a good read, not spectacular, but supremely enjoyable.

This is not your standard romance novel and I get why some readers are turned off by the hero's behavior. I think Howard does a decent job of explaining the reasons he's such a harda** around the heroine. Faith is a smart and strong willed woman who is no doormat. She is trying to live down her family's past transgressions and solve a mystery. Gray can't overcome his prejudice and hostility toward his perception of her but finally comes around. The monkey wrench in all of this is the explosive chemistry between these two. The heat fairly leaps off the page.

There is some great dialogue here, the exchanges during the voice messages had me chuckling, and some not so great dialogue, especially from Gray's end. The plot revolving around the missing person asks the reader to displace common sense and at times the story is silly but there is something very compelling about these characters and their story if you stick with it.

The lust eventually turns to trust. The author didn't tell the reader this, she showed us. That's good writing. This is not Linda Howard's best book but it's a favorite of mine. There are some books, like B movies, that you just like and watch more than once even when you're aware of the flaws. I gave it four because I do like it but a more accurate ranking would be 3.5 stars

My first Linda Howard book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll definitely be looking for more of her work. When it comes to suspense, I prefer the lighter suspense side and this book was the perfect blend - not too creepy and a fun romance. I loved the uber-alpha male, Gray Rouillard (but only in my fiction!) He was fun to read and a great nemesis-slash-love interest for the independently spunky, Faith Devlin. Simply put, an entertaining southern romantic suspense.

I was turned onto this book because a friend said it featured an alpha male hero combined with a good mystery and a vulnerable heroine... which is definitely my fave combo. That said, "After the Night" definitely has these components, but some are better than others.

Vulnerable heroine: The best part of this novel is the hero "Faith." She is strong and dignified without being oppressive. The reader gets an unusually long (about 70 page) introduction of Faith-as-a-child which is both charming, endearing and horribly sad and makes for a page-turning read. At that point, you really feel like you know Faith and you champion her tale. I found myself really admiring her! As the story continues, she maintains this strength and dignity and does a good job of standing up for herself. On the bad side, she tends to make the TSTL decisions that can drive you nuts as a reader.

Good mystery: As far as just mystery plots go, this novel only deserves a two to three star. The premise is excellent but the revelation is fairly see-through. Also, the fumbling around by the characters is somewhat nonsense (three investigative visits to a certain lakehouse produces absolutely nothing, etc.). That being said as the bad point, the good point is the idea of the mystery is really very interesting, ie, Richest man in town vanishes with his white-trash sexy mistress... or did he?

Alpha male hero: I'd say Gray, the hero, is fairly Alpha Male. I think sometimes writers mistake "a@#hole" with "alpha." A man can be strong, protective, intelligent and proactive withOUT being abusive, but that's just what I think. Gray crosses the line quite a bit in this novel, making it hard to love him and relate to the romance. One has to wonder what Faith sees in him.... but he does have his moments for sure. However, whether or not he redeems himself is up to you, the reader!

Overall- this deserves three stars for the heroine and the fairly interesting plot. I know I love a novel when I don't put it down and this was one I read in one sitting. Faith will stay with me for a while. And you'll have to read it to find out what "that night" is all about and what happens!

A family of unkempt alcoholics and troublemakers, the Devlins are the scourge of Prescott, Louisiana. The mother, Renee, is a bombshell who happens to be having an affair with one of the richest men in the city, Guy Rouillard. The father, Amos, is a drunk who beats his children if dinner isn't on the table when he gets home. The two oldest sons go out causing trouble every night. The youngest son has Down's syndrome and a heart ailment to boot. The oldest daughter is fast trailing in her mother's footsteps, willing to open her legs to anyone for a good time. And then there's the exception to the rule. Faith Devlin. A carbon copy of her mother with rich red hair and a body that doesn't belong on a 14-year-old girl. Faith takes on the role of mother, taking care of her younger brother, making sure dinner's on the table, and keeping their rundown home somewhat presentable. Faith has her sights set on more than what her parents have achieved. She has a crush on Guy Rouillard's son, Gray, and wants nothing more than for him to know that being a Devlin doesn't mean that she sleeps around, drinks a lot, or steals things. But when her mother runs away with Gray's father, her chance at winning him is lost. Gray's anger is all-encompassing, and in the dark of night, he kicks her family out of their home, sending them scurrying into the darkness. He has a mother and a sister to protect from his father's infidelities, and knows that the presence of the Devlins in town will only serve as a reminder. But 8 years later, Faith Devlin returns to Prescott, Louisiana. Because her mother did not run away with Guy Rouillard, and she's determined to find out what really happened...

