This was overall such a great read. I very much enjoyed the story and the growth of these characters.

Unfortunately I did not like this book at all. I was fully prepared to be obsessed with this book and have the glorious cover faced out on my bookshelf. But unfortunately it was so wildly unrealistic, insta-lovey, and filled with horrible characters that I couldn't enjoy it at all.

The more I read this author’s books, the more I fall in love. She has got such a way of writing! She writes for everyone. Her characters show it is ok to not be ok! You can still persevere and find love and happiness! She makes everyone worthy. If you haven’t found this author yet, do it.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Never met a Mazey Eddings book I didn’t love! One of my favorite things about her writing is her portrayal of beautiful, messy, neurodivergent characters and how they’re equally deserving of love. Opal, in particular, with her ADHD/maybe Autism/but definitely neurodivergent, I related to a lot and it’s so important to see that kind of representation in art. I adored Opal and Pepper so much and couldn’t stop reading, all the stars!

Wow, where do i begin 😭 maybe with the fact that i can't believe i could read one of my most anticipated 2024 releases before the end of the year. sorry to everyone who has to wait until April because this book is INCREDIBLE.

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings is her first sapphic romance, and it is as beautiful on the inside as the outside. (Can we take a second to just stare at that beauty of a cover? Absolutely perfect.) It follows Pepper and Opal, and has the good old trope "we both believe we own this property so we just have to co-exist here until we solve that problem" which I'm obsessed with. It's like the roommate trope but with added drama and tension. Opal wins the lottery and she buys a flower farm - a flower farm Pepper lives on and thinks belongs to her after her beloved aunt passed away. So they decide they'll stay there until Pepper can pay off the money Opal bought it for. Of course, along the way, they pine after each other, fight their love with all their might, and decide to get rid of the tension by sleeping together.... without catching feelings, of course.

It is grumpy/sunshine goodness, has autistic rep, queer rep obviously, is emotional, raw and real, steamy, and sweet, and the two of them are everything to me. It is relatable, almost painfully so at some points, and utterly charming. Like I mentioned, it's set at a flower farm so it's going to be the perfect spring read. It also has great side characters.

If it isn't obvious, I absolutely adored this book. I might have shed a few tears at the end. Mazey Eddings' books have such a strong personality, and she really knows how to create characters who feel so real, they might as well be my best friends. This was just overall incredible, and y'all need to read this when it comes out - for the grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, sexual tension, beautiful spring setting, and a beautiful romance where two women who have been badly hurt before finally find a home within each other. Just perfect.

I love everything Mazey writes and this book is no exception. I loved this book so much. The neurodivergent representation, the romance and the found family were absolutely everything to me.

I enjoyed this lighthearted read overall! The setting was incredibly tangible; the flower farm was such a beautiful and fun setting for a romance with relatively little tension. I also appreciated that the plot once at the farm was very believable and natural. However, I struggled with following the characterization of both of the main characters to some extent. It seemed at times that Pepper, and especially Opal's personality and way of interacting in the world would change from chapter to chapter. While some of that can be chalked up to people seeing us differently than we see ourselves, it seemed extreme to the point where at times I had to check whose perspective I was reading to keep track.

4.5 stars

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book was much as I did, but I LOVED the setting and both MCs.

Opal and Pepper fit together so well and complement each other in every possible way. Their interactions were beautiful and mesmerizing. Pretty much an unputdownable book which I relished. Pepper is uncomfortable around Opal and dislikes her from the start. Opal in her own words- is a chronic people pleaser, ready to do anything to help Pepper even though the situation is not to her liking either. This is somewhat of an opposites attract romance and I really enjoyed it.

There's some great mental health rep thrown in there and Eddings has given adequate emphasis on the backstories. I instantly liked the MCs and the side characters and rooted for them. Nothing about them was a red flag and the way the showed their care and affection for each other was endearing. I liked the way the climax was resolved too, everything felt cozy and believable. My only issue was with Trish, and her initial portrayal verses the image Pepper painted later on. I'd like it if there was some light shed on her background too.

Eddings has put together a list of book titles that were on hold in the writing process as well as the significance of the different flowers referenced in the book. I was certainly not expecting that, and it was a pure delight to get that added joy to my reading experience. My first book by the author and it won't be my last!

This book made my heart hurt and I felt so much for each character. Opal, a quirky artist, has always been "walked over" and doesn't feel like she has any true friends, so when she ends up living in the same house as Pepper, a flower farmer struggling to keep her business Thistle & Bloom afloat, she wants to help and make a connection. When that connection slowly opens up, blooms, and catches fire in a lovely sapphic romance that respects late bloomers, who are just learning what they desire, I fell for this book. Pepper's found family, memories of her grandmother Lou, combined with Opal's sisters fierce and protective love gave this book such a lovely well-rounded cast of characters. Throw in a floral art installation competition and I was a goner! Give this book a try!

