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Wildflower Duet #1
The Confidence of Wildflowers - A vadvirágok magabiztossága
Tizennyolc voltam. Ő harmincegy.
Egy világ választott el minket egymástól, pedig közvetlenül egymás mellett laktunk. A kísértés túl nagy volt.
A jövőm pillanatnyilag egy óriási "mi lenne, ha", és ezzel nincs is semmi bajom.
Amikor Thayer Holmes beköltözik a mellettünk álló házba, a mogorva tájkertész egyszerre érdekel és szórakoztat.
Az esetek többségében.
Amikor megkér rá, hogy vigyázzak a fiára, nagyszerű mellékesnek tekintem.
Lehetetlen nem szeretni Thayert és az imádnivaló fiát.
De azért van egy nagy gond.
Én tizennyolc vagyok. Ő harmincegy.
Egy közel tizenöt évvel idősebb férfibe beleszeretni nem volt része a terveimnek, de néha akkor történik valami, amikor a legkevésbé számítunk rá.
Egy világ választott el minket egymástól, pedig közvetlenül egymás mellett laktunk. A kísértés túl nagy volt.
A jövőm pillanatnyilag egy óriási "mi lenne, ha", és ezzel nincs is semmi bajom.
Amikor Thayer Holmes beköltözik a mellettünk álló házba, a mogorva tájkertész egyszerre érdekel és szórakoztat.
Az esetek többségében.
Amikor megkér rá, hogy vigyázzak a fiára, nagyszerű mellékesnek tekintem.
Lehetetlen nem szeretni Thayert és az imádnivaló fiát.
De azért van egy nagy gond.
Én tizennyolc vagyok. Ő harmincegy.
Egy közel tizenöt évvel idősebb férfibe beleszeretni nem volt része a terveimnek, de néha akkor történik valami, amikor a legkevésbé számítunk rá.
366 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 2022
4066 people are currently reading
128871 people want to read
About the author
Micalea Smeltzer
86 books6,705 followersMicalea Smeltzer is an author from Northern Virginia. Her two dogs, Ollie and Remy, are her constant companions. As a kidney transplant recipient she's dedicated to raising awareness around the effects of kidney disease, dialysis, and transplant as well as educating people on living donation. When she's not writing you can catch her with her nose buried in a book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,253 reviews
April 7, 2022
this is in no way a bad review, im just traumatized at the moment. and i feel like some plot points were unnecessary.
y’all please do not take the trigger warning page at the beginning of this book lightly. i won’t spoil it but it ain’t all hearts and butterflies.
i feel like i’ve been hit by a train and thrown in a dumpster fire. this was going good and strong in the first 80% and then shit hit the wagon and now i’m curled up on the floor sobbing 😭
this book was addictive, i read it so fast. my eyes hurt from reading this in one sitting.
i’m not joking when i say most of this book is just feel good moments and just the characters living life until we get to the last 20%
if i weren’t so invested in these characters i wouldn’t go on to book two but i’m crumbling. this book is good, it’s slow and kinda repetitive and doesn’t really have a plot until the very end but i think it’s worth it IF you can handle the subject matter.
y’all please do not take the trigger warning page at the beginning of this book lightly. i won’t spoil it but it ain’t all hearts and butterflies.
i feel like i’ve been hit by a train and thrown in a dumpster fire. this was going good and strong in the first 80% and then shit hit the wagon and now i’m curled up on the floor sobbing 😭
this book was addictive, i read it so fast. my eyes hurt from reading this in one sitting.
i’m not joking when i say most of this book is just feel good moments and just the characters living life until we get to the last 20%
if i weren’t so invested in these characters i wouldn’t go on to book two but i’m crumbling. this book is good, it’s slow and kinda repetitive and doesn’t really have a plot until the very end but i think it’s worth it IF you can handle the subject matter.
May 7, 2024
I don’t have the energy to write a review.
April 12, 2022
This book is messy, and not in a good way. It has kitchen sink level drama with every possible traumatic event you can think of thrown in here haphazardly, irresponsibly, and it's never addressed AND it never really contributes to the story.
EXCEPT FOR THE BIG ONE. The big traumatic event that is the catalyst that breaks our couple apart. I'm going to put that event below, it is a huge trigger that I feel should have been more explicitly stated other than the token TW page with "death"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
TW for death of a child, on page. A child who was an integral character to the story.
That is a huge trigger for me personally but that's not the reason I gave this 1 star. Here are more reasons:
The heroine was immature with little to no growth. The endless trauma was added one on top of another so this read like poorly written literary fiction tragedy porn. The pacing was abysmally slow. And there was no layered build up of emotion only the unnecessary and heavy handed use of throwing in every possible tragic scenario to FORCE some kind of emotion out of the reader because the writing alone could not do it. I don't really know what the author was trying to accomplish with this story because literally nothing happened until the last tragic event that caused the third act break up.
This didn't need to be a duet at all, if there had been something resolved at the end of this book maybe it would be two stars. But there just wasn't. Throwing in trauma doesn't equal an emotional read. It's just unnecessary and shows a lack of skill at ratcheting emotions up any other way.
0/10 recommend. Never reading from this author again.
TW for: death of a parent, cancer, child abuse, child molestation, emotional abuse, death of a child (on page), cheating, surprise pregnancy
Full review in my next vlog 4/11/22
EXCEPT FOR THE BIG ONE. The big traumatic event that is the catalyst that breaks our couple apart. I'm going to put that event below, it is a huge trigger that I feel should have been more explicitly stated other than the token TW page with "death"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
TW for death of a child, on page. A child who was an integral character to the story.
That is a huge trigger for me personally but that's not the reason I gave this 1 star. Here are more reasons:
The heroine was immature with little to no growth. The endless trauma was added one on top of another so this read like poorly written literary fiction tragedy porn. The pacing was abysmally slow. And there was no layered build up of emotion only the unnecessary and heavy handed use of throwing in every possible tragic scenario to FORCE some kind of emotion out of the reader because the writing alone could not do it. I don't really know what the author was trying to accomplish with this story because literally nothing happened until the last tragic event that caused the third act break up.
This didn't need to be a duet at all, if there had been something resolved at the end of this book maybe it would be two stars. But there just wasn't. Throwing in trauma doesn't equal an emotional read. It's just unnecessary and shows a lack of skill at ratcheting emotions up any other way.
0/10 recommend. Never reading from this author again.
TW for: death of a parent, cancer, child abuse, child molestation, emotional abuse, death of a child (on page), cheating, surprise pregnancy
Full review in my next vlog 4/11/22
April 13, 2022
4.5 stars🌟
"Love is like wildflowers
It's often found in the most unlikely places." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Plot- 4.5/5 🌟
Spice- 2.5/5 🌶️
✔️Age gap (13 years)
✔️Neighbours
✔️Grumpy x Sunshine
✔️Small town romance
✔️Single dad x Nanny
✔️Only one bed (+ nightmare)
✔️Love Triangle
⚠️Trigger Warnings- Cancer, death, grief, cheating, abuse, sexual assault⚠️
Please don't take the TW lightly, it deals with heavy trauma towards the end.
