Can before and after become now? Valancy has lived two lives before and after. Before grief devastated her, she was bold and fearless, with boundless dreams. After, she pulled into herself, leaving that life and its people behind for one of routine and order that promised safety. A decade later, her well-ordered life is thrown into disarray when Will, her best friend from before, shows up in her after. As the two reconnect, Valancy's old dreams begin to rekindle and she wonders if her before and after can become a better now.

Once bitten, twice shy. Valarie thought she was living a fairytale–a whirlwind romance in college, an engagement, plans for the wedding of her dreams, and her happily ever after waiting at the end. When her forever turns into never, she vows that love and romance were left in the past with her broken heart. Then she meets Ethan, a man who knows similar heartache, and begins to wonder if it’s possible to love again. As the two work together to plan the perfect wedding for their best friends, Valarie starts to reexamine herself and the things she truly wants out of life.

When you build your life on lies, how do you find the truth? After years of trying–and failing–to make relationships work, Rose has come to the realization that she isn’t made for anything that lasts. When you can’t even befriend your own cousins, why would anyone else want you? But faced with the reality of attending another family holiday alone, she enlists Michaelson, her handsome, friendly, talented coworker to pose as her fake boyfriend. The only problem is, she doesn’t even know his name. Dmitri has known loss and the heartache that comes with it. Now, years removed from the event that devastated him, he’s found fulfillment in chasing the promotion that will land him–as Michaelson the news anchor–on national television. The only problem: he’s been passed over for years. When he makes a deal with Rose to fake date her for a month in exchange for help landing the promotion, Dmitri knows it’s a long shot. But he doesn’t just say yes because it might move him onto Rockford and bigger things; he says yes because he wants to know why capable, confident, beautiful Rose needs a fake boyfriend in the first place.

This collection of four stories can be considered extended epilogues to the books in The Vals. While the main novels of The Vals can be read and appreciated in any order, you need to have read all three of those novels to appreciate these stories. Secrets and Surprises After sixteen years of marriage, Anne worries that her devoted husband, Ken, is no longer in love with her. With their anniversary–a day they normally celebrate like any other holiday–approaching, she tries to confront the questions that nag her. A Place to Land Valancy and Will have spent the first few years of their marriage traveling the world. As their family and professional goals shift coarse, the couple embrace life’s changes. A Beautiful Life With Dmitri at her side, Rose is living a life she never dreamed possible. As their family grows, she continues to battle the demons of her past, but with new hope that she can be happy. These Vows Valarie once dreamed of a big, fancy wedding. While she no longer harbors those same hopes, she does want to celebrate her tenth anniversary with a vow renewal in front of her friends and family. After a decade of marriage, Valarie and Ethan recreate some of their most memorable firsts.