How would you live your life if you believed any day could be your last?
Having the same genetic mutation that took both her mother and grandmother, Birdie Rose Hawkins meets her thirty-seventh birthday with the grim belief that this year will also be her last. While she normally spends her days living by lists, rules, and routines—alone—she starts her final year doing something she never does: having a one-night stand.
When the stranger fatefully reappears in her life, this time carrying baggage of his own, it’s with an offer of friendship. Rather than doing what she thinks will keep her safe, he, along with the few people she has in her life, teach her how to lean into the things that scare her.
But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes for them to ignore the connection they’ve had since that very first night. When a secret is exposed and threatens to destroy everything they’ve built, Birdie has to decide if she wants to survive like she always has or trust in the unknown that comes with truly living.
It was a quick read and had so much heartttttttttr but, I just didn’t love it as much as Every Beautiful Mile. That one wrecked me in all the best ways. I think if you have a connection with the things the main character Birdie deals with (breast cancer and adoption) you’ll relate to this more and love it! Again though, Ashley Manley is GIFTED and I’ll read whatever she writes because I believe in her.
Gahh! Where did you even come from, Ashley Manley? This jewel (much like EBM) gouged me with its Harpy eagle talons, pulled me in, drug me around and had its whole way with me.
I mean, I hand out 5 stars about as often as parentals hand out prophylactics to kindergarten princesses and super heroes at Halloween. AM really blew my hair back and I never saw it coming.
When Wildflowers Bloom is romance/women’s fiction, but it’s really so much more than that.
Going in, you assume you’re likely going to ‘witness’ some sort of meet cute and then of course the journey, as it unfolds.
But Manley takes storytelling to another level. Like Machu Picchu level. Somehow she manages to bring the most random, merry band of misfits together in a way that feels completely natural. But I know it can’t have been easy, putting all these moving parts together so seamlessly. Like assembling a puzzle that has pieces you’re not quite sure belong. Until you realize those odd pieces are the edges, creating a perfect frame and without them, it wouldn’t work as well or be nearly as perfect. You just have to read her work to understand what I’m trying but failing to articulate. She’s a got damn weaver. A magician. A Weacian? A magiver? I don’t know and I have no idea how she pulled it off. But she did and beautifully so.
Naturally, as readers, we all want to connect with our F/MCs when tucking into a new book. We hope for it. We wait for it. But it’s certainly not a given. I have personally wanted to challenge many F/MCs that were supposed to be charming and witty to cage fights, because I found them completely repugnant, written all wrong and unintentionally so.
But not AM. She makes damn sure you fall in love with every single character she creates. And I mean EVERYDAMNBODY. I wanted to be friends with all of them, even hornball Mabel and grouchy ol’ Sam and George Strait the Goldendoodle. I wanted to make ugly art with Veda while she judged and criticized me the whole time. I wanted to squeeze Huck in a bear hug & hang out, high-five & do power yoga with Birdie. And I definitely wanted do dirty things to Bo🥴 Have forkin mercy. How the hell does a toothpick rollin’ around the mouth of a bearded hunk manage to ring the Devil’s doorbell, FFS?!?🥴
This book was life. The good, the bad, the ugly and all the in between. It’s a hurricane with a boundless range of reach and emotion. I laughed til I wheezed and yelled at my kindle as though it knew wtf I was saying. I smiled and swooned often. And boyyy, did I ugly cry.
(Random but honorable mention: I have a new appreciation for post-it’s, toothpicks and grocery stores.)
Seriously. Y’all read this book AND Every Beautiful Mile because they are both so damn worthy.
Huge shout-out to Ashley Manley! As if I haven’t said it enough, you are incredibly gifted & I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next!🙌🏼 {I’m not too ashamed to say that I am your Annie Wilkes😌}
Big thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Wildflower Books LLC for this amazing arc in exchange for review!
Wow - just wow. This book was absolutely beautiful. The characters all felt SO real like you could show up in their fictional town and visit them all.
Birdie believes this is her last year on Earth once she turns 37 as her mother and grandmother both died at this age of a rare genetic mutation that Birdie also has. She lives by her set of strict rules and regulations to keep herself safe but all that changes when she meets Bo.
I absolutely adored the characters of Birdie and Bo but the side characters were just as lovable and amazing. Veda, Sam, Margot, Huck, and of course, George Strait, move the story from a beautiful romance to a story of found family and true love.
