Review: After the Game (The Field Party #3) by Abbi Glines

Title: After the Game
Series: The Field Party #3

Author: Abbi Glines
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: August 22, 2017
Pages: 352
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Ebook

Two years ago, Riley Young fled from Lawton, Alabama. After accusing the oldest Lawton son, Rhett, of rape, everyone called her a liar and she had no option but to leave. Now she’s back, but she’s not at Lawton High finishing up her senior year. She’s at home raising the little girl that no one believed was Rhett’s.

Rhett is off at college living the life he was afraid he’d lose with Riley’s accusation, so Riley agrees to move back to Lawton so she and her parents could take care of her grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. But the town still hasn’t forgotten their hate for her, and she hasn’t forgotten the way they turned on her when she needed them most.

When town golden boy Brady Higgens finds Riley and her daughter, Bryony, stranded on the side of the road in a storm, he pulls over and gives them a ride. Not because he cares about Riley, of course, but because of the kid.

But after the simple car ride, he begins to question everything he thought he knew. Could Brady believe Riley and risk losing everything?

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MY REVIEW

Warning: This review MAY contain SPOILERS.

This was very nearly a five star read for me. Other than a few minor things, it was perfect! This book pulled at my heartstrings more than the previous two books ever did. 

I love series that are built like this one. This book builds onto the first two books in the series. The characters from each book are incorporated into each book of the series, but each individual book concentrates on a specific couple and those characters' personal journeys. The couples from the first two books are in this book and it gives a good background for the world these characters are living in and it lays a great foundation. Out of all the books in the series so far, I like Brady and Riley's story the most by far.

The characters and their personal journeys really make this story stand out. I loved getting to know Brady better and getting to know Riley. I honestly didn't have such a great love for Brady when reading the first book of the series. He didn't really make an impression on me then, but he definitely did in this book. I adore Brady! He is total book boyfriend material. His entire personality is heart melting. He does the right thing even in the face of opposition from those that he cares about, he puts the feelings of others above his own, he is kind, and he follows his dreams with a fierce determination. I fell right in love with this amazing boy right alongside Riley. And Riley's character is just as impressive. I absolutely loved this brave girl. Her struggle was heartbreaking but the way that she handles it is inspiring. This girl has been raped and had to deal with the entire town turning on her, not believing her when she tells them that the town golden boy raped her, and being ostracized by the entire town. She and her family leave town and she has a beautiful baby. She comes back to town when her grandmother needs caring for because of Alzheimer's. She is caring for both her daughter and her grandmother all while homeschooling to get her high school degree. She has overcome so much and she decides that she won't let the opinions of the people in her hometown phase her. She has a daughter to care for and she won't let anyone get in the way of that. And then along comes Brady. 

Brady sees all the things in Riley that I saw. Her strength, determination, love for her daughter, and her drive to make things better. After all hell broke loose in the Lawton household in the last book and Rhett's true nature was revealed, Brady starts to second guess everything that took place two years ago when Riley accused Rhett of rape and no one stood by her apart from her parents. Brady finds himself drawn to Riley and he believes her. He sees that she needs a friend and he wants to be one, but he also has his football dreams to consider. He doesn't want to come between his friends on the team and cause any damage that would jeopardize their big wins when they are so close to a championship in their senior year. But he still can't stay away from Riley and after spending time with her he realizes that what he feels may be more than friendship. Riley has been harboring the same feelings.

And then Brady's life starts to fall apart like it never has before. Something happens that crushes his soul and makes him question everything he thought that the knew. Riley is there to support him and in this he understands that he loves Riley. 

The romance in this book was more emotional than physical. I normally like a little more physical display of love in my books, but I found that I didn't mind not having as much in this one. Sure, there is some kissing but it isn't hot and heavy. It is sweet and heartfelt. It really works in this story though. Brady and Riley are precious together and I ship them all day long. 

I won't give anything away, but I both liked and didn't like the ending. I enjoyed seeing Riley and her daughter spending time with Brady and his mother. It was darling. What Brady and Riley decided on in the end was kind of bittersweet. I only wish that we could have seen them further down the timeline to see how things turn out for them. All the books in this series seem to end too abruptly for me without any real conclusion, which I am not really a fan of. I would rather have a set in stone ending then have it trailed off and open to interpretation.

Overall, this book is an emotional ride that I enjoyed from start to finish. I can't recommend this book enough. This is by far the best book in this series so far. I don't know if Glines will be able to outdo herself with the next book, but I suppose we shall see. 

THIS BOOK CONTRIBUTED TO THESE 2018 READING CHALLENGES

- Beat the Backlist Challenge
- Tackle My TBR Challenge
- Finishing the Series Challenge
- Contemporary Romance Challenge
- Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge

Check out my 2019 Challenge Page to see my progress!

This book is a perfect example of why finishing a series can be a good thing even if you didn't love the previous books. This is the third book of this series and is the best by far! I am so glad that I read it. Do you tend to give up on series that are just okay or do you push on until the end?