Motherhood is a paradox—full of love and joy, yet exhausting and overwhelming. It’s okay to hold both gratitude and exhaustion in the same space. You can deeply love your children and still need a break. You can cherish your role as a mother and wife and still crave moments that are just for you.

Let’s normalize the reality that being tired doesn’t mean ungrateful, and needing space doesn’t mean unloving. You are allowed to be both.

This book beautifully captured that reality—a woman who cared deeply for those around her, made sacrifices, yet lost herself along the way. It was everything.

It’s okay if the sandwich isn’t cut into hearts. It’s okay to feel upset. It’s okay to communicate your needs, set boundaries, and ask for help. It’s okay to practice gentle parenting—and also not. There’s no one right way to navigate marriage or parenting.

Thank you NetGalley and the talented Ashley Manley for this arc.

Pub date: April 1st 🌷

Wonderfully written what a surprise!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 and then did that over and over. All of the feels were out with this one. A 5 star for the year. I would rate it a million stars if I could. I didn't want the book to end.

Wow I’m sobbing. This book went straight to my heart. As a mom, so much of this book was validating and inspiring. While not all the book was similar to my own life, it felt like she could have been writing about me and the things I feel in my life! It was emotional and so heartfelt but funny and real at the same time. I felt this book in my soul and I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

I went into this ARC without ever reading anything by Ashley Manley or knowing much about the book. But the description sounded interesting and boy, was I blown away. This story was so incredibly refreshing and eye opening.

June is a 40 year-old mom and wife who is trying to be perfect. But how can she be when her husband is never around and her kids think she's simple? After listening to a podcast, she decides to uproot her life and start asking for what she wants. Her decision, however, just might mean a divorce, a new career path, and a whole new wardrobe.

But when she starts on her journey of changing her kid's view of her, she realizes that not everything in life should be compared to how other people do it. Not every piece of advice applies to your situation. And your view of someone else and their sacrifices might be entirely one-sided. The people she has in her life might hold the answers to what will actually make her happy, including herself.

What I loved most about this book was that it was not the typical fluffy, cookie cutter romance (which I LOVE those types of books, too!). This story was wholly relatable and the characters were messy and imperfect and honest. The author didn't hold back on the complexities the main character of being a wife, mother and woman in her 40s. Personally, I'm not married, nor do I have children, but I saw so much of my mom and my friends (and their husbands) in these characters. I have a new appreciation for women who put their lives on hold to be someone's center of gravity. And I have a new appreciation for husbands like Camp (and I'll leave it at that so not to spoil it).

This book has:
- Second chance romance
- Complex family relationships
- Grief over miscarriage
- Miscommunication / misunderstanding
- FMC on a self-love journey
- Love triangle that spans from high school to present day
- An FMC that has a very unique therapy system :)
- An outlook on being a mother of a teenager AND toddlers
- A very steamy shower

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley, as well as Ashley Manley (I'll be reading more of your work!!). This book put me into a slump in the best way possible.

Because of the unlikeable charact4er(June) in this book I found myself not fully engaged in the story. It was well written but I dislike the miscommunication/ no communication trope.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC

It appears that romance novels centered around 40+ moms are my new jam. I just can’t get enough! Last month I read Ashley Manley’s debut, EVERY BEAUTIFUL MILE and absolutely loved it. I was so excited to find her forthcoming release, FOREVER AND BACK on netgalley and requested it immediately.

I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for almost 14 years now, so I related immensely to June, the main character. I was nodding my head in solidarity and agreement almost the entire time. This novel really explores how selfless a woman becomes in motherhood and how her wants and needs take a backseat for many years. When June’s husband doesn’t come home for dinner—once again—it’s the last straw, and she demands a change.

Manley does a phenomenal job showcasing the loneliness and exhaustion of motherhood, and how invisible we sometimes feel. If you’re the default parent, you will definitely understand June’s frustration when every little thing falls on her. Meals, homework, permission slips, cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc. I can go on and on. I think every mother has a breaking point and then finally explodes. Ha!

Here are a few quotes from the novel that really hit home for me:

“People tell you about potty training and sleepless nights, but they don’t tell you how fucking hard being a mom is.”

“…I have something to say other than 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 and 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙖𝙩. Like I’m not just a mom, but a woman. Something other than the people I’ve made and the man I married.”

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Mature romance novels
- 40+ female protagonist
- Motherhood and marriage
- Small town vibes
- North Carolina setting
- Female friendship
- Second chance romance
- Photography
- Family drama and dynamics
- Insight on raising teenagers
- Some spicy and steamy scenes

FOREVER AND BACK releases on April 1st! It gets 4/5 stars from me! Moms will love this one!

