I’m not opposed to a dad/nanny romance or an age gap but I think 18 is just too young for me to “root for.” I received this book from the publisher & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Maybe 3.5 ⭐️? So hard to pick. Story wise, it’s got all want…little spice, angst, dash of family drama (which I can do without). It is an age gap romance, which I typically don’t mind but was the catch for me in this one. There were parts her age did make me uncomfortable with the story. Otherwise, it’s a good one!

Warning: There is a cliffhanger but, as someone who avoids them, this one wasn’t so bad. Yes, if you want to finish the story you will have to read book 2 but it wasn’t such a cut off you get mad about it.

I received this book from the publisher & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I would first like to thank NetGalley, Micalea Smeltzer, and Victory Editing for providing me with a copy of The Confidence of Wildflowers in exchange for my honest review.

The Confidence of Wildflowers follows 18 year old Salem as she experiences life after graduating high school. 31 year old Thayer and his son Forrest move in next door to Salem's family and a friendship begins between Thayer and Salem after he hires her to babysit his son when he is busy with work.

Honestly, this book was not my favorite throughout the majority, but the last 10% of the book or so put me through an emotional roller coaster that I was not expecting. Let me begin by explaining why I was not a fan through the majority of the book.

*SPOILERS*

I definitely felt like I was reading from the perspective of an 18 year old girl and could feel the immaturity. She was dramatic at parts in the book and fell in "love" with Thayer very quickly. I've never really cared about a book being a slow burn, but I felt as though the relationship in this book developed way too intense, way too quickly. There were a few tropes in this book as well that I'm not a fan of either including cheating, and the pregnancy trope. The cheating I personally cannot overlook, ,but I do feel like the pregnancy trope was done very well, granted it occurred at the very very end of the book and there was only a chapter worth of the discussion. It did however make me want to read the second book, even though I wasn't a huge fan of this one. But I want to know what happens with Thayer and Salem's story from where they left things, to Salem discovering her pregnancy.

*HUGE SPOILER*
Killing Forrest broke my entire heart, I have never experienced such sadness and pain in a book. I love when a book draws me in enough to develop a love for characters, and while it hurts for a book to make me emotional, I love when a book is able to bring out my emotions.

After finishing The Confidence of Wildflowers, I have landed on a 3 star rating because the majority of the book, I spent cringing and kind of annoyed with how quickly and intensely the relationship developed, however, I did enjoy (even if it broke my heart) the last 10-15% of the book and would like to read the sequel. I'm not a fan of spicy scenes which I ended up just skipping over, so that did not effect my

Would I recommend this book?
Yes!

I am ruined. So traumatized. In all the best ways. This was almost perfect. Around 60% it gets a little too dramatic but other than that this was amazing. 4.5 🌟

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'The Confidence of Wildflowers' by Micalea Smeltzer.

I'm angry and upset to say the least. The trigger warnings really underestimated what happens when it said: death. Because it was the death of a CHILD. A child that was probably one of the only characters who actually was good in this story. I hated the protagonist with most fibres of my being. Salem used two men even though both were the most kindest things to her and it was made worse with the writing and I'm just mad about it all.

I'll start with the biggest positive which is my man Thayer. He is beautifully written. Everything he did for Salem was swoon worthy. You will most definitely fall in love with him.

I read this book in two sittings which is very rare for me. I'm a fan of books that make me feel something, regardless of what those feelings are or what order they happen in. All I can say is read the trigger warning, brace yourself for the last 10ish percent of the book and have the second one ready to go. I'm attached to the characters so I have to know what happens next, but I understand the people that could not continue the story after the ending. This book is definitely not a light read overall, but a lot of it was fun and easy. I recommend this book (but please, once again, read the trigger warning) if you like:

Age gap
Grumpy x sunshine
Single dad x babysitter
One bed
Small town

The Confidence of Wildflowers by Micalea Smeltzer is a poignant and emotionally charged romance novel that explores the unconventional love story between Salem, an optimistic and resilient eighteen-year-old, and Thayer, a brooding landscaper thirteen years her senior. Smeltzer skillfully crafts characters who resonate deeply with the reader, taking them on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as the couple navigates societal norms, trauma, and the complexities of their age-gap relationship.

