Love After Us: A Decker Family Novel

Covert Affairs, Book 2

By: Claudia Burgoa

Narrated by: Tyler Tetsuda, Emma Wilder

Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

USA Today best-selling author Claudia Burgoa pens the conclusion of the Covert Affairs duet.

Their lives are in danger.
And he should let her go.

The Organization has one rule.
Never leave any trail behind.
But apparently, I did, and after almost seven years, they came after me.
It wasn’t enough that they killed my best friend.
Now they want to kill me.

I owe my best friend my life, and now I put his sister in danger.
I’ll do anything to keep her safe, even if it breaks my heart.

Love After Us is a heartstopping second chance, best friend’s little sister love story that you don’t want to miss. It is necessary to listen to After the Vows first.

©2022 Claudia Burgoa (P)2022 Claudia Burgoa

The perfect ending to this duet

The conclusion to Teddy and Seth’s story is just as emotional as the first part. The narrators do an incredible job of conveying the emotional and physical pain that these two have to conquer on their way to a happily ever after. This picks up after the cliffhanger at the end of After the Vows, so do NOT start with this book. You’ll be so lost and confused. You know that Seth and Teddy are meant for one another from the first book, you’re just waiting for them to catch up to that. These two are the definition of soulmates - they’ve never been able to walk away from their chemistry and they’re the very best of friends. This book has one of the biggest revelations I have ever read in a book world and if you’ve read Claudia’s books before this, the reveal in this book will rock the foundation of what you know to be true in this massive world she has created. As always, Claudia brings the angst, emotion, spice and love that you know will stand the test of time.

Great ending…immediately ready for the next Decker Family duet

The Covert Affairs Duet by Claudia Burgoa
Book 1: After The Vows
Book 2: Love After Us
Series: The Decker Family
Format: Audiobook
Star Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️
Spice: 2.5/5 🔥
Narration: 4.5/5🎙️ (Narrated by Tyler Tetsuda & Emma Wilder)
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Tropes: Brother’s best friend, married in Vegas, suspense, emotional,
*Please check CWs
**This is a duet. Book 1 must be read first and ends on a cliffhanger.

After the Vows follows Seth Bradley and Teddy St. James’ and begins with their discovery that the fake wedding they had 10 years ago in Vegas was actually real. This first installment was full of plot twist and surprises that kept me guessing and intrigued! Add in Teddy’s long-time crush of Seth and Seth’s need to keep his loved ones safe and protected and you’ve got a ton of angst and suspense.

Thankfully I was able to jump right in to book 2 of the duet, Love After Us, avoiding a long wait for their conclusion and happily ever after. But don’t assume, book 2 is just your run of the mill ending - it comes with it’s own twist and turns, heartbreak and hope!

The Covert Affairs Duet was my first look into Claudia’s multiverse and what a world she has created! Her backlist is extensive, but seeing glimpses of other characters in this duet had me immediately adding their stories to my TBR. Once you read this duet, I think you’ll know exactly which one I’ll be listening to next!!!

I’m a big fan of Emma Wilder and her work with these audiobooks was excellent as expected. I love when she’s a narrator for a dual narrated book because she has an excellent male voice and works seamlessly between the two. This was my first audiobook with Tyler narrating and I enjoyed his work on this. You do get some duet style narration in Book 2.

Available in audio, e-book and paperback.

Thank you to Forever & Always PR for the opportunity. I received this audio tour in exchange for an honest review.

Get ready for a wild ending!

Oh my! What a fantastic listen! I needed to hear this after the first book in the series. It was so good, and left me wanting to know how things were going to turn out between Seth and Teddy. And it was nothing like I ever imagined! Picking up where it left off in book one, Teddy is back home trying to recuperate and Seth is back in the field on a new mission. But this mission is like no other. He is working with someone new and when it comes to light who it is, it will blow up so many families! The relationship between Seth and Teddy is on thin ice as well, the family is on edge and there are just too many unanswered questions. Will Seth and Teddy survive this? Is there love strong enough to overcome all that has happened, not only emotionally, but physically as well? And when the surprise comes through, how will the Decker's take it all? It's going to be messy, but in order to find out the answers, pick up this series! It is one to love!

