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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Oh my gosh. My heart broke in this one.
This is more than just a romance between a younger woman and an older man. This is a book about survival. Family. Love in all it’s forms (the unconditional, the deep friendships, the kinship, the deep soul searing kind too). It’s about finding your way on the other side of a trauma so big you’d felt like you wouldn’t survive.
And to say I got attached would be an understatement. I cried, I laughed, I smiled and I cried some more.
And I’d just liked to make a point to say, sometimes reading books were the male protagonist is WAY older than the female can be off putting. I’ve read a lot of those kinds of books were I just feel grossed out and uncomfortable with their relationship. Either because the dude just feels too unrealistic and REALLY immature or he’s super controlling and taking advantage of a young woman who doesn’t really know better. I have no issue with an age gap, I feel like more often then not, age is seriously just a number. It’s the character and mentality/maturity of a person that count. As long as it’s not illegal. But with this book, I didn’t feel gross or weirded out by Thayer and Salem’s connection. Sometimes people just click.
This is more than just a romance between a younger woman and an older man. This is a book about survival. Family. Love in all it’s forms (the unconditional, the deep friendships, the kinship, the deep soul searing kind too). It’s about finding your way on the other side of a trauma so big you’d felt like you wouldn’t survive.
And to say I got attached would be an understatement. I cried, I laughed, I smiled and I cried some more.
And I’d just liked to make a point to say, sometimes reading books were the male protagonist is WAY older than the female can be off putting. I’ve read a lot of those kinds of books were I just feel grossed out and uncomfortable with their relationship. Either because the dude just feels too unrealistic and REALLY immature or he’s super controlling and taking advantage of a young woman who doesn’t really know better. I have no issue with an age gap, I feel like more often then not, age is seriously just a number. It’s the character and mentality/maturity of a person that count. As long as it’s not illegal. But with this book, I didn’t feel gross or weirded out by Thayer and Salem’s connection. Sometimes people just click.
I think that I wanted to love this book because the cover is so damn pretty and the premise was promising. This book just felt awkward to me. I didn’t believe their love or connection. It really read as lust and I wished we got to read from Thayer’s point of view. Also why is the sister there? She was quiet literally useless and just took up space. I liked Forrest. And that’s about it
This book wasn’t what I expected. I thought I was getting a straightforward “girl next door” romance. It’s good but oof- rough too.
update: re-read 26/07/24.
The Confidence of Wildflowers was recently translated in french and being one of my favourite book/duology ever (literally in my top 3 ever) i basically forced my best friends to read it together but was way faster then them and ended up reading it in two days. i swear i did my best to make it last so we’ll all read it at the same time i even annotated it so yeah it took me twice as long as it should have but…
i just couldn’t. i was both so eager to re read it because i love it so much but at the same time… i was so scared because very few books have hurt me and destroyed me as much as this one has…
and yeah it broke me all over again.
reading it all after knowing how the book and the sequel end was so hard. like i just knew. but couldn’t do anything im literally just a spectator. and there’s still so much to go through in book 2… things i already know. things they talked about. yeah so good but so hard.
so once again a big 6⭐️ read. Micalea Smeltzer I love you as much as I hate you
The Confidence of Wildflowers was recently translated in french and being one of my favourite book/duology ever (literally in my top 3 ever) i basically forced my best friends to read it together but was way faster then them and ended up reading it in two days. i swear i did my best to make it last so we’ll all read it at the same time i even annotated it so yeah it took me twice as long as it should have but…
i just couldn’t. i was both so eager to re read it because i love it so much but at the same time… i was so scared because very few books have hurt me and destroyed me as much as this one has…
and yeah it broke me all over again.
reading it all after knowing how the book and the sequel end was so hard. like i just knew. but couldn’t do anything im literally just a spectator. and there’s still so much to go through in book 2… things i already know. things they talked about. yeah so good but so hard.
so once again a big 6⭐️ read. Micalea Smeltzer I love you as much as I hate you
"Everyone deserves to have someone who's there for them. I want to be your someone."
I can tell you I'll be thinking about this book and this couple for a long time. Salem and Thayer have my heart. AND THE END GAH. My emotions are all over the place from the last 10% of this book.
Micalea takes her age gaps to another level. If you loved Sweet Dandelion like I did then you'll fall hard for this book. The way she writes her characters and delivers such an impactful, romantic, and emotional story leaves you in a book hangover for days. The tension between the two characters is off the charts and I loved all the tropes. (Single Dad, One bed, grumpy sunshine, next door neighbors) Thankfully we don't have to wait long for book two in the duet because I need it like yesterday.
I can tell you I'll be thinking about this book and this couple for a long time. Salem and Thayer have my heart. AND THE END GAH. My emotions are all over the place from the last 10% of this book.
Micalea takes her age gaps to another level. If you loved Sweet Dandelion like I did then you'll fall hard for this book. The way she writes her characters and delivers such an impactful, romantic, and emotional story leaves you in a book hangover for days. The tension between the two characters is off the charts and I loved all the tropes. (Single Dad, One bed, grumpy sunshine, next door neighbors) Thankfully we don't have to wait long for book two in the duet because I need it like yesterday.
I love and hate when I can figure out the ending to a book but this one was like, "Damn." By chapter 10 I had already figured out the ending but I wanted to see how we get to that point so I kept reading. Give me an age-gap romance with a heartbreaking ending any day. Beware spoilers on the way. We got Salem an 18 year old girl who has a 30 something year old man move next door and it doesn't help that he is kind of hot. I guess the "issue" with salem was that she was sexually abused by her father which I felt didn't need to be in the story. I've read plenty of distrubing books on this subject and that type of shit really fucks with an individual but it didn't fit into Salem's character. Like her father abadoning her and her family would've been a more believable plot. That builds trust issues and the obvi daddy issue but I felt like it was forced into the story to make readers feel empathy for her. Aside from the unnecessary added abuse, I enjoyed the novel. An easy read and kept me going. I did read this while on maternity leave and the fact that I started it and finished is proof I made some time out of my chaotic new mom life to finish it. Like I said in the beginning in Chapter 10 we are given the reason Salem and Thayer don't end up together. There's always a reason but this one was heartbreaking even when I was expecting it. While babysitting Forrest, Salem is preparing lunch and he leaves her sight going to the pool where he "fakes" drowning. THERE! Forrest would drown and the loss would take over thayer who will inevidently push Salem away, like what most guys do when shit hits the fan. But not only him drowning but that Thayer was the cause of it. He and Forrest had a fight and Forrest went for the pool. I didn't sob, I've read too many unexpecting endings to not cry at this predictable one, but I felt remorse. I am rating it 3 stars, one for the writing was great, easy to follow but the story wasn't the best, 2 for age-gap becuase i will devour that, and 3 for the amazing book cover which is what initially made me pick up that novel. I started the second one with plans to finish but not anytime soon. I'm in no rush to find out the ending which I'm expecting to be a happy one and who wants that.
Liked the characters and love story but hated how rushed it all felt. Needed more
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Yes
All my heart and all my feels!! I love my husband but Thayer is right below him! A little overboard on the Diet Coke!
All my heart and all my feels!! I love my husband but Thayer is right below him! A little overboard on the Diet Coke!
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No