Good pacing - made it about 38% through before I put this book on an indefinite pause. 🤷🏻‍♀️ something about it made me put it down and now I don’t see myself picking it back up but I’m not classifying it as a DNF because I’m not sure

LOVEEEE a cottagecore fantasy romance, this book was so sweet! Also the cover was STUNNING, huge shout out to the artist. Thank you for the early copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

DNF @ 38%

I tried, I really did. Sadly, I could get through this because the main character is so unbearable. That might be just a me problem, but I hated reading about a weak protagonist who couldn’t control anything and would just cry when she created problems. Clara is also obsessed with Xavier for no real reason.

3 Stars

Tldr: Cottagecore fantasy where the main character has a great, healthy relationship with her father and also a soft, sweet love interest but the catch is he has his own problems on top of trying to help fix the main characters problems

Review:
This book felt a little too much like Howl's Moving Castle. Xavier is strikingly similar to Howl, and the whole flower meadow thing was pulled straight from the movie. Seeing such a resemblance to the book/movie made me a bit sad because I wanted a unique story with similar vibes. I do acknowledge it is different, elements of it are almost copy/paste. This is why I deducted 1 star.

That aside, I did absolutely devour this book in one day. I did love the general vibe of this book. I love the good relationship Clara had with her dad and the slow rekindling of Xavier and Clara's friendship/love.

I felt the ending of this book was rushed. There are some things that I would have liked to have been explained better (ex. why the removal of magic is permanent but transference is not, is everyones magic somewhat sentient, and Xavier's family dynamic). I felt that going through with the removal of Xavier's magic did not fit with the tone of the book. I also did not like how the magic he loved--that was stripped from him--felt quickly forgotten and we didn't get to see him grieve it's loss/cope more with the aftermath, all while Clara is granted her title and the ending seemed to be **all about Clara**, and not about the partnership that Clara and Xavier formed. The treatment of Xavier's character at the end of the book is the reason I deducted another star. I think there were better ways to handle his resolution.

I DID appreciate how Clara being bisexual was just casually mentioned and not a plot point, but a facet of her character. I like that it makes her a queer character, but at the same time, it did seem like an afterthought. I think just a few sentences elaborating on it (ex. Past girl crush, or a specific time with a girl) would have made it seem a bit more thoughtful.

Despite that, I would still recommend this book to young readers wanting fantasy, romance, and soft cottagecore vibes from a book or someone craving something Howl's Moving Castle-esque.

I was granted a digital ARC of this book.

"When I was like this, basking in a summer morning, it felt like I was back where I belonged."

Loved this book so much! I'd describe it as a sweet, cottage core, witchy read. This book was my salvation after suffering through a few not grate at all reads. First of all the cover is absolutely gorgeous. I loved how flowers were tied in to the main characters magic. If you are a lover or nature/flowers and magic I highly recommend. I loved the world this book was set in and the main characters were all very likeable. It gave be Howls moving castle vibes at some points just aesthetic wise. There were points at which I was very confused about the characters ages dialog wise at some parts it felt underdeveloped but then situational wise I was like they have to be older than this... It felt to down the middle to me you could almost classify it as middle grade and not YA. The romance was cute and I wish there was more to it than there was.

Overall I really Loved this book so much! Deff recommend!!

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. The plot was intriguing and the cover was GORGEOUS, but the characters and writing fell flat for me. It was still an enjoyable read, but I wanted to enjoy it more. There were so many good things going for this book. But for me it didn’t fully bloom (pun intended.)

Part of this review appeared on Goodreads with a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the opportunity to read something new!

I am very thankful to have been given an eARC copy from NetGalley and my review will be 100% honest

I really, really enjoyed this book! I thought the magic system was unique and this world was so colorful, it was pretty unique compared to my past reads. I liked that the romance wasn’t instant in an obsessive way, it was slow with the angst of past love that never has the chance to blossom. Xavier wasn’t the brooding type, which is my usual type, but he was still fun to read about, and Clara wasn’t annoying.

