This was a really good YA novel that I would definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC
I loved this book so much! Everything was great, the diversity, the plot, the characters and everything else. I would definitely recommend this to my friends!

The representation, the diversity, the character development, the plot, the drama, the realisticness, the writing style, I loved everything about this book.

Seeing that this book was set in Toronto, see all those familiar names and the setting was so easily to visualize and made me feel so connected to the book and characters. The author does such a great job of describing the emotions of the characters that you feel as if they’re yours. I was frustrated many times at Tahira in the start but I loved her growth and development. I loved Rowan, his corny t shirts, the stargazing scenes. AHHHH SO MANY EMOTIONS I LOVED THIS PLEASE READ IT

Tahira in Bloom was a wonderful journey. I loved the story and its characters. I haven’t read a romance story as unique as this one in a long time, I think the gardening aspect is what made it distinctive. Using fashion and gardening was brilliant. I didn’t know these two things could go so well together.

Another aspect I enjoyed was that every character had their individuality. It was so diverse, including the personalities. Tahira gave us a glimpse of how being POC influences everything, in her case fashion. I also loved Rowan and his beautiful relationship with Tahira. The only thing I could complain about it the fact that the description of the characters was given much later in the story, which made it harder to visualize them. Overall, Farah made a great job with her characters.

I recommend this book to fashion or gardening lovers, or anyone really. It doesn’t only teach you about this topics but about more important topics like racism and islamophobia.

First of, the cover looks awesome and appropriate for the novel. I immediately fell in love with it and clicked the 'Request' button on NetGalley.

Tahira has her future all planned out, right from when she was seven years old. Get into an amazing fashion internship, keep designing for portfolio, increase social media influence and get in to the dream college in New York. But when a parakeet disrupts her perfect plan, she is left with no other choice but to go to Bakewell, where everything is flowery and gain fashion experience by working in her aunt's boutique. Not only did she have to deal with working at the simple boutique and living in a tiny house made of pine, but also the rude grumpy garden nerd next door.

The writing style is simple, easy to understand and laugh-out-loud humorous at places. The setting of Bakewell, the flower capital of Ontario, is wonderfully described. The characters were diverse- both in terms of personality and representation. There's representation of South Asian Muslim, Black, Pansexual and Bi. I loved how toxic friends were identified and how the mc realized it. I also liked the lovely way in which passion for art is described!

The desi-parent thing- the parents being totally supportive of their kids' ambition was totally unrelatable for me. I am an Indian (if you don't know that already), and I totally know the real 'desi parenting'- no matter what your ambitions are or where your interests lie, you are expected to become a doctor or engineer. You are not supposed to choose even your parents' profession (if they are not a doctor or engineer). I wish Rowan was more of a normal looking guy than a drop-dead-gorgeous guy. I keep telling myself while reading fantasy that, may be, the laws of nature in that world doesn't work the same way. I seriously feel that YA books, at least Contemporary, should have representation of not-so-gorgeous, not-so-perfect people. I also sometimes felt that the main character was too self-centered and a bit judgy but her character development in the second half of the book does solve some of that.

Overall, Tahira in Bloom is a quick, satisfying read that shows that life does not always go on as planned and is full of surprises. I thank NetGalley and Skyscape for giving me this wonderful opportunity to read and review Tahira in Bloom. All opinions are my own.

Farah Heron is one of my favorite adult romance authors so I leapt the chance to read her YA debut. Tahira In Bloom was as lovely as that stunning cover. Words can’t express how much I loved it so this review is going to be difficult but as always, I shall try!

A FASHION DESIGNER MEETS A PLANT NERD
I feel like all you should know about Tahira In Bloom is that it’s a coming-of-age story featuring an adorable dislike-to-friendship-to-love romance between an aspiring fashion designer/influencer and a grumpy garden nerd. I’m a romance-fiend, so I read this for the romance, but it wound up being even more special because of Tahira’s characterization and her story arc.

Tahira is eager to start an internship with one of her fashion designing inspirations when it unfortunately falls through. She and her parents come up with a second plan for her to work her magic on her aunt’s failing boutique in a small, flower-obsessed town. The main goal is for her to achieve just the experience she needs for her college application, but it ends up being an even more transformative journey for her.

