I really wanted this to work because I’ve loved Mazey Eddings’ other books, but Opal was not the FMC for me. I did like Pepper, but I felt like the focus of the book was more on Opal. The writing was still great, and Mazey still kills it with neurodivergent rep. If you can suspend your disbelief enough to get over Opal buying a flower farm, sight unseen, off Facebook Marketplace at the age of 24 for ~the aesthetic~, then you’ll have a better shot at this book being a success for you than I did.

Opal Devlin ends up winning the lottery when her friend gifts her the ticket as a belated birthday present. Once people find out that she’s won money, Opal is contacted by more than one person calling to insert themselves into her life. She decides she needs a fresh start and purchases a flower farm in North Carolina where she plans on painting nature for a living.

What Opal doesn’t expect when she arrives at her new farm is to already find it occupied. Pepper Boden lived there for years with her grandmother and on her own after her grandmother’s recent passing. Opal has the deed to the house and land, but Pepper assures her that the farm was meant to be hers albeit she hasn’t found her grandmother’s will. They agree to share the living space until they get it sorted out, not knowing if the space is big enough for the two of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #LateBloomer

“Late Bloomer” by Mazey Eddings is a heartwarming story about newfound purpose and unexpected love. Opal’s journey from lottery winner to flower farm owner is filled with humor, chaos and heart, especially when she begins to fall for Pepper. Their unlikely partnership and eventual romance make for entertaining and heartwarming reading.

However, what sets Eddings apart is her portrayal of Pepper as more than just a character defined by her autism. While Pepper’s struggles with a large break in her routine and letting new people into her life are integral to the plot, Eddings focusing more on her estranged mother and how the flower farm is the only place she’s been able to call home goes beyond stereotypes to create a fully fleshed-out character with depth and complexity.

While some plot points may feel rushed towards the end, “Late Bloomer” ultimately delivers a satisfying and uplifting read that will leave readers rooting for Opal and Pepper long after they’ve turned the final page. If you’re looking for a fast paced read to welcome the beginning of Spring, this April 16th release is for you!

PS. If you have the ARC, read the author’s notes so you know why I picked this song for the post! I’ll admit I’m usually one to ignore these, but Edding’s notes were an excellent companion to the story!

Thank you for the digital ARC! Late Bloomer is a sweet love story filled with some of my favorite tropes - found family, enemies to friends to lovers, growing into yourself. I enjoyed reading Opal and Pepper's story and found that I related to both of them quite a bit. The characters feel like real people. The story really pulls you in and makes you want to know what will happen next. If you're looking for an easy, romantic read, this is the perfect book for you!

Posted on Goodreads (E.R. Neufeld)

This book had my emotions all over the place! Opal and Pepper were such beautifully written characters whose journeys to loving themselves (and each other) were done with such care. I loved the dual POVs, especially seeing how differently Opal and Pepper saw each other vs how they saw themselves. The romance was honestly top notch and I loved their talks of insecurities and also wants/needs, especially during the steamy scenes. I did think that the story dragged the slightest bit in the middle, but I still wanted to keep reading and see these two thrive. Also, the humor in this book was excellent. I cackled many times. For the flower girlies, there’s an index in the back that lists all the flowers mentioned in the book plus what they mean, which I thought was really cool! Overall, such a sweet romance with two amazing characters!
CW: mentions of death of a grandparent, body shaming, emotional abuse, grief, child abandonment, panic attacks, gaslighting, alcoholism, toxic friendships

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute story and I loved that it really showed the battle that neurodivergent people can go through just trying to get their point across or trying to feel. I loved how once they were able to speak up for themselves they spoke up for each other as well. Also loved the connection that the Grandma had with Pepper that made this even more special.

Unfortunately did not hit the mark! It was mostly the internal narration….. “I hate that I’m attracted to guys, I would ask any girl to sit on my face though” is my biggest pet peeve for bi characters!!!!!

So genuinely sweet and funny--so many lessons to be gleaned. It was unexpected in the best ways. Mazey's writing style and humor was a breath of fresh air.

Mazey's signature humor shines through once again in this latest work. Opal and Pepper's names might sound like they belong to cats, but their story takes a unique turn. Opal, self-diagnosed as neurodivergent, impulsively buys a flower farm after winning the lottery. In contrast, Pepper, who works on the farm, is torn when she realizes it's been sold to Opal. Despite legal ownership issues, Opal suggests they become roommates, leading to unexpected developments. Pepper grapples with grief, while Opal navigates her uncertainties. Their evolving relationship is heartwarming, though I found it hard to connect with the plot, given the unusual circumstances fully. Nevertheless, the story offers Mazey's trademark blend of humor and good mental health representation, with hints at future tales involving Opal's sisters.

Late Bloomer is my favorite book from Mazey Eddings yet! When Opal wins the lottery, she finally has the opportunity to do what she wants for herself. As a people pleaser, Opal often finds herself helping people whether she wants to or not. When she decides to buy a flower farm, she is shocked to find the farm is already inhabited. Pepper is a bit of a grump, though Opal soon learns she has very good reasons to be. When it appears that they’ve both been scammed, Opal and Pepper must work together to save the flower farm. Surely any feelings they catch along the way are only temporary…?

Late Bloomer is such a delightful sapphic romance. There’s forced proximity, shenanigans, and a sunshine/grump dynamic. Opal and Pepper have a lot to learn from each other and I enjoyed watching them gradually open up. Pepper is dealing with a lot of grief from the passing of her grandmother, one of the only loving and stable adults in her life. The way Mazey Eddings writes about grief is heartfelt and realistic. There is also excellent anxiety, autistic, and ADHD rep. This all seemed very thoughtfully done. The ensemble cast of characters created a warm and loving found family for Pepper and Opal. Opal’s sisters were also great and I enjoyed how they refused to let Opal get back with her terrible ex!

Late Bloomer is a cozy romance, perfect for Stardew Valley lovers who romanced Emily or Leah (or anyone who imagines what it would be like to live on a flower farm!). I would highly recommend Late Bloomer to anyone who enjoys sapphic romance, forced proximity, and a sunshine/grump dynamic. Can’t wait to see what Mazey Eddings writes next!

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Instagram, Storygraph, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.

This was one of my first sapphic romances! It was a bit of a fluffy read for me and sometimes that is just exactly what I need. This was low-angst and cozy and perfect for me for a reading slump.

Opal is looking to essentially start over. She buys a flower farm but lo and behold, she has a tenant she didn’t expect - Pepper. When Pepper refuses to leave, they come to a mutual agreement that Pepper can stay. Over the next year, they fall in love in this slow burn contemporary sapphic romance!

I love the neurodivergent representation. I loved the forced proximity between Pepper and Opal. I’m usually one for way more angst and less misunderstanding tropes but this one worked for me!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the review copies.

I love Mazey so much, and I will read anything she writes. There were things I loved about Late Bloomer - the descriptive flower settings, Opal’s chaotic inner monologue, Pepper’s orderly approach to life and her friend group. There were definitely parts of each character that I found myself relating to throughout the book, and the ADHD & Autism representation felt authentic and realistic. However, I had a hard time connecting to the story itself and was not very invested in what was happening throughout the book. If you are looking for a soft, sapphic romance based on a flower farm that is mostly just vibes, then I think you will love Late Bloomer.

I was immediately drawn to the clever title and gorgeous cover. I’m a big fan of Jenifer Prince’s artwork, so well done whoever hired her.

As far as the book itself goes, the initial premise required a little suspension of disbelief (who buys property without seeing it first?). But once I got past that I absolutely loved this sweet and slightly spicy romance. Grumpy sunshine pairings are my favorite, and Pepper and Opal balanced each other out so well. I was immediately smitten with them both. They had great chemistry together and both felt very authentic and nuanced. The autism and (probable) ADHD rep were outstanding too. Plus, the flower farm was such a lovely backdrop for falling in love.

Overall an absolutely lovely, swoony sapphic romance (with a brilliant nod to Sappho herself, I might add).

This was my first Mazey Eddings book, but if she writes anything else sapphic you can count on me to be first in line to read it!

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Lazy Bloomer by Mazey Eddings is a beautiful, sweet, touching sapphic romance that touches on each character and their romance. And if it is not held in the coolest setting I don't know what is- a flower farm!

Mazey has a firm grasp of banter, desire, and relatable heroines. This novel is inclusive of topics like neurodivergency which are often left out of romance novels. Characters, Opal, with ADHD, and Pepper, with Autism are extremely well written and feel very genuine..

Opal is an aspiring artist who has won the lottery, and spends her winnings on buying a failing flower farm in hopes of renewing it. Pepper has grown up and worked on the flower farm her entire life. She is shocked to learn that her mother has sold her 'promised' inheritance.

Pepper works to buy out Opal's share of the flower farm all while disagreements and miscommunications occur. Yet a bright and brilliant attraction blossoms. Do Pepper and Opal allow the romance to bid or will it die out amongst the fight for the farm?

Mazey Eddings has yet to miss and her latest book, Late Bloomer, is no exception. Eddings gives us an amazing opposites attract sapphic romance featuring two chaotic, horny, neurodiverse main characters.

I will always be a fan of Eddings (if she has one fan it’s me, and if she has no fans I am probably dead) because she makes so many readers feel seen. It wasn’t until I found her books that I fully started to realize how much I craved to see all parts of myself in a main character, especially in romance. Mazey Eddings has reminded me with every book that everyone deserves to see themselves in romance, and Late Bloomer was no exception.

Watching two neurodiverse women who seem to be as opposite as possible, find love with each other and find themselves was extremely beautiful. I absolutely adored watching them reconcile with the feelings they developed for each other and how they both dealt with those feelings. Especially when it came to Pepper and how she learned more about how she expressed these new emotions that she had not dealt with before. As someone who is in a similar position as Pepper at times, I absolutely loved watching how she processed these emotions.

Meanwhile I absolutely loved seeing our hair dying queen, Opal, deal with her own overwhelming feelings and how to deal with them. Especially as she learned to realize that while she expresses emotions strongly, that’s not the case with everyone and how that can lead to miscommunication. It was also amazing to see Opal learn her own worth. She always stands up for those she cares for, but a lot of times Opal lets others push her around like her “best friend” and her ex. Seeing the growth when confronted by them again, felt inspiring. It was also beautiful to see Pepper be there and stand up for Opal and give her the encouragement she needed to stand up for herself.

On top of two incredible main characters, Eddings gives us perfect side characters. It shows us the value of found families, especially for Pepper who has a strained familial relationship with her mother. I mean what is better than a group of people who love you so much they get you a foot cake for your birthday?! But truly seeing Pepper habe a group of supportive friends who protect her at all costs was beautiful. But especially when paired with how they come to accept Opal, who really wasn’t going to give them a choice.

Not only has this book become one of my all time favorite reads, it also is beautifully written. I savored this book like a fine wine (mainly because I knew it would be my last Mazey Eddings book for awhile) and that’s exactly how it felt. I will forever be a major fan of Eddings’s writing style as I find it to be full of lovely prose while also being entertaining.

And this is just me begging that we possibly get Opal’s sisters, Ophelia and Olivia, stories because I need them ASAP. Especially because I want to see the type of person they’d each fall for and obviously we could always use some more queer romance stories.

There's almost no setting more picturesque for a romance than a flower farm, and it set a wonderful backdrop for Opal and Pepper's love story.
I loved that the book started with Opal's personal renaissance. She finally had the opportunity to change her life and shed the terrible "friends" she had-and she did and didn't really look back! I found Pepper to be incredibly relatable as well. In the depths of grief, and with a her neurodivergence and traumatic childhood just adding fuel to the fire, I was not surprised at her hesitation to trust Opal.
I loved their grumpy/sunshine dynamic and how by the end of the book we found them almost switching those roles at times. I loved how clear their care for one another was. Their attraction and connection was believable and so sweet!
My only qualm with this book lies in the fact that I am desperately seeking more romances (particularly queer romances) that don't center a grief storyline! Otherwise I really enjoyed it.

Late Bloomer was such a cute sapphic roman e that is perfect to read during spring! Winning the lottery and buying a flower farm sounds like a dream, it’s such a unique story and I love how it all played out. I was surprised with how spicy it is too!

Mazey Eddings is a MASTER of banter, desire, and relatable heroines. I love love love her inclusion of characters with neurodivergency, and Opal, with ADHD, and Pepper, with Autism are no exception.

Opal, an aspiring artist, has won the lottery, and spends her winnings on buying a failing flower farm outside of Asheville, NC. Pepper has grown up and worked on the flower farm her entire life, and is shocked to learn that her mother has sold her 'promised' inheritance to Opal. These opposites are forced into a shared living situation as Pepper works to buy out Opal's share of the farm. Heads-bump and wires are crossed, yet an explosive attraction blossoms. Can these two opposites scratch this physical itch and keep emotions and feeling out of this new arrangement?

This was such a fun and vulnerable sapphic romance, and the steam was so steamy. The setting was unique, and the plotline about a floral competition bringing Opan and Pepper's strengths together was fun. I also really adored Opal's sisters and wonder if Eddings has plans to return to this world/family. It wasn't my favorite Eddings book to date, but I struggle to land on what it was that was lacking for me. However, readers of contemporary sapphic romances will store adore this one!

Oh my goodness I am obsessed with this book!! Winning the lottery and buying a flower farm?!? Count me in! I loved just about every little thing in this book. From the neurodivergent representation to the friendships to the way that grief was discussed and handled, this was the picture of perfection. I particularly love that there was just a bit of spice and love but that there was so much else going on so it wasn't the only plot point. As an Autistic queer person, this made me feel very seen and I related deeply to it. Thank you Mazey Eddings for writing a book where I feel seen and heard and can chase my dreams (cause hey, we all want to win the lottery, right?)

Tropes
-queer / sapphic
-neurodivergent representation
-forced proximity
-strangers to lovers

Mazes Eddings did such an amazing job. Wow her writing is truly so special, she has a gentleness with humans that is truly a shiny star.

What I loved: The lottery winning, the impulse purchase of a flower farm, the neurodivergent representation, writing style bonus points, opposites attract, forced proximity trope.

What I didn’t like: The flower competition was low priority for me, but a cute-ish addition to the plot. Didn’t love the toxic friends, but glad Opal didn’t succumb to their bullshit.

Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Catuion super spiiicy