"Everyone deserves to have someone who’s there for
them. I want to be your someone."🥺
A heartbreakingly beautiful read. I cried so much towards the end.😭😭 Kudos to the author for being a heart breaker.
Coming to the plot; it starts off with a new neighbour moving in- Thayer Holmes, 31 years of age, the single dad to a precious boy (you immediately adore)and he's divorced and the love interest. Salem (our main character) is 18, goes off to introduce herself to Thayer and kinda forcefully. The two warm up to each other in coming days.
The pace is slow at first but once you get accustomed to it, you start to enjoy it. The way it's written might feel slightly odd, but it is written from the POV of an 18 year old so it does make sense. It was an addicting read. I devoured it in a day. The plot on the surface seems simple enough but the characters is what bring depth to it.
Salem has a traumatic past which she has learnt to cope with (to an extent), she lives with her mother and sister and is a free spirit. Initially I thought her character was bit dull but she grew on me. Also, you'll find yourself questioning her diet, she is a Diet Coke addict👀 (I did judge her a lot for that). She's also dating Caleb (who deserves better).
Thayer is swoon worthy. Perfect boyfriend material (I mean it y'all will fall in love with the guy). He's generous, laid back, and is ready to give Salem the world. Plus, he's hot!!
Quoting Thayer, "Who we used to be doesn't matter, it's who we are now, what's in our hearts that matters most. You're sunshine, Salem, but even the sun doesn't always shine." THIS🤌🤌🤌
My guy then goes on to say, "I'm not bright like you, but I promise, when your days are dark, I'll be your light." 😭😭❤️
Their chemistry is sizzling 🥵🥵🥵 Yes the spice is pretty good. So if you just want to read it for that purpose and the sexual tension you won't be disappointed. The two connect so well and honestly I love seeing them together.
To quote Salem, "Thayer Holmes might not realise how special he is, but I know." And yes that's accurate.
The supporting characters- Caleb, Lauren and Salem's family are quite one dimensional. Caleb's personality is just loving Salem and being a mama's boy, there's literally nothing more to him. Lauren is described as quirky but there's no story to her, no life to her. Salem's mother and sisters though play a very important role in her life, not much of them is shown.
Coming towards the ending
❌*Potential spoilers* ❌
It ends on a cliffhanger and the whole event is very traumatic. I still haven't been able to start the sequel. It broke my heart.
"I thought our love story was written in the stars; destined, remarkable, once in a lifetime.
Turns out we're nothing but a memory gone up in flames, ashes scattered in the wind."😭😭
The way the two loved each other, I had thought Salem would fight more for Thayer (the guy was grieving ffs). But I can't wait to see how they move past with this in the sequel.
"The universe doesn't want us to have an end, but a new beginning, because I'm still a bit his."🥺
Would I recommend?
Yes I definitely will if you can deal with the trigger warnings and trauma mentioned. Otherwise I would strongly advise not to read this one. It's heartbreakingly beautiful. The writing is so mesmerizing in some of the places, especially certain dialogues which will deeply impact the reader.
"Love is like wildflowers
It's often found in the most unlikely places." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Plot- 4.5/5 🌟
Spice- 2.5/5 🌶️
✔️Age gap (13 years)
✔️Neighbours
✔️Grumpy x Sunshine
✔️Small town romance
✔️Single dad x Nanny
✔️Only one bed (+ nightmare)
✔️Love Triangle
⚠️Trigger Warnings- Cancer, death, grief, cheating, abuse, sexual assault⚠️
Please don't take the TW lightly, it deals with heavy trauma towards the end.
"Everyone deserves to have someone who’s there for
them. I want to be your someone."🥺
A heartbreakingly beautiful read. I cried so much towards the end.😭😭 Kudos to the author for being a heart breaker.
Coming to the plot; it starts off with a new neighbour moving in- Thayer Holmes, 31 years of age, the single dad to a precious boy (you immediately adore)and he's divorced and the love interest. Salem (our main character) is 18, goes off to introduce herself to Thayer and kinda forcefully. The two warm up to each other in coming days.
The pace is slow at first but once you get accustomed to it, you start to enjoy it. The way it's written might feel slightly odd, but it is written from the POV of an 18 year old so it does make sense. It was an addicting read. I devoured it in a day. The plot on the surface seems simple enough but the characters is what bring depth to it.
Salem has a traumatic past which she has learnt to cope with (to an extent), she lives with her mother and sister and is a free spirit. Initially I thought her character was bit dull but she grew on me. Also, you'll find yourself questioning her diet, she is a Diet Coke addict👀 (I did judge her a lot for that). She's also dating Caleb (who deserves better).
Thayer is swoon worthy. Perfect boyfriend material (I mean it y'all will fall in love with the guy). He's generous, laid back, and is ready to give Salem the world. Plus, he's hot!!
Quoting Thayer, "Who we used to be doesn't matter, it's who we are now, what's in our hearts that matters most. You're sunshine, Salem, but even the sun doesn't always shine." THIS🤌🤌🤌
My guy then goes on to say, "I'm not bright like you, but I promise, when your days are dark, I'll be your light." 😭😭❤️
Their chemistry is sizzling 🥵🥵🥵 Yes the spice is pretty good. So if you just want to read it for that purpose and the sexual tension you won't be disappointed. The two connect so well and honestly I love seeing them together.
To quote Salem, "Thayer Holmes might not realise how special he is, but I know." And yes that's accurate.
The supporting characters- Caleb, Lauren and Salem's family are quite one dimensional. Caleb's personality is just loving Salem and being a mama's boy, there's literally nothing more to him. Lauren is described as quirky but there's no story to her, no life to her. Salem's mother and sisters though play a very important role in her life, not much of them is shown.
Coming towards the ending
❌*Potential spoilers* ❌
It ends on a cliffhanger and the whole event is very traumatic. I still haven't been able to start the sequel. It broke my heart.
"I thought our love story was written in the stars; destined, remarkable, once in a lifetime.
Turns out we're nothing but a memory gone up in flames, ashes scattered in the wind."😭😭
The way the two loved each other, I had thought Salem would fight more for Thayer (the guy was grieving ffs). But I can't wait to see how they move past with this in the sequel.
"The universe doesn't want us to have an end, but a new beginning, because I'm still a bit his."🥺
Would I recommend?
Yes I definitely will if you can deal with the trigger warnings and trauma mentioned. Otherwise I would strongly advise not to read this one. It's heartbreakingly beautiful. The writing is so mesmerizing in some of the places, especially certain dialogues which will deeply impact the reader.
April 10, 2022
(edit 1) Oh man, I just read spoilers for the second book and I really want to dock another star after knowing how it all plays out...
Although this author includes a trigger warning page at the beginning of the book, I think there is a distinction that the author left out that is a deal-breaker for some people. It could be considered "spoilery" but I would have liked to know before picking up the book.
For those who want to be prepared:
There are many reasons why I gave the book only 2 stars. (edit 2) I did dock another star. I'm feeling very ragey after finding out what happens in the second part of the duet which makes me pretty much hate this one.
If you're looking for a romance, I can't say that I'd recommend this book to you. If you like Nicholas Sparks love stories/tragedies then maybe you'll enjoy the torture.
