Two Seconds Later


Romance - Suspense
582 Pages
Reviewed on 05/13/2024
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

I have been writing for most of my life, first with children's books and then adult novels. The genres include murder mystery, whodunnit, paranormal, YA, romance thriller, historical fiction, and supernatural/bordering on fantasy. All of my novels are full length, and sold in book venues like Amazon, all around the world. Besides being an author and a grama, I'm a professional clown for the children's hospital in my city.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Alma Boucher for Readers' Favorite

In Two Seconds Later, a suspense and romance novel by Tina Griffith, while Asher was in the shower, he and his wife, Lara, were talking back and forth when his cell phone rang. Lara’s world was turned upside down when she realized her husband of ten years was having an affair. Lara made every effort to win him back while wondering what had gone wrong and what she had done wrong. Asher went out the door, despite Lara's pleas for him to end the affair and stay with her. Lara had no intention of relinquishing Asher to another woman and devised a plan of revenge. Asher soon found himself bearing the cruel price of a woman's rejection, and it was Lara who had the last laugh.

Tina Griffith's Two Seconds Later tells the heartbreaking tale of Lara, who believed she would have her happily ever after with her husband. The story is a fast-paced and captivating romance filled with suspense and mystery. This page-turner started with an explosive confrontation. I was hooked from the start, and the tension kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were well-developed and authentic. As the story progressed, I understood Lara's and Asher’s feelings and I had sympathy for them both. The story was excellently written, and I did not see or expect the major twist at the end. My whole idea of how I thought the story was going to end was turned upside down, and I loved it.

K.C. Finn

Two Seconds Later is a work of fiction in the romance, suspense, and interpersonal drama genres. It is best suited to adult readers but does not contain any excessively graphic material. Penned by author Tina Griffith, we follow the story of Lara, a woman betrayed by her husband's infidelity. After enduring ten years of marriage, Lara's world shatters when she discovers her husband's unfaithfulness. Faced with heartache and betrayal, Lara transforms into a woman determined to seek revenge. As she meticulously plans her retaliation, the narrative unfolds with suspense and intrigue, culminating in a moment of vindication where Lara emerges triumphant.

Author Tina Griffith has crafted a novel filled with tumultuous twists, strong romantic bonds, and plenty of emotive character drama. The intuitive narrative portrayal of Lara's journey evokes a range of emotions, from anger and despair to empowerment and satisfaction, and the author takes us through them all with a real command of speech and thought presentation. There’s a naturalistic style to the dialogue exchanges that makes you feel as though Lara is a close friend, and that makes it all the more harrowing to see her go through some of the plot’s more trying moments. The novel delves into the complexities of relationships with a great level of depth, offering plenty of realism and authenticity in both the events that happen and the characters’ reactions. I also enjoyed the subtlety of the descriptions which brought the various settings to life but also matched the emotional tone of each scene well. Overall, Two Seconds Later is a highly recommended read filled with layers of suspense, intrigue, and romance aplenty.

Jennifer Ibiam

Lara Simmons was a freelance marketing analyst married to the successful Asher Simmons for ten years. It was a beautiful marriage, or so she thought, until it wasn’t. A text message from another woman, Linda, popped up on her husband’s phone one morning, and things were never the same. While Lara did everything to win back her husband’s affection, he drifted farther away. She cried, begged, threatened, and even almost lost her mind, but Asher and Linda didn’t take pity on her. Instead, their relationship thrived. One day, Asher told Lara that he wasn't happy in the marriage and wanted them to part ways. He packed his clothes and walked out of her life. What would Lara do? Read Two Seconds Later by Tina Griffith and discover the shocking answer.

What do you do when your beloved betrays you? When does the line between loving intensely and being pathetic blur? Two Seconds Later by Tina Griffith is a suspense-filled book that knocked me sideways. Infidelity, psychological issues, vengeance, romance, and emotional trauma are at the core of the story. People seldom write these kinds of stories because many women would rather wallow silently in pain and shame. They blame themselves for their spouse’s indiscretions, thus infantilizing and making excuses for such men. This story is eligible for discussion in book clubs, where women can share their honest perspectives. Tina's story tugged at my heart. I loved the plot and development. Although I had no particularly favorite character, I loved Bruno and do not think he deserved such a fate. I wish he'd switched places with Linda in the end. Thank you for this beautiful book, Tina. I would love to read more.

Jamie Michele

In Two Seconds Later by Tina Griffith, Lara is blind-sided when Asher, her husband of a decade, gets a message that leads her to believe he is having an affair. She is right, and after some time Asher admits that he has been in a relationship with Linda. Lara does everything she can to morph herself into what she thinks is the perfect, caring model of a wife to keep Asher from ending the marriage. Sadly, she sees again that he is still talking to Linda and after he tells Lara he is done, she takes matters into her own hands, knocking him unconscious with a frying pan, clearing up all the evidence, and taking him to a remote cabin. Upon arrival, she enacts a plan to coerce his affection, vacillating between longing for reconciliation and vengeful resentment.

“Their lives, once an amazing array of shared adventures and dreams, were about to lead them down different paths. And their love, which once held shared laughter and passionate moments, had now faded like the dullness of old wallpaper.” Two Seconds Later by Tina Griffith was totally different than what I expected it to be and I loved it! Lara is deliciously horrible and reminded me of a Cersei Lannister-type character that we love to hate. The point of view alternates in the third person between Lara, Asher, and Linda and it allows us to see the motivation of every character but through a reliable narrator that we trust. Two Seconds Later requires a reader with an open mind with many scenes, but mostly in situations like where sexual assault is referred to as making love and as a kindness, by the victim. Griffith is deliberate in crafting a twisted tale that crosses conventional boundaries and there is a high degree of courage required by today's authors to publish ruthless revenge so sensationally. As I said, I loved it and it squeezes into a niche that gets smaller by the minute. An entertaining, staggeringly indulgent guilty pleasure.

Asher Syed

Two Seconds Later by Tina Griffith revolves around married couple Asher and Lara, after Lara discovers a suspicious text on Asher's phone. Despite evidence of his affair with Linda, Lara attempts to salvage their marriage, but Asher remains emotionally distant. As Linda plans to move for Asher, he has no choice but to make a final with choice between Lara and Linda. Lara's erratic behavior escalates, prompting Asher to consider having her committed before ultimately leaving her. Lara is absolutely devastated. Asher embraces the prospect of a new life with Linda joyfully, while Lara battles with shock, grief, and anger, contemplating revenge. A chance encounter with a comforting man offers Lara a glimmer of hope and prompts her to consider moving forward, but first, she must get through Asher's visit to collect his belongings, which may or may not include a frying pan.

Two Seconds Later by Tina Griffith is equal parts terrifying and entertaining, with the author drawing together shock, awe, and dark humor. I never thought I would say this, but Asher's mistress, Linda, emerges as the standout character. We expect that Lara and Asher will have to beef it out, but Griffith does an excellent job of showing us Linda's vulnerabilities. The irony is that Linda is terrified of what Asher's disappearance could possibly mean, sharing the fear Lara had of losing Asher to Linda. Griffith's straightforward prose effectively snowballs the suspense, culminating in a satisfyingly paced reveal that makes the payoff of the intentional simmer totally worth it. What sets this revenge-fantasy novel apart is its delivery of a fresh, unapologetic take on the genre. For readers who are tickled by the thought of what the literary baby of Flynn's Gone Girl and King's Misery would look like, Griffith delivers the goods. Recommended.