After the Night is, in a word, fantastic. Guy Rouillard can be an insensitive hero, which is the only thing keeping me from giving this book five stars, but I can see where he's coming from. His mother is more concerned with social status and keeping up appearances than in taking care of her children. Her husband's disappearance is a slap in the face, and she becomes a recluse because of it. And Guy's sister attempted suicide when she learned that her father wasn't coming home. So I'll say that Guy has some right to anger. But Faith didn't deserve to be the brunt of that anger. Faith was a good person. This is a girl who, at 14 years old, ran her home, took care of her little brother, and made sure that things ran smoothly. She stayed up late at night to make sure that everyone got home okay. She also had to live under constant scrutiny and embarrassment because of her last name, but she still managed to make something of herself. She starts a successful business, doesn't drink, and only sleeps with her husband. Besides her appearance, this girl is in no way reminiscent of Renee Devlin.

But then, in small towns, it's appearances that matter. So, of course, she struggles through the townspeople treating her with disdain, being refused service in stores, or being watched like a hawk when she shops. And all the while she's trying to find out what happened to Gray's father so that he can sleep easy at night. She's a saint with putting up for him, and I loved her enough to forgive Gray for being so difficult. Which isn't to say that Gray was all bad. The way Howard describes him is sinful, and I can understand why Faith was infatuated with him.

After the Night is one of those books that you're going to love or hate. If you like heroes who will do anything to protect their families, whose pride is of utmost importance, and who are ruthless in their efforts to get what they want, Gray will appeal to you. And if you like heroines who know how to take charge, fight back, and stand up for themselves, Faith is everything you need. This book isn't a traditional romance, but it is a great one, and I'll probably reread it again.

I really enjoyed this story and loved the character of Faith Devlin. Growing up in a family with an alcoholic father and adultering mother, with 3 older siblings that reflect their parents she was somewhat doomed. Faith was determined to be different than what was dealt to her and she also took car of her younger mentally hanicapped brother even at an early age.

After their mother runs off with Guy (a prominant person in the community), the rest of the family is thrown out of their shack in the middle of the night by Guy's 22 year old son, Gray - who is stunned, bitter and upset over their father's disappearance.

Guy and Faith both make successful careers and 12 years later Faith moves back to town to find out what happened after she learns her mother did not run away with Guy afterall. Guy tries to force Faith out of town because Faiths presence upsets his mentally unstable sister and mother. (they seem much more unstable that what's recognized in the book). Guy wants to protect his family from unpleasant memories that are being stirred up by Faiths presence, but he's also very attracted to her. Faith is very strong willed and won't leave until she finds out the truth.

Gray is very very male. In general, he has respect for women but also seems to get around a lot. (would have liked to know more of his romantic background). I thought his character was a bit brash and arrogant at times, but underneath he seemed like a good person. (though a little flawed).

The storyline was very good, but I was able to predict the motivators of the story from very early on. The romance between Faith and Gray was steamy hot and surprisingly believable based on their past. I give this a 3.5 to 4 stars....

After 140 reviews and counting there is not much else I can say that hasn't already been said. Although the book was written over a decade ago the hero Gray is still HOT HOT HOT!!! the heroine Faith is no slouch herself. Although the tragedies that befall Faith as well as Gray shapes there lives in shades of gray, confusion, sorrow and mystery. It¡¦s a story that travels the road of human complexity of the heart and mind when faced with when the unimaginable, becomes reality. Faith was a mixture of young, old, wise and naive even at the age of 11 yrs old when the story first opens up. You see that she views the world through the eyes of a child when she describes in her minds eye the colors and smells that represent the people that make up her world. But with this mixture of child like innocence there is a wise spirit that is maturing underneath the surface, which becomes more evident when you see how she is the "stability" for her younger brother Scottie and even for her dejected, alcoholic father and brothers as well as her promiscuous mother and older sister Jodie.

