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Wildflowers
There’s only one person Dean Wallace wants to save from the end of the world. Sunshine girl from across the road. His neighbor who’s always smiling. Who knows, maybe she can teach him a thing or two about how to live. But saving her against her will is harder than it looks.
Astrid Hardy doesn’t know what to think when she wakes up in her hot neighbor’s basement. He says it’s to protect her from the collapse of society due to a virus. Which sounds like some paranoid conspiracy theory nonsense. Losing her shit seems the correct response.
As they watch the downfall of modern life on the flatscreen, however, and hear the gunshots from up on the street and smell the smoke from nearby burning buildings, it all starts to seem horribly realistic. The real question is…with almost everyone dead and law and order gone…how will they navigate this new world together?
Astrid Hardy doesn’t know what to think when she wakes up in her hot neighbor’s basement. He says it’s to protect her from the collapse of society due to a virus. Which sounds like some paranoid conspiracy theory nonsense. Losing her shit seems the correct response.
As they watch the downfall of modern life on the flatscreen, however, and hear the gunshots from up on the street and smell the smoke from nearby burning buildings, it all starts to seem horribly realistic. The real question is…with almost everyone dead and law and order gone…how will they navigate this new world together?
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First published July 8, 2025
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About the author
Kylie Scott
63 books17.1k followersKylie is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling, Audie Award winning Romance author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
June 15, 2025
RATING 3.5 STARS
So when I saw this one doing the rounds, I was beyond excited to jump in and sign up, especially with the fact that this is one of my favorite genres lately. So as soon as it landed on my ipad/kindle, I jumped right in..
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Deadly virus outbreak
Survival
Captor x Captive
Age Gap 42 & 33
Ex-Marine
Grumpy & sunshine vibes
Opposites attract
I kind of struggled with this one..
There's a deadly virus going around that's killed millions and it's still not finished with society yet, others quickly fall to its demise. Dean has inside intel about this virus and the one person he wants to save is his clueless neighbour Astrid.
So you've read the blurb and know that he's kidnapped her and put her in a fenced in cage in his basement. Sounds dark and gritty, but the weird thing about it was that it didn't come across like that at all. She took it in her stride, and at some point even seemed to joke about it..
But when smoke and other survivalists start making themselves known around the neighbourhood searching house to house Dean knows it's their time to leave. And yet the pace seemed fast from one place to the next. Though the mention of a place they wanted to check out named 'Wolf Creek' had me thinking of the real Wolf Creek in Australia (if you've seen the movie you'll know) so that kind of had me freaking out a bit. Even in my head I was yelling do not go there lol
The whole book just felt rushed, and a little bit off if I'm being completely honest. I felt no connection towards the characters, and the heroine slowly started to do my head in with her one liners at the most inappropriate times. I expected more from her. Rage at being kidnapped, more sadness after realising that family and close friends are more than likely dead, more empathy, instead of being cautious when it came to other survivors she was like a labrador, ready to meet and greet. She just came across ditzy and clueless and I didn't warm up towards her at all.
Dean pretty much carried this book, he was wary when he should've been, he had the right survival instincts to get them to where they needed to be and he was beyond prepared for the end of the world. In all honesty I think if he'd not taken those drastic steps to kidnap Astrid she'd most likely be dead like many others.
July 11, 2025
Really enjoyed this.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
Small other woman drama in that someone shows interest but the Hero is all about the heroine.
Their sarcastic banter was funny.
It doesn't take itself too seriously, some mention of grief but light on details of death and gore though some violence and threats of violence.
HEA.
Epilogue.
This honestly could become a series, there are some interesting characters as part of the community.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
Small other woman drama in that someone shows interest but the Hero is all about the heroine.
Their sarcastic banter was funny.
It doesn't take itself too seriously, some mention of grief but light on details of death and gore though some violence and threats of violence.
HEA.
Epilogue.
This honestly could become a series, there are some interesting characters as part of the community.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2026
3.25 stars
Sometimes I wish I read blurbs. Not sure if I would have picked this up had I read it… gave me some covid flashbacks LOL. Not my favorite Kylie Scott book, but I did enjoy the last half much more than the first half!
Sometimes I wish I read blurbs. Not sure if I would have picked this up had I read it… gave me some covid flashbacks LOL. Not my favorite Kylie Scott book, but I did enjoy the last half much more than the first half!
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 3.25 stars
Narrators: Andi Arndt
Narration Rating:4 stars
Genre: Dystopian Romance
Length: 6h 44m
June 19, 2025
How unserious can you get???? I couldn't even get past 8%
There's nothing dark about this book, and I'm so confused why everything is written like gen z / Millenial Internet language. I couldn't believe that the characters are 42 & 33.
She behaves and thinks like she's 19.
The author has written the book as if I'm already supposed to know what's happening, what happened to world building?
I don't wanna waste my time reading a book I'm finding difficult to read in the first place because of the writing style.
There's nothing dark about this book, and I'm so confused why everything is written like gen z / Millenial Internet language. I couldn't believe that the characters are 42 & 33.
She behaves and thinks like she's 19.
The author has written the book as if I'm already supposed to know what's happening, what happened to world building?
I don't wanna waste my time reading a book I'm finding difficult to read in the first place because of the writing style.
