Owning a farm is Emerson King’s lifelong dream come true—even if achieving it has cost him his marriage.
Now, a year after his divorce, Short King Farms is in dire financial straits. One bright spot on the horizon? Money from his friends Ben and Alexei, who are renting out the farm for their wedding. But even that might be in jeopardy: the farm is a mess, not at all ready for a hundred person wedding. Emerson needs help, desperately—if only he could afford it.
Luca Yaeger has spent his life as a fisherman, with only one he’s never actually wanted to be one. What he truly wants to do is write, but all that's brought him is pain. When he receives his hundredth rejection for his novel, he decides it's time to give up the ghost for good. But first, he heads to the local brewery for a small pity party.
There he finds a sad farmer—and an opportunity for a new life.
In exchange for room and board, Luca offers to work at Short King Farms for free so Emerson can better prepare for the wedding. The farm is beautiful, the fresh start Luca has been looking for—even if his growing feelings for his new boss are useless, being that Emerson is definitely still in love with his ex.
But when it comes to all the stress Emerson is still under—maybe Luca could help with that in other ways, too…
As the wedding approaches, Luca and Emerson grow more and more attached. But when the past comes calling, they must decide what the future holds—for the farm and for themselves—after the final wedding bells toll.
Among the Wildflowers is a gentle gay small-town romance that explores the costs and rewards of following our dreams, and the messiness in expanding our expectations of love.
Hi there! I'm a lover of romance of all stripes, and a writer of queer contemporary HEAs. Originally from the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, I now live in the Pacific Northwest with my family. I love tea and frequently eat too much ice cream and hate myself a little afterwards.
Hello, author of the book here! As I prepare to send this out into the world, I wanted to give a few content warnings. This is mostly a comforting, low-trauma story, but in case you're looking for more details: parental abuse (physical and emotional) that one character experienced in the past is briefly mentioned; a recent divorce (amicable but still emotional) is also a big part of the story. There is also casual alcohol use, on-page sex, and frequent cursing.
I hope you enjoy this soft and sexy small-town farm story!
Anita Kelly is an auto-read author for me. I just love their writing and their characters so much. Something Wild and Wonderful is still one of my favorite books ever, and I was so happy to find out that Ben and Alexei made an appearance in Among the Wildflowers.
This book is incredibly sweet and feels much more like a comfort read than Anita Kelly’s other stories. Both Emerson and Luca immediately wormed their way into my heart, and I loved, loved Daisy! And there’s no real third-act breakup!
Still, I wanted a bit more. I wanted more yearning, more longing, more chemistry, and, to be honest, less sex.
But it’s still an Anita Kelly story, and because of that, I’m rounding my 3.5-star rating up to four.
Two men who think they’re hard to love finding each other 💕 I looooved this story! I was so excited for Luca to get his own book after his last half-relationship ended so abruptly. It’s very hard to shut yourself off from a family business, when you have approximately 10 siblings and half of them work with your dad. I’m glad he found something of his own AND love in this one. Emerson my short king I love you, you’re the absolute sweetest. Please communicate better!
This was probably the spiciest Anita Kelly I’ve ever read!!!
I got an ARC copy of this book and it was so good! I read Heartwaves and it had the perfect amount of mentioning and seeing characters we were already familiar with and following a new story. Anita Kelly is an author I will keep going back to forever. They capture a realness and an authenticity in their characters that I think is often missed in romance. Are their characters hot and queer? Yes. But they’re also written as real people with flaws and body image issues just like the rest of us. So refreshing!
🎧: "WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!" By Raye ⭐: 3.5 rounded up
Oh this book. I absolutely adored the characters and how based in reality they felt. Emerson's financing problems gave me anxiety just by reading about them. Luca's fear of not knowing where to go or what to do with your life even when you're in your thirties stuck with me. This book was an easy read that I would recommend to anyone who feels a little stuck in life.