Poor pacing - there wasn't enough story to warrant a duet. Just killing time until the event that separates Thayer and Salem at the end. So many scenes were utterly pointless (i.e. shopping for bathing suits for a pool party scene that abruptly ends).
An age gap that doesn't work for me due to Salem's lack of maturity. She's 18 and acts very much her age in a lot of situations. The way she deals with her high school boyfriend, Caleb, and her growing feelings for Thayer is not great.
Salem and Thayer keep their feelings and budding relationship a secret when there is no need. It was the strangest relationship progression I've ever read. So many grand gestures like Thayer building a home gym in his basement just for Salem (we're talking thousands of dollars worth of equipment) but oh no they definitely are NOT dating yet....
Salem became this compulsive liar throughout the book and I just couldn't get on board with her character in the end. Probably stems from her overall lack of maturity.
Extremely traumatic, life-altering issues that seem glossed over. They are there to create tension and drama but are handled poorly by the author. There are a handful of authors that I know can balance such heavy topics - make them integral to the story and characterization - but leave me feeling hopeful in the end.
Salem's response to the tragedy at the end of this book was so off. I could not understand her rationale at all. It boggles the mind and that's not even taking into consideration the very last bomb dropped as the cliffhanger.
No, I will not put myself through the second book.
Although this author includes a trigger warning page at the beginning of the book, I think there is a distinction that the author left out that is a deal-breaker for some people. It could be considered "spoilery" but I would have liked to know before picking up the book.
For those who want to be prepared:
There are many reasons why I gave the book only 2 stars. (edit 2) I did dock another star. I'm feeling very ragey after finding out what happens in the second part of the duet which makes me pretty much hate this one.
If you're looking for a romance, I can't say that I'd recommend this book to you. If you like Nicholas Sparks love stories/tragedies then maybe you'll enjoy the torture.
Poor pacing - there wasn't enough story to warrant a duet. Just killing time until the event that separates Thayer and Salem at the end. So many scenes were utterly pointless (i.e. shopping for bathing suits for a pool party scene that abruptly ends).
An age gap that doesn't work for me due to Salem's lack of maturity. She's 18 and acts very much her age in a lot of situations. The way she deals with her high school boyfriend, Caleb, and her growing feelings for Thayer is not great.
Salem and Thayer keep their feelings and budding relationship a secret when there is no need. It was the strangest relationship progression I've ever read. So many grand gestures like Thayer building a home gym in his basement just for Salem (we're talking thousands of dollars worth of equipment) but oh no they definitely are NOT dating yet....
Salem became this compulsive liar throughout the book and I just couldn't get on board with her character in the end. Probably stems from her overall lack of maturity.
Extremely traumatic, life-altering issues that seem glossed over. They are there to create tension and drama but are handled poorly by the author. There are a handful of authors that I know can balance such heavy topics - make them integral to the story and characterization - but leave me feeling hopeful in the end.
Salem's response to the tragedy at the end of this book was so off. I could not understand her rationale at all. It boggles the mind and that's not even taking into consideration the very last bomb dropped as the cliffhanger.
No, I will not put myself through the second book.
April 1, 2023
Instead of a review, let’s look at some data. Here is a list of stuff mentioned in the book and the number of times that thing appears:
* behind-the-ear hair-tucking: 7
* her cat’s eyes being green: 8
* Cookie dough cupcakes: 24
* Diet Coke: 25
Okay, so it’s a little repetitive. Now, was this book bad? Yes. Did I enjoy it anyway? No. Does it have an out-of-left-field twist in the last 15%? Yes. Did I stop reading it when I had 30 pages left because I was so over it? Also yes. But do I regret reading it? Yes, I do.
* behind-the-ear hair-tucking: 7
* her cat’s eyes being green: 8
* Cookie dough cupcakes: 24
* Diet Coke: 25
Okay, so it’s a little repetitive. Now, was this book bad? Yes. Did I enjoy it anyway? No. Does it have an out-of-left-field twist in the last 15%? Yes. Did I stop reading it when I had 30 pages left because I was so over it? Also yes. But do I regret reading it? Yes, I do.
April 5, 2022
TW for abuse, cancer, death of a loved one, and sexual assault.
What a rollercoaster of a book. When this book started, we follow Salem after she's graduated high school. She has a boyfriend who is spending all summer preparing for college and Salem is working in her mom's antique shop. Salem feels very young because she is; she goes to parties with friends, goes shopping, and hangs out with her boyfriend. It took me a bit to get into this book and really care about this story because it felt pretty juvenile in the start. But then Thayer came in. Thayer is 31 and just moved in next door. Thayer and Salem run into each other a lot and slowly become friends until their friendship turns into an attraction that turns into something more. I really loved when their romance picked up and they confided their pasts to one another. They connected on an emotional level too and I loved that. I'm not sure how I feel about the turn the plot took at the end and how this book ends with our couple (it is book one in a duet). Both characters have to deal with trauma and Thayer really pushes Salem away when he is feeling emotionally underwhelmed. SOOOO much happens in that last 20%, but I really couldn't stop reading the book.
What a rollercoaster of a book. When this book started, we follow Salem after she's graduated high school. She has a boyfriend who is spending all summer preparing for college and Salem is working in her mom's antique shop. Salem feels very young because she is; she goes to parties with friends, goes shopping, and hangs out with her boyfriend. It took me a bit to get into this book and really care about this story because it felt pretty juvenile in the start. But then Thayer came in. Thayer is 31 and just moved in next door. Thayer and Salem run into each other a lot and slowly become friends until their friendship turns into an attraction that turns into something more. I really loved when their romance picked up and they confided their pasts to one another. They connected on an emotional level too and I loved that. I'm not sure how I feel about the turn the plot took at the end and how this book ends with our couple (it is book one in a duet). Both characters have to deal with trauma and Thayer really pushes Salem away when he is feeling emotionally underwhelmed. SOOOO much happens in that last 20%, but I really couldn't stop reading the book.
March 30, 2022
dnf @52%
✨no✨
✨no✨
February 6, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ I’m mentally unwell
November 12, 2022
2.5 stars
Everything about this story just happened…too easily.
I mean we got a single dad, a large age gap, a grumpy hero, and a boyfriend in the picture! If all of that don’t call for an ANGSTY forbidden DISASTROUS love story, I don’t know what do! It got all the potential and all of the ingredients, but somehow it still ended up so freakin easy and chill.
Instead what we got is her falling for him so easily despite everything. Him loving her so easily. Her cheating on her boyfriend so easily. Her going to her boyfriend and breaking up with him so easily…only for him to accept it all so easily. Her whole relationship with the guy is just too easy and too chill and everybody is so okay and so chill to the point that I just thought that it was all weird and annoying.
I expected Screaming, crying, perfect storms. and what I got is And all at once, you are the one I have been waiting for. King of my heart, body and soul, ooh whoa. And all at once, you are all I want, I'll never let you go”
Everything about this story just happened…too easily.
I mean we got a single dad, a large age gap, a grumpy hero, and a boyfriend in the picture! If all of that don’t call for an ANGSTY forbidden DISASTROUS love story, I don’t know what do! It got all the potential and all of the ingredients, but somehow it still ended up so freakin easy and chill.
