This was sweet and steamy and sapphic and all around wonderful. A cheerful rom com that makes you want to keep reading and reading. Sometimes I felt that the dual POV kind of dampened the romantic tension, but overall it was a great, funny romantic read.

Opal is sweet in that sugar-creates-a-cavity sort of way, but I wasn’t interested in following her story and stopped after chapter 2 (6%). That said, it’s easy to read and easy to follow. Easy three to four stars for the target, five for the right readers.

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

3.5. This is a tough one for me. The characters were handled with such tender care mixed with humor. The flower farm setting was perfect. I actually really enjoyed everything about this, in particular the representation, sibling relationships and found family, but at the same time it didn’t seem quite up to par with what I have come to expect from Mazey Eddings.

This was such a fun book. So cute. I loved crazy Opal and brutally honest Pepper. I love each of their inner monologues/narration. They are definitely opposites attract but that's what makes this story all the better. This was a quick, easy and delightful read. I have only read a couple of sapphic romance novels and this is definitely my favorite. I'll definitely be adding Mazey to my must read authors.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Mazey Eddings for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Pepper and Opal were so cute and I love a good sapphic read and this absolutely hit the spot! I love a good healing story that also involves finding love again and allowing yourself to be open to it. Gonna give some of Mazey's other books a shot!

a gorgeous cover but entirely stilted writing and a weak at best attempt at enemies to lovers. i’m so tired!

I was enamored by this book by the dedication alone which reads, "This One I Wrote for Me". For some reason I knew I was going to be in for a ride. The story was so unique and the characters so charming. Opal & Pepper really come alive on the pages with their quirky, quippy dialogues and tender interactions with each other. I love the relationship between Opal, Ophelia and Olivia and Peppers protective cast of friends. Of all the books I have read this year (and there have been over 100) this one I have the most annotations for. Every other page had me highlighting something that made me laugh or pulled at my heartstrings. Everything about this book is delightful from the way we meet Opal to the unusual circumstances leading to her and Pepper meeting. While there are laughs a plenty, this book does come with warnings for some heavy topics such as grief of a loved one, complicated relationships with alcohol and parental neglect/abandonment. The tough topics make the sweet topics that much sweeter as we watch these characters wade through the murky waters of life while finding themselves and each other. I cannot say enough good things about this story and cannot wait for its release in April of 2024.

Late Bloomer is a sapphic romance that follows Opal and Pepper on their individual journeys toward peace and healing, which ultimately bring them together on a flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina. Mazey Eddings effortlessly blends the messy parts of life (e.g. grief, crappy friends, crappier parents) with moments of tenderness and heart. The chemistry between the two MCs is electric. Opal and Pepper are as flawed as they are charming, which makes the story feel refreshing and real.

Late Bloomer comes out April 16th, 2024. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Late Bloomer" by Mazey Eddings offers readers a refreshing and engaging premise that combines elements of romance, humor, and personal growth. Opal Devlin's life takes an unexpected turn when she wins the lottery, and the story takes off from there.

The book delves into the complex and relatable theme of handling newfound wealth and the challenges that come with it. Opal's decision to buy a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina, to escape the pressures of her newfound fortune, adds an intriguing layer to the narrative. Her desire to let the flowers flourish while pursuing her passion for painting is a unique and appealing twist.

The introduction of Pepper Boden, who claims ownership of Thistle and Bloom Farms, sets the stage for a dynamic and possibly explosive relationship. The clash of personalities and the development of their unlikely co-habitation agreement promise a mix of humor and tension that keeps readers engaged.

"Late Bloomer" seems to be a story of personal growth, self-discovery, and the unpredictable nature of life and love. It offers an intriguing blend of character-driven storytelling and a charming setting, making it a promising read for those who enjoy contemporary romance novels with a touch of humor and a lot of heart.

4.5 stars!