I read this book in less than 24 hours I couldn¡¦t put it down I started it at about 6pm and finished at 2:30am. Regrettably I am sitting here wishing for my bed while at work, but it w as worth it. This is the second book of Linda Howard¡¦s I¡¦ve read the first was ¡§Shades of Twilight¡¨ I thought that her main character Webb was the sexiest character I could have imagined¡K..I was wrong Grayson aka Gray well lets just say he did it for me º). I also loved the fact that Faith was a mixture of strong, dependable, but also vulnerable and forgiving and understanding in the face of people who judged her on guilt by association and the fact that she resembled her mom. The love scenes between Faith and Gray were just hands down ¡§WOW¡¨ erotic as one reviewer put it, but sensual and more realistic than some hazy, keyed up cotton candy love scene. But by far my favorite few lines in the book were when Faith reveals to Gray the fact that his dad was dead and had not abandon the family but was killed, and the fact that a big manly man like Gray laid in Faith¡¦s arms and cried his heart out in mourning, disillusionment and grief.

I am an avid reader and this book is definitely a keeper and one that I will no doubt rediscover again one day. If this is the first Linda Howard book you have read and you enjoyed it as much as me and the other reviewers, I recommend ¡§Shades of Twilight¡¨ also by Ms. Howard.

Happy Reading All

Hey!

After the Night is one of the most incredible books I've read in a long, long time. It was copyrighted in 1995, so is difficult to find on bookstore shelves nowadays, but it is definitely worth searching for (like on the store.com)! This book has a gripping plot line, centering around Faith Devlin, a small town girl with a poverty-stricken, outcast family. It starts twelve years before the actual story, with glimpses of young Faith's lifestyle in Prescott, Louisiana. This five chapter prologue ends with the rich boy in town (and, subsequently, Faith's love interest), Gray Rouillard, kicking her entire family out of their house, livelihood, and hometown. Why, you may ask? Because, Faith's gorgeous but unfaithful mother had supposedly run away with Gray Rouillard's father, Guy Rouillard, leaving his entire family humiliated, abandoned, and aggrieved. But, of course, Faith returns to town after establishing her own business and learning that her mother had never run away with Guy Rouillard from a fortuitous phone call. Gray Rouillard absolutely refuses to allow her to stay in the town of Prescott, however, never wishing to have a Devlin near his family again. This leaves two, clear battle lines drawn between them: Gray is determined to force her out of town. Faith is determined to stay. Unfortunately for these two, they are now adults with a very strong sexual attraction for one another, causing many scenes of sexual tension while they war. Faith secretly begins to suspect that Guy Rouillard is, in fact, dead, and starts searching for his killer in town, but fears telling Gray for a multitude of reasons, causing many problems.

As the story develops, these two fall in love, face a stalker and an insane murderer, and argue from one side of Louisiana to the other. It's a real pleasure to read how these two get together, and all the fun little scenes in-between. This will definitely be a story you won't want to put down.

On the down side for this book, a portion of the suspense is lost in the sexually charged scenes that fill its pages. Also, mystery is lacking, as the killer is sadly obvious from the very first few chapters. In fact, your suspect list goes down to one as soon as Guy Rouillard is reported missing!

Over all, this book is one of those rare treasures that you wish will never end, even while you are devouring the pages in a rush to find out what happens. I strongly reccomend it, because I can tell you that I've read it at least five times myself, and still look forward to many more rereads!

--This review taken from my homepage at [...] under My Reviews. Just scroll (or click) to Linda Howard, and the first review on her books is After The Night's!

