Kate and Cary and Cressida and Luke are two professional couples living in suburban Melbourne. They have become firm friends over time and often socialise together. Both are still childless and are caught up in the busy lifestyle of their careers with the occasional getaway for fun. But then something happens - Kate and Luke discover a mutual attraction that quickly flares into a full blown affair. And naturally, after that, nothing can ever be quite the same again.
This story is told in an alternating POV, which allows the reader to gain an insight of all four main characters. Also the chapters are almost like diary entries in that they are raw and honest comments and answers to the questions you as the reader want to know. This weaving between characters was done seamlessly and in such a way that did not impact on the flow of the story.
Each character is well drawn and three dimensional, which helped very much with the realism of the plot. The sense of time and place was also spot on.
This book was unusual in that it gave (in my opinion) a synopsis of an affair while largely suspending moral judgement. That's not to say it didn't illustrate very clearly the fallout - even when Cary and Cressida are blissfully unaware of what their partners are up to, it is clear how their actions are impacting their respective marriages as well as their social lives and careers.
Thought provoking and very "real", After The Fall is a book that will make you think and consider relationships in general long after you finish reading it.
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