AN INSPIRING JOURNEY
I adored Tahira. She’s hardworking, goal-oriented, and truly just loves fashion. She wants to change the fashion world with her elaborate and creative designs and that passion shines through the pages of Tahira in Bloom. Besides her intelligence, her good heart also makes her entirely too lovable. She has no problem admitting when she’s in the wrong. The summer is quite the learning experience for her as she learns about where her true passions lie, how to deal with family pressure, and how there isn’t just a single path for her to fulfill her dreams.

WHERE WAS MY SOFT AND KIND-HEARTED PLANT NERD?
I’m sure you all want to know about the plant nerd I mentioned in the intro of this review. Friends, where was my plant nerd when I was in high-school??? Rowan is a rude grump at first meeting, but he just does has misconceptions about influencers. So he and Tahira get off on the wrong foot. I loved Rowan as much as I loved Tahira. He has a heart of gold and is gentle and soft when he does open up.

I loved how their relationship evolved, especially in the friendship stage as Rowan and Tahira team-up to take part in a flower arranging competition. Farah Heron brings romance and swoon to every interaction of theirs through heartfelt conversations to romantic stargazing evenings with all the shared touches. It’s wonderful and definitely appealed to the romance fan in me. Alsooooo, there was a secondary sapphic romance between Rowan’s sister, Juniper, and a certain long-time friend that had my heart FULL.

FRIENDSHIPS!
Farah Heron also explores friendships in Tahira in Bloom and I loved how she weaved in both toxic and joyous positive friendships. I won’t say too much about them but they are handled with care and a lot of truthfulness as I’ve come to expect from the author.

I could go on and on about this book. I haven’t even touched how fascinating the flower arranging contest was but I figure I should leave some of that for all of you to read. Tahira in Bloom is a heartfelt and swoon-worthy read full of romance, friendship, and flowers. It’s not to be missed!

Included as a top pick in bimonthly November New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

This book is a great reminder that life doesn’t always give us what we want but what we need. Follow your heart and do what you enjoy. Good book that kept me interested! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy!

Tahira in bloom was a delightful read!

I always say this but firstly yay for all the representation in this book!
Even though the beginning starts a little slow the story very quickly picks up and it honestly is just such a refreshing read!
I really loved the characters and Tahira's growth throughout the story was so wonderfully done it made her seem so realistic! This delivered such a quick heartwarming read I'm so glad I picked it up!

thank you SO much to NetGalley & Skyscape for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely book full of moments to smile, but also to reflect on, I’m so glad I got to read this book unexpectedly this month. It was also refreshing to meet characters with interesting personalities and strong opinions, but also characters that have a lot of growth by the end, which I found realistic and well done. Plus, many beautiful scenes and a twist of its own that makes it very unique despite being a plotline we’ve read before. A great book with a cover worthy of having on our shelves!

In this story, we follow Tahira, a girl who dreams of becoming a fashion designer and after her internship falls through, she decides to go for the summer to work at her aunt’s boutique in Bakewell, Ontario’s capital, to get the experience she needs for her college application. Once there she meets Rowan the rugged gardener of next door and although she wants nothing to do with him she finds herself needing the “plant-boy” skills to win Bakewell’s flower arranging contest, a contest that promises to take the winner to New York City and as Rowan could also benefit himself from the prize he agrees to help her. No one is more surprised than Tahira herself to discover that flower design is as amazing as fashion design and Rowan could be so much more than the arrogant boy next door. For of all places, it’s in this part of the world that Tahira begins to blossom.

This book was a breath of fresh air, I loved having the chance to read it even though it wasn’t in my plans since I was approved last minute with an ARC. What I appreciate most about the book is that it has little details that make it stand out from other contemporary romance books, such as the fact that Tahira’s parents are super supportive of her and I also like the honesty with which this book speaks without fear of being “too much“, I feel that the dialogues themselves bring a lot of realism, but also a lot of awareness with the topics that are touched upon such as racism, the pressure of social media and the damaging side of it, and the prejudices within the fashion world. I think in this book those little details are what make a great story.

The writing style is great, I actually liked it a lot. The beginning of the book is a little flat, I think it needs some work, but then it picks up very quickly giving us a lot of great moments, a lot of information, and a clearer picture of the situations that makes you want to know what will happen to the characters, but always enjoying the journey, you know? I didn’t feel in this book that I wanted to finish it because honestly, I was having an amazing time reading it. It has a very relaxed vibe, portraying the lives of these guys in a very realistic way, but also breaking some beliefs along the way, and that, coupled with the diversity that this book gives us is a winning combination. By the end, I was totally on board with the story, loving the characters and nodding emotionally, so… mission accomplished!