Instead what we got is her falling for him so easily despite everything. Him loving her so easily. Her cheating on her boyfriend so easily. Her going to her boyfriend and breaking up with him so easily…only for him to accept it all so easily. Her whole relationship with the guy is just too easy and too chill and everybody is so okay and so chill to the point that I just thought that it was all weird and annoying.
I expected Screaming, crying, perfect storms. and what I got is And all at once, you are the one I have been waiting for. King of my heart, body and soul, ooh whoa. And all at once, you are all I want, I'll never let you go”
March 6, 2022
excuse me that last 10%?!?!?!?!?!?! I'm not okay
RTC
RTC
July 30, 2022
2 Stars
This makes me sad after I loved Sweet Dandelion sooo much!!
I had this wonderful feeling this would be bought in physical copy like I did Sweet Dandelion and put on my special shelf. I just can’t and I don’t think I’m going to read the sequel. I think I’ll try some of her other books to see if I find a love like Sweet Dandelion!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
This makes me sad after I loved Sweet Dandelion sooo much!!
I had this wonderful feeling this would be bought in physical copy like I did Sweet Dandelion and put on my special shelf. I just can’t and I don’t think I’m going to read the sequel. I think I’ll try some of her other books to see if I find a love like Sweet Dandelion!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
August 11, 2022
I wish I knew who recommended me this book for future reference...
March 29, 2022
i’m sobbing. literally what the fuck happened. micalea take the last 10% back bc what the actual fuck. this book was supposed to be a wholesome light read. i didn’t expect it to make me cry really ugly.
tropes: grumpy x sunshine, single dad, one bed + nightmare trope, age gap (13-14 years), employee x boss vibes bc she’s sometimes babysitting his son, cheating & small town.
“Thayer Holmes has branded himself on me. And I know, without a doubt, that whatever this is, whatever we become, if we grow and flourish like the wildflowers behind our houses, or crash and burn, it won’t matter because when I’m old and gray, lying in bed thinking about my life, he’ll be the best part.”
thayer is the new grumpy neighbor of salem who’s in his early 30s and on top of that a single dad to his 6 year old son. when salem breaks trough his walls we can see him being extremely protective and sweet to her i was swooning the whole time. that man made her, her own personal gym in his basement and fired someone for talking disrespectful to her. double swoon. he was so adorable and them being all domestic and shit with little forrest was so wholesome.
“Who we used to be doesn’t matter, it’s who we are now, what’s in our hearts that matters most. You’re sunshine, Salem, but even the sun doesn’t always shine.”
now coming to my princess salem. i just want to hug her and protect her from whatever harm. the shit she went through was so fucking painful to read about. micalea captivated her pain so good i literally always felt what she felt. also i need to say something about caleb. i love him. so much. he reminded me so hard of ansel and made me miss him even more. i’m happy that salem has him in her life they both are platonically so good to each other. i can’t fucking wait to read about her growth in the next book and to see someone grovel very very hard for her.
“I’m not bright like you, but I promise, when your days are dark, I’ll be your light.”
never going to stop thinking about thayersalem i’m sick and need the next book bc what the fuck was that ending??? they were so beautiful and heartbreaking oh my god. this book made me feel all type of emotions i’m not kidding micalea put her whole heart in this book.
3.5 stars
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
tropes: grumpy x sunshine, single dad, one bed + nightmare trope, age gap (13-14 years), employee x boss vibes bc she’s sometimes babysitting his son, cheating & small town.
“Thayer Holmes has branded himself on me. And I know, without a doubt, that whatever this is, whatever we become, if we grow and flourish like the wildflowers behind our houses, or crash and burn, it won’t matter because when I’m old and gray, lying in bed thinking about my life, he’ll be the best part.”
thayer is the new grumpy neighbor of salem who’s in his early 30s and on top of that a single dad to his 6 year old son. when salem breaks trough his walls we can see him being extremely protective and sweet to her i was swooning the whole time. that man made her, her own personal gym in his basement and fired someone for talking disrespectful to her. double swoon. he was so adorable and them being all domestic and shit with little forrest was so wholesome.
“Who we used to be doesn’t matter, it’s who we are now, what’s in our hearts that matters most. You’re sunshine, Salem, but even the sun doesn’t always shine.”
now coming to my princess salem. i just want to hug her and protect her from whatever harm. the shit she went through was so fucking painful to read about. micalea captivated her pain so good i literally always felt what she felt. also i need to say something about caleb. i love him. so much. he reminded me so hard of ansel and made me miss him even more. i’m happy that salem has him in her life they both are platonically so good to each other. i can’t fucking wait to read about her growth in the next book and to see someone grovel very very hard for her.
“I’m not bright like you, but I promise, when your days are dark, I’ll be your light.”
never going to stop thinking about thayersalem i’m sick and need the next book bc what the fuck was that ending??? they were so beautiful and heartbreaking oh my god. this book made me feel all type of emotions i’m not kidding micalea put her whole heart in this book.
3.5 stars
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
May 15, 2024
This review is one massive TW so read with care. It also contains a bunch of spoilers which I don’t want to hide.
Sorry, I’m still stuck on this. Just coming back to say that I have a feeling the author didn’t specify death of a child because they didn’t want to include a spoiler. Just selfish. I have never in my life written such a critical review. But this warrants it personally.
Are you writing a hard hitting drama or are you just throwing together a bunch an awful plots and calling it ✨beautiful✨??
- abusive father who abused daughters and wife
- father dies (thank God) of cancer in beginning of book
- the strong mother of those girls then gets diagnosed with breast cancer and has to undergo a double mastectomy and loses hair as a result of chemo
- in the very last chapters of the book, the six year old son of the MC drowns in a pool??????
All these are subplots in the middle of a bloody age gap romance? Can we ask ourselves if we are just reading trauma for the sake of it please? Like honestly? What was the purpose of all this?
Oh, and it ends on an awful cliffhanger with the 19 year old being pregnant for the man whose son just died.
I couldn’t find the beauty in it.
I’ve seen comments that the second book is a major disappointment. And I’m not surprised.
Not recommending this book in the slightest.
—————————————————————————
0 fucking stars. No. Just no. The TWs in the beginning were NOT specific AT ALL.
Knew this would be a dodgy read but I’m so broken after this.
TWs say “mentions of sexual abuse” but leave out that it’s familial sexual abuse OF A CHILD and don’t mention TRAUMA. Says “death” but not DEATH OF A CHILD BY DROWNING??????????
A whole disgusting mess. Don’t know why I didn’t DNF. completely my fault.
—————————————————
Don’t know how comfortable I am with such an age gap to be honest. MZ does the best ones where the FMC is usually in mid 20s to early 30s whilst the MMC is late 30s to early 40s. Those ones I love! Don’t know if I’ll get into it with the FMC being 18… But I’ve seen too many good reviews for this one to not at least try 🤞🏾
Sorry, I’m still stuck on this. Just coming back to say that I have a feeling the author didn’t specify death of a child because they didn’t want to include a spoiler. Just selfish. I have never in my life written such a critical review. But this warrants it personally.
