I liked A Brush With Love & Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake, but LOVED The Plus One by Mazey Eddings, so I was excited to read this sapphic love story. It definitely lived up to my expectations. I appreciate the way that Mazey handles mental health with her characters. They have so much depth and you truly feel like you know them.

The story of two women who meet right as each faces a crossroads in their personal lives. They are both immediately irritated by each other, but those feelings slowly turn to attraction the more time they spend together.

This was an excellent rom-com of a book that I throughly enjoyed! While the characters may have met under contrived circumstances, Opal and Pepper’s story develops at a natural medium burn pace. Opal and Pepper obviously get a lot of time together, but I liked how they were also given space alone to sort out their own thoughts and feelings. They are separate people whose identity is not solely based on the other. The story also had the right amount of spice. The scenes were authentic and weren’t just all about the sex. Each one helped the characters to evolve personally and together.

My only complaint is random people from the characters’ past showed up towards the end of book. This parts felt forced to me and didn’t really get their purpose.

This is an excellent book worth the read, however.

MAZEY EDDINGS DOES IT AGAIN. I was thrilled when I got approved for this book. I love the premise, I love the characters, I just love this whole darn thing. Everyone needs this book in their life.

How sweet and lovely this was!

The characters were so relatable and I love how well written this representation was. I am not always a fan of grumpy/sunshine, but it’s be honest, it didn’t feel like that description fit the characters too well, so it didn’t not bother me.

It did feel a little slow at times, and some of the writing/phrasing was repetitive. I loved seeing the ADHD and autistic representation, but at times I did get frustrated with how their inner monologues did not match up with how they interacted. Namely, near the end, Pepper reflects on what happened after the competition and what she should have said, how she could have comforted Opal, etc, but in the next chapter, she said she didn’t know why they weren’t talking. It felt disconnected from her previous thoughts on what happened.

I did love the little queer found family, the explorations of grief, and the steamy scenes. Overall, a great book that I can’t wait to recommend when it hits the shelves!

How sweet and lovely this was!

The characters were so relatable and I love how well written this representation was. I am not always a fan of grumpy/sunshine, but it’s be honest, it didn’t feel like that description fit the characters too well, so it didn’t not bother me.

It did feel a little slow at times, and some of the writing/phrasing was repetitive. I loved seeing the ADHD and autistic representation, but at times I did get frustrated with how their inner monologues did not match up with how they interacted. Namely, near the end, Pepper reflects on what happened after the competition and what she should have said, how she could have comforted Opal, etc, but in the next chapter, she said she didn’t know why they weren’t talking. It felt disconnected from her previous thoughts on what happened.

I did love the little queer found family, the explorations of grief, and the steamy scenes. Overall, a great book that I can’t wait to recommend when it hits the shelves!

This is the loveliest, sweetest, most special grumpy/sunshine story I've ever read! Pepper and Opal are two of the most lovable characters I've ever read. I wanted to give both of them the biggest, warmest hugs. Opal especially I wanted to be her best friend. My heart ached for her, probably because I related to it so much, as she tries to connect so deeply with everyone. I loved her story of finding her self-worth, self-acceptance, and strength in her voice to stand up for herself as she navigates her new start at life on the flower farm. And Pepper had to grow up so fast, I love that her friends and Opal give her a chance to rely on others, learning to trust in other people, in love, and in the possibility of finding her own happily ever after with Opal. The way Pepper and Opal fit together like actual soulmates was my favorite part of this story. The complement each other perfectly and I loved seeing them grow so much for the better as they navigate each other in the beginning, start a friendship, and eventual relationship. There is so much love, acceptance, joy and happiness, mingled with the harsh and sucky moments that come with life, that make this story so lovingly realistic and hopeful. This story, like most of Mazey Edding's stories, give me the joyous and giddy hope in real life love, friendship, and happily ever afters in all their glorious forms. One of my absolute favorite stories ever!
Thank you for the arc :)

In this steamy, emotional sapphic romance, Mazey Eddings - whose books have always featured neurodivergent main characters - has created a premise that is unique and adorable while fulfilling many well-loved tropes, and a truly interesting and well-developed main character.

The problem is, it is *one* well-developed main character, living in two different bodies. Sure, there are differences between the two - the predictable loud/quiet, messy/tidy divide - but in many ways the two main characters, Pepper and Opal, are indistinguishable. This particularly noticeable because the narration is split between them, and it's a particular issue because it takes the air out of the story's conflict to see the two women undergoing similar flawed rationalizations and making identical mistakes. This is, perhaps, the way real relationships work, but it doesn't translate well to the page.

3.5 stars - a well-written, endearing romantic drama, but lacked conflict and character differentiation.

I felt a connection to this book! Coming out late in my life too, it was a fun read! I loved the plot and the characters! An easy 4 star read!

