4 stars!

Mazey Eddings is one of my favorite authors. She has never steered me wrong, and "Late Bloomer" is no different. I loved this lovely story full of autism and ADHD representation, bi/queer/sapphic romance, flowers, kitsch, self-acceptance, and grumpy x sunshine wonderfulness! Eddings treats her characters with such passion, such care, that they feel authentic and lived-in, like friends I know in real life. Opal and Pepper are both messes in their own very specific ways. That is what endears readers to Eddings' characters, in my opinion. They aren't cookie-cutter-perfect people who have their lives together tied up with neat little bows. They are blunt, honest, flailing, unsure, compassionate, misunderstood, solid, beautiful, chaotic messes. Opal and Pepper are total opposites. Opal is sunshine personified, always trying to do things selflessly, to a fault. When she buys Thistle and Bloom Farms, she wants to use it as her fresh start. Pepper, the rightful owner of the farm (or so she thought), has been jaded by life and grief and abandonment and is better off hiding away on the farm out of reach of harm's way. Together, they teach each other how to love, care, be tender, express themselves, be affectionate, and communicate effectively. I might not have been as pulled in by their love story as I have been with some of Mazey's other books, but I still really, really liked this one. Terrific spice, incredible heart, bursting with vibrancy and love! I also loved the audiobook narration by Ellie Gossage. She really brings these characters to life in a vivacious, intricate way.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This book has made me a Mazey Eddings stan. I read The Plus Ones, and when NetGalley notified me of this book I had to pick it up. It did NOT disappoint. Eddings does a wonderful job with her characters, giving love interests full fledged experiences before they fall in love. Pepper is such a sweet character with so many emotions that can often lead her down a path of bad reactions that can't be fully understood. Opal is a sweetheart who just wants people to like her but needs to get over her people pleasing ways. Seeing them interact was pure joy. Their love story was quick and full of understanding and growth, and I was so impressed.

But the love story is really just a part of it. Eddings does shine in how she treats a character's background. She wants you to see the character and their flaws. She wants you to understand their motivations, even if they don't all the time. What I loved most about this is that the supporting characters also seem there to help and provide actual support to the characters, teaching them how better to live in their own existence. Between the Loved Ones and Late Bloomer, I will now be reading all of Eddings work, and you should too!

I’m a huge fan of Mazey Eddings - I’ve read all of her new releases right from the very beginning. I love them all equally in their own unique ways (meaning they’re all equally my favourite and you can’t make me pick between them!). late Bloomer is a sweet and soft, slow burn, sapphic romance with neurodivergent characters and is really special in its own way.

I loved how Pepper, an autistic girl left abandoned by her mother with a great aunt she called her grandmother, learned to live and thrive on the flower farm (Thistle and Bloom, in Asheville) she grew to call home. She created a network of friends as a support system. I loved how Opal was wildly impulsive and even with her insanely supportive family, and craftily manipulative friends, when her “best friend “ gave her a scratch-off lotto ticket for her birthday which she won big on, and she decided to buy a flower farm through a FB marketplace advertisement, they supported her new endeavor to leave town and go paint fabrics (and especially her attempt to get away from the manipulative friend and terrible boyfriend).

Right from the moment Opal and Pepper have their prickly meeting you can tell this is going to be an excellent and emotional opposites attract story - and Mazey doesn’t let us down! It’s a thrilling emotional ride through every single page and I love every word and every minute spent with these characters. I completely and totally recommend this book to everybody … whether you have read any sapphic romance before or not, this is such a beautiful, slow burn love story, because both have their neurodivergence to work around that it takes longer than most to get to a place where they realize and give into their feelings.

Audio is narrated by Ellie Gossage, who did a really fantastic job. She voices both characters and while I normally prefer two POVs to be separate narrators, especially when they’re both the same gender (to have better differentiation between them), she’s given enough vocal inflection to make us realize she’s changed between Opal and Pepper - the sign of a great vocal actor. Very well done. You’re definitely going to want to get the audio version of Late Bloomer!

I received an advance read and listen copy from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and Macmillan Audio, and this is my honest feedback.

Late Bloomer is a tender, sweet, heartfelt romance that was a delight to read. This is a lovely sapphic, seemingly opposites attract romance. Opal and Pepper are messy! They are young! And that young, naive nature is portrayed well but was also a bit much for me at times. They make impulsive decisions that are Not Great. Opal has given too much of herself to people who don’t deserve her attention. Pepper has deep fears and insecurities and is letting that fear push others away.The representation is strong for neurodivergent women. I loved the acceptance the two of them had for each other. Also, Pepper’s migraine representation was much appreciated! Their story isn’t without it’s low points but what they do well is gently fall in love and take steps forward to stop behaviors from their past and reach toward a future together that is brighter and happier. I was swept away in this story and am so glad to have read it. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Decent, yet I was left wanting more. There's a lot to like here: the fact that this is clearly such a personal story for Eddings, the stunning cover, the two neurodivergent queer main characters and the quaint setting on a flower farm, to name a few. However, there isn't a whole lot to the meandering tale and it was hard to get invested in this couple when there is so little depth given to Opal and Pepper that at times I had difficulty distinguishing between their perspectives while reading. I admired the way that Pepper's grief about her grandmother was handled and wish that more of the book had been so carefully considered and thoughtfully written. The two sections at the end were enjoyable in very different ways: Anatomy of a Title is a very funny detailing of Eddings' numerous title ideas en route to the one she landed on, and Flowers Mentioned in the Book and Their Symbolic Meaning gives interesting insight to the included flora. Both of the books that I've read by Eddings have been fine, but I'm still waiting to read something by her that'll really knock my socks off and stick with me.