The only things I wasn’t 100% in love with was the ending. I think her joining the council was a bit extreme, she barely had control over her powers and didn’t have a lot of knowledge in the first place past flowers and potions. The other was Emily being cured so fast, I think it the potion took a few days to take effect it would add more tension of Xavier and Clara being nervous that maybe, just maybe, they didn’t find a cure. Sort of a “courage is great, but having doubts is natural and couldn’t just disappear completely”

Last, I hate Imogen (love the name though) and Xaviers Dad so much. A negligent mother who abandons her child to sell drugs and an emotionally abusive father who shouldn’t be allowed to interact with his children because he’ll do damage to all of them.

All in all, extremely enjoyable and I will be keeping an eye out for any future (and past) books by Catherine Bakewell

I received an eARC of this book for review from HarperCollins Children's Books via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
• The Brief: Flowerheart is an engaging YA fantasy romance novel with a single POV. It is a quick, intriguing read, although it does have some thematic challenges.
• This will appeal to anyone searching for a sweet friends-to-lovers genre romance in a fantasy setting with flower magic.

Flowerheart is a coming of age story about Clara’s struggles to accept and harness her magic and reestablish a relationship with her childhood friend Xavier. Unfortunately, her magic is uncooperative and Xavier is secretive. The added shadow of her treasonous mother makes it difficult for her to succeed.

The prose is clear and compelling and the plot is interesting, although not particularly innovative. It isn’t hard to get drawn into the story. Unfortunately, the character work and magic system are consistent but surface-level. It would have greatly benefited from including Xavier’s POV: both in the romance development and to provide depth to the world building as the more skilled magic worker.

I enjoyed the effortless diversity along with the readability of the language and plot. I did feel uncomfortable with the depiction of depression and its treatment. <spoiler>The condition of ‘melancholy’ isn’t well described – even though Xavier’s major motivation is the love of his sister who has the condition. In addition, any attempt to treat mental illness is restricted because the results are akin to hallucinogens. </spoiler> I strongly wish this plot thread had been handled with more care. Overall, this is a fine casual reading experience.

CW: drug use & depression

I was initially pulled to this book because of it's comparison to Tamora Pierce books. Flowerheart was a whimsical fantasy that clipped along at a good pace. I enjoyed the immediate conflict of her mother and the threat to remove her magic from the council and the high stakes of her endangered father for the main character.

Thanks to HarperTeen and NetGalley for providing me with this beautiful ARC in exchange for an honest review!

'Flowerheart' follows Clara, a witch without control of her powerful magic who has been denied certification and given a difficult choice- she can have her magic bound, or she can lose it entirely. When her childhood friend Xavier steps into the mix, Clara finds herself digging deeper into herself than she ever had before.

Filled with beautifully and naturally written characters in a compelling world, 'Flowerheart' delivers on it's themes; romance, angst, and growth. Clara's magic is both beautiful and chaotic, filled with meaning and purpose whether she intends it or not, and she feels so deeply about things; it reminded me of what it felt like to be a teenage girl, magic or otherwise.

Perfect for fans of 'Howl's Moving Castle', this YA debut is sure to attract attention, congratulations to Catherine Bakewell on a job well done. An excellent gift to teens of all identities and for anyone who loves a good book.

Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell is the story of teenage Clara who is unable to control her magic, resulting in a horrific accident in which her father has flowers growing in his lungs. In order to heal her father, she must make a deal with her estranged childhood friend, Xavier. In exchange for lessons to teach her how to harness her magic, Clara must agree to surrender her powers to Xavier as soon as her father is healed. As the two work together to help heal her father, a magical potion which falsely promises a cure to melancholy is distributed amongst the queendom, trapping the people who take it into a dreamworld which they're unable to escape. As the situation grows more dire, Clara's disobedient magic may be the only thing strong enough to save not only her father, but the entire queendom.

I cannot say enough good things about this novel. It's the emotional equivalent of cuddling up in a warm blanket and sitting in front of a fire with tea and a favorite book. In general, Bakewell does an astounding job of telling beautiful, resounding, stories of young people dealing with high stakes and trauma, all the while providing a level of detail that shows she's done her research. The descriptions of magic, flowers, and potions were magnificent, taking me straight into Clara and Xavier's world. If there's any goodness in this world, this book is just the first in a series. I'd love to see more of Clara and Xavier taking on the world side by side.

Many thanks to HarperTeen and NetGalley for providing me with this lovely ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Clara's magic is strong and her control is lacking. The magical council decides that she is too dangerous to be left at full strength, but before they can bind her power, she accidentally curses her father. Now she needs to master her magic with the help of an old childhood friend, Xavier, before time runs out.

