I loved Bloom. This is the romance story for horror fans. The obsessions of Ro and the curiosity led by Ash, this story takes you on a quick but fully detailed journey. There were many times when Ro could be relatable to so many people that you are just drawn in and the feeling of the book enraptures you. The story like the main character has a delightful way with words which will be a thrill to many readers.
I loved it and will read this again, my only issue was that I knew where it was going but how it got to the end was a interesting surprise.

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan for the advanced copy, I wish I had got to this sooner.

I ended up deciding not to finish this one pretty quickly but only because my brain just wasn't computing the writing and that's nothing to do with the author, sometimes it just happens. Thanks again for the opportunity to read it

I don't usually read horror, but the premise of this novella really got me interesting. It was tense, had a good build up and I thought the ending was perfect. I'd definitely red more from this author and will be trying more horror as a result.

Delilah S. Dawson’s horror/thriller novella BLOOM centres on the sapphic romance developing between studious literary professor Rosemary “Ro” Dutton and the enigmatic baker / florist / potter / soap maker she meets at her local farmer's market, “Ash”.

I really enjoyed BLOOM. I think Dawson displays a great knack for atmospheric writing, with bright, romantic settings juxtaposing with Ash’s enigmatic character and sensuous dialogue slowly (despite its meagre page count) transforming the setting into something darker.

I also think Dawson showed a great sense for dialogue and character - crafting a convincing romance between Ro and Ash, all while foreshadowing the dark turn the story takes in its conclusion. I especially appreciated this in the finale, where there remains an undeniable romantic tension between the main characters despite their change in circumstance, so to speak.

2.0/5.0

A charming read quickly turned into a book which physically made me gag and gave me nightmares.

I’m a fan of horror and when I requested this, I had remembered it being in the genre, but couldn’t remember anything else. It was perfect. I wanted a short read, and also I prefer going in blind.
It took a bit (about 60%) before anything “horror” happens, but the build up is good. You find yourself questioning the main characters reasons for staying with their partner, but the author finds ways to make it justified.
Also, this sets up for a wild ending, which you may see coming but still packs a punch. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

After several lackluster horror reads, this was a delight. Although I guessed fairly early on where things were going, it was like watching a beautiful train wreck.

I found Ro to be a relatable character, albeit one with boundary issues, though these are explained by her past experiences. I thought that the slow build of her relationship with Ash and the way Ro would overlook red flags was really believable and well done. The lush cottagecore atmosphere and descriptions of Ash's farmhouse and her baking and crafts drew me in, and I admit, I could totally see myself falling for Ash, too!

It's a slow build, but things do kick into high gear toward the end and I personally found the ending deliciously satisfying. I highly recommend this novella if you're looking for a fun sapphic horror read.

‘Bloom’ is a wily little creature with sharp teeth and an insatiable appetite. It is a slightly odd one in that the synopsis truly sums up the bulk of the book, and so in many ways you know what to expect – something is going to go terribly wrong. The reader, unlike Rosemary, does not wear rose-tinted glasses; the red flags are there, they are glaring, and there is nothing we can do to stop Ro from making the mistakes that she makes. Ironic that a literary scholar cannot see the tragedy that she is involved in. Yet despite the inevitability of the plot and Rosemary and Ash’s relationship, Delilah S. Dawson still somehow finds a way to shock you. You think you know what is going to happen until you don’t, and by then it is way too late.

I enjoyed the unique 3rd person narrative style that Dawson uses throughout the book. It creates a cold detachment from Rosemary and her intense and obsessive emotions. Throughout the story we are simply observers, fully aware of the dangerous path Ro is going down but unable to reach out and stop her in her tracks. I felt that Dawson did a great job at depicting certain aspects of a toxic relationship, both through Ro’s frequent justifications and desperate empathy for Ash’s unusual behaviour, and our separation from Ro through the 3rd person narration, unable to help but endlessly hoping she will help herself.

