After Midnight by Sarah Grimm

Two musicians with different talents who can bring out the music in each other, After Midnight is the touching story of Isabeau and Noah along with the secrets that have brought them to this point of their lives. After years of hiding behind lies Isabeau needs to make some tough decisions if she truly loves Noah.

Thirteen years—that's how long Isabeau Montgomery has been living a lie. After an automobile accident took her mother's life, Izzy hid herself away, surviving the only way she knew how. Now she is happy in her carefully reconstructed life. That is until he walks through the door of her bar...
Black Phoenix singer/front man Noah Clark came to Long Island City with a goal—one that doesn’t include an instant, electric attraction to the dark-haired beauty behind the bar. Coaxing her into his bed won’t be easy, but he can’t get her pale, haunted eyes nor her skill on the piano out of his head.
Can Noah help Isabeau overcome the past? Or will her need to protect her secret force her back into hiding and destroy their chance at happiness?

Isabeau is a broken woman who is functioning fairly well for what people expect. As a child prodigy, she was a gifted musician until an accident took it all away. Now, when she meets Noah, it all comes rushing back to her. But thirteen years is long enough for her to make herself believe the lies and is she is sure that her life is happy and content the way it is.

When Noah meets Isabeau, he is enthralled by her beauty. Then he hears the beautiful music she can play and without thought, wants to get her to play more. As he becomes more and more infatuated with Isabeau, he pushes her harder and harder to tell him her secrets. There were times I really hated Noah for pushing Isabeau the way he did. But, he didn’t realize everything she was hiding and how much damage it could do not only to her, but to him as well.

After Midnight is at times heart breaking and at times heart warming. This is truly a story not for the weak hearted. After Midnight is an almost painful emotional journey with Isabeau and Noah as they learn new paths in their journey. With the added mystery of someone trying to hurt Isabeau and a couple of suspects, there is an element of suspense mixed into the turmoil of passion, love, and acceptance.

After Midnight is a must read for anyone that enjoys contemporary romance stories. The instant connect the author makes us feel with Isabeau just grows strong as we learn more about her past and what makes her who she is. What Isabeau has overcome is more than most of us face in our lifetimes and it is heart breaking to read. After Midnight gives us a taste of the pain but then brings us back to the present and learning how to trust and love then showing us how opening ourselves up to someone else can be the most liberating experience.