WOW! This book hit way too close to home. Mom life and wife life are HARD at times. I'm a wife and mom in my 40s, and my oldest graduated from HS three weeks before I read this book. By the end, I had tears streaming down my faces. I couldn't stop. My youngest just shook her head at me. I couldn't put this book down. Read it in one day.

June looked up one day and just wondered what had happened. We have all been there at one point or another. If you haven't felt it, it's coming. The last podcast will stay with me for a very long time. “Stop Building Dams and Go with the Flow.” The author also made a point of saying that we don't always know what our spouse is thinking ... they aren't mind readers. So simple yet so hard to remember.

Scotty ... everyone needs a BFF like Scotty, so glad we are getting her story next.

Thank you NetGalley and Ashley Manley for this advanced copy of Forever and Back. Ashley, thank you for writing this book.

You don’t have to be a wife or mother to love this book but I think it would help you love it even more!! Beautiful book about taking control of your life and finding your joy!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!!

Love a good 2nd chance romance, and this delivered. You really empathized with the female character but loved seeing the characters remember what brought them together in the first place!

Thanks NetGalley for the copy to review.
Finally a great romance/real life book about a woman in her 40's. It was a very enjoyable read that I could not put down. "J" is stuck in her marriage, has sacrificed herself for her family and husband and she's finally had enough. The book follows her journey in finding herself, what she wants in life, what she needs to be happy. I highly recommend this book and will be praising it to my fellow middle aged friends.

For all the moms who are tired of doing it all while their partner chases their dream, this is the book for you. Rundown and angry, June tells her husband she is done.

What I loved best was how relatable this book was, especially after being married for years. Her family with two kids was similar to my own in many ways. My husband's career has often came before my own and my kids have made it no secret that they look up to him most. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband and kids, yet there are definitely days I struggle and question my life decisions too.

Not that my marriage is in crisis by any means, but I tend to gravitate to marriage-in-crisis books for many reasons. They tend to show what happens when people stop communicating. Life is not all roses and sunshine like many romcoms. Real life is messy and complex where you aren't expected to be happy 100% of the time. 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 is exactly that.

I went into this one completely blind, and by the time I finished the introduction and the dedication, I was already in love! I devoured this book in 24 hours. I laughed, I loved, I cried, and I swooned 🌶️…it was one of those rare reads that grabs you by the heart and does not let go. The author tells us what chapters get 🌶️ for those who wish to skip it (but honestly, why would you!)

Every woman, wife and mother needs to read this. But so does every husband and every father. There is something here for all of us. The characters are beautifully written, raw and real. June, in particular, feels like a little bit of all of us. Her journey, her voice, her heart—I definitely felt connected to her on some levels.

What surprised me most was how many parenting moments resonated with me. I came away with tips, reflections, and gentle reminders I will be filing away for the future. More than that, I came away feeling like a better mother and wife…more intentional, more present, and more grateful.

This book is not just a story, it is a gift. I know without a doubt I will be reading more from this author. The characters were unforgettable, and the truths they revealed were tender, powerful, and beautifully delivered. And Scotty!!!! Oh, Scotty! She may have been June’s best friend, but by the end, I felt like she was mine too. She had me laughing out loud, and I cannot wait to read her story next!

A special thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing a gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Ashley Manley has officially earned a spot on my list of top indie authors. This one gets a glowing 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!

Follow me on Instagram at @i.am.book.a.licious for more bookish content.

June is a stay at home mother who begins to resent how much her husband and children take for granted all she does.

I knew within the first few chapters they this wasn’t a book for me. I had a hard time connecting to the writing and to the FMC.

I appreciate an advanced copy of this book from the publisher.

Give me a second chance romance anyday, This is the second book I have read by this author and I loved it. I honestly couldnt put it down. Having a character close to my own age was a winner. She was relatable and I honestly havent stopped thinking about it.

Loved this one. I laughed and cried the whole way through. Very realistic about marriage and family life.

This book hit me in all of my feels. As a young mom myself I relate to June in so many ways. And there’s a part of me that feels like all moms go through a phase like she does. I absolutely loved this book from start to finish and couldn’t put it down!

The relatability to this book, to June, is off the charts!

This is my first to read this author and while I found the book to be a bit slow-moving at times, I could not get over how much I related to it. It is told in June's POV. She is a stay-at-home mom in her early 40s who has essentially lost herself along the way when life hasn't gone as she had anticipated. This book follows her realization that she doesn't have the life she thought she wanted and so she goes after more. I have to give credit because just as I thought I knew how things would play out, it went a different direction. And I have to admit, as she is realizing what she wants in life, things are beautiful and a bit emotionally raw. It was definitely an eye-opener, but also reassurance that the way I feel, is actually not all that uncommon.

