⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ all the stars. I loved this book. Motherhood can be so hard at times, I really connected with June and her story. Life can be so messy but beautiful at the same time. I can’t wait for the next one. Thank you for the ARC.

This is a new author to me, and after reading Forever and Back, it definitely won’t be my last! ✨ I truly couldn’t put this book down and read it in a day!! Ashley’s writing is so beautifully written, and every chapter is filled with emotion, tension, heat, angst, humor…. Even though I’m not a mother yet, I feel this book is portrayed so realistically with all the highs and lows that come with marriage/motherhood. ❤️ Can’t wait to read Scotty’s story!! 😍

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC!! 🥰

This review will be posted on Amazon and BookBub on the day of its release.

Wow just wow!!! This book was amazing but of course it was look who wrote it.

I was hooked from the very start and it made me feel like I was there in June's shoes. But, I guess we all have lived her story in some sort of way. Life is hard and this story is so relatable and heartfelt. I laughed, I cried, got mad!--wash rinse repeat. All of the feels were out with this one. My first 5 star of the year. I would rate it a kabillion stars if I could. I didn't want the book to end.

Don't pass on this one you will regret it. And if you haven't read Ashley's other books run to add those to your cart too, they won't disappoint.

I will say that I don't usually write many reviews or read e-books. BUT....for an Ashley Manley masterpiece I will do it all. I can't wait until the Fall for the next part of the duet.

Thank you NetGalley and Ashley Manley for the ARC for a honest review. I'm so happy that I didn't have to have FOMO 🤣.

Identity crisis, relationship struggles, motherhood antics, influencer/expert culture.... this story touches on them all.

June is a 40-year-old SAHM who has reached her tipping point. Feeling alone, ignored, and unvalued, June decides she needs to blow it all up to find a way to a place where she will be happy. Along the way, she discovers more about herself and those around her.

I related to this story as a 41-year-old mom and wife. It is so easy to get lost in the day-to-day of keeping a house and family functioning; however, those around us cannot understand we are drowning if we do not communicate. It is so easy to think others and "experts" have the answers for us.
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Spoiler-ish:
I appreciated that the author did not make this a love triangle book. Reed was there to set some plot points in action, but it never delved into stereotypical who will she choose territory.
I thought June's source of therapy outlet was quirky and fun.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to Negalley and Victory Editing for this Advanced Reader Copy.

If you’re a mother you have probably felt this way at some point, stuck and giving so much of your self while your dreams are put on hold. They way that motherhood can feel lonely, the grieving of babies lost before birth that can only be understood by people have been through it. A marriage that needs some attention. This is the most relatable contemporary romance that I’ve read recently. Prepare to sob at the end.

Just finished Forever and Back. It was SO good. I actually wasn’t sure I liked it for the first 3/4 of the book. I mean the writing was done really well and I couldn’t stop reading, but the FMC June was kind of a brat and was self sabotaging which was hard. However, Ashley did an amazing job and she made this story relatable (at least on some degree) to all mothers. She wrapped it up beautifully at the end and I totally cried.

Manley's work is real and raw, managing to expose all the vulnerabilities that we can feel as a spouse and a mother. June Cannon is the main character that exemplifies this time in life. A time that is messy, complicated and overwhelming with life's obligations to where you feel like you have lost a piece of yourself. I've been there, and I dare say that many mothers (and most likely some fathers) have been there at least to a degree. This truly felt like reading a diary...uncensored, emotional and genuine. It's bound to resonate with many readers. BUT...let me take a moment to appreciate the character, Camp. As you turn the pages, the appreciation grows and grows. This is romance with depth, and I truly enjoyed it. (Tip: Be ready with the tissues.)

Thank you Victory Editing via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. These opinions are entirely my own. I will be quick to find more works from Ashley Manley, an author who has captured my attention!

Ashley has a gift for writing real women with real struggles that readers can relate to. I appreciated this book so much because every wife/mother has felt this way at some point. Lost and frustrated and stuck. I love June so much! I pictured Rachel McAdams as June and now I can totally see it as a movie in my mind. But who plays Camp? Chris Evans do we dare????

The easiest 5⭐️ review I’ve ever given. I felt June’s journey through motherhood and marriage on such a deep level—I’m not sure I’ve ever related to a book more. This story had me literally laughing and crying along the way. Thank you, Ashley Manley, for this much-needed story that made me feel truly seen.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC e-read in exchange for my honest review.

Wow!
It’s been a while since I pulled an all-nighter to read a book.

“Forever and Back” surpassed all my expectations, and it’s definitely one of the best novels I’ve read in the past three years.

