Halfway through her freshman year of college, all Ivy wants is to fly under the radar. Stay quiet, stay invisible. Putting up walls is the only way she knows how to cope with the trauma she’s been carrying since that horrible night in high school. But no matter how hard she tries to compartmentalize the past, it seeps into everything—her classes, her friendships, her sense of self. Withdrawn and anxious, she’s barely holding it together as second semester starts with the worst class imaginable: Public Speaking.
Then she meets Wes.
Smart, athletic, and effortlessly charming, senior Wes Tucker is the kind of guy everyone notices—and the kind of guy she’ll do anything to avoid. When a class project throws them together, Ivy braces for the worst. Wes isn’t what she expected, though. He’s kind, he’s patient, and Ivy finds herself wanting to believe in someone for the first time in a while.
Too bad learning to trust again seems impossible. She knows she can’t move forward without confronting her past; yet, tragically, healing isn’t linear. It’s raw, messy, and rarely ever simple…but maybe it’s not something she has to do alone.
Alyssa Wilde has an obsession with forbidden romance and doesn’t care who knows. Designer by day and writer by night, she currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with her amazingly supportive husband and their cat, Kevin. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys watching reality TV, consuming an insane amount of sushi, and occasionally stepping out into the light of day. Her new book, Before the Exhale, is now available for pre-order!
What to expect from Wes and Ivy’s story: 🖤 College Romance 🖤 Friends to Lovers 🖤 He Falls First 🖤 Golden Retriever Hero 🖤 Trauma/Healing 🖤 Slow-Burn
BLURB
Ivy Combs wants to disappear…
Halfway through her freshman year of college, all Ivy wants is to fly under the radar. Stay quiet, stay invisible. Putting up walls is the only way she knows how to cope with the trauma she’s been carrying since that horrible night in high school. But no matter how hard she tries to compartmentalize the past, it seeps into everything—her classes, her friendships, her sense of self. Withdrawn and anxious, she’s barely holding it together as second semester starts with the worst class imaginable: Public Speaking.
Then she meets Wes.
Smart, athletic, and effortlessly charming, senior Wes Tucker is the kind of guy everyone notices—and the kind of guy she’ll do anything to avoid. When a class project throws them together, Ivy braces for the worst. Wes isn’t what she expected, though. He’s kind, he’s patient, and Ivy finds herself wanting to believe in someone for the first time in a while.
Too bad learning to trust again seems impossible. She knows she can’t move forward without confronting her past; yet, tragically, healing isn’t linear. It’s raw, messy, and rarely ever simple…but maybe it’s not something she has to do alone.
💌 ARC sign-ups are currently open for a limited time for readers interested in an early copy. (Details and application can be found here: https://linktr.ee/alyssawildeauthor)
Before the Exhale took a long time to perfect, and it is deeply close to my heart. I can’t wait for you to read it and become immersed in Ivy's story.
5⭐️ I genuinely loved this book. To dive in deep, I related to our FMC with the trauma, the anxiety, the over thinking, the fear of big crowds, and I think that Alyssa Wilde wrote what it’s like to experience these things perfectly. (At least for me)
I absolutely adored the romance of this book. Strangers to friends to lovers, with a cinnamon roll mmc who showed the FMC that it’s okay to trust people and open up. I loved the burn of this book too, go into this book expecting tons of yearning and patience and healing and comfort, and ROMANCE.
The road to healing, found family, and romance was just sooooo well done in this. This is a book that hurts so much but also feels so good to have read by the end. I loved, and I’m so grateful to have received an ARC of this book. Alyssa Wilde is 3 for 3 with me, every single one of her books eat down and this one was no different. I binged this and didn’t want to put it down.
My Advanced copy was from Book Siren. I know it's a difficult subject but the character of Wes is so compelling. And Ivy is shy because she wants to remain invisible and Wes is the most popular man on campus. As their friendship grows due to Wes and his large personality and determination Ivy comes out of her shell a bit.
There is her family dynamics which are dysfunctional somewhat and the whole "thing" that she tucks away.
It seems too long through this middle as we wait for something to move the story along which is her confronting her past in person.
She doesn't do well. You just can't imagine.
It takes another 20% of the story to lose almost everything and climb out again Our Ivy got it together and the book leads you to believe not telling really hurts and telling might be the bravest thing you'd ever do.
This was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2026, and it did not disappoint. I was bawling my eyes out because I truly felt for everything Ivy was going through. She felt like she had no one and had been suffering for years before Wes came along.
And Wes—Wes was incredibly kind, gentle, and patient with Ivy. There were moments when he wanted to give up, but it was clear that staying away from her broke his heart even more. I loved how well he was able to read Ivy; that kind of emotional awareness is rare nowadays.
I was glad that many people helped Ivy along the way, especially those you would least expect. Because of them, she was able to seek help and start getting better—not only for herself, but for others too.