While the book boasts powerful character development and a passionate connection between Salem and Thayer, it leaves readers both eager for the sequel and emotionally wrecked by a cliffhanger ending. Despite some pacing issues and a somewhat subdued exploration of the age gap, The Confidence of Wildflowers is a compelling read that lingers in the reader's thoughts long after the final page.

I wish I knew this book existed sooner.

This must have been the fastest I have read a book in a year.

The storyline is amazing with just the right amount of ups and downs, the writimg is pure perfection, the characters felt all too real, and the cliffhanger was not too steep at all. It was just a complete joy to read.

It has a vast array of emotions though, so keep the tissues ready. Also, research the potential triggers (I am not listing it since some are mine.) I still absolutely love this book.

I hope you find and read this book as soon as possible. I know I am moving on to the next one immediately. Who needs sleep?

Because I finished the book about 5 minutes ago, this review is brief but I had to get my 5 stars on it immediately.

I will forever be grateful to NetGalley for introducing me to The Confidence of Wildflowers and Micalea Smeltzer.

This book will rip your heart out.

Salem and Thayer meet when Thayer and his son move in next door. He is your typical grumpy neighbor, but Salem's relentless sunshine slowly breaks down his walls. When she starts nannying his son, Forrest, they grow closer and their chemistry comes to a head. This book was a little insta lovey, and they have a sexual relationship very quickly.

I really liked Salem's character. She has been through so much and still was so strong and balanced. As Thayer's walls fall, you can see how much he truly cares for Salem and how deep their relationship is.

The last 10% of the book destroyed me in a way that I never thought possible. Please read the trigger warnings if you are sensitive to them.

Overall, this book was a well written emotional read. I definitely will be reading the next one.

One day was all this book took; it was incredibly emotional to read, and it hooked me right from the start. I went in purposely blind to everything outside the synopsis, so as to not ruin the experience, and I was not disappointed. At first I questioned the age gap in the romance, but they were perfect together, and this book was about so much more than that trope. The individual characters, self healing, spice and the baking cuteness were all perfect. Then tragedy happens, and my heart broke. I bawled for the remainder of the book, and the cliffhanger at the end didn’t help my emotions coming out either. Despite how upset I was, I cannot wait to continue their story.

Tropes and triggers:
Grumpy/sunshine
Age gap
Small town
One bed
Childhood Trauma
Terminal Illness

Did I read a different book from everyone else?

This has been on my TBR for ages so when I saw it pop up on Netgalley, I eagerly applied. (I think it's available as an ARC b/c the 3rd book is coming out soon).

I am so sad to say I did not enjoy this.

It was choppy, constantly bouncing from scene to scene and didn't feel fleshed out. There were also heaps of unnecessary scenes (she goes to NY to visit her friend and it was pointless other than telling her she was dating an older man).

And the ending...I didn't even cry when I feel like I should have because I was not connected to the characters.

I'm not sure if I will carry on with the series. I guess I'll give it a 2.5?

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well.. definitely I didn't expect how I'm going to feel after finishing this book.
This book is not easy, it is not some funny rom-com to read during one evening.
Please read the TW before reading this book because it could be really devastating for some people.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. i was a little unsure about how I would like the age gap trope in this novel. but I LOVED it. loved it, loved it, loved it. the story gripped me and I don’t think i’ll be able to stop thinking about it for a while.

Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Please, be aware of the trigger warnings and that it is a duology, so you need to read the second book in order to complete the main characters’ story. You’ll thank me later.

This book has beaten my heart like it was a baseball. Some of the things that happened I liked, some of the others I didn’t. That’s as far as I can say but I liked the characters except for some of the choices they made. It is a well written book even if a little slow in the beginning. I hope I can read the second one soon because this left me in a bit of a cliffhanger. 3,5⭐️

Please check the trigger warnings before reading. I made it about 25% through before abandoning it because of those trigger warnings. I may try to go back in the future. Despite that, the romance is great. There is lots of tension and angst. Age gap is one of my favorite tropes. If you can get past the trauma you may enjoy this novel.