Tyler Tetsuda is so good as Seth. His voice is warm and loving as Seth works through the obstacles he and Teddy have, but then has an edge when it comes to the danger he is near. Emma Wilder is a perfect pick as Teddy. She has so many things to work through, and Wilder knows how to voice the worry and sadness she goes through as well as the budding love she has for Seth. It's a wonderful mix and performance.

So emotionally raw

This was a tough series to get through, emotionally. It pulls on all of your heart strings, and pushes you to the edge to the point you don’t know if you will be able to breathe until you get to the end of the series. I also listened to the Unexpected Everlasting duet immediately preceding this one, which was both a good and bad thing. Good because it gave me context for this book since the MMC is the son of Mason and Ainsley, but since that’s duet is also emotionally charged, I was drained by the time I finished Love After Us. Claudia does an amazing job with this couple and as soon as my heart feels up to it, I’m going to need to read the Downfall of Us (even though that is out of reading order). These Deckers sure know how to keep you in a chokehold. Emma Wilder and Tyler Tetsuda do an amazing job bringing Teddy and Seth to life in this heart wrenching story.

Narration: Dual narration, first-person present tense, POV

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, strong FMC, bodyguard, second chance, kidn@pping, secret life, trauma and therapy,

Overall: 4.5

Spice: 2

Humor: 1

Drama: 4

Darkness: 2.5

Seth is coming to a crossroads in his life where he will need to decide if he wants to be a part of The Organization, even though he already has his own company, or disengage from something he though was expected of him his whole life. A problem he thought he had dealt with years ago, appears to have returned, and has put Seth’s family and inner circle at risk, with Teddy (Seth’s dead best friend’s little sister) at the center of the danger.

While trying to determine the best way to take out the assailants, a secret is uncovered that shakes these two to their core, but when the worst thing happens, Seth makes a deal to ensure the threat is taken out, for good this time.

Teddy finds herself spiraling, but Seth swears he will keep her safe and do anything to have the woman who stole his heart over a decade ago back in his arms. Can Seth keep his promise to rid the world of the evil that has caused so much pain for the woman he loves, and will Teddy be able to see beyond their past and accept that she and Seth are meant to be?

A little different

This was such a different twist on a billionaire romance. He and his family run a secret mercenary business that does all kinds of good in the world. His long time similar estranged bestie finds herself accidentally married through a prank by her dead brother and they have to stay married for show as all kinds of things start to go wrong.

The way the banter just flowed in this book just made it all flow and go together as so many things keep happening. I really need to look up the reading order for her other books in this world because I’ll be continuing further down the line.

An emotional rollercoaster with Teddy and Seth

4.6 stars
This is the second book in the Covert Affairs duet and it picks up where the first book left off from the aftermath of that cliffhanger. It is not a standalone. Once again, the dulcet tones of narrators Tyler Tetsuda and Emma Wilder, make this an enjoyable listen. Everyone is picking up the pieces of their lives, even those indirectly affected. Teddy is struggling with her feelings towards Seth because she cannot believe how he feels towards her. Seth made a deal with the last person expected and it has forced him into an interesting conundrum. The author uses an interesting means of getting Teddy and Seth to reconnect and work on their relationship while doing a tremendous job highlighting the emotions of trauma that befell Teddy and using it as a way to open up a discussion about mental health issues that can show up in real life. Tyler does a wonderful job with portraying Seth's vulnerability and Emma matches his intensity. However, the breathiness in her voice did get a bit much as time went on. Overall, this is one impactful storyline filled with love, perseverance, forgiveness and family that will have any listener enthralled. Now, I just need to know what happens with Piper!!!

Loved this raw, emotional and gripping conclusion!

