"I want to stay so long at the Thistle and Bloom that my veins turn to roots in the soil. I want to walk up and down the rows of flowers until I know the paths in the pitch black, my final destination always being your doorstep…”

A chaotic, sunshiney artist, and a surly flower farmer bumble their way into love.

What I liked:
- Opal & Pepper: I adore these two. Their inner monologues are so damn good.
- The flower farm: Can I just pick up and move to a flower farm for the rest of my days?
- Neurodivergent rep: Mazey does this so well in all of her books.
- Pepper’s friends: I love Pepper’s friends so much - their support system is amazing.
- Grief: Mazey’s description of Pepper’s grief was so raw and real.

What didn’t work for me:
- Nothing at all

3.5/5 stars! I had a lot of fun with this book, I've read all but one of Mazey's books and they're always a fun time while also hitting me in the feels. Im gonna break it down into likes & dislikes
Likes
- the humor
- the banter
- The autism & neurodivergent rep
-the spice

Dislikes
- The 3rd act conflict
- the plot moved a bit too slow for me
- all the pop culture references

Thank you to the publisher for sending this novel to me for my honest review. This is my first Edding's book and it did not disappoint! Eddings infuses witty humor, hilarious circumstance, and realistic rawness throughout her writing and this book. I absolutely loved the plotline of the flower farm and how the two MCs work around their conflict of who should own the property. Their flirting and romance builds at the perfect pace, and I was entirely rooting for them by the end of the novel!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Pepper and Opal, their friends, and the flower farm. There is some spice, but not overwhelming to the reader. I was really sucked into this book and the plot. Both Pepper and Opal are neurodivergent, and despite their grumpy/sunshine dynamic, they are trying to carve out their space in the world. I enjoyed that these women both had strong character development. This is my first Eddings book and I will be reading her other book, "Tilly in Technicolor" soon!

This was one of those books that I just saw the cover and knew it would be an instant love match for me. This book is a forced proximity, neurodivergent, and most importantly – sapphic romance that takes place on a flower farm!!!! SIGN ME UP!!Both of the main characters are both divergent and bisexual. As a bisexual, neurodivergent woman myself, I found myself in both of these characters. This had everything I want in a romance: some well written spice, light humor, well rounded protagonist dual POV’s, and amazing literary art. Mazey Eddings does an amazing job with her work. I felt like I was reading straight poetry. “It rewires my circuits, every nerve sparking at her touch, every pulse point beating in a rhythm of want.” I recommend this book to anyone who is even acutely interested as it will have you hooked from just one chapter.

What a wonderfully sapphic, neurodivergent, hot, joyful, perfectly titled book! I enjoyed this so much and I’m very content with the ending. Opal was an awesomely complex and surprising character, while always being hilarious and cute. Pepper’s layers constantly being peeled away by Opal to create this huge awakening within her was inspiring. I love how they both faced the albatrosses from their respective pasts and I also loved their present supportive loved ones. Sure it was pretty predictable but it just felt good to read. And isn’t that truly the goal?

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for so kindly providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley + St. Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had the pleasure of reading an early copy of The Plus One by Mazey Eddings last year and absolutely fell in love with her writing, and her talent continues to grow as evidenced by Late Bloomer. Opal, who is, as Taylor Swift might say, a 'pathological people pleaser,' wins the lottery and finds herself with a large sum of money for the first time in her life. With everyone trying to get a hand out from her, she decides to take a majority of her winnings and buy a flower farm complete with a cabin to live in, ready for a fresh start and some peace. What she doesn't know is that the farm is owned by someone named Pepper who refuses to move out, claiming to be the rightful owner. Can they put their differences aside long enough for feelings to take root? Or are they doomed to wilt from the start?

THIS. BOOK. The flower puns, the references to Taylor Swift, the heat, the neurodivergent rep, the mental health rep, the LGBTQ+ rep...this book had it all and then some. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it, and watching the love between Opal and Pepper bloom was such a treat. I loved seeing them grow together and apart, finding a softness with each other that existed only in their bubble, only with their person. They were so brave to let their walls down, to confide in one another, and those scenes were just as beautiful and intimate as any of the spicier scenes (which, let me just say, Mazey is EXCELLENT at). They were just so precious together and I wanted to hug them close and tell them how incredible they both are.