Are you writing a hard hitting drama or are you just throwing together a bunch an awful plots and calling it ✨beautiful✨??
- abusive father who abused daughters and wife
- father dies (thank God) of cancer in beginning of book
- the strong mother of those girls then gets diagnosed with breast cancer and has to undergo a double mastectomy and loses hair as a result of chemo
- in the very last chapters of the book, the six year old son of the MC drowns in a pool??????
All these are subplots in the middle of a bloody age gap romance? Can we ask ourselves if we are just reading trauma for the sake of it please? Like honestly? What was the purpose of all this?
Oh, and it ends on an awful cliffhanger with the 19 year old being pregnant for the man whose son just died.
I couldn’t find the beauty in it.
I’ve seen comments that the second book is a major disappointment. And I’m not surprised.
Not recommending this book in the slightest.
—————————————————————————
0 fucking stars. No. Just no. The TWs in the beginning were NOT specific AT ALL.
Knew this would be a dodgy read but I’m so broken after this.
TWs say “mentions of sexual abuse” but leave out that it’s familial sexual abuse OF A CHILD and don’t mention TRAUMA. Says “death” but not DEATH OF A CHILD BY DROWNING??????????
A whole disgusting mess. Don’t know why I didn’t DNF. completely my fault.
—————————————————
Don’t know how comfortable I am with such an age gap to be honest. MZ does the best ones where the FMC is usually in mid 20s to early 30s whilst the MMC is late 30s to early 40s. Those ones I love! Don’t know if I’ll get into it with the FMC being 18… But I’ve seen too many good reviews for this one to not at least try 🤞🏾
March 26, 2022
if you are the author of this book DO NOT read this review as you will not like anything that will be said here.
WHAT THE FUCKING BOOK WAS THAT??!!!
I'm so angry, I swear I've never felt so angry with a book like this, so this review will be written in the heat of the moment but I'm sure I'll never change my opinion about it, in fact I want to forget that I read it.
I was completely excited to start this story, it had absolutely all the tropes I love, and I saw so many people talking just wonderful things about it. At first I was in love, but after 30% I started to feel uncomfortable with the main characters relationship as they were starting to get involved while she was still DATING (and if you don't mind cheating trope go ahead, but it's a big "NO" for me), but I still had hopes that she would break up with her boyfriend before something really happened to the hero, but no...she cheated on him, and still didn't feel guilty while doing so .
From that moment I couldn't care less about the couple, I just kept reading because I hate giving up the book (I learned my mistake). I didn't feel their passion, everything happened absurdly fast, and the heroin started to irritate me more and more.
I was going to give this book 1 star, but the ending made me give 0 (if possible). I can't express my hatred for that devastating and unnecessary situation, and especially how the heroine handled it, I've honestly never met a character as selfish as her, the way she compared the pain of both, and how she wanted him to choose her in that moment that he had lost so and was completely broken.
This book was such a waste of my time that I will never get it back. I should have stayed studying for my test anyway.
WHAT THE FUCKING BOOK WAS THAT??!!!
I'm so angry, I swear I've never felt so angry with a book like this, so this review will be written in the heat of the moment but I'm sure I'll never change my opinion about it, in fact I want to forget that I read it.
I was completely excited to start this story, it had absolutely all the tropes I love, and I saw so many people talking just wonderful things about it. At first I was in love, but after 30% I started to feel uncomfortable with the main characters relationship as they were starting to get involved while she was still DATING (and if you don't mind cheating trope go ahead, but it's a big "NO" for me), but I still had hopes that she would break up with her boyfriend before something really happened to the hero, but no...she cheated on him, and still didn't feel guilty while doing so .
From that moment I couldn't care less about the couple, I just kept reading because I hate giving up the book (I learned my mistake). I didn't feel their passion, everything happened absurdly fast, and the heroin started to irritate me more and more.
I was going to give this book 1 star, but the ending made me give 0 (if possible). I can't express my hatred for that devastating and unnecessary situation, and especially how the heroine handled it, I've honestly never met a character as selfish as her, the way she compared the pain of both, and how she wanted him to choose her in that moment that he had lost so and was completely broken.
This book was such a waste of my time that I will never get it back. I should have stayed studying for my test anyway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2023
me da verguenza admitir que lloré con este libro
March 18, 2022
Pain. That is what i feel after finishing this book.
I thought this was a beautiful love story. I fell in love with the characters. It had so many tropes I love. I enjoyed every moment…..
And then i hit that last 10% of the book. And now i just feel pain.
Go into this knowing there is:
age gap(18/31), grumpy/sunshine, one bed trope, spice, slow burn, and small town romance.
And also go into it knowing there are a lot of trigger warnings you may want to look up first.
I hurt so much, but this book was amazing.
I thought this was a beautiful love story. I fell in love with the characters. It had so many tropes I love. I enjoyed every moment…..
And then i hit that last 10% of the book. And now i just feel pain.
Go into this knowing there is:
age gap(18/31), grumpy/sunshine, one bed trope, spice, slow burn, and small town romance.
And also go into it knowing there are a lot of trigger warnings you may want to look up first.
I hurt so much, but this book was amazing.
December 23, 2022
remind me to never read a smeltzer book again
July 17, 2025
3⭑
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. Wow.
Salem’s character is amazing. She has been through so much and to see how strong she is, is incredible.
Salem and Thayer meet one day when Thayer moves in to the house next to hers and she basically forces him to interact with her. He is your typical broody/grumpy hero and soon Salem gets through to him and we start to see the softer side of him.
One thing to mention, Salem is in a relationship when she meets Thayer so I wasn’t a fan of the “love triangle” aspect but that is more of a personal choice.
I do wish there had been some more time before Salem and Thayer got involved romantically/sexually. I felt their connection wasn’t fully developed and felt very insta love and a little silly? It felt like Salem had a crush and Thayer was entertaining that crush just so he could get some.
But as the story goes on, you truly see how strongly Thayer feels for Salem. I loved all the interactions with Thayer’s son, Forrest. He is such a great kid and he would say the sweetest things to Salem🥺.
Btw the pain that I had to endure towards the end of this book was insane. THAT part was so unexpected and took me by complete surprise, I have still not recovered.
I cannot wait to see Salem and Thayer’s story continue in the next book. And I hope we get to see some of Thayer’s POV.
Thank you Valentine PR for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. Wow.
Salem’s character is amazing. She has been through so much and to see how strong she is, is incredible.
Salem and Thayer meet one day when Thayer moves in to the house next to hers and she basically forces him to interact with her. He is your typical broody/grumpy hero and soon Salem gets through to him and we start to see the softer side of him.
One thing to mention, Salem is in a relationship when she meets Thayer so I wasn’t a fan of the “love triangle” aspect but that is more of a personal choice.
I do wish there had been some more time before Salem and Thayer got involved romantically/sexually. I felt their connection wasn’t fully developed and felt very insta love and a little silly? It felt like Salem had a crush and Thayer was entertaining that crush just so he could get some.
But as the story goes on, you truly see how strongly Thayer feels for Salem. I loved all the interactions with Thayer’s son, Forrest. He is such a great kid and he would say the sweetest things to Salem🥺.
