Right, I have some issues with this book, but we'll start with the good stuff first.

Thayer. Thayer was a sweetheart, from going on morning runs with her to keep her safe, to building a gym for her in his basement when it got cold. Those are just two examples, but in this book, he does a lot of loving things. This book, for the most part, was sweet. For the most part. The age gap in this is a bit much for me, mainly in that she is 18 and he is 31 WITH A KID.

Caleb was also a sweetheart and I felt for him. Just really felt bad for that cinnamon roll of a boy. He deserved better. So much better. Yeah, he was a little absent, but the events of this book were not fair to him.

Forrest was a cute kid. Kids say the funniest things sometimes and this book captured that, and his friendship with Salem was fantastic.

Now, before you read this book, please check the content warnings, because this book has some doozies.

Salem was unfair to Caleb. She didn't have to do that to him. She strung him along, having him think things were fine and she didn't have to do that. She should have pushed Thayer away until things were sorted with Caleb. He just really deserved better. Especially as he was still there for her after everything.

Do not expect a HEA. This book does not have one. I like a HEA, personally, but this book has a horrible plot point 10% from the end. I won't spoil the end, but it gave me a bit of an ick. I did need a HEA though, so I did read the second book in the duet.

The Confidence of Wildflowers highlighted elements like grief, love and loss, age gap romance, single dad trope and grumpy × sunshine.
As there's some triggering content like death, loss of a child, cheating, illness and abuse mentioned in the book, trigger warning should be included in the synopsis.

Overall the romance is well written, there's also some tragic scenes that are hard to digest especially that last 100 pages. I jumped into the read as the synopsis sounds promising, and leave with a heavy heart. It's a plot driven romance read with a cliffhanger ending, I'm looking forward to read Thayer and Salem's story in the sequel.

Thank you to Micalea Smeltzer & Netgalley for the copy. Opinions are my own.


I’m gonna need Micalea to pay for my therapy bill after this one.

Salem is eighteen. Thayer is her new grumpy neighbor. Salem is fascinated by this man. Then he asks her to watch his son for a few hours every week and she agrees. As time goes on, the two become friends and one night they become … more than friends. Oh, and he’s thirty one. Everything was going smooth until tragedy occurs and suddenly it’s not.

I finished this book in one day, a day where I had other plans and nothing got done because TCOF was THAT good.
THAYER I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU!!! I felt e v e r y t h i n g while reading this, the cute happy highs and the depressing ass lows. I can’t get my hands on the next one fast enough. BUT know this part doesn’t have a HEA.

I’m not opposed to a dad/nanny romance or an age gap but I think 18 is just too young for me to “root for.” I received this book from the publisher & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Maybe 3.5 ⭐️? So hard to pick. Story wise, it’s got all want…little spice, angst, dash of family drama (which I can do without). It is an age gap romance, which I typically don’t mind but was the catch for me in this one. There were parts her age did make me uncomfortable with the story. Otherwise, it’s a good one!

Warning: There is a cliffhanger but, as someone who avoids them, this one wasn’t so bad. Yes, if you want to finish the story you will have to read book 2 but it wasn’t such a cut off you get mad about it.

I received this book from the publisher & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I would first like to thank NetGalley, Micalea Smeltzer, and Victory Editing for providing me with a copy of The Confidence of Wildflowers in exchange for my honest review.

The Confidence of Wildflowers follows 18 year old Salem as she experiences life after graduating high school. 31 year old Thayer and his son Forrest move in next door to Salem's family and a friendship begins between Thayer and Salem after he hires her to babysit his son when he is busy with work.

Honestly, this book was not my favorite throughout the majority, but the last 10% of the book or so put me through an emotional roller coaster that I was not expecting. Let me begin by explaining why I was not a fan through the majority of the book.

*SPOILERS*

I definitely felt like I was reading from the perspective of an 18 year old girl and could feel the immaturity. She was dramatic at parts in the book and fell in "love" with Thayer very quickly. I've never really cared about a book being a slow burn, but I felt as though the relationship in this book developed way too intense, way too quickly. There were a few tropes in this book as well that I'm not a fan of either including cheating, and the pregnancy trope. The cheating I personally cannot overlook, ,but I do feel like the pregnancy trope was done very well, granted it occurred at the very very end of the book and there was only a chapter worth of the discussion. It did however make me want to read the second book, even though I wasn't a huge fan of this one. But I want to know what happens with Thayer and Salem's story from where they left things, to Salem discovering her pregnancy.