Hope all this helps you potential buyers, and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Luv ya,
Tashi :)

"After The Night" may have a flawed, predictable plot but there's magic in this novel. Ms. Howard is somehow able to salvage her story by creating two incredible characters, her protagonists Faith Devlin, the heroine, and her double-alpha male hero, Grey Rouillard - reckless, charming, urbane, wealthy...you get the picture.
Faith, born and raised in Prescott, LA, is the youngest daughter in a "white trash" family. Her mother and Grey's father, Guy Rouillard, have been involved for some time in a torrid affair. One night they disappear together, leaving everyone to believe that Grey had abandoned his wealth, wife, family, and position in society for the "Devlin slut." Grey, furious at his father's decision to leave without a word, uses his considerable influence with the local sheriff and throws eleven year-old Faith and her family out of town. Her alcoholic father abandons Faith, along with her promiscuous older sister, two rowdy older brothers and retarded baby brother while on the road. Her brothers strike out on their own and social services finally places the three remaining children with foster families. Can it get any sorrier than this??
Years later, a mature, successful, absolutely gorgeous Faith returns to Prescott to find out what really happened the night her mother and Guy's father left town. She also returns to prove to the townspeople, and most of all to Guy, that she is not trash. See what I mean about predictable and perhaps, even hackneyed? There is mucho chemistry between Guy and Faith, who is just too spunky and likable for words. They are so hot they sizzle together!! This is the epitome of an enjoyable, mindless rainy afternoon read, or perhaps perfect for a long flight or a day at the beach. The point is once I started I couldn't stop reading, so I have to qualify and say, a four star rating for a junk food kind of book. I liked it.
JANA

If Howard has written a more intense romance than After The Night, I'd like to read it. So far, IMO this is her best work though I have a few other of her titles on my keeper shelf. I loved this book because the H & H were so well-developed. I grew up with them, felt their struggles and pain and Gray is so romance material yet 'real'. Howard lets him be human by not white-washing him and though some readers may be upset by the thought of the heroine still desiring him after what he did to her family, it only made Gray real rather than pandering to a romance reader's perception of what a hero ought NOT to be.

The sensuality was right off the scale and Howard managed to set off fireworks everytime Gray and Faith went near each other. When they do make love, it was everything I wanted it to be. Gray was everything I wanted him to be and Faith was everything a heroine ought to be.

These two characters are my favorite romance hero and heroine! The book is so well-written that no epilogue was needed (I personally dislike them as it shows me the author wasn't satisfied with her ending) but the prologue set the stage marvellously.

After The Night alone makes me agree that Howard is the Queen of Contemporary Romance. It's a pity her recent works have become more suspense than romance. I wish this trend would stop.

I loved this book! It starts out as Gray kicking Faith and her family out of her house in the middle of the night with nothing because her mother had an on going affair with his father. Everyone thought that Guy and Renee ran away together after Guy nor Renee ever came home, but that is not the truth. Faith was only 14 at the time and couldn't do anything about it because Gray's family owned the house....then she grows up and comes back at the age of 26 and wants revenge! Well, she really just wants to live in peace and find out what REALLY happened to Gray's father. She had gotten in touch with her mother over the years and Renee swears that they did not run away together. As soon as Gray sees her he is livid that she came back and does tons of things to get her to leave town. All because of his stuck up no good mother and his waste of a sister. I think that instead of everyone blaming Faith for something her MOTHER did, they need to be blaming Gray's mother and sister for the things that they themselves are actually doing and did. Faith had no control over her mother's actions, but the rest of the characters in this book have control over what they do and through out the whole book they are portayed as good people when they are far from it. Anyway, Gray and Faith end up falling in love while trying to find out about the past and what happened 12 years ago. Lots of mystery and although the villian is easy to predict this book will keep you reading from front to back. Lots of emotional scenes and romance also!!! Great book.