Thank god for Opal's sisters and Pepper's friends because everyone else....kinda sucked. Trish was such a bitch and it was hard to watch that storyline unfold, and the same with Laney and Miles. I felt like them showing up toward the end was a bit unnecessary. Sometimes friendships fizzle out without some big commotion, and I think that would've worked better here because its only purpose was, seemingly, to show that Pepper cared deeply for Opal, calling her 'girlfriend' and defending her honor.

All in all, this book was thoroughly enjoyable and Mazey's voice is so fun, gentle, and soothing. I'll read anything she writes.

Eddings never disappoints!
Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings
This book is full of heart and she does a wonderful job portraying emotions and love while also shedding a wonderful voice on neurodivergence. The representation is just so incredible and so well written.
I love that she writes the most heartwarming stories that ever exist while including the neurodivergent community. It is seriously something spectacular!
The characters are all very relatable and lovable.
Her writing is raw and honest! Her books draw me in from the beginning and don’t let me go.
A phenomenal, sapphic romance that was an absolute joy to read!

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I was so looking forward to this one! Sapphic romance on a flower farm? Neurodivergent representation? Yes please. That sounds like everything I need in a book.

But the writing feels so cliche and cringey and I couldn’t get past it.

I’m really not into the idea that neurodivergent people need to constantly be represented as walking disasters with no ability to get their lives together.

Late Bloomer is a sweet, sapphic romance of two beautiful characters who fall in love and learn to love themselves along the way.

When Opal accidentally wins the lottery, her life upends and people begin coming out of the woodwork looking for favors. So when a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase a flower farm falls into her lap, she takes it and goes to live on the farm and create art. Little does she know, this farm comes with gorgeous flowers, a cute cabin, and Pepper, the unlikeliest of roommates for Opal. While these two clash heads originally, they soon come together in a roommates with benefits agreement and a common goal to get Opal out of Pepper’s hair for good. But with the competition looming, their flowers aren’t the only thing in bloom.


I absolutely loved everything about this book. There were parts that made me laugh, made some swoon, and made me cry. I loved Opal and Pepper for so many of their qualities that I also find within myself. I could easily relate to Opal’s over the top responses and to Pepper’s questioning of her worth and if she’s loved. I loved how their relationship would come together and fall apart, the very way someone in real life with anxious tendencies and trauma from their past would naturally feel in a relationship that comes together by happenstance.

I can’t think of a person I wouldn’t recommend this book to - I really enjoyed every minute and I now need to read everything by this author asap.

Opal and Pepper are Mazey Eddings’ answer to the missing cozy sapphic neurodivergent love story from the romance genre. After winning the lottery, Opal buys a flower farm sight unseen at the spur of a moment. What she doesn’t bargain inheriting with it, is resident farmer Pepper who feels her home has just been stolen out from under her. It’s hate at first sight for neurodivergent Pepper who hates change of any kind and is highly untrusting of the manic pixie dream girl Opal, with the fried white hair who seems to think she can win Pepper over with her bubbly personality. Realizing they might have to work and live together, at least until Pepper can afford to buy Opal out, the two strike up a deal that will leave them sexually satisfied with no-strings attached. This book is hot. Like HOT hot. Eddings’ fans already know she can write a sex scene, and really, isn’t that what we’re here for? This was fresh and fun, even a little emotional, and I enjoyed all of it. Do I think Opal and Pepper will stay together until the end of time? Eh, probably not, but I am here for their ride and appreciate all that Eddings is doing in this book breaking down stereotypes and labels of ADHD and autism.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

CWs (as noted by the author): Grief after the loss of a loved one, Complicated relationships with alcohol, Parental neglect/abandonment

Opal feels even when she tries to do the right thing she just creates more problems. So when she unexpectedly wins the lottery and buys a flower farm in Asheville she thinks maybe she has finally done something right. Wrong. Turns out was sold without the current inhabitant’s knowledge, namely the owner’s granddaughter, Pepper. Opal wants to set things right and try to save the farm so Pepper can buy it back from her. They decide to enter a flower show and hopefully win some money. Opal and Pepper also agree to a friends with benefits situation while they try to work everything out with the farm. With brutal honesty and deep revelations Pepper and Opal learn to love every broken part of each other.

In the traditional Mazey Eddings way the characters have to navigate poignant issues but in a sweet, messy, enjoyable way. Topics of ADHD, a disappearing mother and sexual identity are covered in a beautiful, thought provoking way and dealt with honesty. Another great story by Mazy Eddings!

(3.5)

This was a cute, springtime, diverse sapphic romance between Opal, an artist, and Pepper, a flower farmer. Opal unexpectedly wins the lottery and decides to quit her job and buy a piece of property to start her textile painting business. A beautiful farm is put up for sale and Opal sees it as the perfect opportunity to start fresh. What she doesn’t expect is to arrive at the farm, finding out that the woman who sold it was a con-artist and the mother of our other FMC Pepper, who currently resides at the farm.

This was super cute, as all of Mazeys books are! Both of our MC’s are neurodivergent which Mazey always does so well. I am not usually interested in sapphic romance (just not my cup of tea personally) but I always love Mazeys books and knew it would be quick to get through. This was cute but I think where it fell flat with me was the plot. The main plot points weren’t really touched on (other than trying to make money so Pepper could buy back the farm). I was expecting Peppers mom to play a bigger role, and that plot point kind of just fell off. And the plot with Laney and Miles also started in the beginning of the book, we hear nothing about them, and then they show up at the last minute.

I think this was a cute, quick little love story with a HEA in the end!

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Mazey Eddings and NetGalley for the early ARC of Late Bloomer, available April 16th!

I loved everything about this book. There's autism/ neurodivergence rep. I found reading I related to a lot of the inner dialogue Opal had. The setting was perfect and there was such great banter. I really felt for Pepper.

After winning the lottery and searching for a new start, Opal buys a flower farm through an ad on Facebook. When she arrives at the farm, she finds Pepper living there, claiming to be the rightful owner of the farm. Despite their initial dislike for each other, the two decide to live together on the farm until a better solution can be found.

I really enjoyed this! It was sweet and funny. I loved both Opal and Pepper. I found both of them very relatable. Their chemistry and the spice was great! I was definitely rooting for these two. The cottage core vibes were so great...I want to move to a flower farm!

I also really enjoyed the autism and ADHD rep. It added an extra layer of relatability to Opal, Pepper and their relationship.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

3.75/5

I loved this book, it was adorable, chaotic in the best way, and fast-paced. It was my FF romance apparently and I'm disappointed in myself for not reading FF before but I'm sure I'll rectify that sometime this year, and honestly, this book was light and fluffy.

Opal is chaotic af and energetic and I love her, she seems so golden and she's definitely the sunshine in this relationship. Pepper is a pessimist, she's grumpy and she deserves so much better than the cards life has dealt her but I'm sure Opal will help with that.

Overall everything about this book is energetic, fluffy, cute, and a tad bit chaotic at the same time.

4.5 ⭐️

Such a cute, lighthearted, and hallmark-esque love story! The characters were hilariously cheesy and endearing- especially Opal- making this a perfect beach read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

I want to scream it from the rooftops- I LOVE THIS BOOK! It was such a comforting read, as it never felt too high stakes and carried along in such a wonderful way. I love the dynamic of forced proximity, especially forced roommates. I do wish that the MCs had a few more slight differences. The voices of the two kind of blended together at some points, it felt like the characters were fundamentally very similar. It made it a little more difficult to follow. But I loved this one! Also, this is one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in a while!

Ah, I hate to say this but this one was just okay for me. It had so much potential but ended up falling a bit flat. One thing I absolutely loved and why I picked up the book to begin with was the representation. There’s neurodivergent rep, queer main and side characters, spicy sapphic sex scenes, and important topics of parental abandonment & grief. It’s overly cute and had me laughing but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to keep me engaged. I was skim reading by the half way point because it wasn’t holding my attention. I had a really hard time differentiating the two characters- despite being described as opposites, it was hard to tell whose POV I was in sometimes because their voices weren’t distinct and they were rather one dimensional. Add in the two other bi girls whose name started with an O and I was confused whenever they were on page together. It was light hearted but still addressed some important topics, funny and sweet, but it all came off a bit cheesy and cliche. Sadly, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

Very heartwarming nad moving.

It's always emotional when people find themselves after being confused for so long and Mazey Eddings is really good at writing that. She's also really good at creating a cast of characters and connecting them either by friendship or by family and this was no exception.

From the first couple of pages, you're invested in Opal's story and Opal's want to belong and being let down by everyone she's dated.

Then Pepper's want and dedicated pair perfectly together. It's a story you don't want to miss.