I received the ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NegGalley.

I really enjoyed the neurodivergent representation in this book. There were several passages I read aloud because they captured how my autistic mind worked so beautifully. To see characters who think like I do fall in love was wonderful.

As for the plot, I did find it to be a little too slow at times. It’s a perfect low-angst book, but I prefer a little more drama.

Overall, 4.25/5, and would recommend.

Mazey Eddings and I go together like peanut butter and jelly, if she writes it, I’m going to read it. If she even thinks it, I’m already signing up for it. So when this queer romance was announced I was all over it. But also, that cover bait helped quite a bit, too.

This was a solid read for me. There were absolutely parts that I loved, some I liked, and others I just wanted to be changed up a bit and it would have been perfect. It was a sweet, fun, and believable read that had my heart melting the entire time. If you need a sweet, sensual and quirky read this one is definitely worth it.

I really loved how understanding and accepting Opal and Pepper were of each other. And how the neurodivergent hurdles were really what they both needed to work through. Just add in that they both supported each other through these hurdles, learning to cope and approach situations, and really allow themselves to open up to the word was absolutely breathtaking. The love they had for each other, the thoughtfulness, it made my heart grow three sizes and I wasn’t prepared for that.

My biggest struggles with this read were how, and when, the two resolutions with the antagonists seemed out of no where and misplaced. I understood their purpose as a whole, but the placement and approach just felt off.

All that said, Mazey did it again y’all.

I keep picking up free ARCs on NetGalley, but it's so rare when I find something good. Obviously, this one wasn't something good.

I really didn't like the romance. Opal's people-pleasing was very annoying to me. Her bending over backwards for everyone in the book got so obnoxious, especially because she constantly tells us, the reader, she's one but she can't stop cuz her heart's too soft. Like, there's self awareness, but it becomes to tediously repetitive when Opal keeps doing it until her big catharsis at the end. Plus, her overly bubbly personality was too sweet for me. I found myself liking Pepper a little bit more, but she still was kinda stale and one note. Other than that, I didn't really feel anything. In fact, I could care less about any character in the whole book.

I know it's the grump/sunshine trope, but I hate it when the romance leans too heavily on both ends of the extreme. The forced proximity has always been weird to me, too. The majority of the book is Opal and Pepper interacting, as all romances tend to go, but they felt forced. The chemistry was so off, and nothing about their conversations suggested these characters had any depth I could grasp on to.

Besides the romance, the writing wasn't much better, either. The pacing was all over the place. From the sheer amount of time spent of Opal and Pepper circling around each other to them suddenly having sex, the speed of which things were taken were too slow and too fast all at once. It gave me so much whiplash.

Overall, I'm disappointed in this one. I hope this is Eddings' only dud, because I also have her latest YA neurodivergent romance to read, as well. I so badly want to like/have good neurodivergence representation and romance, but I don't know if I'll be getting it from Eddings.

I wish sapphic romance books were more accessible when I was a teenager and young adult. I only had Tatu songs to satisfy that desire for love stories (real or imagined) between girls/women.
I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more then.

What I liked:
• whimsical premise: one heroine wins the lottery and decides to follow her dream of making art, the other lives on a flower farm.
• a nice development of the story
• love scenes are written well
• descriptions of the family and chosen family are nice and add to the feeling of the story
• the characters are neurodivergent
• this cover!

What I didn’t care for:
• how angsty do the heroines really need to be? I get the part of getting us through the thinking process of a neurodivergent person, but it was a bit much a times. And did they both have to deal with this? I know we are all a little spicy in our own right, but it just felt a bit like an overkill.
• who buys a property on Facebook marketplace?!
• Opal goes from a shy person who doubts her every step to a confident seductress and back. Good for her but I got a whiplash.
• Opal makes some self deprecating jokes and comments that made me feeling not great.
• Pepper can be really annoying.

It wasn’t my cup of tea at this point in life but I do think I would have loved it 15 years ago.

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

Loved this! It took me a bit to like Opal but she did grow on me. The story is cutesy and a breath of fresh air in terms of my mood reading lately. I loved the Jeff Goldblum and Taylor Swift references, truly feels like a book I’d write, to be honest.

Now I just feel like I’m lumping all sapphics in the same box but honestly, Taylor and Jeff are *chefs kiss*. Anyway, overall the book made me happy and that’s always a great takeaway. There is neurodivergence/autism rep in here and I loved reading that as something that is blatantly discussed in a non-negative way. I want a T-shirt that says ask me about my special interest too :)

Mazey never lets us down! When this book began with our gal winning the lottery, I wasn’t sure I’d like it 🤣 but as usual, there was a beautiful plan and I’m so glad I stuck with it!

Opal and Pepper are each their own particular brand of chaos, and I love them all the more for it. Add in a couple of great side characters, a setting near and dear to my heart (stay weird, Asheville!), and opposites attracting but one of them is an artist? Boom. Solid gold.

Read this if you like feelings, farms, or fools in love. You won’t regret it!

Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a bad book. I just didn’t love it how I thought I was going to when reading it. I loved the concept of the main characters living and working on a flower farm though. Opal and Pepper were chaotic and sweet. There was just something about this book that felt like it was lacking. So it was a good book, but not great.

