Wildflower Heart is the first book in The Wildflower House series By Grace Greene. I thought it was a great start to a new series. I don’t read a lot of women’s fiction but I do enjoy Grace’s books and it’s a good change of pace.

Kara had it all. Almost. She was college educated. Had a great job. Married to her college sweetheart. She was happy then on her sixth wedding anniversary everything changed. Her life was flipped upside down. She now had to start over. Once again. And a year later, her dad threw her for a loop when he said he was selling his business and bought a house out in the country. It was something she never thought she would hear out of her businessman of a father.

The house was huge. A Victorian with a backyard full of wildflowers and garden gnomes. It needed a lot of TLC and Kara was still confused over the reasoning of why her dad would take on such a task. He asked her to help with the project. They would be a team. It was overwhelming but looking at the beautiful wildflowers and walking along Cub Creek relaxed her. She still didn’t know where she belonged in life but right now, this was it. After the renovations, she would have to figure it out. For now, she would help her dad with his dream. He had others to help him as well. The Albers. His new neighbors and friends. One was even a handsome man who made Kara’s head turn. But, is she ready to date again?

I enjoyed this story. Like I said, it’s a different pace than what I usually read. Slower but it’s a story that makes you think about life’s journey. Kara has gone through a lot and is trying to figure out where she belongs. She is also learning more about her father as he opens up. I love old houses so I could just picture the house in my head and enjoy the view. And it has a touch of romance too. Seth is a sweetheart. He is reliable, a bit flirty, and has a good head on his shoulders. He also knows to go slow when it comes to Kara.

Overall...it’s a great start to a new series. It’s a emotional journey that I am looking forward to continuing. And the discussion questions at the end are awesome. If I was in a book club that would be so helpful.

Quotes:

“A day at a time,” Seth said. “Any journey worth taking is worth finding value in each step.”

There were many things my dad wasn’t, but it was the small actions that often told the true story.

“Good morning, Kara,” he called out.
“Good morning, Seth. You’re at it early. It’s looking good.”
He cupped his hand to his ear. “You said I’m looking good?”

Beautiful written and emotionally powerful. The imagery takes you into the story and keeps you there. Facing fears, moving on and enjoying life again are always an enjoyable story. This does not disappoint. I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read and review this ARC. I enjoyed it. At first I did have a little difficulty caring about Kara,. She seemed sort of a one dimensional, pathetic type character, but as the story developed I could relate much better to her. It makes sense that this character that had been through so much loss would hold herself aloof. It was almost like getting to know a real person with all their scars and issues. I don’t want to give away the story, but I will say that Kara blooms much like the wildflowers of the title.

Kara Lange's life is told in stages. The biggest influence in her life is her father. His motto was to just keep pushing forward. This left her pulling inward and talking in her head. She didn't have a lot of friends and showing emotions was not something she knew how to do. Her father made a change in his life and that effected her. For once there are people in her life that allows her to just be. Just as things are settling down, another change happens. Can she start another chapter in her life? Is she as resilient and strong as her father told her she was? I enjoyed this book.

I found this book to be very long and tedious.Not much action and a lot of it took place inside the main characters head.It just wasn't the type of book I like to read.

It’s been a long time since I read a book that compelled me so strongly to get to the next page as fast as I could. Wildflower Heart is such a book. I started out using Siri to read it aloud, and as time went on, I was reading ahead of Siri on the page, and having to advance the voiceover to catch up with me. After reading almost 50% of the book this way, I finally shut Siri off, effectively firing her as my reader, grabbing the tablet, and reading the last half of the book at breakneck speed. There were interwoven themes, and images of great natural beauty to savor along the way. Challenges are grappled with, difficult communications lead to insights and opportunity, and life passages are facilitated.

A huge time neglected home nestled among wildflowers comes back to life when a father and daughter move in, and with it, lives previously in limbo find something stirring within. New confidence arises, and rehabilitating legs reliant upon walking assistance, are soon dancing through empty rooms, an intersection of wonder about past lives with daydreams of future happiness. Kara, the main character, marvels as she discovers the house, “There were secrets here. I didn’t have the answers, and that was ok.” Some see wildflowers as weeds, but Kara is fiercely protective of their healing magic. Like a springtime awakening, life seems beautiful again, and full of potential. When Kara meets Seth, she is speechless, but now more open to the unexpected gifts life bestows. Unforeseen events propel readers deeper into the story; images painted by the author make you linger, losing track of time. Kara finds “...there were times in your life that felt like points of no returns,” yet what might seem like a bad experience, may in reality be a stepping off point for a new direction.

The descriptions of rural Virginia’s beauty weave a spell you never want to end. The author’s intent and the readers’ engagement in the story creates a moment of past and present intersecting, a connection, and a “simple gift of solace” from a world short on sentiment, and sometimes long on heartbreak.