One thing I was pretty surprised by was the ending. I felt the book ended pretty abruptly for the build up. The book didn't end on a bad note, however, I guess I still had a few questions that I assumed would be answered.
This next comment Isn't a critique, just something I wasn't a huge fan of. (Potential spoiler warning...?) Emerson's lack of ability to be honest with both Jay and Luca about how he was feeling romantically. For every nice chapter of Emerson and Luca, the next would be Emerson pulling back because he still feels indifferent about Jayden. It also felt like Luca was putting in a lot more than Emerson, but Emerson couldn't even give him a small amount of clarity.
This didn't kill the book for me, however, It did make me want to climb inside my kindle and scream some sense into Emerson. Because dude... you've got a cute fisherman in front of you working for free because he likes YOU. Beat around the bush and do something about it!
Thank you to @anitakellywrites for my gifted digital review copy.
Read this book if you like: single dad, small town, roommates to lovers, farmer/writer, forced proximity, MM romance, spicy romance
Spice: open door
One of my most anticipated reads of the summer, and it did not disappoint!
Emerson King, owner of Short King Farms is living the dream. He always wanted to be a farmer, and his small batch farm is thriving, putting out more produce than he can process and sell which is a problem, because with just a part-time hired hand, he can’t keep up. And his debts are mounting too fast to hire more help. His husband left him and they split custody of their four-year old daughter. And on top of that he has agreed to allow his wildflower field and old barn to be used as a wedding venue at the end of the summer. But the site is in no way ready for guests. Luca is directionless. He knows he wants to leave his dad’s commercial fishing operation, but he doesn’t know what to do next. His dreams of being an author have been crushed by rejection after rejection. So when he meets Emerson in a bar, he offers to work the farm is exchange for room and board. Is he volunteering because he finds Emerson wildly attractive? Possibly. Does Emerson return his feelings? Maybe.
I adored Luca and Emerson. Their angst and pining. And the care they had for each other. So precious. And spicy. Lots of scenes, but they never felt repetitive or overdone. I loved the farm. I want to attend an event there! And it was so special to get to see Ben and Alexei’s wedding. They are my favorite characters from the Anita Kelly universe. I teared up during that part! I enjoyed revisiting the town of Greyfin Bay, and I want so badly for it to be a real place.
Look for this one on Kindle Unlimited today! Personally I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my signed preorder.
Among the Wildflowers is a warm hug of a book. It made me long for summer nights spent in wildflower fields, smelling the earth and listening to the buzz of nature. Anita Kelly has once again written something that speaks to my soul. I think the most important thing to know about this book is you MUST read Heartwaves, book one in the Greyfin Bay series. That is where we first meet Luca and in order to fully appreciate how far he comes in terms of opening up and being vulnerable, you have to know him before Wildflowers. I cheered and cried happy tears when Luca opened up to Emerson, and vice versa. They both seemed to long for connection but also scared of it, and were able to find that in each other. The themes of found family and the different types of love that can exist, as well as sustainable farming and stewardship of the earth, really hit home for me. I could picture Short King Farms so well in my head and I was rooting for Emerson's goals the whole time. I hope we get to see more of where the farm is at in future books! I LOVED that we got cameos of other characters from Kelly's books. It was heartwarming to see where they were at, especially Ben and Alexei! Their wedding was so perfectly them!
~Thank you to Anita Kelly for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.~
Among the Wildflowers by Anita Kelly is a moving emotional queer MM romance that's characters will burrow their way into your heart.
After briefly meeting Luca in the first Greyfin Bay book I was dying for him to have his own happy and this didn't not disappoint. I loved everything about him so much , his character was *chefs kiss* perfection ! While I didn't fall head over heels for Emerson like Luca did , I did adore his relationship with his daughter and how much he loves his farm. Their story has a whole lot of steam but just as much heart.
P.s. I have to mentioned my heart almost exploded with happiness over a certain couples wedding that took place 🥰
Much like every other Anita Kelly book—I couldn’t put it down!