Btw the pain that I had to endure towards the end of this book was insane. THAT part was so unexpected and took me by complete surprise, I have still not recovered.
I cannot wait to see Salem and Thayer’s story continue in the next book. And I hope we get to see some of Thayer’s POV.
Thank you Valentine PR for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 12, 2022
The first 90% was amazing, the last 10%… I have no words. I was told not to read this book and I wish I listened. I am so upset right now.
April 20, 2022
This book was just... badly empty.
I just felt 0 emotions throughout, apart from the occasional cringe. Even the big event at the end elicited only a little twinge of... uncomfortableness, not even sadness, certainly not the heart-wrecking emotion most of these reviews seem to speak of.
I hated the way this was written, from the constant repetitions to the irritatingly cringy dialogues. Felt no attachment whatsoever to any of the characters, also downright loathed the MC. (Who, by the way, claims to be so grown and mature for her age, only to justify her cheating on her boyfriend to “being young” and “being able to make mistakes”, and actually uttered the sentence: “he was just being a guy” after being called a ‘hot piece of ass’).
Actually, I did find myself *sardonically* amused by Thayer’s character throughout this utter masterpiece of a book. I find it hilarious when authors try so hard to make the love interests lovable, and end up making them say textbook sentences (literally word for word) to suddenly make them swoon-worthy raging feminists (of course, this happens only in conveniently cliché situations, such as - and limited to- when a guy hits on the MC. Other feminist innuendos appear to be strictly banned in any other situation). Example: MC dares utter the phrase “It’s ok” to try tell him to chill out after he fires a guy from his landscaping company for disrespecting her. Love interest proceeds to say: “Don’t say that. Don’t fucking say that. It’s never okay for a man to talk about a woman like that, let alone when she’s standing right there.”......... 😐THANK YOU, THAYER!!!! 😍 Without this man, this unfathomable, unimaginable knowledge would have remained a shrouded secret. We know, my man. Like, really, no actual shit. She really was just trying to tell you to chill out. She knows. God.
And, I’m sorry (I’m not), but how, just how, was Forrest’s character LIKED?? I can understand the appeal of a child (I can’t), but every sentence he spoke was so clearly thought by an adult that it was just so hilarious😭😭. Our brilliant MC repeatedly praises the little human’s intelligence (that does appear to exist in some sentences) only for him to say: “What did she mean about my dad cheating on her? Were they playing a game and he cheated?”..... 😭GOD, the way his intelligence appeared only when the author thought it convenient, and otherwise reduced him to a blabbering, brainless prop, was atrocious. At least be coherent to the character itself😭.
The love-story itself was... just no? There was no spark (hell, there wasn’t even a little microscopic twinge), no chemistry, and the whole plot was just a succession of embarrassing moments and equally embarrassing dialogues (and actually unspeakably embarrassing thoughts from our brilliant contradiction of a MC). And it was just so BORING. Gah.
Honestly, I felt more interest towards the mention (a microscopic one-sentence mention, mind you) of Cynthia and Thelma’s secret love story. Two old women who get mentioned a grand total of 2 times in the rest of the book. I kid you not.
Some of the scenes were catastrophically, bury-my-head-in-the-sad, genuinely unbearably, cringe. I wish I could say they were the good kind. *They were not*.
There are so many more things (even worse ones) that I could mention, but I really don’t have the energy. Just spare yourself this.
I’m not usually THIS harsh, but it’s 6 a.m. and I didn’t sleep, so endure my particularly pleasant self and this brutally honest review.
I just felt 0 emotions throughout, apart from the occasional cringe. Even the big event at the end elicited only a little twinge of... uncomfortableness, not even sadness, certainly not the heart-wrecking emotion most of these reviews seem to speak of.
I hated the way this was written, from the constant repetitions to the irritatingly cringy dialogues. Felt no attachment whatsoever to any of the characters, also downright loathed the MC. (Who, by the way, claims to be so grown and mature for her age, only to justify her cheating on her boyfriend to “being young” and “being able to make mistakes”, and actually uttered the sentence: “he was just being a guy” after being called a ‘hot piece of ass’).
Actually, I did find myself *sardonically* amused by Thayer’s character throughout this utter masterpiece of a book. I find it hilarious when authors try so hard to make the love interests lovable, and end up making them say textbook sentences (literally word for word) to suddenly make them swoon-worthy raging feminists (of course, this happens only in conveniently cliché situations, such as - and limited to- when a guy hits on the MC. Other feminist innuendos appear to be strictly banned in any other situation). Example: MC dares utter the phrase “It’s ok” to try tell him to chill out after he fires a guy from his landscaping company for disrespecting her. Love interest proceeds to say: “Don’t say that. Don’t fucking say that. It’s never okay for a man to talk about a woman like that, let alone when she’s standing right there.”......... 😐THANK YOU, THAYER!!!! 😍 Without this man, this unfathomable, unimaginable knowledge would have remained a shrouded secret. We know, my man. Like, really, no actual shit. She really was just trying to tell you to chill out. She knows. God.
And, I’m sorry (I’m not), but how, just how, was Forrest’s character LIKED?? I can understand the appeal of a child (I can’t), but every sentence he spoke was so clearly thought by an adult that it was just so hilarious😭😭. Our brilliant MC repeatedly praises the little human’s intelligence (that does appear to exist in some sentences) only for him to say: “What did she mean about my dad cheating on her? Were they playing a game and he cheated?”..... 😭GOD, the way his intelligence appeared only when the author thought it convenient, and otherwise reduced him to a blabbering, brainless prop, was atrocious. At least be coherent to the character itself😭.
The love-story itself was... just no? There was no spark (hell, there wasn’t even a little microscopic twinge), no chemistry, and the whole plot was just a succession of embarrassing moments and equally embarrassing dialogues (and actually unspeakably embarrassing thoughts from our brilliant contradiction of a MC). And it was just so BORING. Gah.
Honestly, I felt more interest towards the mention (a microscopic one-sentence mention, mind you) of Cynthia and Thelma’s secret love story. Two old women who get mentioned a grand total of 2 times in the rest of the book. I kid you not.
Some of the scenes were catastrophically, bury-my-head-in-the-sad, genuinely unbearably, cringe. I wish I could say they were the good kind. *They were not*.
There are so many more things (even worse ones) that I could mention, but I really don’t have the energy. Just spare yourself this.
I’m not usually THIS harsh, but it’s 6 a.m. and I didn’t sleep, so endure my particularly pleasant self and this brutally honest review.
April 25, 2024
4,5- 💐
𝘭'𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴. 𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴.
ehhhh pardon ? Roncière, i need le tome 2 comment j'vais faire pour attendre si longtemps là ?
c'était beaucoup beaucoup trop bien 🤧
que dire sur la première partie de cette duologie si ce n’est que sur le papier elle avait tout pour me séduire et être incroyable ? je suis fan des tropes, l’histoire à l’air intense, le livre est un bijou-
du coup, sans surprise, j’ai beaucoup trop aimé cette histoire interdite, Salem a 18 ans, son nouveau voisin, Thayer a 31 ans, un fils… et pour connaitre la suite : vous devez lire ce livre 👀
il y a des petites choses qui m’ont dérangées dans cette histoire- plusieurs même, mais j’ai tellement adoré le récit, j’adore ce genre de livre qui te fait autant cogiter et ressentir.
j’aurai aimé avoir la pov de Thayer, j’aurai apprécié que certaines choses soient abordées de manière un peu plus approfondies- mais encore une fois l’histoire, l’univers m’a tellement plu, j’ai été transporté- j’ai adoré ma lecture.
et cette fin ? 🤧 j’ai extrêmement hâte de découvrir la suite !
