From the bestselling author of The Memory of Butterflies comes the first in a bittersweet series about love and loss.Kara Hart was scarred by loss—first the loss of her mother and now her husband. She feels broken, with no will to move forward, until her father does the unexpected: he moves to the Virginia countryside to restore an old Victorian mansion. Kara decides to go with him, telling … with him, telling herself that it will only be temporary.
The huge house is neglected and derelict, but Kara discovers its breathtaking field of wildflowers and is stunned by their beauty. The house, the grounds, and the quirky neighbors—including a handsome one—are almost as fascinating as her father’s sudden willingness to discuss her mother and his own secret past.
Kara is finding her new normal when tragedy strikes again, forcing her to make difficult choices. Will she go back to her old life and risk losing all she has gained? Or will she face her fears and give herself the opportunity to grow?
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“Wildflower Heart is a heartfelt story that is impossible to resist. In this poignant tale of overcoming loss, Greene magically captures the elusive essence of wildflowers and weaves it into both her characters and setting. Highly recommended.” —Bette Lee Crosby, USA Today bestselling author of The Summer of New Beginnings
Beautifully crafted, Wildflower Heart is an emotionally powerful novel about healing past wounds, and starting over. With the lush Virginia countryside as a backdrop, Greene explores the family secrets of a stoic father and his grieving daughter with heart and authenticity—and with surprising twists—that will have readers turning the pages long into the night.
“Nothing is perfect – not the past, not ourselves and not our present.”
Grace Greene has brought her readers a heart wrenching story that is full of despair, hope and recovery. You will feel a gamut of emotions – laughter to tears (I can almost guarantee the tears) but the overall feeling of the novel is healing and resilience.
Kara’s life has been filled with loss. Her mother left when she was 14. Her father was a stoic man who worked to take care of her but seldom spent any real time with her. And then after a catastrophic event, she lost even more of her life. As she is recovering, her father decides to buy a dilapidated mansion in the country and she reluctantly decides to move with him to help with the renovations. When she finds the field of wildflowers behind the house, she is stunned and her soul is revived at their beauty. As she tries to find her way back to a new normal with the help of her dad and her best friend, she has new road blocks to overcome. Will she be able to find a way to overcome her fears and find her way to a fulfilling life?
This is a beautiful story with a well written character who is learning to recover from pain and loss and find her place in life. I’d like to read more about Kara in future books.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Another awesome book by Grace Greene that will definitely tug on your heart strings. Kara started a life of loss and rejection at a very early age that continued through to her adult years. How does one cope with so much hurt with only the support of her dad, who is definitely more of a businesslike person, very stoic and not very emotional. Yet he is always by her side; seeing her through more loss and betrayal and pain. The wildflowers help to save Kara. While reading the book, I asked Alexa to play the song she was hearing, Appalachian Spring; it is so beautiful and I could just imagine a creek bubbling with birdsong and the wildflowers blowing in the wind. I will have to admit there is a part in the book towards the end that made me want to toss my iPad across the room. Great writing, great character development, great environment and description, and a lot of emotion in this one. Don’t miss this wonderful new series!! Thanks to author for the ARC of this great read.
Grace Greene is such a wonderful author and always look forward to her books. This one did not disappoint! A book of relationships and loss, love and strength, and most of all healing. I was hooked from the first paragraph, and was kept there until the end. The writing was Grace Greene spectacular, the plot touching and characters relatable. Looking forward to book 2!
Who would’ve thought that after tragedy and heartbreak, an old Victorian house and a wildflower field would be just what our heroine needs? In this lovely story, Grace Greene shows us a very real, sympathetic, and flawed character as she begins to overcome her present challenges, including the secrets of the past. Kara is unpredictable and interesting and could drive the book on her own, but the author made me care about all of the characters in the book.
Green captures the perfect tone for this novel and has created a character with a surprising and original voice. Great story and writing with a little romance sprinkled in. This is the first book in a series, and I can’t wait to read the next one.
Wildflower Heart is the newest offering from bestselling author Grace Greene. Kara Lange Hart has had a difficult life. Loss has signified change throughout her life from the time her mother left when she was 14 until the current times. At that time her dad, Henry Lange, had been stalwart in his support and care for Kara, but never emotionally engaging. She will learn why that is as time goes by.
