Really cute fun read! I enjoyed this book and the characters a lot. I loved the representation in this book and the banter between characters. This was a new author for me and I loved every second of their book.

Very unexpectedly loved this. When reading romance, the romance itself never really matters much to me. Sure, I want it to feel warm and right and not cringey. But was really pull me into a romance is everything around it. A gorgeous exploration of grief, neurodivergence, and found family really struck gold for me. My only complaint is I found the beginning to be a bit all over the place and it wrapped up very fast. Cannot recommend this more!!

this was a great book just like all the others she writes you get all the mazey eddings vibes in this book too

I want to say thank you for the galley copy of Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings. This book was as cozy as a cup of tea drank in the middle of a wildflower field (see what I did there?). I really enjoyed being able to read this book before it's release. The cover was so pretty that it piqued my curiosity, and the contents of the novel did not disappoint. I couldn't put it down and read it in less than 24 hours.

I loved both Pepper and Opal, and related to both in different ways. Their grumpy/sunshine personalities were hilariously opposite, and the chemistry between the two was palpable through Edding's descriptions. Also, the spice was spicing, which is never a bad thing. I loved the setting of a flower farm, and I love that the running of the farm also played a vital role in the plot, it wasn't just a pretty place for the story to take place.

I would honestly love a sequel, see where the girls are in the future and maybe follow one or both of the sister's POVs.

We all know by now if Mazey Edding writes it, I will NEED to read it! (Plus we are both dentist 🦷 yay!)

Late Bloomer 🌸 is another winner from Mazey; this book was fast paced, a breathe of fresh air but most important a very raw story (she always writes some messy but relatable characters). I love the representation of autism and neurodiversity within the two MCs - it makes it almost impossible not to fall in love with Pepper and Opal.

Opal, a neurodivergent, wins the lottery just in time for a much needed life change. What she doesn’t expect is this life change isn’t what it seems to be from the get go as her world collides with Pepper, who is autistic. Opal is a people pleaser and Pepper would prefer to avoid people, but what “blossoms” and yes pun intended, is more beautiful than anything that can be grown in a garden.

This precious, feminine novel has so much amazing mental health representation and will leave you with all the feels! PS - loved a little Lizzie mention too made my heart flutter

A cute book that I would recommend for people that like romance or queer books!! I would give this book a 4/5 stars I did enjoy the plot and the characters

This was wonderful!! I never see neurodivergent characters in romances and I loved this representation. Opal and Pepper were so sweet. They truly were thrown together in the most insane circumstances and watching their friendship and relationship grow and bloom (ha, get it, like flowers) was such a treat.

Late Bloomer is a sweet opposites-attract love story between two neurodivergent characters with a spark of that Grumpy-Sunshine trope we all know and love. The writing at times felt rushed while the actual momentum of the plot seemed sluggish, particularly in the middle. All in all this is a great easy read, and even though it felt a bit typical at times I thoroughly enjoyed following these characters as they fell in love.

This was a fun read with great neurodivergent and bisexual representation. There were a few things about the plot that stretched the limits of belief, and there were times when I didn't really feel the chemistry that supposedly existed between the two main characters, but overall I'd recommend it to those intrigued by the flower farm setting, the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and/or the idea of a spicy sapphic romance.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to reach a digital ARC in advance of publication.

This is just the CUTEST sapphic romance. With Opal and Pepper's relationship blossoming throughout, we are presented with an opposites attract, slow burn romance novel. I really enjoyed this fun, lighthearted story.

Honestly, I don't have to say about this book. It was a quick and easy read, but it was really mediocre. I love the neurodivergent representation, but this fell a little flat for me. Opal was annoyed me a little bit with her need to people please. I liked Pepper more, but she also felt like she was missing something. I wish the characters were a more complex.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Mazey Eddings has swept me off my feet once again. Late Bloomer is a beautiful sapphic romance. The story follows the sunshiney Opal who is too quick to trust and easily taken advantage of by her “friends” and Pepper who is a neurodivergent flower farmer with a grumpy attitude and traumatic past.

A decision to make some drastic changes to her life leads Opal to Thistle and Bloom which is a flower farm that has been in Pepper’s family for a long time. They are opposites and definitely have a bit of an adversarial relationship to start.

