"Late Bloomer" by Mazey Eddings artfully narrates the journey of Pepper and Opal, two distinct characters brought together under unexpected circumstances. Opal, impulsive and hopeful after a surprising lottery win, buys the Thistle and Bloom flower farm, only to find Pepper, the wary granddaughter of the former owner, already there. The book gracefully alternates between their perspectives, providing a deep, authentic look into their evolving relationship. Eddings skillfully blends humor with the earnestness of a sapphic romance and the complexities of neurodiversity, making the story both enjoyable and meaningful. Despite some rushed elements, "Late Bloomer" shines as a compelling, character-driven exploration of growth, understanding, and the unpredictable nature of life. It's a delightful read for those who cherish stories of personal transformation and the beauty of unexpected connections.

I love a sapphic romcom, especially one with neurodivergent rep! This was a great new novel from Mazey Eddings that I'll definitely be staff-picking.

Very slow to get going. Loved the representation. Both queer and neurodivergent. I feel like the lottery story line was a bit pointless. Didn’t feel like too much of enemies.

I love Mazey Edding’s books! This was a cute one. I loved the forced proximity trope. It was a nice love story! Would recommend it.

I adored this book, and I adored both of our two main characters so much!

Opal is an artist who is down on her luck with a handful of truly crappy friends when she, surprisingly, wins the lottery. She uses the money to buy a flower farm and goes to move in, only to meet lovable grump, Pepper.

Pepper has lived at/ran the farm for years with her grandma, who recently passed away, and Pepper is not leaving the only home she’s ever truly known.

The two of them agree to cohabitate while figuring out details of what the future of the farm looks like, and what blossoms from this unlikely pairing was so much more emotional and lovely than I was anticipating.

It’s a romance novel, so of course there’s love, but there’s also acceptance, grief, neurodivergent representation, vulnerability, personal growth, and humor! It just touched on so many important other aspects of the characters’ lives and personalities, and that made Pepper and Opal’s love feel that much more real. There are actually a handful of lines from this book that will live with me for a long time.

This book was an easy 5 stars for me, and I’m looking forward to rereading it when it is released in April 2024!

Also, as a bonus, the cover is just STUNNING! 😍

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this. I’m a sucker for a sapphic romance and Late Bloomer had what I was looking for in a romance.

I really liked this. There were characters that you really did root for. The relationship between Opal and Pepper made my heart so happy. There is something about a flower field and people falling in love that just adds an extra layer of romance.

Another great book by Mazey Eddings!!

This was such a sweet, wholesome book (with some spice too!!) and I really enjoyed it.
I thought the way the characters were portrayed felt very authentic and realistic and I was able to understand them and the way they acted very well. The problems made sense and contributed to the plot and the characters had great growth.
Mazey Eddings also did a really good job of portraying neurodivergent characters without making it a big deal (as in, it's an important part of the characters' identities but it's not some big, shocking reveal used as a plot point). I enjoyed watching the characters learn to communicate with each other and with themselves. I enjoyed the setting of the flower farm and felt like I could really picture all the flowers and the landscape without the book being bogged down by description. It felt like the perfect balance between setting and plot.

While I didn't have any major critiques of this book, one thing to be aware of is that the main conflict comes from a lack of communication between the characters. I didn't mind it and I thought it was handled well in addition to being very realistic, but if you really can't stand poor communication in books this is your heads up.

Overall I thought this was a fantastic, feel-good book. This will be the perfect spring read when it is released in April.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Late Bloomer!

Mazey Eddings is able to create likeable characters that still have the ability to feel real. Even though Opal has reasons to be guarded, she just wants connections with people which makes her want to be open to everyone she meets. Pepper on the other hand has dealt with being left behind so keeps her heart guarded. Throughout the corse of "Late Bloomer" you are able to understand who Opal and Pepper are, what makes them tick, and how they still have the ability to grow as people.

Combining all of this with the cast of loveable side characters leads to a truly enjoyable sapphic romance that feels like a warm hug.

4.5 stars!

This book was a masterpiece! Opposites attract, FF love story, forced proximity, first time. I really enjoyed both the MCs Opal and Pepper. They're both such unique characters and felt very real and raw. I enjoyed that the author showcases neurodivergent MCs. Beautiful story and the epilogue tied it off with a bow so well. I also loved how the author commented on the making of the title haha

Thank you netgalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I really didn’t expect to love this book so much! The story is heartwarming, I’m so in love with the characters, especially Olpal, I admire her so much and I feel her emotion in a way that I cannot immagine.
The autism rep is below every expectations. Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of rep, we struggle to find it and to find it well written. This is a well written autistic rep. If someone is interested.
The plot is pretty simple, but poignant, and I ship the main characters so hard!
I really love this book and I can’t wait to read more of this author. I cannot believe this is her first book!!!!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the arc.

It's not often I come across a well-written autistic character, especially one who is so open about their autism. Pepper made me, an autistic person, feel so incredibly seen. I LOVE PEPPER! She and Opal are so adorable - I actually wanted to cry while reading some of the scenes. I will definitely be recommending this to my fellow readers! And I may even snag a physical copy for my personal library!

Mazey Eddings has done it again. I just adore her books. This one has my all time favorite setting. A flower farm?! How cute is that?!

🌸 dual POV
🌸 ADHD/Autism rep
🌸 Sapphic Romance
🌸 Opposites Attract
🌸 Laugh out loud funny

I absolutely loved these characters. They were so real and relatable. I hope Mazey considers a sequel because I'm dying to get more of Pepper and Opal's story!

