Catherine Bakewell

Catherine Bakewell writes fairytales for anyone with big feelings. She currently lives in St. Louis, but she misses her time in Spain and in France, where she romped through gardens, ate pastries, and worked on her novels.

Find Catherine on her website, Instagram, and TikTok.

Bibliography

  • FORTH
    Young Adult
    Where Shadows Bloom
    Catherine Bakewell
  • Standalone
    Flowerheart
    Catherine Bakewell
  • Middle Grade
    We Are The Song
    Catherine Bakewell
     

Reviews

Young Adult

Where Shadows Bloom
"In this serene tale of love and longing, Bakewell [...] conjures a beguiling setting filled with danger and desire. Though the backdrop bears resemblance to 17th-century Spain, and plotting draws loosely from the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, the result is uniquely magical, romantic, and poetic."

Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review!

"The will-they, won’t-they romance told in alternating points of view is delightful, especially since queer romances are nothing taboo in this universe. Love blooms in this well-developed Sapphic high-fantasy adventure."

Kirkus

“A magical blend of romance and whimsy, equal parts devastating and hopeful. With a touching, tender slow-burn romance at its core, WHERE SHADOWS BLOOM is a lovely and rich confection of a book.”

Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A STUDY IN DROWNING

“Gorgeous, lyrical, and incredibly emotional, WHERE SHADOWS BLOOM is a story about love in all its forms—when it’s false, when it’s real, when it hurts, and when it heals. I cannot recommend this dark daydream of a novel highly enough.”

Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of SO LET THEM BURN

"Where Shadows Bloom is utterly romantic. Every turn of the page brought me deeper into a world that felt like a carefully crafted fairytale. One filled with sharp shadows, long buried secrets, and stolen glances that set my heart ablaze."

Angela Montoya, author of Sinner’s Isle

“Dark, enchanting and deeply romantic, Where Shadows Bloom is the sapphic teen fantasy I didn’t know I wanted! Catherine Bakewell deftly weaves a story filled with monsters and magic, and two brave girls who will remain with you long after you turn the last page.”

Tanaz Bhathena, award-winning author of Hunted by the Sky and A Girl Like That

“The glittering balls of Bridgerton meet the dark mystique of magic in this enthralling sapphic love story. Catherine Bakewell’s lush and lyrical writing will sweep you away to the exquisite palace of Le Château, where dark shadows lurk just beneath the gilded surface. I was utterly enchanted!”

Leslie Vedder, bestselling author of The Bone Spindle trilogy

"By turns delightful, decadent, and dangerous, Where Shadows Bloom is a captivating sapphic fantasy full of heart and hope. I read it in a breathless gallop and was still shocked by the twists at the end."

Jamie Pacton, bestselling author of The Absinthe Underground

"Where Shadows Bloom is a lovely dream of a book! Ofelia and Lope's romance is enchanting and sweet from start to finish. Reading this story is like slipping on your favorite sweater and readers will love cozying up in this lush, vivid world."

Erin Cotter, author of By Any Other Name and A Traitorous Heart

"Bakewell's rendition of a shadow-haunted Underworld gleams with hope and resilience. Where Shadows Bloom is an ode to the transformative power of stories and an utterly romantic love letter to their tellers."

Isabel Agajanian, author of Modern Divination

“Brimming with magic and adventure, Where Shadows Bloom is a tender, romantic exploration of love in all its forms. The slowburn sapphic romance between poetic knight Lope and the endearing lady Ofelia offers readers a delicious, pining friends-to-lovers fairytale of first love in bloom. I was utterly charmed.”

Adrienne Tooley, author of Sweet & Bitter Magic

"Storybook-sweet and achingly magical—a sapphic fairytale you will instantly fall for!"

Kika Hatzopoulou, internationally bestselling author of Threads That Bind

"In Where Shadows Bloom, Catherine Bakewell opens a doorway into the vibrant, vicious magic of a Versailles-inspired palace and first love."

Ivelisse Housman, author of the Unseelie Duology

Standalone

Flowerheart
"An uplifting and meaningful tale bursting with floral imagery and cottagecore aesthetics."

Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review!

"A gentle love story and a fantasy that faces the dark voices of anxiety and depression with mettle."

Kirkus Reviews

"Peppered with moving moments of comfort, self-reflection and joy, Flowerheart is an intimate, charming read."

BookPage

"An enchanting fantasy filled with lovely imagery and a sweet romance."

School Library Journal

"A comfort read with the super cute slow-burn childhood friends-to-lovers trope and an enchanting, whimsical setting."

USA Today

"Perfect for those readers who found Bakewell’s middle-grade fantasy WE ARE THE SONG spellbinding and want more in that vein."

Booklist

"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

"Wholesome, sweet, and warm—this book swept me into a magical, whimsical world with delightful characters and compelling stakes. Make a space for FLOWERHEART on your shelves."

Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling author

“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

Middle Grade

We Are The Song
"Bakewell’s beguiling debut—brimming with high-stakes adventure, expansive worldbuilding, and a uniquely detailed magical system—steadily crescendos to a gratifying conclusion."

Publishers Weekly

"An exploration of devotion and finding one’s voice."

Kirkus Reviews

"This fast-paced fantasy is full of action and intrigue, taking place in a war-torn world that still holds much beauty and magic. Readers will come to love Elissa, who struggles with doubts as she faces heartbreak, tragedy, and loneliness and tries to fight for what is right. An excellent addition to middle-grade fantasy collections."

Booklist

"Bakewell crafts a spellbinding narrative."

The Horn Book

"An alluring f­antasy exploring the influence of music, the ­importance of listening to one’s own voice, and knowing who your friends are."

School Library Journal

"Elissa’s desire to follow her divinely inspired abilities and overcome the barriers to her musical ambitions echo women’s historical experiences in classical music. . . . And constellations of race, sexuality, and gender expression lend richness to an already unique world."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Fantasy fans will queue up for this delightful novel with its strong female characters and carefully drawn fantasy world. . . . Fast packed action will keep readers totally engaged. This captivating novel promises a good future for this first-time author."

School Library Connection

Awards & Accolades

Young Adult

Standalone

Flowerheart
USA

On its 4th printing for the hardcover!

USA

#6 Pacific Northwest Indie Bestseller

USA

Midwest Indie Bestseller

Middle Grade

We Are The Song

An Amazon #1 Children's Music Book at Release