Late Bloomer by Mazy Eddings was the best sapphic novel I've listened to in a very long time. The story is fantastic, and the narration is spot on. Do yourself a favor and get this novel when it comes out April 15th. The spoons are really low, or I'd say more. Thank you, @netgalley and @macmillan.audio, for this ALC.

Ugh, I l loved this so much. I love the flower farm! I didn’t love that they would both run when things got hard (one of them has to stay!) and that they were BOTH insecure, but they came together in the end!

Grumpy sunshine sapphic flower farmers! Basically all you need to know about this book.
This book had some nice representation of neurodiversity in an approachable way. Some of the references to it were a bit on the nose, but I think it could be a good intro for some folks. I wish a little more happened in this book overall. I felt like there was just one big event and the build up and then the classic third act break up, but I wish could have had a few more side plots.
Overall, I kinda fluffy low stakes queer romcom read that I would recommend.
I was also not expecting the spice factor of this book but that’s on me for not looking into it more before starting.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Reading this book feels like playing 'Stardew Valley' while listening to Taylor Swift's 'Lover,' which is to say that the vibes were immaculate, and I loved it.

As a queer woman with a weakness for cottagecore, the cover drew me in as soon as I saw it on NetGalley. I fell head over heels for Opal and Pepper almost as soon as they were introduced. Opal is a manic pixie dream girl with dreams of making art full time. Pepper is an autistic flower girlie who wants to ensure that the flower farm survives after her grandmother's passing.

The story that unfolds sees the pair working together to achieve their goals, even if they are in an awkward forced co-habitation situation that quickly turns into mutual sapphic pining. This book? All of the tropes. Love it.

Oh, and did I mention the spice? While Pepper(s) can be sweet, this book definitely brings the heat. (see what I did there?)

Note to my past self: You shouldn't listen to this at work. Just... don't.
A response from current self: You told me that too late; I did it anyway.

This is the first of Eddings' books that I've read, but the writing was so good that I'm going to check out the others a.s.a.p.

Honestly, this book has comfort read potential. Like yes, I did get tired of the constant introspection (although yeah, glass houses), but that didn’t really get in the way of enjoying it for me. Sure, it was full of tropes and cliches, but some of my favorites, so what’s wrong with being a little self indulgent sometimes! Not a read for my younger followers 🤭 but a sapphic nd4nd book that gave what I wanted it to give.

I read this in audiobook format, and I’m not sure how that affected my experience. I think cringy books are even more cringe in audio format, and I never felt like turning this one off, even giggling during my commute sometimes, so I say it’s a success. Some of the accent choices for the side characters were… interesting, but I enjoyed the MCs voices and that enough for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Mazey Eddings for the ARC!

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings is indeed a captivating exploration of self-discovery and personal growth, resonating with authenticity and peppered (hehe) with moments of profound insight and witty writing. However, the narrative occasionally stumbles in its execution and character development.

Eddings displays a commendable understanding of human emotions and the impact of neurodiversity on our relationships, skillfully crafting characters that are relatable and multifaceted. The themes of identity, acceptance, and the passage of time are interwoven seamlessly throughout the narrative, particularly evident in Opal's journey to establish boundaries and Pepper's struggle to open up to others. Eddings' exploration of interpersonal relationships is deeply moving, capturing the complexities of human connection with sensitivity and insight.

Despite these strengths, Late Bloomer does face some pacing issues, particularly in its side plots, which take a backseat until the third act of the book. Certain sections feel overly drawn out, dampening the impact of the narrative's more poignant moments. Additionally, while the characters are largely well-developed, there are instances where their core traits feel inconsistent.

In conclusion, Late Bloomer is an enjoyable novel that offers a heartwarming exploration of self-discovery and love, particularly within the context of queer relationships. While it may stumble in execution and character development at times, its strengths ultimately shine through, making it a worthwhile read for those seeking a heartfelt story of queer love and joy.

This is my first book with LGBTQIA+ representation this year and it did not disappoint.

