Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A garden of cursed tulips has haunted a Dutch American family for generations. High school senior Lark Goode anxiously awaits graduation, when she can receive her diploma and leave her childhood home, a rickety house built in a swamp above Forsaken Creek, where she lives alone with her twin brother, Archer. Their mom left the family, and their dad lives and works on a fishing boat. The residents of Cutwater know—and fear—the legend of the Goode family, whose backyard garden blooms with cursed tulips each spring. The flowers make Archer and Lark irresistible and cause others to fall in love with them. But when the magical tulip blossoms are stolen, and hysteria sweeps across the student body of Cutwater High, Lark begins to rely on Oak, a mysterious boy with amber skin, “river-dark” hair, and green eyes who comes from a nearby town and seems unaffected by her family’s curse. While navigating peak tulip season and planning her escape from a community that avoids her in order to avoid falling into a deep, cursed love, auburn-haired Lark unearths old family secrets. This angsty romance is laced with imagery that evokes dark academia and vivid natural elements. The stream-of-consciousness narration drifts into lengthy repetition at times. Nonetheless, the subtle fantasy elements intertwined with complex character relationships make for an entertaining read. A richly described coming-of-age romance with plotline that sometimes lags.(Fantasy romance. 14-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Lark Goode has always been told to never trust love. For generations, the Goode family has been cursed—special tulips bloom every year near their house, and when they're in bloom, no one can resist a Goode. But whatever love that grows is fleeting, and when the tulips die, so do the feelings. As summer nears, Lark is eager to get out of town and escape her family curse, until she meets a mysterious new boy, Oak—a boy who appears not to be affected by the tulips. Lark finds herself falling into the feeling she's always avoided, but when the town is afflicted by a dangerous lovesickness thanks to the tulips, Lark must sacrifice everything, including the risk of a broken heart, to stop the curse. Lush, descriptive writing and an angsty, slow-burn romance help create a darkly moody and atmospheric story. The magical realism elements are light, and the air of mystery surrounding the tulips and Lark and Oak's romance make this a good choice for readers wanting a less complex romantasy with elements of a gothic tale.

Publishers Weekly
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Everyone in Cutwater knows to avoid the Goodes, a cursed family that only inflict desire and madness upon anyone who interacts with them. After inheriting a family secret, 17-year-old Lark Goode knows this to be true: the tulips growing behind her ramshackle house are responsible for the madness each spring. Her twin, Archer, embraces the curse, enjoying the favors he receives from admirers, while Lark rejects it, isolating herself and yearning for the day she graduates and can move far away. When Lark’s classmates start begging her for tulips, she discovers that some have been stolen and are circulating around Cutwater, wreaking havoc and heartbreak. As Lark searches for solutions to save her peers, she tries to stop herself from doing the one thing she’s always avoided: falling in love. Drawn to Oak, a stranger unaffected by the madness, Lark finds herself spending more time in his company, unsure whether her burgeoning feelings are real or another aspect of the curse. Lyrical prose by Ernshaw (A Wilderness of Stars) ponders love, portents, and family legacy in an electric romance that weaves together magic and suspense. The protagonists cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jess Regel, Helm Literary. (June)