Kara leaves home for college where she studies economics and meets her future husband Niles Hart, and best friend Victoria. Following graduation and her wedding, she and Niles move to the beltway near DC from Richmond. On their sixth anniversary things go terribly wrong and Kara finds herself back in Richmond depending on her father.
When he makes the decision to sell his business and move about an hour outside of Richmond to Cub Creek, Kara is not on board. But on her first visit to the property the field of wildflowers touches her heart. The people she meets and what she learns about herself and her father make this move a very special time.
It has taken me days to write this review. This book touched me in ways I cannot explain. In fact I had to check myself repeatedly to not have spoilers. I do know that this poignant tale of love, loss, and resilience is one I would not have wanted to miss and do look forward to its sequel later this year. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!
Wildflower Heart is a beautifully written emotional and heart wrenching story. Kara’s had more than her share of life’s tragedy’s. Just when she gets back on her feet, another tragedy knocks her back down. With her fathers stoic love and Kara’s strength and resilience, she moves with her father to a rundown house with a beautiful field of wildflowers. Both Kara and her father have secrets that both are afraid to reveal. The quirky neighbors help to renovate the house. Kara meets a special neighbor that along with the wildflowers, help her to heal. Just when she is getting back on her feet, another tragedy strikes. My heart breaks for Kara. The descriptive writing had me smelling the wildflowers. The characters are interesting and well developed. Wildflower Heart is the first book in a series and is one of my favorite books I have read this year. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Grace Greene, Netgalley, and the publisher for an Arc of this book and this is my honest review.
Wildflower Heart broke my heart and over the course of the book slowly healed it. Kara isn’t new to loss. Her mom walked out on her and her dad when Kara was 14. She marries her college sweetheart and thinks their life is good. On their 6th anniversary, there is an accident that changes Kara’s life forever. After she is released from the hospital she goes to her dad’s to recover. Her dad surprises her by buying a beautiful house out in the country and wanting Kara’s help fixing it up. The story of Kara and her dad is so sweet. They have a beautiful relationship. Will Wildflower House bring them peace? The descriptions in the book are so real. I could see and smell the wildflowers, I could hear the stream and the bees buzzing. I simply loved this book and can not wait for the next in the series. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. All opinions are my own.
This is a beautifully written story about resilience and strength. The story is filled with disappointment, neglect and loss but also filled with love. The author does such a wonderful job with describing the characters and their personalities. I feel like it was a rollercoaster of emotions. I highly recommend this book and I hope that there is a 2nd book on the next chapter in Kara’s life and that Seth maybe included.
Wildflower Heart by Grace Green is a book that will tug at your heartstrings and you will not forget it. Grace Green had me hooked from page one. This is a heartbreaking story but in the end will give you the warm fuzzies. This is another one of those can’t put me down type of books. I could not turn the pages quick enough. The main character Kara keeps getting knocked down but like a wildflower she is resilient and gets right back up again. This book has loss and grief but shows you growth strength and resilience. I can’t wait for the next book in this series to come out. Definite must read book.
Thank you Netgalley and Grace Greene for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book.
From a young age, Kara struggled with losing her mother, first when she left, and secondly when she died. Her father, Henry, did the best that he could. The pair grew older and has most paths dictate, Kara left for college and then onto marriage. Henry continued living his life, running a successful tire business.
The two are reunited when tragedy strikes again. Kara and her husband, Niles, were in a terrible car accident. Kara lived, Niles didn’t, and neither did their unborn child. Henry, of course, stepped up to take care of his daughter and help her heal, both mentally and physically.
Kara is surprised when her father reveals that he is selling the business and the house, and moving to the country. She is even more surprised when she sees the “country house” is far bigger than her father needs. After all, she should be returning to her real life, now that most of her wounds have healed. But, there is something about the “Wildflower House” that soothes Kara’s damaged heart…she’s not sure that she’s ready to leave, and well her father needs her help.
This book is filled with emotion, heartache, grief, healing, and perhaps love. Secrets are revealed, relationships end, and new ones begin… The writing is flowing and you can imagine what it must be like to be at the Wildflower House, and even more so what the Wildflower House could be with a little hard work and imagination.
