Opal is lost in life. She’s an artist who dreams of designing shoes for a living, but instead is working at an ice cream parlor to make ends meet. When she wins big on a scratch off, she buys a flower farm sight unseen. However, when she arrives at her new home she finds it already inhabited by Piper, who is her opposite in every way. They agree to cohabitate temporarily while figuring out a long term solution. Along the way they realize there’s something there between them and this may be the best thing to ever happen to either.

This was adorable!! I couldn’t help but root for Opal and Piper. Both had so much personality and quirkiness and their chemistry was really there. This was my first Mazey Eddings book and it definitely won’t be my last.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

What a unique love story! I really enjoyed spending time on the farm with Opal and Pepper. As much work as they do there, Thistle and Bloom sounds like an idyllic place to live, surrounded by nature and inspired by beauty. I could fully understand Opal's dream to make the place her home and studio space even as I cringed with her lack of due diligence in researching the property, responsibilities of ownership, or even the person she met for the sale! Thank goodness Pepper, the last remaining heart of the beautiful farm, was inconveniently stuck there when Opal arrived! As implausible as the setup might be, the sheer recklessness of Opal's early decisions made it easy to accept her willingness to share the farmhouse and help Pepper, even as Pepper's animosity and resentment towards her burned blindingly bright.

The characters are just fantastic, a great mix of personalities. My heart wept for Pepper's grief, her monstrously narcissistic mother, and the general distrust she feels after the difficulties she's endured. I loved Opal's heart and generosity and adored her sisters and the proud way that they love and support each other. And the emotions on the page are so palpable and raw, especially as the neurodiverse characters discover the depths of gratitude, love, and passion they feel for each other. It left me feeling ragged in bits but so happy by the epilogue. Highly recommend. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While I am grateful for the advanced review copy and did thoroughly enjoy the book, I’m withholding my review from social media as part of the SMP boycott against racism and islamophobia.

I LOVED this book! Opal and Pepper are fantastic main characters, and their grumpy/sunshine personalities worked so well together. I also really loved Pepper’s exploration of grief and thought that was handled really well. The plot itself is rather unique and the setting of the flower farm was perfect for spring.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC! All thoughts are my own.

TW: death of a family member, grief, uninvolved parent, toxic friendships

Rating: 4.5/5

Thank you Mazey Eddings and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book via NetGalley!

Say hi to Opal. She's a people-pleaser who has some really shitty friends I'd like to kick to the curb. To say I was rooting for her when she won the lottery would be an understatement. And oh-ho-ho, when she won, guess who showed their not-so-pretty little faces? 😒 But what a whirlwind that set-up was. Winning the lottery. BUYING A FLOWER FARM. I'm not going to lie, I was a tad nervous bc Opal, our pure-hearted soul, always gave people the benefit of the doubt so I felt like I needed to be alert on her behalf. But I *was* very excited for her to pursue her passion and do what *she* wanted instead of conceding to others. And I loved seeing Opal grow. People-pleasing tends to come with a heavy dose of insecurity and those moments where Opal worried about being liked by Pepper and Pepper's friends? So relatable! Then that moment of vindication when Opal put her former friends in their place? 👏👏👏 Byyyye, see ya never.

And Pepper? She's the grump to Opal's sunshine. She thrives in routine and has a deep-seated need for control. I loved that by dropping into Pepper's life, Opal helped her relax enough to breathe and, ultimately, move forward within her grief. And damn, some people are the worst. While Pepper had lovely people around her, it made me livid knowing the *one person* she should have been able to rely on not only flaked, but took advantage of her. JFC. 😤 But Pepper's journey showed us the significance of time. Or the insignificance of it, depending on your perspective. There is no single timeline that should stop anyone from pursuing anything. The right time will never pass so long as you have the will and support. At the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with being a late bloomer. 😉

CN: open-door romance, grief, loss of a family member, complicated relationships with alcohol, parental neglect/abandonment, toxic friends

I ended up DNFing this book at around 35%. I think this one proves that I'm not the target audience for this author. I found every single character to be annoying, but especially our two protagonists. I love the representation, and I know this book will speak deeply to some people, but it's not for me. Two stars bc the cover is gorgeous and sapphic Neurodivergence gets at least two stars.