This book was not at all what I expected, but I still very much enjoyed it. At first, I thought it would be a typical story of heartache, healing, and love. However, the author doesn’t follow a standard outline; even though all three are featured in the story, they are not presented in the usual fashion. This took some getting used to, but I appreciate the difference. I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because I think that readers should be able to discover it on their own. I liked that the heroine, Kara, was prickly and very rough; that was refreshing, and fit the story very well. The writing was very poetic, and some passages did actually bring me to tears. 4.5 stars. I certainly look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m new to Grace Greene books but I definitely will be looking for more. This is a heartwarming story about Kara a young woman who needs to find herself. She has been through some heartbreaks and has trouble trusting. Again. This is a intense read which deals with betrayal, friendship, new beginnings! The story just kept me reaching for more! Definitely a must read!

This is a difficult review to write, because I ended up with very mixed feelings about Wildflower Heart.

The fact is that if I’d been reading this book for fun, I’d not have finished it. I don’t give up on books easily and have guilt about writing negative reviews on books I’ve not finished just in case things turn around, but if I weren’t reviewing this book for NetGalley, I probably wouldn’t have made it past chapter one and definitely not all the way to chapter four.

The next time a book turns me off early on, the nagging voice in my head will probably say, “but remember what happened in Wildflower Heart. What if it’s like that?”

It’s very possible the author made a deliberate choice to tell that part of the story as she did (to contrast the characters own disconnect from her life then to what happens), but for me as a reader it failed. The last scene of chapter three is a turning point. Before that it all feels like background dump. But there things begin to change. I end up wishing I could review this book based solely on chapter four forward, but it doesn’t work that way.

Anyway, if you push forward to chapter four, things will turn around. From there, I could connect to the character and start caring about what had happened to her. I’d classify the book as women’s fiction, as weird as that genre is in some ways (is there such a thing as men’s fiction or it is our role in society that makes us long for a genre of our own with journeys of self-awakening?).

The main character has lost herself after a series of bad things happen, starting in childhood. Her father invites her to join him as he sets out to fulfill a dream she doesn’t understand. And this puts so much more into motion.

The rest of the story is a touching tale of learning who people really are and finding inner strength and sense of self. The character becomes someone I can care about and feel with, especially as I have myself dealt with the struggles of a redefinition of self through health issues, although her situation involves other things as well.

Considering the book as a whole, I can’t give it more than 3 stars. But I recommend you push on through the slow start to see what blooms in the rest of the pages.

Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “Wildflower Heart” by Grace Greene, Lake Union Publishing, January 22, 2019

Grace Green, Author of “Wildflower Heart” has written a compassionate, emotional, intense, intriguing, and creative novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The timeline for the story is in the present and past when it pertains to the events or characters in the story. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated.

Kara Hart is certainly used to loss. Her mother had emotional issues, and left her when she was young. Kara and her husband had marital issues, and then in a tragedy she loses him. After a terrible accident, Kara is working hard on physical therapy and her hard-working dad, who has been so responsible, decides to retire and move. He chooses an old large Victorian mansion in Virginia that needs much work. The only beauty that Kara sees is the colorful wildflowers that surround the house. Her dad wants her to help him with the renovations in the house.

Kara has an artistic sense when she does cross stitching and needlework. Kara starts to make new friends, and realizes that an old friend might have betrayed her. At the same time, tragedy occurs again, and Kara once again has to make significant decisions on how to rebuild her life. This is the first book in a new series. I can’t wait to read the next book. I appreciate that the author discusses, loss, love, emotional support, family and friends. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a thought-provoking book. I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Another wonderful read set in magical Cub Creek. Grace Greene never disappoints. Her books take readers on a journey that allows them to discover new places and an abundance of different emotions within the journey. Her writing allows us to be there next to those she is writing about in each story. The story of Kara and watching her unfurl as the wildflowers she so loves was both heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time.

A story filled with loss, grief and heartbreaking loneliness but also filled with love and finding true friends. This is a story that draws you in to feel the rejection and the aching grief that Kara experience and you can feel the breeze, see the wildflowers dance...

Wildflower Heart was an emotional novel! I enjoyed the way that Kara’s challenges are portrayed throughout the story. Kara was injured in a car accident where her husband dies. This is made worse because of what happened right before the accident occurred. When Kara leaves the hospital, she goes to stay with her father at his house. Kara fights through her recovery and her emotions as she confronts the past and her future life. At the same time, her father is beginning to start changes in his own life as he embarks on a new life that includes the purchase of an old Victorian mansion. The two of them begin to work through some tough emotions from the past together as well, as they experience all the new changes of moving into the new house. There are moments of happiness and joy as they both struggle through the difficult days.