"After the Night" is my first Linda Howard novel. I had heard from friends that Ms. Howard writes some of the most smoltering love scenes in the business, so I decided to see for myself. I'm happy to say that I wasn't let down. The book is not just senual, but also very entertaining. It's an interesting book with a strong storyline. The story takes place in the small Southern town of Prescott, Louisiana and revolves around the poor, "white trash" Devlins and the rich Rouillard's. Faith Devlin, daughter of the town drunk and town "sleep around", has had a yearning for Gray Rouillard for as long as she could remember. But Gray is older than Faith and seems to show no interest in her. On top of that, everyone in town is aware of the fact that Faith's mother, Renee, has been having an affair with Gray's father, Guy. One night Renee and Gray run off, never to be seen again. In retaliation, Gray throws Faith and her family out of town, calling them white trash and telling them to never return to Prescott again. Twelve years later, Faith Devlin Hardy returns to Prescott, a widow and in search of answers to what happened the night her mother disappeared with Guy Roulliard. She's now a successful business woman determined to show everyone that she's not trash and that she's a respectable person. Gray, hearing of her return, makes her stay in Prescott as hard as he can, throwing his money and weight around to where she can't even shop for groceries in town. But one look at Faith and he starts having dreams and feelings for her that he doesn't want. How can he fall in love with Faith and have a relationship with her if his only purpose is to destroy her? I read this book in one night, refusing to put it down for even a second. I totally recommend this book to any romance or intrigue fan. I was pleasantly surprised by Ms. Howard's writing and look forward to reading more of her novels. And yes, she DOES write some of the steamiest love scenes in the business!

With a drunk for a father and a promiscuous woman for a mother, Faith Devlin seems destined to grow up just like her siblings who took after their parents. At least that's what the rest of the people at Prescott like to believe. What they never know is that underneath is a girl who silently screams, "I'm not like that!" a girl who dreams of getting away, and a girl who fell in love with the local heartthrob - the very son of the powerful businessman Guy Rouillard whom her mother is indiscreetly sleeping with.

Heir to the Rouillard fortune, Gray has it all - wealth, good looks, intelligence. But deep inside, Gray craves the affection of his mother, the ice queen who can't even bear the touch of her own children. And knowing his mother's nature, he has turned a blind eye on his father's infidelity and content himself with the fact that, for all his faults, his father truly loves him and his sister. Thus, when his father runs off with Renee Devlin, Gray's world comes crumbling down forcing him to turn his anger at the Devlin family.

With the sheriff and deputies in tow, the Devlin family find themselves thrown out of the parish. Not long after, Faith's father and older brother abandons them, until Social Service finally finds them a foster home, where Faith starts a new life.

Fast-forward to twelve years and Faith Devlin Hardy is back in town. Beautiful and successful, she is a far cry from the terrified girl whose spirit was crushed when the boy who she has secretly worshipped from afar as a young girl had ground her into the dirt that hot summer night. Hoping for closure so she could move on with her life, she has come prepared to face them all, only to realize the moment he comes knocking at the door that she was prepared for everything but Gray Rouillard himself. As she finally comes face to face with him, Faith realizes that despite the years, her feelings have never changed where Gray is concerned, and that the childhood infatuation has turned into an adult yearning. As for Gray, he was just as unprepared for the come back of Faith, and worse, for the desire so strong that he knows he must get her to leave town before he makes a fool of himself and hurt his family once again. Yet no matter how hard they try, the undeniable connection keeps on pulling them together.

Having just recently discovered Linda Howard, I can't believe I've waited so long to pick-up one of her books. This is the third one of hers that I have read and I am now hooked. Her ability to create real-life stories with vivid characters and compelling plot is simply impressive. In this book, she has created a dark and heartfelt story about two people bonded together by one tragic night and who must uncover the truth about the past for them to find complete happiness. Faith is vividly portrayed as a woman trying to escape the stigma of her youth. Her journey from an impoverished childhood to a successful businesswoman is truly remarkable. And while Gray is your typical alpha-male, it is admirable to see his loyalty to his family and how protective he is. And although he did cause Faith to suffer, this was brought on by his grief at being abandoned by his father. And let's face it, in reality, some people become victims of circumstances. This being the case with Faith is what provides a compelling, heartbreaking and totally engrossing story.

With its real-life characters, perfect Southern setting and scorching love scenes, AFTER THE NIGHT is a gripping story that is sure to keep you glued from start to finish. (I do wish that there were an epilogue though.)

Faith Devlin has always worshipped Gray Rouillard from afar since she was a child. He was from a rich kid from Prescott, Louisiana and she came from the otherside of the tracks, living in a run down shack with her drunken father and flirtatious mother, three brothers and sister. Gray was already in college when Faith, as an 11 year old child, would hoard pieces of information about her hero. She lived in a world of daydreams to escape from her humdrum life. Her life is turned upsidedown when at 14 years old, her mother is suspected of running away with Gray's father. Suddenly she and her remaining family are turned out of their home and driven from Prescott by Gray, who is angry about his father running away with Faith's mother.