June Cannon has spent the last seventeen years of her life as a devoted mother and wife, but she begins to wonder if she has disappeared for her husband, Camp. When he doesn’t come home for dinner once again and her teenage daughter calls her simple, she’s had enough. Inspired by a podcast, she declares to Camp that she wants a divorce. Almost instantly, he becomes the husband he hasn’t been for years, blurring the lines between what’s real and what’s pretend for the sake of their kids. As June tries to recreate her life at forty, revisiting a career in photography and taking an interest in a man that she knew at school with Camp. Yet Camp is not giving up as easily as June had thought, and soon her life is changing, faster than she can absorb.
Another amazing book by Ashley Manley that had me captivated from the start. She outlines June’s life, which is like so many others, and makes her confront her true feelings for all in her life. This is raw and honest, and I loved it!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.25 stars, 2 chili peppers. As the dedication says, this one is “to the moms. The ones who struggle and the ones who don’t” and as a mom myself WOW does this book hit home on multiple levels. This is about a 40 year old stay at home mom who feels under appreciated and stretched too thin, who suddenly looks at her life and realizes she lost herself to motherhood and being a ‘good wife.’ June tells her husband she wants a divorce and decides she needs to find herself again - but now suddenly her husband, Camp, is finally showing up. Can June trust that this will last or should she pursue a ‘free’ life she thinks she wants?
The first quarter of the book really resonated with me and i was truly sucked in - SO many relatable lines in this book! I also really liked how the author was able to show us moms how easily we are influenced by podcasts and social media (“we don’t know them, they don’t know us, but we let them dictate what we [should do/read/how to act/how to feel/what to buy]”. I absolutely loved the boxing scenes!
However i was a little infuriated by June sometimes, as it felt very 1-sided since she never really told Camp how she felt and what she needed over the last 18 years. And Camp never really took accountability for his part.
Even so, i think that every wife/mother would benefit from reading this book, as it will reveal something you could do differently in your marriage that will ultimately help (or something you should limit/not do!).

**personally, i think in order to really like this book you would need to be a parent, otherwise you may find it hard to relate to/enjoy the book.
*TW - miscarriage

Thank you to Ashley Manley and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The love story of all love stories!! Thank you Ashley Manley (Im your newest fan now!) and Netgalley for this ARC. I am so grateful.

Wow... where do I begin?! I feel seen!! As a mother, as a partner, as a friend, as a lover... SEEN. Every mother needs to read this one! Easily 5-stars.

Manley writes in a way that pulls you in and feels like you are living inside of the story. I don't think I have felt like that in a long time while reading. Also when was the last time you laughed out loud at a book? This book brought the laughs, the spice and the truth. 📣 Again, this one is for the mamas! 📣 I felt all the things and YES... I cried at the end. I might have cried at the beginning too? I mean... that dedication!

Anyway... This is for sure mom group required reading. A work of art and so much more than a high school sweetheart romance novel. I will recommend it to forever and back.

Review posted to Goodreads 3/21/25.

I just finished Forever & Back by Ashley Manley, and wow—I am SO happy I stepped outside of my usual "safe" genre for this one. Even though I’ve never been married (and on the edge of divorce) with three kids, I felt every single emotion June went through. Her struggles with feeling "plain" hit me hard, and the way this book explored the quiet sacrifices in a marriage was just so raw and real.

And Camp… oh my god. Watching him put in the work made me so emotional. He has been completely in love with June for every step of his life, and as soon as he realized what was breaking her, he tried to fix it. It just broke my heart how much they both gave up for each other without ever saying it out loud—no wonder a rift formed between them.

And then there was Lyra’s speech. I knew she was going to write about June, but the second she started reading, I still teared up. Seeing how Lyra viewed her mom, even when June felt so "plain," was absolute perfection. This book was emotional in all the best ways, and I’m so glad I took a chance on it.

This was fantastic! In a way, it was like I was reading about myself. There were so many aspects of this that I felt in my own life. It was very emotional, and so good. It was written wonderfully, with characters I could really relate to. It was absolutely fantastic, and I loved every minute of it. It was funny, relatable, sad at times, and just so great. There are no words for it. A range of emotions for this one, especially as a mom and wife myself. I feel like it brought light to everything that moms do, and sacrifice, and I am grateful for that.
Fantastic read, it is definitely not one you want to miss out on.

Forever and Back features June, mother of three, who has been married for 17 years and after feeling like the last priority by her family, decides she wants a divorce and to start over. This is by far the best marriage in crisis book I've ever read. This is a must read for every mom out there and is a raw look into marriage and how you can lose yourself along the way. This is an easy 5 stars for me! Also be prepared - you will need an entire box of tissues on hand for these!