Late Bloomer is my favorite read of 2024! Mazey Eddings has outdone herself with this one. I loved the slow burn romance and was rooting for this couple to bloom the entire way. The writing and artistry was this author’s best yet. You won’t regret picking this sweet, sapphic ring that is perfect for Springtime.

Spring is in the air and being at a flower farm sounds like a perfect setting for a sapphic romance. Opal wins the lottery and is at crossroads with her life. She decides to buy a flower farm sight unseen where she learns Pepper lives there and it was a farm started by her grandmother. They decided to help each other out and live together on the farm. I loved seeing their friendship/romance develop. There's a lot of funny moments and I love how Eddings writes real characters and how their mental health is important in the story. The story is told in dual POV and I wished the there was 2 narrators instead of 1.

The author's note was such a treat. I loved the ideas of the different titles she came up with.

Thank you @smpromance @macmillan.audio @netgalley for a copy of this.

Anything Mazey writes I will read. I love that she will always represent neurodiversity with respect and dignity. Her characters are not just their diversity but full humans that are multifaceted people. I will encourage all my people to read her books

3.5

Late Bloomer follows Opal after she wins the lottery and purchases a flower farm to serve as a fresh start for her and her art skills. The flower farm isn't empty however and is being lived and worked on by Pepper who is very shocked at the new development of the change in ownership. Pepper and Opal but heads quite often at the beginning of this story but they eventually manage to work out a new normal for things moving forward.

Opal and Pepper are both in their mid-20s (around 24/26) and there is a lot of immaturity that they each showcase in this story. To a certain extent, this is expected, they're each fairly young and finding their way with their future but the complete lack of communication skills was certainly frustrating. Another piece that was kinda frustrating was the time jumping that occurred. This ties into the communication issues the girls had but there would be an argument and then a kind of throwaway line denoting that a week has gone by and they haven't talked. Some things I enjoyed were most of the side characters, even though we see them fairly minimally. Additionally, the setting was gorgeous. I loved the descriptions of the flower farm and the flowers themselves.

Ultimately, I think this book was good, just probably not for me! I am not neurodivergent and do not see myself in either Opal or Pepper but they might resonate a lot more with others. As someone who is around their age, their individual attitudes towards their future were just extremely annoying and led me to not connecting with them. I enjoyed a lot of other aspects of this story however and am definitely interested in other Mazey Eddings books!

Opal, a chronic people pleaser and down on her luck, didn’t think winning the lottery would ruin her life, but it sort of did. Quitting her thankless job, she’s bombarded by people who have treated her horribly in the past but are now desperate for a handout. And Opal can’t stop saying yes.

In an attempt to get away from all the people, Opal decides to invest her money in a failing flower farm in North Carolina to move away from the hubbub and get started on her painting business. However, her plans for getting away from people fails when an angry Pepper Smith is waiting for her at her new farm. Pepper claims that she’s the real owner and isn’t going anywhere. Striking up a temporary agreement to co-habitate the farm until they figure out the rightful owner, neither of them expects that they might just find the sanctuary they were looking for—not in the farm but in each other.

Come for the sapphic opposites-attract romance, stay for the “getting called out as a chronic people pleaser” vibes.

Opal is a people pleaser if there ever was one. People use her because they know they can get away with it and Opal always feels incredibly guilty when she tries to take a stand or say no (been there). Anyone who’s ever been run over in the name of “being a good friend and helping out” is sure to know exactly how Opal feels 99% of the day. While I would have loved for a bit more here in terms of character development (Opal stays pretty much the same throughout the story albeit a slight bit better at confrontation), I also liked that this book felt a bit like a sitcom with characters just—staying the way they are while dealing with day-to-day life. Pepper, on the other hand, is dealing with grieving for her aunt and doesn’t handle change or strangers that well. In the beginning, Opal and Pepper definitely get off to a bad start and the sunshine/grumpy vibes truly are immaculate. But just like a flower, their romance blossoms in the end. Fans of slow burn will devour this for sure.

Are there high stakes? No. In all honesty, this is a fluffy, cute sapphic romance with minimal angst and most of the dramatic action happening in the background. Was there more potential for the characters and growth? Sure, but I enjoyed this story for what it was, which is really all you can ask for in a fun, short romance. The whole figuring out who will actually get to stay on the farm is wrapped up nicely in the end and makes for a happily ever after.

If you’re looking for a new soft and sapphic comfort read that’s light on the angst, then Late Bloomer is sure to brighten up your shelves.