This was such a heartwarming book!! I feel so lucky to have been picked to read the ARC. (I think we need a playlist to go with the book—I’m curious what Luca’s favorite band is!!)
One of those times where it becomes clear that "low-angst" is in the eye of the beholder.
Because on the one hand: the relationship between Emerson, the farmer, and Luca, the aspiring writer ex-fisherman turned farmhand, is, by any definition, low-angst. They're both . . . just . . . lovely? Emerson is kind, competent, patient, and self-effacing. Luca is also kind, competent, patient, and self-effacing. They are considerate of those around them, with a touch of the martyr: far better for them to cause pain and inconvenience to themselves, than others. Their connection is instant, their friendship and sexual relationship somewhat slower (although still fast: the whole book only covers a couple of months); and where there are bumps in the road, they are quickly resolved through *gasp* communication, with a couple of assists from some friends.
But on the other hand: the main external conflict in the book, besides Emerson's ex (more on that below), is both men's precarious financial situations -- Emerson's far more extreme than Luca's, which is more a prospective than actual reality -- and how this indebtedness, worry, and hope/despair-cycle shadows every day and every moment, especially for Emerson. And far from being low-angst, I find this backdrop extremely stressful, almost suffocatingly so. Don't get me wrong: Anita Kelly conveys very well the emotional and physical toll of financial stress and precarity, with great empathy and clarity. But it makes for a hard read, notwithstanding the eventual happy resolution. Also, while Luca's financial situation is not as grim as Emerson's, the monkey on his back is his attempts to get an agent and shop his book; and as someone who has gone through a similar type of process recently, the recounting of the endless application --> rejection or ghosting pipeline was giving me unwanted flashbacks. There is just a heavy atmosphere pervading and weighing down the book.
Basically, while the relationship here was on the low-angst side, the context was not -- but it also lacked the catharsis provided by high-angst reads where the thrill comes from extraordinary menace or peril or cruel twists of fate. I don't want to devalue these characters' day-to-day struggles, because they are the day-to-day struggles so many of us share. But this context makes it as far from an escapist, soft read as I could imagine, leading to a mismatch between my expectations of low-angst romance and what was on-page. The romance was lovely, but I could never sink into it; I was too busy worrying about Emerson's mortage and unpaid taxes.
On the ex, Jay: he is trans, came out at some point after they were together, and starting medically transitioning after the birth of their daughter (he was the birthing partner; Emerson is a cis man). Jay's transness is never discussed on-page between Emerson and Luca, though contextually Luca is presumably aware of it, given that much is made of all the family photos covering Emerson's walls, including from the early days of Emerson and Jay's relationship. Emerson and Jay did not break up because of Jay's transition -- indeed, Jay's process was what sparked Emerson's own queer awakening -- and I appreciate Kelly's care in making this textually clear. It is, however, a problem that the cause for their breakup seems like weak sauce, as Emerson and Jay still clearly love each other -- are in love? -- despite the divorce. Meanwhile, Luca has already turned down a poly situation (in the first book in this series, which I haven't read; there is sufficient context here to piece it together) because he was not comfortable with a non-monogamous relationship; and while it seems like a triad-type arrangement for Emerson, Luca, and Jay isn't on the cards, Luca was doing a LOT of heavy lifting trying to convince himself to be a-okay with Emerson and Jay's continued closeness. And on the one hand, heavy emotional lifting isn't a bad thing, especially given that Emerson and Jay will always be co-parents of Daisy. But on the other hand, Luca seems fundamentally uneasy with this relationship dynamic -- having to talk yourself into being ok with something that is make-or-break in a new relationship is rarely a great sign -- which makes me think there's messiness ahead.
Enjoyment-wise, this hits me as a 3-star read; quality-wise, it's probably closer to 4, as Kelly writes wonderfully with great kindness and compassion, despite a few instances of sloppiness and name confusion (writing Emerson when it was Luca, etc). Rounding up because it's not Anita Kelly's fault that unpaid taxes stress me out.