Ashley Manley’s words say it all ,“Thank
you, for showing me that not all heroes wear capes. That the real superstars don't always win awards and get name recognition. Some are just there, loving everyone around them and taking care of the little details that nobody else wants to. The sole reason that others can shine like stars is because people like you create a sky for us to shine in."

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the e-ARC of this unforgettable book.

Ugh Ashley Manley has done it again! When I saw she had another novel out I immediately knew I had to read it! Thank you so much to Ashley and netgalley for the chance to read this book early! Oh June… what an amazing character. I loved the growth in the book and self discovery. This book made me feel all the feels in the best way. The characters and family banter were so relatable and I loved that. I will forever be an Ashley fan. Never stop writing 🩷

Still Absolutely Amazing!! 🥹😍 (Updating my review after rereading)

The depth of thought and emotion Ashley pours into her writing is truly remarkable. I loved this book when I first read it, but after reading it again, I have to say—it's hands down my favorite book I’ve ever read.

It reaches deep into your soul, making you see and feel every scene, every word, every emotion. The way she weaves all the small details together is pure brilliance. Ashley you are an exceptional writer!!!!

And that 🚿 shower scene… Wow 💦🤌🏻🙌🏻
I need some of that in my life 🫦😆

*Camp is my newest #1 book husband 🥰 🔥

June is such a relatable character, I just love her so much and want to be besties with her and Scotty.

I’ll forever be reading anything you write!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 🫶🏼

Add to cart!!!!

Wowza! I just finished a great read. Fans of women’s fiction will love Forever and Back by Ashley Manley! It was wonderful.

this book should be prescribed to every woman who feels overwhelmed and lost in the chaos of it all. for those who feel like they've lost themselves along the way, this is a guiding light. absolutely phenomenal- Ashley Manley has done it again.

Ahhh this book was everything and more! As a stay at home mom, this was so spot on with everything from taking care of everyone else first and all of the things, to somehow losing ourselves along the way. It made me feel all the feels. Ashley’s books are nothing short of amazing and they just get better and better. Please never ever stop writing, and I absolutely cannot wait to read Scotty’s story!

To say I love this book would be devaluing the complexity and vulnerability that Ashley Manley has crafted into her storytelling. Forever and Back focuses on June Cannon’s life as a wife and mother and the daily struggles she experiences every day. June has been married for seventeen years to her high school sweetheart, Camp, and is raising their three kids, a seventeen-year-old daughter and their four-year-old twin boys. June becomes exasperated when Camp misses dinner again, which eventually leads to her asking him for a divorce. However, when Camp begins to actively be part of the family again, June discovers there’s more to Camp and herself than she realizes.

June is every mother out there. She is fierce, loving, dependable, and devoted. But she is also vulnerable, lost, exhausted, and jaded. June is the epitome of strength, resilience, and reliability. She represents the quiet burdens and sufferings most mothers struggle with. This book is more than just motherhood and the perils of an uncertain marriage. It’s about the sacrifices made in relationships and the reclamation of who you are as a person as well as the rediscovery of passion, life, and love.

Forever and Back is poignant, heartfelt, and exquisitely written. Ashley Manley wrote a tender novel dedicated to all the mothers out there who may have lost a piece of themselves by internalizing all their obligations from their silent battles. I am genuinely in awe of this delicately crafted and magnificent book. This one definitely stayed with me even long after I had finished reading it, and I don’t doubt I’ll keep coming back to it whenever I need it the most. With that being said, I am beyond excited for Scotty’s book, along with the anticipation for all of Manley's future novels.

Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This review will be posted 2/10/25 on GoodReads.

I mean, the dedication speaks for itself...🙌🏼👏🏻

‘To the moms. The ones who struggle and the ones who don’t. To the ones who nursed for years and the ones who gave bottles on day one. To the moms who birthed at home in bathtubs and the ones who screamed for the epidural from a hospital bed. To the gentle moms, the tired moms, the stressed-AF moms, and the happy moms. To the ones who feed seaweed snacks and the ones who feed fruit snacks. To the ones who have lost, wept, and somehow kept going. Through carlines, through grocery store aisles, and through endless loads of laundry. To the moms of angels and rainbows. To my mom, my mother-in-law, and the women who have mothered me in between. Most importantly, to the moms who love, in whatever color of the rainbow, to forever and back.‘

Get comfortable. This book will pin you down and keep you down until the last page.

Easiest 5-star read this year. I’d give it 10 if I could.
Do not miss it.

Huge thanks to the wildly talented Ashley Manley, my flocking favorite & also to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for review!

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Pub date: 4.1.2025.