While the premise might seem far-fetched, it’s perfectly believable when you get to know these characters! And while the story moves back and forth between Opal’s and Pepper’s perspectives, each feels different and unique, immersing the reader into their worlds and making the story feel that much more believable.

A cute read with a good sex scene or two. Love the flower farm, although the plot around the flower competition felt like an afterthought.

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I mean, the cover alone deserves all the stars, right? Gorgeous! If I was one to just choose a book by it's cover (I am, it's totally me) I would absolutely choose this book based solely on the cover. But the story sounds cute too, right? The overall story was good but soooooooo rushed, especially the end and the third act "breakup". So little support from the friend/family group who quite literally disappeared from a large event they were all at. Where'd they go? Why don't friends ever intervene when lovers have a miscommunication situation? ESPECIALLY neurodiverse lovers? Like, if you know your friend has a hard time reading social situations why would you not be there for them when they misconstrue something in a major social situation? Idk, the big fight just completely took me out of the story. And the spice throughout was fun but not-believable. Idk. Overall, I enjoyed it but I don't know that I'd recommend it really. Tough one for me.

A sapphic romance set on a flower farm in Asheville; this book is just as cute and cozy as you would expect it to be!

I really enjoyed this book. While at times it felt a little drawn out, the beautify setting made it so that I didn’t mind, and I enjoyed every chapter. The characters were well flushed out and diverse, with plenty of queer and neurodivergent rep. This book was also spicier than I expected, but not overly so - it struck a great balance.

While I enjoyed the characters, I did find one of the MC’s character arch to be a little confusing - it felt like the first few chapters were setting her up to be one way, and then around a quarter of the way through her personality totally changes.

I loved this read - it had everything I was hoping for from the premise. Opal and Pepper are such great opposites attract and were such fun characters to follow falling in love. Pepper is autistic and Opal is neurodivergent and these are characteristics that they celebrate in each other right from the beginning. I also loved Opal's sisters and Pepper's friends who all come together in such a loving and fun group. The background of a flower farm is maybe my new favorite romantic backdrop to a story and I think Eddings does a fantastic job balancing the reality of farming with the romanticized elements. The plot with Pepper's con-woman mother was really interesting and I think Eddings handled the topic with care. This was another win from Eddings with a great mix of heart and heat and I can't wait to get more (hopefully following Opal's sisters).
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC. Expected publication date is April 16, 2024.

After Opal as struggled to fit in and make true friends her whole life, she suddenly wins the lottery and decides it’s time to start fresh. She purchases an old flower farm and plans to create art in her dream studio surrounded by nature and away from her crappy friends and loser ex boyfriend. Once she arrives she finds that someone is already living at the farm and had no idea it’d be sold. Pepper was dragged around and emotional abused by her mother until she finally dropped her off at her grandmother’s farm. A few months ago, Pepper’s grandmother passed and she has since been attempting to locate her will. Unfortunately, it seems Pepper’s mother has sold the farm out from under her to an airheaded, artsy whirlwind of chaos. As Opal and Pepper become roommates, they butt heads at every turn - only to feel a growing attraction between them that’ll eventually come into full bloom.

I absolutely loved Late Bloomer! It’s adorable in all the right ways and the neurodivergent rep was fantastic. This was super cute and I loved all the instances of flower language the author snuck into the book. The fact she even includes an explanation of all the times she did so was the cherry on top, in my opinion! This was such a fun read and I can’t wait to see more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for sending me an early copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

Opal and Pepper and flowers, oh my! Did this book make me a little bi??????

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Griffin for early access to the ALC/ARC of this book. These are my honest thoughts!

I truly enjoyed myself while reading this book. I felt like I got to know so many different things about the characters, and I loved the fluidity of this story. There was so much diversity that challenged the typical "southern charm" of "bless your little heart," I could almost die from it.

The two main characters, Opal and Pepper, could NOT be more opposite. Opal is soft and gooey and kind of a pushover. Pepper is hesitant and stiff and kind of mean, tbh. These two do not seem like the perfect pair by any comparison. But where Opal is soft, Pepper is stiff, and that balance in many ways brings them together. I love that these characters together are forced to see outside of themselves and to identify the ways in which their perceived barriers/struggles/flaws are actually blessings.

In addition to these beautiful *and freaking steamy* book, I adored the diversity of the friends and family (and found family) within the pages. SO MUCH REPRESENTATION. I loved it so much and I'm sure there will be readers who will feel seen in fiction. That's my hope for everyone, to read books where they can see themselves in the story.

I absolutely loved the thought behind the flowers, the metaphors and the overall vibe of this book. Doesn't buying a flower farm and living on it with your best friend/lover sound like the dream? It does to this girl! :)

I think this lands somewhere around the 3.75star range for me. Out April 16th!

