This book was pure magic from start to finish. It had the cozy fantasy elements of Howl's Moving Castle, with some new beautiful magic thrown in. I had so much fun reading it, and I truly loved it.

Clara has always had a difficult time controlling her magic. It seems to burst out of her without her consent or knowledge at times. Early in the novel, she accidentally curses her father, causing flowers to bloom out of his chest, almost killing him. Her former best friend and accomplished magician Xavier comes to her aid, and makes her a deal: if he can teach her the magic to heal her father, she must forfeit her magic and give it to him, a deal she makes without hesitation. As she moves to Xavier's house to become his apprentice, she learns about some of the darkness he is hiding and work together to try to fix a secret magic that is plaguing their community.

This was such a sweet and lovely book, with beautiful world building, friendships, and family. I think it would appeal to many different kinds of readers, and I can't wait to suggest it to my teens.

This magical YA fantasy had a unique magic system and engaging characters.

Clara's self doubt was frustrating at times, but her growth was lovely to see when she finally stops fearing herself.

Overall this was an enjoyable fantasy.

𝙂𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚. 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙠. 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚.

As soon as I saw the cover of this book I wanted to read it. Then I saw it being called a “Cottagecore fantasy romance” and I was completely sold.


I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it never ceases to amaze me just how many unique and amazing magic systems come out of the minds of authors! There are potions, and curses, and spells of sorts, just like most other magical stories, but this system is still uniquely its own. Like the title suggests there is a big emphasis on the meaning and usage of flowers in the story, and I am now going to be mildly obsessed with flower meanings…

Clara struggles to control her overbearing and chaotic magic, after she accidentally curses her father she must fix everything before her magic is deemed too dangerous and taken from her forever. In her search for help she reconnects with a long lost childhood friend (I should note they are only 16, but seem like full grown adults and act like it as well. It was somewhere around the Victorian times, so, ya know, you’re on your own kid).

As a child Clara loved Xavier, he was her best friend and confidant. She had missed him in the five years they had been apart. However, something seems off. He doesn’t treat her as a friend, he asks her to make a vow with a high stakes promise, and overall seems suspicious. What is he hiding? Can Clara trust him?

Trust or not they set out together to help try and fix her magic and the mysteries currently plague it their community.

I’d also like to shoutout Clara’s amazing father. He raised Clara as a single dad and seems like the most amazing and supportive parent. He truly seems to adore his daughter more than anything in the world and seems to have mastered parenting a child into adulthood. All he wants is for her to be happy, and he isn’t afraid to help point her in the right direction 😉

𝘗𝘢𝘱𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴. “𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺. 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥.”

“𝘗𝘢𝘱𝘢, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦!”

5/5 ⭐️ This book had some higher stakes than some, but I’d still say it’s cozy and a nice comforting read.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review so I want to thank them, Catherine Bakewell, and HarperTeen for the opportunity to read this beautiful story!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a free eARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Flowerheart follows a sixteen-year-old witch named Clara who has strong magical powers that she can’t control. She must learn to have confidence in herself and her skills in order to keep her magic from being taken away from her town’s elder witches and wizards. Clara’s childhood friend and magical prodigy Xavier has his own mysterious secrets but he does his best to teach Clara the secrets of using her magic.

This is the perfect novel to ease your craving for a YA cozy cottagecore fantasy romance. This is a highly specific genre that has been growing in niche popularity, and I think Bakewell nailed it here. The magical small town, the friends-to-lovers romance, the adorable relationship Clara has with her father, they all made me happy. When I requested this title mainly because of the cover, I wasn’t being fooled as to what was in store for me. And I felt that the book was the perfect length; it felt like a nice warm dessert at the end of a hard day.

I also want to note that this book (at least to me) seems to be a huge metaphor for mental health. I specifically related to it because within Clara I saw my struggles with anxiety and depression. I think that this book has beautiful commentary on those struggles; letting the reader know that it’s okay to embrace these emotions, that your sensitivity makes you stronger as long as you accept yourself.

I do have a few minor critiques that didn’t majorly impact my enjoyment of the book. Firstly, Clara and Xavier read very mature for their ages and especially seemed to be treated like they were older than sixteen. I mean, getting entire control of businesses at that age? Being expected to invent new cures for poisons? It was unbelievable but in my head they just seemed more like they were in their early 20s.

Additionally, I do feel that the “cure” for one of the main plot points in the story was too easily found. I expected the story of a search for a cure to be left for a sequel. But there was so much build-up and then it was solved in just a few pages.

Overall, though, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking for a short, cozy fantasy.

Sadly I found the writing and story of this one boring for me :( I was excited to pick this up but it just wasn't not grabbing my attention like I had hoped.

If you like women's lit/cottagecore vibes, this might be for you though!

