I loved this sapphic romance between two neurodivergent women who just don't really fit in. But they sure fit in together! I couldn't put this down as their love story unfolded. it was beautiful!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Review published on September 20, 2023, to Goodreads and Storygraph. Additional content will be published on release day on Instagram.

3.75⭐️

Late Bloomer is a small town, enemies to lovers (kinda), sapphic romance between Opal and Pepper! The book follows Opal who after winning the lottery, decides to move away from her city life, to a flower farm to escape and paint shoes in the nature. Problem is, Pepper doesn’t know that her farm that she lives in got sold. This story follows many ups and downs with Opal and Pepper who are trying to coexist in the farm. This book was super fun and engaging, wondering what would happen next in their relationship. I loved all of the representation that was present. Pretty good book!

Favorite Quote:
“I look back at the flower clutched in my hand. There’s one petal left.”

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a woman/woman positive love story with a great deal of attention placed on neurodiversity. The lottery win and ridiculous real estate purchase took me out of the story initially (hey, taxes!?!) but I did enjoy the romance between Opal and Pepper. There was a lot of very good writing related to spectrum disorder issues that I felt elevated this book over average. It’s a fun fast sexy read.

Such a cute read! Mazey Eddings did exceptionally well with this one! It was so fun and had me hooked from the start! Plus the cover is so beautiful

Listen. I’m all for unlikeable characters. I love a morally grey silly little lad bumping around making poor choices full of messy drama. However, I cannot stand *poorly written* unlikeable characters and that’s unfortunately a large driving force for why this book was just okay for me.

The story starts off cute enough: Opal wins the lottery, making the risky decision to leave her life behind to purchase a flower farm to run her art business…unfortunately Pepper, resident of said flower farm, is already living there, and these two sapphics must learn to make peace with their living situation until something can be figured out.

Pepper is easily my favorite of the two characters; she’s practical yet flighty due to her past trauma and as with her past books, Mazey Eddings does an amazing job unpacking the nuances and choices that are twisted within a character well entrenched in neurodivergence and trauma.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the same care was given with Opal’s character. Her character development and choices feel disjointed and stagnant, to the point where the disconnect with her growth is jarring: Opal exists in a duality of being the same character she was in the beginning of the story while also feeling like she made drastically out-of-character choices. There’s also something to be said about how the grumpy x sunshine trope drastically underperforms in this story, but that’s a whole different can of worms.

I’ve enjoyed Mazey Eddings books in the past, and I will likely read other books she writes in the future, but this one was a miss for me.

This book was very cute. Although a little predictable, it was written so well and the characters were so interesting that you hardly realized it. I would recommend this book without a second thought. I cant say enough good things about the writers voice and style.

Late Bloomer is a bright and lovely neurodivergent love story, and Mazey Eddings' layered storytelling continues to showcase the complicated beauty of love. Three and a half stars!

Another amazing 5 star read from Mazey Eddings. She does not disappoint. Something about this one felt extremely real, raw, and relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This was a fun, enemies to lovers story. I liked the characters of Opal and Pepper better than I liked the story. But it was still a good and fun read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of Late Bloomer!

Late Bloomer follows Opal and Pepper and their journey of owning a flower farm in Asheville, NC together.

Opal won the lottery and after working jobs she hated and selflessly giving parts of herself to those who don’t deserve it, she was fed up with life and decided to put the majority of her winnings into a flower farm. Unluckily for Pepper, she already lived at the farm & it’s ownership was left up in the air after her late grandmother’s passing. What could go wrong with these two forced into living in such close proximity?

Late Bloomer handles neurodivergence, specifically autism & ADHD, with care and compassion. Opal and Pepper are dynamic individuals who are no strangers to hardships. I had a great time learning their life stories and reading their journey into love.

Get a copy of Late Bloomer this spring!

A free copy of Late Bloomer was exchanged for my honest review.

This angsty, sapphic romance is adorable. The enemies to lovers/forced proximity/grumpy sunshine relationship is both sweet and comedic. Told in alternating viewpoints between a bisexual artist and an autistic flower farmer, the characters are relatable and sympathetic. The book is vividly descriptive, both in setting and in action (be it the steamy scenes or even a character suffering from a migraine). The only downside was the secondary characters who disappeared at times and the pacing. The sections in the characters thoughts dragged at times. Overall, a fun sapphic rom com with neurodivergent representation. Relatable and swoon-worthy.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of "Late Bloomer" by Mazey Eddings, and I can confidently say that this book is a touching and relatable exploration of self-discovery and personal growth. Eddings has a gift for crafting characters that feel genuine and endearing. The protagonist's journey is both relatable and inspiring, as we witness their struggles, triumphs, and the gradual unfolding of their true self. "Late Bloomer" is a story that reminds us that it's never too late to embark on a path of self-discovery and embrace our authentic selves.