Opal has just won the lottery. So, of course, she buys a flower farm just outside of Asheville. The only problem is that the farm apparently comes with Pepper, the daughter of the woman who sold Opal the farm. And Pepper doesn't like change. But the two of them strike a (somewhat) uneasy deal: they both stay at the farm, and Pepper slowly buys Opal out. They'll enter a big flower competition together, and if they win, the prize money will go toward Pepper buying the farm back from Opal.
And then they strike another deal, one that will hopefully help with the tension building between the two of them. And it does help, but it also makes it harder for both women to ignore their feelings.

Mazey Eddings is one of my favorite authors, so I had high hopes for this book--and it ended up being every bit as good as I expected. The characters felt very real (including Opal's pretty online way of speaking, which felt very natural and not at all forced, which is always a worry). I loved that the sunshine was sometimes grumpy and the grump was sometimes sunshiney--it really added to both of the characters to have them be so multi-faceted. I also loved that Pepper was explicitly stated to be autistic, and that Opal was more vaguely undiagnosed neurodivergent (but that she knew and acknowledged that). Both were written very well and both of those are things we need more good representation of.
And, on top of the rep and the characters feeling so real, it was just all-around sweet and fun (and at times frustrating and heartbreaking, as complicated family and interpersonal relationships can be). Late Bloomer is (unsurprisingly) another really good Mazey Eddings book.

Late Bloomer does such an exceptional job at representing sapphic love between two neurodivergent women who are unapologetically who they are. It's a slow burn, which isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for this story, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. The pacing is done well, the setting is so immersive, and the overall read is warm and comforting. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a heartwarming sapphic romance.

This author is hit or miss for me, and while not completely a miss this time, it did veer that way for me. Overall, I felt like too much was packed into both of the character’s arcs individually that it felt like there wasn’t a clear growth or development with either of them, and it left the romance not enough time to blossom. Autism, ADHD, abusing drugs and alcohol, depression, family death, family abandonment, shitty friends, a shitty ex - like, that’s just way too much, and everything felt half-assed because of it.

I will say though, the plot was a good one.

IN MAZEY EDDINGS WE TRUST!!!!
Mazey never leaves me disappointed. If this cover doesn’t convince you to read this, then allow me! Low conflict & very comforting to read. Always happy to read stories with loads of neurodivergent rep.

Chef kiss!!

Thank you to the publisher, author, & NetGalley for a copy of the ARC!

Initially I was intrigued by the plot of the book. Unfortunately the writing style made it hard to turn the page and give it a fair shot.

Cute, low angst read.. I normally love Mazey’s books but something was missing from this to make me enjoy it more.

What a fun book. I have never read anything by this author, so it was a total surprise. I thought it was funny and messy in the best way. Both MC's have self-esteem issues and just life issues. I did not think that they could figure out how to live together and help each other. I love how both struggled to communicate and try to help each other move forward. Neither ever gives up and they eventually figure out how to move forward together. I will be looking for other books by this author. I think you should read this book! It is really good and an interesting dynamic between the two main characters.

I received a free copy for an unbiased review.

A sweet romance. Opal wins the lottery and impulsively buys a flower farm with the bulk of her winnings. When she arrives she is confronted by Pepper, granddaughter of the previous farm owner. Pepper insists the farm belongs to her and refuses to budge. Soon, and despite all odds, these opposites attract.

The author, as usual, does a great job of creating a cozy ambiance and compelling side characters.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

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

Late Bloomer is a really fun grumpy/sunshine romance. Pepper and Opal paths cross unexpectedly and immediately butt heads.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Opal and Pepper were such fun characters to read and I absolutely loved this story! There was also some pretty great representation in this book and I can’t recommend reading this one more!

This title is sweet, tender, and kind. The flower farm setting is as dreamy as the romance <3. Another fab romance from author, Mazey Eddings.

I think I was expecting more from this book than what it gave, and I'm willing to admit that's on me for hoping the title meant there would be more of an exploration of someone's sexuality, or more of a discussion of what its like to be older and still not have sexual experience.

I really loved Opal's sisters, I thought they were funny and chaotic, as well as Pepper's friends. It was a little difficult to distinguish between Pepper and Opal's voices, but I appreciated that this book was low angst and straightforward. Also I'm still very obsessed with the cover, as we all should be.