There were moments of this story that were sweet, but the personalities of the main characters gave me whiplash - I can't really say definitively which traits they each had that were consistent throughout the book to some extent, they oscillated so drastically and suddenly.

Late Bloomers by Mazey Eddings starts with a depressing picture of our MC Opal. She is very self-destructive and needy, and I'll admit my first reaction was anger. I was thinking how could she allow herself to be disrespected repeatedly? I wanted to scream at her and tell her to value herself more. I kept reading because I was hoping to see some real growth in her character. I thought I couldn't relate to her very well. Then it hit me. I was angry because maybe I could relate to her a little too much. Her self-loathing and naivete frustrated me. Once we are introduced to Pepper things get interesting. I really enjoyed their interactions. There is witty banter, good chemistry, and despite their differences, great compatibility. We find out that both women are neurodivergent, and they complement each other so well, offering each other understanding and stability. That is once they learn to communicate.
Mazey Eddings is so good at pulling us into the lives of these two women who see the world differently. The setting is beautiful, and the character development is important. The author brings a range of emotions. I was feeling it throughout. The writing style was easy to read and follow and kept me engaged. I never felt bored and was happy with the ending.
The epilogue and author notes were a nice bonus.
We have a diverse queer rep, neurodiverse mains dealing with past trauma, mental illness rep, fair-weather friends, a narcissist con-woman mother to stir the mix, pop culture references, and a style of speaking that may not age well but that I found helped me to connect to the characters. Some more reading challenge categories include grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, only one bed, found family, adoption, no strings (for a minute), farm life (flowers), consent is sexy, competency is sexy, and no third-act breakup. It was a great story with a lot of heart. I recommend.

Late Bloomer is a sapphic love story set on a flower farm in North Carolina. It’s about a blooming romance (pun and reference to the title, very much intended) between Pepper and Opal, totally opposites in many ways, as much as it’s also about Pepper and Opal coming to learn that they are each worthy of love.

This was incredibly funny but also very sweet. The imagery and metaphors were engaging. It’s gay. It’s neurodiverse. It’s magic.

I had a difficult time suspending belief of how Opal bought the farm at the start of this book BUT in getting to know her character, her actions were actually very much on brand for her. So I’d say if you have that initial reaction, a couple chapters in, keep going because it totally works. One of my favorite reads of the year so far!

Thanks very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you have been here awhile, you know how much I love Mazey Eddings. The Plus One remains my favorite contemporary romance of all time, but I am sad to report that I was a tiny bit disappointed with Late Bloomer.

I always adore Mazey's characters. They are relatable, and I care deeply about their inner thoughts and how they work through issues, especially with their neurodiversity. When I read Eddings' books, I feel seen.

Opal and Pepper are no different. I liked both the main characters and Opal's sisters, too. (I hope we get their books.) I connected most with Pepper, as I also have past trauma caused by family. I think what was missing for me was the characters' vulnerability. While it is touched upon, I wanted more. I wanted to feel Pepper's hurt, but I didn't. This is usually standard in Mazey's books. So, I was expecting to be hurt.

My other issue, which was surprising, was that I struggled with the plot. As a character-driven reader, the plot rarely matters. Yet, here, it felt unfocused, especially the competition aspect. Had this plot point been brought to the forefront more, it would have helped a ton. It felt like a waste of a beautiful and clever setting.

Despite my issues, I still had fun. I loved Opal and Pepper and their romance. I smiled and laughed a lot. If you love sweet, sapphic contemporary romances, I recommend you try this and all of Mazey's works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well, it’s not my least favorite romance of the year but it’s certainly not a book I enjoyed reading.

This book left me equal parts bored and frustrated. Opal, one of the MCs, describes herself as a five-foot-two human disaster with green hair. That’s a great way to describe her character, only she’s not a disaster in the cute, quirky, manic-pixie way that this book wants you to believe. She’s a mess and not an enjoyable one to read. From the very first chapter, I knew I would dislike reading her POV and unfortunately it never changed. I really don’t have any kind words to say about her, so I will refrain. But she might be one of the worst MCs I’ve read in a long time.

Pepper was much better and I found her personal story to be more compelling. To be honest, she was more interesting in scenes when she wasn’t interacting with Opal. I wish we could have gotten more of her with her friends. And it’s a shame that her and Opal get a happily ever after, because I think Pepper could do better. We really don’t get to see the characters grow as much as they need to, to have a convincing, successful relationship. With the way the story leaves off before going into an epilogue that takes place 3 years later, I’m really not convinced they’re ready to take on a serious commitment with each other.