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Page & Vine for the ARC.

This is a book that I got on Netgalley and said that it published in April 2023, but the Amazon listing tells a different story. But anyway, it sounded really interesting and I haven’t read any age gap novels so I decided to give this one a shot.

Salem is an 18 year old girl with a traumatic past. Thayer, 31, has just moved in next door and has a lot going on including fixing up his new home and sharing custody of his six year old son. When Thayer asks Salem to babysit, the two get to know each other, and pretty soon their relationship takes a turn. Thayer is always there for Salem, and she can’t help but fall in love with both him and his son - even despite their 13 year age difference.

As I said, I haven’t really read age gap novels and this one made me remember why. Salem is barely legal so this felt at times just icky and possibly like grooming to me. I tried to keep in my mind that Salem is technically an adult but so often, she just didn’t feel like that to me.

Thayer, in what I think were supposed to be romantic gestures, sometimes came across as overbearing or controlling and that just added to the ick factor for me. There was a lot of trauma in Salem’s past and I think had the age gap not been such a prominent factor, I would’ve really sunk into this story and how he was trying to help her through it.

There were a few things that happened in the end that I think were put in to manipulate our feelings and I hated them - particularly the very end that ended on a cliffhanger to set up the second book in the series. I wanted to really enjoy this series but it was just a miss for me.

This book is definitely my favorite this year!! Yes this book will pull at your heartstrings and all of your emotions. Definitely check all the trigger warnings. 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. There is nothing better then that! I definitely recommend this book and The Resurrection of Wildflowers! Stop what you're doing an read this book!


Thank you NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Page & Vine for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Salem just graduated high school and is looking for her big plan for life. She doesn't necessarily want to go to college, even though her boyfriend, Caleb, is really pressing her to go to the same college as he does in Boston. But then there is her new neighbor, Thayer, who is super grumpy and 15 years older than she is. But she is fascinated by him. And he needs a nanny.
This grumpy sunshine, age gap, single dad/nanny, one bed, neighbor, small town romance is book 1 in the Wildflower Duet. This was heartbreaking. Please check the trigger warnings. This is not a light read, and it does tackle some very heavy subjects. While the heavy was mostly sprinkled through the story, those last 20% had me sobbing. If you're not a fan of cheating, I'd steer clear of this one. And for a girl who makes money off selling candles she makes, Salem sure is baking cupcakes more often than she's making candles. I believe the book could have been like a 100 pages shorter if she baked cupcakes less often and if they cut every mention of cookie dough. Otherwise, it was a good read. I read this in one sitting and I couldn't look away. Forrest is the sweetest. And I'm sure Thayer would've made me swoon if the fact that Salem was 18 made me cringe many times. I love a good age gap romance, but I like it better when the FMC has been an adult for more than 2 minutes. You should know before going into this that it ends on a cliffhanger. I liked the book, but I wasn't going to read the sequel. Now, I kinda have to...
"You deserve to know you're not alone, that someone's beside you to fight your battles with you."
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I want to thank Micalea Smeltzer, Victory Editing, and Netgalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I was very surprised by this book. When I saw that it was a romance with a big age difference, plus a father with a young child, I expected to have a hard time reading the story.

But Salem, despite her young age, is very mature because of a traumatic past that forced her to grow up very quickly.
In the end, we don't feel much of the age difference in this story, or even it's hardly touched on at all, which may also seem odd.

I loved the character of the grumpy neighbor, who in fact has a big heart and is very quickly there for Salem, taking care of her and helping her with her trauma.

To my amazement, this book is not a standalone, and the author is going to break our hearts in this book. There are some big twists and turns at the end of the book, and believe me, you won't be ready for them. I'll leave you to it, and get started on Volume 2!

First off WOW HOW DARE THIS BOOK HURT MY FEELINGS LIKE THIS. I absolutely loved this book and found myself drawn in super quickly. I could not put it down. But boy was I caught off guard by the twists. I sobbed and couldn't believe it. Immediately moving on to the next one to see where the story is going to go.