This book was sweet, caring, smart, and a wonderful read. It fully immerses the reader in Ari and Hector's world, and you never want to leave!

The copy I received of this may not be the final edit, so my take-away quote may not be applicable (but man I sure hope it is)! :haha: Also, if you read Bloom on a mobile device, I recommend not reading it on night mode, because it makes the art look really strange. 

Bloom follows recent high school graduate Ari as he struggles with the desire to flee his hometown with his friends, and his father's need for him to remain home and help with the family bakery. In an effort to persuade his father to let him go, Ari creates a job notice that catches the eye of culinary student Hector. Hector's love of baking reminds Ari of the joy he used to have as a child helping his father. It also awakes another kind of love, but there's a big chance Ari could mess everything up. 

My entire knowledge of baking comes from watching The Great British Baking Show. Having said that, the artist appeared to do an amazing job of showing us what the process of baking bread looks like. Like the art of baking bread, this story has a slow build. If you're familiar with manga classifications this would be a Shounen Ai kind of story. Keep in mind, though. By slow build I don't mean slow paced. The story was a quick read, and everything moved at a perfect pace. You'll understand when you read it. 

One thing I really liked about it, is that while this is a Boys Love (BL) story, it isn't treated any differently than a story with a male/female pairing. Some stories show us the struggle of a LGBTQ relationships - which is fantastic, but I like that we're starting to get to a place culturally where it can just be a relationship.

I leave you with the following take-away quote (that has nothing to do with the story), "Daddy would have gotten us uzis..."

Adorable! out of 5!

Stefanie Rae (review will be published to personal blog January 2nd.)

A wonderful growing up and coming our story. The choice of colors gives the book the beachy, beautiful ambiance. The romance was well paced and enjoyable.

High school is ending and college isn't in the cards, but a rock band might be, if this group of friends can just get their acts together. Then someone comes along as they're making other plans - a baker to help out with his parent's business - a real baker who instils a passion for the craft, and a passion of first love. This coming-of-age and coming out story is sensitively told and endearing.

This book was an incredible coming of age story set in the scrumptious backdrop of a family bakery. Ari--Aristotle, to his parents--just wants to move out of his family's bakery and in to a shared apartment with friends. He doesn't care for baking or keeping up with the family business and is desperate to find a replacement for his duties at the bakery. Enter Hector, a college dropout who is in town to organize his Nana's house to sell after she passed away. Hector loves to bake and is an eager employee, fitting right in with the family and Ari, even if Ari's friends pick on him and don't welcome him as Ari's family did.

Over the course of the summer, Ari and Hector bond over sourdough and red velvet cupcakes. Ari's anxious restlessness is soothed by Hector's easygoing nature and their relationship blooms. It isn't until a disaster and miscommunication happens when the two realize their feelings for each other that Ari grows up a bit (he was a bit annoying and immature for a good chunk of the book).

Any baking story will immediately be a favorite. A graphic novel with baking is also lovely. I loved Hector as a character and was charmed by his relationship with Ari. I flew through the story and was happy that there was a happy ending, even if things weren't tied up in a neat bow. I will definitely be recommending this to fans of CHECK, PLEASE--even if it is a bit more serious. Definitely recommended--especially for the art and extra recipe/playlist at the end!

This was so cute! I loved Ari’s relationship with his parents it wasn’t always perfect but they were very open with talking and telling him the love him. And I loved Hectors admiration of Ari’s parents relationship. The colors were very calming and the story just flowed perfectly.

A very sweet, realistic story about friendship, growing up, and falling in love.

Ari's parents own a bakery and expect him to keep working there. But Ari wants to make music and is trying to move out with his friends. His dad agrees that Ari can leave if he finds a replacement for the bakery.

That's when Hector comes into Ari's life. Hector is studying baking and is a perfect fit for the bakery. As the business begins to grow, so does Ari and Hector's friendship. Meanwhile, Ari's friends start to grow away from him and he is stuck at a crossroads: stay at the bakery with Hector and his family or move away with his friends (who aren't being very good friends anyway).

