REVIEW: Love After Love (Ingrid Persaud)

Book: Love After Love

Author: Ingrid Persaud

My rating: 3/5.

Premise: After Betty Ramdin's husband dies, she invites a colleague, Mr. Chetan, to move in with her and her son, Solo. Over time, the three become a family, loving each other deeply and depending upon one another. Then, one fateful night, secrets are shared over a bottle of whisky, breaking the family apart.

[⚠️CW: domestic abuse, self harm, suicide, homophobia, murder, rape] 

This story is set in Trinidad and I loved the descriptions of the place, the food, the people....I felt like I was in Trinidad! This book is heavy and covers some tough topics. There were a number of moments in the story where you really felt for the characters. I often just wanted to whisk them away from their situation and give them all the love they deserve! I loved Mr Chetan's character and his friendship with Betty. I was torn over Solo. I didn't like how he treated his mother, but then his own torments were heartbreaking to read. It was a tough read at times when his mental health deteriorated - I just wanted him to go home to his family and get all the hugs! I found the first part had a clear purpose - it was building up to the fateful night. Afterwards, I found the story jumped around a bit and it wasn't clear where it was going. An emotional book about family.