As I was saying before, this book has a great focus on diversity with South Asian characters, very positive Muslim representation, and black characters, among others. We can say that we have been blessed to see diversity grow in books a lot over time, and in this book, you can really see the author’s commitment to writing about it, and that made me very excited. We also have mentions of bisexual & pansexual characters, and also blind characters. So, basically, we can say that not only it’s a diverse book with a lot of representation, but it’s also rich at this point, because of the depth in touching on certain themes.

The romances with the enemies-to-lovers trope can be a hit or miss for me these days, it must be because I’ve read it a lot in the past or something, but I feel picky about it. This book luckily ended up being amazing in romance, but at first, it took me a little bit to get into it, even so, I can tell you that you have nothing to worry about because if this romance managed to win me over by the end, I know you’ll love it. We also have some friendship portraits and some interesting discussions in these aspects as well.

Another point that stands out a lot is the discussion the characters have about the future, and which path is the right one to follow. They ask themselves questions such as whether it is okay to change your mind once you have everything “planned” and whether it is worth giving up because of unexpected external factors. The topic of discussing the future, and how it’s touched upon is charming and I think it’s one of those contemporary romances that goes a bit beyond that, by talking about issues that concern young people.

A really lovely book, with the use of flowers that I had never seen before, in a way that makes an interesting and engaging plot become a very pleasant aesthetic to read, which gives way to photographic situations.
Other than that, as a contemporary it’s very solid, discuss important things that are very current, and also give us a wide range of representation and diversity. The romance is lovely, and even as someone who’s quite picky about romance, I was very pleased with it, and of course, the characters are wonderful, characters with very unique and distinct personalities, strong opinions with a lot of conviction, but most of all… and best of all, in my opinion, they’re characters that learn from their mistakes and grow a lot.
A story about understanding that life doesn’t always go as planned and that’s okay, about accepting that there are many ways to reach the same goal, that you have to appreciate the little things, and that the very romantic romance hasn’t gone out of fashion yet lol, which I love. I hope you decide to read it, it’s worth it and if you’re not convinced, just take a look at the cover!

Tahira in Bloom is such a good YA book. It has situations that appeal to the modern times we live today, dealing with social media platforms and who people are based on what they post versus who they are in real life. It is a great book to discuss certain topics of social media: likes, what is an influencer, how posting can lead to not being present and enjoying the moments, among other topics in diversity and inclusion. It was so great to read Tahira in Bloom, Farah Heron does a great job with this YA book, I cannot wait to read more works from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review Tahria In Bloom.

I absolutely loved the setting and concept of this book. Floral design, landscape architecture, fashion design - I was ready to get lost in this world.

Unfortunately I think the age difference between myself and the target audience impacted my reading experience. I found the writing a little simple and lacking the depth I felt in Heron’s adult romances. I also found the lead character frustrating and self-centred - being in her head all the time was tough! She did learn and grow, so the back half of this book was more enjoyable.

I liked the romantic lead, Rowan. He was charming, and I liked seeing a male romantic interest pursue a passion for the arts.

I think this will definitely appeal to and work for a younger YA audience, but it wasn’t a YA romance that translated well for an adult reader.

I was extremely excited for Farah Heron's YA debut and she did not disappoint! This book had me laughing out loud and was just utterly charming. Tahira's growth throughout the book was so beautiful to read and even though she could be vain at the beginning, it just made for a better character arc. I really hope Heron continues to write YA books in addition to adult romance because this did not miss.

I loved this! Tahira was a realistic, confident protagonist and her voice was unique and unwavering. The romance was so sweet, and Rowan was a fantastic love interest. I also really liked Juniper and Leanne. This book dealt with racism and prejudice in the fashion industry very well. Overall, I definitely recommend this.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. I will not be recommending this book. It is entirely unrealistic for Indian Muslim parents to let their daughter have a boyfriend, sex, work in fashion, and go away for the summer. It also shows a bad image of Muslims.

