Just fantastic. Truly wonderful. Very well written and the twists and reveals were so well done.

I highly recommend this book. ( )

I honestly don't know what to make of this book...at least in some ways I don't. It's wonderfully written with a beautiful love story at the forefront, but the angst and melodrama almost threaten to pull the quality of this book down. Thank goodness Clare Ashton is such a skilled writer and wrestles with taboo issues with such thoughtful delicacy, somehow managing to make the novel anything but a juicy soap opera. The dynamics between characters Clo (an unhappy escort on the cusp of changing her life) and Fran (a talented and lovely French actress) are absolutely mesmerizing. ( )

I've enjoyed reading [After Mrs Hamilton] very much indeed. I was intrigued by the opening premise of a mature woman waiting for an escort for the evening and being unsettled when a female escort appeared at her hotel door. I won't say too much about the plot to spoil others' pleasure but this isn't the superficial steamy skim read that you might suppose from the opening. It is a well written, engrossing look at the intersecting lives of a number of women whose pasts has also intersected in unexpected ways. I look forward to reading Ashton's other books after this first dipl ( )

Note: This book is best enjoyed without spoilers. I did not mention any but my review might hint at them. So, read at your own risk :-)




What a small world...no, more like, what a teeny tiny world. You go out into the world, play the field, etc etc. and after a decade or two of fruitless search, frustration and heartbreak, you finally find the love of your life up in ....(beep...sorry no spoilers)

That is the premise of this book. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I love almost everything about the book... the beautiful prose, the wonderful character insights, the plot developments, the character interactions, and of course, the sizzling sex.

My only beef with the book is it requires a major suspension of disbelief. There was just one coincidence too many, making the whole plot seem too contrived. Maybe if it were just one couple, but both couples? (Perhaps if the author had written two separate books instead of constantly switching between the two couples... Both of the relationships are so complicated and minefield-ridden, I think the author could have explored them in more detail (eg. Fran & Clo's attraction, Amelia's feelings toward Clo's job, etc). At the very least, it would have been much easier for me to keep track of the mothers, fathers and assorted relatives and their respective shenanigans! 8-))

The resulting angst and drama was delicious though, so I had to shut down that logical part of my brain and just enjoy the story. Halfway through the book, I was already dreading Laura's predicament. And I'm glad the author did not shirk from taking that part of the story to where it needed to go.

I'd have preferred Laura/Susan to have a proper ending to their love story but the fact that the author left it dangling may actually be more practical...or is it a cop out so she lets the reader decide what happens next...? ;-) (Aug-2014 edit: Thinking back on the non-ending on this storyline, personally I believe the author intended for Laura/Susan to chose to continue their relationship--simply by omission.)

P.S. I wonder if the author has the recipes to the wonderful pastries in the book, or knows where to buy them in case I get a chance to visit London someday. :) ( )

This story revolves around four different women: Clo, the lesbian escort who is haunted by her past and her relationship with her mother; the enigmatic Mrs. Hamilton, who hires Clo one night; Laura, a doctor who is married to her best (male) friend but is unwilling to start a family with him until she finds out who her biological parents are; and Susan, one of Clo's friends who spent most of her life in America and returns to Britain to discover what exactly drove her mother to suicide.

I love reading lesfic, but often find myself having lowered expectations when I go into a new book. Most of them don't stand out, and my inner grammar nerd has to go into hibernation in order for me to enjoy most of them.

So, I was wickedly (and pleasantly) surprised with After Mrs. Hamilton. The characters are layered and very well done, the spelling and grammar are nearly perfect, and the story was great! I won't go into any more details about the plot, because there are a lot of twists and turns (some of them I could see coming, and some of them I couldn't). The ending does leave some loose ends, but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing, considering the circumstances. Highly recommended (and thanks to the Lesbrary for the recommendation on their blog!). ( )