*HUGE SPOILER*
Killing Forrest broke my entire heart, I have never experienced such sadness and pain in a book. I love when a book draws me in enough to develop a love for characters, and while it hurts for a book to make me emotional, I love when a book is able to bring out my emotions.

After finishing The Confidence of Wildflowers, I have landed on a 3 star rating because the majority of the book, I spent cringing and kind of annoyed with how quickly and intensely the relationship developed, however, I did enjoy (even if it broke my heart) the last 10-15% of the book and would like to read the sequel. I'm not a fan of spicy scenes which I ended up just skipping over, so that did not effect my

Would I recommend this book?
Yes!

I am ruined. So traumatized. In all the best ways. This was almost perfect. Around 60% it gets a little too dramatic but other than that this was amazing. 4.5 🌟

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'The Confidence of Wildflowers' by Micalea Smeltzer.

I'm angry and upset to say the least. The trigger warnings really underestimated what happens when it said: death. Because it was the death of a CHILD. A child that was probably one of the only characters who actually was good in this story. I hated the protagonist with most fibres of my being. Salem used two men even though both were the most kindest things to her and it was made worse with the writing and I'm just mad about it all.

I'll start with the biggest positive which is my man Thayer. He is beautifully written. Everything he did for Salem was swoon worthy. You will most definitely fall in love with him.

I read this book in two sittings which is very rare for me. I'm a fan of books that make me feel something, regardless of what those feelings are or what order they happen in. All I can say is read the trigger warning, brace yourself for the last 10ish percent of the book and have the second one ready to go. I'm attached to the characters so I have to know what happens next, but I understand the people that could not continue the story after the ending. This book is definitely not a light read overall, but a lot of it was fun and easy. I recommend this book (but please, once again, read the trigger warning) if you like:

Age gap
Grumpy x sunshine
Single dad x babysitter
One bed
Small town

The Confidence of Wildflowers by Micalea Smeltzer is a poignant and emotionally charged romance novel that explores the unconventional love story between Salem, an optimistic and resilient eighteen-year-old, and Thayer, a brooding landscaper thirteen years her senior. Smeltzer skillfully crafts characters who resonate deeply with the reader, taking them on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as the couple navigates societal norms, trauma, and the complexities of their age-gap relationship.

While the book boasts powerful character development and a passionate connection between Salem and Thayer, it leaves readers both eager for the sequel and emotionally wrecked by a cliffhanger ending. Despite some pacing issues and a somewhat subdued exploration of the age gap, The Confidence of Wildflowers is a compelling read that lingers in the reader's thoughts long after the final page.

I wish I knew this book existed sooner.

This must have been the fastest I have read a book in a year.

The storyline is amazing with just the right amount of ups and downs, the writimg is pure perfection, the characters felt all too real, and the cliffhanger was not too steep at all. It was just a complete joy to read.

It has a vast array of emotions though, so keep the tissues ready. Also, research the potential triggers (I am not listing it since some are mine.) I still absolutely love this book.

I hope you find and read this book as soon as possible. I know I am moving on to the next one immediately. Who needs sleep?

Because I finished the book about 5 minutes ago, this review is brief but I had to get my 5 stars on it immediately.

I will forever be grateful to NetGalley for introducing me to The Confidence of Wildflowers and Micalea Smeltzer.

This book will rip your heart out.

Salem and Thayer meet when Thayer and his son move in next door. He is your typical grumpy neighbor, but Salem's relentless sunshine slowly breaks down his walls. When she starts nannying his son, Forrest, they grow closer and their chemistry comes to a head. This book was a little insta lovey, and they have a sexual relationship very quickly.

I really liked Salem's character. She has been through so much and still was so strong and balanced. As Thayer's walls fall, you can see how much he truly cares for Salem and how deep their relationship is.

The last 10% of the book destroyed me in a way that I never thought possible. Please read the trigger warnings if you are sensitive to them.

