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Austin's Daisy
When KJ Weaver was eight years old, Noah Briggs moved in next door.
When she was eleven, he built her a castle.
When she was sixteen, he almost kissed her.
When she was seventeen, everything changed.
When she was eighteen, he broke her heart.
When Noah Briggs was nine years old, he saw KJ Weaver for the first time.
When he was twelve, he fell in love with her.
When he was sixteen, he held her for the first time.
When he was eighteen, his world fell apart.
When he was nineteen, he lost her.
When Ashton Emerson was twenty years old, he became Hollywood's newest golden boy.
When he was twenty-two, he was on the cover of every magazine.
When he was twenty-three, his latest movie became the highest grossing film of all time.
When he was twenty-six, he locked eyes with Noah Briggs' childhood best friend.
What does Ashton Emerson have to do with Noah Briggs? He used to be him.
Meeting as children, Noah quickly became more than just KJ’s best friend—he became her everything. He was her protector, her ally and the boy she hopelessly loved. But she could never have imagined that as teenagers, after circumstances upended both their lives, Noah would fade into little more than a ghost from her past.
Six years after their last encounter, KJ, now a successful author arriving in L.A. for the movie adaptation of her best-selling book, braces herself when Ashton Emerson, the very man responsible for taking away her best friend, steps toward her, his piercing blue eyes just as she remembers them. In another life, those same eyes were supposed to meet hers as they exchanged vows in front of family and friends, instead, they’re meeting as enemies.
When she was eleven, he built her a castle.
When she was sixteen, he almost kissed her.
When she was seventeen, everything changed.
When she was eighteen, he broke her heart.
When Noah Briggs was nine years old, he saw KJ Weaver for the first time.
When he was twelve, he fell in love with her.
When he was sixteen, he held her for the first time.
When he was eighteen, his world fell apart.
When he was nineteen, he lost her.
When Ashton Emerson was twenty years old, he became Hollywood's newest golden boy.
When he was twenty-two, he was on the cover of every magazine.
When he was twenty-three, his latest movie became the highest grossing film of all time.
When he was twenty-six, he locked eyes with Noah Briggs' childhood best friend.
What does Ashton Emerson have to do with Noah Briggs? He used to be him.
Meeting as children, Noah quickly became more than just KJ’s best friend—he became her everything. He was her protector, her ally and the boy she hopelessly loved. But she could never have imagined that as teenagers, after circumstances upended both their lives, Noah would fade into little more than a ghost from her past.
Six years after their last encounter, KJ, now a successful author arriving in L.A. for the movie adaptation of her best-selling book, braces herself when Ashton Emerson, the very man responsible for taking away her best friend, steps toward her, his piercing blue eyes just as she remembers them. In another life, those same eyes were supposed to meet hers as they exchanged vows in front of family and friends, instead, they’re meeting as enemies.
530 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 4, 2025
21 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 10, 2026
At first blush, this is not exactly the type of book I am drawn to, but it was highly recommended so I started reading. And kept reading. And before I knew it, I had finished! It is so well written that it literally caught me in its current. I loved every page of it! I never knew what a YA fan I was, but here we are. Looking for a good love story, you found it. I’m looking forward to the movie. Highly recommend! #teamcarter
May 27, 2025
Love At First Sight!!!
It was love at first sight. Noah and KJ meet when Noah’s family moved in next door to KJ's family. He’s nine and she’s eight. Theirs was a slow burn romance - from childhood to adulthood. It had all of the angst of a book covering almost 20 years is expected to have: different relationships; true love triangle with real life throwing in wrenches; and, with fairly, well-developed characters. Yet, there always seemed to be something missing. Why did KJ to love and trust people so easily, i.e. she forgave Brooke in spite of her actions costing KJ and Noah years apart when KJ needed Noah. Some things were left for you to figure out, i.e. what was Nick up to and why was KJ the only person who knew. Yes, Nick has an upcoming book in the series. Why? How did Nina, Noah's mother, go from being in the verge of a breakdown after his father died, to being a happy, globetrotting traveler. Did Noah becoming an well known movie star ease her sorrows. We know them moving was the beginning of the end of Noah and KJ's relationship. Noah hated the loss of privacy his fame brought. It also interfered with their relationship going forth.
