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!

Late Bloomer is a sweet and generally lighthearted novel where its two main characters, Opal and Pepper, unwittingly become roommates.

I found the characters a little too much at first, but as I continued to read and know the characters I did end up finding them quite likable. If you're fond of a enemies-to-lovers trope this might fit the bill, as Pepper is not too happy about Opal's presence before getting to know and trust her. I enjoyed the dynamic of Pepper's friends and wished I could have seen a little more of them. The overarching plot of entering the flower competition was honestly (to me) mostly just a way to cause conflict that I didn't enjoy.

I'm not a fan of communication issues as a plot device, but I actually quite enjoyed the realism of Pepper's understanding of certain situations due to her autism. I also appreciated that both main characters were neurodivergent, without infantilizing or fetishizing their characteristics.

The spicy scenes frankly felt out of place to me with the level of detail they went into, but for other readers I'm sure that won't be an issue.

Overall, I think many readers will enjoy the dynamic and relationship progression between Pepper and Opal, as well as the novel's overarching plot.

I've enjoyed every Mazey Eddings book and loved seeing the rep in this. She has become and auto buy author. Such a great book!

Wow! This book was so sweet, and I really related to Pepper and her struggles as someone neurodivergent. The only thing that hindered my enjoyment was just how many fights and make ups there were in the book. It gave me a lot of anxiety, but I knew that they would eventually be alright because they really do complete each other. And spoiler alert, the ending where Opal opens a college savings account for Pepper made me literally want to sob. It’s an easy quick read that would have your heart swooning. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the pleasure of reading this book!

This was freaking EVERYTHING omg. I loved it and it will def not be the last Eddings book. I can not wait to read more of her stuff. I fell in love with these characters.

I love Mazey Eddings and this book was no exception. I found myself identifying with the MC—wanting to prove something to her family and herself, but finding out more about who she is and who she loves in the process. This book definitely satisfies those of us who long to reinvent ourselves!

This book was the breath of fresh air I didn't know I needed. My first full WLW romance did not disappoint. I'll even forgive the overwhelming amount of flower puns because the writing was just too good.

Our story opens with Opal, a woman down on her luck who just so happens to win the lottery. Like we all would, I'm sure, she decides to spend her newfound chunk of change on a failing flower farm. I just love relatable protagonists.

Questionable financial decisions aside, this book was really cute. Opal meets Piper, the hardworking and autistic occupant of said flower farm. While the two don't initially hit it off, what started as thorny exchanges blossoms into something beautiful between the two. (Please forgive me for the puns, I do hate myself)

I loved the representation of autism through Piper's character and felt like the neurodivergence was handled well. Opal is the people-pleasing bisexual queen that I never knew I needed. Truly magical.

I'll just say that it was such a relief to read a romance where I was actually rooting for both characters... Lately, the romance genre has been dead for me and I was at my breaking point. There's only so many stories I can read where white men save the day. Which is why this may have been my first WLW book, but it definitely won't be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This book was an absolute delight!!! I’m new to Mazey Eddings’ writing but I immediately fell in love with the characters, the setting, and the story (and can we talk about that cover!!). Opal is such a great MC, she’s the perfect balance of bubbly sunshine without being over the top. She’s chaotic and messy but a ray of light in a tough situation and I felt myself rooting for her the whole time.
I saw myself in Pepper a lot; her challenges around grief were beautifully handled and her need to prove herself in spite of her upbringing was so heartwarming.
The setting as a flower farm worked so well and made such a delightful backdrop to this sweet story. Everything about this was delightful and I can’t wait to nab a physical copy when it hits shelves in April.
Big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn't sure what to expect from Late Bloomer, and like many books, I went in completely blind. Opal is chaotic and eccentric and a lot of fun on the page. There were a few times early on where I was cringing with some of her impulsive decisions and actions. Then we are introduced to Pepper, who is her polar opposite, the grumpy to Opal's sunshine, she is running a struggling flower farm. These two are unlikely partners but balance each other out perfectly. This book was funny and clever and had some great banter! The romance was beautiful and there was on the page spice that was fire! This is my first time reading a book by Mazey Eddings and I will definitely read another.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and voluntarily give my honest review.

4 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this book! it did take me about 20% in before I really got hooked, I was more just upset for Opal & wanted to hurt people for her. Opal & Pepper were such perfect compliments for each other. they brought out different sides of each other while also helped them realize the way they were is perfect also. Pepper brought out the stronger side of Opal while Opal brought out a soft less abrasive side of Pepper. but not in a bad way, they just truly complimented each others characters so well. I love watching them grow as characters & grow with each other. they were both such good & sweet characters.

the only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the more modern sayings / phrases, they just felt out of place to me for this story.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: April 16, 2024

Rating: 3 stars

I love Mazey Eddings' works however, this one would not be my first choice to introduce readers to her. I'm not sure what it was about this book but I struggled to be fully invested. Opal and Pepper lacked connection (think insta-love) and I had a hard time distinguishing who was who. Overall, not her best but perfect for a light fluff read in the Spring time.

Perfect for fans of:
- Dual POV
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Opposites attract
- Neurodivergent MCs
- LGBTQIAP+ rep
- FMC x FMC
- Instalove
- Touched on heavier topics

TW: Loss of a loved one, grief, abandonment of parent (flashbacks)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

I liked this book! I thought all the representation was really extensive and (to me) seemed well done. I liked the plot of the book, it felt pretty fresh. The third act conflict was brief which I also appreciated.

I did find the book dragged a bit in the middle and felt kind of bland.

All in all, I enjoyed and would recommend.