Content Warnings: Mild ableist language, off screen death of a grandmother, ild assault mentioned,

fire & related loss of property

Representation: Greek-American MC, Samoan MC, M/M relationships (ex/current)

Baking, sweet boys, and a summer of slow burning romance. What will these months bring for Ari and Hector? There's only one way to find out.

Step up to the counter at Krykos Family Bakery and say hello. :)


What I Enjoyed

The sheer enjoyment that Hector got from baking was sweet to watch. The way that it rubbed off on Ari and helped not only their relationship, but Ari's inner turmoil was a benefit to the story. 

Ari's friends from high school who were in his band, the ones that he thought he'd be moving to Baltimore with, the evolution on their relationship was definitely an interesting one.  There was something to be said for the was the band's friendships changed and some parts irrevocably so over the course of the story. It felt like an honest portrayal of real life relationships rather than an idealistic one that is seen a lot. However, Ari's friendships did at times feel like more of a background plot line, taking a seat to Ari and Hector's blooming relationship, so I wasn't quite pleased with that handling of it. 

Savanna Ganucheau's art was a perfect choice to complement the Kevin Panetta's text. The softness of the linework, the shading and the color choices, complemented the tender moments when Ari and Hector were the bakery, letting their guard down as they baked, or even in some of the harsher moments, when Ari was fighting against his father's wishes for him or even his own confusion about the future (a familiar fear that many readers may identify with).


What I Didn't Enjoy


Ari's bandmates were split between supportive and very not. Cameron for instance? Oh boy. Cameron was a jerk who didn't much care about the other members of the band besides Lauren, with whom he had a more personal relationship. Not liking him, though, wasn't the problem, exactly. It was that the band members took a backseat to the Ari/Hector plotline and their intermittent appearances felt awkward at times. Even though there were two that ended up being friendlier and more essential, Cameron and Lauren felt very underdeveloped aside from Cameron's jerkiness.


To Sum It Up


The slow burn romance, the questioning of one's future, the break up of friendships, and excellent art tying it call together...Bloom has a lot to recommend it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would suggest picking it up so y'all can watch Ari & Hector fall in love for yourselves.





I received a copy of this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.