💐 When twins Renia and Estera are gifted a flower that’s scent provides the ability to forget, life takes an unexpected twist. People start to catch on to this little plant’s ability and they would pay good money to have it 💐

4 ⭐️ This was a good little read. Set in Paris it is a thrilling read. Not only is it based on a form of drug dealing and the danger that the main character Renia is faced with, but it’s a story of transformation. The change we witness Renia go through from the first chapter to the last page is inspiring. I recommend.

Thank you to Magnolia Press and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read, with a very intriguing premise - the flower of the title is a hybrid which produces blooms that drug those catching a whiff of the scent, and cause amnesia. The author writes beautiful, evocative prose that puts you in the middle of intersecting layers of the protagonist's lives. At once you are relaxing into the charm of Paris, while also sniffing the fear and desperation of being poor and barely scraping by - and the burden of memories of life before that you left behind, but are also always carrying with you.

During the course of the book, I got a bit frustrated with the obsequiousness of the heroine, but did also understand the constraining and conflicting circumstances in which she was caught - and so the ending was wonderfully satisfying.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The novel centers around a pair of sisters who come to own a flower that can cause temporary amnesia. Interesting plot and characters. I love the botany part of the storyline.

I read the amazing reviews and decided to give it a try. It was very slow pace but very catchy too. But how ever it wasn't one of my favorite. Perhaps its a good story but its just not for me. Thank you Netgally for the chance to read this book. I wish the author a lot of success! :)

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What a beautifully written story! I felt like I was in Paris the entire time I was reading. This book kept me interested and wanting to solve all of the mysteries in the book. There were twists I didnt see coming. The only issue I had with this story was the constant shifting between the past and present. It made for a confusing read at times.

The Forgetting Flower is an exciting well written book with an interesting concept. A dangerous plant? Could it really change people or make them do things they otherwise wouldn’t do?

The story is about Reina, and female protagonist who must uncover secrets and deal with her past and twin sister Estera. A secret plant she keeps hidden at the flower shop she works in invades her every thought abs she must get to the bottom of its power.

The book was exciting and made you think twice about everything you know about thrillers. Can a world of secret plants excite? Absolutely. A wonderful read.

I enjoyed this book very much: it had a slowish start, but built up gradually to a satisfying close. An intruiging premise: a flower that makes you forget things if you smell its perfume – and, of course, what people will do to get their hands on such a thing, and what they will do once they have it. What would you do? What would you want to forget?

The characters were well described, and sympathetic. I understood Renia’s motives and actions, and was rooting for her throughout the story. Descriptions were good, and flashbacks were handled reasonably well to tell the story, although at times I would have preferred them to be a little more “highlighted” as I was occasionally confused as to the timing of events.

There were none of the pesky typos, poor punctuation/grammar or bad layouts that sometimes plague Net Galley books, which added to the enjoyment of the book.

The author is a horticulturist, and this comes through in her writing. She is obviously knowledgable about plants, but the way she describes them is beautiful. In one scene, where plants are damaged beyond repair, there is a real sense of loss and desolation in the descriptions. There is a love of plants and flowers that shines through Karen Hugg’s words. That for me is what elevates this book to a solid four star, rather than a 3.5 star book.
Just an added note - a book needs to be exceptional in my view to get a 5 star review. In my "ranking system" 4 stars is good, and doesn't often happen!

Thank you NetGalley and Magonlia press for the advanced copy of this book.
This is not an author I have read before.
This was an enjoyable fast paced thriller that keeps you guessing until the end.

Renia has a dream job in Paris but is haunted by secrets and half truths. She has a special plant that has powers she doesn’t completely understand, then her friend Alain unexpectedly dies and she has doubts about what really happened. A terrific mystery filled with suspense and surprise twists.

Thank you NetGalley and Magnolia Press for this early edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

I’m so excited about The Forgetting Flower by Karen Hugg!

What a beautifully written novel by an author I cannot wait to read more from. Get your hands on it right now!

Secrets and half-truths. These litter Renia Baranczka’s past, but the city of Paris has offered an escape and the refuge of a dream job. The specialty plant shop buzzes with activity and has brought her to a new friend, Alain. His presence buffers the guilt that keeps her up at night, dwelling on the endless replays of what happened to her sister.

All too suddenly, the City of Light seems more sinister when Alain turns up dead. His demise threatens every secret Renia holds dear, including the rare plant hidden in the shop’s tiny nook. It emits a special fragrance that can erase a person’s memory—and perhaps much more than that.

As Renia races to figure out the extent of the plant’s powers, she’s confronted by figures from her past who offer a proposal she can’t outright refuse. Bit by bit, she descends into a menacing underworld of blackmarket mobsters, navigating threats and fending off abuse to protect the safe peaceful life she’s worked so hard for. Desperate to outwit her enemies, Renia maneuvers carefully, knowing one wrong move will destroy not only the plant, but the lives of her sister and herself.

This is a fantastic book, I highly recommend it. I’m not the only one who loved it, The Forgetting Flower is getting awesome reviews. Here’s the link to buy it.

Renia dreams of escaping her somewhat boring life in Poland; her dream is to live in Paris, a life full of independence where she can study art and perhaps have her own apartment and work in a pleasant environment where she can develop her creative skills. A dream she shares with her sister. Somehow her dream comes true and she is now employed to run a small boutique selling flowers, plants and gifts. Fortunately she rents the accommodation above the shop for a reduced rent.