12 years later, Faith has made a life for herself, pulling herself up and out of the slums. She was accused of being trash and returns to Prescott to prove to the habitants that she is not trash and also to find out about the disappearance of Gray's father, Guy Rouillard, for she now knows that he did not run away that fateful night with her mother.

As Faith investigates the disappearance of Guy Rouillard she is comes across many many stumbling blocks and many enemies. Her enemy number one is Gray Rouillard himself. When they meet again after 12 years, the mutual attraction is instant. However, Faith knows that falling for the charms of Gray will only bring her heartache and Gray wants Faith out of town at all costs as he does not want her stirring up old wounds.

This was an exceptional read indeed. The tension between Gray and Faith is electrifying. You ride a roller coaster of emotions with Faith, first when she is a young child with the World on her shoulders and later when she is tracking the disappearance of Guy. Gray is mean but caring at the same time. Although he hurts Faith's feelings he is also protective towards her. The suspense in the story is heart stopping and I did not guess about the villain in the book until near the end. A very highly recommended read.

Lea Ling Tsang

After the Night

This book is well written but the romance leaves something to be desired.

The story begins with Faith Devlin as an 11 year old girl. Her family is very poor and have a reputation for being "white trash". Faith's mother Renee is the town tramp, her sister is also very promiscuous, her father is an abusive alcoholic, and her brothers are heading in the same direction. She has a young mentally handicapped brother named Scottie who Faith adores. Faith is the responsible one in the family and she has taken on the task of raising her brother Scottie. What Faith's world really centres around is Gray Rouillard. Although it isn't quite love, she idolizes him. Gray's father, Guy, basically owns the town and is having an affair with Faith's mother, Renee.

Three years later Faith's idolization has turned to young, unrequited love. She is even more reliable then she was at the age of 11. She cooks, she cleans and she tries to keep the sanity in her home. She is also more a mother to Scottie than ever before.

When Renee and Guy both disappear at the same time it is assumed that they have run away together. Gray reacts with rage and evicts the entire Devlin family from their home in the middle of the night. Gray finds himself aroused by the young girl,who has been dragged from her bed and is standing in her nightgown. As Faith is leaving he tells her she is trash.

Twelve years later a confident and successful Faith moves back to try to find out what really happened that aweful day. A lot of things happen during those twelve years and I won't spoil it for everyone. She has been in contact with her mother and knows that she never left with Guy. She also wants to prove herself to the town that has judged her so cruelly.

Gray finds out almost immediately that Faith is back and he evicts her out of his hotel. Gray is very attracted to Faith and immediately wants to sleep with her but is repulsed by the idea because he assumes she is just like her mother. He does everything in his power to make her leave forever. He also convinces the entire town to do the same. This is where I find flaws with the book. It's not really that it isn't realistic. It very well could happen but the fact that the author is writing a romance novel and has such an unromantic hero is what bothers me. Gray was just plain nasty and never showed one ounce of remorse. He repeatedly physically restrained Faith, chased her when she tried to escape, sexually assaults her, throws her down and says horrific, unforgivable things to her. She continues to be madly in love with him. The romance was based wholly on lust. It couldn't be more because they never had a conversation that didn't involve him trying to persuade her to leave town or convince her she was unworthy. He was selfish, manipulative and controlling. Let's not forget to mention the whispered four letter endearments. It didn't change even after he realized what a wonderful person she was. The fact that Faith still loves him despite the fact that he behaved like an #ss the whole time made me dislike Faith. I like a good alpha male but this was way beyond that.

While the book was well written and kept me turning the pages, the romance left me feeling very, very cold.