Absolutely loved Clara's magic especially every time she accidentally made flowers. I loved that the flowers meanings showed her true feelings and emotions. I thought her adventure to master her magic and reunion with her childhood friend made for such a cozy fantasy story.

Flowerheart is an adorably cozy witchy read and reminded me of some of my other favorite witchy tales. I adored the characters and the romance and can't wait to share this with friends and family!

This is cute enough, but needed a little more editing - it really felt like four different places were going to be the ending.

This is pretty simple and is probably best for 12-14 rage for students just dipping their toes into YA for the first time.

This was a quick and fun read - described as ‘cottagecore,’ I must confess I don’t even know what that means! But I will say it's a lovely YA fantasy romance. Clara has untamable magic and the Council is not quite sure what to do with her because they don’t think she is to be trusted. But then her old friend Xavier steps in, insisting he can help her master her magic. However, she hasn’t heard from him in years - is there an ulterior motive behind this offer of help? All of this is set to a race against time backdrop on a few different fronts (illegal elixir, ailing father, Midsummer deadline…) and a blossoming romance?

This was a very cute, cozy, witch story. Similar vibe to Poison Heart and The Nature of Witches.

Loved the romance between Xavier and Clara but was hoping for a deeper connection. Loved that it felt a little Beauty and the Beast through out.

Ended up actually buying this book due to wanting to recommend more to my students. They have really enjoyed reading and felt like it engaged them and kept their attention throughout.'

Solid 3 stars

Thank you to Catherine Bakewell, Harper Teen and NetGalley, for the ARC

I fell hard for Cat Bakewell's prose in this one. It's such a tender and beautiful book. Fans of cottagecore vibes with definitely want to check out this fantasy.

I was immediately attracted to the story by the lovely cover and the promise of cottagecore fantasy. Life was rough at the time, and I need a sweet escape. This looked like exactly the book I was searching for. About 20% in, I stopped - and put it away for months. Reason? The body horror. It disgusted me, and I couldn't get those images out of my mind. But ... I wanted to follow through on my commitment to read and review the book, so ... here I am. I made it through. So what were my thoughts in the end?

The main characters - Loved them. Genuinely loved them. I felt connected to both Clara and Xavier, but Xavier was the one I will ultimately remember from the story. He was sweet, but flawed. Innocent, but calculating. A dreamer, crushed by his family's expectations. His ending is satisfying mostly because it will be the outcome that brings the most joy to his life. It's what needed to happen. None of the characters were wholly good or wholly bad. They made choices, and those choices were both immature and wise, courageous and cowardly. Their reactions felt flawed, real, and entirely plausible.

I did not appreciate that it felt like the author was checking off boxes for socially acceptable YA fantasy. It felt very much not genuine, and honestly, stilted the storyline for me, especially considering the setting. Yes, fantasy, but a Victorian-era fantasy. Each of those moments pulled me out of the story with a, "wait- what?" reaction.

So, yeah. I enjoyed some elements of the story, but it was very much not the book for me. I do appreciate the chance to read it however, and thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity. All opinions expressed are my own.

Content Considerations:
- Absent parent themes
- Descriptive body horror
- Emphasis on mental health, primarily depression (melancholy)
- Negative inner voices & feelings of inadequacy / societal outcast
- Dangers of attempting to medicate with illegal substances
- Trans character who identifies with they/them pronouns
- MM relationship (peripheral character)
- FF relationship (peripheral character)
- Bi character central to plot
- No language concerns, other than 1-2 common British swears
- No spice, other than chaste kisses

Flowerheart is a lighthearted and flowery childhood friends to lovers romance with magic. It's reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle and Studio Ghibli films. It has themes tackling self-doubt and anxiety. However, the fantasy is lackluster compared to Ghibli. The drama was not enough for me to be engrossed. In the end, I found myself frustrated with what this book COULD have been. All of the elements necessary are there but so much of it wilted away. There are flowers without the stems and leaves to stand and grow on. The atmosphere is the main driving force. There were plot threads that could have been explored more if the romance was set aside for just a moment. Regardless of the faults of the book, it is a good read for a rainy day and a cup of tea. I just wish there was a side scone to complement it all.
Also~ I really loved the subtle inclusion! Clara is bi. There's a black trans woman. A side character uses they/them pronouns. Even though the representation was mostly relegated the background, I still appreciated it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

3.5/5 ⭐️
This was a cute cozy fantasy. I’m not sure if it’s because my tiktok feed is randomly filled with clips from Studio Ghibli films, but when I read this book, I imagined it looking like one of those movies. I think the story also sort fit a Ghibli film vibes.
I really enjoyed the way their magic was connected to emotions, especially anxiety and depression. I also adored Clara and Xavier’s relationship and how they helped one another. Even if I am a little bitter about what happened to Xavier at the end. I kept hoping it would be reversed.
I think the story was good, but could’ve been dug deeper into. There were some scenes that felt rushed and others that felt heavy handed. If it was stretched out a little, showing us smaller moments that built up, I think it would’ve meant more. Still, I would definitely recommend this book to others who want a semi-cozy fantasy read that you can definitely enjoy on one rainy afternoon.
Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins for providing an advance reader copy for my honest review.

Flowerheart is my perfect fantasy read. There's not hundreds of pages of world building and a complex magic system the reader has to learn to enjoy it, just a girl with magic so wild she can't control it, and the boy who is tasked with helping her do so. Our main character is Clara, a sweet but stubborn magic user whose touch alone can cause chaos. When her power ends up poisoning her father, her old childhood friend, Xavier, agrees to help her in exchange for a high price. As they work together, Clara comes to terms with the feelings she's always had for him. The scope of this novel is very small, and while much of the conflict is rooted in magic, it also feels like a romance at heart. This is very much a cozy fantasy, with really great cottage core vibes. If you're into that, read this. This would also be a great starter fantasy for young readers. I really loved this book. The romance made me swoon, and I truly gasped aloud at a few plot reveals.

**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic copy of this book!*

Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell
⭐⭐⭐.5/5
🌶️/4

Clara Lucas is a struggling witch, who's only dream is to be inducted into the Magic Council. Unfortunately, her magic has other plans. She's never been able to control the wildness inside her. When her magic unfortunately curses her father, she makes a vow with her old best friend-turned master magician in order to heal him. On top of learning how to heal her farher, there's a strange potion going around that is causing horrible illness and it's up to her teacher to find the cure. As they struggle with their feelings and hidden secrets, will either one of them be able to reach their goal?

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and I was super excited when I realized I was selected to receive an ARC. This is a cute and cozy fantasy romance. I absolutely loved all the representation in this book, and it gives me hope that other authors will follow suit. There are trans characters, the main character is bisexual, there are gay parents, a nonbinary character, etc. So much representation that tends to be missing from so many books. The author weaves these in flawlessly as well, not bringing them to attention, just letting them BE. Which is exactly how it should be, and it was very refreshing to read. This was a very charming book, but I was a little disappointed with it overall. The romance also fell a little flat for me. There was great build up but then the actual confession just didn't work for me. It made it feel less real and more random.

***Spoilers below***
Now, other reviews I saw mentioned the book being kind of slow/boring, and that is something I have to agree with. The first 75% was great. I didn't mind it at all, I actually liked the homely, cottagecore feel to it and it was nice. But it seemed like the main conflict was blessing/healing her father, and when that happened, it felt like a good ending. But they added in the evil potion subplot, and it just fell flat for me. It was like, the book didn't have much action and felt slow, but at the same time, everything seemed to be happening really fast. According to the story, blessings are so hard even master witches can't perform them, but Clara learns how in 2 weeks. Then this mystery potion and illness has been going on for months, and the day after Clara harnesses her powers, she finds a cure. It all just felt so rushed and convenient.
***End Spoilers***

Overall, my opinion on this book is good. It's nothing I'll probably read again, but I don't regret reading it either. It was sweet and simple. A good read to take your mind off the real world 🩷

Clara has always had uncontrollable magic, often flared by those pesky teenage emotions, but one day she accidentally causes poisonous flowers to start blooming on her father. The only way she can heal him is if she learns how to cast a Blessing, which only her former childhood friend can teach her. She must become his apprentice and learn how to save her father. This world is vibrant but also so much of this book is very soothing, like an ambience room.

While this world and book was entertaining, it did read much younger at times. It often felt more like middle grade vs YA. That being said, I think it will be a great read for teenagers who are learning to navigate all of these new feelings and emotions that they have.

DNF at a little over 30%. Certain characters started to have very repetitive monologues and it felt too YA for me. However I am not in the YA age range so please take this review with a grain of salt.

The story was cute enough, not really Tamora Pierce, but interesting, then the ending happened with all its consequences. I think I'm the only one that read into the magical system and the mental health issues the way I did, but honestly, I find it hard to read it any other way, and while that might not be anyone else's read of it, I can't rate it anything but what I read it as. The issue is that, as some people pointed out, the story can get a little preachy at the end, so it just seemed to hit that point harder and harder.

I don't know whether I can recommend it. The whole of the book leads up her discover and realization of this point of her magic and the issues that stem from it, so unfortunately, I can't say without spoiling it whether you'll enjoy the reveal.

This was such a pleasure to read! Everything from the worldbuilding to the characters was beautifully done. I loved how the writing style of this book really fit Clara's character. Wonderful, flowery, romantic writing. Clara's story was so beautiful to read and I loved watching her and Xavier find each other again. I love this book. For some reason, it reminded me a bit of Howl's Moving Castle (book and movie.)