Winning the lottery ruined Opal Devlin's life. After being bombarded by people asking for money, Opal decides to protect herself by any means necessary, including buying a failing flower farm in Asheville, NC. But her plans go awry when the "rightful", owner of Thistle & Bloom, the gorgeous Pepper Smith is waiting on her doorstep and isn’t going anywhere. The two agree to co-habitate but will their head-butting turn into something more and save the farm in the process?

~
Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings is a queer found family (imo), grumpyxsunshine romance that encompasses loss, failed relationships, and learning to love one's self. Deeper themes aside, this was sooo cute, wholesome, and lighthearted!!!!
I will add that buying a flower farm in Asheville is like a total dream. Throw in a coffee shop/bookstore combo and you have my retirement plan set so I knew immediately after reading the synopsis and the tropes that I wanted to get my hands on this as soon as possible and it did not disappoint! As someone that came out later in life and doesn't have much relationship experience, Peppers autistic self was my favorite characters. The way her feelings were explained - and her vulnerability portrayed - was relatable in more ways than one. The other character, especially Pepper’s best friends, listened and validated her and it so refreshing to see a nontoxic friendship between women.
I was super close to both of my grandmothers growing up so i felt pepper’s heartbreak at losing hers. (I’ve tried to expand on this and get a little toooo emotional so I’ll leave it at this: the loss is handled well and it was appreciated.) I also looooved that Pepper gives off "looks like they could kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll"vibes. Opal on the other hand gives off the opposite vibe (so they’re obviously a perfect match from the get go). I really really really wanted to like Opal more than I did but she felt like two entirely different people without the character development to match. I can see how that was intentional to show her character growth(?) but the timeframe for it didn’t entirely feel authentic. But Asheville Opal to the end was lovely and the relationship with Pepper was so wholesome (most of the time👀). I haven’t read many books with one of the mcs as an artist so it was so cool to get that dynamic and perspective.

Overall, I LOVED! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Mini playlist:
Lavender Haze - Taylor Swift (iykyk💜)
She - Dodie
Silk Chiffon - MUNA


Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Story: C
Prose: A
Characters: B
World: A
Theme(s): B-
Enjoyment: B

The Good:
Fun prose. Eddings' writing is DELIGHTFUL to read. It's vibrant and personal, while remaining readable and conversational. It flows quite nicely, and Eddings' practice and experience as an author shows.
Charming main characters. Opal is an impulsive people pleaser. She's bubbly and sweet. Eddings tempers Opal's hasty (and sometimes irritating) decisions with an earnest desire to bring joy to those she cares for. Pepper is closed off and grumpy: the world isn't a kind place to autistic folks to start with, and Pepper's flaky, absent mother has shredded her heart and her trust. Both young women feel genuine and real, and it's heartwarming to watch Opal's kindness in action with Pepper.
Charming supporting cast. Eddings' characterization of the supporting cast is sharp. They're a fun bunch, and Diksha is great opposite Pepper without taking Opal's role.
Great concept. So much goodness pre-baked into the concept. The grumpy x sunshine. Opposites working together. The flower farm setting. Catching feelings for someone you live with but have a complicated situation with. The flower farm again! I'm sorry, it's just so cute and Eddings handles it perfectly!
Stardew Valley vibes. The little farm, the storms, the preparation for a competition? Honestly, BIG Stardew Valley vibes from Late Bloomer, and I love it.
Neurodivergent MCs. Pepper is autistic and Opal is neurodivergent, unspecified, maybe AuDHD.

The Bad:
Important item (& Convenience Plot Points.) There's an important item of Grandma Lou's. Incredibly important. Stupidly, ridiculously important. It's plot-altering, life-altering important, and Pepper CANNOT find it. But then she finds it in the world's most obvious spot, at a stupidly convenient time? It's cheap plotting and makes the characters look stupid.
Some parts feel thrown in. Thematically, part of the title refers to Pepper's struggle with defining her sexuality. But that paragraph feels sort of tossed in there. It's disconnected from her character arc or anything that happens after.
Not much happens in second half. There's a distinct lack of plot in the second half. Things still happen, but what the few things that do happen are heavily padded with internal monologues. It also throws the pacing out of whack.


