Synopsis:

Ofelia has lived her life dreaming of entering Le Château Enchanté—the mysterious court of the gods-blessed King Léo, where the shadow monsters that roam Ofelia’s home never trespass.

Lope has lived her life as a knight, defending Ofelia and her home from Shadows even as she dreams of escaping with Ofelia by her side.

When the Shadows venture too close, Lope and Ofelia are thrust into a journey that will lead them to the heart of the darkness haunting their home: the dazzling and deceptive Château Enchanté itself.

A mesmerizing daydream with a subtle edge of darkness that will leave you utterly unable to put it down, Where Shadows Bloom pits terrifying monsters, chilling secrets, capricious gods, immortal kings, and death itself against the unstoppable love between two girls.

Review:

Hands up if you like sapphic fantasy romance! Ofelia has wished for a long time of going to Le Château Enchanté, a beautiful and mysterious palace safe from the monsters that roam the land, but her mother forbids it, so dreams are all that Ofelia has. When the worst happens, Ofelia and her loyal knight Lope must journey to the Château, where not everything is quite as it seems and a mystery is waiting to be uncovered.

There was a lot here to like, but unfortunately, Ofelia didn’t end up being one of those things for me. She is a sheltered noble who loves to dream and see beauty all around her. Her counterpart and loyal knight Lope is the opposite, stalwart in the face of danger and ready to always fight off the monsters that threaten Ofelia’s home. As we know from the outset that this is a romance, I was hoping that their differences would lead each to change and develop into better versions of themselves.

While Lope does remain true to her morals and truly wants the best for Ofelia, Ofelia unfortunately refuses to listen to the girl who is supposedly her truest and most loyal companion. At first, it was understandable because things were scary and daunting, but after a while, it got to be incredibly annoying. Thankfully Lope was a fantastic character, sharp, loyal and motivated and I enjoyed her chapters a lot.

The plot was interesting – I enjoyed the mystery that appears when we reach the Château and discover that the beauty of the Palace is hiding something darker. I also thought the take on Gods was interesting, and I really enjoyed meeting one of them (but no spoilers!). I did find the pacing dragged a little in the middle, but the action in the last third picked it up again.
The writing was lovely and lent a fairytale feeling to everything, which worked really well with the French and Spanish inspired Palace setting.

Overall I found this to be a quick read with lovely writing. I definitely think that younger readers will enjoy it a lot for its fairytale vibes, though for me the character development fell a little short.

Thank you to @harper360ya for sending me a copy to read and review!