I am so lucky to have received this as an ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book and I cannot wait to purchase a copy when it comes out! I related to both characters so much, with the disabilities that they have and the trauma that they’ve been through, I feel like this book was written for me! I want to hug the author because this will be my happy place for quite a long time!

I love this author, but this one didn't really do it for me. The steamy scenes were incredible, but I just couldn't get into the plot. It was still a really well written book though

I absolutely adored this book. Fans of enemies to lovers and grumpy/sunshine tropes will love it. The personal growth shown by the characters adds a level of reality to the story that is lovely. Excellent neurodivergent representation.

Ok I’m just gonna say it. I LOVE THIS IT IS LIKE OMG.like I swear this book is amazing i don’t know how to describe it

Late Bloomer is a sweet, sapphic, romance, which I read through in only a day. Two girls forced into running a flower farm together, enemies-to-lovers in the very barest sense, like a whisper. There could have been more drama added with exes and mothers for more interest, but it was a fun cozy read. It's a solid romance that will have you looking for flower farms to buy yourself.

Thank you so NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for review.

Mazey has knocked it out of the park once again. I absolutely adored this sweet sapphic romance. I LOVED the flower farm setting. I've never really bought fresh flowers for myself (Pat does sometimes but it's rare!), but this book made me want to go right to a farmer's market and pick out some dahlias. And then I got this perfect Booksta picture at one!

Opal and Pepper were SO sweet together. Their personalities were the perfect fit. I love the angst of a forced-proximity roommance, and these two neurodivergent cuties did angst beautifully.

Some suspension of belief is definitely required, because I can't imagine a world where one woman buys a house and when she realizes someone else is still living there, just lets that woman stay. That was a long sentence. Opal has an unbelievably big heart!

I cracked up at the list of possible titles for this book. It was so Mazey and so funny--the perfect way to wrap up this gorgeous book.

This book surprised me in so many ways! I loved the neurodivergent character and how she pushed through the world. The story was very sweet. I loved the characters and the supporting characters in this story. I highly recommend this book!

Actual rating 4.5 stars!
Mazey I'm so sorry for reading this book in the midst of moving and a reading slump
How long it took me to read this says nothing about my enjoyment, just that I decided to read this during a busy time in my life and audiobooks have been my lifeline
But this book!! Look, I've loved everything Mazey has written, YA and her adult romance. So I knew I was going to love a sapphic romance from her. With Autism rep, bisexual characters, and a found family aspect it's a crime it took me a month to read this. I'm for sure going to reread it when comes out!
Seriously put this one on your list for April or even June for pride month!

While this was not my favorite of Mazey's books, I still had a great time! Her usualy wit and charm was definitely there which mad it a fun read. My only big issue with the book was that Pepper and Opal's voices read sooo similarly that I was unsure of who's head I was in sometimes. Overall, I would recommend this one.

I sat down to read a chapter or two of this book to see if it should be my next read and accidentally read 20% in that one sitting. Late Bloomer kept me thinking about Opal and Pepper - their love, their flower farm, their beautiful neurodivegence - every day since I started it. I found myself thinking about their communication fumbles and how relatable it was to miscommunicate due to your brain not working the same as everyone else's and the desire to not make someone you love have a harder life due to you being different. Mazey Eddings made me cry the happiest tears I've cried in a good, long while with this one (that last chapter?? That epilogue, Mazey??) and I'm so grateful for this story. I can't wait for it to come out so I can make all of my friends read it!

Late Bloomer is the sapphic romantic messy comical heartfelt read that I was waiting for.

I saw so much of myself in these words — I hadn’t kissed anyone until I was 22/23 and I too struggle to process things sometimes. And I love hard and fiercely and without fear.

Pepper and Opal are sure to become favorites of mine and yours, if for nothing else than the sheer number of innuendos and hair color changes that happen. But I promise, there’s more to it than that, sometimes you just have to work at it a little.

———-
Very large thanks to Netgalley, SMPR, and to my dearest Mazey for the eARC!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC.

I should preface this review by saying that I am not a romance reader. I wanted to branch out and try something new when I was offered this book. I unfortunately think that this genre isn't for me.
This story follows Opal and Pepper, two girls who are bound together over a series of misunderstandings and a flower farm. They start off an enemies with opposing ideas about what to do with the farm, but slowly they start to realize their true feelings for one another. There is a lot of representation, which is something that I always look for in books. Opal has ADHD and Pepper is autistic. There are several queer side-characters as well.
The story was cute and the plot was interesting- the issue of the flower farm was fun. It was something new that I hadn't read before. The book overall is well written and I think fans of the genre will adore it.
The thing that made me have a hard time with this book is all the stereotypes used. While I am very happy about the inclusion of neurodivergent characters, at times they felt more like caricatures than actual people. This made it very hard for me to get through the book.
Overall it's a solid romance novel which lots of people will love.