With Hector, Ari feels like himself and he finally feels like he has found his place. But disaster strikes and Ari ruins everything. Now he must make things right again with his family, the business and Hector.

Watching Ari navigate his changing friendships and his blossoming friendship (and more) with Hector was very entertaining. This is a poignant story for teens who are transiting into adulthood and are facing those tough choices concerning their futures.

**I received an eARC from Netgalley**

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2019!

The artwork is absolutely beautiful. The style fit with the story perfectly and I really loved looking at all the details.

The story itself was a really beautiful story of growing up and figuring out who you are. I think that Ari was portrayed very realistically where he didn't have a direction to go in. He loves music but it didn't work out and in the end he found that the bakery really was important to him and he wanted it to keep on going. Sometimes I really hated what he did but mistakes are a part of life...no one is perfect.

I also thought that the relationship that blooms was very organic and wasn't forced. Often times, authors know two people are going to end up together and they try and force the relationship to happen but I didn't feel this way at all. They were very sweet together and I enjoyed watching them get to know one another.

This graphic novel is dreamy, sweet and romantic. Ari wants nothing more than to get out of his hometown and make it big with his band, but he needs to find someone to replace him at his family's bakery. Enter Hector, who's new to town. As they get closer, their relationship evolves from friendship to more. Ari has to navigate friendship and family dynamics and determine what he actually wants from life. The art is muted but stunning. I would recommend this one to anyone who wants a sweet, heartwarming romantic read.

While things are tied up a little too neatly for my tastes, the lovely art and fantastic family dynamics more than make up for it. My teens are going to eat this up!

I loved this book! It was a pretty quick read and the art style is lovely. It's great for readers on the cusp of adulthood, who are going through life changes much like Ari: trying to decide what life after high school looks like for them. It's already on my to-buy list for next year.

This was a really good book. The story was excellent and the artwork was wonderful. This book touches on many important topics, but is also light and wonderful - so the story comes across without the reader feeling like they are being harangued or preached towards very harshly. The story of Ari and Hector portrays two very different people and the different lives that they lead, as well as the lives of their families, and how their actions may affect their families. There are also some wonderful recipes in this book, that I am really looking forward to trying.

Ari lives with his parents in their family owned Greek bakery. While it is expected that Ari will continue on the tradition, he just wants to tour with his band and move to New York City. When it looks like another summer of helping around business, Ari hires Hector, a culinary student who just moved to town. Hector brings a new life to the bakery and Ari finds himself romantically drawn to him. It is hard to balance familial expectations and self-desires.

This was a sweet romance, that I just couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. The main characters were fabulous, but Ari’s friends are total jerks. Visually this is a quieter book. It is perfect for teens ready to graduate into adult graphic novels.

This YA/New Adult graphic novel is a gentle love story. High school is over, and Ari can't wait to move out of his hometown. He and his bandmates are planning on a big move to the city, where they can get more gigs and make their names - now, all Ari needs to do, is convince his dad to let him quit his job at the family bakery. At the same time, Hector comes to town to wrap up his deceased grandmother's affairs and sell her house. He loves to bake as much as Ari is sick of it, and he ends up being the perfect replacement for the struggling bakery: even Ari's dad loves Hector! But as Ari works side by side with Hector, getting him up to speed on the bakery, the two fall in love... until disaster hits, in more ways than one. Can Ari's family recover when their business and home burns to the ground, and can Hector and Ari ever work out their relationship?
Created with soft blue and white artwork, Bloom is a sweet story of first love, identity, and independence. Ari can come off as pretty whiny, but his friends are even worse. Hector is the strong, silent type that pulls Ari out of himself and helps him discover who he is - and that he doesn't need his friends in order to give him an identity. Bloom also explores consequences: Ari has to make big choices in this book, and not every choice is going to be the best one for him. It's part of growing up, and growing up can be painful. It's how you work through it that matters. Bloom is a good add to your YA/New Adult graphic novel collections and a love story that will give readers the warm fuzzies.