July 13, 2025
2.5 Stars ⭐️
June 28, 2025
3.5 stars
A fast-moving post-apocalyptic romance that is surprisingly (and somewhat bizarrely) light-hearted, this is an enjoyable read.
Dean and Astrid are neighbours. They haven’t really interacted in the past, but they’ve noticed each other, and their relationship jumps straight into close-proximity mode when Dean kidnaps Astrid and traps her in his basement. It’s creepy, yes, but it’s done with the best of intentions as there is a wildly deadly pandemic on the loose. Dean recognises what’s coming and he takes Astrid to keep her safe, undoubtedly saving her life, even if she can’t quite see that yet.
Of course, they eventually have to leave the basement, and they head off on a journey to find a safe haven for themselves to start fresh, with Astrid relying on Dean’s ex-military survival skills, and him hoping that she’ll eventually come around and fall for him as hard and he’s fallen for her.
Along the way they encounter the usual post-apocalyptic fare – violence and death, the search for food and shelter, encountering survivors, and finding a way to start all over again, while avoiding the inevitable gangs and the fight for resources. I enjoyed watching them journey through it all, and even though this is a really quick read, it’s a satisfying story.
Don’t go into this book expecting a gritty post-apocalyptic drama. This is not that story. There are pockets of emotion when they reflect on their losses and see the devastation around them, but they move on from it really quickly and just get on with surviving and rebuilding, with Astrid cracking jokes the whole way. It was a little odd, but I got on board, and I enjoyed this one, though didn’t feel overly invested.
Still an entertaining read though – 3.5 stars.
An Advanced Reader copy was generously provided by the author for an honest review.
A fast-moving post-apocalyptic romance that is surprisingly (and somewhat bizarrely) light-hearted, this is an enjoyable read.
Dean and Astrid are neighbours. They haven’t really interacted in the past, but they’ve noticed each other, and their relationship jumps straight into close-proximity mode when Dean kidnaps Astrid and traps her in his basement. It’s creepy, yes, but it’s done with the best of intentions as there is a wildly deadly pandemic on the loose. Dean recognises what’s coming and he takes Astrid to keep her safe, undoubtedly saving her life, even if she can’t quite see that yet.
“By your own reckoning, even in the worse-case scenario, thousands of people are going to survive this. There will be others out there for you to be friends with. Many of them like-minded, forward-thinking souls such as yourself. Companions far better suited to the task of living in the post-apocalyptic landscape that you believe our once great nation will become. And this is wonderful news, because you can open the cage door and set me free. Which is, in essence, setting yourself free from the staggering burden of the immense amount of guilt and shame you’ve placed upon yourself by doing this deeply and profoundly shitty thing to me.”
Of course, they eventually have to leave the basement, and they head off on a journey to find a safe haven for themselves to start fresh, with Astrid relying on Dean’s ex-military survival skills, and him hoping that she’ll eventually come around and fall for him as hard and he’s fallen for her.
“Here’s the thing…I have feelings for you.”
“I assume they existed in some part of you. But are we talking in the pants or the heart?”
“Both.”
“So you want to fuck me, but you also want to cuddle me and listen to me speak nonsense?”
“That honestly sounds like a perfect date to me.”
Along the way they encounter the usual post-apocalyptic fare – violence and death, the search for food and shelter, encountering survivors, and finding a way to start all over again, while avoiding the inevitable gangs and the fight for resources. I enjoyed watching them journey through it all, and even though this is a really quick read, it’s a satisfying story.
Don’t go into this book expecting a gritty post-apocalyptic drama. This is not that story. There are pockets of emotion when they reflect on their losses and see the devastation around them, but they move on from it really quickly and just get on with surviving and rebuilding, with Astrid cracking jokes the whole way. It was a little odd, but I got on board, and I enjoyed this one, though didn’t feel overly invested.
Still an entertaining read though – 3.5 stars.
An Advanced Reader copy was generously provided by the author for an honest review.
July 19, 2025
3.5 🌟 rounded down
Wildflower was a decent post-apocalyptic romance. I had trouble with the beginning of the book but definitely enjoyed the second half much more.
Astrid (h) is abducted by her neighbour Dean (H) in the middle of flu season. She doesn’t know it yet, but Dean’s reasoning for doing so is about to come true. See, Dean is an ex-marine and he knows people who know that the pandemic is about to take a turn for the worse. At the end of the world as they know it, Astrid has to make a decision on whether to trust her captor to keep her alive or risk going it alone.
Astrid was an incredibly frustrating character for me to read. I understood her reluctance to trust Dean at the beginning (obviously) but the lack of trust and near constant mentions of his kidnapping her as a reason for why they couldn’t be together was so annoying the longer it dragged on. I mean, firstly, he was right about the end of the world and she literally would have died without his intervention. Secondly, he was so down bad for her and swoony and he just wanted to protect and love her freely. Thirdly, she didn’t want him with anyone else but took freaking forever to claim him. Talk about wanting her cake and eating it too. Add to this the callous way she thought about him for the first 50% or so, and yeah, I did not like her for most of this book. For example, once he’s already proved that he would let her go if she really wanted him to and that all he wants is a chance to prove himself to her, she says “And what I do know about Dean for sure is that he would die for Sophie and me. Which is damn useful in an apocalypse.” This made me feel like all she wanted from him was a human body shield. So romantic 😒
Dean was amazing. I wish we had his POV (if only to get a break from insufferable Astrid). He was protective and capable and he loved her so much. Their banter in the second half of the book was top tier, and he knew how to keep her on her toes without crossing the line into asshole territory. He apologised when he needed to and became the absolute best girl Dad for Sophie. I loved him so much. If you need a reason to read this, let it be Dean.
