Such a beautiful story. This book took me by surprise and ended up being one of my top reads of the year. It was a story about found family, love, friendship, and the overall fragility of life. I found myself laughing and crying, and I couldn’t recommend this book more.

Birdie is convinced she’s not going to make it to her 38th birthday, she has the same gene that caused her mother and grandmother to die of cancer when they were 37. One night, after living a life of strict rules, routines and self imposed isolation, she decides to have a one night stand. When their paths unexpectedly cross again, Bo is determined to convince Birdie to actually start living..

This was such a sweet book!

I loved all the characters, especially the older characters, Mabel was hilarious! Birdie’s relationship with Huck was lovely and I really appreciated the mentions of his food aversions/sensory issues with food. As a parent to an autistic child with a very restricted diet, it’s good to see this being spoken about as a lot of people just assume it’s the child being “fussy” or “spoiled”. People are quick to judge and don’t realise just how difficult it can be.

The author also did an excellent job of showing how health anxiety can completely take over someone’s life to the point they aren’t really living at all.

My only slight gripe is I think the book needed to be a bit longer, I think the romance would have benefited from it, but overall I still really enjoyed it and would definitely read a book by this author again.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Birdie Rose Hawkins is convinced her 37th year will be her last, knowing she carries the same genetic mutation that took her mother and grandmother. Used to a life of strict routines and isolation, she makes a daring choice—she has a one-night stand. When the man unexpectedly reappears in her life, offering friendship, he and her small support group encourage her to face her fears and embrace the unknown. As their connection deepens, a hidden truth threatens to tear everything apart. Birdie must decide whether to continue playing it safe or take a leap into truly living.

This was my first Ashley Manley book, and I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The characters were charming and had great chemistry, although the love story developed a bit too quickly for my taste. Still, Birdie’s emotional journey was both powerful and heart-wrenching, making it a compelling read. I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Wildflower Books LLC.

This book! I can’t recommend it enough! Such a great story. I laughed and I cried. The ending caught me by surprise in the midst of my crying that made me cry even more. I loved this book. I loved the way the title fit this book so well.

Review is now Live see below for links:

ARC REVIEW ✨

all I can say is infinity stars, this book snuck up on me - the characters, the plot, the emotion and the writing were all so beautiful, I wish I could jump into this book and stay there. Keep in mind this does deal with sensitive topics such as cancer + death of a family member, so I recommend looking up trigger warnings but this book had me ugly crying because it was so personal and beautiful all at the same time. I really appreciate the raw emotion and the relatability this story brought out of me, I can’t thank the author enough for writing something so touching and beautiful, and for creating these characters that’ll live in my head forever. ☁️🤍🫧🪩✉️

thank you so much to @netgalley + @victoryeditingngc for giving me access to this amazing peice of work early, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to review it!

📖 When Wildflowers Bloom 📖⁣
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⁣I’ve read one hundred and fifty-one books so far in 2024 and When Wildflowers Bloom is one of my top five books of the year! I absolutely adored this sweet book. It kept me up late reading. I laughed. I cried- a lot. And I fell in love with Bo; He’s my new book boyfriend! ⁣
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⁣When Wildflowers Bloom tells the story of Birdie- a 37 year old women who lives her life by a strict set of rules and routines- fighting the genetic mutation that killed both her mother and grandmother. Bo comes into her life in a completely unexpected way- offering friendship and lessons in living life to the fullest. ⁣
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⁣Other things I loved about this book: ⁣
⁣- Birdie’s dog is named George Strait- who is basically my favorite singer ever. My husband and I actually have tickets to see him in Vegas in December. 🎶⁣
⁣- The characters are flawed by also very likable and earnest. I was rooting for Birdie and Bo. ⁣
⁣- Absolutely amazing writing! @ashleymanleywrites is so dang talented, yall! She masterfully weaves this magical tale with such beautiful words that I’m actually in awe of her talent. Girl is going places! ⁣
⁣- Enough spice to make me blush. 🌶️⁣
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⁣Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley for an ARC of When Wildflowers Bloom. It is out now! Please read it and report back! 😍

Wow I was blown away by this book! It was so easy to fall in love with Birdie, Bo and all the other supporting characters. The story was heart wrenching, but so beautiful. Could not recommend this more - one of my fav reads of the year for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wildflower Books for the copy of this book.

