obsessed isn't a strong enough word for how I feel about this book. Opal is the definition of pathological people pleaser and her growth is so amazing and beautiful. I'm already itching for a reread just so I can relive her journey again. And the spice GOOD LORD THE SPICE IS SO GOOD OMG. this might be Mazey's best book yet?

absolutely freaking loved this book. It's goofy and doesn't take itself too seriously but in the best way while also having some very real and poignant moments and conversations about love, grief, and sexuality. eddings is def an auto-buy author for me at this point

Late Bloomer is the first of Mazey Edding’s novels to feature queer protagonists. When Opal wins the lottery she decides to make a big move and ends up purchasing a flower farm. Pepper has spent the last few years living on her grandma’s flower farm and expects not much to change following her grandma’s death, until Opal shows up. The two have a lot of tension from the start, but the reason for the tension is not what they expected. The dual POV adds another layer to the novel and makes both characters very realistic and likeable. I’ve always loved Edding’s use of neurodivergent characters and this novel is no different, as Opal & Pepper now have a special place in my heart. Filled with spice, forced proximity, and found family this is definitely a book I would recommend!

First of all, I must say, I absolutely loved the cover. The main reason I wanted to read this one.
And it was indeed a very cute sapphic romance. The characters were unique in their own way and both very likeable.
A little slow burn enemies-to-lovers or opposite attract romance.
Also I enjoyed the writing, for a non English reader, sometimes a little tough, but it made me more focused on the story.
Overall a great read and would absolutely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for leaving a honest review.

Mazey Eddings has become an auto-buy author for me. I love the way she writes neurodivergent characters and the way they feel so real. This book is no exception.

I thought the premise was very fun and quirky while also hitting on some big feelings such as grief and imposter syndrome.

Opal and Pepper both shined on their own as main characters, but really brought out the best in each other when they were together.

My only complaint is that I feel like the ending was a bit rushed. A lot happens in the last 10-15% and seeing as how the book isn't super long to begin with I just felt like maybe a little more could have been added.

Overall, I would highly recommend this one and I really hope that it will become a new series with each of Opal's sisters also getting their HEA.

Aahhhhh can't scream about how good this book was, it was the cheery opposites attract + forced proximity + awkward goofy banter that I needed 😭 I loved their interactions, I loved the new friend group and the overall found family these, I loved the fierce way the two MCs supported and protected each other 😭 also please the epilogue <333333

TWs - kid abandoned by parent, stalker-y friends and ex (they pester an MC after she wins the lottery), death of a grandparent (past, but grief in the present is pretty heavy), anxiety and panic attacks

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
Late Bloomer is what I would call a 'Plate Cleanser' Novel. It's a short and sweet romance featuring two neurodivergent women as main characters and a cast of queer side characters giving it a nice little found family vibe. This book has duel POV and switches between the first person perspectives of both MCs, the novel deals with grief and the aftermath of parental neglect and i believe both subjects were handled with grace. I really enjoyed Pepper's opening up and allowing herself to be taken care of, it was really sweet. The novel has a few spicy scenes but i feel they were well written and definitely added to the plot and closeness of the characters. I really loved this book and i cant wait to get a physical copy when it comes out!

As is probably the case with most three star reviews there were things I liked about this book and things I didn’t. The writing was funny and sharp and at times deeply poignant. I literally found myself re-reading some sentences because they were so beautiful. That being said, I rated this book three stars because I had a hard time connecting with the characters and found myself getting bored about halfway in. In the case of Late Bloomer, I felt the sum wasn’t as good as the parts.

Sometimes with romantic comedies I find that the author can overuse the comedy aspect, often to the detriment of the book as a whole, and I think that’s what happened here. While hilarious and fun to read, I found Opal to be scattered and exhausting to keep up with. Pepper was better, a steadier and more believable presence, but because the book is told through Opal’s perspective it didn’t help the overall story much.

One thing that the author did do well was the romance. I felt the tension and genuine affection build between the two mc’s and the steamy scenes were some of the better ones I’ve read in awhile!

Overall even though this book was a miss for me, I feel like this author has a lot of promise and I would be willing to read her next offering.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and am leaving a review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley & St. Martin's Press, for granting me access to this book!

I love flowersㅡthe hidden messages and the beauty. This book tells a warm, slightly complicated story decorated with lushful flower petals all over the page. Very enjoyable, though at first I frowned at Pepper but the more I read, the more I adore her. Opal is a bright pink light and I love her too!

However, some intimate scenes felt too long for me, that makes me want to flip through the pages and just read their story (that is not related to steamy sesh).

All in all, an enjoyable one!

Late Bloomer was a sweet, emotional sapphic romance. It was pretty much what I've come to expect from a Mazey Eddings book. It had wonderful characters, good humor, and a love story to root for. 

Opal was an artistic, undiagnosed neurodivergent whirlwind. She was so nice and giving that she was easy to take advantage of. Opal had big dreams when she bought the Thistle and Bloom Farms 

Pepper was an autistic flower farmer who has recently lost her Grandma Lou, the person whom she was closest to. She was not expecting Opal to show up when she did. Opal's arrival sends Pepper into a tailspin. 