Anyways, not the best read but definitely not the worst. The side characters were likeable and the conflict was engaging. There were some funny moments too. The instant parent’s plot line was great, particularly how they embraced parenthood. I liked seeing the start of their new life and the way they went about building a community from the ground up.
Safety:
- no virgins, no manwhore.
- No om drama.
- Slight ow drama but only from a ow who is interested in the H (and mostly she just wanted to push the h in his direction I think) but the H is oblivious and utterly devoted to the h.
- Threats of r*pe, abuse and on page physical violence, including towards women.
Wildflower was a decent post-apocalyptic romance. I had trouble with the beginning of the book but definitely enjoyed the second half much more.
Astrid (h) is abducted by her neighbour Dean (H) in the middle of flu season. She doesn’t know it yet, but Dean’s reasoning for doing so is about to come true. See, Dean is an ex-marine and he knows people who know that the pandemic is about to take a turn for the worse. At the end of the world as they know it, Astrid has to make a decision on whether to trust her captor to keep her alive or risk going it alone.
Astrid was an incredibly frustrating character for me to read. I understood her reluctance to trust Dean at the beginning (obviously) but the lack of trust and near constant mentions of his kidnapping her as a reason for why they couldn’t be together was so annoying the longer it dragged on. I mean, firstly, he was right about the end of the world and she literally would have died without his intervention. Secondly, he was so down bad for her and swoony and he just wanted to protect and love her freely. Thirdly, she didn’t want him with anyone else but took freaking forever to claim him. Talk about wanting her cake and eating it too. Add to this the callous way she thought about him for the first 50% or so, and yeah, I did not like her for most of this book. For example, once he’s already proved that he would let her go if she really wanted him to and that all he wants is a chance to prove himself to her, she says “And what I do know about Dean for sure is that he would die for Sophie and me. Which is damn useful in an apocalypse.” This made me feel like all she wanted from him was a human body shield. So romantic 😒
Dean was amazing. I wish we had his POV (if only to get a break from insufferable Astrid). He was protective and capable and he loved her so much. Their banter in the second half of the book was top tier, and he knew how to keep her on her toes without crossing the line into asshole territory. He apologised when he needed to and became the absolute best girl Dad for Sophie. I loved him so much. If you need a reason to read this, let it be Dean.
Anyways, not the best read but definitely not the worst. The side characters were likeable and the conflict was engaging. There were some funny moments too. The instant parent’s plot line was great, particularly how they embraced parenthood. I liked seeing the start of their new life and the way they went about building a community from the ground up.
Safety:
- no virgins, no manwhore.
- No om drama.
- Slight ow drama but only from a ow who is interested in the H (and mostly she just wanted to push the h in his direction I think) but the H is oblivious and utterly devoted to the h.
- Threats of r*pe, abuse and on page physical violence, including towards women.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2025
This story felt a bit flat for me.
This story focused more on the found family than the romance. The romance took a back seat to everything else in this book. I questioned if she even liked him until the very end. I thought he was a pretty good hero. He was protective of her and tried to help her through the whole story. I liked how he accepted that she didn't have a lot of survival knowledge. He didn't think less of her for it but instead focused on her other strengths. However, later on she does try to flex her survival skills (which still just above non-existent) because she won't be told 'no' even if she does have a head injury. Astrid did take away from the story. She started off pretty relatable but was never overly likeable in the story. Even in her internal monologue, she was overly sassy. There was also too much current slang used. Even now, it feels dated. There were too many current references that I don't think will age well.
I thought the kid they saved was introduced to early on and killed any small bit of sexual tension between the characters. Then we were quickly introduced to more side characters. Most of these characters I could not even tell apart. The conflict with the other survivors didn't even seem that important. It kept teasing that it would be a really big deal but it was resolved pretty easily.
I guess this story would work for anyone wanting to read a post-apoc fiction, with a touch of romance, that isn't too dark.
This story focused more on the found family than the romance. The romance took a back seat to everything else in this book. I questioned if she even liked him until the very end. I thought he was a pretty good hero. He was protective of her and tried to help her through the whole story. I liked how he accepted that she didn't have a lot of survival knowledge. He didn't think less of her for it but instead focused on her other strengths. However, later on she does try to flex her survival skills (which still just above non-existent) because she won't be told 'no' even if she does have a head injury. Astrid did take away from the story. She started off pretty relatable but was never overly likeable in the story. Even in her internal monologue, she was overly sassy. There was also too much current slang used. Even now, it feels dated. There were too many current references that I don't think will age well.
I thought the kid they saved was introduced to early on and killed any small bit of sexual tension between the characters. Then we were quickly introduced to more side characters. Most of these characters I could not even tell apart. The conflict with the other survivors didn't even seem that important. It kept teasing that it would be a really big deal but it was resolved pretty easily.