This was a gentle, quick read with good world building and an engaging plot. Not sure I'd read it again, but it enjoyed it well enough.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

this book was so sweet!! if i was like, 10 years old, i absolutely would've gobbled this up. i still loved it, even though i'm beyond the target audience for this novel. it depicts such an adorable journey of growth and happiness and love, and the author's note at the end about how this book helped her combat her own mental health issues was so moving. also the aesthetics in the book were so on point :) i loved this!

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell is a YA fantasy with romantic elements that’s also pretty dark in moments. Or maybe just darker than I expected.

Here, witch Clara Danielle Lucas’s magic can hurt people, like her beloved father, & her mother is a dangerous witch who’s broken from away from magic’s governing body—The Council—& basically makes dangerous magic available to whoever can pay for it.

Against the odds—her scandalous witch background, her unpredictable & strong magic, Clara learns how to wield her magic with the help of her estranged best friend Xavier.

The queer rep in this book is fantastic & the characters are complicated in an intriguing way. This book features 16 year old-ish protagonists & the writing style feels reflective of that to me.

I wanted more from this story but I can definitely see it appealing to lots of readers who want a sweet fantasy with notes of dangerous & risk.

3.5⭐️. Out now!

[ID: a white hand holds the ebook in front of a white bookcase & a wood desk with red tulips in a glass vase on top.]

Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell is a whimsical young adult cottage core fantasy about a girl named Clara, a pariah of her town because despite being one of the lucky ones to be born with magic, hers is wild, uncontrollable, and impossible to train. We begin the book with her causing seemingly irreparable harm to her father and her running off to find help. She ends up in Xavier’s house, a practicing magician and ex-childhood friend, who she binds herself and her magic to in exchange for his help in healing her father.

The book has a very vast representation of queer characters and a very sensitive and well written commentary on mental illness including anxiety, depression, insecurity, and substance abuse.

I myself struggle with crippling anxiety so at one point Clara’s struggles really hit far too close to home and it trigger me quite a bit. So fair warning to anyone struggling on these issues when reading this novel.

But overall, the book was beautiful. Although the plot was predictable, and I did wish more for depth on some of the secondary characters - the novel as a whole was wonderfully written with lyrical prose and lush imagery. The book reads exactly like how the book cover looks and feels as if you’re strolling through a field of flowers on the first day they bloom in spring.

The story was extremely uplifting - its full of hope and healing and strength. It was one of those books that I had to stop and re-read the last chapter through blurry vision because I was deeply touched.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an eARC from HarperTeen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My full review can be read at Twin Cities Geek by clicking the attached link.

I enjoy reading this book! This book has a cosy,cottage core element and it’s perfect for fans who enjoy reading or watching studio ghibli. The romance is cute and heartwarming. I was very intrigue on the flower magic concept and it was a perfect book to read in the spring.

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins, and HarperTeen for allowing me to read this book!!!

I wanted to enjoy Flowerheart. Everything down to the cover screams me; however, I disliked the way disabilities were being represented. The main character, Clara, is unable to control her magical abilities where most magic users can. Clara's inability to control her magic is a metaphor for a disablity. The council memebers view Clara as a liability. Unless if she learns to control her magic. Personally, for me I felt like they were pushing the narative of people with disabilities needing to overcome said disability. Additionally, it felt like Clara was served as an inspiration for others for overcoming said disability.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. Cottages, flowers, potions, and a pg romance? Yes please! This story was so well told and the struggles of our main character, Clara, are easily related to non-magical challenges that we all may face. Specifically, negative self talk, self-doubt, lack of trust, and mental illness. At times this books was horrifying and heartbreaking, and at others it felt like heartwarming joy and sunshine, I mean both of those in the best way. So glad I picked this one up!

Team Clavier! This story gripped me from the beginning and didn't let go. Flower magic is such a unique concept, as are the ways in which magic can go so terribly wrong despite wanting to use it for good. Clara and Xavier are both dealing with their own demons throughout the story, and I loved watching them come together (despite motives) to save not only Clara's father, but their community. What a gem of a story, and I can't wait to read more from Catherine Bakewell!