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The Unheard Trilogy #2
Where The Petals Remain
Bug Pines doesn’t have a ‘normal’ life. Not since their eighth birthday, when they were unceremoniously torn away from everything they knew. In adulthood, they juggle college and a straining relationship. Their partner, Noah Liang, remains fervently devoted no matter how far they push him away.
Everything changes when their mother breaks out of prison, setting off a chain of unforeseen events. Bug must nurse old wounds and forge a new path alongside Noah; one where they no longer dismiss their pain. With family tensions and challenges on the rise, with an unspoken tragedy looming, will the couple rekindle the flame?
Where The Petals Remain is the equal parts brutal and uplifting follow up to Where The Stars Are.
Note: Reviewing the content warnings on the author's website is STRONGLY recommended before reading.
Everything changes when their mother breaks out of prison, setting off a chain of unforeseen events. Bug must nurse old wounds and forge a new path alongside Noah; one where they no longer dismiss their pain. With family tensions and challenges on the rise, with an unspoken tragedy looming, will the couple rekindle the flame?
Where The Petals Remain is the equal parts brutal and uplifting follow up to Where The Stars Are.
Note: Reviewing the content warnings on the author's website is STRONGLY recommended before reading.
ebook
First published May 22, 2026
About the author
Micah Flowers
4 books6 followersMicah Flowers is a Black writer and artist born in humble Abingdon, Virginia. Micah began writing when they were five years old. At the age of nineteen, they came out as nonbinary and genderfluid. Independent of creative pursuits they enjoy watching films, playing video games, studying psychology, and spending time with their many cats.
Micah’s debut novel, Where The Stars Are, perfectly encapsulates their dedication to continuously challenging systematic oppression. They aim to boost understanding of intersectionality and normalize heavily stigmatized mental disorders through their works. They believe it is never too late to uplift and amplify BIPOC trans narratives and voices.
Micah’s debut novel, Where The Stars Are, perfectly encapsulates their dedication to continuously challenging systematic oppression. They aim to boost understanding of intersectionality and normalize heavily stigmatized mental disorders through their works. They believe it is never too late to uplift and amplify BIPOC trans narratives and voices.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 12, 2026
Thank you so much to Micah for the opportunity to ARC read this!
This one continues from "Where the Stars Are" with Masika and Aiden's child, Bug. After their mother unexpectedly breaks out of prison, their life turns upside down with unexpected events all while handling their relationships.
Micah had such a beautiful way with handling tragic, dark, and honestly realistic events and putting them into writing. This book that anyone who is tired of the basic white, straight booktok books should read. It will give you a different perspective that anyone should want to read about.
The writing is done beautifully, the plot is concise and fluid, and Bug's story is one you will absolutely want to keep reading until the end. It is definitely one to read the the trigger warnings at the beginning, so keep that in mind!
This one continues from "Where the Stars Are" with Masika and Aiden's child, Bug. After their mother unexpectedly breaks out of prison, their life turns upside down with unexpected events all while handling their relationships.
Micah had such a beautiful way with handling tragic, dark, and honestly realistic events and putting them into writing. This book that anyone who is tired of the basic white, straight booktok books should read. It will give you a different perspective that anyone should want to read about.
The writing is done beautifully, the plot is concise and fluid, and Bug's story is one you will absolutely want to keep reading until the end. It is definitely one to read the the trigger warnings at the beginning, so keep that in mind!
May 25, 2026
I jumped right into Petals after finishing Stars and powered through a migraine to read it in two days. It’s a lot to pile on given the heavy themes of psychosis and depression but I was enraptured the entire time. I even took the time to make sure I had everyone’s gender identity correct throughout the story. For me, Petals is actually heavier than Stars. There’s just so much pain and trauma on the way to another hard fought HEA. I received this book directly from the author (whom I found on Threads and am now beta reading for!) and this is my honest review. 4.75 stars rounded up to 5! Can’t thank Micah enough for helping depict US as more than the stereotypes while still staying true to the messiness of our experiences. And, as a baby queer, I learned so much about queer and poly dynamics in such an organic way. Really looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.
May 13, 2026
Thank you to the author for an ARC copy!
I really love the way Micah Flowers writes. Even though this is a romance book, the element of alternating timelines gives it this mysterious edge that made the book so hard to put down. And I enjoyed all of the reveals throughout.
The representation of different disabilities was exciting to read. I have POTS myself and it felt like Bug's experiences mirrored my own. I felt I was being healed while reading this book.
