I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell, focuses on themes of family, friendship, magic and coming of age. Clara Lucas has been training with multiple witches and wizards for five years. Yet, after all this time, her magical abilities refuse to obey her. The Council of Magicians judges her dangerous and gives her the choice of having her magic removed, or accepting a binding spell that will cause pain if she uses her ability.

Her childhood friend, Xavier Morwyn, is the only council member who objects to the decision. Her father also objects, but because he is not magical, the council doesn't pay heed to it.

After the Council members leave, Clara inadvertently curses her father when he attempts to comfort her. Azaleas sprout from his chest and he quickly becomes gravely ill.

Because she is the only one who can possibly remove the curse, the council suspends their plans.

Xavier becomes her teacher, despite his own troubles. He endeavors to teach Clara how to perform a blessing to save her father. His secrets interfere with the training, but time is running out for both of them.

Each flower has its own significance and gives information about the emotions and motives of the characters.

The ending leaves open the possibility of a sequel. It could be the beginning of a successful series.

# Flowerheart

3/5 stars

This was a fun little cozy-ish fantasy with intriguing stakes!

Let me start off with the things I did like: I liked the world-building and the politics of the world and I could easily get lost in it. I thought it was inventive, fun, and unique. I wanted a lot more of the magic system and more information on the world.

The things I did not like was the pacing of the novel. I think there was a lot things happening with the plot which, due to the standalone-ness of the novel, and the length, felt like the individual plot points didn’t get as much attention as they needed to feel completed and finished. I feel like there was a lot of repetition with how the MC was trained which could have been spent on closing out the conflict with her mother or fleshing out how her magic functioned.

With every kind of shoved toward the end, it made the book feel like it was meant to be either longer or part of a duology and made the conclusion feel rushed and not as satisfied.

This cottagecore fantasy was full of gentle romance, unique magic, and realistic characters. The world-building was wonderfully done and simultaneously felt both cozy and dark. The writing was bewitching and descriptive and I loved how real the characters and their shortcomings were, even amongst the fantastical magic that was happening. I particularly loved the use of flowers and their meanings throughout the novel. There was a beautiful message of loving people in spite of their mistakes that was so honest and something we could all learn from. The discussions about depression were full of care and understanding. The representation was excellent and I really appreciated when a character verbally expressed that they were transgender. I am finding more and more LGBTQIA+ representation in fantasy lately that is explicitly acknowledged and normalized and it’s fantastic!! There were so many different relationships depicted. The familial relationships were complex and true to life. The teacher and student relationships were varied and satisfying. Clara and Xavier’s relationship was complicated and sweet. I loved how their story ended and while the conclusion was a bit abrupt, I think I felt that way mostly because I had come to care about them so much and wanted more of them.

If you love cozy fantasies, realistic and complicated relationships, and unique magic systems, I would highly recommend this novel!!

Content warnings: depression, poison, vomiting, parent sickness and wounds, substance abuse, absent parent, nonconsensual enchantment

Such a great, fantastical read. I would definitely recommend for fans of cottagecore or floriography. The flowers and meanings that pop up throughout add a little extra fun for the reader. This is a fun book that I would suggest for fans of Howl's Moving Castle.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a free digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book gives strong Studio Ghibli vibes and you know what? I'm here for it. This is such a cute, unique, and wonderful story. I think I saw somewhere that this was also "cottagecore fantasy" and there are no lies detected!

I really enjoyed the relationship Clara had with her father and I feel like there aren't enough positive parent/children relationships in stories. Yes, okay, is Clara's mother horrible? I mean, who are we to police morality? I feel like that's definitely a blurred line in this book and I think there's a lot to Clara's mother and even the Council as a whole that could easily be explored more in another book. The relationship between Clara and her childhood friend, Xavier, was equally endearing but also a bit heartbreaking. Xavier has to live up to a lot in terms of his family name and his father's expectations and you see the toll it takes on him. I had a funny feeling that there would a bit of a twist to his story and I was right. I appreciated how he admitted that things weren't well and he was only trying to help situations, and I also think that he and Clara make an excellent team. Sometimes it was hard to imagine that these are just teenagers because they both go through so much.

I'm glad Clara had the confidence of her past teachers, too, despite the circumstances. Clara is all-in-all a good and humble character who puts the needs of others before herself. I really liked the exploration of depression, or what the books calls "melancholy" (at least I interpreted it as depression), and how people are willing to try anything to help themselves come out of it.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I hope there are more books set in this world because as I said before, there's so much more to explore and I think we're just skimming the surface.

Thank you to HarperTeen, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on March 14, 2023.

Clara Lucas’s unpredictable magic has always been a bit disobedient, but never truly threatening. Still, as she doesn’t have complete control over her powers and the deadline for her to become an official witch is approaching, the Council (an organization including her former childhood best friend, Xavier Morwyn) offers Clara one of two options: bind her magic—usually a punishment for criminals—or remove it entirely, especially as they fear Clara’s absent mother will use it for her own nefarious ends. After a discussion with her father regarding this possibility, during which Clara gets increasingly agitated, her magic finally does react in a dangerous, harmful way: by growing poisonous flowers in her father’s lungs. Xavier agrees to try and coach Clara through casting a blessing in order to cure her father; in exchange, he wants her magic. But for what?

