I was lured in by a cover for once and not betrayed by what lat waiting for me inside! An absolutely adorable book. I'm willing to forgo some details that I would have had on my wishlist, if it means I get to keep these characters.

4.5 Stars — This was such a fun read. It’s the perfect cottage core comfy read. There are *so* many LGBTQ+ characters. The way the author talks about them without making their queerness a big deal is so refreshing.

Clara and Xavier are incredibly adorable and so much fun to follow. Xavier isn’t your typical male love interest. He’s fragile, talks about his feelings, and truly cares about Clara.

This is a soft, quick read with minimal conflict, but it’s a lot of fun all the same. I’m typically a fan of fast-paced books with lots of actions, but I enjoyed reading this all the same. Flowerheart is such a nice break, a little vacation in a novel. I would read so much more about these characters.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this cute cottagecore/witch fantasy story. It was a good, easy, and somewhat heartwarming read. I liked most of the characters and thought the story flowed fairly well, although it was somewhat predictable. All in all a pretty good read though. I loved the cover art, so pretty.

Flowerheart is a sweet, fantastical, fun romance that combines storylines of magic, family, and romances with former best friends to create a lovely book in the tone of Howl's Moving Castle. Bakewell has created a magical world and a magic system with fairly solid rules, and those serve as a strong base for Clara and Xavier's adventures.

And what wild adventures they are! Both characters are beyond precious, but their circumstances--Clara's wild magic and Xavier's family legacy--lead them into some pretty crazy situations. In each case, the pair do their very best to help people, and their kind hearts truly shine. I love how truly strong Clara is to continuously fight her magic, but I also love that it often inadvertently manifests in the real world as flowers. The flowers give this book a cozy vibe, even when they're threatening, and I enjoyed reading the different Victorian-era meanings behind the different blooms.

Although there are some relationships and situations I'd like to see expanded in a sequel, Flowerheart does well as a standalone and will definitely be a book I revisit whenever I want a lovely, whimsical romance.

This was a very cute and quaint story.

As far as the characters and plot goes, I feel it was relatively solid. I especially loved the characters in this novel. To me they felt developed and different from each other.

The world building felt a little wonky. The magic system is never really explained— you just sort of get used to what it is through the story telling. With that there were some elements where I felt they would’ve benefitted from more explanation.

At the same time, I felt like this novel was trying to tackle multiple things at once with Clara’s character. It made her confrontation with her mother Imogen feel rushed. Since there was already just so much going on in her story, this aspect was a bit underwhelming— I wanted more drama/resolution in that confrontation.

Overall though it was definitely enjoyable. I loved Clara and Xavier. Such a fun duo. It was a very cozy read!

Solid 3.5

Flowerheart is a standalone cottagecore fantasy novel brimming with flowers. It's cozy and wholesome and romantic. Clara Lucas has a special kind of magic that makes flowers bloom, but her magic is also a bit uncontrollable. So when she accidentally makes flowers bloom inside her father's chest, she seeks out the help of her childhood friend and magician Xavier Morwyn to help her heal her father. Xavier agrees to help, but only if Clara also helps him with his newest project: creating a cure to the poison Euphoria that has been sweeping the land. Clara and Xavier team up to practice magic and help those in need. While this novel seems to be all about flower magic, the true story is about helping those who aren't able to help themselves and making the world happier for everyone while also finding your own inner strength. I would recommend this book to fans of Charlie Holmberg and Rachel Griffin as the soft and wholesome magic felt similar to their stories. This book also gives off Ghibli vibes, so Ghibli fans may enjoy this novel as well. Flowerheart was an enjoyable book and it would be perfect for a calm afternoon read, but at the same time it wasn't life-changing and I don't think it will leave a lasting imprint on me. It's the kind of book that's fun to read when you're feeling sad or you need a warm hug, and you want a cozy story with a happy ending. It's not hard to get through and the subject matter isn't too heavy. I love reading soft fantasy stories like this one, so I look forward to seeing what other books Catherine Bakewell releases in the future and what other books come to be in the cottagecore genre.

First of all..this cover art is amazing. I love all the flower references in the book. It has a great pace and is so, so good.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

3.5stars!

I loved reading a cottage-core fantasy book and I really like how the magic system is based off of what you choose to do and you are not limited by anything specific. It’s just magic in its purest form, something you can do anything with if you put your mind to it.

About halfway through or a little over when Clara finds out what Morwyn did, I feel like her reaction was all wrong. She judged him and called him names and I feel like she should have understood he never had bad intentions. She should have been upset over him not telling her and that’s it. It did lower it from a 4 star to a 3.5 because I personally did not like her moment there but I feel there are people out there who would not be as bothered by that as I was.

