After the Red Carpet: A Novel

by Patricia Leavy

Overview

For fans of Tessa Bailey and Hannah Grace, After the Red Carpet is a feel-good, contemporary celebrity romance about what happens after the fairy-tale beginning as two lovers work toward their own true meaning of “happily ever after.”

After legendary Hollywood star Finn Forrester proposed to philosopher Ella Sinclair on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, the couple captivated the press and public with their real-life fairy tale. Now they vow to prioritize their romance and live an adventure of their own making. Ella moves into Finn’s Beverly Hills mansion and must adjust to his world. Finn, secretly afraid of losing Ella, is determined to make everything perfect for his betrothed. Meanwhile, Ella wants nothing more than to retain her own identity as they build their new life together. All the while, she is writing a philosophical treatise on love, exploring the question: when we love so deeply, where do we end and where does the other begin?

In this highly anticipated follow-up to The Location Shoot, will Ella and Finn finally live the life they’ve dreamed of? See how their epic romance unfolds, after the red carpet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647427504
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	09/03/2024
Series:	A Red Carpet Romance , #2
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Patricia Leavy is an award-winning, best-selling author. Formerly Associate Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College, she has published more than forty books and has received career awards from the National Art Education Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, and more. In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz when they established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” Her website is www.patricialeavy.com. She lives in Kennebunk, Maine.

Editorial Reviews

2024 American Fiction Awards Winner in Romance: General
2024 Literary Titan Book Awards Gold Winner

“A fun read from start to finish . . .”—Midwest Book Review

“Leavy's writing shines in its ability to delve into the emotional intricacies of a relationship, offering readers a glimpse into the characters' heartfelt explorations of trust, understanding, and mutual support. This novel is an inviting read for those who appreciate a story that reaches the heights of romantic idealism and savors the everyday moments that weave two lives together.” —Literary Titan, 5-star review

“After the Red Carpet is a modern masterpiece and a perfect romance narrative from the more literary side of the book world.” —Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review

“Overall, the book is a frothy, sunny read.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Leavy, an acclaimed romance novelist, brings us a brave, emotionally charged, and deceptively subtle story about the intensity of love and the complexity of forging a new world for oneself. This is both a deeply beautiful love story for the ages and a smart exploration of what happens to our identities when ‘me’ becomes ‘we.’ I could not put this book down. The ending is everything.” —Jessica Smartt Gullion, author of October Birds

“After the Red Carpet offers a brilliant spin on a Cinderella story that is equal parts whimsical fairy tale and insightful meditation on the true meaning of love. Ella and Finn show us that happily ever after is possible once you let go of the fairy tale and your fears, and that the greatest gift is simply loving someone for who they really are. Readers of women’s fiction and romance novels will devour this book. The ending is supremely satisfying.” —U. Melissa Anyiwo, editor of Gender Warriors

“After the Red Carpet shows us what happens in the happily ever after. Finn and Ella turn love into a verb while navigating their own identities in this epic love story about building a life together. For the first time, I understood how hope, art, respect, reciprocity, and passion are the recipe that make love a concrete presence in our lives and relationships. I loved this book.” —Sandra L. Faulkner, author of Poetic Inquiry: Craft, Method and Practice

“I absolutely loved this book. After the Red Carpet is a delicious celebrity romance, but it’s so much more. This is a smartly written novel about different kinds of love, forging one’s own identity, friendship, family, and real partnership. Ella and Finn show us that real magic happens out of the Hollywood spotlight. A perfect read whether you’re on the beach, cozy at home, or in your book club.” —Laurel Richardson, author of Lone Twin

“Both as a sequel to The Location Shoot and as a metaphor for the depth beyond the beginning of a relationship, After the Red Carpet is Patricia Leavy’s latest romantic masterpiece. It is a stunning exploration of intimacy, insecurity, innovation, and intense love during the everyday aspects of ever after, both the happiest and the hardest. This novel will thrill the romantic in you while also leading you to reflect upon what matters most in love, relationships, and intimacy over time.” —J. E. Sumerau, George Garrett Fiction Prize–winning author of Transmission

From the Publisher

Leavy’s novels invite you into a world of love and romance like no other. After the Red Carpet is a charming, tender, smart, and thought-provoking story about how to maintain personal autonomy after love and marriage. This gorgeous book is so cozy and satisfying it’s like being wrapped in a hug. The ending will make you believe in happily-ever-after. Highly recommend!