I guess this story would work for anyone wanting to read a post-apoc fiction, with a touch of romance, that isn't too dark.
July 15, 2025
It's been a minute since I've read a Kylie Scott book- but I was really excited for this one. The premise? Sounded addictive. And Kylie has a great penchant for combining highly unusual romantic set-ups or meet cutes and infusing it with significant emotional content. So an end of the world type story? Where the hero kidnaps the heroine to protect her? Seemed ripe for a classic Kylie story with a lot of heart, emotional growth, tension, and adrenaline.
I think for me it's just likely more a case of miss-matched expectations. I expected world building, end of the world type gravitas, danger, and emotion. A bit of darkness and edge. And that's not quite what we get here. Instead Wildflowers is more quirky, unusually paced, and tonally inconsistent. I think a lot of my expectations came from the tropes and the blurb itself. It felt like despite it being the end of the world, there weren't really true stakes, true danger, true emotion. I didn't quite feel much connection between our characters, and they also did not feel their ages at all (honestly this might have read better as young adult, for adults, our heroine in particular felt really immature and vapid).
Our hero Dean is indeed a treat- and he's what carried me through the book. Worth the read for him alone perhaps, and maybe if the blurb and my own created expectations were calibrated better, I might have enjoyed it more. I wanted more connection, more emotional substance, all in all a story with stakes matching the setting, characters' ages, and the weight of the dynamic. But that's not quite the vibe. But others might enjoy - there's definitely some fun elements and it's still a great premise.
I think for me it's just likely more a case of miss-matched expectations. I expected world building, end of the world type gravitas, danger, and emotion. A bit of darkness and edge. And that's not quite what we get here. Instead Wildflowers is more quirky, unusually paced, and tonally inconsistent. I think a lot of my expectations came from the tropes and the blurb itself. It felt like despite it being the end of the world, there weren't really true stakes, true danger, true emotion. I didn't quite feel much connection between our characters, and they also did not feel their ages at all (honestly this might have read better as young adult, for adults, our heroine in particular felt really immature and vapid).
Our hero Dean is indeed a treat- and he's what carried me through the book. Worth the read for him alone perhaps, and maybe if the blurb and my own created expectations were calibrated better, I might have enjoyed it more. I wanted more connection, more emotional substance, all in all a story with stakes matching the setting, characters' ages, and the weight of the dynamic. But that's not quite the vibe. But others might enjoy - there's definitely some fun elements and it's still a great premise.
June 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️
🦠Recent Outbreak Survival
🔗Captor x Captive
🫦Age Gap (33, 42)
💪Ex-Marine MMC
👿Grumpy MMC x Black Cat FMC
🔫Capable AF Protector
Considering it's an outbreak story where a woman's (Astrid) hot ex-marine neighbor (Dean) kidnaps her and they stick it out in his home bunker...it's actually overall light in tone. She has this dark humor to her and he has a serious unintentional humor to him. So it feels more like banter. The first quarter-ish takes place in his basement but then we go above ground and have a more "Last of Us" type couple survival journey.
So we are very much Astrid in this situation (all her pov) and accept that the world has gone to sh1t and begin to see that Dean wasn't all nuts but is in fact the exact type of military trained GI Joe you'd want escorting you through a dangerous landscape.
So they have bickering, and she wonders why he felt compelled to save her. There isn't really any angst and it's brisk paces, like an episode of Walking Dead. But it's entertaining. One bit I found a little odd was that Astrid comes off mostly as the Black Cat sarcastic type but then in the odd referenced casual moment she mentions how she cries herself to sleep. It seemed almost too extreme because mostly when we're with her she never gives any inclination to being sad or breaking down. And apparently Dean never sees these moments.
I guess I did feel the tone was almost too lighthearted though? She's almost flippant of this whole ordeal. I liked Dean but Astrid's sarcasm kinda wore on me and felt like she joked too much about this very dire situation. And we rarely see them run into people as much as one would expect (where are the stragglers of humanity?). And their first foray into spice territory felt "off" to me, like Dean has an emotionally distant personality so I felt his reaction to her making a move was too calm. That hit 50% and her and his reaction and the scene quite turned me off going forward.
If you want a less realistic survival, dark humored opposites buddy-type, light in tone type read, this is for you. Didn't quite hit the emotional, dramatic, deeper dive plot points I would've liked to see..the constant sarcasm threw me and their relationship never quite clicked for me either.
🦠Recent Outbreak Survival
🔗Captor x Captive
🫦Age Gap (33, 42)
💪Ex-Marine MMC
👿Grumpy MMC x Black Cat FMC
🔫Capable AF Protector
Considering it's an outbreak story where a woman's (Astrid) hot ex-marine neighbor (Dean) kidnaps her and they stick it out in his home bunker...it's actually overall light in tone. She has this dark humor to her and he has a serious unintentional humor to him. So it feels more like banter. The first quarter-ish takes place in his basement but then we go above ground and have a more "Last of Us" type couple survival journey.
So we are very much Astrid in this situation (all her pov) and accept that the world has gone to sh1t and begin to see that Dean wasn't all nuts but is in fact the exact type of military trained GI Joe you'd want escorting you through a dangerous landscape.