The title of the book, Austin's Daisy, made no sense until it was explained in the last 5% of the book. Austin Hollow was a special place by the river for Noah and KJ. Austin's Daisy, "the flower itself was simple in nature—long, striking white petals with a deep contrasting yellow-golden center. What made it truly special, however, was that Austin’s Hollow only produced a few each year and finding one was rare." The the flower was "perfectly imperfect", just like KJ - "Rare and beautiful. Strong and delicate. Thriving in an environment that few others could". Noah knew why she was so unknowingly drawn to them - "they were one in the same. A Beautiful Survivor!" This summed up everything that KJ had gone through and why Noah loved her so. However, I often wondered how the title tied into the book. Noah mentioned that Carter should have known that daisies were her favorite flowers, not roses. How was he supposed to have known? Why not tie it to the tree house or the pool in a part of the river? We knew how special those places were.
It was omissions like this that kept me from rating the book higher. As long as the book was, so much was thrown in the last couple of chapters and Epilogue that it became tiresome.
It was love at first sight. Noah and KJ meet when Noah’s family moved in next door to KJ's family. He’s nine and she’s eight. Theirs was a slow burn romance - from childhood to adulthood. It had all of the angst of a book covering almost 20 years is expected to have: different relationships; true love triangle with real life throwing in wrenches; and, with fairly, well-developed characters. Yet, there always seemed to be something missing. Why did KJ to love and trust people so easily, i.e. she forgave Brooke in spite of her actions costing KJ and Noah years apart when KJ needed Noah. Some things were left for you to figure out, i.e. what was Nick up to and why was KJ the only person who knew. Yes, Nick has an upcoming book in the series. Why? How did Nina, Noah's mother, go from being in the verge of a breakdown after his father died, to being a happy, globetrotting traveler. Did Noah becoming an well known movie star ease her sorrows. We know them moving was the beginning of the end of Noah and KJ's relationship. Noah hated the loss of privacy his fame brought. It also interfered with their relationship going forth.
The title of the book, Austin's Daisy, made no sense until it was explained in the last 5% of the book. Austin Hollow was a special place by the river for Noah and KJ. Austin's Daisy, "the flower itself was simple in nature—long, striking white petals with a deep contrasting yellow-golden center. What made it truly special, however, was that Austin’s Hollow only produced a few each year and finding one was rare." The the flower was "perfectly imperfect", just like KJ - "Rare and beautiful. Strong and delicate. Thriving in an environment that few others could". Noah knew why she was so unknowingly drawn to them - "they were one in the same. A Beautiful Survivor!" This summed up everything that KJ had gone through and why Noah loved her so. However, I often wondered how the title tied into the book. Noah mentioned that Carter should have known that daisies were her favorite flowers, not roses. How was he supposed to have known? Why not tie it to the tree house or the pool in a part of the river? We knew how special those places were.
It was omissions like this that kept me from rating the book higher. As long as the book was, so much was thrown in the last couple of chapters and Epilogue that it became tiresome.
February 12, 2025
I spent a the day consumed with this story. There isn’t spice in this book but there is love. The soul touching love that breaks your heart and heals is.
Spoiler
I’m not really good at this but I will try.
.
.
.
.
.
When the fmc KJ is 8 the mmc Noah and his mom and dad move into the house across the street. The fmc father is a drunk and is really mean. It doesn’t say he physically abuses his wife and child but he’s is definitely verbally abusive. Over the years KJ (fmc) and Noah (mmc) become best friends. Noah’s father hears KJs father going off one day and intervenes. KJs dad runs off. Not long after Noah’s dad has a heart attack and dies. Noah’s mom gets really depressed and decides she can’t stay in the house anymore and moves her and Noah back to her family in LA. Noah and KJ admit their feelings kiss the morning he leaves. He gets a shot in a movie and after that his career takes off. They try to keep in touch but he’s busy with shoots in different time zones and all. He said he would be back the take KJ to a dance but cancels. Carter moved to town during his senior year and is interested in KJ but she is stuck on Noah. Noah stops calling when he says and time gets longer and longer between calls. KJ ends up telling him that maybe they need to take a break because all she does is sit and wait for him to call. They hang up and that’s that for then. KJ goes off to college and her mom meets a new man and has a baby with him. Meanwhile Noah has changed his name to Ashton and is movie star. While KJ’s home visiting she babysits her baby brother so her mom and stepdad can go on a date. Her mom and stepdad get in a car wreck and die instantly. KJs first instinct is to call Noah. He doesn’t answer and she gets a text from his number saying basically Don’t contact him again and this is what she wanted. KJ steps in takes care of her baby brother along with her friend and her stepbrother. Fast forward 6 years later and KJ has written a book that is now a screenplay and becoming a movie in Hollywood. She finds out as she’s walking in for the first reading that Ashton(Noah) is the lead. The book continues and there is a HEA.
Spoiler
I’m not really good at this but I will try.
.
.
.
.
.
