Just before he passes away, Samantha Collin's grandfather, Abe, hands over the reins of the family business to her. It seems that her grandfather suspects something foul is happening at Collins Industry and he trusts Samantha to turn the failing company around. Only he expects her to work with Dillon Montgomery, the object of her long ago teen crush. Dillon has his own business, not to mention that her grandfather fired Dillon years ago. Why would he want or expect Dillon to help save the company now? Then, Samantha, a journalist, not a businesswoman, has to deal with her embittered uncle Evan, who feels he should have been left in charge of the company that he worked at alongside his father.

AFTER THE DAWN is technically the third installment in the Family Affair series, although some readers may think it's the second. (The first book, I Know Who Holds Tomorrow, was released originally over a decade ago.) The series tells the stories of five men and women who unbeknownst to them turn out to be long lost brothers and sisters. In this latest installment, the two siblings who have connected so far—Dr. Cade Mathis and Madison Reed, by way of her marriage to the now deceased Wes Reed, discover yet another sibling.

I have found in many Francis Ray novels that what makes them particularly enjoyable is a second romance that is equally as satisfying as the primary one. In this case, it's the story of Roman, Dillon's friend and business manager, and his mother, Marlene. This unexpected plot line never overtakes the first, rather meeting and complementing it until the story reaches its climax in a way that ties everything up into a single, neat bow. It saddens me to know that Ray's untimely death this summer will bring a halt to her special brand of romantic tales about friendship, family and love.