After You

I went into *After You* skeptical—could Louisa Clark sustain a story without Will Traynor’s magnetic pull? Turns out, Moyes crafts something far more interesting: a protagonist who’s equal parts infuriating and irresistible. Lou’s refusal to ‘move on’ feels achingly real, her rebound into a fling with a tattooed American vet both cringe-inducing and oddly believable. Anna Acton’s narration is the glue here; she captures Lou’s chip-on-her-shoulder energy without reducing it to caricature. My gripe? The subplot with Lou’s father veers into saccharine territory, and the NYC setting sometimes feels like a prop rather than a character. But the audiobook’s strength lies in its messiness—Lou’s stumbles feel earned, her growth hard-won. By the final reel, I was hooked, wishing for a third act (which we’ll get in *Still Me*). Acton’s performance lingers, as do Lou’s questions about what comes after love.