Late Bloomer is a very cute low-stakes cozy read with a fabulous cover (because we all judge books in part by their covers). There is a lot to like about this book: neurodivergent representation, engaging prose, and opposites attract (grumpy/sunshine) romance.

Opal is a neurodivergent artist who always tries to see the best in people. The people she calls friends are nothing of the sort and she's in a dead end job feeling very stuck and not very creative. Rescue comes in the form of a winning lottery ticket for half a million dollars which she impulsively uses to kickstart this new phase of life. Headstrong Opal buys a flower farm, nevermind that she knows nothing about flower farming, and bumps heads with Pepper. Pepper is grumpy, but for good reasons. After the death of her grandmother she discovers that the farm is on the verge of bankruptcy, that her grandmother didn't leave a will, and that her irresponsible and flighty mother has decided to sell the farm without even consulting her. Under one roof these women work together to try and save the farm in a slow, forced-proximity romance.

I think with lower stakes novels such as this, the characters become so much more important in creating emotional stakes in the reader and I feel like this book may have missed the mark. Some parts of the book felt slow to get through and I just felt myself wishing that the characters were a bit more than they were.

I received an ARC from St. Martins Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Late Bloomer
Mazey Eddings
5⭐️

Another bingeworthy read by Mazey! She never disappoints in my book (and hers 😆). Thus is why she is and will forever be an auto-buy for me! I swear with each new book I fall more and more in love with her writing and her unforgettable characters.

Late Bloomer was an absolute delight from beginning to end. It was everything I could have hoped for and more. I adored the story and the flower farm setting could not have been a more perfect backdrop for this sweet romance.

I could not get enough of Opal and Pepper. The banter, the angst, the steam! All of it was CHEFS KISS perfection. Watching their relationship bloom (pun absolutely intended) and seeing both of them come realize their beautiful value, was everything.

It had ALL the feels, beautiful neurodivergent/mental health rep, and that Eddings humor I relate so hard to. Nobody makes me LOL like she does.

What I loved;
🌸 Opposites-Attract
🌹 Sapphic Romance
🌺 Forced Proximity
💐 The Flowers
🌸 LOL Banter
🌹 Epic Spice!! 🥵 Whoever says Pepper isn’t spicy, needs to read this one!!

One of my favoritest parts is at the end when Mazey explains the flowers mentioned and the symbolic meanings. So many small gestures you might not have noticed that added so much swoon. I think I highlighted every single word. Also definitely don’t miss the hilarious list of unhinged title options! 😂

Pub Date 4/16/24. Add to your TBR, pre-order, request from your library. Do ALL the things because Late Bloomer is an absolute must read.

A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved it and cannot wait to get my hands on a gorgeous finished copy. 🌸

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings
My Rating: 4/5⭐️

Thank you @netgalley for the ebook copy of Late Bloomer!

My Review: This was a sweet and powerful book about the struggles behind finding yourself. Opal doesn’t have the best luck but when she wins the lottery she thinks her luck might turn around. Making rash decisions is what she’s infamous for and with the lottery money she buys the flower farm, Thistle and Bloom. She’s hopeful and excited but soon finds out that the house on the farm is already occupied by Pepper, the granddaughter of the former owner of the farm.

Pepper draws a line in the sand immediately and swears off Opal, not wanting anything to do with her. They decide to occupy the farm together while the will and farm ownership gets sorted out. Over time Pepper warms up to Opal’s eccentric personality. Opal loves creating art and expressing herself through her work. Together they decide to enter a flower competition and while working together they end up really enjoying each other’s company.

This book has great representations for the neurodivergent and lgbtq communities. Mazey Eddings’ cheerful, fun writing style makes the story of Pepper and Opal exciting to follow. You meet the people in their lives that have helped them through trauma and stand by them while they both work on their own mental health. Pepper and Opal’s growth throughout the book is strong, developing into true soul mates.

I’m so happy I got an early copy of this book. I’ve been reading more lgbtq books and this one definitely goes to the top of the list.

I wanted to love this like Mazey's other books but I just...didn't??

Opal wins the lottery and uses the money to get out of her funk and start her art career. Kinda predicable? IDK this part of the plot didn't work for me. Opal is generally a mess, which, fine but did she really not think twice about buying a property through FB marketplace?!

Pepper is going through her own issues and they aren't helped when Opal shows up and moves in. Forced proximity but really, either one could have left at any time so wasn't really forced.

I couldn't get past the plot in the first 15% and had no desire to read further.

This is a sweet and charming romance! Despite being lighthearted and flirtatious, the characters in this book lack depth. Their personalities were so similar that I occasionally had to confirm that I was looking at things from the right point of view. I thought it was great except from this. Anyone who enjoys the grump sunshine trope should read this novel, in my opinion.

Thank you to net galley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Mazey Eddings is always an auto buy for me & this book will be no different! I really love the depth she gives her characters and I loved that this was a sapphic novel as well! Definitely worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for allowing me access to the E-Arc. All opinions are my own.

4.75*

I really enjoyed this arc. I loved the fact that the characters were realistic. They dealt with difficult issues and or issues that people don’t understand. I thought the way they were handled in this arc were very digestible. I loved both of the main characters. I also loved the fact that we saw a look into each of their families. Opals sisters are a vibe. I would read a book about each of them.

Overall, I highly recommend this book!