Sixteen-year-old Clara Lucas’s wild magic sets fires and breaks windows— and has now grown flowers in her father’s lungs. To save him, she makes a dangerous bargain with the local wizard, who happens to be her childhood best friend.

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.

Flowerheart on the HarperCollins site

Edelweiss

NetGalley

Goodreads

EpicReads - HarperTeen’s Instagram

Some of my favorite local indies:

Main Street Books

The Novel Neighbor

Left Bank Books

'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

“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