Flow

by Ember Markussen

302 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2026

Reviews

[Sheri | HawksNestReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flow was a layered and deeply moving story of self-discovery and healing. It follows Joe’s journey as he tries to find his way, and I found myself genuinely invested in him and where his story would lead.

Ember Markussen did a beautiful job building the story and setting the tone throughout. This isn’t my usual genre, but I still really enjoyed it and appreciated the depth of Joe’s journey.

Thank you, Ember Markussen, for the ARC and for trusting me with your work. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to read Flow.

[Wendy Knol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was such a beautiful and atmospheric read. I really loved the strong feeling of freedom surrounding Joe. His need to leave, to wander and to experience life on his own terms felt very real, but at the same time there was so much more underneath that freedom. The feeling of running from your past while slowly realizing that you can’t truly leave everything behind made the story feel emotional and thoughtful.

I feel like I probably should have read Sanctuary first. Since Flow was my first book in the series, I sometimes felt like I was missing a little bit of the background and the connections between the characters.

I really enjoyed the story, the emotions and especially the journey of finding out what freedom, belonging and home really means

[Summer Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I struggled with Joe, seeing the viewpoint from the women’s side…. Always being let down. And then on a deeper level I totally related to him. The day in and day out stress from responsibility, relationships, showing up, remembering everything, trying to do the right thing, trying to think for others….its very draining and I could see the appeal of only having to worry about yourself. At the end of the day though, and as Joe realized, if you have nothing anchoring you down then what are you truly living for? This is a book that will make you think deeply. Deeper than the words written on the pages.

[Cyndi Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading *Sanctuary*, I was really looking forward to what would happen next in Solace Spring!

Like *Sanctuary*, Ember writes with such vividness that the characters and their world truly come to life. She has an incredible ability to draw you in and leave you craving more. I loved the depth with which Ember explored Joe's journey—the pain he carries, the choices he makes, and the possibility of finally allowing himself to move forward.

The way Ember brought everything together was creative genius. Once again, she has written a story so mystical and magical that it leaves readers longing for more, yet completely satisfied.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kindly sent this book as an early reader, for an honest review and I was not disappointed.

Reading this book has been a pleasure and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The magical realism really brings the characters within the story to life.

Following Joe's journey really leaves the reader questioning their own choices in life. Should we continue to search for happiness, constantly move to find ourselves? Or is the true journey within, and finding ourselves is the place we call home.

Thank you Ember for letting me read this book, it was an absolute pleasure.

[Kathleen Carbone · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting read! I was kindly allowed to read Flow early and it was such a surprising ride. Joe is a dynamic character whose journey is full of personal and philosophical questioning.

At its heart, Flow highlights the struggle between running toward the next chapter and creating the next chapter in a place you can plant roots. The magic realism really adds to that question and the overall storyline.

Thank you for sharing this novel with my early, Ember!

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fairly quick read for me. It held me gently as I followed Joe on his journey of working through his pain, his choices and the possibility of being able to move forward with his dreams. The character development was the right touch, the magical and mystical world brings the characters to life drawing you in deeper amongst the pages.

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this arc.

[Maggie Coe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read! One that I will re-read again. I did not expect to relate so deeply as I did with the main male character. The character development was phenomenal, one of the best developments I have read. I highly recommend adding this as your next read.

[Andrew Coe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good read it had a lot of real world experience and show a lot of self conflict. With that being said it also shows a lot of conflict resolution with him self and with others