First of all, I want to thank the wonderful author for the ARC I received of this book in exchange for an honest review. It’s the first ARC I’ve ever gotten and I was so honored to have the opportunity. 🥹
I’m not sure where to begin except to say that this book left me feeling a multitude of emotions. Raw. Splayed open. Real. Sad. Proud.
This book wasn’t an easy read by any means due to the subject matter, but I think it was an incredibly important read. I connected to Ivy on a deep, soul level. I felt her pain. I’ve lived her pain. I recognized her shame. I related to her feeling frozen and unable to get the words out because it would make it all real.
Alyssa did a truly wonderful job at depicting such delicate trauma in all its many complexities. She did a wonderful job at showing the gory and realistic aftermath and the fallout. When you want to be loved, but don’t know how to accept it. When you want to be heard, but can’t speak. Of wanting human connection, but being terrified of it.
All of it felt so real and so raw and heartbreakingly relatable.
Wes was fantastic and beautiful and everything you could hope to find after enduring what Ivy did. I adored him. I really did.
But the ones who quietly stole the show for me were Ben, Kaden, Quinn and even Remy. My God, they are the kind of friends you WANT in your corner. I loved them so, so much.
A book like this will always leave me wanting more of their story because I TRULY root for the characters, if that makes sense, and want to see them succeed in the years to come after the final page.
Overall though, the messages this book left me with were poignant and real, and I commend the author for writing a book that isn’t fluffy, isn’t perfect, but it’s exactly what it needs to be and it healed something vital for me.
WOW! ♾️⭐️ THIS IS WHY I READ! STORY LIKE THIS!!!! This was absolutely amazing. One of my most anticipated reads of the year and now I’m sad it’s over. This is a book that is going to stay with me forever. I cried so much it’s not even funny. I mean full on ugly cry and when a book can do that, because it doesn’t happen often, it’s GOD tier for me. I knew from the first chapter it would be that way.
I related to Ivy’s character so much an I know that’s why this story hit me so hard. She is brave, strong, and fierce. I loved her development and the fact that we saw how much having someone like Wes helped her. It portrayed what it’s like for someone to have just one person that believes them, believes in them can do. Alyssa touched on this subject with so much care and grace and honestly what felt like raw emotion that I applaud her. Brilliant writing.
And don’t get me started on Wes “Doc” Tucker!!!!! That man is perfect. Top tier! No competition! His patience and love did wonders for Ivy. He is kind, loving, charming and understanding. They way he never gave up on Ivy was just, chef’s kiss. Everyone needs a Wes Tucker in their lives.
This story, Ivy and Wes was absolutely beautiful and I am so happy I was able to experience this magnificence of a book. I already wish I could go back and read it for the first time. I fear there is a reading slump ahead 😂
Thank you so much Alyssa Wilde and team for allowing me to read this wonderfully beautifully written story. I wish you nothing but success during its release!
Wow. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours after receiving my ARC. Ivy's story was both heartbreaking and inspirational.
While I cannot relate to the trauma Ivy experienced, I can relate to the feelings of anxiety she is plagued with. As someone who struggles with Anxiety and self-doubt, her symptoms and their manifestations felt all too real.
I really appreciated how Alyssa did not make Wes Ivy's sole purpose in getting better. While they share a close bond, her ultimate healing is done through her hard work alone.
While there were times that certain scenes/actions felt repetative, I think it was an accurate representation of the healing process. Sometimes things feel like you are going in circles, with no end in sight.
There were a few characters I wish I got to see more of after Ivy's story came to light. Specifically, her parents and her old friends. I wish we got some closure with them as they were an integral part of her struggle.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Yes, there was heaviness in the trauma and pain but there was also the beautiful slow-burn, unconditional love between Wes and Ivy. This book made me a rainbow of emotions is the very best way!
This book had me smiling so hard. I felt like every chapter melted my heart just a little more. Wes is a perfect example of how a lady wants to be treated. Ivy Combs is struggling with something no one should have to and Wes is weaseling his way into her heart one sweet gesture at a time. I loved reading the back and forth between the two of them, wanting to shout through the book that they so clearly needed to be together. This book was also very well written. I never felt like a character was lacking in development. The book kept a consistent pace and never dipped in energy, even when the subject matter was on the darker side. While standalones are an enjoyable break up of the lengthy series I typically read, they do lend to feeling a little unsatisfied at the end. I feel like the end wrapped Ivy's arch beautifully and provided her with an excellent bit of closure. However, I would have loved a little more depth to Wes and Ivy's last bit in the book and that is the only thing that kept me from a full five stars. If I could do halfs here it would have absolutely had a 4.5!