There is so much I love about Opal, Pepper, and their growth as individuals and a couple throughout the story. I would rate this a 2.5 spice 🌶️ so you get a great balance of a meaningful romcom with some steam.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Mazey Eddings is such a talented romance author and I love her stories. While Late Bloomer wasn't my personal favorite, I will read anything this woman writes.

Late Bloomer was a really sweet and heartfelt story about two women finding their way in the world and growing and healing from their pasts. I loved the bones of this story and was totally rooting for Pepper and Opal the entire time.

That being said, I didn't entirely feel the spark between Pepper and Opal, especially in the beginning. There's forced proximity but not much else leading to their first hookup. It just didn't feel believable that these two women with a lot going on in their personal lives, as well as in their own heads, would start a sexual relationship without much bringing them together and the reader feeling very little chemistry between them.

The other thing I struggled with was the fact that it was often hard to tell which POV I was reading. I had to flip back a few times to see if it was Pepper or Opal's chapter because the characters didn't feel incredibly flushed out. I totally recognize that people are fluid and personality traits vary in certain situations but there were times I'd find myself thinking, "that's really not something I'd expect Pepper to say" only to realize that it was Opal's POV. Their voices were just a little too similar at times.

This one is spicy and there's a lot of humor. Some of the jokes felt too millennial-esque and a little cheesy and over the top at times, but I did do quite a bit of chuckling. Also the cover is an absolute stunner!!!

The way this book made my flower loving sapphic heart so happy while also appealing to my neurodivergent brain!!! I read this book in one sitting and I have zero notes. Opal and Pepper are perfect and I love them so much.

Late Bloomer is a sapphic romance that takes place on a FLOWER FARM… how cute already, right?

I really enjoyed this book because of the character development. Neither MC is perfect but what they bring to the story is depth and a desire to support those around them. The chosen family aspect of it, too, was one of my favorite moments. Recommended if you like queer romances, plants and fun friends.

Late Bloomer was a great book for representation of both bisexuality, anxiety, and autism. Also featuring our mains in an enemies-to-lovers sapphic relationship, and many different queer relationships from the secondary characters. The dual POV was a bit hard for me to follow because Opal and Piper's voices were so similar in their anxiety, and because they revolved around each other, keeping track of whose chapter it was ended up being my main annoyance. Other than that, I loved it. The vibe was very cute, and I'd probably suggest it to friends looking for a flowery queer book.

I was honored to have been given Early Access to this title and I'm so excited for everyone to get to read it once it releases on April 16, 2024

i truly enjoyed the story and it was a refreshing take on the grumpy -sunshine Thrope.

Our sunshine character is optimistic and overall, a ball of sunshine with fantasy colored hair., I loved her btw, she seems to have the worse luck as of lately, surrounded by a cheating lying ex and the worse type of "friend".
its not until she is gifted a scratcher as a belayed birthday gift that her luck begins to turn.

she decided to change her life after winning a big price from said scratcher and she does so by buying a flower farm where she will start her shoe business.

we meet our grumpy character, which is on the spectrum, and while she is definitely a grumpy one, i also loved her. she recently lost her grandmother who is the only blood relative she cared for and she is struggling with a business that is on the verge of collapsing.

this was my first sapphic romance and while before i had DNFed other books because of lack of plotline or no chemistry, this one is definitely a page turner.
i did not want to say goodbye to the characters.

they were so cute together but the connection they had sold me. i love it and you should keep an eye out for it, it releases on April 16, 2024
i already pre-order mine so i can add it to my physical bookshelf

I loved Pepper's backstory, her autism, her relationship with her Grandma Lou and her working through the trauma with her mother. Opal winning the lottery and buying a house was a fun premise. This was a sweet story. The flower farm setting was magical and I will definitely recommend it to my romance readers.

This sunshine/grump sapphic romance is my favorite thing I've read in ages. I cannot express what the representation means to me. FLOWER FARM ARE YOU SERIOUS? What a beautiful setting for a beautiful book. The roommate trope is executed to sweet sexy perfection in Late Bloomer. I am going to have a book hangover. Thank you Eddings from the bottom of my heart for this sweet read.

I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE THIS BOOK AND ALL OF ITS BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN SAPPHIC GLORY. This was such a sweet and adorable love story!