“Leslie A. Rasmussen’s After Happily Ever After gives voice to many women in the “sandwich generation” – and the voice is a funny one.

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–Leslie Lehr, prizewinning author of A Boob’s Life and What A Mother Knows

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“Rasmussen is a freelance journalist and former TV sitcom writer, and the latter is evident in the novel’s sharp, funny dialogue and Maggie’s wry, observational narration.”

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–Kirkus Review

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“About a soon-to-be empty nester learning to love herself one blunder at a time. After Happily Ever After is a delightful and probing novel”

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–Forward Review

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“In Leslie A. Rasmussen’s debut novel, a woman finds herself reanalyzing her life and her marriage when her daughter is heading off to college.  Smart and funny, After Happily Ever After is an exciting debut.”

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–Laura Dave, international bestselling author of Eight Hundred Grapes

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“With warm tenderness, peppered with humor throughout, Leslie A. Rasmussen has written a novel of fresh, relatable characters, easy to root for and easy to know.  Anyone juggling the lives of loved ones while navigating their own, will recognize the protagonist….as she struggles to find the missing parts of a so-called life which turns out to be…herself.”

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–Sande Boritz Berger, author of Split-Level and The Sweetness

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“After Happily Ever After is a road map for every empty nester whose marriage has lost its spark. You can’t help but see yourself on these pages.”

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—Adrienne Barbeau, actress and author of There are Worse Things I Could Do  and the Vampyres of Hollywood series

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"Isn’t it only normal for people to question whether they have made the best life choices? If so, the next phase of questioning is to wonder whether this is all there is. Welcome to After Happily Ever After, the debut novel by the multitalented TV screenwriter Leslie A. Rasmussen. This highly entertaining and thought-provoking book portrays the struggles that millions of women in the “sandwiched generation” face."

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–Booktrib, April 8th 2021

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"I love that this book addresses the question of what happens after the “happily ever after,” when we settle in, years pass, and the relationship becomes more friendship than passion.

Rasmussen addresses a lot in this short novel, from a woman’s self-image to relationship dynamics to aging parents and death. The cover and synopsis had me expecting something light, and while the story absolutely gave me a few giggles, it also has many contemplative and sad moments. This is the kind of novel that leaves an emotional impact."

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Darci Helle, Quiet Fury books

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"This book takes a very real look at the complex lives of forty-something women who are torn between their duties to all family members while still trying to fulfill their own desires. The characters ring true, and although there are heavy themes, the book manages to be very funny at times and also a fast, easy, read. Many women will see a lot of themselves in Maggie and will enjoy seeing how her circumstances and decisions will play out."

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Sarah Perry, Seattle Book Review

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"Maggie Dolin was one of the characters that I shook my head at while simultaneously rooting for her. It was easy for me to understand her perspective – lonely and feeling undervalued by both her husband and daughter, and floundering when it came to having an identity outside of wife and mother. It didn’t make me love her actions further along in the book, but I could I understand where she was coming from? Yeah, I could. Even though we also got Jim’s perspective, I struggled to root for him. Once again I could understand he was struggling internally and wanted to be a better husband, but he really didn’t seem to take any responsibility in his failing marriage and that frustrated me. I definitely stayed invested throughout the story, and while I had an idea of how the ending might be, I still enjoyed reading how the characters got there."

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Samatha March, Chick Lit Review

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"In After Happily Ever After author Leslie A. Rasmussen deftly deals with love, marriage, family, the empty nest, aging parents and what happens when they all come crashing down at the same time — the result is a compelling, entertaining, often humorous, and inherently fascinating novel that will prove to be a welcome and appreciated addition to community library Women’s Domestic and Family Life Fiction collections."

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Midwest Book Review

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