Forever and Back

Life on the Ledge Duet #1

by Ashley Manley

In motherhood and marriage, is anything ever really simple?June Cannon has spent the last seventeen years of her life as a devoted mom and wife, but when her husband, Camp, doesn’t come home for dinner—again—and her teenage daughter calls her simple, she’s had enough. Inspired by a podcast, her way forward becomes get a divorce, get a job, and show her kids she’s anything but simple.

As soon as she tells Camp she wants a divorce, he becomes the husband he hasn’t been for years, blurring the lines between what’s real and what’s pretend for the sake of their kids.

She quickly realizes that nothing—including her life, no matter what her kids think—is simple. As June catapults herself into the world at age forty to build a life outside of her family’s needs, a romantic interest from the past returns to town, giving her the attention she’s missed.

When the unhealed wounds of kept secrets and loss are reopened, June must decide between the wild and free life she thinks she wants and the seemingly simple one she already has.

This title contains explicit language and romance scenes.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Second Chance, Book Club, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance Romance, Contemporary

425 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

Give me all the unexpected characters, snark, and gasms. Please and thank you.

Reviews

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every mother needs to read this book. We are all June. Sobbed like a baby at the ending. 😭😭 So good!!!!!

Ashley, I know this book isn’t even out yet but when is the next one finished? 🙏🏻😅

[Mo Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

***HAPPY PUB DAY TO MY MOST GIFTED FRIEND/SASSHOLE/AUTHOR!****
****DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK, MOFO'S! & DO NOT MISS THE SHOWER SCENE! WOOOOF!****

I mean, the dedication speaks for itself...🙌🏼👏🏻

‘To the moms. The ones who struggle and the ones who don’t. To the ones who nursed for years and the ones who gave bottles on day one. To the moms who birthed at home in bathtubs and the ones who screamed for the epidural from a hospital bed. To the gentle moms, the tired moms, the stressed-AF moms, and the happy moms. To the ones who feed seaweed snacks and the ones who feed fruit snacks. To the ones who have lost, wept, and somehow kept going. Through carlines, through grocery store aisles, and through endless loads of laundry. To the moms of angels and rainbows. To my mom, my mother-in-law, and the women who have mothered me in between. Most importantly, to the moms who love, in whatever color of the rainbow, to forever and back.‘

Get comfortable. This book will pin you down and keep you down until the last page.

Easiest 5-star read this year. I’d give it 10 if I could.

& I’m trying to hold onto my ladylike couth here😌, so Ima just say this real fast: theresalsoashowerscenethatslipbitingdeliciousandmakesyouwannasinallovertheplace🥵🥴🌶️🙌🏼🌶️🌶️🌶️🤌🏼🤤


Huge thanks to the wildly talented Ashley Manley, my flocking favorite & also to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for review!

~ Pub date: 4.1.2025 ~

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

•Struggling marriage
•High school sweethearts
•Second chance romance
•Love triangle
•Slow burn

4/5 ⭐️
2/5🌶️

This one is for the mamas. Burnt out, struggling, under appreciated or overlooked. I wasn't sure how I'd like the whole love triangle bit with a marriage and family on the line but it turned out better than I could've imagined. The whole story felt very raw & real. Excited to read more of the author's work.

Thank you to Ashley Manley & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ally Cee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like this author. She is concise and strikes a strong balance between narrative and dialogue. I also rated all her other book 4 and 5 stars so don’t let this review deter you from her. But this book was frustrating.

40 year olds who don’t communicate even after years of marriage (they were high school sweethearts)? I’m sorry but no. June needed to use her words and speak up. But my critique ends there for her because while I think she should have said something sooner, I also don’t think it’s too much to ask for your husband to read the damn room.

Camp might have had reasons for everything he did but it doesn’t excuse the fact that he was severely absent while his wife was struggling. And while yes, one could argue he’s not a mind reader and June should have communicated better, anyone who truly pays attention to their partner can tell when something is wrong. He admits it too. He knew she was struggling but thought SHE’D JUST COME AROUND. Sir!?

It also felt like everyone felt so bad for Camp and wanted June to see it from his side of things but where were the people who felt bad for her? Where were the people who acknowledged what she went through? Because Camp can love his wife while also being a shitty husband and selfish (I’d also bet he was the one that brought that puppy home, another thing for June to take care of on her own). Yes, it takes two in a relationship but it wouldn’t have hurt for someone to be on June’s side and let Camp know he was messing up.