The writing in this novel is beautifully descriptive and evocative, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the world Eddings has created. The emotional depth and vulnerability of the characters are palpable, and you'll find yourself empathizing with their experiences and rooting for their personal growth.

The themes of self-acceptance and self-love are central to the narrative, and they are handled with sensitivity and care. This is a heartwarming reminder that it's okay to take your time in discovering who you truly are and that the journey itself is often just as important as the destination.

One aspect that sets this apart is its exploration of unconventional life choices and the courage it takes to break away from societal expectations. This added layer of depth to the story that I truly appreciated.

I gave this book 4/5 stars because there were moments when the pacing felt a bit slow, and certain plot elements could have been more developed. Additionally, while the characters were relatable, I wished for a bit more complexity in some of the supporting characters to enhance the overall depth of the story.

Overall, this is a heartfelt and though-provoking read that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like they were on a journey of self-discovery. Eddings' storytelling is sincere, and her exploration of personal growth and authenticity is both pognant and inspiring. If you're looking for character-driven novel that celebrates the beauty of embracing one's true self, Late Bloomer is definitely worth picking up. It's a reminder that it's never too late to bloom into the person you were meant to be.

4/5 stars

This was such a cute and fun book. The cover originally drew me in, and lived up to the hype I’ve seen about it!

The ups and downs throughout the book kept me hooked from the start to the very finish.

RATING: 3/5 STARS

The cover of this book is so gorgeous but the story didn't live up fully to the hype, for me personally! It's a gentle, slower read and I just found myself wanting more tension and plot... But the characters are very sweet and the premise is cute as well. I just didn't click with this one but will definitely be reading Mazey Eddings' next book.

This was a very interesting read. Two women, one on the autism spectrum and the other with ADHD and possibly on the spectrum as well, are the main characters. Opal has just won a large sum of money. She wants to buy a house with enough space to have a studio for her art. She finds a great buy - a flower farm called the Thistle and Bloom. She buys it sight unseen from what she thinks is the owner. She moves all her stuff and finds out there is already someone living there, Pepper. Pepper lived there many years with her grandmother. There was never a will, so she continued living there. Opal and Pepper do not get along in the beginning. Pepper has no where to go, so Opal lets her stay. Pepper wants to buy the place from her and says she will make payments. The two spend more time together and both develop feelings for the other. But there are many personality clashes and misread signals, can they truly find love?
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book gets all the points for neurodivergent rep! Both leads have learned from their lived experiences that this can make them too much or not enough for others, but in the end makes them perfect matches for each other.

I laughed, I felt seen, I wished I wasn’t so scared of bugs so I too could live on a flower farm.

If you’re in the market for a sweet, sapphic romance that will brighten your day, Late Bloomer is that girl.

This book was so cute! Opal is a lovable mess and Pepper is a relatable grump. I loved how Opal always chose to support and help Pepper just because it was the right thing to do. And watching Pepper learn how to trust Opal was just so sweet 🥹 These two are so endearing and made for such a cute romance! I absolutely could not get enough of this adorably sweet and dorky duo!

Gorgeous writing, gorgeous characters I came to love immediately. I really wished there was a bit more plot or tension, though. I felt like around the 30% mark it’s all sorted emotionally. They both know the other is a good person, we know the issue of who gets the farm will be resolved when they fall in love (or Pepper finds the will she didn’t really look for that hard), and there’s just their low self-esteems in the way of them being together. I wanted to fall in love with the book, especially given that cover, but I lost some interest halfway through. That could just be me, though. I think people who like low-stakes and books that are focused more on the MCs working on their false beliefs will really love this one.

I thought this book was so sweet. I couldn’t put it down when I started reading it. My only critique is that I had a harder time coming up with a visual picture of Pepper in my head but maybe that was intentional on the writer’s part as her character was definitely more unknown and took more time to develop throughout the story. I enjoyed the fact that this was a neurodivergent love story. I loved the intimacy that developed between Pepper and Opal. I love a good book that makes you feel things. I thought the spice factor was perfect and those scenes were well written. Overall, this is a sweet and spicy wlw love story. I would love to read more of this author’s work in the future!

Pepper and Opal just melt my heart. I loved this sweet romance and seeing how they came together. I am kind of hoping we get to the other to O sisters fall in love in their own books because I loved their characters almost as much as the main ones. The only thing I would’ve enjoyed seeing was maybe a few dates? I feel like pepper and Opal just kind of go straight to the bed and when the feelings come nothing really changed all that much.