This book shows us what it's like to be a married mother and to be reaching a point where you feel like you need a break, a chance to be yourself again, who you once were before marriage and children... there's a resentment she feels towards her husband and it's getting intense...
I liked the concept of the story and the way it makes you think about life... but there were some very unbelievable moments too - like how the head teacher treated the children, it just doesn't add up, so I was never fully immersed... but it was an enjoyable read.

I just finished this book and all I have to say is READ IT!! I am crying with hope, with nostalgia, with love, with everything. This book will pull on your heartstrings and give you an emotional cleanse about motherhood, marriage, and raising children. This is a must read.
Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel.

June Cannon feels like she has lost herself in motherhood and marriage. She has put her dreams on hold to raise her family, but she has had enough. Her 17 year old daughter thinks June's life is "simple", her twin four year old boys are running wild as usual, and her husband, Camp, can't ever make it home for dinner. June gives Camp a 3 month deadline. They will fake the happy marriage until their daughter graduates. Then it's over. But will June learn to love her current life or will she find the life she thought she missed?

Absolutely loved this. The end had me crying. June's experiences felt so real. Struggling to be seen as a person by her kids. Struggling to find herself outside of motherhood and find her passion again. Rediscovering her marriage. These characters and this story show that life can chip away at us. Sometimes I wanted to shake June. Tell her to talk already! Talk to Camp, talk to your best friend, anyone. But motherhood can get lonely and you can start feeling so disconnected from everything. Loved the relationships and reading the journey she went on. Will definitely be reading more from Ashley Manley.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I don't always love marriage in trouble books, but this one was definitely an exception. It gripped me from the start and I flew through it in less than a day.

This book was relatable, raw, and heartfelt. It had moments where I wanted to cry, laugh, and bang my head against a wall in frustration. I liked how honest the look into a marriage was and how easy it can be to lose yourself in the everyday monotony.

June was in such a messy mental space for 2/3 of the book. I’m a few years beyond her stage of motherhood, so I could relate to a lot of her frustration, but the out of the blue ultimatum she gave Camp was tough to get behind, as were the numerous miscommunication (or lack of) scenes. That said, the way social media and outside advice is woven through the story is on point in today’s culture. Even though some surprises weren’t surprising, they were still wonderful. The ending was so endearing and redeeming. Even with June’s off the rails character arc, I was invested in their story from beginning to end.

Forever and Back targets the (mostly) thankless monotony of motherhood and how a mother’s personal identity gets pushed to the back burner until the kids are grown. Manley tells June and Camp Cannon’s decade-spanning relationship and the imbalance of self fulfillment in their marriage.

This book hit close to home for me. Like June, I was an artist before becoming a mom and like June’s art, my art is also in a bin in the garage. I heard June’s arguments, I felt June’s feelings and frustrations. I loved that June’s bestie and counterpart, Scotty, was a single independent woman whose juxtaposed lifestyle still allowed her and June to help each other with their relationship struggles.

I highly recommend this book for any burnt out mothers feeling stuck in the day-to-day. I also felt silly for finishing this book and closing it only to realize the colors and design of the cover was part of June’s artwork.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wildflower Books for the advances reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First of all, I loved that this was about a midlife woman in a bit of a love crisis as she is reassessing how she got here. How is she always the one that everything falls on? The kids, the homework, the chores, the laundry, the meals, the school meetings, the kid fights etc. Meanwhile, her husband breezes in and out of the house doing his work and baseball to his enjoyment.

Let's pause.

I think a lot of women get this stage.

We then follow June as she has finally had it, and wants a divorce. We watch her navigate the next steps in life and honestly, I loved it. It felt so real. I totally got June. I rooted for her, I felt for her, I cried with her. And you know what? The book was good. It didn't let me down, it didn't necessarily go the way I wanted, but it went the way that it should, for June. It felt like I was June's best friend or a level of voyeurism on my side regarding her story.

There are some spicy scenes for those of you who want to know.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the gifted e-ARC.

Damn…I definitely didn’t expect to cry reading this one, but here I am, sobbing at 2 am. Honestly, I think every mom would benefit from reading this book. It’s heartbreaking, beautiful, painful, and brimming with intense emotions—there’s tension, lust, disappointment, rage… It’s like being caught in an unrelenting cycle of feelings where, if you’re not careful, you could easily drown.

The book’s exploration of whether moms can be more than just their title was so raw, and I found myself really feeling for all those women out there just trying to survive motherhood. There’s no guide to it—no matter how many books, so-called experts, or unsolicited pieces of advice they get, nothing can truly solve all the struggles that come with it.

June’s journey was stunning to read. She’s a complex, flawed woman trying to figure out who she is outside of being a mother, all while grappling with whether it’s worth fighting for her relationship with her husband. And even if it is, can she still bloom into her own person in the process? It’s a beautiful, painful journey, and it’s one that will stay with me.