Also at the end it’s like everything she was upset about didn’t matter anymore. She even gave a speech about Camp valuing teamwork when homeboy was never teamworking it up with her at home. I can’t. I get what the author was trying to do but I don’t know, it felt like June was the one apologizing and no longer had a right to be upset at the end, which bothered me and ultimately made this book just not for me. Also the whole Reed story angle was so unnecessary.

[Erin Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** BOOK REVIEW*** Book publishes 4/1/25

Dear Ashley Manley,

Thank you for writing a romance with a 40ish year old Female Main Character. No offense to the twenty somethings but it’s just so not relatable to me at this time of life.

Thank you for writing a book with such a raw and real take on motherhood.

Thank you for writing a book that doesn’t wrap marriage up in a pretty little bow like it’s so often depicted in romance novels like it’s the final prize.

Thank you for bringing June to life in one of the most relatable novels I have read in some time. There were so many moments I laughed, cried, shouted “yes! Thank you!”, in those little moments where I thought I was reading a book about my own life.

I’m thankful to now have Nel, Birdie, and June’s stories and so can’t wait for Scottie’s book and any other #hagstories you Grace us with.

And for those that haven’t picked up one of Ashley Manley’s books yet, what are you waiting for?!?! I don’t think I have ever given an author 5 stars across the board for every book they’ve written. These books deserve all the praise they have gotten and will get and deserve to go viral.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#hags #bookreview #ashleymanley #foreverandback #everybeautifulmile #whenwildflowersbloom #fivestars

[Rohan · Rating 2 out of 5]

everyone else read a different book.

[Stefani Murdock · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars- flew through this one! Hard to read at times because of the relatability to often feeling invisible in motherhood. A few cheesy moments at the end that made it not quite 5 stars and I really wanted a bit more accountability from Camp in certain instances. Ashley said she wrote this for the moms- she did a fantastic job.



I giggled the all of the parts where June is listening to podcasts to "fix her life". But what hit me hard was the bit about how often we take advice from podcasts, social media experts, etc. without first talking to the people who know and love us and have actual context for our personal situations. One recommendation isnt going to be the right one for all of us! Oof!! Great reminder ❤️

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ for the marriage-in-trouble romance/chick lit. I wanted to be best friends with June. The writing is fantastic. There’s humor and heartbreak and miscommunication and an old temptation who resurfaces to add to the chaos of married life with three kids. The author nails the cloudy questioning that can accompany the beginnings of midlife: the reckoning with the past, the long hard looks at oneself, the unmet dreams and goals, the time that seems to evaporate at warp speed. How do you make space for that while you are actively becoming yourself in the next phase of life? How do you make peace with all of that? The author grapples with all of that and more. This book was a delight.

[Tmstprc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining marriage in trouble story.

She’s 40 and tired, tired of holding everything together while her husband lives his best life. Instead of communicating she jumps straight to divorce. Then she spends the story backpedaling and finding herself while he helps put things back together.

At times the story is humorous, at times sad. Their 4 year old twins are terrifying, their teenage daughter, clueless. In the end the boys are still terrifying, but their daughter grows, which works well.

Vacillating between 3 and 4 stars. I’ll definitely read this author again.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dammit I almost made it through this book without crying until THAT GRADUATION SPEECH. I loved this book and identified with so damn much of it. And that SHOWER SCENEEEE 🔥🔥🥵🥵

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming from a single parent home and being raised by my mom, the story really helped put into perspective all the small things and big things mothers do for their families and all the sacrifices they make for others. I loved the relationship between Lyra and June. The ebbs and flows and how their relationship grew throughout the story. The way parenting was illustrated and how June chose to communicate with Lyra was soo beautiful. The writing for this book was beautiful, scenic, and full of emotion.

I recommend this book to not only mothers, but to the fathers, the husband’s and sons in their lives.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Clear your head. Take a day for yourself. Buy some clothes that aren’t also from a grocery store.”

Oh Ashley Manley how do you know just what to say? If you are a mom and have kids no matter what age, read this book. It will hit home, and you will feel more seen than you have in years.

June, Camp, Lyra, Hank, and Ty; you will fall in love with the Cannon family and instantly connect with one if not all of the characters in this book. The end had me in tears and that is rare. Ashley Manley is magic 💫

And the best part this is a series and book ✌️will be about Scotty!