YMMV:
Opal's spirals. Opal falls into self-pity spirals whenever she screws up–or even so much as THINKS she's screwed up. They're relatable… to a degree. At some point they cross the line from "oof, that sucks, I feel ya" to "your issues are comparatively minor… could you suck it up and gain some perspective, this once, PLEASE?"
Bad communication. There's a lot of poor communication between Pepper and Opal. (Pepper struggles with cues that are obvious to others, and Opal jumps to conclusions she doesn't share outloud.) It makes sense for the characters to make these mistakes, but it's frustrating for readers.
Won't work long-term. Honestly, although Pepper and Opal are a sweet couple, it's hard to imagine them lasting longer than five minutes. (Based on where they are emotionally, etc., at the end.) Their latest miscommunication is solved solely through serendipity, and that's not a reliable long-term tactic. Any ending is soured (for me) by the thought, "And what happens the next time they miscommunicate?"

Final thoughts:
I'm reading a ton of romcoms lately (Sept 2023) that start off adorable and sweep me off my feet for the first 75% and then just… end on a tepid note.
So, Late Bloomer: adorable, funny, exquisite Stardew Valley vibes, but relies too much on luck to resolve problems. And, maybe I'm a Scrooge, but I don't think these two will last.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

You cannot put "two women forced together at a flower farm falling in love" near me and expect me NOT to lose my entire goddamn mind over it, are you KIDDING me? I love, love, loved this so much.

The neurodivergent representation is done so wonderfully, and I found myself relating to Pepper and Opal because of it, which I don't find often in books. That gets a gold star from me.
Both girls had well-written out backstories that came back up occasionally and it didn't feel like they were thrown to the side, which was nice.

I will say that it was sometimes hard to tell who was speaking. The inner monologues of both girls were very similar, and I would have to go back a little bit to figure out who said what a couple of times. It wasn't too bad, though.

Overall, absolutely wonderful read that was just so fun. I can't believe I have to wait until April 2024 to buy a physical copy of this. (ALSO THE COVER!!! GORGEOUS!!!)

✨book review✨
🪻🌸Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings🌸🪻


This book absolutely SHOCKED me in the best way. This is my first book by Mazey Eddings and I will definitely continue to read her books in the future. Let’s start with the amazing visual descriptions in this book. Most of this book is set on a flower farm and Mazey makes you feel like you are in the middle of the blooms

“These flowers are wrapped around my bones. They’re pieces of me…The beautiful pieces at least.”

“Every piece of you is beautiful.”

TEARSSSS.

I am an absolute sucker for a sapphic/queer rom-com with a grumpy/sunshine element and this book absolutely hit the mark for me. I LOVE the neurodivergent aspect to both of the FMC and it just melted my heart. The growth and change the MC’s went on together and the realization of how they are the perfect balance to each other. They were each others light in the dark of the never being able to rely on someone else, they found each other at the most opportune time in their lives. The grand gestures in this book were AMAZING and had me crying. I LOVE Opal with my whole heart and her witty banter and her chaotic inner thoughts melt me to a puddle and made me laugh, I love how she comforts Pepper effortlessly. The amount of times happy tears came out of nowhere while reading this book, I could not begin to count. Please, please add this book to your TBR. You will not be sorry.

But let’s not forget that GREENHOUSE SCENE. 🔥🥵

This book will be released on April 16th 2024.

Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC copy, in return for an honest review.

This is the most beautiful trade romance cover I have ever seen I love women and women kissing and flowers and this type of retro-style art. It is pure, distilled romance.

I was literally SO excited to read this book. Sapphics AND disability AND flowers? Love. Unfortunately (and I feel like I start of my Mazey Eddings reviews like this), it just didn't work for me. The relationship between the two fell really flat for me and it felt like a bunch of stung-together, loosely related bits instead of a strong, cohesive story. I did love the flower symbology though.

Thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley for this ARC.