Wow, I just love Cat’s writing. Her books feel so comforting, even when they’re dealing with difficult moments or negative emotions, and really make the page feel like a safe space for the character and the reader to process both. The intersection of magic and mental health in this book is so well done, and not only in the case of Clara, for whom magic and anxiety are tightly intertwined; I also loved how the search for a magical solution to depression formed a large part of the plot. I know there are maybe some issues with that as a concept, but I do feel that many sides of how that may play out ethically or how it would affect those who do have mental illness are explored, and in this case it is motivating to both Clara and Xavier on a couple levels. The way Clara’s tumultuous relationship with her magic, which seems to have a mind of its own, comes to a head made me fully unable to put the book down until I finished the entire unexpectedly touching scene of reckoning with one’s self, doubts, and power.

Cottagecore is definitely a perfect descriptor for this book, and combined with its Howl’s Moving Castle*-esque whimsy (the doors!), it’s easy to be drawn into this emotionally enchanting novel. Those are the other elements of it that I adore; in particular, flower language has always been intriguing to me, and I thought the way it was incorporated into different contexts (a warning from magic, multiple meanings, etcetera) was so clever! The majority of the characters were so supportive and delightful, too (Robin and Madam Ben Ammar and Xavier fan club member here!), and the final image of the book left me with so much joy in my heart.

If you’re looking for a heroine whose strength is in being gentle and compassionate, or a book that makes you feel as if you’re walking through a garden in full bloom with a warm, gentle breeze, this is the new floral fantasy for you this spring!

The Flowerheart was an amazing story! I wish more stories gave me all the feels that this did. Confidence, love and hope and every beautiful and heartfelt flower in the world joined in the words of Catherine Bakewell!!🌸🍀🌹🌿🌼🍄🪸🌾🪷 Bravo 👏!!! Looking forward to more in the story of Clara and Xavier ❤️❤️❤️

This book was so much fun and so cozy! I would definitely relate it to a young adult version of Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. Would definitely tell a reader that is looking to get into fantasy to check this one out!

Interesting worldbuilding and magic, interesting discussions surrounding mental health, very queernormative which I appreciated (and the mc s queer though this only comes up a few times). All in all, it was a fine book, just one I unfortunately wasn’t compelled or excited by.

this was such a fab way to spend a sunday morning🌸🌿🌺🪷🍃
this book is firstly just a gorgeous little world (comparable to maybe like ‘wild beauty’?), populated with so many wonderful characters, and it has so much casually great representation (the enby supporting character is actually the loml!), but also an interesting story and magic system and message!
i don’t think the metaphors here or the themes are anything completely groundbreaking, but as a fantasy book for young people, it is really giving you exactly what you’d hope for. i’d happily rec this to any 7-12 classroom, and i definitely think it’s a fabulous springtime read for anyone who needs a break from the ongoing snow and darkness of the world (and don’t we all need that???) 4.5/5 stars from me 🤗

This was a light fantasy with strong cottage core vibes. It felt a little young to me, lower YA/upper MG. I think this would suit high-low readers looking to escape for a bit into a light fantasy, without it being too complex or high stakes.

The cover looks straight out of a Studio Ghibli movie....let's just say I'm intrigued.

This book is about a witch with wacky powers who accidentally curses her father, and tries to learn enough control and mastery over her magic to cure him.

I thought this was the definition of cozy and wholesome. I enjoyed the descriptions of the wizard shops and loved the magic based in flowers and their meanings. I hesitate to say low-stakes because Clara's father was on death's door, but everything managed to feel that way to me. Overall, a nice light read.

<i>I received an ARC from HarperTeen</i>

As HarperCollins has finally reached a fair contract with the HC Union, I am now sharing my review of this book.

FLOWERHEART is a 'cottagecore' fantasy, which I think is a pretty rare find. Personally I do not think there's a lot of worldbuilding here, but what there is works well enough and complements the setting and atmosphere of the story. The book's vibe is pretty cozy as well and quite perfect for a chill, snuggly read.

The book is not very plot-heavy, however, and it fails to make me feel invested in the world, story, and characters. The stakes are supposedly high, but somehow they do not quite translate into the whole reading experience. As a result of the aforementioned sense of disconnect, there is not a lot of emotional impact from the read as well.

I’ve been in a cozy fantasy mood recently and this definitely scratched that itch. It was so sweet and lovely and the stakes were so low I never felt nervous about what happened next in the best way.

This is a lower-YA, close to middle grade, coming of age story about a young witch who’s struggling to control her magic the way her peers do. When she finds her power out of her control once again, her old friend helps her realize the strength to control her magic has been in her the whole time. It’s a friends-to-lovers story that is teeth rottingly sweet til the end.

