This was just a heart touching story; it had all the feelings you want from a good book. It's one of those stories you will think about long after you read it.

The writing was beautiful and transformed you to this small town, where you will love all the characters. Has Birdie turns 37 she feels like it will be her last as she has the same genetic mutation at her grandmother and mother and they both died at the same age. She normally spends her days by strict lists, never deviating from them. But is she really living true life, so does something so unlike herself she has a one-night stand. But when the stranger reappears in her life with his own baggage that he offers her his friendship. So, with him and the few people she has in her life she leans into the things that scare her. But she can't ignore the connection they have, so when secrets come out, could she lose all that she has built wall around or will it be worth it to tear them down?

Thank you to NetGalley and Wildflower Books for a copy of this story for my honest review.

don't even know where to begin??? I LOVED this book for many reasons!

The characters are so relatable.....I feel like I could be best friends with Birdie! She is approaching her 37th birthday which she feels fate will make it her last year......only to then do something she's never done before, way out of character for her list-living life! This then develops into a friendship with a stranger who becomes her friend and possibly more.......

This book has unforgettable characters.....I'll never look at a toothpick any other way again and I am most definitely giving my next dog a country singer name! I also want a real BFF just like the elderly feisty Mabel! She's who I wanna be when I grow up!

This book promises to make you cry, laugh, believe in love, and so much more!! This is one that will stick with my for a very long time and one that I wish I could read again for the first time! I will be following Manley for many years to come!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Wildflowers Bloom - while not a personal favourite - is a heartfelt, hopeful, and cozy romance. With a unique premise and a more traditional style of romantic storytelling, it makes for a great rainy weekend read.

Ashley Manley’s writing style makes for such a smooth and enjoyable read, while her loveable characters work tirelessly to melt your heart. I can’t honestly think of a single character that I didn’t care for between Bo and his thoughtfulness, Birdie and her selflessness, Huck with his Huck-ness, Veda with her old-lady charm, and the rest of the cast.

The premise itself felt unique and added an element of heartache while giving an opportunity for a fun sub-plot with Bo’s mission. There was a beautiful underlying message, tons of quotable moments, and some tears being shed.

The one thing I feel that could really improve the reading experience of When Wildflowers Bloom is a dual POV. I’m definitely not someone that feels a dual POV is necessary in romance novels. However, in this case, I think it would have changed a lot. Bo is a character that is definitely worth getting to know - especially in his seemingly less loveable moments - and his side of the story would have added a richness to the book. With only Birdie’s POV it felt like there was some lack of depth to the story and, at times, the pacing felt off. Having some Bo chapters would break up the story, provide us with some much-desired insight, and give us more of the bearded single-dad, burly lumberjack character we tend to so love as romance readers.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Wildflower Books for access to this ebook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book! Although this isn’t my normal type of read, When Wild Flowers Bloom grabbed my attention right from the start and I loved everything about it all the way to the very end. I had never heard of this author, Ashley Manley, but she must have a wonderful and comical personality because parts of this book literally had me laughing out loud. The main character, Birdie, took her mother and grandmothers deaths to the extreme by doing some pretty radical life changes but it’s what made the story what it is. I love that it had a slow building romance but who wouldn’t be taken by Bo Monroe. He sounded like the perfect man in every aspect. This was a story that had me laughing out loud, crying at times and really just rooting for a happily ever after. I can’t recommend this book enough! I’m now anxious to get my hands on the authors previous book to see if that one is as good as this one was. I’d like to thank Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for accepting my request to read an early copy. This was such a great story, I’m giving it a 5 star rating and I’m so happy to have found a new author to read and enjoy.

Five stars just is not enough for this book.

It has everything. It will make you feel all the feels. Every emotion.

The characters are storylines are so beautifully written and woven together. This is not a thriller, but it definitely has some unexpected twists and turns along the way.

I cannot recommend this enough. It will break your heart but it will also heal all the broken pieces. It will make you laugh. It will make you love. It will transport you into the mountains of NC and immerse you in the lives of these characters. It will make you feel like you know them.

If you aren’t reading everything Ashley Manley writes you are missing out on something truly amazing and deserving of all the praise.

Beautifully written, completely captivating. This book was heavy but wow it was done with so much care. Absolute beautiful book.

Ashley Manley is a name we need to keep an eye out for! This book was beautiful.

I couldn’t help but root for Birdie and Bo throughout this whole book. Birdie lost her mama and grandmother to cancer. So she fears she won’t live much longer than 38. She lives a certain way that most people wouldn’t have the patience for. She meets Bo and boy does he turn her world upside down. IN A GOOD WAY! He teaches her how to truly live her life with a purpose. In the process of doing so we get to meet other side characters in the story and you can’t help but fall in love with them too.

“The way he looked at you that first day on my porch was the way his grandfather looked at me in our college ceramics class. A look that was a poem without a name—so full of reverie.”

Shout out to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for a review (:

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.