I got an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
Emerson King literally lives for his farm. After his divorce, things are slowly getting out of hand. Financially, the farm isn’t looking good. One evening, he meets Luca Yaeger at a bar. Luca comes from a fishing family in Greyfin Bay. He has given up on his dream of publishing his own book. When he hears that Emerson needs help, he offers his support. Is this a new chance for both of them, or are they just putting off the inevitable?
Anita’s storytelling style already won me over with "Something wild and wonderful". “Among the Wildflower” had me hooked from the very beginning. I could really feel what Emerson was going through. I love his sense of humor, his calm demeanor, and how he stands up for his farm. Luca is open, laid-back, and has a huge heart. But there’s also this sadness inside him. That really made me empathize with him. So many times, I just wanted to give him a hug.
Accompanying both of them through the story was touching, funny, and healing. While reading, I literally felt like I was living on that farm. I loved the descriptions of the fields, gardens, animals… The supporting characters made the story even more vivid. I already knew Ben & Alexei. But there were even more characters who made guest appearances in this book. And then there’s Daisy. The four-year-old whirlwind. She had me laughing out loud a few times.
What surprised me most about the story were the steamy scenes. They were full of emotion and described in a very authentic way. After I finished the book, I felt really happy. However, I immediately started missing Emerson & Luca, the farm, and Greyfin Bay. So it’s definitely a book I’ll be reading again and again.
It’s a good thing Anita has even more books. For me, this story is an absolute highlight. I really hope this book gets the attention it deserves. Now we just need to find a German publisher willing to make sure German readers can discover this story too. If you enjoyed *The Charm Offensive* by Alison Cochrun and *Roommate Arrangement* by Saxon James, you'll like this one, too. These books evoked similar feelings in me.
Thank you to Anita Kelly for sending me an ARC for a sensitivity read. If you've read any of Anita Kelly's other work, this novel is part of their broader universe. Here's the set-up: Emerson King is in trouble. His Greyfin Bay farm, Short King Farms, is his dream come true, but it isn't making enough money to pay off the debt. He's still in love with his ex, he is a part-time single parent to Daisy, and he has one month to get his farm ready to host a wedding for his friends Ben and Alexei. He doesn't have time to relax, let alone to date. Luca Yeager is broken-hearted. He's still smarting from the sudden end of his situationship with Dell McCleary when Dell fell in love in with Mae Kellerman (in Heartwaves), his desire to be of published writer of SFF is feeling increasingly unlikely as his query spreadsheet keeps growing. One night while Emerson and Luca bond over their mutual attraction of bartender at a local brewery, Luca decides it's time for a change and offers to help Emerson on his farm in exchange for free room and board. Like most of Anita Kelly's works, this is a story about mid-life queers and how messy emotions and intimacy are in the queer community. Also, weirdly enough, mortality and queer family. They don't hold back on the spice, and some of these scenes are right up there for hotness and realness. It's well worth seeking out. Like their previous Greyfin Bay novel, this one is self-published. You should be able to buy it on their etsy or through kindle. (As a kobo owner, I was grateful for the ARC in epub format.)
Many thanks to Anita Kelly for the digital review copy!
It was so lovely to be back in Greyfin Bay! Before reading this, I decided to reread Heartwaves, and that ended up being a good call because I felt more up to date on who all the characters were and what the vibe of the town was. Among the Wildflowers felt a lot more lighthearted than Heartwaves, though, which I didn't initially expect. It felt more like a comfort read, which I was very happy about.
While reading Heartwaves, I was really rooting for Luca to find happiness, so it was very special to see him carving out a space for himself with Emerson at the farm. It wasn't just Luca and Emerson falling in love, which was already wonderful to see, but also Luca seeing new possibilities for his future and finding a place where he fits, with room to breathe.
It wouldn't be an Anita Kelly book without cameos from previous main characters, and we hit the jackpot with this one, because Ben and Alexei get married at the farm! This added such a lovely touch.
