An unfinished love story

Author of 'Before Ever After'

First-time novelist Samantha Sotto – she’s being compared by some to J.K. Rowling — is launching her book, “Before Ever After,” on August 12 at 6 p.m. at the Philippine Center on 556 Fifth Avenue. The event is open to the public.

The novel is a modern-day fairy tale that asks, ‘What if your happy ending was only the beginning?’

More of the plot in Samantha’s blog: Three years after her husband Max’s death, Shelley feels no more adjusted to being a widow than she did that first terrible day. That is, until the doorbell rings. Standing on her front step is a young man who looks so much like Max–same smile, same eyes, same age, same adorable bump in his nose–he could be Max’s long-lost relation. He introduces himself as Paolo, an Italian editor of American coffee table books, and shows Shelley some childhood photos. Paolo tells her that the man in the photos, the bearded man who Paolo says is his grandfather though he never seems to age, is Max. Her Max. And he is alive and well.

As outrageous as Paolo’s claims seem–how could her husband be alive? And if he is, why hasn’t he looked her up? – Shelley desperately wants to know the truth. She and Paolo jet across the globe to track Max down–if it is really Max– and along the way, Shelley recounts the European package tour where they had met. As she relives Max’s stories of bloody Parisian barricades, medieval Austrian kitchens, and buried Roman boathouses, Shelley begins to piece together the story of who her husband was and what these new revelations mean for her “happily ever after.” And as she and Paolo get closer to the truth, Shelley discovers that not all stories end where they are supposed to.

Samantha said the novel was inspired by her experiences living, studying and traveling through Europe. She moved to the Netherlands as a teenager.

For those wanting to get a copy, please click the Amazon link below.

samantha sotto



2 Comments

  1. Clair wrote:

    This sounds like a book worth reading. Thanks for the post.

  2. […] more: An unfinished love story Share and […]

Leave a Reply