When the fmc KJ is 8 the mmc Noah and his mom and dad move into the house across the street. The fmc father is a drunk and is really mean. It doesn’t say he physically abuses his wife and child but he’s is definitely verbally abusive. Over the years KJ (fmc) and Noah (mmc) become best friends. Noah’s father hears KJs father going off one day and intervenes. KJs dad runs off. Not long after Noah’s dad has a heart attack and dies. Noah’s mom gets really depressed and decides she can’t stay in the house anymore and moves her and Noah back to her family in LA. Noah and KJ admit their feelings kiss the morning he leaves. He gets a shot in a movie and after that his career takes off. They try to keep in touch but he’s busy with shoots in different time zones and all. He said he would be back the take KJ to a dance but cancels. Carter moved to town during his senior year and is interested in KJ but she is stuck on Noah. Noah stops calling when he says and time gets longer and longer between calls. KJ ends up telling him that maybe they need to take a break because all she does is sit and wait for him to call. They hang up and that’s that for then. KJ goes off to college and her mom meets a new man and has a baby with him. Meanwhile Noah has changed his name to Ashton and is movie star. While KJ’s home visiting she babysits her baby brother so her mom and stepdad can go on a date. Her mom and stepdad get in a car wreck and die instantly. KJs first instinct is to call Noah. He doesn’t answer and she gets a text from his number saying basically Don’t contact him again and this is what she wanted. KJ steps in takes care of her baby brother along with her friend and her stepbrother. Fast forward 6 years later and KJ has written a book that is now a screenplay and becoming a movie in Hollywood. She finds out as she’s walking in for the first reading that Ashton(Noah) is the lead. The book continues and there is a HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2025
It’s the wrong country!!!
I’m currently reading Chapter 26 and the MMC is in New Zealand - New Zealand!!!!!! - not Australia. Kangaroos are native to Australia not New Zealand, a quick Google search would have made this obvious, it’s hard to keep reading when the author gets such a basic fact wrong. You would see a lot of sheep in New Zealand and Kiwis but no f*cking Kangaroos.
And now Platypus - Platypuses are native to Australia not New Zealand. FFS!!!!!! I don’t know if I can keep reading this book, it needs a good editor.
I did manage to finish this book despite the glaring errors. It was a very, very clean book - maybe the author is religious I don’t know but the love between the main characters is just sweet, more like siblings than romantic partners, there was no passion in it. Nicely written but disappointing.
I’m currently reading Chapter 26 and the MMC is in New Zealand - New Zealand!!!!!! - not Australia. Kangaroos are native to Australia not New Zealand, a quick Google search would have made this obvious, it’s hard to keep reading when the author gets such a basic fact wrong. You would see a lot of sheep in New Zealand and Kiwis but no f*cking Kangaroos.
And now Platypus - Platypuses are native to Australia not New Zealand. FFS!!!!!! I don’t know if I can keep reading this book, it needs a good editor.
I did manage to finish this book despite the glaring errors. It was a very, very clean book - maybe the author is religious I don’t know but the love between the main characters is just sweet, more like siblings than romantic partners, there was no passion in it. Nicely written but disappointing.
February 15, 2025
5 stars
#secondchance
#childhoodfriendstoenemiestolovers
#slowburn
#littlebitofowdrama
#emotional
#hea
I loved loved loved this story. I love a story that can bring emotions out in me and this one did it. The only thing I wish was that KJ would have been a little less forgiving to the character who wronged her and Noah but it just wasn’t the kind of person she was.
#secondchance
#childhoodfriendstoenemiestolovers
#slowburn
#littlebitofowdrama
#emotional
#hea
I loved loved loved this story. I love a story that can bring emotions out in me and this one did it. The only thing I wish was that KJ would have been a little less forgiving to the character who wronged her and Noah but it just wasn’t the kind of person she was.
January 23, 2026
I loved the characters and the story. My favored MMC won the girl but I felt so bad for the other love interest. While love and all other emotions ran high the spice level
of the book was a zero. Honestly, I think zero spice was perfect for this story. It allowed you to focus on all of the emotions without distraction.
of the book was a zero. Honestly, I think zero spice was perfect for this story. It allowed you to focus on all of the emotions without distraction.
March 22, 2025
I regret reading it
I was disappointed because I had high hopes on this one. It’s just plain bad and silly. It just didn’t make sense to me.
I was disappointed because I had high hopes on this one. It’s just plain bad and silly. It just didn’t make sense to me.
May 28, 2025
I loved this book. Start to finish, it did not disappoint at all.
February 13, 2025
I adore the main couple in this story. Their story is both heart warming and heart breaking at times. I cried multiple times but have this in my feel good section so I can re read again and again!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews