After the Shut Up Ring

By: Cate C. Wells

Narrated by: Emma Wilder, Jamie Clyborne

Shut up ring (noun): a marriage proposal meant to get you off his back, intended to last indefinitely.

I waited eight years to marry the father of my children.

I worked on our relationship. I was patient. I forgave—the thoughtless remarks, the disappointments, the test results when I was expecting our youngest that proved he hadn't been "working late."

Then, when we finally made it to the altar, he looked deep into my eyes, smiled, and cracked a fat joke.

That wasn't the worst of it.

His vows weren't a promise to love. They were a final test of exactly what I'd do to get his ring on my finger—what I'd take—in front of our family, friends, and their cell phones.

Was I going to be internet famous? Another sad bride who must've known the kind of man she was marrying.

My two little girls stared up at me with big, round eyes. Was I really going to laugh it off like I always did?

At that moment, my house of cards came crashing down.

When the moment was over, for some reason, my best friend's older brother was on his feet with his chair knocked over like he was about to punch someone.

This is the story of what happened next.

Standalone. No cheating. HEA guaranteed.

©2024 Cate C. Wells (P)2025 Podium Audio

Sweet, realistic, good amount of angst and HEA

Cute small town romance! It’s a more realistic take on leaving a crummy man and finding someone that loves her and her kids.

AMAZING!

This book gave all the feels! The story was so close to mine and so many people I know. You will not regret reading or listening to this book!

Sweet love story.

This is such a good listen. Sweet love story with a satisfying HEA. I would totally recommend.

Lovely and heartfelt

After the Shut Up Ring starts with a banger of a first chapter – Angie’s almost husband reads wedding vows designed to humiliate her in front of their two young daughters and everyone they know. He even gets his groomsmen and the officiant (one of his best friends who got ordained on line) in on the act. After years of making excuses and trying to make it work, Angie says no. She sees the vows are being filmed, looks at her daughters, and refuses. In the audience, her best friend’s older brother, Brandon, stands up, ready to intervene if necessary.

I really enjoyed this a lot. It was an emotionally rewarding read that dealt sensitively with some hard topics. I loved the way Angie reclaims her self worth after years of a toxic relationship. Brandon works hard to figure out how to build a strong and healthy relationship with Angie. One of my favorite scenes is when Angie discloses her herpes status to Brandon. I love a man who does his research when presented with new information.

Good narration

The story was so drawn out. I just don't think you need 16 paragraphs on the clothes someone's wearing or such. the use of description words was like they opened a thesaurus and just threw them all in there. I won't be purchasing another book by this author. I hope that the people who do like it enjoy the rest of them.

Herpes

I was on board until the herpes. I know herpes is common and lots of people have it… but it’s just not romantic at all. DNF.