> les tropes : age-gap / single dad / small town / voisins / grumpy x sunshine / baby-sitter
> attention aux triggers warning tout de même, ce livre est réservé à un public averti
— « 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴. 𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦́𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢̀ 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘯’𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘫’𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘪 𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘳. 𝘫’𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘪 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘢 𝘳𝘦́𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 - 𝘯𝘦 𝘫𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘢̀ 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘵 𝘢̀ 𝘮’𝘦́𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘳. » 💐
𝘭'𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴. 𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴.
ehhhh pardon ? Roncière, i need le tome 2 comment j'vais faire pour attendre si longtemps là ?
c'était beaucoup beaucoup trop bien 🤧
que dire sur la première partie de cette duologie si ce n’est que sur le papier elle avait tout pour me séduire et être incroyable ? je suis fan des tropes, l’histoire à l’air intense, le livre est un bijou-
du coup, sans surprise, j’ai beaucoup trop aimé cette histoire interdite, Salem a 18 ans, son nouveau voisin, Thayer a 31 ans, un fils… et pour connaitre la suite : vous devez lire ce livre 👀
il y a des petites choses qui m’ont dérangées dans cette histoire- plusieurs même, mais j’ai tellement adoré le récit, j’adore ce genre de livre qui te fait autant cogiter et ressentir.
j’aurai aimé avoir la pov de Thayer, j’aurai apprécié que certaines choses soient abordées de manière un peu plus approfondies- mais encore une fois l’histoire, l’univers m’a tellement plu, j’ai été transporté- j’ai adoré ma lecture.
et cette fin ? 🤧 j’ai extrêmement hâte de découvrir la suite !
> les tropes : age-gap / single dad / small town / voisins / grumpy x sunshine / baby-sitter
> attention aux triggers warning tout de même, ce livre est réservé à un public averti
— « 𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴. 𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦́𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢̀ 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘯’𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘫’𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘪 𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘳. 𝘫’𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘪 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘢 𝘳𝘦́𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 - 𝘯𝘦 𝘫𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘢̀ 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘵 𝘢̀ 𝘮’𝘦́𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘳. » 💐
June 12, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3rd reread)
''I want to be your someone''
Safety warnings:
- H 31 / h 18-19
- Cheating (not between MCs)
- OW/OM drama
- Love triangle
- Mention of child s*xual abuse
- Mention of physical abuse
- Loss of loved one
- Terminal illness
- Cliffhanger
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
Third time reading this, and I still need help processing the events of that ending.
I’ll never get over how much pain was inflicted on all sides.
I love this book and this duology. I understand why some people cannot process the choice Micaela makes regarding that tragic ending but to be honest I saw it coming very early on - there were hints all around the book concerning his safety but that does not mean I was not shocked and completely heartbroken.
Salem and Thayer's love was beyond amazing. Their chemistry was off the charts. I loved how much he did for her and expected nothing in return but did it only to make her happy and bring a smile to her face when she needed it the most.
Salem has Caleb who has been her boyfriend for a few years and her best friend but they are growing apart and spend most of the summer before he heads to Harvard apart (mostly because his mother makes it happen via different ways) and Salem cannot help but feel something extremely deep with Thayer and that leads to them sleeping with each other while she is still with Caleb, she goes to his dorm room the next day and ends their relationship - opting out of telling him about Thayer.
Salem's childhood was horrifying - what her sister and mom had to go through because of their disgusting father wrecked my heart but I am so happy that they survived and that he died (and in a slow agonizing way). We did not get a lot of specific details about how long it went on and what age it started but I was sickened whenever Salem had a nightmare or relived them in her mind.
I felt absolutely heartbroken when her mother confesses that she has breast cancer, but I was glad when she survived the chemo and surgery though it seemed unfair for a woman who went through hell to have to go through this too.
Thayer who has a 6-year-old son Forrest, is a single father who recently got divorced. He moved into the house next door to Salem and asks her to babysit his son from time to time. She agrees and this leads to their relationship blossoming and falling in love.
Sadly, like I mentioned before, there was so much foreshadowing about Forrest's death. The spiral that happened to Thayer is understandable. I felt his pain at the loss and his sadness took over every good thing he had in his life. Nothing was going to fix it and he tried to push Salem away and did a fantastic job at it.
Salem finally leaves and moved to NYC to be with her best friend Lauren and those last few pages where she finds out she is pregnant is earth shattering for her.
Salem choosing to walk away after attempting so many times to get through to Thayer was the best decision for her and her unborn child. I understand her decision considering she thought A) He was with other people B) He had lost his child, and nothing was fixing his pain C) She was young and needed to grow up quickly.
There is also foreshadowing about Thayer not knowing how to be a girl dad (when he gets a puppy for Forrest) and this of course directly connects to the fact Salem had a baby girl.
''Turns out we're nothing but a memory gone up in flames, ashes scattered in the wind''
This is one of those books where I will reread again and again despite how much it hurts.
5 ⭐for the pain
5 ⭐for the angst
5 ⭐for the love
OM drama:
Calen is the main OM drama but technically Thayer is the OM for a while.
OW drama:
Thayer stumbles drunk out of his truck with a woman and Salem/Caleb see after she returns from her sister’s wedding. The woman leaves and Salem ends their relationship for good. (nothing happens and in book 2 we know that he just did it to push her away forever and never intended to be with the OW).
''I want to be your someone''
Safety warnings:
- H 31 / h 18-19
- Cheating (not between MCs)
- OW/OM drama
- Love triangle
- Mention of child s*xual abuse
- Mention of physical abuse
- Loss of loved one
- Terminal illness
- Cliffhanger
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
Third time reading this, and I still need help processing the events of that ending.
I’ll never get over how much pain was inflicted on all sides.
I love this book and this duology. I understand why some people cannot process the choice Micaela makes regarding that tragic ending but to be honest I saw it coming very early on - there were hints all around the book concerning his safety but that does not mean I was not shocked and completely heartbroken.
Salem and Thayer's love was beyond amazing. Their chemistry was off the charts. I loved how much he did for her and expected nothing in return but did it only to make her happy and bring a smile to her face when she needed it the most.
Salem has Caleb who has been her boyfriend for a few years and her best friend but they are growing apart and spend most of the summer before he heads to Harvard apart (mostly because his mother makes it happen via different ways) and Salem cannot help but feel something extremely deep with Thayer and that leads to them sleeping with each other while she is still with Caleb, she goes to his dorm room the next day and ends their relationship - opting out of telling him about Thayer.