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

You deserve a life so peaceful it feels deliciously boring. A life filled with flowers and sunny days and people that show you all the time that you're valued and worthy. You deserve it all.
~
Mazey Eddings does it AGAIN in her first LGBTQ+ novel, and I could not love Pepper and Opal more. The premise? Obsessed (though I’m still holding out for that Christmas tree farm, I do agree that these babes are flower girls). The enemies to lovers? Perfection. The mental health rep? On point as always. The love story? Just swoon-worthy. I loved the banter, I loved the mishaps and the tears, I loved the smiles and soft moments, the laughter, the side characters/sisters, and I wanted to absolutely pummel you know who, but that’s exactly what makes Mazey a gem at writing. I have truly never met a book by her I haven’t loved, and I know this one will be a breath of fresh air (and flowers!) for so many of you when you get to pick it up in April. And you will pick it up in April because you definitely want to know these characters and their stories that will make your heart smile.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley for this eARC.
I just adore the sweet spiciness with neurodiverse characters in Mazey Eddings books. While that essential element remains consistent, Eddings' characters and plot continue to be fresh and hilarious. Opal and Pepper are brilliant together and apart- and the reason behind their forced proximity is wonderfully ridiculous.
As someone who lives near Asheville, the build up to an event at the Grove Park Inn is on point... and I really do want them to start a flower sculpture competition. It would be amazing.

This was so cute!!

Opal and Pepper were so fun to get to know, and I loved the neurodivergent representation that Mazey Eddings never fails to make shine. Overall a super sweet sapphic read!

low angst and low conflict, i truly enjoyed this story. my first read by this author and it did not disappoint, potentially a new comfort read for me

I absolutely loved this book. It was really well written and it was also surprising. Thank you for the arc. I really appreciate it.

I loved so many things about this.

It has big themes of trusting yourself, learning to love others who are different than you, AND an amazing love story.

Eddings provokes so much emotion. Brings the human experience directly to the page. I really appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation AND neurodiversity. Unlike anything else I’ve seen on the book market lately.

This book was truly heartfelt and delightful. I loved Opal and Pepper’s evolving relationship and chemistry. There were so many really beautiful moments in this story both for the characters individually and together. They were awkward and endearing and just so very lovely.

This would have been a five star read for me if the two external conflicts at the end were swapped. I understand they work in the timeline with the arc of the characters but both weren’t enough to solidify their big win moment. I needed a grand gesture for Opal. After everything she was put through, I needed there to be something more for her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading others by this author.

This was a young adult LGBTQ book that I enjoyed reading. It was cute and heartwarming but with some spice.

Opal wins the lottery and she buys a farm with her money. Pepper is now without a place to live because her grandmother passed and her mother sold the farm to Opal. Opal and Pepper become close friends and live together on the farm together.

I 100% would have been okay with a closed door romance book but I loved their relationship. It was very sweet.

I received this book for free in return for my honest opinion from Netgalley and publisher.

This was my first read by Mazey Eddings, and while it is a solid option for sapphic contemporary fiction readers, the main characters just really irked me. I really struggled with Opal’s people pleasing, like I just felt bad for her. Opal is a floor mat, being walked all over for almost the entire book, and it just made me not want to root for her and Pepper. The humor and writing style was very….. interesting, and it didn’t land with me personally.

If you enjoy sapphic, neurodivergent rep, grumpy/sunshine, early twenty-somethings cheesy romance stories, you will love this. This isn’t a bad book by any means, I just think it wasn’t for me!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review <3

Late Bloomer

💐ARC Review💐

First off, thank you NetGalley for the early ARC of this beautiful book. ‘Late Bloomer’ is a story whose characters jump off the page right from the start. What stood out most to me about the storyline was the swapping of the typical grumpy x sunshine trope.

Opal is the ray of sunshine who goes out of her way to always go above and beyond for her friends and family, even when they don’t always deserve it. She always puts herself last, and acts of kindness are definitely her love language. Although she is bubbly and happy, she is strong and purposeful when it comes to her relationship with Pepper.

Pepper is a complex and deep soul who opens up about her complicated family past, the loss of her dear grandmother, and the mental and physical conditions surrounding her autism. She is strong, brave, and perseveres through what life has dealt her. Opal is just what she needs to see how beautiful life can be when you stop and smell the flowers.

4.5/5 - a sapphic story that blends new tropes and dialogue with a timeless love story.

Super cute sapphic romance. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline. Quick and fun read, love Mazey Eddings!

I absolutely loved this sweet, and surprisingly spicy, romance. Late Bloomer is a sapphic, opposites attract, forced proximity romance between two neurodivergent women who meet over a flower farm. Everything about this is perfect. Opal and Pepper are so funny, and so charming. I love that they actually communicate, and I love that we get to see a book couple struggling to find a communication style that works for them.

Opal's sisters and Pepper's friends make for a fantastic cast, and I am 1000% crossing my fingers for books about Opal's sisters. As someone who normally gags at a pop culture reference in books, they're actually pretty good here. The book effectively highlights mental health, a common theme in Mazey's works. It goes beyond the usual romance plot, skillfully exploring grief, which adds depth to the story.

I also really enjoyed the content at the end! Eddings included a list of almost titles, plus a guide to explain her reasoning for choosing the flowers mentioned in the book. Her acknowledgements also made me want to cry almost as much as the book did.

I can't say enough good things about this, or Mazey's work in general. Immediate five stars, I will be preordering ASAP.

Autistic meets AuDHD and much sapphic sex was had! While I wish some of the confrontations had been more confront-y, they were true to the characters' amazing and distinct personalities. After DNF'ing a book with yet another bland city girl protag, the way Opal jumps right off the page is refreshing and endearing. Pepper is a perfect foil for Opal and the interactions and misunderstandings are a great representation of what it's like to live and love neurodivergently.