I agree with almost every bad review this book has received. After the night is tawdry and silly and doesn't really pass for a good romance or a good mystery. What it does pass for is fun. I stayed up late into the night reading it and I laughed at the silly parts, cried at the touching parts that I could relate to, and was shocked at the shocking parts. And I liked the love scenes. That's why I bought this book. I had read an excerpt of the main love scene somewhere on the net. It whetted my appetite. So I guess I am just like a Devlin. I like trashy things. Sure the hero was annoying. Sure the Heroine was simple. Sure the mystery was non existent. It was good ol' fashioned fun I was after and that's what it delivered. Yes the ending was rushed but to tell the truth there was really nothing else left to say. So why not end it? Just like Faith, by that point I was spent anyway. As for Gray, he was a jerk. Just like a Devlin jerks must be my weakness. My only real complaint is that the story could have had a little more depth. Show more of the other characters. Don't just brush past them. Maybe that is what the bad reviews are all about. They just wanted a little more.

Ever since she was a girl, Faith Devlin had worshiped stunning, sophisticated Gray Rouillard. They could not be more different. Gray's father practically owns the small town of Prescott, and in her young girl's dreams, Gray is a knight in shining armor. That hero's image is shattered in one shattering night that is forever to change the lives of both Gray and Faith. He was all things good, bright and wonderful - until the night he throws Faith and her dirt-poor family out into the streets. Gray's father, a notorious womanizer has finally gone over the edge and left his family, disappearing into the night with his lover - none other than Faith's mother. When Gray discovers this, he takes out his uncontrollable rage upon Faith's and the rest of her family, evicting them from Rouillard land in the middle of the night.
It was a memory that was to form the rest of Faith's life. Now she lives for only one reason, to return to Prescott and finally solved what happened to Gray's father and her mother. No longer the small town girl from a family of white trash, Faith has worked very hard to make something of herself. And the time has finally come for Faith to go home. Faith did not expect Prescott to welcome her back with open arms, and she is not disappointed. Faith is the living image of her mother and in a small town people only remember all too well her mother destroyed the Rouillard marriage. But she is mildly surprised to the lengths people will go to please the now powerful Gray. She is asked to leave a motel, the police harrass her, and the grocery store owner refused to even sell her groceries. However, this Faith is not the little trusting girl that could not defend herself and her family, and nothing and no one, not even the sexy Gray Rouillard, will stop her from finding out what really happened that night their parents vanished.
Only she was not prepared for Gray himself. Nor the fact that, though Gray hates her family and wants her gone from the town, Gray is making it clear her wants Faith, and he will break any rules to achieve his aim.
Howver,there is someone else in town very frightened by Faith's return. When someone starts threatening Faith, Gray finds himself wanting to protect her, pulling him into questioning just what did happened that night.
Vivid,and gripping characters, a powerful setting, and an intriguing mystery. Howard weaves a spell like none other.
WISE Writers and Readers Book of the Month for July 2000

This sizzling masterpiece crafted by romance maestro Linda Howard has become an instant classic and establish her as a contemporary romance phenomenon. Featuring her most endearing couple, Faith Devlin and Gray Rouillard, this Southern romance packs mayhem, small-town mystery and familial hell against the backdrop of South Carolina in one dramatic package that marks the fall and saving grace of Faith and securing the man she loves. The feuds between the two families stem from an affair between Faith's mom and Gray's dad that ended with their disappearance - and with his sister's suicidal attempts, Gray is determined to drive Faith and her family out of Prescott. Readers will applaud Faith's gumption and return while immersing themselves in the electric chemistry between her and Gray and rooting out the miscreant in the midst. After The Night is compulsive reading and strictly indulgent guilty pleasure. The passion and delicious sexual tension is gauranteed to fog your reading glasses.

I was very disappointed by this book. After seeing over a hundred positive reviews I expected a masterpiece, and the two Howards I've read before (Son of the Morning & White Lies) had prepared me for such. Unfortunately, I didn't like this book at all. I admit that I read it for the romance and not the mystery plot, but in the end it was just the mystery that had me turning the pages. I will agree with the few others, that the way Gray treats Faith is despicable. Also, there is not a mention of why or how he fell in love with her; he just sees her and the hot blood that existed even between their parents starts to boil. He lusts Faith, loved and idolised his father and is protective of his family; that's more or less all we learn about him. Faith is more thoroughly prortraited but the fact that she wants Gray like crazy and it's mostly attributed to genes (her mother feeling the same attraction for Gray's father in the past) is not something I can stomach.
I would probably categorize this book as erotica rather than romance, because of the epidermic description of the heroes feelings and hot and mindless love scenes. Failed to touch me or move me in anyway and I couldn't wait for it to end.