So they have bickering, and she wonders why he felt compelled to save her. There isn't really any angst and it's brisk paces, like an episode of Walking Dead. But it's entertaining. One bit I found a little odd was that Astrid comes off mostly as the Black Cat sarcastic type but then in the odd referenced casual moment she mentions how she cries herself to sleep. It seemed almost too extreme because mostly when we're with her she never gives any inclination to being sad or breaking down. And apparently Dean never sees these moments.
I guess I did feel the tone was almost too lighthearted though? She's almost flippant of this whole ordeal. I liked Dean but Astrid's sarcasm kinda wore on me and felt like she joked too much about this very dire situation. And we rarely see them run into people as much as one would expect (where are the stragglers of humanity?). And their first foray into spice territory felt "off" to me, like Dean has an emotionally distant personality so I felt his reaction to her making a move was too calm. That hit 50% and her and his reaction and the scene quite turned me off going forward.
If you want a less realistic survival, dark humored opposites buddy-type, light in tone type read, this is for you. Didn't quite hit the emotional, dramatic, deeper dive plot points I would've liked to see..the constant sarcasm threw me and their relationship never quite clicked for me either.
July 6, 2025
I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy and I read the book in one day because I couldn’t put it down.
Post- apocalyptic romance.
Kylie Scott signature style with a lovable sarky heroine and a gorgeous hero with a heart of gold.
Good world building while keeping the main story tight and moving forward.
Main characters were 33 & 42 and I enjoyed their maturity and worldview. It’s definitely better to face the end of the world after 30! They had a lived a full life before life was forever changed. Felt like they knew themselves and their flaws. The heroine in particular was aware of her strengths and weaknesses and kept her head in all manner of crazy situations!
Post- apocalyptic romance.
Kylie Scott signature style with a lovable sarky heroine and a gorgeous hero with a heart of gold.
Good world building while keeping the main story tight and moving forward.
Main characters were 33 & 42 and I enjoyed their maturity and worldview. It’s definitely better to face the end of the world after 30! They had a lived a full life before life was forever changed. Felt like they knew themselves and their flaws. The heroine in particular was aware of her strengths and weaknesses and kept her head in all manner of crazy situations!
August 4, 2025
Imagine the world is ending. People are dropping dead like flies. Then, your neighbour kidnapped your ass and put you in a cage in his basement. That's it, y'all. A love story. Sarcasm aside, I went into this blindly (because I wholeheartedly trust Kylie Scott with my life), as in I didn't even read the blurb. So, the whole kidnapping part took me by surprise.
This book was pretty much a fluffy piece, if we can ignore the dubious start in their relationship. Our questionable hero, Dean, pretty much kidnapped her to save her. He didn't ask, just did it. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, I guess. Our girl is, very one-track-minded kinda person. She didn't hang on to the whole kidnapping part for too long. And their journey toward building their own community afterwards was pretty enjoyable.
However, there were some parts of the books that made me raise my eyebrows. Things, scavenging mainly, came too easily for them. There was no tension, at least for me, about their whole survival. I kinda wanted a little edginess to the story. Perhaps, more hardships or resistance. I don't want a fully realistic or dark depiction of the world but maybe a tiny bit of hostility. But then again, that's my own opinion.
All in all, go into this for some light reading. It is not heavy of a story at all. Just a nice story, albeit a little twisted in the beginning there, about a couple who went into a dystopian future where civilisation collapsed. It's a quick easy read for me. Just what I wanted from this author.
This book was pretty much a fluffy piece, if we can ignore the dubious start in their relationship. Our questionable hero, Dean, pretty much kidnapped her to save her. He didn't ask, just did it. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, I guess. Our girl is, very one-track-minded kinda person. She didn't hang on to the whole kidnapping part for too long. And their journey toward building their own community afterwards was pretty enjoyable.
However, there were some parts of the books that made me raise my eyebrows. Things, scavenging mainly, came too easily for them. There was no tension, at least for me, about their whole survival. I kinda wanted a little edginess to the story. Perhaps, more hardships or resistance. I don't want a fully realistic or dark depiction of the world but maybe a tiny bit of hostility. But then again, that's my own opinion.
All in all, go into this for some light reading. It is not heavy of a story at all. Just a nice story, albeit a little twisted in the beginning there, about a couple who went into a dystopian future where civilisation collapsed. It's a quick easy read for me. Just what I wanted from this author.
June 13, 2025
(3.8 Stars)
When Astrid Hardy awakens to find herself in her cute neighbor‘s basement she is not sure if she should be worried? The world is ending with a virus running rampant and Dean Wallace only wanted to save one person…his neighbor Astrid. Can they both survive what’s to come without un-ali\/ing each other first? Boy, I might have some ptsd reading some of this with what actually went on a few years ago. This is an “€nd of the world as we know it” survival romance with a comedic twist. Grab some canned goods, your hand sanitizer and that hot neighbor if you have one and stay safe while you enjoy! Told in first person and Astrid’s POV
When Astrid Hardy awakens to find herself in her cute neighbor‘s basement she is not sure if she should be worried? The world is ending with a virus running rampant and Dean Wallace only wanted to save one person…his neighbor Astrid. Can they both survive what’s to come without un-ali\/ing each other first? Boy, I might have some ptsd reading some of this with what actually went on a few years ago. This is an “€nd of the world as we know it” survival romance with a comedic twist. Grab some canned goods, your hand sanitizer and that hot neighbor if you have one and stay safe while you enjoy! Told in first person and Astrid’s POV
March 27, 2026
I literally don’t remember what happened so it obviously wasn’t good. I was going to dnf but pushed through and it got worse. Climax was ok but lowkey I’ve read a lot of the end of the world genre and it was just slop that I’ve seen other authors do better.