This was such a wonderful, heartwarming, giggly, inspiring read that I loved so much.

I identified so much with one of the main characters, Opal, and loved watching her challenge herself and grow throughout this book. The story starts out with her feeling extremely stuck, lost, unfulfilled, and overwhelmed, until she suddenly comes into enough money to help possibly make her dreams a reality. She impulsively decides to buy a flower farm and uproot her life to a new city for a fresh start.

In comes Poppy who lets just say…complicates her fresh start, but Opal is determined to keep moving forward.

I loved the neurodivergent representation and that was part of what helped me identify with Opal (and Poppy) so much and the way her brain worked/she navigated life. Also her impulsive hair dye antics as a coping skill were just 12/10 so relatable.

Poppy was such a grump and I absolutely loved it, especially when we started to see her open up more.

Oh also the SPICE?!?! It was good let me tell ya. I looooove when a semi shy/awkward character knows what they’re doing in bed and then add some good dirty talking in there??? Sold.

So thankful to NetGalley and Griffin for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! Late Bloomers comes out on April 16th and couldn’t be a more perfect spring read for all the girlies, the gays, the swifties, the neurodivergent peeps, and really just anyone that loves a good Grumpy x Sunshine!!!

This was the perfect romance to get me out of Winter and into the Spring season. Initially I didn't fully enjoy either of the heroines, but I grew to really enjoy them and understand them and their mannerisms better. The Thistle and Bloom farm is such a perfect setting for the novel and it had me wanting to go and experience a flower farm for myself. I wish we had been able to get to know some of the side characters a little bit better including both Opal's sisters as well as Pepper's friend group. I really loved the progression of Opal and Pepper's relationship and that the epilogue wasn't the typical ending that many epilogues seem to have.

“Late Bloomer” is a chaotic whirlwind of a story. It starts with the chaos of impulsive youth, but ends with compassion, dedication, and hard work. I was quite hesitant at first because Opal really made me worry about her, but the one thing I could say about her impulsive decisions is that she saw them all through until the end. She didn’t give up, she worked outside of the box, and dug in (literally) to get things done. I wasn’t completely sold on Pepper and Opal’s relationship, but I truly appreciated their ability to work through their issues. I think this was less of a romance and more of a friendship, but I liked seeing this two opposing forces combine to take charge and work together instead of against one another.

This was so cute, it’s perfect!

I don’t often read sapphic books, but books like this remind me why I need to. Opal and Pepper, can I start by saying those are the cutest names ever??? Okay, back to my actual review.

This book was cheesy, fun, and it had so many pop culture references so no complaints here. This book was an actual dream, it was that good. I loved the character development, the banter, and every sweet moment.

I can talk about this book for a while but all I’ll say is it’s a must read. It just gives all the warm feelings their love is so pure!

4 Stars There's something about the characters in sapphic rom coms that make me want to swaddle them in bubble wrap and keep them safe from the world so they only experience happiness. Late Bloomer is Mazey Eddings' first sapphic romance and Opal and Pepper absolutely deserve to be bubble wrapped lol

Winning the lottery is a life-changing experience--too bad for Opal Devlin that winning a bunch of cash didn't necessarily change her life for the better. People from her past suddenly came out of the woodwork seeking to "reconnect" and revealing their true selves. In order to carry out her dream of opening a shoe-painting art studio and business, Opal pours her winnings into a failing flower farm in Asheville. Opal's plans for a new life are temporarily thwarted when she arrives to the farm and meets Pepper Smith, who claims to be the rightful owner of Thistle and Bloom. The two butt heads at every turn, but agree to an unlikely partnership for an upcoming flower show competition and to cohabitate. Though each woman finds the other aggravating, they can't ignore the sparks between them either.

Mazey Eddings excels at writing stories with beautiful OwnVoices representation, including autism, ADHD, and bi/queer rep. With Late Bloomer, she also delves into parental neglect, loss and grief, and feelings of failure when you don't have your life together. I could absolutely relate to this last one and at multiple points while reading I wanted to give Opal and Pepper a hug and reassure them that they were doing just fine, it would all be okay 💗 Late Bloomer is a beautiful story full of hope and love!

A neurodiverse sapphic novel where two people from different backgrounds find themselves stuck together at a farm. Each carries through own trauma, lack of trust, some good and some bad relationships - and it touches on many a romance trope along the way.

I loved the setting of a floral farm - the idea and visuals just made the scenes for me.

I had a hard time with how the characters started out - one refusing to leave while the other contractually got the property - and then the one who purchased feeling bad... it seemed a bit too outlandish to me that it would start out that way - but I get that you need a reason to keep the two in a close proximity setting for the story to flow.