This is a sweet, but predictable story about a young adult (I hesitated on that word and I'll explain why in a moment) who is living aimlessly and trying to find purpose. I believe that this is a dilemma that most post-adolescents have and with which they can relate. I hesitated on describing Ari as an adult because he seems so very young, both in terms of character details and behavior. He is not always likable because he is immature and selfish, though this is wrapped in charm and a cute face. Imagine Manic Pixie Dream Girl, but gender swapped.
This is an uneventful romance with a satisfying ending and will appeal to fans of "fluffy" stories.

I loved this! It was so cute and adorable and full of baking! Diverse characters, a more thoughtful story line. Win win win.

This was a really, really well-developed story about 2 older teen/YA boys who are figuring out who they are, how they fit in and dealing with relationships. This is a really good LGBT title with a wonderfully, slowly developing love story. It deals with realistic YA personalities and struggles, and handles them in a realistic manner. My copy is an ARC, so I'm not sure if the book is going to be printed black/ white/ blue, and if it stays this way, it's fantastic.
Will definitely add to our YA collection, and was talked about in our teen book group with a lot of interest. Our teens are critical of fast moving love stories, and this will make them happy.

Ari feels trapped in his life; his parents rely heavily on him for help in their bakery but all Ari dreams about is making music and moving to the city with his friends. When Ari hires Hector, a boy who loves to bake, to help so he can focus on his music Ari begins to see the bakery in a different light. Hector also teaches Ari that sometimes love is a crazy, wild unexpected thing.
A touching, gorgeously written (and illustrated) novel that I thoroughly enjoyed!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Summary: Ari gives up his dream of being a musician in the big city to help his family's failing bakery. Hector has just arrived from out of town to sort through his Nana's things when he applies for a job at Ari's family bakery. The two start off a little rough but end up becoming friends. Antics ensue and we have a sweet summer romance.

I absolutely adored this graphic novel! The beginning did not explain some of the character’s relationships very well but after Hector started his job at the bakery things took off and I loved every minute of it. I was a little confused as to what the relationship was between Meg and Hector. She calls him babe and I think they're a couple but she mentions bringing another guy out, however it did not clear up until a bit later when Hector and Andrew (Hector's ex) are talking by themselves.

Hector was a great love interest: sure of himself and what he wants and understands the turmoil Ari is going through and allows him the space to figure it out while still being there for him.
Ari is a lovable protagonist who is trying to discover what makes him happy and keeps him going. Feeling that everything he does ends in disappointing results, he has a very melancholy attitude throughout the novel until he and Hector begin to spend time with each other.
I loved the art style and hue of the novel. It was beautiful and said so much with just a page or frame. The dialogue propelled the story but the artwork made it come alive. The scenes of Hector and Ari baking together were lovely to look at and the flow and movement of the baking process was simply poetic. I am hungry for more and would love to try making my own Kyrkos Family Bakery’s Famous Sourdough Rolls while listening to Diamonds and Pearls or Miasma Sky.

The only concerns I had while reader were that Hector seems to have forgiven Hanna quite quickly after being made fun of by her and the others. I also wondered why he seemed to have a problem with only her when the entire crew made fun of him?
I was also confused as to how old Hector and Ari are: is Ari still in high school or is he getting ready for college this summer? Hector says he's in culinary school but exact ages are not given.

I highly recommend this book and would love to see it on school library shelves.

This book is an adorable love story full of bread.

The two protagonists are Ari and Hector. Ari's family owns a bakery, and Ari is expected to work in it the summer after high school. But Ari wants to move to the city with his friends and have a successful band. His parents agree to let him go if he can find a suitable replacement for the job.

So along comes Hector. He's in town because he's staying at his grandmother's place after she died. And he loves baking! So he applies to work at Ari's family's bakery.

The two become fast friends, and then of course feelings of friendship turn to something more. But even though I say 'of course' and even though that was expected to happen, the story is told beautifully. It's also perfect for anyone wanting lgbtq representation that isn't a coming out story, but still a cute love story.

Pick up this book when it comes out. It will make you smile!

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest review!