I loved this story that focused on a mom who felt like she had lost herself to her family. As she tried to figure out the best way forward she grappled with loving her husband and kids, but wanting more for herself. I think this is a common dilemma for many women and the author did a great job portraying her emotions. Those who have raised a family or have given up a part of themselves for their marriage are sure to identify

Y’all! First let me tell you all about how sweet and amazing Ashley is! When I read the blurb for this book, I just knew it was a book I needed to read. So I slid in Ashley’s DMs and she was kind enough to send me a NetGalley widget for this book.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 ♥
✨ That dedication? It had me in my feelings from the start.
✨ The raw, unfiltered exploration of motherhood and marriage. Ashley doesn’t sugarcoat it! She captures the messy, complex, and deeply emotional reality of it all.
✨ June’s character was so relatable! As a mom and wife, I saw so much of myself in her. In my previous marriage, those roles were my entire identity, and I struggled to be anything beyond them.
✨ Scotty! Because every girl needs a bestie like her!
✨ The emotional rollercoaster this book put me through! I laughed, I cried, I cursed, I shouted, then cried and laughed some more.
✨ And let’s not forget that shower scene 🚿🥵🤌🏾 … whew!

Ashley is a phenomenal storyteller, and the way she incorporated the self-help podcast element was *chef’s kiss*. It perfectly highlights how easily we take advice from so-called "experts" without considering whether it actually applies to our unique situations. Such a brilliant touch!

I feel like this book will really hit home and resonate with a lot of women who are struggling with feeling seen. Being a mom is hard work, being a spouse is hard work, but love works harder. I’m glad we got to witness June grow from being an unconfident, stuttering mess into a proud woman. And I can’t wait to read Scotty’s story, that’ll be a fun one!

I was totally blown away by this book, this author has such an electric feel to her writing and every time I read a book by her that magical feeling occurs.
I absolutely loved our FMC June, she was so real and alive I feel like I could go visit her in real life. I appreciated the fact that she was dealing with real life problems that anyone could go through, but she still had this mysterious and sexy side of her that kept the book really exciting.
I also typically don’t like reading about kids in books, but this author did a fabulous job with the kids and I felt they gave a lot to the over all story and found myself routing for them.
I was obsessed with the little love triangle we ended up with and enjoyed seeing where/how everything ended up with that.
There were so many surprises in this book that had me feeling all the things, I also actually laughed out loud a handful of times. The author has a spunky sense of humor similar to my own and I enjoy her jokes that come out of left field so much!
I also loved our side characters and am on the edge of my seat waiting for the follow up book that I feel will just have to dig deeper into their lives.
I am so entirely honored that I received an arc copy of this book and my opinions are my own.

I am torn on this one. I started off loving it. Is June not all of us? Crazy busy, underappreciated moms unite. I was fully in until about 70% through. But then I feel like everything turned around and it was all blamed on June. Camp was the hero once again. He did so so so many things that required huge decisions without including her so he could feel like some martyr and eventually hold it over her when she lost her mind. It isn't her fault that he didn't tell her all of this stuff out of some manly need to protect her from the truth. And it doesn't change the fact that he didn't appreciate her enough not to leave his nasty dirty cleats everywhere while she was doing EVERYTHING for him. So I went from loving it to being a little annoyed by it. I would still try this author again.

I have found a new favorite author!
Forever and Back by Ashley Manley was just so beautifully written.
I absolutely adore Ashley Manley’s storytelling.
A thought-provoking read. That held such amazing characters.
First I just loved Manley’s writing. She did an absolute stellar job creating this story and really setting the scene.

Ashley Manley is quickly becoming a must-read for me! This book is emotional, sentimental and is full of relatable characters lost in the monotony of life. Can’t wait for book 2 of this duet.

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

3.5 stars. It’s not often that I read a self published book but this book was so highly recommended that I decided to try it out.
Forever and Back tells the story of June, a tired wife and mom, who is overwhelmed with life and feels that her husband no longer loves or appreciates her. We watch June find her voice and herself and learn to communicate and love her husband again.
This story was very sweet and I definitely enjoyed aspects of it but it was predictable, and I was pretty irritated by June’s actions. It took her 17 years to express herself and communicate with her husband about her feelings? I find that hard to believe. I am intrigued to read about Scotty’s story and will be looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

Book 1 of Life on the Ledge Duet

June is a stay-at-home mom of three who isn't feeling the love anymore - from her children, her husband or her life. She is feeling tired, undervalued, overwhelmed and could really use her husband, Camp, to be present. He seems to have checked out and is very busy with his work. She decides, after listening to a podcast, that she wants a divorce.

We, then, follow June as she tries to find herself and what makes her happy. She wants more from her life and I don't blame her. The way her teenage daughter puts her down was just terrible. I wanted June to stand up to her daughter more than she did.

As soon as she tells Camp she wants a divorce he starts to show up more and make an effort, but like June says, he should have made an effort without being told to. Communication is really key for them.

This book is so well written and will be so relatable to many women.

Thank you to the author for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.