I do enjoy happy endings and this book definitely has one I just won’t tell you in which ways of course!!

I do love a quick read / standalone but sometimes they also make me sad because I always have more questions or more things I want to see. Like Clara’s mother and her coven, the Morwyn family and why the father is the way he is.

If you are looking for a cute, quick and fun read that has the cottage-core, fantasy and magical elements I recommend picking this book up!

*****5 Stars!

“Magic isn’t good or bad, right or wrong. It just is.”


First I would like to thank HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book. I am honored to have been given a chance to read it and give it an honest review!

Flowerheart is a story about a young girl named Clara whose magic has always been wild, but it’s never been dangerous. Then with a simple touch her magic causes poisonous flowers to bloom within her father’s chest. The only way to heal him is to cast an extremely difficult spell that requires perfect and complete control. The only person who is willing to help her is her former best friend, Xavier, who has grown from a sweet and shy child into a man who is distant and mysterious.

In exchange for his help, Xavier asks a terrible price, knowing Clara would give anything in the world to save her father’s life. As she struggles to reconcile the new Xavier with the boy she once loved, she discovers just how many secrets he’s hiding. As he hunts for the truth, she instead finds the root of a terrible darkness that’s taken hold of the queendom--a darkness only Clara’s magic is powerful enough to stop.

This book was such an interesting and cozy read! I really enjoyed how the author brought the world to life and so beautifully described Clara’s uncontrollable magic; her descriptions made it all so vivid and easy to imagine as I read. Another thing I really enjoyed about the main character’s magic was the fact that meaningful flowers would pop up that would express her emotions without the need for words, I thought that was a very clever addition to the story. The magic system used in this book was so interesting and I would have loved to learn more about it and how it worked, it seemed the magic was so personal to each character.

I felt this book did a wonderful job with mental health representation as well, the topic was taken on in such an interesting and very descriptive way. I really appreciated how this issue was brought to the forefront of the story and how it was handled in such a relatable way, it gave the story so much depth and meaning. It was a message in the story that I truly appreciated!

Clara and Xaiver was another aspect of the story that I absolutely adored! I will confess, I’m not the biggest fan of the friends to lovers trope, but this was written so perfectly that I couldn’t help but adore them and root for them every step of the way as the story progressed. I really enjoyed hearing about their past and the childhood that they shared together, it gave them so much more depth and understanding in one another. I really enjoyed how familiar they were with one another, it was a relationship that really set up that cozy vibe for the book. I also loved Clara’s relationship with her father, it was beyond sweet and charming! I admired how dedicated she was to finding a way to uncurse her father, it really expressed how deep their love and bond went. Another aspect of this book that I adored was the LGBTQ+ representation, it was absolutely perfect!

This was such a wonderful and fun YA fantasy and I’d highly recommend it! Words cannot express how much I enjoyed reading this book. I am very much looking forward to reading more of Catherine Bakewell’s work!

Thank you NetGalley and Harperteen for allowing me to read this ARC for an honest review!

This was such a cute and cozy read! This writing was simple and sweet and engaged enough for the reader to be sucked into the plot! The magic system and use of flowers was unique and fun to learn. This is a good book for anyone interested in cottagecore vibe!

The very image of flowers erupting in response to Clara's magic just makes me smile! This book is so full of love for those struggling with mental health issues, for those whose feelings, like Clara's magic, feel too big to hold. There was a sense throughout of the author's experience and compassion for those struggling with depression, and I deeply appreciated that message.

The system of magic in this book is rather vague, making it hard to understand. Perhaps that was the author's plan? I found it a bit confusing, and it distracted from the story.

I also wish I had understood more of the back story for this magical community (as well as Clara and Xavier's families.) I just had a lot of unanswered questions as I read.

The ending of the story brought me to tears.

Flowerheart is a delightful fantasy that brings readers into a world with big magic that feels just small enough for a standalone. Protagonist Clara is a fighter determined to save her father, whatever it takes, and her love and perseverance make her a character worth rooting for even when she seems to make some silly decisions.

I enjoyed that this book has a relatively narrow focus: Clara needs to hone her magic to save her father's life. While the author does add a side plot more related to the overarching world to flesh things out and make them more dramatic with higher stakes, I did like the insular feel. We are just watching Clara and her journey and hoping for the best for her and those she loves. In a market filled with fantasy books where the stakes are epic (which I like, too, of course), this feels light and refreshing. I think it would also be a good pick for readers looking for "lower YA."