June 22, 2025
"The man is all hard, lean muscle. And he sure would look pretty with my hands wrapped around his thick neck."
This quote perfectly sums up Wildflowers by Kylie Scott. Dean kidnaps Astrid at the beginning of the apocalypse to protect her. Astrid is, understandably, not okay with this arrangement. She thinks he's insane and has some weird captor/hostage kinks...until people start dying. A lot of people. A flu-like illness wipes out a huge portion of the population leaving Astrid to make a choice: fend for herself, or stick with the (possibly insane) man who spent the last several days protecting her.
Astrid is all of us in this book. She doesn't automatically fall in love with the captor just because he's hot, but she also knows better than to think she's capable of surviving an apocalypse on her own. She uses dark humor to cope with the world literally falling apart around her, and it made me absolutely love her!!!! It takes time, patience, and proof for Astrid to finally let her guard down and see that Dean is more than a pretty face which I appreciate. I would have been disappointed if she'd immediately fallen for him. He's a kind, caring man...who just made the teeny tiny bad decision to kidnap her one time.
Now, I'm going to give a bit of a spoiler because I'm a mom and this worried me. No children introduced in this book die. I think this is important because we meet several on Astrid and Dean's journey. My heart skipped each time a kid was found because I'm so used to author's looking to shock their audience.
Kylie Scott doesn't do that. Yes, people die in this book. You may even grow to like some of them. But she never does it for shock value. She describes the human condition perfectly, including how we'd act in the apocalypse, and she doesn't it with more humor than horror.
Wildflowers is one of my top books this year. The sarcasm, the swoon, and the fact that this could really happen made it impossible to put down!
Thank you, Kyle Scott and The Author Agency, for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This quote perfectly sums up Wildflowers by Kylie Scott. Dean kidnaps Astrid at the beginning of the apocalypse to protect her. Astrid is, understandably, not okay with this arrangement. She thinks he's insane and has some weird captor/hostage kinks...until people start dying. A lot of people. A flu-like illness wipes out a huge portion of the population leaving Astrid to make a choice: fend for herself, or stick with the (possibly insane) man who spent the last several days protecting her.
Astrid is all of us in this book. She doesn't automatically fall in love with the captor just because he's hot, but she also knows better than to think she's capable of surviving an apocalypse on her own. She uses dark humor to cope with the world literally falling apart around her, and it made me absolutely love her!!!! It takes time, patience, and proof for Astrid to finally let her guard down and see that Dean is more than a pretty face which I appreciate. I would have been disappointed if she'd immediately fallen for him. He's a kind, caring man...who just made the teeny tiny bad decision to kidnap her one time.
Now, I'm going to give a bit of a spoiler because I'm a mom and this worried me. No children introduced in this book die. I think this is important because we meet several on Astrid and Dean's journey. My heart skipped each time a kid was found because I'm so used to author's looking to shock their audience.
Kylie Scott doesn't do that. Yes, people die in this book. You may even grow to like some of them. But she never does it for shock value. She describes the human condition perfectly, including how we'd act in the apocalypse, and she doesn't it with more humor than horror.
Wildflowers is one of my top books this year. The sarcasm, the swoon, and the fact that this could really happen made it impossible to put down!
Thank you, Kyle Scott and The Author Agency, for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 4, 2025
Very bland and the romance was non-existent.
July 8, 2025
So the title of this immediately made me think of the line in one of the last seasons of The Walking Dead that I watched before I gave up on the show, “Look at the flowers.” And with Kylie Scott being one of my favorite authors, and having read one other book she wrote about an apocalyptic world, I was psyched to read this one. Now, really, the title had nothing to do with my connection to TWD, but that’s okay, I really enjoyed this book and sped through this story!
While we definitely are going to have to realize a bit of Stockholm Syndrome for the romance at first in this book, Dean definitely works out to be a good guy, even if how he went about saving Astrid was a little dramatic and on the insane side. But the world outside is going away. There’s a virus that is taking out people so quickly there’s not time to prevent it. It’s not a zombie apocalypse, just the end of the world…as we know it. Sorry, couldn’t help myself! As they travel away from the city to find a safe place to set up, there is one radio station playing nothing but end of the world songs.
As you’d expect there are the bad guys in this world. The looters, the ones who want to take over and control everyone and everything, including all the women – as violently as needed. You have the stupid people who crash cars just because they try to slow down really quickly and are probably drunk or high or something. But of course, while Dean doesn’t want to trust anyone, especially not right away, Astrid is right in that there do have to be other good people out there, I mean if they are good people, then it only stands to reason there are others.
First they are found by a little girl, Sophie (there is a little girl named Sophia in TWD!), whose mother has passed from the disease and she is now all alone. Of course they can’t leave her. And as they walk on to the place that Astrid thinks would be a good place to build their new life, the soon find some bad people, followed by the first two people they are ready to connect with in that town. Soon they find others. People who have escaped the bad people. People that the new people know and invite to come stay.