I have loved every book that I have read by @mazeyeddings and this one did not disappoint! The story of Opal and Pepper was adorable! I loved getting to know the characters, how they operate, and their quirks. I love the representation of neurodiversity, with autism and ADHD. Was the story a bit cheesy in some places? Maybe, but that is fine with me! I love a good romance that makes me smile and Mazey Eddings always delivers!

LOVED this one so much! Late Bloomer was a fantastic read and this one is perfect for the upcoming romance by the pool season! Thank you for an early copy.

Due to the ongoing marketing boycott of St. Martin’s Press, I will not be sharing a review of Late Bloomer on social media. This is disappointing, as it is charming, and Mazey Eddings deserves better.

This book just wasn't for me and that's fine! The queer and neurodivergent representations was lovely, but ultimately I didn't enjoy it purely because of my own reading tastes.

I would love to rate this and tell you what I thought about it. But alas, it's a St. Martin's Press title and I'm boycotting them for their lack of response to racist and misinformed remarks their employee made concerning Palestine.

Sucks for them for not being better humans and running a better publishing house. (One-star rating only because I had to rate it. Does not reflect feelings about the book.)

I really loved this sweet romance about two people who have led very different lives coming together to find common ground and love. The flower farm setting was a huge plus as well! This one was emotional, but also lighthearted and funny.

2.5 stars
I started out really loving this one, but as I continued on, I found myself just dragging through it because I had already read so much of it. Opal as an FMC was not my cup of tea. She was a bit too fantastical and felt more like a stereotypical caricature rather than a well-rounded character.
The romance itself was very sweet, and I enjoyed watching two people learn to love each other and honor their flaws as a part of who they were.

Overall, this was not my favorite book of Eddings' but I will continue to give her books a shot, because I love her other reads.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is officially my favourite Mazey Eddings book! What an amazing story - I’m obsessed!

I loved Opal and Pepper so much!! The way they were so open and vulnerable with each other was adorable.

I genuinely can’t recommend it enough! This is such a cute, fluffy read; conflict is minimal and when it did happen, Opal and Pepper tried her best to talk things through, which I really appreciate.

I had to DNF about a quarter way through. I just couldn't read it anymore. Opal was insufferable with her self-deprecating-millennial attitude. Almost everything she did and said made me roll my eyes. And yes I understand both characters are neurodivergent and that was NOT the issue, I have read other books that wrote neurodiverse people very well, and this was just... I didn't like it. I didn't believe the connection between the two main characters because it felt so forced and like the book was trying its hardest to be a romance. It's never a good sign when you can't stand the main character.

Once I started this book I kept putting it off because I didn't want to read it and I won't be reviewing it on my media platforms because of the St. Martin's Press boycott so there was no reason for me to continue to suffer through this.

Late Bloomer has an intriguing description and a beautiful cover, but the story itself is a standard romance.

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I decided to DNF this book at 63%. I started to realize how bored I was every time I picked up the book, which is never how a reader wants to feel. I think the fact that the characters never left the house or farm enough added to the monotony and attributed greatly to my feelings about the book. I love Mazey's other books! I was really loving Opal and Pepper too for a while, but this one just didn't have the same flare that her others have and I was sad to see that spark missing in Late Bloomer.

Mazey Eddings’ Late Bloomer is a charming and engaging romance. Its delightful narrative explores growth and maturation with keen insight, offering readers a sweet, sapphic romance that easily resonates. Eddings’ ability to balance humor and raw emotion is noteworthy; she uses it to deliver a fun book with a bit of substance.

The story follows Opal Devlin, whose life takes a strange turn after winning the lottery. Looking for a fresh start and a place to grow her painting business, she purchases a flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina via Facebook Marketplace. However, her plans are thrown into disarray when she discovers the sale may not have been on the up and up. When Pepper Boden, the supposed rightful owner, enters the picture, Opal’s idyllic notions of farm life are squashed. Forced to coexist on the farm until the ownership can be sorted out, Opal and Pepper do nothing but chafe and irritate one another. Over time, however, the dynamic between the two shifts and an unexpected attraction develops. As this de facto relationship slowly blooms, readers quickly flip through the pages to find out if it will become a floral tribute or a whoops a daisy.

Eddings does a nice job developing Opal and Pepper. They are multifaceted characters with delightful personalities; readers easily form a connection to them. Their “grumpy/sunshine” dynamic is smile worthy, making this slow-burn romance an enchanting read. What’s more, the storytelling is filled to the brim with Eddings’ joyful, animated tone, making Late Bloomer the perfect vacation read.

Final remarks…

Eddings does a nice job with this heartfelt depiction of love and relationships. Told with raw, refreshing tenderness, Late Bloomer is both captivating and engaging. Readers will enjoy this happily-ever-after.

Late Bloomer’s Strengths…

Well-written
Entertaining
Fresh & original
Heartfelt and tender

A delightful sapphic romance. Opal and Pepper are so sweet, so tender, and so precious. Mazey always delivers a delightful read.