When Kara was 14 her mother walked out on her and her father and abandoned them. Her father did the best he could but he did not have the emotional makeup to be a good emotional support. Years later Kara is driving one night and there is a horrific accident. Kara again finds herself dependent on her father. Emotionally her father is not there but together they make it. Kara’s father retires and they move to a rural area of Virginia. Kara is not as happy about her father’s dream home as he is but agrees to help him with the house until she goes back to work. Kara falls in love with the wildflowers in the backyard and the area near the creek. Kara finds out that her father has secrets that she knows nothing about. He has good friends in the area and they soon offer their friendship to her. The wildflowers represent many things to Kara and as such, she is protective of them. Lovely story of healing, changing, trusting and love.
This is the 1st book in the Wildflower Series by Grace Green. Devastation and heartbreak are not supposed to be beautiful and hopeful, however, Grace’s amazing words guide you through the life of Kara and her Father Henry and leave you with a hopeful feeling for the future.
I have to say this book is one of the best books I have ever read. I felt a plethora of emotions throughout this story and couldnt put the books down because I needed to know what would happen. I am highly anticipating the second book the Wildflower Series, Wildflower Hope.
This book is breathtaking. Grace Greene paints beautiful poignant moments with words. The scenes in this book are so vivid and I see them clearly.
Kara’s journey is so real and the emotions are overflowing. This is a story of strength, personal growth. It’s about how humans respond to hurt. It’s about healing and learning to love oneself.
I can’t wait for the next visit to Wildflower House!
Wildflower Heart will stir your emotions and stimulate your senses. Grace Greene adeptly juxtaposes Kara Lange’s wanting childhood and abandonment issues against the mesmerizing wildflower field in the backyard of her father’s recently acquired home in the country. Will Kara discover she is as resilient as the wildflowers that grew from seeds scattered haphazardly over uncultivated terrain and left to nature’s mercy? Will she bloom where she is reluctantly planted? Wildflower Heart will leave you reaching for wildflowers and wanting more.
“Neglect wasn’t supposed to be beautiful”. Those were Kara’s thoughts when she discovers a field of wildflowers and to me, was a profound statement in this book of self-discovery. Kara herself had been neglected….by a mother who left her when she was young, by a father who provided for her but was unable to provide emotional support, by a husband who had ceased to love her. The pages of this book are filled with intense feelings, as we watch Kara work through them all….sadness, hurt, betrayal…until she can find her way to love, acceptance, and beauty. The most memorable scenes to me are the moments when Kara finds joy amid the despair, the rare glimmers we get of hope as she slowly learns to trust and open her heart to possibilities. This book captivated my heart with its imperfect characters as they swayed and bent with the challenges that they faced, like the wildflowers in the field behind Kara’s home. “Wildflowers are tough. They root in unlikely, often hostile environments, yet the manage to grow and bloom.”
I love reading Grace Greene’s books and this one is equally beautiful to The Memory of Butterflies.
I am so happy this is part of a new series because it gives me hope that the story will continue. This is definitely a page-turner that got me hooked from the first page and I didn’t stop reading until it ended.
I loved that the events are not entirely predictable, and even if the outcome is sometimes heartbreaking it only makes the story more real. Kara is a beautiful character and, just like a wildflower, her resilience helps her manage the “unlikely, often hostile environments”.
I think I may spread out some wildflower seeds in the spring…. unpredictable is not a bad thing at all.
A beautiful heartfelt story that reminds the reader of the importance of loving family and friends. Past mistakes can bring sorrow to life, if we don’t move on. In this touching story, the characters each have their own way of handling situations. This author continues to write stories that reach deep down in my soul. Great read. I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my personal honest opinion. No review was required.
I absolutely loved the book. Kara has had her share of loss, her life has not been perfect , and she’s been knocked down many times , she continues to get back on her feet, a little slower each time but she is resilient! I loved her and found her to have such inner strength and so much inside of her to give .
When you read this book you can smell the flowers, hear the creek running and sit on the porch with the characters
Grace Greene has such a wonderful style of writing and I’ve been a fan a while ,but this book is her at her best!
I can’t wait for the next book in this series !