It might be weird to say, but it was fun to follow the characters along on their shopping trips, and how they were building their new community. The relationship between Dean and Astrid was one that I enjoyed how it unfolded as well. While he did keep her prisoner until it was kind of all over with the rest of the world, once they were out, he taught her how to shoot and even gave her the choice if she wanted to leave, he wouldn’t stop her. But obviously she knew it was smarter to stay with him for the foreseeable future. Of course that meant that they got to know each other and she was able to get past the beginning. I enjoyed the banter between them and even the fun conversations between them and the other characters, including the kids, and after Sophie, we ended up with several more with each new group of people.
This was a quick, and as I said, fun read. My only reason to not give it a full 5 stars on my blog was because I would have liked a little more of the story, it was over too soon!
Review first posted by Lisa Loves Literature.
While we definitely are going to have to realize a bit of Stockholm Syndrome for the romance at first in this book, Dean definitely works out to be a good guy, even if how he went about saving Astrid was a little dramatic and on the insane side. But the world outside is going away. There’s a virus that is taking out people so quickly there’s not time to prevent it. It’s not a zombie apocalypse, just the end of the world…as we know it. Sorry, couldn’t help myself! As they travel away from the city to find a safe place to set up, there is one radio station playing nothing but end of the world songs.
As you’d expect there are the bad guys in this world. The looters, the ones who want to take over and control everyone and everything, including all the women – as violently as needed. You have the stupid people who crash cars just because they try to slow down really quickly and are probably drunk or high or something. But of course, while Dean doesn’t want to trust anyone, especially not right away, Astrid is right in that there do have to be other good people out there, I mean if they are good people, then it only stands to reason there are others.
First they are found by a little girl, Sophie (there is a little girl named Sophia in TWD!), whose mother has passed from the disease and she is now all alone. Of course they can’t leave her. And as they walk on to the place that Astrid thinks would be a good place to build their new life, the soon find some bad people, followed by the first two people they are ready to connect with in that town. Soon they find others. People who have escaped the bad people. People that the new people know and invite to come stay.
It might be weird to say, but it was fun to follow the characters along on their shopping trips, and how they were building their new community. The relationship between Dean and Astrid was one that I enjoyed how it unfolded as well. While he did keep her prisoner until it was kind of all over with the rest of the world, once they were out, he taught her how to shoot and even gave her the choice if she wanted to leave, he wouldn’t stop her. But obviously she knew it was smarter to stay with him for the foreseeable future. Of course that meant that they got to know each other and she was able to get past the beginning. I enjoyed the banter between them and even the fun conversations between them and the other characters, including the kids, and after Sophie, we ended up with several more with each new group of people.
This was a quick, and as I said, fun read. My only reason to not give it a full 5 stars on my blog was because I would have liked a little more of the story, it was over too soon!
Review first posted by Lisa Loves Literature.
July 21, 2025
Apocalyptic reads are my jam. This one was just okay though. The writing was quick and easy but I found myself bored with the romance and I didn’t love the way the characters were written. I found a hard time relating to the h especially. She wasn’t unlikable but I just didn’t connect to her. I wanted her more emotional. It’s the end of the world!! The H has some fun scenes though; I liked his protectiveness.
Overall: 2.5
Overall: 2.5
June 24, 2025
I haven't read end-of-the-world survival story in decades so it felt fresh and new.
Dean has a very caveman way to show his feelings and Astrid is just the sunshine personality everyone needs after apocalypse.
As always with the author, the writing is good, the story is fast-paced which is perfect considering survival needs fast thinking and learning.
I already know who I'll be sticking to in case of emergency : Dean is the man.
Dean has a very caveman way to show his feelings and Astrid is just the sunshine personality everyone needs after apocalypse.
As always with the author, the writing is good, the story is fast-paced which is perfect considering survival needs fast thinking and learning.
I already know who I'll be sticking to in case of emergency : Dean is the man.
August 8, 2025
I had high hopes for this story, but I must confess that I don't think it is anything special.
A fast-moving post-apocalyptic romance just like it promises, but, lack profundity, real adventure and seriousness.
And maybe something more that I currently cannot pint point.
I dont know... it was an OK reading.
A fast-moving post-apocalyptic romance just like it promises, but, lack profundity, real adventure and seriousness.
And maybe something more that I currently cannot pint point.
I dont know... it was an OK reading.
October 10, 2025
Kylie Scott is probably my only auto buy author. I may not always read her books as soon as they’re published, but they go on my TBR list/pile. I don’t know how I missed this one.
This is a very entertaining, post-apocalyptic story—hoping it will have spin-offs.
This is a very entertaining, post-apocalyptic story—hoping it will have spin-offs.
February 6, 2026
Chapter 6 and so far I’m okay with this kind of Stockholm syndrome.
Update: finished and I'm definitely okay with this Stockholm sydrome.
Update: finished and I'm definitely okay with this Stockholm sydrome.
July 15, 2025
I really enjoyed this post apocalyptic romance! A virus is breaking out and the majority of the world's population has died very quickly. Dean has tried to prepare and takes matters into his own hands to ensure his neighbor, Astrid's safety. Together they leave Portland behind in search of somewhere safe. The virus proves to be the least of their concerns as they navigate this new reality. I appreciated the focus on survival and that their love story was slowly building in the background. This was a captivating post apocalyptic read with dark themes but a lighter feel.