I’ll be thinking about these characters for a long time. Such a beautiful story.
1000⭐️ ugh i wish i could rate this more stars. i think this is my absolute favorite book i've read all year. this will be my new roman empire. when birdie's mom and grandma both pass away at 37 from breast cancer- she discovers she also carries the mutation for cancer. on her 37th birthday all she wants to do is keep her head down and continue with her normal life as much as possible- until she meets bo at a bar. this book takes you on an emotional roller coaster through birdie's life and opening up and letting bo in. this book had me laughing and crying my eyes out but in the best way. this book was absolutely beautiful.
thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this ARC!
When I picture a “love story” or a “romance” THIS is what I expect. You make a connection with every character and you really feel the love building…feel the heartaches. So damn good.
I do keep giving my boyfriend the stank eye because he isn’t Bo, but I’ll get over it eventually….maybe.
I read this book 13 days into the year and declared it would be my top read of 2025. I had to read it again to be sure...and without a doubt THIS is my favorite book of the year. Everything about it was so well done and so well written that I felt all the emotions. I highly recommend picking this one up. I will be reading it again at some point.
5+ ⭐We are not even halfway through January yet, and I am 💯 confident I just finished my #1 read of 2025. From the first chapter where I was laughing out loud, shaking the couch to the last chapter when my sobs were shaking the couch, I absolutely loved this book.
The way Manley creates these flawed, yet strong female leads who are nothing like me, but somehow feel like exactly me is incredible. After reading the summary, I didn't think I'd really like Birdie more than Nel from EBM, but again she wormed her way right in.
The cast of supporting characters are absolutely perfect from Huck to Mabel and everyone in between. The perfect (and now my favorite ever) book boyfriend in Bo.
WHEN WILDFLOWERS BLOOM by Ashley Manley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ashley has done it again! I enjoyed this book so much, and I think if you have dealt with some of the hard topics in this book, it would be an easy five stars for you. The main characters in this book you will love, but the real stars to me were Vera, Mabel, and Sam… tell me when you fall in love.
Birdie is 37 and has a gene that makes her more susceptible to cancer. Both her Mother and Grandmother passed away at 37, so Birdie is anxious this is her last year to live. Wanting to be more adventurous with her possibly limited time, Birdie makes a bucket list. When she meets Bo, he is all too willing to help her complete the list.
Perfect if you like: •Senior citizens. •George Strait. •Small town love. •Difficult conflict and resolution.
3 stars for the fucking RAW MILK pancakes and weird right wing undercurrent I was getting (I might be overthinking it but some of the abortion talk had me raising my eyebrow).
This would have been a 2 if Birdie died at the end and a 4 if it also didn't drag as much at the end. I did cry a lot and it was super sweet + I would kill for Huck !!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I had the privilege of being some early eyes on this absolute masterpiece and I was immediately hooked!
The characters are lovable, relatable, and VISIBLE. The entire story comes to life so seamlessly and truly feels like you’re sitting down to press play on that favorite movie you watch 4-5x a year, even though it makes you sob. Because it also makes you laugh. And giggle. And squeal.
Birdie is particular and silly and unbelievably burdened, and our introduction to her is comedic gold. Bo is all man (that dang toothpick🫠) and all things good. But then there’s the side characters. OH these side characters. They are sweet and spicy and the perfect dose of crazy. And they all play such a special part in this story of life and loss and love.
Ashley’s stories read as if she is a seasoned author, a master at crafting characters with depth and soul and flaws.
I love this book. And I love these characters. And I’m pretty certain that you will too.
Birdie lives life by routine. She has to because a long life isn’t in the cards for her. Or is it? When a chance meeting with Bo takes Birdie’s structured world on a journey of hope filled adventure, Birdie soon realizes there’s more to life than what came before you.
This book is tender and comforting. It’s a reminder that life is worth living even when the outcome may be a bit messy. Manely packed her novel with characters that are relatable and compelling, people who can’t help but cheer for.
“When Wildflowers Bloom” was my first experience with Ashley’s work. As soon as I finished this one, I downloaded her entire backlist. I’m all in.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this through Ashley's newsletter and I. LOVED. IT!