“How you exchange who you are for a different version of yourself without even knowing. Somewhere between dinners and homework and car lines, you forget yourself. And, somehow, despite how hard and thankless it all feels, when you lie in bed at night, you still worry. You still wonder, did I do good enough today? Did I love these little people enough? Encourage them to be nice people and treat others fairly? Do they know how valuable they are? How much I love them?”

Share this one with all your friends. With Mother’s Day coming up, gift it to all the women you love. ❤️

[Ashley Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever related to a book the way I did with Forever and Back by Ashley Manley. This one hit me straight in the heart.

If you’re a mom, I highly recommend it.
If you’ve ever felt unseen as a mom, I highly recommend it.
If your marriage has quietly taken the back seat while you pour everything into your kids, I highly recommend it.

This story made me feel seen and heard in a way I didn’t even realize I needed. The mental load, the sacrifice, the quiet love that often goes unnoticed, it was all there on the page. It felt real. Honest. Tender.

It reminded me that motherhood is beautiful and exhausting and consuming all at once. And it stirred up that deep hope that one day our kids will truly understand everything we did for them, even the things they never saw.

This wasn’t just a five star read. It was a validating one.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little cheesy and main character slightly annoyed me at times, but overall good message about listening to yourself and people you actually know and care about rather than worrying about what everyone else on social media is doing or telling people they should be doing.

[Sara Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

How the heck did Ashley Manley do it again? I think she is officially my favorite author! I identified a lot with June, doing everything for the sake of the kids and losing yourself along the way, but also feeling like there was nothing more important then my kids and husband's happiness! I could say more, but I am to busy crying!

[Sarah Moomaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟 Ashley has become one of my favorite authors! She has a way of making you feel all of the feelings! Can’t wait for the second book of this series.

[Madison Swoveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! When my friend Mo recommends a book or an author, you don’t question it. You just dive in.
I went in blind to Forever and Back.

In my current life events, I am someone who relates so much to June. This book made me laugh…A LOT! And it also made me SOB! ❤️ Ashley Manley sucks you in with her real life events, and she makes you believe, that everything’s going to be okay, and you’re going to figure it out.

Well done as always, Ashley! Can’t wait to see what’s next!!

11/10⭐️

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like reading marriage in trouble books and this one hit it out of the park. It was angsty and I laughed and cried throughout the book.

The fmc and mmc have been together since high school. They got married shortly after having their child at 18. They are now in their mid 30s and the fmc just snaps one day. Her husbandcis never hone ans her teen daughter thinks she's unimportant. She listens to a podcast about wives that sint feel soon can divorce their husbands and start their new life

The fmc has a list of everything she wants to do in life that she never had the opportunity to do while raising her children and waiting for her husband to cone home (he comes home very late). There's never any date nights, not even a dirry or a thank you.

The fmc has had enough and asks for a separation. But wants to wait for a divorce until her daughter graduates high school in a few months. He starts giving her his time and making sn effort. Then she's confused about what's real and what's him putting on a show for their children.

I rrally liked the thoughts of the fmc, she's a dynamic character . I enjoyed seeing her standing up for herself.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Wow! This was so good. Didn't expect the emotional punch that comes with this story. Or how much I would love it. This is for all the wives/mothers that hold their families together. Those that have ever felt tired, frustrated, overwhelmed, bored, underappreciated, or lost. Those that are desperate to be seen, heard, and valued.

June lives in a small town and been married to her high-school sweetheart for 17 years.Taking care of 3 kids and a large dog day in and out while her husband is rarely home. She's getting more and more resentful. She wants something more for herself and to desperately get out of her rut. She turns to podcasters for inspiration and dead bodies at the funeral home to vent. Then there's the guy from high school who's back in town.

This book made me laugh and cry. Loved the characters. Have patience, this story takes it time to unfold but is so worth the read. The ending is fantastic.

June's best friend Scotty's book is due out September 2025. Looking forward to it.

[Michelle Claypot_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first read from this author has cemented her as a favourite - I already know this book will be one of my top reads of the year ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While this story seems to be a small town romance/marriage in trouble trope - it’s so much more. I cried. I laughed. Then I cried some more. The storytelling is heartfelt and covers topics that every mum and wife deals with in a painfully honest way. I loved the raw look at marriage and how easily you can lose your way.

I loved everything about this book and definitely recommend.

I received an arc of this book.

[Raisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five hundred stars, seriously. I’ve never felt so seen, so understood, so…emotional. I don’t often cry reading books, but this was an exception. June is so many of us - and to have so many aspects of motherhood put into an incredibly written book, is so special. I cannot say enough about this, and this will easily be one of my top (if not THE top read) for 2025 for me. Ashley is now one of my automatic reads / purchases without a doubt. And thank you, for remembering the moms in the back, the lost ones, and everything in between.

[Brenna (brennas_book_corner) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books about marriages in trouble have been my jam lately. I love the second chances and a different take on a romance story. Sadly this one didn’t quite work for me.

I get why some people are loving this book. It’s a story of a 40 year old wife and mother who is tired of taking care of everything and everyone and feeling like she’s lost herself. There are days I feel that myself so I felt some of June’s frustration. However, I couldn’t relate to June for a majority of this book. Blindsiding your husband with wanting a divorce when you haven’t had the guts to communicate is just ridiculous. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This book is raw, which I appreciated, but I just really disliked June most of the time. She makes some choices I don’t agree with, especially with her parenting, which they were both at fault for. I could write a novel about that! 😂 June would also constantly repeat herself three times with certain words in a sentence. It was really weird and annoying and made her seem weak and unable to express herself.

There are some heartfelt moments at the end, but it wasn’t enough to redeem it for me. It also had a lot of unnecessary strong language and adult content that was very cringey. Did I still devour this book? Yes, absolutely. I needed to know how it ended.

I think the potential was there, but the execution just didn’t work for me. Communication from both sides would’ve solved a lot of problems in this book. 😆 And a husband who would just read the room and help out more at home. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Content:
🤬: a lot of strong language
🔥: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (explicit)
⚠️: miscarriage

[Rhonda Holden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely for all the moms out there...whether you're a stay-at-home mom or a working mom. If you've ever wanted to feel seen and understood in the chaos of motherhood, Ashley Manley does an incredible job capturing those emotions. She perfectly describes the isolation, the loss of identity, and the feeling of being overlooked and unappreciated for everything we do.

I actually binge-read two Ashley Manley books back-to-back, and I’m officially impressed. She might be a new favorite author for me. I love how she portrays the very real struggles moms face and how often we bottle everything up inside. Because how dare we complain…right? There’s this unspoken expectation that we should just handle it all without ever feeling overwhelmed.

One thing I really appreciated was the message about the importance of taking care of ourselves and communicating more openly with our partners before everything boils over. The story also touches on how the female main character relies heavily on podcasts for advice about her life. I thought that was such an interesting element because the book also shows how that kind of advice isn’t always healthy or realistic...life isn’t black and white, and relationships are far more complicated than quick podcast soundbites.

This wasn’t quite a five-star read for me because the actions of our main character really annoyed me at times. There were definitely moments where I wanted to shake her. But overall, I really loved the messaging and appreciated reading a book written by someone who truly gets it.

Ashley Manley writes with so much empathy and honesty about motherhood, and it made this story feel incredibly relatable. If you enjoy emotional contemporary fiction that explores the realities of motherhood, identity, and relationships, I would definitely recommend picking this one up.

[Katharina · Rating 5 out of 5]

it’s 6 am and I’m crying. this book. this book was absolutely beautiful. as a stay at home mother and wife this book hit close to home. I’d highly recommend this to all my mommas out there.

June…I adore her. Seeing the things she went through and how she was feeling. She felt so relatable. Her story felt raw. It felt realistic. If I could hug her, I would.

I would’ve loved to have camps pov too! I would’ve loved to see what was in his head too! At first his character has me mad. But he grew to me and I would give him a big hug too.

The mother and daughter relationship between Lyra & June was beautiful. The twin boys had me laughing.

Overall this story was so beautiful. It’s my first read from this author and won’t be my last. I’ll also be getting a physical copy for my library at home.

a quote that I loved :

“People tell you about potty training and sleepless nights, but they don’t tell you how fucking hard being a mom is. About the slow drain that happens if you aren’t careful. How you exchange who you are for a different version of yourself without even knowing. Somewhere between dinners and homework and car lines, you forget yourself. And, somehow, despite how hard and thankless it all feels, when you lie in bed at night, you still worry. You still wonder, did I do good enough today? Did I love these little people enough? Encourage them to be nice people and treat others fairly? Do they know how valuable they are? How much I love them?”

