Tahira in Bloom by Farah Heron (TLC Book Tour)

 

What is your favorite young adult novel?

Tahira Janmohammad is seventeen and very goal oriented to become a fashion designer.  She works on using her social media to give her a presence, but she knows she needs a good internship.  When her planned internship falls apart, she instead decides to work in her aunt’s boutique in the small town of Bakewell, in Ontario.  Moving from Toronto to Bakewell, the flower capital of the world, is a culture shock.  Tahira is allergic to flowers, but she’s also very annoyed by Rowan Johnston.  Rowan is an attractive recent high school graduate that is obsessed with gardening and is very irritated about Tahira and her seeming social media obsession.  When a major contest can help both Tahira and Rowan’s future careers they decide to work together with their group of friends to try to win.  Will they learn to see eye to eye?  Will they win this contest?

 I enjoyed this young adult novel.  I’ll admit, my favorite part of the novel was that Tahira and Rowan’s enemies to lovers narrative was very Austenesque.  They seemed a lot like a modern-day Lizzie and Darcy.  I LOVED it.  I really loved Tahira’s pluck.  She definitely has setbacks, but she has real goals, and she works towards them.  She was a great character.  I liked how Tahira, and Rowan talk about racism at times through the book and how it has impacted them.  I will admit that I felt personally affronted when Rowan’s sister Juniper is made fun of by his ex-girlfriend for her Bookstagram and YouTube channel talking about books.  Juniper sounds like she would have been my high school friend.    I love the chapter titles.  They were both witty and fun.  The cover is very beautiful as well.

 Overall, Tahira in Bloom is an enjoyable young adult novel with very strong Austenesque vibes.  I loved it!

 Book Source: Review Copy from Amazon Publishing and Skyscape for being a part of the TLC Book Tour.  Thank-you!  I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  

From the Publisher:

Life is full of surprises in a winning novel about a girl dreaming big during one unexpected small-town summer.

When seventeen-year-old aspiring designer Tahira Janmohammad’s coveted fashion internship falls through, her parents have a Plan B. Tahira will work in her aunt’s boutique in the small town of Bakewell, the flower capital of Ontario. It’s only for the summer, and she’ll get the experience she needs for her college application. Plus her best friend is coming along. It won’t be that bad.

But she just can’t deal with Rowan Johnston, the rude, totally obsessive garden-nerd next door with frayed cutoffs and terrible shoes. Not to mention his sharp jawline, smoldering eyes, and soft lips. So irritating. Rowan is also just the plant-boy Tahira needs to help win the Bakewell flower-arranging contest–an event that carries clout in New York City, of all places. And with designers, of all people. Connections that she needs!

No one is more surprised than Tahira to learn that floral design is almost as great as fashion design. And Rowan? Turns out he’s more than ironic shirts and soil under the fingernails. Tahira’s about to find out what she’s really made of–and made for. Because here in the middle of nowhere, Tahira is just beginning to bloom.

About Farah Heron

After a childhood filled with Bollywood, Monty Python, and Jane Austen, Farah Heron constantly wove uplifting happily ever afters in her head while pursuing careers in human resources and psychology. She started writing her stories down a few years ago and is thrilled to see her daydreams become books. The author of Accidentally Engaged and The Chai Factor, Farah writes romantic comedies for adults and teens full of huge South Asian families, delectable food, and most importantly, brown people falling stupidly in love. Farah lives in Toronto with her husband and two teens, a rabbit named Strawberry, and two cats who rule the house. She has way too many hobbies, but her thumb is more brown than green. For more information visit www.farahheron.com.