Sweet Hearts: Forget-Me-Not by Jo Cotterill (9 years +)

June 2011, Red Fox

227 pages, Paperback

Review copy 

Themes: Grief and all it entails, first job, finding a personal gift, vandalism, saving a business, investigation, fear, illness of loved ones, friendships new and reformed, some mild teen romance, tissues needed

Summary from Random House

The third title in this wonderful series. For all fans of Cathy Cassidy and Jacqueline Wilson - Sweet Hearts follows a huge cast of girls and their friendships, families and first loves!

Since her mother, a famous florist, died three years ago, Kate’s whole life has changed completely. She’s pushed her friends away, shrunk into herself and is only finding some solace spending time in the garden amongst the flowers her mum loved so much. Desperate to try and become more like the ‘normal’ girl she once was, Kate gets a summer job at a garden centre. Doing something she’s good at means that flashes of the old sparky girl begin to emerge again – helped a lot by her very attractive and mysterious co-worker, Simon . . .

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Kate...her journey in this book is heartwarming and heartbreaking, I really felt for her emotional state and loved how she got her life back.

How evil/nasty is the enemy? Anyone resorting to organised intimidation is evil. Money isnt everything in life!

Are there plenty of plot twists and surprises? I was a bit faster than Kate in putting some of the clues together, but there are a few yay moments which caught me by surprise.

One of my favourite parts was...when Kate's Dad finally starts building bridges with her. Tissues were needed. Lots of them. 

This heartfelt book with an awesome cover gets 9/10 from me.

Suggested read 

Another book packed with emotion evolved around losing a parent is Eight Keys by Suzanne Lafleur.