Before and After

The Vals

By: C.P. Cabaniss

Narrated by: Casey Montgomery

Can before and after become now?

Valancy has lived two lives: before and after. Before grief devastated her, she was bold and fearless, with boundless dreams. After, she pulled into herself, leaving that life and its people behind for one of routine and order that promised safety.

A decade later, her well-ordered life is thrown into disarray when Will, her best friend from before, shows up in her after. As the two reconnect, Valancy's old dreams begin to rekindle and she wonders if her before and after can become a better now.

©2023 C. P. Cabaniss (P)2025 C. P. Cabaniss

So sweet and wholesome!

Oh my goodness!!! This is the cutest story ever!!!! I don’t usually read holiday or contemporary romance, but I fell in love with this story more every minute. It was so sweet and well paced!

Valancy Is a broken but beautiful character, and the love triangle was not overused or cringe. I really appreciate how the love triangle ended, it was very mature and respectful.

I love the guy she ended up with so much! They are a perfect pair and have a healthy, adorable relationship.

I love how every character, even the background ones, were given personalities. They were so great!! Especially Bill and Monica.

I was absolutely entranced by the narration, Casey Montgomery did a fantastic job! I Highly recommend listening to this audiobook!

Negatives: Nothing at all!

Romance: Yes!! It’s so cute! Just kissing and holding.
Magic: No. But this story was magic unto itself!
Gore: None
Cussing: None

tender and sweet story of loss and recovery with romance

This was the first book by C.P. Cabaniss that I've read/listened to and I'm glad I took a chance on her. This story is sweet and tender, full of grief, loss, and recovery. Sometimes you need old friends to help you find yourself again. The narrator was wonderful and easy to listen to. There are no swears or alcohol and level 1 kisses only. Third Person single POV. Present tense.

Wonderful story of Growth and love found again

Language🤐: Clean

Romance❤️‍🔥 : Kisses only

⚠️Loss of family member⚠️

Tropes/Micro Tropes
Day before Thanksgiving
• Second Chance Romance
• Friends to lovers
• Old Friends reunited
• Single POV
• Old and new meeting
• Finding dreams again

This story was a such a sweet story! I really enjoyed seeing Valancy's growth and coming back into herself! It was interesting to see the complex emotions that Valancy had to navigate as she is confronted with her pass when Will runs into her in the airport it has been a decade since she had seen him and she has created a whole new life separating her pass from her present. It was interesting to see her awaken to the fact of this separation of herself and learning to blend these parts of her life together. I found her quite relatable and fully enjoyed seeing how Valancy grew throughout this story! It's wonderful to see her learn how to dream and discover herself again! I feel like I could related in my own personal journey of discovering who I am even though it's very different than Valancy it made the story that much more enjoyable!

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of this story! It was really enjoyable to listen to the narrator did a wonderful job with it!

My personal reading is a 4.5 happily rounded up for Audible! Definitely a great story for those who love second chance romances and growth of wonderful characters!

A sweet, wholesome romance around Christmas!

This was really cute! The audiobook was well narrated, and the story was fun. It was almost novella length, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a wholesome Christmas themed romance.

🫶🏻Gentle and heartfelt romance!

Some love stories aren’t about grand gestures—they’re about healing, timing, and finding your way back to yourself.

Before and After is a no-spice contemporary romance that beautifully explores grief, growth, and second chances. Valancy has lived two lives: before loss reshaped her world, and after, when she chose safety and routine over dreams and connection. When Will—her childhood best friend and first love—unexpectedly reenters her life during an airport reunion, everything she carefully built begins to shift.

💫 What you’ll find inside:
🤍 Childhood friends → best friends → strangers → lovers
✈️ Airport reconnect
💔 Loss of a parent & deep grief representation
💋 Kisses only / closed-door romance
🌱 Healing, hope, and rediscovering old dreams

This story is tender and reflective, showing how love can wait patiently while people grow into who they’re meant to be. The emotional arc felt authentic and quietly powerful, especially as Valancy learns that her “before” and “after” don’t have to be separate—they can create a better now.

🎧 Audiobook Note: Narrated by Casey Montgomery, who did a wonderful job bringing emotional depth and nuance to the story. Her narration made this an especially immersive listen.

If you love gentle, heartfelt romances focused on emotional connection and healing—with zero spice—this one is well worth your time.