Wow. Just wow. I am blown away by how beautiful while also devastating this story was. The way Birdie's health anxiety is shown throughout the book was so real, making it hard to read at times. It is so overwhelming to constantly be living in a state of anxiety that not actually living a life to the fullest extent feels like the "safe" thing to do.

Then comes Bo. I just love him. I love the way he cares for everyone around him. He never once judged Birdie for the way she was living and her quirks that made her feel better from day to day.

The friendships in this book are so special. Every single one. It was so refreshing to read about these relationships that were so pure and real.

This book broke me and pieced me back together throughout the entire read. Everyone needs to read this book.

Another review will be on my bookstagram: emmagraceslibrary

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

”𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.”

Birdie likes to have lists, plans, and organization to keep her anxiety at bay, while she approaches what she believes to be her final year on earth, at age 37. She meets Bo, who is intrigued by her lifestyle, and politely points out that she is not really living all that life has to offer. He makes it his mission to show her what it could be like if she let others in, while navigating not only her boundaries, but also his own secrets. It all started with some sticky notes.

I’m so 🥹🥹 in love with this book. I immediately connected with the characters and Ashley’s writing style. I teared up within the first 15% of the book and you can guarantee it didn’t stop there. I’m talking every other chapter, if not every single one. And I love a book that can make me emotional, so this was a win for me. 🤧 Bo is another perfect fictional man I will never obtain - patient, understanding, persistent, caring, thoughtful.. the list goes on. The book ending really wrapped this into a nice bow and delivered me a 5⭐️ early Christmas present. While this is a romance, it’s also a women’s fiction. I appreciated the side plots for Birdie and how everything tied together. Seriously, add this to your TBR!

When Wildflowers Bloom
4⭐️
Another beautiful story by Ashley, but boy does she know how to write a tear jerker! As someone who watched two very important people in my life pass away from cancer some of this book hit very hard! I loved Birdies character development, Huck’s character was just *chefs kiss*, Veda has my heart, I adored Bo and Lucy and Mabel was probably one of my favourite characters of all, the sassy and horny old lady😂 Thank you to Ashley and Netgalley for sending me this ARC!

“The whole moment feels like a huge bouquet being put in a vase that’s too small. A wildly precious beauty that can’t be contained.”
^ how I feel about this book

I don’t even know where to start! Saying I love this book feels like an understatement. It’s easily one or my top reads of the year. I absolutely fell in love with Birdie and Bo (and the entire cast of supporting characters - special shoutout to my girl Mabel).

The characters were so well developed. They were flawed and real and so earnest and you root for every single one of them. The heavy themes were handled super well, but still left room for some of the funniest dialogue and internal dialogue I’ve read. There was such a cool balance between little nuggets of wisdom and bits of humor.

What I really enjoyed was getting to see all kinds of love, from romantic, to familial, to platonic. Birdie’s female friendships were one of my absolute favorite aspects of her story. And the romance ATE. Bo Monroe, the man that you are 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨. The way Bo was able to understand Birdie and meet her where she was? Phenomenal, gimme 14 of ‘em.

Read if you like:
- Beautiful prose
- Golden doodles
- Sassy senior citizens with no filter
- Lumberjack smut
- George Strait
- Peer pressured karaoke
- Small town vibes
- Getting your feelings hurt
- Conflict that actually makes sense

I can’t wait until this releases and I can get my hands on a physical copy! Swipe for the vibes, playlist, and to see me cry like a baby but in a good way.

e-ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op

Amazing book

This book was so very good it is hard to find the right words. Haunted by her mother's too early death from cancer, Birdie has done everything "right" to avoid the same result for herself. Even with her many precautions, she feels so strongly that she will die at the same age that she avoids attachments, relationships and the possibility of children. She even has surgery to further reduce the probability.

