‘Tender, emotionally rich and full of unexpected turns, The Time After Now is a moving story of lost love, what it means to be a good mother, wife and friend, and navigating life with an invisible disability.’ Karina May, author of That Island Feeling, Never Ever Forever, and Duck a l'Orange for Breakfast.
‘A beautiful, heartfelt (and heartbreaking) tale of a woman’s journey from her carefree, wild youth to discovering the inner strength she never knew but always had. Liv’s lust for life jolts from every page, and the earth-shattering moment when her life as she knows it is snatched away is so impactful, dealt with in a way only someone with real-life experience could achieve. Raw and real, some scenes are described with the utmost, skin-tingling revulsion while others sing from the page. Anne has bled onto these pages, opened her soul up. Readers will laugh and cry and feel every moment of this unique and important story.’ Camille Booker, award-winning author of Code Name Funnel Web and The Woman in the Waves
‘The Time After Now is part family drama, part romance and part coming-of-age story. It's a compelling meditation on roads not taken and a reckoning with decisions that change the course of a life. Freeman's light touch and wit belie deeper themes — toxic relationships and navigating an invisible disability. I loved every bit of this nostalgic, moving and life-affirming story.’ Vanessa McCausland, author of The Last Illusion of Paige White, Dreaming In French, and More.
‘The Time After Now is a literary triumph! The raw pain coursed through the pages which could only be achieved by a writer with lived experience of a chronic illness. In this novel, Anne Freeman balances life and death in a mesmorising dance of heartache and hope. I couldn't put it down!’ Casey Nott, author of The Five Stages of Grace and Forgotten
‘Freeman’s book explores so many hot button issues ranging from recreational drug use, work life balance, dealing with chronic illness and how women usually bear moral blame for any sexual exploits should they ever be exposed in a public forum. This novel would make for an explosive book club read and probe at the very heart of what it means for a woman to stand up for and own the decisions she makes about her life.’ Jo Skinner, author of A World of Silence and The Truth About My Daughter
‘The Time After Now is a bold, Own Voices novel about desire, disability, and the secrets we bury to survive. Sexy, confronting, and emotionally raw, it lays bare how one woman’s past returns to question her life choices — hungry, unforgiving, and impossible to ignore.’ Fiona Taylor, host of The Word Count Podcast
‘I appreciated so much about Olivia and her story. Anne’s ability to draw such realistic and relatable characters while weaving in complex themes is impressive.’ Anjeanette Fennel, Literary Agent
‘Anne Freeman has really upped her game with The Time After Now. She has perfectly captured the nostalgia of your party years and the life shift into parenthood and responsibility, while also shining a much-needed light on what it’s like living with type 1 diabetes. Anne has taken the relatability of motherhood in Returning to Adelaide and the unapologetic rawness of Me That You See to create this super-novel. She is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.’ Emma Trotman, Bookseller, Nice Stack of Books
‘The Time After Now is fiction with a difference. I was immediately drawn in by Anne’s brilliant storytelling. Reading Olivia’s struggles and triumphs over invisible and chronic illness, written by an author with lived experience, changed my attitude. It allowed me insight and gave me a deep understanding of what my late husband had experienced. This was something I thought I would never comprehend. But Liv’s story is so much more than her illness, and the book is a page turner. It had me squirming uncomfortably at the thought of social exposure, and guessing who was behind the extortion until the final pages.’ Kylie Eklund-Denman, Writer and Blogger.
‘Anne Freeman has done it again with her fast-paced and compelling storytelling, and oh so spicy details. The Time After Now is a banquet of divine imagery; one you can engorge yourself on without ever feeling full.’ Paris Thompson, Editor and Reviewer
‘The Time After Now might be my favourite book of Anne’s yet. There was something so familiar and nostalgic about the characters. I felt like I was reliving my youth. And the realness of what chronic illness subtracts from life really got me. I rarely read anything that resonates with me so much. Amazing.' Melissa Kramer, PhD Researcher and Women's Health Advocate
‘Nostalgic, vibrant and effortlessly told, The Time After Now really kept me guessing, even up to the last few pages!’ David Bowley, Reviewer
‘Anne masterfully takes readers on a journey that begins in the Melbourne rave scene of the early 2000's and into the present day. Her characters navigate such complex themes as the loss of youth, the threat of extortion and the burden of a hidden disability. She makes you feel the bitter sweet nostalgia and the terror of a past coming back as a threat, then mercifully lightens the load with her signature brand of humour. Brilliant!’ Marion Osmond, Reviewer
‘Turning an ordinary life upside down! This book delivers on courage, the strength of female spirit and the journey it sometimes takes to get there. The book delves into Type 1 Diabetes and the unspoken challenges, it was an extraordinary and heartbreaking insight. Total admiration for this novel.’ Carly Ruggeri, Reviewer
‘The Time After Now is a must read for every woman — it bathes the reader in humor while examining the self we are now compared to the selves we have already been. Anne's writing has such a lovely lightness balanced with a raw honesty that is beyond endearing. Her story encourages the reader to embrace her fiercest self and seize the here and now. Brilliant read — send it to all your friends!’ Hollie Jackson, Editor and Reviewer