Birdie is particular about absolutely everything in her life, because she's trying to outrun the genetic disease that took her mom and grandma. She doesn't realize that there's a difference between living and being alive until she has a chance encounter with a handsome stranger. That encounter turns into friendship, which turns into more.
This book brings together complex main characters and a cast of supporting characters that are extremely lovable. The story is beautiful. I laughed and cried too many times to count.
WOW! I would rate this book 10 stars if I could! I was very excited to read this one after loving "Every Beautiful Mile", and I was blown away with how much I loved it. I honestly haven't cried while reading a book in a very long time and I definitely cried a few times (mostly happy tears). The author writes so beautifully and has a wonderful way of connecting us to the characters. I was obsessed with not only the main characters, but all of the supporting ones too. I could picture them all so vividly and just felt like I was right there with them. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know & I cannot wait to read what's next by Ashley Manley!!!
5.0 stars. 👏👏👏 Another wonderful, heartfelt, beautiful story from a gifted author. The characters are so real, I loved them all. I LMAO ("Pam Beesly"), I cried and loved every minute of it. Can't say enough about how much I adore this author. Already marked my calendar for her next release in September. Can't come soon enough.
Oh, how I wish Audible would release her books with awesome dual narrators. They're all worth a re-read/listen.
A great read. I didn’t love it as much as her other 2 books but no the less she’s a great writer and enjoyed this one. I just didn’t connect with the mfc and a few things were a little too predictable
gosh, am I crying at 4am just finishing this book? Obviously.
This book had so many powerful messages and complex systems/experiences people face. I really like the writing in this book and got to really connect with the characters. Just so wholesome and felt quick to read! Some pieces were pretty predictable but still loved it.
This is easily one of my all-time favorite reads! The book is breathtaking in every way imaginable. The characters will have you laughing and craving more. Ashley’s storytelling is phenomenal—her talent is truly extraordinary!
Women need to stop writing unrealistic fictional men because my standards have reached impossible heights. This was so good.
“I learned one more person in my life can make my world so much bigger but ultimately leave me feeling crushed and small. I learned that, after a lifetime of wishing I had a different life, it turns out a different life is just the same damn bullshit.”
I was lucky enough to Beta read this book. This is what I sent Ashley after reading it -
I just read this in less than 24hrs. I didn’t want it to end but could not stop reading it. It was beautiful. And funny. And heartbreaking. And inspiring. Every Beautiful Mile was such a special book that I almost was afraid to read this one but it was just as amazing. I know you don’t read reviews and look at ratings but this will be a clear 5⭐️ for me, just like your last was. Thank you for writing for us hags! Ps I giggled when I caught your nod to thighgasm in this book
I’ll be re-reading the published book and will do a more thorough review then but wanted to give Ashley the flowers she deserves!
Reread the ARC prior to launch. I’m not a frequent reader-reader but this was just as powerful the second time. I already ordered my hard copy and it will be proudly displayed and read again and again. Birdie is so beautiful and inspiring as she learns to truly live. Bo is such a dream and honestly the best book boyfriend. Mabel, Sam, Gran, Huck, Libby, Lucy….all of the supporting characters are so wonderful and important. I just want to live in this story.
I will (and do) scream it from the rooftops - Ashley Manley has such a strong, beautiful voice and way of telling a story. I will read anything this woman writes!
I absolutely adore Birdie, Huck, Bo and Lucy…..and Veda, Sam, Mable, Greg, Libby and John. Really, a celebration of found family and non traditional pathways to family while honoring the family that loves us and is there for us from the beginning. While at first, I thought Birdie to be paranoid and neurotic, she became more and more relatable and lovable. I loved her respect for both the elderly and children who communicate in their own special ways. Quite simply I really just loved everything about this book. To the very last page it kept you on your toes with the outcome of the story and provided little tidbits of goosebump inducing moments. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wildflower Books LLC as well as the author for providing an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book. 👏🏻👏🏻 I am shookithhhh. Oh my gosh. This book wrecked me in the best way. Ashley is extremely talented and does such a great job at making you FEEL what the characters are feeling. I laughed out loud. I cried. I was heartbroken. I was pieced back together. I wanna be Mabel when I grow up. 😂🤣 Top read of this year hands down! Absolutely will be a book that I will re-read and recommend to everyone I know! Already preordered the paperback.
If you are lucky enough to come across this authors work, READ IT. Amazing Brilliant So beautifully written. 100/5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.