Now comes the necessary ingredient for all books – a secret! Renia’s secret is a plant – a hybrid plant whose flowers have a unique, magical power: a power so strong that when she tends the plant she must wear a mask. To help her sister she has brought the plant to Paris to protect it from her sister’s handsome, but violent boyfriend. Then, he finds her.

I am not enthusiastic about this book. I acknowledge that it is well-written, with an extensive knowledge of botany (without becoming too burdensome) and it is well-structured. It also has a wide range of characters that I found believable but I was not endeared to any of them. Renia slightly irritated me – she is strong enough to move to Paris, work numerous jobs to survive and indeed seems to be kindness herself in her relationships with others. So why can she not deal with her employer who is so selfish and self-absorbed? I know that we need that device to make it all work but…

So what did it lack for me? I really don’t know. I was interested enough to want to find out what happened and acknowledge the author’s skill, but it just left me a bit cold. With that said, quite a clever plot – a forgetting plant! Huge apologies to Ms Hugg but I am sure other readers will find it hugely entertaining.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Paris, plants, a death and a big mystery! What more could a proud plant mom who is also a detective fiction fan want? I really enjoy the atmosphere, the flower shop, the difficulties in surviving in Paris, all the unsaid thoughts and the mysterious plant. Although I find the main protagonist very passive and weak, I could understand why she had to be passive at most times. So this book follows the Polish girl Renia who runs a flower shop in Paris. She has a complicated relationship with her twin whom she has not spoken in a long time for a reason. She is in possession of a mysterious plant that makes people have amnesia if they smell the flowers. Her close friend Alain dies and she needs to find out how to deal with the mysterious plant since there are dangerous people after the plant. I did not really care about the twin’s storyline and how she was messed up. I also did not really like the mafia/mob thing since it ruined the cozy atmosphere of a plant shop for me. I also wish the old shop owner and the dead friend Alain were written in more depth since both are the most interesting characters of the book. Special thanks to Netgalley and the Magnolia Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Forgetting Flower by author Karen Hugg is a dark, intense read! I absolutely loved it!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I have always loved plants, so the subject of this book was interesting, and the properties of the "new" plant sounded amazing. Renia, although foreign born and shy, seemed much too timid in dealing with her extremely unreasonable boss, Palomer. I found her obsequiousness maddening and frustrating and was so glad when she fiinally found her voice and confronted her - with favorable results! She was also too easily persuaded to go to some dark, very dangerous places at night by herself with no protection!! seriously?!
Her twin, Estera, was also frustrating with her acceptance and tolerance of habitual abuse. I wish we had known Renia's flamboyant across the street neighbor before his death, and not just in memories! It seems like scenes with him would have been a pleasant contrast to the darkness. There were not many happy, positive moments, and mostly depressing, dark and scary scenes. It was like a long song in minor key with a small colorful flourish at the end.. The writing was well done and I enjoyed reading this book. I wanted to love it as so MANY do, but I just didn't.
I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The Forgetting Flower by @karenhugg

Rating:🌺🌺🌺🌺

Dig into the past and present of a poor Polish girl Renia as she tries to make the life she dreams of in Paris. Renia works in Paris at a lovey flower shop called Le Sanctuaire but inside the shop she has a hidden treasure called the Violet Smoke. Not much is known about this plant except it has mysterious properties which can make you forget. Renia struggles to make her dream life in Paris come true until a man from her past emerges from the shadows and offers to help her sell the blossoms to some shady character to put money she desperately needs in her pocket. But with the man comes the horrible reason her and her twin sister are no longer talking. What would you do to accomplish your dream of living the perfect Parisian life and to get your beloved sister to speak to you again?

I enjoyed the fast pace of this book and how the character development is set up. From present day to past where you learn valuable snippets of what happened to make ones own sister not speak to you at all. The way you connect to Renia as she struggles to do what is best for herself even when she is scared for her life. I highly recommend you pick up a copy and set sometime aside cause once you pick this book up even with it being fast paced you will not want to set it down!

A great novel, beautiful depiction of the characters with some tense moments thrown into the mix. Will definitely pick more books by this talented author.

This was a good book that was a fast paced thriller set in Paris . It is a slow burning kind of novel that keeps you guessing till the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book I

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

This is a really interesting and different story. It is a thriller set in beautiful Paris. It is unlike any story I have read before and that made it a compelling read. My own problem was that it got confusing in a few sections as to what was happening and when.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This book intrigued me as it was described as a slow-burn thriller, and it certainly was. Author Karen Hugg expertly juggles secrets, half-truths, lies, and flashbacks while gradually leading the reader into the labyrinth of the gritty underground of Paris. Renia Baranczka has a secret: she’s hiding a unique hybrid plant whose odor can cause amnesia. She ostensibly left Poland with the plant to save her twin sister who has fallen under the spell of the plant and whose boyfriend is dealing the flowers. Renia has slowly built a sanctuary in a botanically-oriented boutique, Le Sanctuaire.

An international thriller, The Forgetting Flower, is set between Paris and Poland, with vivid details of each. Overlying the setting is the role of the immigrant in large cities. Renia tries to fit in, but with her Polish accent, she really doesn’t. While Renia is living hand-to-month, her rich French boss's out-of-control spending threatens Le Sanctuaire. Working with Renia is Minh, a Vietnamese immigrant who’s forced to work under-the-table to help pay for her mother’s chemotherapy. Renia’s life spins out of control when her friend Alain is found dead and her sister’s old drug-dealing boyfriend finds Renia in Paris and pulls her into the dark underworld of drug dealing. I stayed up half the night reading this and was engrossed the whole time.