Reviews

Yaban Çiçeği by Micalea Smeltzer

accordingtobri's review against another edition

4.0

I read this almost a year ago and it still lives rent free in my head

cassmoaka's review against another edition

2.5

Damn that was NOT what I expected……
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: no – and a cliffhanger
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: divorce, cheating, cancer diagnosis, trauma, grief, sexual assault, continued sexual abuse of a child, death, child abuse, emotional abuse, death of a child (on page), (implied) surprise pregnancy
standalone: book 1 in the Wildflower series
final thoughts: WHAT. A. ROLLERCOASTER. This was absolutely NOT the book for me. The first like 65% was so good- angsty, slow burny, steamy, adorable, everything I wanted. The last 35% was (for me) a dumpster fire of insane proportions. READ THOS TRIGGER WARNINGS PEOPLE because I wouldn’t’ve read this had I known some of the triggers and that this is not an HEA.
However I know there are lots of people who don’t need an HEA and re just here for a good story so this is for you.

read this book if you love

💓 slowburn
😬 angst
🔢 age gap (18/31)
🌀 plot twists
👩‍👦 single parent
🤐 miscommunication
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters
🤫 hidden secrets
🏝️ forced proximity (neighbors, one bed)
😳 forbidden lovers (nanny/parent)
😡 grumpy/sunshine
👮 blue collar MMC (owns landscaping company) 

vivianmccallister's review against another edition

4.0

Age gap. Grief. Cliffhanger. Ms Micaela you had me in tears at the end!!

jzkeen32's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

siriusly_loves_books's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jjakaub's review against another edition

5.0

Swoon worthy, age gap. New neighbor next door, and she starts babysitting for him. She has childhood trauma that he becomes protective of her. So sad ending, tears. Sequel involves everything they let go of 6 years ago. 10/10 favorite duet 

summerreed's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

4.75

Huge plot twist about Forrest. 
Salem and Thayer. 

thebodybuildingbookworm's review against another edition

5.0

Sometimes you come across a book/series that just stays with you. That steals a part of your soul and keeps it between its pages. That when you finish- you become changed in so many ways that you can’t even begin to explain. This was one of those duets for me. It’s going to stay with me forever, the kind that even if I could, I wouldn’t want to forget.

I’d heard it was sad and so almost didn’t pick it up, but I was assured that by the end of book 2 there would be an HEA and as sad as both books are, they were beautiful and worth reading.

It was a good thing I didn’t check ahead of time regarding WHY exactly these books was so devastating because there was a good chance I never would have read them and that would’ve been a shame because these books are sooo many things. They’re beautiful, bittersweet, devastating and tragic and yet it gives you hope even while destroying your heart. It’s about love, and loss and grief and coping and moving on and rising above and second chances and forgiveness, but ultimately it’s about life and sometimes- it’s hard even while it’s beautiful.

I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from this duet. I never cry when reading- even when something is insanely sad. As a mama and exactly why this was hard to read-I’m no less grateful that I was able to experience it.

I can’t properly put this book into words- I just hope that you choose to experience it despite knowing it’s sad and then hug your babies (if you have them) and your mama’s (if you still have them) a little tighter afterward. I don’t normally list triggers- but in this instance I’m going to- sexual abuse, cancer and death. And they’re written about in a very real way so just be prepared. This one hit me particularly hard as a mama of a 7yo little boy. So I say this with all the love in my hearts- but mamas- this book/duet is 100% worth reading but please know this one is going to hurt if you do

Ultimately, as sad as I am right now- I’m incredibly grateful to have experienced this story. It’s poetic and just beautiful and full of emotion.

wonthaanh's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ekreger's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0