I mean we got a single dad, a large age gap, a grumpy hero, and a boyfriend in the picture! If all of that don’t call for an ANGSTY forbidden DISASTROUS love story, I don’t know what do! It got all the potential and all of the ingredients, but somehow it still ended up so freakin easy and chill. Anyways, one aspect that continues to both amaze and bother me is how every character in this duet consistently praises Salem, emphasizing her goodness, selflessness, and the need for her to be less hard on herself. They highlight how she always prioritizes others over herself and shouldn't judge herself so harshly. However, the moment Caleb acts slightly out of character, which isn't even a selfish act, he is immediately labeled as selfish, and the DNA card is played. Take a look at the following not-so-subtle dialogue: Salem is 18 and doesn't really know what she wants to do, but is currently content living in her small town and making candles. Thayer is a 31-year old recently-divorced single dad and her new grumpy neighbour. Also not to just keep going in on this book but given the amount of times she says in her inner monologue how much she loves Thayer(which was just read really odd, lots of telling and not showing in this one) by the end of the duet I couldn’t remember like a single thing that she does for him other than bring him cupcakes. That mans entire existence pretty much revolved around thinking of things he could do for her, which honestly got to be a little much anyway, like I don’t know if this man had a personality by the end of it outside of ‘must do random nice things for Salem’ tropes: grumpy x sunshine, single dad, one bed + nightmare trope, age gap (13-14 years), employee x boss vibes bc she’s sometimes babysitting his son, cheating & small town.

Loving Thayer isn’t a choice. It just is. Loving him is natural, automatic, just like my body’s need to breathe air.”thayer is the new grumpy neighbor of salem who’s in his early 30s and on top of that a single dad to his 6 year old son. when salem breaks trough his walls we can see him being extremely protective and sweet to her i was swooning the whole time. that man made her, her own personal gym in his basement and fired someone for talking disrespectful to her. double swoon. he was so adorable and them being all domestic and shit with little forrest was so wholesome. also, i find it quite distasteful that salem is now pregnant at the end too. like seriously? one child dies and is now being replaced with another???? 😭😭😭😭

what was the point of marrying him????? I can see the need for the time jump. And not telling him above seda. But why marry him??? KNOWING you love another man more. Now, before you read this review, refer to my review of the first book to understand this better: (if you haven't read the duet) Salem's response to the tragedy at the end of this book was so off. I could not understand her rationale at all. It boggles the mind and that's not even taking into consideration the very last bomb dropped as the cliffhanger. I love grumpy people and Thayer was very lovable in almost an Eeyore kind of way. He couldn’t have given Salem a more apt pet name in Sunshine because she never gave up, she walked under all of his rain clouds.

Series Reading Order

If I’m be honest, this story didn’t go at all how I thought it would. Book one ended in so much heartbreak, and book 2 fixes all of that. This story focus’ more on the growth of the characters. Seeing the characters finally get to be happy. There are still some triggers in book 2 but not nearly as heartbreaking. Their chemistry is sizzling 🥵🥵🥵 Yes the spice is pretty good. So if you just want to read it for that purpose and the sexual tension you won't be disappointed. The two connect so well and honestly I love seeing them together. Overall, I know that this book won't be for everyone because Micalea pulls out ALL the stops for this novel--and some people wont be able to handle that. However, I still adore this book with all my heart even though it is currently laying in pieces. Some of the scenes were catastrophically, bury-my-head-in-the-sad, genuinely unbearably, cringe. I wish I could say they were the good kind. *They were not*. 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.

I cannot wait to see Salem and Thayer’s story continue in the next book. And I hope we get to see some of Thayer’s POV.I’m in so much pain rn it’s not even funny that ending made me bawl and scream while walking on the treadmill. Nothing happens in this book. It's ALL repetitive. No drama. Same dialogues, same inner monologues being repeated. (I skimmed through the last 20% and I have no regrets).

I was going to give this book 1 star, but the ending made me give 0 (if possible). I can't express my hatred for that devastating and unnecessary situation, and especially how the heroine handled it, I've honestly never met a character as selfish as her, the way she compared the pain of both, and how she wanted him to choose her in that moment that he had lost so and was completely broken. One aspect of the book that could have been improved was the pacing of certain scenes. Some pivotal moments in the story felt rushed when they should have been more detailed to fully explore the characters’ emotional development. One of the strengths of The Confidence of Wildflowers is Micalea Smeltzer’s ability to craft characters who resonate deeply with the reader. Salem, our fearless protagonist, possesses an old soul wrapped in a youthful exterior. Her resilience and optimism shine through as she faces life’s challenges head-on. It’s impossible not to root for her as she discovers the power of unconditional love and gains confidence in the path she’s chosen. Salem’s character journey is both heartwarming and inspiring.

The Confidence of Wildflowers Book PDF Summary

I do wish there had been some more time before Salem and Thayer got involved romantically/sexually. I felt their connection wasn’t fully developed and felt very insta love and a little silly? It felt like Salem had a crush and Thayer was entertaining that crush just so he could get some.