While the cover is filled with flowers, I think it's worth noting that it's Clara in particular who has an affinity for flowers, and it's not really explained why, particularly since her magic seems different from other witches and wizards, but it's quite fun. I also enjoyed Clara's notes about what different flowers and plants mean and how they can reveal things about what is going on in the story.

There are a few things I feel nitpicky about — Clara's blindness to people's obviously bad intentions, suddenness in the romance, a bit of ambiguity in the world building — but this didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. In fact, I think some of these things can just be facts of reading a relatively short standalone. I have gotten used to every YA fantasy being a trilogy of 600-page books filled with excruciating detail, but if the price I have to pay to get a standalone is that sometimes some things in the book just ARE, I can deal with it.

The book does stand out for its ending, however, which I think is bold in its lack of neatness. I love when YA dares to give me an ending that might not be exactly what I want, so that's a plus for me here.

If you want a lighter fantasy that will draw you in and have you cheering for the main character's success at every turn, while making you feel right at home, Flowerheart may be for you.

I would classify this as an easy read—cute, but lacking any real substance. It leaned a lot younger than I was expecting—both character- and writing-wise—and while the story was cozy, it wasn't very memorable. The characters weren't fleshed out. It didn't feel like there were any real stakes. The dialogue left something to be desired.

That said, this is YA, and i'm sure a younger audience (maybe like twelve or thirteen) would really enjoy this! I suppose I just went into it expecting something a little more mature, and that's on me. This was still a sweet, quick read, and the plot is sure to charm anyone looking for a cozy romance.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this book. What a fantastic YA book! I loved it. Claras's magic that goes rogue and does whatever it wants was so sad in the beginning. Having it impact someone she loves and then having to figure out how to overcome that kept me turning the pages, looking for her way out. I adored Xavier and how much he supported Clara and wanted to fix his mistakes. I hope to see more from this author!

This book is incredible! From the cover to the words inside I was pulled in and kept glued to my seat from start to finish. Flowerheart is a perfect friends to strangers to lovers story with such cozy magic that turns deadly. I loved the interactions between Clara and Xavier.

This standalone cottagecore fantasy romance will be perfect for readers who also enjoyed titles like A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft and works by Margaret Rogerson. The writing was stunning, the characters were lovable, the magic system was fun, and I flew right through this.

I was initially drawn in by this cover, it’s literally gorgeous, and it lived up to my expectations. I’m always looking for more witchy novels to read, and this was a delight. It follows Clara, who is in possession of powerful but wild and volatile magic that puts her beloved father’s life at risk. To help him, she enlists the assistance of her childhood friend, who has become withdrawn and distant in their years apart. Clara uncovers not only his secrets, but those of her estranged witch mother, and the secrets within herself. She’s got a lot on her plate!

The magic system was interesting, with the magic itself being more of entity, it had thoughts and responded to Clara’s emotions and her fears. I loved the flower magic in this, though I was confused as to why her magic was so mean to her when it spoke? Is it supposed to be some sort of commentary on our own self-consciousness?

The writing was, again, stunning. There was a lot of beautiful imagery here. It was very fairytale like. It did skew on the younger side of YA, but the characters were only sixteen so it did make sense and I definitely wasn’t expecting anything too intense going into it. It was meant to be a light-hearted read for me and it delivered!

*I received this book as a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you NetGalley, Catherine Bakewell, and Harperteen.

Let me start by saying I, like many of my fellow reviewers, was hooked on that cover art and reeled in on the description. Chefs kiss.

This was a sugary sweet, soft read to the point that I actually had to set it aside a few times lest I need a trip to the dentist. It’s filled to the brim with the common questions of self-worth, self-identity, and romance.The usual fare.

Although the main characters were 18, I felt like this book read more around the age of 14/15, at least in regards to the romantic aspect. That being said, that’s okay! Not everything has to have a whole lot of edge to it. It’s cute and I can imagine kids and teens alike reading this. That being said, there isn’t really much relationship building.

There’s some pretty relatable anxieties mixed in. “Am I becoming like the thing/person I despise?” “Am I just a screw up?” “Why isn’t it easy for me when it’s easy for others?” and so on. Our main character’s anxieties have physical repercussions, however, which is what drives the plot.

The progression of the plot felt very jerky for my own tastes - fast where I’d have appreciated some more detail and slow when I really wanted things to move on already. All the relationships are pre-established and see little growth throughout the story. I think this is why I wasn’t particularly invested in the characters. I didn’t find myself rooting for either of mains. I didn’t actively dislike, I just sort of thought they were boring.