‘Snake Plants thrive on neglect. They really only die if you water them too much. Hence, they die of love’

If I were to describe ‘Bloom’ in one word, it would be hungry. Typically I don’t really enjoy food in my books. I’m not sure what it is but excessive food descriptions feel a bit gross and nauseating to me. That was not the case in this book. There is an excess of delicious foods throughout that Ro and Ash happily devour. Food is the catalyst for their relationship, and it is the one thing that binds them together – their hunger, and their hunger for each other. The story is tight and compact. When an encounter between the two ends, a week passes in less than a page and they are back together again. The book obsesses over their relationship just as they obsess over each other, greedy for more and more until there is nothing left.

‘She is obsessed, she is compelled, she is called. She is a selkie, and Ash has her skin. It’s infuriating and easy and challenging and tumultuous and she is hungry for more.’

I thought that Ash as a mysterious love interest with a secretive and ominous background was written very well. Her volatility over the smallest seemingly mundane issues was eerily realistic, which definitely added an extra level of terror and anxiety for me. That sinking feeling of walking on eggshells around someone translated well to the page, and the subtle body language hints that Ash was angry about something consistently did a great job of revving up the tension at any given moment.

I wish I could discuss what ‘Bloom’ was inspired by, but it would absolutely give away the ending. One thing I will say is that this type of story has been done time and time again to great effect, but using a man and a woman rather than two women. I thought this change added a lot to Dawson’s story. It is falling for stereotype and assuming Ash is something and someone that she isn’t that ultimately leads to the story’s culmination, and it was fresh and exciting to see Ash take on a role usually assumed to be masculine. Ash truly makes the role her own.

As I say, it does become quite apparent that the story is heading into very specific dangerous waters, but ‘Bloom’ sticks the landing. Sometimes knowing where you are going only raises the anticipation and dread, and ‘Bloom’ takes that delicious dread and devours it whole.

This novella perfectly balances the sensual and the horrific. It's full of lush imagery that appeals to all five senses and that's cleverly tied to both physical desire and romantic interest. And then when you flip it over, the horror is apparent. There's no growth without decay afterall and without death no one would eat. I can't honestly say I would ever read this again and there was something a little unsatisfactory about the ending. But it was utterly compulsive and I had a good time reading it.

Ahh, dear. I'm kicking myself as I usually manage to keep my eyes on the archive date and download before they occur, but I somehow managed to miss this one. I have just purchased it as I still want to read it as much as ever, My apologies for missing the archive date.

This book is a quirky and creepy ride. The romance is bewitching, yet there is that dark edge throughout, there’s plenty of foreboding. I couldn’t put this book down as I was waiting for the deadly turn. It was worth the wait despite the predictability of it. The ending is well written and for a novella this book certainly leaves with you an impression and many many thoughts. Perfect for a spooky season read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

4.5 - almost perfection!

Where do I even begin with this one... let's start at the end because WHAT??

I actually didn't expect it to finish this way but I'm SO glad it did. What a horrifying little Sapphic story! I'll definitely be thinking about this one for a long time.

The writing was absolutely beautiful, vivid descriptions and such a lovely location for these characters to meet (at a farmer's market). You can tell right from the start that Ro (Rosemary) is infatuated with Ash and is missing all the little red flags!

I knew what the story was hinting towards but I was not expecting THAT to happen at the end.

I wish Ash didn't have to explain everything though, I feel like it would have been more terrifying to not justify her actions...

But anyway, enjoy this sweet Sapphic romance that'll break your heart and... possibly make you sick :)

-Sarah

What the HECK did I just read?

Bloom is a slow burn romance turned horror story that is lush, gorgeous, and simmering with tension. As the reader, you have an idea of where the story is going because Dawson lays a trail of breadcrumbs for you, but the ending still managed to totally catch me off guard. What a fantastic read! This is my first book by her, but I'll definitely be checking out more of her work once I've emotionally recovered.

Bloom was honestly a hit for me and one I am still thinking about a week or so after finishing. I have only read one other Dawson novel so far which is their Mirrorverse novel Pure of Heart which was an instant favourite and after finishing Bloom it’s safe to say Delilah Dawson is going to the instant buy list! Bloom is at the start a sweet sapphic romance with cosy vibes but it soon takes a dark and twisted turn.

