Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson

Blurb:

A magical florist journeys from the kingdom’s capital to its wild woods to fulfill an unusual request, and stumbles upon friendship, conspiracy, and the buds of new love in this debut cozy fantasy.

The book contains hand-drawn floral sketches inside!

Cursed from birth to always tell the truth, magical florist Felicity “Fliss” Farrow chooses her words carefully to avoid trouble. But when she receives an anonymous request for a mysterious flower, her search leads her directly into trouble’s path: to Willoh Vane.

Fliss knows the outcast—yet teasingly handsome—sorcerer is rumored to have used dark magic to corrupt the northern forest five years ago. She’s witnessed the resulting feud with Prince Bastion, whom her best friend, Card, is soon to marry. Despite her divided loyalty, Fliss reluctantly accepts Will’s help with gathering rare flowers and finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

As the royal wedding approaches, Fliss fears the flowers she’s delivered are intended for a sinister purpose. But when her warnings are ignored, can she and Will save the kingdom from disaster, and ultimately discover what Fliss has sought for so long—the truth.

Review:

Cursed from her birth to always tell the truth no matter what the cost may be, personal or external, Felicity Farrow (who goes by Fliss) is careful to avoid situations where her power might be exposed and abused. She’s especially careful with how she says things to others, in order to avoid saying things she shouldn’t. As a shopkeeper, she busies herself preparing orders of magical flowers to deliver to customers. When an anonymous note appears requesting a mysterious, rare flower, her search for it leads her into a forbidden part of the land where she lives—a forest home to the wicked sorcerer, Willoh Vane.

Felicity knows all about Willoh Vane. Charming, handsome, and a sorcerer of immeasurable power, he’s rumored to have used dark magic to corrupt the forest he lives in several years ago. Having witnessed the feud between Willoh and Bastion, with whom Felicity’s best friend Card is going to marry, she’s desperate to avoid him. But meeting Willoh isn’t like she expects, and he’s not at all the wicked man she’s been led to believe.

Divided in terms of loyalty and belief, Felicity accepts Willoh’s (who goes by Will to friends) aid in gathering rare flowers for the increasingly mysterious orders she receives, forcing her to venture deeper into his forest. She tries to keep her distance, but soon enough, she finds herself adoring him more and more.

As the wedding between Card and Bastion approaches, Felicity worries the flowers she’s been collecting and delivering to an anonymous buyer might be intended for sinister purposes. Her warnings go ignored, however, and she’s forced to rely on the person she’s been trying to resist in order to save the kingdom from a threat bigger than herself: Willoh Vane.

Oh. My. Gosh. I don’t know what genre I would consider this novel; I only know that I loved it. This was such a charming, charismatic, funny, and original high fantasy story. I loved everything about it: the world, the characters, the conflicts, the magic. Each piece of the narrative is woven inextricably together and gives such a rich, vivid picture of its landscape that I can almost imagine it was real.

This book thoroughly distracted me from doing the things (IRL) that I was meant to be doing. Sweet yet viperous, Felicity’s tale is much like the flowers she harvests and sells in the book: dangerous and appealing at once.

Felicity’s magical curse is definitely one of the highlights of the novel. It’s such a unique curse, especially with how black and white it is, and her fear of being used is a relatable, authentic, and common fear even for those without curses hindering how they approach conversations. She’s a strong female protagonist without falling into the stereotypes readers often see in modern fantasy heroines. Although she has some blunt and blatant weaknesses, she’s a main character you can’t help rooting for.

Speaking of things you can’t help rooting for: the romance. Oh. My. Gosh. I absolutely adored every interaction between Felicity and Willoh. First of all, Willoh is hot as hell. He’s not your typical love interest (love his piercings!) and his cocky attitude paired with his magic was a recipe for me falling in love with him straightaway. Honestly, I can’t blame Felicity for her infatuation with him. Every time they spoke or connected, I got more invested. Their love story is the true definition of a slow burn with high rewards!

I could go on and on about what I loved about this book, and how it succeeded all my expectations, but honestly… just read it yourself. It’s very much worth it!