Overall, a cute and fluffy YA with some puppy love and some personal growth as is the norm. I think it’s an especially good recommendation for kids who like light fantasy novels and are beginning the transition from middle grade to YA fiction. That being said, I felt the pacing was sort of awkward and relationships (romantic, familial, friendly, etc.) to be sort of shallowly explored.

A solid 3 out of 5 for me.

There seems to be a growing subgenre of fantasy that I think should be coined "cozy fantasy", and Flowerheart fits that theme. While I think cottagecore doesn't exactly fit the vibe this book has, the floral imagery and symbolism is very beautiful to read. Catherine Bakewell has an admirable way with prose, and if this book had been just a cozy little love story, I probably would have rated it higher.

The ... "danger" element to this novel, the "dark secret" that Xavier was keeping, I just didn't care about as much? Like...if you're billing me a cozy story, then give me what you're selling, you don't need to toss in anything else. Overall, though, the characters were fun, albeit a little less three-dimensional than I usually prefer.

This book was very much just okay. It had a cute premise, but it lacked real stakes and a satisfying conclusion. The prose and dialogue were nothing to write home about, and the world building is fairly nonexistent, though for such a small scale story, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It was just… okay.

We’re introduced to Clara Lucas, a young witch who is struggling to control her untamable, dangerous magic. She’s had several teachers in the past who’ve tried to help her, but none have succeeded. So now a council of witches and wizards (who may or may not be the only thing that passes for government and/or law enforcement in this world, we don’t really know) has decided to either painfully suppress her magic with a spell, or take it away altogether.

Enter the love interest and Clara’s former childhood friend, Xavier Morwyn, who is supposed to be cold and distant… except this boy is overflowing with emotion. Every time Clara describes him as stern and unfeeling, I was like, who? Who are you talking about, Clara?? There’s no one like that here?! He’s very obviously trying to hide the chronic pain he’s in, but he’s definitely not a stone pillar. Or Mr. Darcy.

Their relationship, like every other problem in this book, felt like it was resolved too easily for me. The only source of real tension going on was what exactly Xavier was hiding, and then once that was revealed, it left me going… okay?

The boy was trying to find a cure for depression (which is illegal in this world, the cure that is, not depression, though that might as well be too for all the almighty council of magicians is willing to do about it) and his first human trials went horribly wrong. Someone, one of his patients maybe, replicated the potion and started distributing it everywhere, and now people all over the place are taking this experimental drug to cure their depression, and it’s backfiring. Since the council got wind of this, Xavier, under a painful magical suppression spell bestowed by the council, has been working night and day to find a cure.

It’s not until after he tries combining his magic with Clara’s, and then gets both that and his own magic taken away (permanently, btw, which was the thing Clara was afraid of happening to her this whole time), that Clara decides, ‘hey you know what? It’s actually pretty not okay that the council doesn’t want to help people with depression. I should help Xavier with his cure instead of yelling at him about breaking the law.’ And she adds her ‘confidence’ to the cure he already invented, and only then does it work, for girl power reasons. And then she practically tells a member of the council to her face that she’s going to start curing depression, and the council lady is like, ‘oh that thing we just took away this wizard’s magic for, permanently? The reason I’ve been telling you he’s dangerous and untrustworthy this entire book? Yeah okay, I’ll help you break the law.’

And yeah, Clara basically takes credit for all of Xavier’s work. Not willingly, of course, because she very graciously tells anyone who bothers to listen that Xavier was the one who came up with the cure, but really? He loses his magic forever, his seat on the council, and even his home after his father kicks him out for standing up for Clara. She gets to be a witch recognized by the very council that is dictating who can and can’t have magic and who can and can’t be cured, she gets to start her own potion shop (with Xavier as her employee/assistant, bleh), and she apparently gets to go behind the council’s back to make cures for depression (which, again, are illegal) with the express knowledge and permission of one of the council members themselves. Tell me how any of that is fair??

Anyway, if you’re looking for a quick and easy, good-vibes-only read, this might be for you so long as you don’t start questioning the frustrating double-standards or the subplots that never went anywhere: Clara’s mother’s criminal gang. The council made up of magic fascists. Y’know, stuff that’s totally not relevant at all. I went into this thinking it was a standalone, but now I wonder if there is going to a sequel, considering the things that were left to wallow.

This was such beautifully written tale. From the characters, to the cottagecore setting, to the prose. I loved everything about this and can't wait for more from this author!