Jessie Voigts

After the Red Carpet is a modern masterpiece and a perfect romance narrative from the more literary side of the book world.

5-star review Readers’ Favorite

After the Red Carpet offers a brilliant spin on a Cinderella story that is equal parts whimsical fairy tale and insightful meditation on the true meaning of love. Ella and Finn show us that happily ever after is possible once you let go of the fairy tale and your fears, and that the greatest gift is simply loving someone for who they really are. Readers of women’s fiction and romance novels will devour this book. The ending is supremely satisfying.

U. Melissa Anyiwo

In the second installment of Finn and Ella’s story, After the Red Carpet, we expand our view and understanding of their lives, including how they navigate difficult personal challenges as they celebrate triumphs with friends and share loving memories of lost loved ones. With each development in their stories, the characters reinforce that the most romantic thing in life is actively choosing someone over and over. Readers seeking enchanting romance narratives imbued with healing and personal growth will savor this book!

Alexandra Nowakowski

Both as a sequel to The Location Shoot and as a metaphor for the depth beyond the beginning of a relationship, After the Red Carpet is Patricia Leavy’s latest romantic masterpiece. It is a stunning exploration of intimacy, insecurity, innovation, and intense love during the everyday aspects of ever after, both the happiest and the hardest. This novel will thrill the romantic in you while also leading you to reflect upon what matters most in love, relationships, and intimacy over time.

J. E. Sumerau

Leavy, an acclaimed romance novelist, brings us a brave, emotionally charged, and deceptively subtle story about the intensity of love and the complexity of forging a new world for oneself. This is both a deeply beautiful love story for the ages and a smart exploration of what happens to our identities when ‘me’ becomes ‘we.’ I could not put this book down. The ending is everything.

Jessica Smartt Gullion

After the Red Carpet shows us what happens in the happily ever after. Finn and Ella turn love into a verb while navigating their own identities in this epic love story about building a life together. For the first time, I understood how hope, art, respect, reciprocity, and passion are the recipe that make love a concrete presence in our lives and relationships. I loved this book.

Sandra L. Faulkner

I absolutely loved this book. After the Red Carpet is a delicious celebrity romance, but it’s so much more. This is a smartly written novel about different kinds of love, forging one’s own identity, friendship, family, and real partnership. Ella and Finn show us that real magic happens out of the Hollywood spotlight. A perfect read whether you’re on the beach, cozy at home, or in your book club.

Laurel Richardson

2024-05-02
Leavy presents a sequel to her novel The Location Shoot(2023) that follows the continuing relationship of an unlikely couple: A-list movie star Finn Forrester and writer and philosopher Ella Sinclair.

That first installment ended with a surprise proposal at the Cannes Film Festival, and this one concerns itself with Finn and Ella’s happily ever after. The couple moves to Finn’s mansion in Los Angeles. There, Ella must get used to Finn’s lavish lifestyle, and Leavy ably brings the reader into this fantasy world: Ella receives a luxurious new wardrobe and makeover, as well as a beautiful, custom-made, French country-style office. She also befriends amiable household staff and throws dainty tea parties and sumptuous Moroccan-inspired feasts. Initially, Finn worries that Ella won’t feel at home in Hollywood, but she mostly enjoys just being with Finn, wherever they are. Gradually, she begins building her own circle of friends and working on a book about love and philosophy. The extremely low-conflict narrative follows Finn and Ella’s romance as they start building their life together—dealing with work-life balance, jealousy involving his love scenes, and the paparazzi. Their romance grows and they start a family. Overall, the book is a frothy, sunny read. However, it does not work well as a standalone novel. It opens with Finn and Ella madly in love, and this situation barely changes over the course of the story. Minor issues are usually resolved within a page or so, complete with treacly terms of endearment that the pair repeat again and again. Finn and Ella are an appealing couple, but their minor struggles won’t sustain many readers’ interest. Still, fans of TheLocation Shoot will be pleased to see the supporting characters return for a festive celebration, and Ella’s work as a philosopher does add deeper levels to the book’s examination of the nature of love.

A breezy follow-up to a movie-set meet-cute goes down smoothly but with little narrative development or conflict.

Kirkus Reviews