Salem's childhood was horrifying - what her sister and mom had to go through because of their disgusting father wrecked my heart but I am so happy that they survived and that he died (and in a slow agonizing way). We did not get a lot of specific details about how long it went on and what age it started but I was sickened whenever Salem had a nightmare or relived them in her mind.
I felt absolutely heartbroken when her mother confesses that she has breast cancer, but I was glad when she survived the chemo and surgery though it seemed unfair for a woman who went through hell to have to go through this too.
Thayer who has a 6-year-old son Forrest, is a single father who recently got divorced. He moved into the house next door to Salem and asks her to babysit his son from time to time. She agrees and this leads to their relationship blossoming and falling in love.
Sadly, like I mentioned before, there was so much foreshadowing about Forrest's death. The spiral that happened to Thayer is understandable. I felt his pain at the loss and his sadness took over every good thing he had in his life. Nothing was going to fix it and he tried to push Salem away and did a fantastic job at it.
Salem finally leaves and moved to NYC to be with her best friend Lauren and those last few pages where she finds out she is pregnant is earth shattering for her.
Salem choosing to walk away after attempting so many times to get through to Thayer was the best decision for her and her unborn child. I understand her decision considering she thought A) He was with other people B) He had lost his child, and nothing was fixing his pain C) She was young and needed to grow up quickly.
There is also foreshadowing about Thayer not knowing how to be a girl dad (when he gets a puppy for Forrest) and this of course directly connects to the fact Salem had a baby girl.
''Turns out we're nothing but a memory gone up in flames, ashes scattered in the wind''
This is one of those books where I will reread again and again despite how much it hurts.
5 ⭐for the pain
5 ⭐for the angst
5 ⭐for the love
OM drama:
Calen is the main OM drama but technically Thayer is the OM for a while.
OW drama:
Thayer stumbles drunk out of his truck with a woman and Salem/Caleb see after she returns from her sister’s wedding. The woman leaves and Salem ends their relationship for good. (nothing happens and in book 2 we know that he just did it to push her away forever and never intended to be with the OW).
April 7, 2022
This bored me to death! It was the excessive amount of unimportant details that ruined it for me. I don't care how many pancakes Salem ate, or what kind of cheese Thayer used to make a sandwich, or that Salem's right shoelace became untied so she bent down on the 2nd step to tie it. I also hate how Salem did Caleb dirty. He was actually a sweet boyfriend and didn't deserve it. I ended up skimming ALOT of this just to get to the end and see what the cliffy was all about. It was a let down, we really didn't need that with Forrest. I'm not going to bother with book 2 because this was torture enough to try and get through.
March 30, 2023
To the people who wrongly recommended this book🖕🖕🖕
I thought I was going into light age gap romance, kinda Birthday Girl, but NO.
❗THERE IS NOTHING LIGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK❗
And yes I've read tw at the beginning of the book, but I still didn't see it coming.
I thought I was going into light age gap romance, kinda Birthday Girl, but NO.
❗THERE IS NOTHING LIGHT ABOUT THIS BOOK❗
And yes I've read tw at the beginning of the book, but I still didn't see it coming.
April 17, 2022
Can someone give me back the time I spent reading this? It wasn’t for me
Read
August 9, 2022I will not be rating this book.
I would give it one star if I did, and that wouldn't be fair. My rating wouldn't be because the book is poorly written. It's simply because I hated what happened.
I had no idea the story was going to go where it did. Well, that's not exactly true. I wondered if it might, but I dismissed the idea as quickly as it came. I thought it was just me being me, looking for something dark where I shouldn't. I wouldn't have read it at all if I thought it would actually happen.
I honestly regret reading this damn book. I hate when authors use this particular thing as a source of conflict. The story already had something in it that I don't enjoy reading about, but then it went to a place I stay 1000 miles away from.
This is one of those rare times where I wish I would have spoiled myself.
If I rated The Confidence of Wildflowers based on enjoyment before I got to the last 12 percent or so, it would have been around 4 stars.
I would give it one star if I did, and that wouldn't be fair. My rating wouldn't be because the book is poorly written. It's simply because I hated what happened.
I had no idea the story was going to go where it did. Well, that's not exactly true. I wondered if it might, but I dismissed the idea as quickly as it came. I thought it was just me being me, looking for something dark where I shouldn't. I wouldn't have read it at all if I thought it would actually happen.
I honestly regret reading this damn book. I hate when authors use this particular thing as a source of conflict. The story already had something in it that I don't enjoy reading about, but then it went to a place I stay 1000 miles away from.
This is one of those rare times where I wish I would have spoiled myself.
If I rated The Confidence of Wildflowers based on enjoyment before I got to the last 12 percent or so, it would have been around 4 stars.
March 29, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
If Dreams of 18 by Saffron A. Kent had a baby with The Naked Fisherman by Jewel E. Ann it would be The Confidence of Wildflowers.
Lying is a slippery slope my friend.
I love grumpy people and Thayer was very lovable in almost an Eeyore kind of way. He couldn’t have given Salem a more apt pet name in Sunshine because she never gave up, she walked under all of his rain clouds.
As the story progressed it came into its own. The relationship building between Salem and Thayer was beautiful.
Throughout this was an emotion rollercoaster. It’s interesting how much Salem endured but still managed to shine. While comparatively Thayer’s life honestly seemed less complicated and he didn’t endure it as well.
One thing after another came at our FMC that kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for the other shoe to drop. And when it inevitably did, I never saw it coming.
I hate cliffhangers with a passion. I’m extremely relieved I only have to wait a week but I’m still wishing I had waited so I could’ve read them back to back.
In the meantime I’ll be stewing until I can get my grubby little hands on The Resurrection of Wildflowers.
If Dreams of 18 by Saffron A. Kent had a baby with The Naked Fisherman by Jewel E. Ann it would be The Confidence of Wildflowers.
Lying is a slippery slope my friend.
I love grumpy people and Thayer was very lovable in almost an Eeyore kind of way. He couldn’t have given Salem a more apt pet name in Sunshine because she never gave up, she walked under all of his rain clouds.
As the story progressed it came into its own. The relationship building between Salem and Thayer was beautiful.
Throughout this was an emotion rollercoaster. It’s interesting how much Salem endured but still managed to shine. While comparatively Thayer’s life honestly seemed less complicated and he didn’t endure it as well.
One thing after another came at our FMC that kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for the other shoe to drop. And when it inevitably did, I never saw it coming.
I hate cliffhangers with a passion. I’m extremely relieved I only have to wait a week but I’m still wishing I had waited so I could’ve read them back to back.
In the meantime I’ll be stewing until I can get my grubby little hands on The Resurrection of Wildflowers.
April 21, 2024
If you like :
•age gap trope.
•grumpy×sunshine (he literally was calling her sunshine).
•heroine that cheated on her boyfriend instead of breaking up with him and all her personality is cookie dough and diet coke.
•heartbreaking plot twist created just so would be another book...
maybe You might like this book.💀
•age gap trope.
•grumpy×sunshine (he literally was calling her sunshine).
•heroine that cheated on her boyfriend instead of breaking up with him and all her personality is cookie dough and diet coke.
•heartbreaking plot twist created just so would be another book...
maybe You might like this book.💀
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