When Birdie meets Bo in an unconventional way, their story continues as their lives get more entwined, even though she still keeps him at arms' length when possible. I loved his patience and respect, never mocking her methods or decisions, always being supportive. The 3 older people Birdie cares for are real hoots, and Huck is wonderful. I can't think of one thing I disliked about this book other than it ends.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This was such a sweet book. I cried, I smiled, and I appreciate the author's time and sensitivity to the topic.

I absolutely adore Birdie, Huck, Bo and Lucy…..and Veda, Sam, Mable, Greg, Libby and John. Really, a celebration of found family and non traditional pathways to family while honoring the family that loves us and is there for us from the beginning. While at first, I thought Birdie to be paranoid and neurotic, she became more and more relatable and lovable. I loved her respect for both the elderly and children who communicate in their own special ways. Quite simply I really just loved everything about this book. To the very last page it kept you on your toes with the outcome of the story and provided little tidbits of goosebump inducing moments. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wildflower Books LLC as well as the author for providing an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book. 👏🏻👏🏻 I am shookithhhh.
Oh my gosh. This book wrecked me in the best way. Ashley is extremely talented and does such a great job at making you FEEL what the characters are feeling.
I laughed out loud. I cried. I was heartbroken. I was pieced back together.
I wanna be Mabel when I grow up. 😂🤣
Top read of this year hands down! Absolutely will be a book that I will re-read and recommend to everyone I know! Already preordered the paperback.

If you are lucky enough to come across this authors work, READ IT.
Amazing
Brilliant
So beautifully written.
100/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my gosh! This book!! Is everything 🩷 I laughed I cried I fell in love with the characters truly it was so good. Thank you so much to Ashley Manley and the publisher for letting me read this book early! This was my first book by the author and I hope she writes a hundred more because I will be first in line to read them. I read this in just about one sitting(if I didn’t have to work) and could not put it down. I am obsessed with this book. Might be my favorite one all year 😊

When I picture a “love story” or a “romance” THIS is what I expect. You make a connection with every character and you really feel the love building…feel the heartaches. So damn good.

I do keep giving my boyfriend the stank eye because he isn’t Bo, but I’ll get over it eventually….maybe.

Wow - just wow. This book was absolutely beautiful. The characters all felt SO real like you could show up in their fictional town and visit them all.

Birdie believes this is her last year on Earth once she turns 37 as her mother and grandmother both died at this age of a rare genetic mutation that Birdie also has. She lives by her set of strict rules and regulations to keep herself safe but all that changes when she meets Bo.

I absolutely adored the characters of Birdie and Bo but the side characters were just as lovable and amazing. Veda, Sam, Margot, Huck, and of course, George Strait, move the story from a beautiful romance to a story of found family and true love.

I’ll be thinking about these characters for a long time. Such a beautiful story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Ashley Manley writes amazing books. Her ability to put words together is a true gift and makes this book fly into your head, heart, and soul. The characters are real - like you can almost see and hear them. You will laugh, cry, snort, and think as you read the adventures all these characters have as they wiggle their way into your heart. As someone who lost their Mom at 13, the challenges Birdie encountered were real and understandable. Milestones become weights and sometimes more, but Birdie, with help, is able to navigate and endure the challenges. The book was a bit too spicy for me but it was easy to just skim over those parts and I don't feel I missed anything at all in this delightful story. The cover of this book was beautiful and such a perfect setting for this book. I am excited to read more books by this author and hope for many more thoughtful, heartfelt, and incredible stories. I appreciate an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks to the Author, publisher, and NetGalley.

This was the first book I read by this author and was pleasantly surprised. The characters were simply adorable and gelled together well, however the love story was a little unreal how quickly it formed. The storyline took us on a real rollercoaster of emotions. Birdie’s health issue was the main topic and living everyday as if it was her last was heart wrenching, she was always protecting her own and other people’s emotions which meant she couldn’t live life to the full. Such a great concept and thoroughly enjoyable. Will definitely be reading more by Ashley Manley.

Thanks to Wildflower Books and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.