Of Ashes and Aftermath

A shattering, beautifully emotional novel about the end of a marriage, the devastating sting of betrayal, and the breathtaking power of a second chance at love.

For twelve years, Wren Marsh believed her life was an impenetrable fortress. She had the beautiful craftsman house, two bright sons, and a husband who promised he would never make her feel abandoned. She was safe. She was chosen.

Until the morning she finds the burner phone hidden in the glove compartment of his car.

In the span of a single heartbeat, the architecture of Wren's perfect domestic life collapses. Forced out of her own home to protect her children from the blast radius of her husband's infidelity, Wren finds herself in a sterile apartment, battling a brutal custody war, and completely losing her grip on who she is. She is a woman reduced to ashes.

But survival is a slow, methodical accumulation of habits. And sometimes, it looks like a stranger sitting next to you on a freezing school bench.

Reid Sutherland is a master carpenter who knows how to rebuild broken things. He is quiet, callused, and fiercely protective of his own daughter. He does not try to fix Wren. He does not demand her trust. Instead, he offers a quiet, steady sanctuary-a safe place for her to finally exhale.

As the legal battles rage and her ex-husband suddenly realizes the magnitude of his mistake, Wren must make the most terrifying choice of her life. She can return to the familiar ghost of her old marriage, or she can step into the terrifying, beautiful unknown with a man who looks at her like she is the only light in the room.

Of Ashes and Aftermath is a gripping, tearjerker contemporary romance that dives deep into the realities of surviving a toxic marriage, single motherhood, and the complex journey of healing. Perfect for readers seeking a slow burn, highly emotional women's fiction story featuring a protective hero, undeniable chemistry, and a heroine who finds her ultimate sovereign strength.