Happy Aloha Friday. I am happy to be today's stop on the TLC Book Tour for "Tahira in Bloom" by Farah Heron, a new YA novel. Accompanying my review are two beverage recipes perfect for enjoying with this book.
Publisher's Blurb:
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.
My Review:
Tahira in Bloom was a quick read and a cute and sweet YA novel even if it skewed a little to the younger side of young adult. Tahira is seventeen and going to be a senior in high school in Toronto. She is extremely focused on her career dream of becoming a fashion designer and is already trying to make a name for herself as a social media influencer. It's not enough for Tahira to be a designer, she wants to be the best designer and got to the Fashion Institute of Technology and it's a plan guided and supported by her parents. The family motto is "Janmohammads always succeed." Tahira's best friend, Gia and boyfriend Matteo help her showcase her designs and build her Instagram following and are focused on their own paths to fame. Tahira's excellent opportunity to intern with an up and coming designer over the summer is derailed and instead, her parents talk her into heading to the country with Gia in tow to help her aunt rebrand the clothing store she bought in the small town of Bakewell. Bakewell is all about flowers, and soon Tahira's focus is on an effort to win a local floral design contest as a way to meet a top designer in New York City. She also finds herself caught up with her aunt's neighbor, Rowan, a self-confessed plant nerd about to leave Bakewell to study landscape architecture, and caught between her former priorities and new interests.
Tahira is an overall likable character--a bit shallow and annoying at times, but with a good heart and big dreams. I found myself rooting for her and also for Rowan and his sister Juniper. The floral design and fashion design intersection is interesting, and more so to me than the social media and influencer bits which I didn't relate to much. (I have a quiet little Instagram account I haven't touched in over a month.) There are a lot of positive messages here for young women about finding your passion and what's truly important, and sticking up for yourself and others. I liked the diversity of the characters and while the end was wrapped up a bit too sweetly and neatly, it is in a feel-good, rom-com kind of way. While I am not the target demographic for the book, I would buy Tahira in Bloom for a teen, and I am sure they would enjoy it.
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Author Notes: 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.
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Food Inspiration:
There was a good amount of food in Tahira in Bloom, mentions included chai, beef salami, lasagna, jars of homemade red sauce, chai frappes and flat whites, iced coffee, chicken curry with chapati, chai tea fudge, burgers, kudu paka (East African chicken in coconut gravy) and basmati rice, capers sandwich with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, sparkling lemonade, gelato, pistachio falafel, tortilla chips and green salsa, chocolate chaud (Parisian hot chocolate) and churros, funnel cakes, mini Bakewell tarts, s'mores donuts (fresh mini donuts covered with marshmallow cream, chocolate sauce, and graham cracker crumbs, a donut milkshake, Thanksgiving dinner, and tandoori turkey.
Work has been exhausting lately and I didn't get a chance to make a dish inspired by the book but here are two beverage recipes I think would fit perfectly depending on your mood and what the weather is like where you are reading the book.
Cold Awakening: Iced Coffe Cardamon from Drink to Your Health, Anne McIntyre
Easy (3-Ingredient) French Hot Chocolate by the always amazing Clotilde of Chocolate & Zucchini. All the better if you make some churros to dunk into it.
Note: A review copy of Tahira in Bloom was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