One day Rosemary meets Ash at the farmer’s market after deciding to take a break from men (possibly for good). Ash is everything, pretty, precise and practically perfect. She sells bars of soap in delicate pastel colours, sprinkle loaded cupcakes on scalloped stands, beeswax candles, jelly jars of honey and glossy green plants. Everything a girl could want. Ro has never felt this way about another woman. She wants to be her and have her in equal measure but as her obsession with Ash consumes her very beings she may find she’s not the only one doing the devouring.

The first thing I loved about Bloom was Ro. A literature major with a cat called Anon who names her plant Tybalt was hard to not associate with. But my love of Ro was closely followed by my love of writing in general. It is beautiful, vivid and lush. As someone who does not often like romance in my novels I have to say the blossoming relationship between Ro and Ash was also addictive in the way Dawson wrote it.

The tone of the novel is as wonderful as the writing. It takes twists and turns as we learn more about Ash as Ro does. The sweet and almost innocent love story begins to take darker twisty turns as we go one and the climax of the book was truly mind blowing. It goes from sweet to almost claustrophobic very quickly and I loved that about it. The only real issue with Bloom is it's hard to do a thorough review without spoiling anything but let me tell you if you love your twists bloody then you will love this one.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book

oh my goodness me what the hell have i just read.... it is beyond words.....

did i enjoy the story...no
it was written in a style that i just didnt like but it was the most compelling read of my life.... i was like...what...no way.... and couldnt put the book down....

oh man that ending......

its totally different from what i normally read.... never go off the path again.. you could get hurt or frightened...

This felt like a first draft, like the characters weren’t quite finished and the ending rushed itself into being. That being said, the simmering tension in the first three quarters of the novella was well executed.

I enjoyed it, it was a dark and twisty read towards the end. However I did notice a lot of the plot points seemed to be inspired or outright lifted from existing pieces of horror literature, just with women as the main characters rather than men.

Ro meets Ash at a farmer's market and is immediately infatuated with her ethereal beauty. They stumble into a whirlwind romance that consumes Ro's every waking moment, but what does she really know about who Ash is?

I wanted to like this more than I did. The writing style is beautiful - rich and luscious. But I didn't really connect with the characters and I found the ending a little silly.

I received this book for free on netgalley in exchange for a review.

Ro meets Ash at the farmers market. Ro has a lot of trust issues after her last relationship ended badly, and Ash is nice and makes the best cupcakes Ro has ever tasted. Ro has never been interested in another woman in this way but she gets swept up and quickly becomes borderline obsessed with seeing Ash again. Ash seems to feel the same and the two begin spending more time together. However, Ro needs to learn that snooping is not something Ash will tolerate. Just because her ex had secrets, doesn't mean Ash will.... or does it....

This was a great creepy wee book, from the description you kind of have an idea of where the story is going, but doesn't make the journey any less enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the chance to read and review this one before release... its out next week now so not long to wait if you're interested

I thought Bloom was a fantastic read, a sapphic horror novel about obsession. The novel opens brilliantly when Ro and Ash meet, and nothing is quite the same again. The story is focalised through Ro, and you get access to her thoughts as her life is thrown out of orbit by the alluring Ash. There are hints from the start that Ash is not everything she seems to be, but Ro is so besotted she misses all the warning signs and red alerts. There are some things predictable about their relationship, Ro’s naivety, and Ash’s controlling nature but the book is so well written this hardly mattered. The ending is shocking but not unexpected. I liked this book a lot.

Holy shit...

I would describe Bloom as a sapphic cottagecore horror novel. It starts out sweet and sultry but soon turns dark and bloody. You notice all the reg flags, the subtle hints, and see the story, and Ro, spiralling towards a disturbing secret... and ending. Not for the faint of heart, it's a dark, bloody, hannibal-esque novel, and, while predictable, it is undeniably a gripping horror - kind of a perfect read for a spooky evening in.