Tahira in Bloom is a wonderful book written by Farrah Heron. I have previously read her other books, The Chai Factor and Accidentally Engaged which were funny, engaging and dealt with current issues in everyday lives, especially racism and in her new book she deals with bullying. I like the way she writes and let’s the characters encounter these situations and deal with them. Bravo Farrah and I can’t wait to read your next book. I was given an E-book copy to read and review prior to it’s release.👏🤗🥰 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher’.🙏

Tahira Janmohammad has always wanted to be a fashion designer and get into a top school for it in New York. She's sure that her summer internship with designer Nilusha Bhatt will be perfect on her application, until Nilusha is injured and has to cancel the internship.
While meeting remotely with Nilusha, Tahira finds out that her aunt's small-town boutique a few hours away is in need of more workers, so she recruits her best friend Gia and moves into her aunt's tiny cabin for the summer. But Bakewell, Ontario, is nothing like the city where Tahira lives. The clothes at Lilybuds aren't even close to her style, everyone seems to disapprove of "influencers" like her, and it's known as the flower capital of Ontario, while Tahira is severely allergic to flowers and almost anything in nature.
After a disastrous first meeting with greenhouse/nursery workers Rowan Johnston and Leanne Langston, Tahira expects the summer to be a waste of ambition-- until she hears about the upcoming Bakewell Flower Festival's flower-sculpture contest, where the winners get to fly to New York and meet with one of Tahira's favorite fashion designers, who got his start with flowers.
Rowan, the grumpy, gardening-obsessed boy next door who turns out to be the greenhouse worker from Tahira's first day, wants to win the competition to prove to his scientist father that he has a real future in landscape architecture. So Tahira and Gia join his team for the competition, along with his sister, Juniper, and Tahira realizes that there's so much more to design than overworking yourself and constantly trying to be on top.

This was actually way better than I expected, and definitely one of my favorite books of the year! I could easily picture all the flower sculptures and gardens, as well as Tahira's fashion design sketches and handmade clothes. I was expecting more of a Hallmark movie type plot in which Tahira realized that she didn't want to live in the city or do fashion design at all, but that didn't happen, and it was such a relief. She never loses her original passion for fashion design, and her development has more to do with the realization that she wants to be in it for the actual design, not the reputation or fame, and she doesn't want to put others down to further herself the way her ex-boyfriend did. Speaking of the ex-boyfriend, I was also relieved that she didn't have to cheat on him to realize her feelings for Rowan. No love triangles here! The ex is essentially there to represent everything Tahira doesn't like about city fashion designers, and Rowan is so much better for her. There isn't any traditional third-act breakup either.
I did want more resolution with Gia (who, by the way, I kept picturing as Alexis from "Schitt's Creek"), but I can't say anything else about that without spoiling.

Honestly, this book is something I have been looking for all year.
First of, I would like to thank the author and Skyscape for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful novel!
I was so excited to read this book because of the desi and color representation. There was also some muslim representation which made me even more intrigued!
This book follows the life of an aspiring fashion designer who visits a small town called Bakewell so she gets all the experience she needs for her college application. Not only did she have to deal with the towns flower obsession, but she also needed Tod deal with her stubborn, cranky neighbor, Rowan, who was a handsome garden-nerd.
Love flourishes, flowers bloom, and Tahira's allergies take toll, but she won't led that stop her from learning about floral designs and fashion design.
This book was a quick, fluffy read filled with cute banter and annoying neighbors that will keep you swooning on your feet! I also loved that we got a view of how hard Tahira's life is, and how difficult it is to juggle her workload!
You can also see - throughout the book - the character development. Tahira changed into a whole new, better person. She was not self-centered like "other" influencers and it was very nice to see her change and go on that blissful adventure with her!
I really enjoyed this book and I hope you do as well!

I ended up really liking this but it was an incredibly slow starter for me and I really hated Tahira at the beginning. She grew on me and I was 100% on her side by about halfway through.

There was a lot of teenage angst and drama in this (as well as a lot of back and forth) but that's to be expected with the genre and the plot and it mostly works. Both MC and LI are very high-key characters and I did see the chemistry between them (eventually).

This was a sweet, interesting read that covered a lot of topics and was incredibly diverse (sidenote I adored Juniper) and I ended up really enjoying it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great look at how sometimes one thing may not work out and you have to change your direction and find a new dream. I liked all the fashion in this book, made me feel like I need to up my game. I liked T & how she navigates everything that is happening to her.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this book.