I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Bane Bloom by Sharon Lynn Fisher Published by 47North on October 6 2026
Genres: Adult, Historical fantasy
Pages: 314
Format: eARC
Source: Author
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The nitty-gritty: Moody, dark and romantic, Bane Bloom combines intrigue and a bit of magic in an atmospheric setting, perfect for fans of Gothic romance.
Sharon Lynn Fisher’s latest fantasy romance is the perfect book to cozy up to as we slide into the Fall spooky season! Bane Bloom incorporates so many of my favorite elements, like folklore, witchcraft, faeries and a delicious slow burn romance that ties everything together.
The story takes place in 1850 England and follows thirty-year-old Catherine “Cricket” Gray, a botanical illustrator. Cricket lives with her father in London but she wants nothing more than to be accepted into the Society of Apothecaries, which is a difficult goal to achieve for a woman. Luckily, she’s able to meet with Society member Mr. Harding who agrees to send her on a month long assignment in Buttermere, taking notes and illustrating the many plants and flowers—many of them poisonous—at a small house called Pine Cottage.
When Cricket arrives, she’s greeted by the groundskeeper of the cottage, Thomas Bane, who is in charge of nurturing the plants housed in the glasshouse outside. Thomas is gruff and unfriendly and doesn’t want to answer her many questions at first. But Cricket is very curious and doesn’t give up, especially when odd things start happening to her. She’s particularly drawn to a beautiful, otherworldly flower in the glasshouse that she calls the Bane Bloom, a flower that seems to change appearance in the moonlight. She also senses a ghostly presence in the house that leads her to discover an old, secret diary written by Thomas’s mother Prudence.
But when the odd occurrences suddenly turn dangerous, Cricket knows she must get Thomas to trust her with the secrets of Pine Cottage. Because the apothecary who came before her, Charles Carroll, vanished from Pine Cottage and hasn’t been seen since, and Cricket does not want the same thing to happen to her.
Sharon does a brilliant job (as always!) of creating a wonderful Gothic vibe. The secluded cottage, the poison garden, the brooding love interest and talk of witches and faeries all add to the atmosphere, and I was immediately immersed in her world. I also loved that Cricket is interested in the science of botanical healing and remedies from folklore, which are explored in detail. I thought the combination of plant lore and art was so interesting, especially when Cricket explains that she is writing and illustrating a book for children that even incorporates faeries into the art.
There are several mysteries going: the disappearance of Carroll, the mysterious Bane Bloom, the diary Cricket finds that hints at even more mysteries surrounding Pine Cottage, and the biggest one of all—Thomas, who seems to be much more than he appears. Thanks to Cricket’s curiosity, all of these mysteries converge by the end of the book in some very satisfying ways.
And speaking of Cricket, I loved how “outside the box” her character was, especially for a woman in this time period. She’s more interested in educating herself than worrying about marrying, and at thirty she has no illusions about finding a husband. Once she discovers a mystery, she will do anything to solve it, although she comes across as a bit nosey at times. For the first time in her life, she’s away from her father, so the loneliness of the cottage is starting to affect her, and this eventually brings her closer to Thomas.
I enjoyed Thomas’s character as well. He’s a little harder to get a handle on, since you know right away he’s hiding something big, but it was fun trying to guess what that was (I did finally figure it out before the reveal!) At first the dynamics between the two are a little skewed. Cricket sees Thomas as the caretaker of the cottage, below her station, in other words, and it takes some time for her to get past this. But eventually their growing attraction to each other breaks down those barriers, and I ended up loving the way their slow burn romance played out.
There’s yet another subplot later in the story involving the fate of Pine Cottage, and by this time Cricket’s life has become entangled with the cottage and its history, as well as Thomas, so there’s quite a bit of tension. Of course, you can expect a happy ending, and the final pages were both romantic and satisfying.
If you’re already a fan of Sharon Lynn Fisher, you will absolutely love Bane Bloom, and for new readers, this is a great place to start with her work.
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
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