I found the sex scenes to be boring and lacking in intimacy. After the first one, I felt like they didn’t really serve to move the story or the characters forward. They were just sort of thrown in there for the sake of smut. That would be fine if they were good (they aren’t), but I enjoy a good sex scene when it reveals more about the individuals and the couple as a whole, and I didn’t feel that from this book.

This is an upcoming release that I was really looking forward to and anxious to read. Sadly, it just really fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

UGHHHHHH.

I really did not like this book. It took me forever to finish, and I didn’t find it cute at all. Opal wins a lot of money on a lottery scratch-off and instead of setting herself up for several years, she buys a farm she has never seen and her plan is to paint shoes for a living. That alone, made my head hurt. Then she meets Pepper, the human equivalent of a mean wet blanket and somehow falls in love with her, despite Pepper being nothing but rude and mean to her. Seriously, Opal realizes she has feelings for Pepper after she takes care of her during a crippling migraine and Pepper is FINALLY nice to her for the first time.

Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope. That is ridiculous and I hate it. This relationship was super toxic and I’m not going to pretend it’s cute and funny. The cover is absolutely stunning, so I’ll give it two stars instead of one.

3.5 This book didn't wow me, but i liked it. I dont listen to much lesbian romance, but it was just an okay read.i enjoyed the characters, and the narrators made it easy to follow along. I didn't get into the secondary characters as much. Like opals friend who "stalked her." And only cared about herself. But buying a flower farm from facebook was just bizarre to me. Like girl, you could have been scammed, but over all it was fast-paced.

Let's start with the cover - absolutely stunning. Now, onto the characters: Opal embodies chaos in the best way possible, while Pepper tends to abide by the rules.
As for the story, it's a charming, low-stakes sapphic romance, perfect for cozying up with on a rainy day. Highly recommended for anyone in need of a comforting read!

In his review of Battlefield Earth, Roger Ebert wrote: “The director, Roger Christian, has learned from better films that directors sometimes tilt their cameras, but he has not learned why.” As I’ve started collecting my thoughts on Late Bloomer, I think I’ve come to a similar conclusion: this is a romance novel written by someone who understands the trappings of the genre but doesn’t appear to understand why they’re used.
Let me be candid: if this were a het romance novel, I’d be much harsher. As it is, the welcome novelty of a f/f romance (with two neurodiverse heroines to boot) is the sole reason for the 2-stars I’m giving.
This is a book where things just… happen. The first chapter involves one of the main characters winning the lottery, an event that has the same overall influence on the plot as a scene where that same character dyes her hair. An event that seems to be the climax of the plot comes and goes in a single paragraph; my note reads, simply: “hey, what?” I get it - romance novels aren’t typically plot-heavy. All the same, though, I like mine to have some stakes. Or at least, you know, logical consistency. Otherwise, what’s the point? Why am I bothering to get invested in the conflict if there’s no rhyme or reason to what constitutes a conflict?
Speaking of conflict: our two main characters, Pepper and Opal, continue to tell us, throughout their individual POV chapters, that they “dislike” each other and “can’t be in a relationship” - but it’s not really clear why, exactly, other than that “enemies to lovers” is a trope of the romance genre, and there has to be some conflict, right? Yet from what we see of their relationship, they’re friendly from their very first meeting. They plant flowers together. They celebrate birthdays. They have sex to.. let off steam? Again, it’s unclear, except that “we hate each other but let’s bang out the tension” is something that sometimes happens, so it might as well happen here, too.
One more note, and it’s a minor thing, but it’s definitely relevant: the writing feels, for lack of a better word, incredibly online. Characters reference Phoebe Bridgers prayer candles, Shrek memes, Tumblr, “Am I The Asshole,” “bisexual finger guns,” etc. YMMV in terms of how much this bothers you; personally, I found it incredibly grating, especially when it seemed like every other line of dialogue was some stale meme from six months ago that will feel positively ancient by the time of publication.
Ultimately, this book is… fine. I breezed through it in an afternoon, and neurodivergent characters are unfortunately still so rare in romance that it gets some points for that alone. In the end, however, I think this is another case of an interesting concept, poor execution.



(Review will be posted 04/02)