The only reason this isn’t 5 stars is because it felt a bit rushed at parts. We were training and learning for so long, and then a quick burst of conclusion. Then we’re doing more slow exposition, then another burst of conclusion. The pacing was not off enough to bother me significantly, but it did make me feel like the important end to plot points were being quickly swept away so we could focus back on our main heroes. Overall it was cute and sweet and whimsical enough for that not to matter much!

A big thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for gifting an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy cottage vibes with a sprinkling of magic gone awry, sign me up!

Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell is a YA cozy fantasy that follows Clara and her crazed magic, which always seems to have a mind of its own. But it has never hurt anyone, until it plants an poisonous flower in her father's chest. And the only way to heal him, is for Clara to apprentice under her childhood best friend, Xavier. But his help comes at a price, in the form of Clara giving up her magic should she not be able to save her father. Throw in some angst, and the theme that Clara's chaotic magic is the only one able to stop the darkness from overpowering the kingdom, and there you have Flowerheart.

I feel like this was a wonderful book to follow my obsession with Sorcery of Thorns and Mysteries of Hawthorn manor. Though I do wish, I had it sooner than latter. But I am glad to have read it all the same, and will eagerly wait for my finished copy to arrive in the mail (hopefully) soon.

Though I knew what Flowerheart was about, I didn’t know what I was expecting. But I found myself immersed in the gorgeous prose and pictures painted by Catherine Bakewell's words. This was a stunning novel and I can’t recommend it enough. Cat, I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

Flowerheart had all the makings of a great book, and I really wanted to love it, but I felt that it didn't quite hit the mark for me. It was such a cool world and idea, but unfortunately I spent most of the book a bit confused. I really wished that the world had been explored a bit more, especially the magic system, because I didn't understand the how of most of it. There were also so many things happening that it felt a bit rushed, and I kept hoping for the story to slow down and give more focus to fewer things.
I liked the world that was built (the cottage core vibes were on point), and liked the characters, I just didn't feel like I fully understood what was going on, though I do admit part of my disappointed was likely contributed to by the hype. I also recognize that it was an ARC, so I still have hopes for the final copy! But I did, again, love the vibes and all the different mentions of flowers and their meanings, especially when talking about making potions.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Flowerheart is a cozy, comfort read that warms you to the soul. I adored the magical characters, and the cottagecore world the author built for them. The stakes never seemed too high, which leant to a nice, easy, enjoyable reading experience. I especially found the main character, Clara, interesting. Clara struggles to contain her untamed magic, and throughout the book, her magic taunts her and makes her doubt herself. At the beginning of the book, I thought maybe Clara herself was having these thoughts – but no, it is literally her magic goading her. For me personally, I saw her magic as a metaphor for anxiety and self-doubt, and watching Clara come to terms with her magic and learn how to control it was heartwarming. Another aspect I loved is how Bakewell packed this book with well written LGBT characters, and being queer is normalized in the fantasy world she built.

My only complaint is that this is standalone book – I would love for this to be a series, so we could explore some aspects of the world in greater depth. For instance, an illegal potion called “Euphoria” is introduced as a cure for “melancholy”, which is synonymous with depression. Euphoria failed to cure its users, and instead caused them to become stuck in a never-ending dreamlike state. For whatever reason in the world of Flowerheart, using magic to help with “melancholy” isn’t legal – I feel that a second book would help explore this plot further, and hopefully discuss why it isn’t legal to treat “melancholy”. It felt like this plot in particular wrapped up rather quickly at the end of the novel.

Overall, I definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a nice, cozy read while drinking a cup of tea!

4⭐️ This was SO delightful to read. For those looking for a cozy cottage core fantasy, look no further.

The story was fast paced, and kept my attention throughout the whole book. The magic system was so cool, and all the characters (especially the side characters) were amazing. I hope we get to see some of them have their own books.

I do wish the romance was a little more developed, but I was still invested in the characters happiness.

Also, whoever designed this cover needs a raise because it’s so stunning.

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

This is complete cottage-core fantasy with a female main character that gave me strong Anne of Green Gables vibes. (I LOVED this book!!!)

Clara, who wears puffy sleeve dresses (iykyk), has chaotic flowery, beautiful magic that is controlling her and not the other way around. While weeping in her father's arms after the court of witches chose to give her one day until they bind her magic, she accidentally harms her father with that same magic.

So yes, this proves her magic is completely out of control and dangerous.So, new plan, she becomes an apprentice under Xavier, a very handsome wizard who will teach her how to give her father a blessing, which will heal him.

She learns way more than she's bargained for, although not all is bad. Xavier is still just as handsome and kind as ever, but he is struggling with his own powers in a different way. She also learns more about an illegal potion named Euphoria that seems to be an attempt to cure depression, or melancholy, that has some very negative effects. This lends the story a deeper meaning by giving credence to mental health issues just as much as any other sickness or hurt.

Out March 14, 2023!