A STORY OF RESILIENCE!

WILDFLOWER HEART (The Wildflower House # 1) by Grace Greene is a story of RESILIENCE. One of my favorite quotes is: “Never trust a (wo)man without a limp.” In other words, people without “imperfections” (i.e. real life experiences) don’t always see things clearly. They feel as though they have ideal families, careers and relationships. These are the people who tend to compartmentalize. They lead orderly lives but in reality are they really living?

Kara Hart has been one of those “compartmentalizers” all her life. It’s a trait she learned well from her successful Tire/Automotive Magnate - her Dad. She’s suffered several devastating losses and a real limp from a devastating car accident but remains stoic through it all. She finds solace in doing needlework of flowers as part of her rehabilitation.

It takes her Dad making major unexpected changes to get her attention that life is passing her by. Who would have thought that a field of beautiful wildflowers could begin to bring peace to such a troubled heart! It takes meeting a new group of genuine people who accept her just as she is and seeing someone who reminds her of a reflection of who she was to shake her to her soul. Her future is a blank canvas. What will she choose to fill it with? Who will she choose to spend her time with? I was provided an ARC of this novel by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

This is quite a sensitive and emotional book. Telling the story of a young woman Kara, who was badly injured in a car accident. Her husband was killed in the accident. It follows her journey from the the accident happening and how she started to recover physically and mentally. It demonstrates how a person's past emotional life impacts on the now. Kara's mother had left when she was very young and she had been brought up by her father who in some ways was emotionally absent This all plays out when Kara moves with her father when he retires to the Virginian countryside. It explores Kara and her father's relationship and digs into their pasts. Slowly some emotional connection is made by Kara finding pictures of her mother and starting to ask questions. It dealssensitively with the issues that evolve when people who have not been used to their emotional state start to recognise how they feel.

There is also a parallel story which deals more with the day to day running of their lives and how they start to build a new life together. There are others involved as well. and of course the start of a romantic entangle id empathy that was portrayed made up for it. I really felt I knew the characters and had a feel for where they were both emotionally and physically.. A good read.

The imagery of the writing transports you to the countryside. Such an amazing story of conquering life and learning to live again.

This is an emotional & heartfelt story.
Kara, has suffered great losses, in her life. After being in a tragic car accident,
her father cares for Kara, durning her
recovery. A year later, her father decides to retire, & buy an old Victorian home. Kara moves with him, to help out with the restorations. While looking over the grounds, she comes across a beautiful field of wildflowers. Kara makes friends with her handsome & helpful neighbor, Seth. As Kara is trying to figure out where to live & work, tragedy sticks again.
Kara deserves happiness. Will she do what she knows, or give herself chance, for a fresh start in life?

Kara Hart has been living with loss her entire life. When her mother walked out one day, never to return, it scarred Kara in ways she could not understand. After the accident which claims the life of her husband, she is back staying with her father and trying to recover some semblance of her life before the accident.
But her father has a few surprises up his sleeve as well. He is determined to sell the company he owns, and buy an older home, starting a new course in his life. Kara is surprised but goes along with her father to help him out, and she continues to heal from the accident. But when she gets there, she gets more than what she bargained for, and might just find the start of a new life where she least expects it.....
Wildflower House might be more a chance for Kara to get her life back on track, than her father's dreams of long ago.
This was a great read! I could not put it down! The story weaves and binds together so many emotions. Love, friendship, renewal, anger, redemption... there is so much here - and more.

I really enjoyed Wildflower Heart by Grace Greene. The story of Kara and her dad, the opportunity for a second chance for them brought about by her accident and their move gave a lot of heart and meaning to this story.

The author's characters and descriptions made me rapidly want to know much more about what was going to happen, ensuring that I was pulled into the story from the very beginning. I am excited that there's going to be a sequel to this book because there is so much more I want to know about the characters. I really became invested in their lives!

If you like second chance stories, family sagas, or stories filled with lush scenery and great descriptions, this is your book.

Thanks to the author, publishers and Netgalley for approving my request for an ARC. My thoughts are my own.

Wildflower Heart is a bittersweet story full of pathos and sometimes desolation. It will touch a reader's heart with a lingering sense of sorrow and yet not without hope. I was drawn into Kara's story immediately as the first chapters find her a young teen dealing with the abandonment and subsequent loss of her mother. As the story continues, Kara finds life continues to bring challenges, challenges that may just break her spirit and yet, as her father reminds her, she is resilient and will find the strength to triumph. Beautifully written with the image of an amazing, almost magical field of wildflowers scattered throughout the story, Kara's journey through grief is unexpected, and yet one in which she finds value. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the second in the Wildflower House series. I was given a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.