1.5

Setting: North Carolina
Rep: bisexual protagonist with ADHD; queer autistic protagonist

I made it to 90% but realized I didn't care what happened with the story or the characters. They have no chemistry, the writing is bland, and I just can't bring myself to care. The characters are too similar in their POVs and their actions/reactions etc make NO sense at all.

I think maybe this author isn't for me. I read A Brush With Love when it came out and I thought it was ok, but it wasn't my favorite. But I went into this really hopeful because literally everything about the concept sounded amazing to me- and don't even get me started on the cover! That being said, I honestly didn't understand the connection between Opal and Pepper at all. (I didn't much like either of them either if I'm being honest.) There's just not much leading up to their first hookup at all. And also, the way everyone treats Opal when she arrives with the deed to the house (or whatever it is) as if she's the bad guy really wasn't great. Like, as far as they knew, legally she owned that house and could have kicked Pepper out but she went out of her way to make sure Pepper was comfortable and she took up as little space as possible.

Idk, I feel bad giving it a lower rating but despite the great premise, I just didn't really enjoy this. Obviously by the many high reviews, this is a book that many people like, so I'm going to chalk it up to this author not being for me and move on.

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings
Release Date: 4/16/24
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Me? Giving Mazey 5 stars? Who is surprised here! Late Bloomer is yet another book of vulnerability and perfection from the Queen of romcoms with neurodivergent representation and this time it’s sapphic!

Whew. These characters are so damn lovable. Pepper Anne (is this a nod to the cartoon bc I truly hope so) and Opal are both absolute messes in the most delightful way. Watching them open up with one another and learn to trust was such a treat.

The chemistry? Amazing. The thought and care Eddings put into not only character development but also all the flowers she chose throughout? Outstanding. And the humor woven throughout a book that is absolutely going to tug on your heart strings is perfectly placed.

And ohhhhh we’ve all had a Laney and a Miles and I loved to hate them. Every character was written so well!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This one is our in April and you’re not going to want to miss it!

2/5 ⭐️ 1/5🌶️
This book was in my opinion all over the place in terms of plot . The pace was off and at times painful to try to get through . Pepper annoyed me. I thought it was weird she got the property off Facebook marketplace. The only redeeming things for this book was that I liked the romance between the characters at times and the fact that it was showing neurodivergent characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Eddings does it again! I’ll read anything she writes. And wow, this cover is stunning!!! Low angst, sapphic romance, set on a flower farm, sold! I loved the characters, the neurodivergent representation, the setting, and the steam! 5/5 stars
A big thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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.