How does one get over the hangover you get after finishing the first book in Burgoa's Covert Affairs Duet? I couldn't wait to dive back in to this exciting, emotional and consuming world! Love After Us picks up after the jaw dropping ending in book one and I held my breath throughout the beginning as Teddy and Seth were still in danger! Seth joins forces with a mysterious man and his team to rescue Teddy and Piper. After successfully bringing them home, their heartbreaking story doesn't end there. Seth needs to end the danger they face for good, after stopping short years ago and still struggles with that guilt of losing his best friend. While he is away on his mission, he realizes he can't hold Teddy at a distance any longer. His love for her is too strong and he will do whatever it takes to make her safe, and prove he will never leave her again. Teddy is struggling with the horrific memories from her kidnapping, and how to live her life again. Seth is her only safe place, and his emails and texts are the only ways she finds any comfort. But she needs to find the strength she once had, and she must do that on her own. Even when Seth makes her feel safe, can she trust that he can give her what she needs as a life partner, or will he leave her like before, breaking her heart for good this time? My heart hurt so much for Seth, Teddy, and Piper. The many twists and turns this gripping story took had me totally captivated. I love how Burgoa did not cut corners, breaking these characters down to their most elemental, and then builds them back up to be stronger, and more resilient. I loved Seth and Teddy, and their hard fought story pulled on every single heart string I have! Piper's upcoming story, along with a big plot twist, was set up beautifully here, promising to do the same, and I am so ready for it! Seth and Teddy's story is a raw, emotional, and gripping story of healing, forgiveness, and learning to trust and love again. It brought out so many extreme emotions and I loved every minute of it!
Tyler Tetsuda, and Emma Wilder did an amazing job in the conclusion to Seth and Teddy's breathtaking story. I was completely captivated in the way they expressed all the emotions, suspense, and sizzle that really brought this story to life.

Usually not a fan of cliffhangers

I am happy I knew in advance that this was a 2 book compilation Tyler was a new narrator for me to discover. I really enjoyed how he connected to the character. Seth and Teddy had a long term friendship. I like to go into a story blind so do not want to give too many details. Emma is always a joy to listen to. She makes it all look so easy and flawless. I would love to see more of their story sometime. You will want to listen to Book 1 to get some of the backstory.

Great Listen!

In Love After Us, we pick back up with Teddy and Seth's relationship and ALL the romantic suspense! Claudia Burgoa does a great job with keeping the reader/listener engaged with the progression of their relationship and I really enjoyed Emma Wilder and Tyler Tetsuda's narration. Tropes in this novel: Steamy romantic suspense, forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, Best friend's little sister.

Love After Us: Covert Affairs Book 2

Covert Affairs Duet 🎧🎧AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🎧🎧

I listened to this duet back-to-back so I’m going to only do one review because honestly, it’s not like I can tell you anything about anything in regard to the first book because, spoilers LOL so why expend that energy LOL

Okay, so listen, this is one the best Claudia has written thus far in my opinion. I was hanging on every single circumstance. EVERY.SINGLE.ONE. You know how some (possible most) times, when there’s a duet and or any kind of multiple book scenario in a storyline, one of the books or at least part of a book is like a flatline? Well, that didn’t really happen with this story and I was HERE for all of it!

Seth is one of those characters you are going to have to dig deep to understand. He is most definitely not one-dimensional. His layers have layers and if you don’t at least try to get out of your own head, it might be difficult for you to root for him and Teddy, but you should really try because these two have been thru it *deep breath* and they should be rooted for at every corner and every mile-marker, sorta speak.

This story will grip you by the throat in the best possible ways! It is captivating and anticipatory, frustrating and elating all at the same time, intense, passionate, and so much more. The depth of emotion that I feel for them is unparalleled! This couple is by far my favorite couple in the Decker Family Saga!!

🎧Tyler Tetsuda & Emma Wilder🎧 could not have been a more perfect team to bring this story to life! Round of applause 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻for them both!