Opal and Pepper don't get off to the best start. They moved from kind of enemies to friends to more at a believable pace. The way they got to know each other and fall in love was cute. They were both kind of a mess at times, and it was fun to see them support each other. Opal and Pepper were complete opposites who fit perfectly together. Their romance was a lot of fun to read.

This was a great departure from my usual reads and I really enjoyed it! The characters were so lovely and the plot kept me engaged the entire time. I would definitely recommend!

will read everything and anything Mazey writes for the rest of time. This book made my heart so HAPPY. I loved everything about Opal and Pepper and their individual stories and theirs together! The strangers to you own my house but I cannot leave because I have no where else to go to roommates to I’m going to invade every single part of your life because I NEED the connection to we’ll just do it to diffuse the tension to LOVERS.

The flowers. The tension. The grumpiest girl and the sunshiny-est sunshine girl. The neurodivergent rep. The sapphic rep. The grief. The never feelings like you belong anywhere even though you give and give and give and somehow never get anything back. The found family.

I loved both Pepper and Opal DEEPLY. They were the softest softies in the whole world. They both struggled so much with their emotions, in totally different ways and they struggled to communicate. But not in the typical miscommunication trope way! And seeing them figure it out together was done so well!

Opal is a mirrorball girlie to her CORE. I loved watching her help Pepper, because that’s what she loves to do, but be actually appreciated for it. And I loved seeing Pepper actually trust and accept the help from Opal, even though she has never been given a reason to trust anyone ever.

Pepper’s grief was written so well. She talked about it comes and goes and just when she seemingly hasn’t thought about it in while, it just hits. And that is so painfully true. I can’t appreciate it more when it’s written like that.

I love Pepper’s little family and how quickly they took Opal in! And I’m guessing (hoping!!!) Opal’s sisters are getting their own books?? Mazey can’t name them Opal, Olivia, and Ophelia make them all bi artists and not write about all of them???

Thank you so much to Netgalley and SMP for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book. Both characters were really lovely and I enjoyed seeing how much they both grew as people. Their relationship was very cute and I loved that the topic of mental health was in this book.

Late Bloomer
by Mazey Eddings
April 16, 2024

Late Bloomer is an adorable opposites attract with slow burn sapphic romance. (In case you couldn’t tell by the cover)
I thought Pepper was stubborn and headstrong, sometimes too much so for her own good. And Opal was a pushover who has got trampled over so much that she has no confidence in herself whatsoever. I liked the relationship growth between the two characters. I felt it has great representation in it. All in all Late Bloomer was a delightful read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for this e-copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

I loved this book so much I can't believe it. This was my first Sapphic book I've read, and I can't believe what I've been missing this whole time. First of all, the yearning and the pining was amazing, and the characters coping mechanisms and responses to their emotions hit home so hard. The characters were well written, and they felt so real, especially Pepper with her need to fit everything in order or make sense of everything. The grief Pepper feels and processes was so well written I was sobbing. Overall, I started reading thinking I was in for a fluffy romance, but it goes so much deeper than that, and I love it for that reason. 5 stars

i love how heartfelt and sweet this book was. i thoroughly enjoyed it. we need more sapphic romcom's in literature and i stand by that!!!!! i've always been such a fan of mazey's work so i went into this knowing i'd love it. these characters were so beautiful. plus it taking place on a god damn FLOWER FARM. count me in. sapphics + flowers is a major yes thank u very much. i really related to opal and just letting people walk all over you, it's something hard to recover from. overall i loved this book and will recommend it to many

thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review <3

A gorgeous and stunning novel about neurodivergent and queer love. Cannot wait to read more from Mazey Eddings!

An incredibly stunning story of two people with such chaotic chemistry. This book is beyond perfect and I cannot wait for more from Mazey Eddings!

title: Late Bloomer

author: Mazey Eddings

publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

publication date: April 16, 2024

pages: 400

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: talk of drug use, mean parents, death of a grandparent (before the book)

summary: When Opal, who can't stop herself from helping others even when it's to her detriment, wins big on a scratch-off ticket, she decides to get a fresh start by buying, sight unseen, a flower farm she sees on a Facebook Marketplace ad. What could possibly go wrong? She arrives to find the farm's resident Pepper, who knew nothing of the sale and has no other place to go.

tropes:

enemies-to-lovers
mean mom
scam victim
over-giver
one bed
entering a competition
what I liked: these neurodiverse characters both have a hard time expressing what they want/feel, but they learn together in sweet ways. I like the fun friend group.

what I didn’t like: I found the mom too selfish to be believable.

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

The writing at first seemed a little too similar to young-adult novel style writing, but as I got into the story I ended up just absolutely adoring the characters, the setting, and the overall plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will be recommending it to people. I absolutely adored the couple’s energy, tension, and chemistry. Towards the end I not only found myself wanting the story to continue on (in a good way), but also found that my eyes were tearing up a little bit. And the neurodivergent representation in this felt very natural and connected to me personally. I just really loved this story, even if I was a little tough on it at first.