I will say, it took me a while to see the chemistry between Luca and Emerson. They started having sex pretty quickly, before I could really see the connection between them. I would have personally liked to see them connect more emotionally first to really see the chemistry, but that's of course a personal preference.
I have never jumped so fast at the chance to read an ARC. But Anita Kelly’s writing speaks to me on a soul-deep level. Every time I open one of their books, it’s like stepping into the vacation rental you’re sharing with all your best friends that you don’t get to see very often. And you take one look at each other and know you’re about to have the best time and get the best hugs of your life.
Among the Wildflowers is the story of divorced dad Emerson King, a man who just wants to carve out a little piece of this earth where he can make things grow, and Mr. Real Estate Luca Yaeger, a man who just wants a chance to express his creativity and be seen for who he really is.
I adored watching these two attempt to Bone For Stress Relief™️ (one of my favorite tropes ever) while catching every feel on the entire farm. This book is so sweet and sincere and sooo steamy, and I loved every single word.
Bonus points for the cameos from characters we know and love from Anita’s other books (special shout out to Ben and Alexei ughhh ILYSM!!)
All my thanks to the author for the chance to read this ARC. I’m already jonesing for a reread and seriously contemplating buying a farm. Loved it!!!!
Anita Kelly’s books increasingly occupy a unique space in romance, at the centre of the Venn diagram between cosy/‘no-plot just vibes’ and real life angst. Among the Wildflowers is a great example, where debt, divorce and childhood abuse meet on a sustainable farm that produces lavender syrup for sale in the local community store. The book holds together these two worlds beautifully, with a lot of care. I really wanted to see Luca and Emerson get their romantic HEA and also establish a more secure economic footing for their life together.
There were things that worked less well for me - I didn’t always feel the urgency of Luca’s angst in the first half of the book - but there was an emotional complexity to the whole that more than sold it in the end. And we got to see cameos from all the previous connected couples at Ben and Alexei’s wedding. Huge heart eyes for that.
This felt like an ending for the series (unless AK is thinking of a book for Jayden?) 👀 and I know it’s one I’ll return to often.
I have always loved Anita Kelly's books, but since, to my knowledge, self-publishing this current series their writing has only flourished and their stories are even more soft, poignant, and expansive. There were so many moments of gentle consideration and queer joy. I especially loved how the main conflict was external to their relationship and more about what they had to overcome individually to find the connection they were seeking together. The communication, the questioning about how generous love can be, and the absence of shitting on an ex made this book feel so much more honest and mature than many romances I've read and it's so refreshing to read something that doesn't rely solely on smut to move the story along - it has its spicy moments too so don't fret. Thanks to Vintage Books in Vancouver, WA for getting me a signed copy on release day! And like go read everything by Anita Kelly because they are a character lover's dream!
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an eARC. All thoughts are my own.
How do I even begin to review this book? I’m an emotional wreck in the best way possible. I fell so hard and fast for these boys and it’s so hard to untangle my thoughts and feelings into something coherent.
Emerson and Luca just go so well together. They’re both Big Feelings men and that doesn’t always work but it really does for them. I felt like they just helped each other through their feelings and supported each other so well. And while their communication wasn’t always perfect, they were always trying and that makes all the difference.
I really loved the connection to community that’s woven through this book. Family, friends, customers, staff, exes, all of it was just…so full of heart.
Yeah anyway this book made me cry in a good way. Thank you for that.
Emerson is a divorced farmer whose farm is struggling with serious money problems. He hopes to earn enough to save his farm by hosting a wedding for his friends, but the property is a mess and he cannot afford any help. He meets Luca, a fisherman who is looking for a change away from his family's business, who offers to work on the farm for free in exchange for a place to stay. As they work together to prepare for the wedding, they begin to develop feelings for each other. However, they must face their pasts and decide what their future looks like once the wedding guests leave.