July 2, 2025
Wildflowers is an end of the world romance that’s almost lighthearted at times. Kylie Scott takes the apocalypse and somehow makes it the perfect backdrop for a grumpy sunshine romance with tons of forced proximity, and found family too.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Astrid is just heading out to pick up some cake when the next thing she knows she’s locked in her hot neighbor Dean’s basement. She objects to being kidnapped, and thinks it’s a bit much that Dean insists on protecting her from the deadly virus outside. But it quickly becomes clear that Dean is right, and within days most of the population is gone. Now the two are forced to work together to find a safe landing spot without getting sick or running into survivors with evil intentions. Can the pair manage life in this unwelcoming environment?
There isn’t tons of world building here, and we jump right into the story, which is great. This book is fast paced, especially once Dean and Astrid leave the basement for their apocalypse road trip. The kidnapping at the start almost seems sweet and thoughtful, but it’s great that both Astrid and Dean acknowledge that it’s not a rational beginning for a relationship in normal times.
I love that this story is basically forced proximity x100. Dean‘s actions clearly show he’s gone for Astrid, even though he’s a man of few explanations. Astrid is more of an every-woman-facing-the-end-of-the-world, and it understandably takes her a bit longer to buy into Dean’s survival plans. Her sassy personality shines through, though, and her witty repartee is a treat.
It sounds like an oxymoron to say Wildflowers is a lighthearted end of the world romance, but somehow Kylie Scott’s managed it. Yes, there’s plenty of death and destruction and solemn moments, but Astrid gets in her fair share of quips and banter too. And like most of my favorite romances, ultimately it’s about two people building a found family and finding their HEA in difficult circumstances.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Astrid is just heading out to pick up some cake when the next thing she knows she’s locked in her hot neighbor Dean’s basement. She objects to being kidnapped, and thinks it’s a bit much that Dean insists on protecting her from the deadly virus outside. But it quickly becomes clear that Dean is right, and within days most of the population is gone. Now the two are forced to work together to find a safe landing spot without getting sick or running into survivors with evil intentions. Can the pair manage life in this unwelcoming environment?
There isn’t tons of world building here, and we jump right into the story, which is great. This book is fast paced, especially once Dean and Astrid leave the basement for their apocalypse road trip. The kidnapping at the start almost seems sweet and thoughtful, but it’s great that both Astrid and Dean acknowledge that it’s not a rational beginning for a relationship in normal times.
I love that this story is basically forced proximity x100. Dean‘s actions clearly show he’s gone for Astrid, even though he’s a man of few explanations. Astrid is more of an every-woman-facing-the-end-of-the-world, and it understandably takes her a bit longer to buy into Dean’s survival plans. Her sassy personality shines through, though, and her witty repartee is a treat.
It sounds like an oxymoron to say Wildflowers is a lighthearted end of the world romance, but somehow Kylie Scott’s managed it. Yes, there’s plenty of death and destruction and solemn moments, but Astrid gets in her fair share of quips and banter too. And like most of my favorite romances, ultimately it’s about two people building a found family and finding their HEA in difficult circumstances.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 19, 2025
Astrid was witty and overall a bright funny woman, with no surviving skills. That would be me I guess. Dean was a great guy to have in emergencies or the apocalypse, he thought of everything. You can only be so lucky to have someone like him by your site. The community they tried to build, the people they met and the adventures they had, just great. Loved it. I could not stop reading, wanted to know what happened next, not a good thing if you in a car during your vacation with a needy husband who wants to talk.
July 7, 2025
Holy Guacamole!!! I might be speechless or have so much to say about this one. Kylie Scott… I bow down.
This may be your best work yet.
What starts out as a pandemic quickly turns apocalyptic. Astrid and Dean fight through kidnapping. Collapse of the World. Figuring out how to go on.
This one was a rough start due to what the World has just gone through. It hits too close to what if? Wildflowers:An End of World Romance should not be missed. Again, you’ll end up adding Dean to the long list of Kylie’s men that we love.
This may be your best work yet.
What starts out as a pandemic quickly turns apocalyptic. Astrid and Dean fight through kidnapping. Collapse of the World. Figuring out how to go on.
This one was a rough start due to what the World has just gone through. It hits too close to what if? Wildflowers:An End of World Romance should not be missed. Again, you’ll end up adding Dean to the long list of Kylie’s men that we love.
November 7, 2025
This was my first time where I did not finish a Kylie Scott book. I just couldn’t get past the stalking, then kidnapping bit at the beginning. Maybe if he’d been more of a golden retriever type MMC than a stoic “military man” it would have come across less creepy even with the very specific circumstances of this plot. This was just really not for me.
September 13, 2025
This book was a joke. Why do I need to know EVERY single character’s skin tone? And why are most of the white ones the bad guys? Trash.
July 11, 2025
I don’t usually read this genre, but as Kylie Scott is one of the few authors I buy regardless and this didn’t disappoint. The wit and humour is sublime, and the romance is on point.
October 24, 2025
DNF
it was pretty decent to start. Once they left the house though. BORING! DNF
it was pretty decent to start. Once they left the house though. BORING! DNF
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