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

Opal receives a scratch-off lottery ticket from a co-worker and surprisingly wins $500,000. She’s in a rut in her life and decides to use her winnings for a fresh start. When she finds an advertisement on Facebook for a flower farm (complete with a charming cabin) for sale, she decides to buy it sight-unseen. This decision was insane, but I digress. When she shows up to move in, ready to start her shoe-painting business, she is shocked to learn that a woman already lives there and runs the farm. Rather than make Pepper leave or return home while the ownership situation is sorted (either of which would be reasonable IMO), she decides to move in with the stranger and give Pepper time to buy her out.

As I mentioned, Opal made a lot of questionable decisions and I feel like some belief must be suspended to enjoy the premise of the book. But I apparently had no problem with that, because I ate it all up. It was very reminiscent of Seasons of Love, which I read and enjoyed last winter.

This is the fourth Mazey Eddings book I’ve read, and she’s definitely one of my favorite romance authors. She does a great job of creating complicated and complex characters that you can’t help but root for. Once again, Mazey includes mental health representation (in this case, undiagnosed ADHD, autism, grief, and abandonment/neglect issues.) Although it’s a standalone, there is a fun Easter egg referencing our favorite erotic baker. This is Mazey’s first sapphic romance, but the spice was not in any way sacrificed. In fact, it might be her spiciest one yet.

Although the premise was a little crazy and there could have been more character development, this as a fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this complementary ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

I have really loved all of Mazey Eddings books, so I was super excited to read Late Bloomer! I really liked it! Opal and Pepper were a delight and I loved their story. The flower farm setting was great and I enjoyed the plot. Definitely would recommend it!

DNF at 19%. I just can't get behind this one because the whole "I just spent 300k on a flower farm I've never seen" is so unbelievable to me. And it makes me sad because I've loved Mazey's previous books.

This book was sweet, and I really appreciated the exploration of neurodivergence.

This was a highly, highly anticipated book for me as a huge fan of Mazey’s, and a queer person thrilled to read Mazey’s first sapphic novel. I just couldn’t get absorbed in this world the way I’ve been able to with her first series. It felt like a chore to pick this up, and I just couldn’t care about it like I wanted to.

There were lots of great things in this, it just didn’t have that Mazey Eddings magic that I was looking forward to.

I've loved all of Mazey's books that I've read so far and this gets added to the list. Both Opal and Pepper were such complex, unique, and well-developed characters. I was rooting for both of them both individually and collectively. I thought the neurodivergent representation was so well done. I also love that this took place in a flower farm, it felt so immersive and pretty. Mazey also delved into grief and a neglectful parent and while these were heavier topics, she handled them with grace and care. The Sapphic rep was so cute and I loved the cast of queer characters as well! There was no real third act break-up which made me like it even more. This was full of chaos, sweet moments and lots of validation and I really enjoyed that. Thank you to SMP romance and Netgalley for the e-ARC to read and review!

I adored this book. Opal and Pepper grabbed my heart and didn’t let go. I also loved the world that was created in this book and would love to see future stories about Opal and Pepper’s friends and family. The sex scenes in this book are hot and don’t skimp on the details. The only issue I had is that the Opal seems like a different person from the character we meet in the very beginning to when she arrives in North Carolina. She went from a (seemingly) meek person who lets people walk over her to a supremely confident person almost overnight. I would have liked to see a little more of her growth on the page. Eddings has written a tender, emotional romance that handles neurodivergence and grief in a realistic way. Highly recommend.

"There is no happy ending that could ever, ever come from this nightmare."

Surprise! Opal and Pepper DO get their happy ending and it's beautiful. When Opal wins the lottery off a scratch off, she decides to use the money for a fresh start and a flower farm. Pepper's grumpy welcome is no match for Opal's bright and sunshine-y personality. This is a beautiful story of growth and family and grief.

This book was such a fresh breath of air. I absolutely loved everything about it. Eddings creates two distinct voices of messy, honest, compelling women. And the side characters are just PERFECT. This book made Eddings an auto buy for me and I can't wait to read her back list!

Late Bloomer... Is a book that definitely lives up to its name. The beginning of the book was giving me major cringe vibes with Opal being a major pushover and with impulse control issues. I may have actually been reading it with one eye because I wasn't prepared for a lot of the chaos that Opal brings to herself, which is probably good because it really set me up for the next phase of the book when we meet Pepper, and more importantly, their meet cute/disaster. Also I wasn't sure if I could handle much more "old Opal" at that point. Once our heroines get to know each other it is a wonderful blossoming (pun intended) of not only their relationship but also working through their issues and learning to trust themselves and each other. In a way their relationship is a quiet growth and the comfort of them being there for each other but also very much misreading each other, especially due to them both being neurodivergent. It was really heartwarming seeing them navigate their relationship and also incredibly sensually steamy. It had the slow pace of a Regency sexual encounter and I loved how they took time to get to know each other and their tenderness. The ending was not necessarily what I expected, which was great and the epilogue served up the Lesbian cottage core we were all waiting for.

Steam: 🔥🔥
Heart Flutters: ❤️❤️