Anita Kelly does it again! Another absolutely exceptional Queer romance that had me all up in my feelings. The characters across the 2 Greyfin Bay books and the 3 Nashville Love books are all so beautifully written, and they intertwine so much across all the books. Kelly expertly weaves the characters throughout this universe to create meaningful and realistic characters that are so relatable and loveable. Across all of their books they cover so many important topics that impact Queer people, and these heavy topics are delicately handled while also not being shied away from. I never wanted this book to end, but I couldn't slow down because I was just so invested in Luca and Emerson's journey. Also, since I love the Oregon Coast so much, so the Greyfin Bay setting, and the secondary and tertiary characters of the town, add such beautiful layers. This is another truly beautiful story from Anita Kelly, and everyone needs to be reading their books!!!!
Anita Kelly does it again with the sweetest story and the most lovable characters.
I read this during a time when life was very busy, so instead of reading it quickly like I have with most of Kelly’s books, it became a “one chapter here, one chapter there” kind of book. Normally that would pull me out of a story and make me feel disconnected. But not this one. Being back in Greyfin Bay felt so warm and comforting that stretching out my time there honestly made me love it even more.
Emerson and Luca are beautifully matched characters, written with so much heart and tenderness. Their story felt incredibly genuine and impossible not to root for.
Reading Anita Kelly's stories feels like choosing to be kind to yourself. Emerson and Luca's story is full of the same warmth and grace, with cameos from some of my favorite characters in their previous novels (sob, Ben and Alexei's wedding). This book has one of my favorite meet-cutes ever...who doesn't want to be told they look "serious, desperate" at a bar? This book gifts the reader with the simple pleasures of sun, rain, and the reminder that a partner can't magically remove every stressor or setback, but they can help you face your fears and find joy amidst the struggle.
Thank you to the author for the free advance reader copy. These opinions are my own.
I always adore everything Anita Kelly writes. And this book is so incredibly lovely.
It's the second book in the Greyfin Bay series. It can be read as a stand alone, but it has overlapping characters with not only the first in the series, but also Love and Other Disasters, Something Wild and Wonderful, and How You Get the Girl. I recommend every one of them, so reading this felt a bit like coming home.
Emerson King is a newly single father, trying to keep his farm going while also coordinating alternating weekends with his daughter with his ex. Luca meets him on a particularly down day, and they agree that Luca will come work for Short King Farms in exchange for just room and board. And it's definitely not because Luca is hitting on Emerson.
This book is so lovely. It highlights queer community and what it means. And it highlights the Oregon coast and small farmers. I just wanted to move in and be present with Emerson and Luca throughout. Both are trying to figure out what their dreams look like and whether long-term relationships are even possible for them.
As a background, we get the wedding preparations of Ben and Alexei. Emerson's daughter is the sweetest, and seeing him learn how to negotiate his former relationship with his ex is powerful.
All the stars and all the recommendations for literally this entire beautiful queer world!
IF YOU WANT TO FEEL WIDE OPEN LIKE YOU'RE WALKING THROUGH A FIELD OF WILDFLOWERS, SWEATY AND TENDER LIKE YOU'RE HOOKING UP WITH A PERSON WHO MAKES YOUR PULSE DANCE, SO IN LOVE YOUR CHEST ACHES WITH IT . . . I MEAN, READ AN ANITA KELLY BOOK
A gentle and kind romance (as expected) from Anita Kelly whose books have made me feel better about the world since I started reading them. (And so nice to see a little cameo from Ben and Alexei, how I love them still.)
Anita Kelly is so fucking good at their job. This book is everything that Kelly’s books always are: tender, sweet, charming, queer, lovely, and earnest.
What a treat to revisit Greyfin Bay, and to see Julie and Elle and Ben and Alexei.
Anita Kelly never misses. This book made my heart so full. And having read all their other books and seeing the character cameos was beautiful. I’m so grateful for how Anita gives visions of queerness that make me feel so much wholeness and hope.
Tender, thoughtful, great characters - as usual for Kelly. It did drag in the middle, though, and I had to work to get through that to the last bit where there was more energy and movement in both characters.