A cozy cottage-core romance akin to Howl's Moving Castle, Flowerheart follows a young witch as she struggles to control her magic. Following a spell gone awry that leaves her father slowly dying, she seeks help from a past childhood friend. The cost of his help may come at too high a cost. This story weaves a cozy tale of a girl trying to not only mend her magic, but the relationship she once had with her friend Xavier. Flowerheart encapsulates witchy, romantic, cottage-core vibes, while still creating commentary around self acceptance, even the parts we can’t control. Finding the strength in one's own self is the true magic of this story.
-Kels
— From Kels's Picks“Flowerheart is like a garden in full bloom: vibrant and sweet, whimsical and wondrous.” —Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic
Perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Tamora Pierce, this standalone YA debut is a stunning cottagecore fantasy romance about a girl with powerful and violent magic which she must learn to control—or lose everything she loves.
Clara’s magic has always been wild. But it’s never been dangerous. Then a simple touch causes poisonous flowers to bloom in her father’s chest.
The only way to heal him is to cast an extremely difficult spell that requires perfect control. And the only person willing to help is her former best friend, Xavier, who’s grown from a sweet, shy child into someone distant and mysterious.
Xavier asks a terrible price in return, knowing Clara will give anything to save her father. As she struggles to reconcile the new Xavier with the boy she once loved, she discovers how many secrets he’s hiding. And as she hunts for the truth, she instead finds the root of a terrible darkness that’s taken hold in the queendom—a darkness only Clara’s magic is powerful enough to stop.
Catherine Bakewell is a writer, artist, and opera enthusiast. She has lived in Spain and in France, where she romped through gardens, ate pastries, and worked on her novels.
"An uplifting and meaningful tale bursting with floral imagery and cottagecore aesthetics." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A comfort read with the super cute slow-burn childhood friends-to-lovers trope and an enchanting, whimsical setting." — USA Today
"A gentle love story and a fantasy that faces the dark voices of anxiety and depression with mettle." — Kirkus Reviews
"Peppered with moving moments of comfort, self-reflection and joy, Flowerheart is an intimate, charming read." — BookPage
"An enchanting fantasy filled with lovely imagery and a sweet romance." — School Library Journal
"A mystical, cozy, and utterly spellbinding tale complete with whimsical world-building and characters you can’t help but love. It’s best read with a warm cup of tea." — barnesandnoble.com
"Perfect for those readers who found Bakewell’s middle-grade fantasy We Are the Song (2022) spellbinding." — Booklist Online
"Flowerheart is like a garden in full bloom: vibrant and sweet, whimsical and wondrous. With warm, lovely prose and a charming cast, Bakewell’s YA debut is guaranteed to be fantasy fans’ new comfort read." — Allison Saft, New York Times-bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic
"Sparkly, charming, and swoony, Flowerheart is a warm cup of tea on a rainy afternoon. Bakewell's unique magical world, beautiful prose, and childhood friends-to-strangers-to-lovers romance cast an undeniable spell." — Sasha Peyton Smith, New York Times-bestselling author of The Witch Haven
"Wholesome, sweet, and warm—this book swept me into a magical, whimsical world with delightful characters and compelling stakes. Make a space for FLOWERHEART on your shelves." — Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling author
“A lovely tale full of magic and hope, Flowerheart tells a story of family, of love, and of finding the strength to be wholly ourselves. This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you turn the final page.” — Jessica S. Olson, author of A Forgery of Roses
"A beautiful flower garden of a book, Catherine Bakewell's YA debut is an ode to softness and inner strength. Readers will fall in love with Clara and her determination to protect those she loves." — Lyndall Clipstone, author of Lakesedge and Forestfall
"FLOWERHEART bursts with beauty, hope, and warmth. A rich, imaginative fantasy that I savored like wandering through a lush garden I never wanted to leave." — Emily Bain Murphy, author of Splinters of Scarlet
"A gorgeous debut—as fresh and beautiful as the flowers its protagonist grows with her magic." — Cyla Panin, author of Stalking Shadows and Beguiled