I viewed a lot of lists concerning Linda Howard's novels, and I saw "After the Night" a couple of times as their number 1 favorite. When I finally got a copy of it, I was so excited, saying mentally, " this is going to be good, i know it..." As it turns out, it's started to be good at PAGE 172 or so.I didn't know that. And while I was reading, I was asking over and over again, am I in the good part yet?" That was the disadvantage of SOLELY relying to other ppol's opinions. They have different tastes.
Anyway, back to the novel in question...It wasn't that bad. As I was saying, the momentum began when I was halfway through it. I didn't like Gray that much and his change of heart towards Faith...well, let's just say that all I can see brewing up is the sexual attraction between them. Howard added a spoonful of protectiveness in his character just so it wouldn't be completely phony...As for Faith, my goodness, wat's there to doubt? She's the most "faithful" heroine I ever read. Her love for Gray never simmered through the years and she didn't let their family feud destroy her feelings for him. The difference between their emotions is that, Gray's affections were rooted from lust-oh okay-a bit of that protectiveness I mentioned above...and for Faith, they started as a child's innocent admiration and were strengtened as she battled poverty and her family's legacy.
So there yo go, too cold for Gray and too hot for Faith and u have lukewarm, not the best comparison...but close enough.
Finally, if it's Howard, then u can surely put ur money that there will be a mystery. I thought it was a good plot, but it was very easy to guess the culprit because Howard didn't really supply us a lot of candidates. All in all, I give it a four, it was an OK read, but not best of her works, in my opinion.

"You're trash. You're whole family is trash...." The words that have been imprinted in the mind of Faith Devlin for the past twelve years. Twelve years ago, Gray Rouillard forced her family off of his family land in the middle of the night blaming Faith's mother for the disappearance of his father, Guy Rouillard. After that night, Faith worked hard to make a name and a place for herself in the world, but always with the desire to return home. Her homecoming wasn't to flaunt her success, her business or the fact that she made more of herself than any other Devlin. Prescott was where she belonged, her home despite the chaos she lived through that night. But even more, Faith must solve the mystery of Guy Rouillard's disappearance and understand what caused her mother to run away that night. Moving back to Prescott isn't easy however, and Gray Rouillard tries to block her at every turn. But neither Faith nor Gray can understand the strong attraction that is between them. As the story unfolds you uncover the mystery of Guy Rouillard and appreciate the growing relationship between Gray and Faith,. I first saw this story two years back and passed it off as another "rich guy meets poor woman" story, but after reading it I can honestly say this story is anything but that. Linda Howard was able to make her characters come to life, you identify with the feelings of Faith Devlin and you want to both slap and laugh at Gray at times. This is definitely not the usual romantic suspense novels I usually read, this story had more romance than suspense. However, there were enough steamy moments and character development that I didn't miss the constant tension of a suspense novel. Great job!! I am glad I opened my horizons to this book...it is on my list of favorites

This is one of Linda Howard's best. The underlying story is really compelling, and the main characters are root-worthy and sexy together.

Grey's father and Faith's mother have been having an affair. One night they disappear. Everyone believes they ran off together. 23-year old Grey kicks 14-year old Faith's family out of their shack and runs them out of town. 12 years later, Faith returns - independent, successful, and having survived her family's splintering and years of tragedy. She's back to find out what happened that night and if Grey's father has been murdered. Grey tries to run her out of town again to protect his remaining family, but he can't fight his attraction to Faith, who has been in love with Grey since she was a child. The situation makes for a really hot push-and-pull while Grey tries to simultaneously convince her to leave town and be his mistress.

The mystery was interesting. The supporting characters were well-developed. The atmosphere of a small-town was really well written. The Hero and Heroine were great characters in their own right, having survived more than their share of family tragedies. Finally, the love story was incredibly hot.

This will definitely go on my to-be-read-again list!