As always thank you to publishes and Netgalley for a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit I use romance novels for pure escapism, however I can be extremely picky with them. A third act miscommunication and pointless third act breakup can absolutely kill a romance book for me, no matter how good. This novel however was such a breath of fresh air.

Opal and Pepper are forced to make do with each other's presence after Opal purchases a flower farm (in an attempt to change her admittingly depressing life) from a woman, only to find out that the woman's daughter is actually still living there. And is her absolute opposite in so many ways. Instead of “forcing each other out” of the house they agree to become roommates until they can figure something else out and thus, romance and chaos ensues. I loved these girls and their characterization, while at points i felt it was a bit tropie i easily was able to get through it and absolutely loose and enjoy myself. Pepper and Opal are so understanding and compassionate with each other while still accepting and loving each other's differences and god i just love them! This is a beautiful book showcasing love between some lovely neurodivergent sapphics and how to stand up to people who are genuinely just bad for you, I absolutely recommend it.

Late Bloomer is a cute and cosy romance between two women who find themselves unexpectedly on the same flower farm. For me, I enjoyed the read, and I thought Opal and Pepper had a sweet arc to romance, but I was a little underwhelmed by some aspects. First - once their relationship started heating up, Opal and Pepper's personalities started to merge for me, and they felt eerily similar to each other. This was especially disappointing since at the start of the book, I could clearly see them as two very distinct characters. Second - certain aspects of the story felt a little old-fashioned? I can't quite describe it, but it almost seemed like it was a period piece, despite being a contemporary story.

I do always appreciate Mazey Edding's neurodiversity rep, and that is on display here! Three stars for me, but others may enjoy this one more! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Opal had terrible friends, except for her two sisters. However, when her awful breast friends gives Opal a lucky lottery ticket for her birthday, Opal's life changes forever. Suddenly half a million dollars richer, Opal bits a flower farm on a whim so she can have somewhere to make art. When Opal arrives at the farm, sure is shocked to find a beautiful flower farmer, Pepper, still living on the farm. The two have to work out their differences to live together until Pepper has the funds to buy the farm back from Opal, but as they get to know each other, Opal and Pepper can't deny the attraction blossoming between them.

This is a romance with an interesting premise and good representation of neurodivergent characters. Opal and Pepper's inner thoughts do read as similar at times, but they are both lovable.

This title does a great job with neurodivergent representation, and while the premise is a bit unusual, the characters are likeable and easy to root for.

A girly with abandonment issues meets a girly with the world's worst case of people-pleasing and they fall in love. Honestly, the best kind of book for me. I adored Pepper and Opal, they both had such distinct personalities and growth.

Opal aka our people-pleaser just wants to find her place after being treated like third-best so naturally she buys a flower farm to start a small business of painting shoes. Pepper aka our abandonment issue girly, is living on said flower farm and was unaware of this sale so the girls strike a deal which leads to forced proximity, friends with benefits, and relationship growth.

I loved seeing both learn from each other and wanting to be better for themselves. Eddings does a great job with neurodiversity representation for both characters. Not only did she turn stereotypes on their head, she made both girls so realistic and relatable while maintaining their neurodivergence as a part of their personality and not their entire personality.

This one was a little more dense than I would have liked. At times, I found myself skimming some of the internal ramblings from both characters, but I understand from a writing perspective on why they were kept. I also felt the end was a little rushed, we get a feel of a third-act break-up but not an actual third-act break-up.

Overall, a great sapphic love story between two neurodiverse girlies just trying to figure out who they are to themselves and each other.

This book was hard for me to start at and finish at first. The language and phrases used felt almost cringey at the beginning of the book. I am a Gen Z and understand that the language is relatable, but I’m not sure the way it will come off to all ages and future generations.

I also had a hard time rooting for the main character at the beginning, her naivety was a lot to unpack. Halfway through the book I started to like her and found myself finally backing her. I think that it is a very cute love story, but it may belong to YA and younger generations, and not contemporary, fiction, or romance.

YA lgbtqia readers this one you will love so much! I appreciate the opportunity to have read this advanced reader copy.