Furthermore, the spice...the communication...the aftercare? That had me giggling and kicking my feet. My expectation bar for romantic scenes has gone up tremendously.
I recommend giving this book a try. It tackles a lot of different elements and the characters are all so endearing.
I really love the way Micah Flowers writes. Even though this is a romance book, the element of alternating timelines gives it this mysterious edge that made the book so hard to put down. And I enjoyed all of the reveals throughout.
The representation of different disabilities was exciting to read. I have POTS myself and it felt like Bug's experiences mirrored my own. I felt I was being healed while reading this book.
Furthermore, the spice...the communication...the aftercare? That had me giggling and kicking my feet. My expectation bar for romantic scenes has gone up tremendously.
I recommend giving this book a try. It tackles a lot of different elements and the characters are all so endearing.
May 22, 2026
Thank you so much to the author for the ARC!!
The second novel of The Unheard Trilogy continues the story of its predecessor, Where The Stars Are, and offers closure to the story of Masika and Aiden, who finally get their HEA, while narrating the life of their child, Bug. Where The Petals Remain explores diverse themes such as violence, abuse, racism, neurodivergence or disability. Although it gives the reader a more optimistic approach than the previous book to these and other questions, it retains the characteristic and recognizable voice of the author, Micah Flowers.
Micah Flowers’s new novel presents a new generation of characters whose personal traits create a choral account of what diversity is. The three Black trans protagonists, Bug, Elijah and Noah, are involved in a polyamorous relationship that survives the difficulties they encounter along the way, eventually finding their HEA. The story is also populated with empathetic characters, some of them already present in Where The Stars Are and some others new, that become a found family for Bug, Elijah and Noah. Again, like in the previous novel, the characters are reminded that, as opposed to evil, there is always a community of people willing to provide shelter amid the chaos.
Micah Flowers explores multiple serious issues, such as for instance Bug’s schizoaffective disorder, but at the same time they provide mechanisms that alleviate the seriousness of the matters. For instance, Bug channels their feelings thanks to the multiple insects that they see around other people’s bodies and the symbolism that they find in those. Butterflies, bees and beetles are messengers from the spirit world and, in magic realism fashion, populate a story that hints at the existence of a supernatural realm that surrounds the characters, a reminder of a community of ancestors that protect their breed.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the novel includes some sex scenes that are extremely interesting and important, especially in a genre, romance, that too often forgets about non-normative bodies and sexualities. Where The Petals Remain is a beautiful story of love, both romantic love and family love, that includes representation for diverse gender identities and sexual orientations and manages to be sweet despite the traumatic occurrences in the life of the characters.
The second novel of The Unheard Trilogy continues the story of its predecessor, Where The Stars Are, and offers closure to the story of Masika and Aiden, who finally get their HEA, while narrating the life of their child, Bug. Where The Petals Remain explores diverse themes such as violence, abuse, racism, neurodivergence or disability. Although it gives the reader a more optimistic approach than the previous book to these and other questions, it retains the characteristic and recognizable voice of the author, Micah Flowers.
Micah Flowers’s new novel presents a new generation of characters whose personal traits create a choral account of what diversity is. The three Black trans protagonists, Bug, Elijah and Noah, are involved in a polyamorous relationship that survives the difficulties they encounter along the way, eventually finding their HEA. The story is also populated with empathetic characters, some of them already present in Where The Stars Are and some others new, that become a found family for Bug, Elijah and Noah. Again, like in the previous novel, the characters are reminded that, as opposed to evil, there is always a community of people willing to provide shelter amid the chaos.
Micah Flowers explores multiple serious issues, such as for instance Bug’s schizoaffective disorder, but at the same time they provide mechanisms that alleviate the seriousness of the matters. For instance, Bug channels their feelings thanks to the multiple insects that they see around other people’s bodies and the symbolism that they find in those. Butterflies, bees and beetles are messengers from the spirit world and, in magic realism fashion, populate a story that hints at the existence of a supernatural realm that surrounds the characters, a reminder of a community of ancestors that protect their breed.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the novel includes some sex scenes that are extremely interesting and important, especially in a genre, romance, that too often forgets about non-normative bodies and sexualities. Where The Petals Remain is a beautiful story of love, both romantic love and family love, that includes representation for diverse gender identities and sexual orientations and manages to be sweet despite the traumatic occurrences in the life of the characters.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews