This was a breezy, fun read that doesn't take itself too seriously. The plot was a little unlikely, but it was still enjoyable.

I really love a sweet sapphic love story. Pepper and Opal are two interesting characters that are fun to read about. I did not adore this book, simply because of some cheesy moments and the lack of relationship development. I did really like the personal growth each character went through and both women’s support systems. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this earc in exchange for an honest review.

i think this book might be a perfect case of it's not you, it's me. something to know is that i'm not a romance girly. i like my romance minimal and secondary to a non-romantic plot. this is something that i've learned fairly recently so i'm struggling to rate this one because i think, for the most part, people will very much enjoy it, it just didn't work for me.

this book starts with opal, who is kind of a doormat, working in an ice cream shop. we learn very quickly that she's not very assertive - her coworker (who just so happens to be the same girl that opal's ex boyfriend maybe, probably cheated on her with) takes advantage of her generosity by constantly requesting that opal cover her shifts. for reasons i cannot fathom, opal always allows this. this is where my rough start begins. i'm not sure i can relate or get into the mindset of a character who constantly, willfully allows herself to be taken advantage of.

anyway, her coworker/"friend" is back to her old tricks and manipulates opal into taking her saturday shift. when opal says yes, she's rewarded with lottery tickets. when she scratches them off? she realizes she's won a cool 500k. second point of contention - opal is aware of her coworker's antics. first thing she does? she stupidly tells her coworker that she's won the lottery. oof. i don't get it.

from there, we understand that people who have historically taken advantage of opal are going to chase her down - her shitty cheating ex, the "friend" - obviously all desperate to get their chunk of change. not to worry, though. opal, sight unseen, decides to dump the majority of her lottery winnings into a flower farm she's only seen photos of on facebook marketplace. seriously. this is the moment where i knew i wasn't going to have a good time. i understand that opal is meant to be a neurodivergent character, but i'm not sure how that contributes to this level of decision-making.

at the farm, opal instantly realizes there's a problem - due to a missing will and some murky inheritance laws, the farm has been sold to opal right out from under pepper by pepper's estranged mother. pepper has lived there all of her life and isn't going to go quietly.

i love the idea of a meet-cute being opal generously allowing pepper to continue to live and work on the flower farm that opal now rightfully owns, but a constant theme throughout this book is pepper, various friends of pepper's, etc. constantly asserting to opal that she has zero ownership over the farm when... legally, she does. opal is treated constantly as an malevolent, evil person for purchasing the farm when, push comes to shove, she did so legally. there was a scene where opal decided to explore the home and was told she wasn't allowed to go into pepper's grandmother's old room, kept in pristine condition. and opal? she just takes it. i found this to be infuriating.

let's talk about the spice. i love a spicy sapphic book! here, i don't think it worked. i didn't see the attraction at all between opal and pepper, they were just too contentious. when it finally happened, diminutive doormat opal metamorphosed into a dirty-talking sex goddess. i'm not a prude, but the transformation felt entirely disjointed to her established character and further took me out of the story.

anyway, i can't pretend the flower imagery within this writing wasn't viscerally pretty. i could feel the breeze under the warm loom of a spring sun, hear the flowers rustle. i just had quite a few issues with the story. most, i think, will really love this one. this one just very much wasn't for me.

I am such a fan of Mazey Eddings’s other adult works, so I thought I would also be obsessed with Late Bloomer. Unfortunately, it probably ranks at the bottom of her books for me. It was still okay, just not anything I would read again or recommend.

I feel that this book did drag on a little; at points I was definitely thinking “Get to the point!!” Everything built up to one big thing that happened so quickly and then the resolution quickly followed. I would’ve liked to see more little climaxes rather than one big huge one. Sometimes it felt like the author didn’t know where to go so she added a sex scene.

At times I was wondering if this book was YA simply due to the maturity level of the two main characters (especially Opal), but, of course, a book about two adults is not YA. They just maybe still have some growing up to do. I also found Pepper and Opal to be so similar that it was sometimes difficult to tell whose POV I was reading and I’d have to go back and check.

All that being said, it was a cute story. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. And I had a pretty fun time reading it.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Goodreads for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
3.5/5 rounded to 4

What an amazing story of thinking you know yourself only to find yourself. As someone going through a similar journey, the exploration of self is amazing from both leading characters. A budding love story that warmed my heart!

Opal (24) is a sweet little fool, and her decision-making abilities (or distinct lack thereof) made me want to hurl my kindle across the room. She buys a flower farm unseen from a stranger on Facebook, and finds her new home already occupied.

Pepper is a skeptical untrusting flower farmer that finds herself in a precarious situation after her great aunt dies. The flower farm she thought she’d inherit was sold by her mother, a human trash bag, and now she’s stuck living with Opal while she figures out how to buy her home back.

There is a lot of crying and hugging. Despite the tension between Opal and Pepper at the start, not very much actually happens.

3.5⭐️

i have not much more to say than if you fell in love with dani and jamie in the haunting of bly
manor, you will absolutely LOVE opal and pepper (plus no tragedy!)

this was such a refreshing and heartfelt romcom that was filled with the best kind of cheesy, awkward, and adorable moments you would expect. also the cover is just so gorgeous i need to go and buy the physical copy for my own bookshelf.

All hail Mazey Eddings, champion of romance. This book was gorgeous, start to finish. I'm always looking for a great Sapphic romance for my shelves, and this one hit so many marks. I loved the flower farm, I loved the characters, the plot was stunning. Eddings is solidified as an insta-buy and insta-recommend author in my books.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I'm so disappointed. The neurodivergent representation was honest and real, but I kept getting confused because both characters blended in with eachother. The story started off strong, the setting at the flower farm (and the cover!) simply divine, but it progressed at such a disjointed pace that I lost interest and it was a struggle to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yall, this book. THIS BOOK. It was such a great sapphic love story. Mazey Eddings has such a way with words and normalizing what feels so abnormal. I mean, a girl winning the lottery then buying a flower farm? TBH, that feels like something I would do, which almost made this book more fun. This book was cringey and cheesy and full of pouch out loud moments. I loved every single page. Mazey is truly a master with words. I love Opal and Pepper and their weird reluctant friends to lovers and their AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES energy (not really, but….ya know). I knew I would love this book because I love Mazey, but I thoroughly did not expect to LOVE this book as much as I did.

Found difficult to get hooked, slow read. I liked the characters, but I found the romance a little bit bland. I expected a little bit surprised, at least, and did not find any. It was a cute story, but nothing that was memorable.

I have tried a few times to push myself through Late Bloomer but unfortunately it isn't the book for me. I DNF @ 30%.

The authors writing in and of itself was decent. Some of the lines I found were pretty impactful such as, "I deferred my dreams, months ticking by, until those dreams faded and complacency disguised itself as comfort." It's raw and relatable allowing a chance for the reader to connect with Opal.

However, as the story progressed I felt like those moments were few and farther in between. The character development was sluggish and felt like it was developing into more of stereotypes than individuals. It might just be me but I also found both Opal and Peppers behaviour to be rather childish for their ages. I also wasn't invested in the romance that was forming between them because it felt pretty force and I couldn't buy into the progression that it was taking.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Late Bloomer is a sapphic, neurodivergent romance that was an absolute joy to read. The representation of neurodivergence in the novel is authentic and done with care. Pepper stims with no remorse and is never presented as a burden or unworthy of love due to her autism. Opal is fun and vibrant, and reading about her coming into her own felt vindicating, and you cannot help but root for her success. The romance between Pepper and Opal is filled with sweet tension; Their interactions had me kicking my feet and giggling every time I opened the book. I would happily recommend this novel to anyone who wants a truthful and kind romance about people not always represented in romantic comedies.

This was the sapphic cottage-core romance of my dreams! Opal wins the lottery and in an effort to distance herself from her mooch-y fake friends, she literally escapes by buying the Thistle and Bloom. Enter Pepper, grumpy flower farmer and actual(?) owner, and the two of them quickly come to the agreement that they'll live together as roommates while they sort out the situation and enter a flower sculpture competition for the prize money.

I loved the idea of both Opal and Pepper finding refuge in the Thistle and Bloom at different points in their life. Both have been hurt in the past and the farm is their safe space as well as the source of inspiration for their art (the way the author describes growing flowers absolutely sounds like an art form; not to mention Opal's shoe-painting business), which is why it's all the more important that they save it from bankruptcy. However, things get further complicated when they begin a no-strings, no-feelings sexual relationship when obviously, there are some very real feelings growing between them.

I really like the way Mazey Eddings wrote both Opal and Pepper's characters; they come across as somewhat messy zillennials (complete with doctoring their own hair to fit their mood)— and they are! Opal and Pepper are 24 and 26 respectively. I saw some reviews call them immature but as someone around their age, I completely sympathize with the way they're both just trying to get by financially while navigating a new relationship. Like, there is a third act break-up that some might see as an overreaction, but I think it fits the pattern of their prior relationships, and the way they react makes sense. What I could have done with less of is the amount of zillenial pop culture references— from 3 different Taylor Swift references to Phoebe Bridgers and Timothee Chalamet. I feel like constant pop culture references tend to date a book.

This book has queer rep and neurodivergent rep; Opal is bisexual and Pepper identifies as queer, and both women are on the spectrum. I appreciate how Mazey Eddings also wrote in multiple queer side characters, as well as how she portrayed neurodiversity— everything from Opal's autism and ADHD causing her use alcohol as an unhealthy coping mechanism to Pepper's sensory sensitivities that cause her to dislike large crowds.

The sex:

I was pleasantly surprised by the sex scenes in this book! They're pretty damn hot and varied, super emotional as time goes on, and I loved the dynamic— Opal is the more assertive one in bed, which leads to some solid dirty talk on her part (it's also in contrast to how she is out of bed because she tends to waffle over a lot of decision making), while Pepper is a little more rough and uncertain but she also has this stern edge. And of course there's greenhouse sex because what even is the point otherwise.

Overall:

I had so much fun reading this book— it had so many laugh-out-loud moments while at the same time Opal and Pepper were such intensely sympathetic characters, perhaps even more so because they were not above messing up (also can we talk about the epilogue?? what Opal did for Pepper is literally the most romantic thing a person can do in this economy). I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotionally satisfying romcom that also brings the heat.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 3.75/5
Publication Date: April 16th

I loved the ADHD/autism rep (Pepper is extremely relatable to me) but unfortunately I didn’t connect to the writing style and the story itself was so formulaic I just skimmed the second half of the book because I could predict everything that was going to happen. Both characters had a similar voice, so I often forgot whose point of view I was reading.
Overall this book had a few great moments and excellent representation, but the story itself needed some more polish.

“You deserve a life so peaceful it feels deliciously boring.”

I really love the cover and the synopsis, by which I mean I was expecting a slightly more relaxing extended proximity story but was surprised by what turned out to be a little too much angst for me in the family abandonment and taking advantage of someone financially (the law comes through in the end!)

The conflict at the end also felt a little too drawn-out (in real time, not book time) for how small it seemed (to me), and I also thought it was a missed opportunity that their flower display didn’t pay homage to Pepper’s grandmother and a different kind of love.

With that said, I did enjoy the parts of the book that were more what I was expecting — unexpected roommates, a bit of art and working on the flower farm — but I think I just wanted more of it and there were certain parts of the story that stressed me out more than I think they were supposed to and I couldn’t let them go! The writing was great though, the steaminess and intimacy was top tier, and there were a few quotes that I even saved because they made me think or resonated with me.

From the moment I saw Late Bloomer's title on Twitter, I knew I had to read it. And sure enough, it was exactly the warm, safe, healing sort of book I needed. I related to both Opal and Pepper in many ways, from Opal's compulsive people pleasing to Pepper's intense trust issues. The Thistle and Bloom sounds like my own personal heaven, and I would pay literal money to be part of Opal and Pepper's friend group. The romantic pacing was fantastic, particularly because it wasn't linear. Opal and Pepper hookup, then they get awkward around each other. Opal and Pepper admit they have feelings for each other, and then they both start second-guessing the other's feelings. They dance around their love for each other because they're terrified of getting hurt, which is...so real, and it all makes the ending that much more satisfying (plus, the ending wonderfully showcases both Opal and Pepper's character development). Overall, for me this book was exactly right, and I'm thrilled to say I finished reading (devouring?) my first sapphic love story on Valentine's Day. I will be recommending this to ALL my friends.

i will not be rating or reviewing outside of netgalley as long as st. martin's press is still under boycott.

Ladys and gentleman, Mazey eddings.
This book is just another reason why i love her. I absolutely loved the cottage core, girlish, and charming vibe this book contained. I am very appreciative of the representation of Autism and the LGBTQIA+ community. As someone who is both bi=sexual and Autistic i felt very heard and understood. I cant tell you how many times i had to sit and reread a paragraph because i felt so understood. Each of the characters are so much fun and well written. I enjoyed every single one. Opal and Pepper will have my heart forever. They fit so perfectly together. It really warmed my heart watching their love bloom throughout the entire book I was always so excited to sit down and read about them. The spice between them was amazing. It doesn't just happen just because. I felt like it was happening in order to help the plot and cause more emotional chaos for the characters.
I really really deeply connected with Pepper. Even down to her awful mother. I cried because i know exactly how Pepper feels. Its been a minute since iv deeply connected with a character and well...this is the one. Pepper being autistic really hit me. I loved that i understood that her routine being thrown off was causing chaos. I understood her confusion, anger, sadness. It was fun to watch her figure herself out and her feelings for Opal through the story. The representation was really nice. I dont come across alot of autistic representation that shows the reality of autism in a daily sense in books so this was greatly appreciated.
Opal. Opal is so funny. I loved her quick wit and snarky responses. She is such a bright spot in this book. She is Peppers other half. She is so optimistic and carries a wild child vibe. I loved her bright hair and go get it attitude. She does everything from her heart and its so sweet. She is so loving and caring. She 100% falls first even though she isn't suppose to. I would be lying if i wasn't cheering on the characters. I wanted them to fall in love and be together.
Mazey Eddings is very thorough with her writing and her world building is incredible. I felt like i was in the flower fields along side Pepper and Opal. I think its safe to say ill read just about anything Mazey Eddings writes. Trust me. You are going to want to read this book. Its perfect. Through and through. This will probably be a new comfort read for me.
Thank you St. Martins Press and Mazey Eddings for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

With a cover and description like this, I REALLY wanted to love this book. However, unfortunately, I could not finish it. I made it through 60% and found myself DREADING picking up my kindle. Nothing about the story ever really drew me in, the big plot points felt extremely rushed and there was an odd amount of details added to inconsequential pieces of the story. I was bored after the initial plot points of Opal winning the lottery, her obtaining the farm, and her meeting pepper. I feel like these major plot points were SO SO rushed and happened inorganically throughout the text. Furthermore, I feel like too many irrelevant characters were introduced in great detail with almost as much dialogue as the main characters. Once the major conflict of Pepper wanting the farm was introduced I was not intrigued. I feel like a conflict outside of the two major characters should have been at play, bringing them together in a more authentic way. I also felt like the main characters inner monologues were inconsistent and blended together. I was excited to see neurodivergent, ADHD, and autism representation but I don’t think it really landed. With the hallmark-esque plotline I was expecting a slow burn, forced proximity romance, but found a clunky strangers to lovers, who still don’t know a lot about each other romance which was uncomfortable. The entire romance was based solely on their physical attraction to each other, their romance had no depth, they barely had any dialogue with each other.