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read this one was! I loved the story about a housewife and mother who’s in a funk and doesn’t know if she wants to stay married, doesn’t see worth in being a mother and raising children, doesn’t feel valued by anyone for what she has done, might do, or will do.

June is a mess! And on top of all that, she’s taking suggestions from podcasts and talk in to the dead people in her best friend’s crematorium. Can all the years of not listening to the best advice and her own inner wisdom fix this? It’s really a delightful story and so true to life. It happens a lot.

So read this one, is my suggestion. I’m giving it five golden stars!

I received a copy of the digital ARC via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Kaycee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley Manley has such a gift for writing like "real life". I devoured her first two books and had the opportunity to be an ARC reader for Forever and Back. It almost felt like she had taken excerpts from my journal and written a book about MY life. I'm sure many other wives/mothers can relate to June in this book, and Ashley captures the feelings of wanting to be seen as more than a mom/wife so well. I laughed and cried throughout this book and had to let it marinate in my soul for a couple of weeks before I was able to pick up another book after this one.

I am forever an Ashley Manley fan! #haglife

[Jean Linde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Ashley Manley and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!!

This book was heavy at times, and though I myself am not a mother, I really felt the pain June was showing us. Though on the other hand, I found June to be infuriating with her decisions, but I think that was purposeful to show us how difficult motherhood is with its ups and downs. I also hated Lyra in the beginning, teenagers have no filter = cruel, but that ending and her dedication to her mom made me cry. Regardless of if you are a parent or not, you need to read this. Makes me appreciate my own mom so much more.

[Jen Aycock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair warning. Moms may feel seen while reading and experience a cathartic release. If you’ve ever wanted to read a book that captures the monotony of motherhood and its downward spiral of helplessness, Ashley Manley’s Forever and Back is your book. I’ve never wanted to annotate a book so badly, and I’m not an annotator.

We follow June Cannon as she’s drowning in the sea of motherhood and learn what sacrifices she’s made to get there. Like many moms (working or not), she sees the grimy parts of her life that she can’t seem to catch a break from. The kids who won’t stop arguing or destroying things. The teenager who knows everything and views her mom as simple. The husband who works hard and plays hard.

“Here I am, forty, an age when I always thought I’d be so sure of who I was and what I wanted, completely lost. A frayed rope one thread away from snapping. The girl who was once the best at everything she did, now failing miserably. No career. No direction. I’m a bus driver, chef, and maid - all without a title or paycheck. All without an ounce of appreciation from anyone else.”

June. Gah, I love June. She’s broken and lost, but she’s willing and brave. Add dashes of humor, a solid bff who happens to work at a crematorium, and golden one liners. I couldn’t put this book down. It’s an absolute MUST READ. Now, how do we get this literary gem into Target?

[Shannon (The Book Club Mom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It appears that romance novels centered around 40+ moms are my new jam. I just can’t get enough! Last month I read Ashley Manley’s debut, EVERY BEAUTIFUL MILE and absolutely loved it. I was so excited to find her forthcoming release, FOREVER AND BACK on netgalley and requested it immediately.

I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for almost 14 years now, so I related immensely to June, the main character. I was nodding my head in solidarity and agreement almost the entire time. This novel really explores how selfless a woman becomes in motherhood and how her wants and needs take a backseat for many years. When June’s husband doesn’t come home for dinner—once again—it’s the last straw, and she demands a change.

Manley does a phenomenal job showcasing the loneliness and exhaustion of motherhood, and how invisible we sometimes feel. If you’re the default parent, you will definitely understand June’s frustration when every little thing falls on her. Meals, homework, permission slips, cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc. I can go on and on. I think every mother has a breaking point and then finally explodes. Ha!

Here are a few quotes from the novel that really hit home for me:

“People tell you about potty training and sleepless nights, but they don’t tell you how fucking hard being a mom is.”

“…I have something to say other than 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 and 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙖𝙩. Like I’m not just a mom, but a woman. Something other than the people I’ve made and the man I married.”

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Mature romance novels
- 40+ female protagonist
- Motherhood and marriage
- Small town vibes
- North Carolina setting
- Female friendship
- Second chance romance
- Photography
- Family drama and dynamics
- Insight on raising teenagers
- Some spicy and steamy scenes

FOREVER AND BACK releases on April 1st! It gets 4/5 stars from me! Moms will love this one!