5 stars! I am a little speechless after reading this book, but I know I loved this book. This book gets really heavy. It is raw, it is real and it is emotional. Make sure you are checking the trigger warnings before reading it. That being said this was written beautifully. Ivy has been through so much. I loved seeing her growth, and her bravery through the ups and down. Wes is book boyfriend material. If you have read Say You Swear, and liked Noah Riley, you will love Wes. He gives off the same perfect, supportive, patient, caring vibes. This is a super slow burn, that really builds the foundation for their relationship by showing the little things in their day to day. I loved the found family, the realness, and just everything about this book. I have loved every book by Alyssa Wilde, and they seem to just keep getting better and better. I can't recommend this one enough!
Alyssa has done it again, another 5 star read. The writing is compelling, the characters are loveable and can we talk about Wes, golden retriever MMC is exactly right 🥹 he is the perfect book boyfriend! I also had a lot of love for the friends; Quinn, Ben & Kaden. Ivy was a lovable narrator, you could really feel all of her anxiety and pain alongside her heart.
I love the way this author writes, even the moments that move at a slower pace are impactful and keep you hooked. You are truly immersed into the storytelling and into the world of these characters.
I’ve adored the other two books Alyssa has released so I had high hopes for this one and was not disappointed, it was a beautiful, and deeply emotional, story of healing and love.
I was lucky enough to get access to this book via an ARC. It also happens to be the first arc I’ve ever signed up for because I just couldn’t wait to read another book by this author so I’m very grateful for the opportunity to read and review it.
this book was absolutely beautiful! Ivy’s story and her bravery was INSANE! and her slowly letting people in after the traumatic even that she went through was beautiful to watch. Watching her fall in love with the sweet and caring Wes was so wholesome. I loved Ivy’s character. All the developments she went through and how she kept going even with all the mean people out there was inspiring. Wes was such an amazing character as well! Books like these need to be made more often because it shares a story and shows how you can get help and get better and you shouldn’t let one thing that wasn’t your fault, ruin your life! Talk to someone and get help! I enjoyed this book so much! it moved me in so many different ways and i’m forever moved by this piece of literature.
alyssa wildes books genuinely keep getting better and better. ivy combs and wes tucker have consumed my every single thought at the moment. the fmc struggled with anxiety which was relatable and felt so honest. it was written so well and intricately.
the mmc aka wes is probably one of the most caring loving and overall a patient male character that ive read about in such a long time. the way they both filled in gaps of one another, the way she was slowly healing around him was so beautiful and soft
anyways this book was beautifully written and I was content in the way it ended which was ivy finally getting some form of closure, thank you for the arc read!!
Before The Exhale by Alyssa Wilde is a new adult stand-alone romance. Told solely from Ivy's point of view, it focuses on her freshman year of college, but flashes back to her junior year of high school, where she experiences trauma that has her withdrawing from any social situations. But then she meets Wes, who finally brings her out of her shell. Wes is exactly who she needs at exactly the right time, and they are perfect together. This one is a major slow-burn, but the story is so real and powerful, it's totally worth the read. I would highly recommend it with way more than five stars!
i’ve always been such a huge fan of alyssa wilde’s work. and i feel that every book that gets put out gets better and better. ivy was really relatable with her anxiety, it was written so well that i felt like i was looking through a mirror. and i loved getting to see her heal. wes was such a good mmc. he was very sweet and caring and so so patient. i really just loved their dynamic, and how much he helped her. but also at the same time, her story felt like her own.
I received this as an arc book and I’m so glad that I did!! The emotions, trauma, and growth in this story is incredible. It shares real-life experiences that people go through, discusses grief, counseling, and other things that are truly remarkable. Ivy’s growth in the story was well-paced and completely realistic. The MMC was the best. Honestly, Wes was a doll. I would read any book with his type of character in it. HIGHLY recommend this book💙
Wow! This book was absolutely incredible! Breathtaking and heartbreaking story. I loved Ivy and Wes, I felt so bad for her and everything she endured. This one was a super slow burn, but with good reason and well worth the wait for everything! Wes was the perfect hero... understanding, thoughtful and patient. Their love story was truly remarkable and a testament that true love really does heal all. I have loved all of Alyssa Wilde’s stories and this one was definitely no exception. Beautiful!!
She just gets how to make characters feel like real humans with complex thoughts and emotions. Wes is so different than many MMC’s you meet. He’s funny, protective of those he loves and he made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Ivy is just every girl who gets it and she feels so real it’s uncanny.I love that soft FMC’s are making a comeback!
This book has it all authenticity, slow burn romance and a flawed character who is realistic. I have nothing to criticise and everything to praise about this. I couldn't get enough of the characters and watching their lives unravel.
A story that makes you feel love for both, yourself and the characters within. Absolutely love the writing that draws you in and makes you feel the beauty of love.
A great depiction of how events mold and shape the people we become.
Enjoyed this book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.