Overall, this book was a well written emotional read. I definitely will be reading the next one.

One day was all this book took; it was incredibly emotional to read, and it hooked me right from the start. I went in purposely blind to everything outside the synopsis, so as to not ruin the experience, and I was not disappointed. At first I questioned the age gap in the romance, but they were perfect together, and this book was about so much more than that trope. The individual characters, self healing, spice and the baking cuteness were all perfect. Then tragedy happens, and my heart broke. I bawled for the remainder of the book, and the cliffhanger at the end didn’t help my emotions coming out either. Despite how upset I was, I cannot wait to continue their story.

Tropes and triggers:
Grumpy/sunshine
Age gap
Small town
One bed
Childhood Trauma
Terminal Illness

Did I read a different book from everyone else?

This has been on my TBR for ages so when I saw it pop up on Netgalley, I eagerly applied. (I think it's available as an ARC b/c the 3rd book is coming out soon).

I am so sad to say I did not enjoy this.

It was choppy, constantly bouncing from scene to scene and didn't feel fleshed out. There were also heaps of unnecessary scenes (she goes to NY to visit her friend and it was pointless other than telling her she was dating an older man).

And the ending...I didn't even cry when I feel like I should have because I was not connected to the characters.

I'm not sure if I will carry on with the series. I guess I'll give it a 2.5?

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well.. definitely I didn't expect how I'm going to feel after finishing this book.
This book is not easy, it is not some funny rom-com to read during one evening.
Please read the TW before reading this book because it could be really devastating for some people.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. i was a little unsure about how I would like the age gap trope in this novel. but I LOVED it. loved it, loved it, loved it. the story gripped me and I don’t think i’ll be able to stop thinking about it for a while.

Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Please, be aware of the trigger warnings and that it is a duology, so you need to read the second book in order to complete the main characters’ story. You’ll thank me later.

This book has beaten my heart like it was a baseball. Some of the things that happened I liked, some of the others I didn’t. That’s as far as I can say but I liked the characters except for some of the choices they made. It is a well written book even if a little slow in the beginning. I hope I can read the second one soon because this left me in a bit of a cliffhanger. 3,5⭐️

Please check the trigger warnings before reading. I made it about 25% through before abandoning it because of those trigger warnings. I may try to go back in the future. Despite that, the romance is great. There is lots of tension and angst. Age gap is one of my favorite tropes. If you can get past the trauma you may enjoy this novel.

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Page & Vine for the ARC.

This is a book that I got on Netgalley and said that it published in April 2023, but the Amazon listing tells a different story. But anyway, it sounded really interesting and I haven’t read any age gap novels so I decided to give this one a shot.

Salem is an 18 year old girl with a traumatic past. Thayer, 31, has just moved in next door and has a lot going on including fixing up his new home and sharing custody of his six year old son. When Thayer asks Salem to babysit, the two get to know each other, and pretty soon their relationship takes a turn. Thayer is always there for Salem, and she can’t help but fall in love with both him and his son - even despite their 13 year age difference.

As I said, I haven’t really read age gap novels and this one made me remember why. Salem is barely legal so this felt at times just icky and possibly like grooming to me. I tried to keep in my mind that Salem is technically an adult but so often, she just didn’t feel like that to me.

Thayer, in what I think were supposed to be romantic gestures, sometimes came across as overbearing or controlling and that just added to the ick factor for me. There was a lot of trauma in Salem’s past and I think had the age gap not been such a prominent factor, I would’ve really sunk into this story and how he was trying to help her through it.

There were a few things that happened in the end that I think were put in to manipulate our feelings and I hated them - particularly the very end that ended on a cliffhanger to set up the second book in the series. I wanted to really enjoy this series but it was just a miss for me.

This book is definitely my favorite this year!! Yes this book will pull at your heartstrings and all of your emotions. Definitely check all the trigger warnings. Salem and Thayer's love was beyond amazing. Their chemistry was off the charts. I loved how much he did for her and expected nothing in return but did it only to make her happy and bring a smile to her face when she needed it the most. There is nothing better then that! I definitely recommend this book and The Resurrection of Wildflowers! Stop what you're doing an read this book!


Thank you NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Page & Vine for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.