Book Rating: 4.25 / 5
Spice Rating: 4 / 5

Mazey Eddings did a great job making you fall in love with both of these FMCs. Opal is a firecracker or a person and her need to please everyone is a great contrast to Pepper. A shoe artist who wins the lottery and decides to move out of her town and buy a flower farm just to realize she isn't the only one with ties to that farm now. So good!

Pepper is an autistic flower farmer who is so blunt and innocent that it just makes you swoon when she starts to open up to Opal. I found myself giddy and so happy when these two were having any sort of interaction.

Without spoilers, when these two team up to try and obtain a goal, they are met with many challenges that they need to face with each other and understand each other's quirks and I was living for it!

My biggest wish for this book was the fact that I was left feeling a little rushed at the end to get to that resolution. Otherwise, the writing, the characters, and the spice were all amazing!

This was such a wonderful book. First, I want to live at The Thistle & Bloom. It is such a wonderful place. I loved Opal and Pepper. This was such a lovely book but also spicy and neurodiverse. Delightful.

This story is sweet!

A quirky, Opal, wins the lottery and randomly buys a flower farm to have a fresh start and be inspired to paint shoes! (Yes! Wacky!)

Pepper, the pessimist, has been living on Thistle and Bloom Farms with her grandmother after her mom abandoned her there years before. Pepper should be the rightful owner after her grandmother's recent passing except her con-artist mother sold it out from under her.

Sapphic frenemies to lovers trope: this book has all the things -- neurodivergent characters, family drama and trauma, and loads of steamy romance. Ellie Gossage does a fabulous job narrating the back and forth plot line.

A must read that hits shelves April 16th.

Thank you for the advanced audio copy! I loved this book!

A cute read with a good sex scene or two. Love the flower farm, although the plot around the flower competition felt like an afterthought.

I’m a Mom of an autistic and neurodivergent child so the representation is appreciated. This book
Is cliche, cheesy and adorably everything you want in a grumpy pessimistic versus optimistic ball of sunshine and rainbows. Pepper & Opal are my new favorite stranger to lovers scenario. Also, I’m a Mom of an autistic and neurodivergent child so the representation here is appreciated.

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 & 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤

ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
🌈 𝐿𝒢𝐵𝒯𝒬+
💘 𝐸𝓃𝑒𝓂𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝐿𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈
♾️ 𝒩𝑒𝓊𝓇𝑜𝒹𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈𝒾𝓉𝓎 𝑅𝑒𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃
🌶️ 𝒮𝓅𝒾𝒸𝓎
🌻 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 (𝐎𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫) 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 😭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝, 𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲–𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐦-𝐜𝐨𝐦. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝! 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥) 𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞!

𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐎𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐥𝐢𝐧, 𝐚 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝-𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐥𝐲–𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲? 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦 (𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦), 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝) 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐏𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 & 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 (𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲, 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐧) 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲.

🌷 🌼 🌹 🌺 🌻


𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝑀𝒶𝓏𝑒𝓎 𝐸𝒹𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜 𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

As a bisexual with anxiety that has always been super awkward flirting with women.... this adorable love story grabbed ahold of my heart and squeezed. It was tender and real and spicy. I LOVED IT!

This was very slow paced for me and had the lowest of stakes. While it had enjoyable moments, it didn’t quite pull on my heartstrings like I wanted it to. The narrators were alright though I feel like some of the dialogue was delivered a little strange. Overall pretty average.

Opal and Pepper and flowers, oh my! Did this book make me a little bi??????

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Griffin for early access to the ALC/ARC of this book. These are my honest thoughts!

I truly enjoyed myself while reading this book. I felt like I got to know so many different things about the characters, and I loved the fluidity of this story. There was so much diversity that challenged the typical "southern charm" of "bless your little heart," I could almost die from it.

The two main characters, Opal and Pepper, could NOT be more opposite. Opal is soft and gooey and kind of a pushover. Pepper is hesitant and stiff and kind of mean, tbh. These two do not seem like the perfect pair by any comparison. But where Opal is soft, Pepper is stiff, and that balance in many ways brings them together. I love that these characters together are forced to see outside of themselves and to identify the ways in which their perceived barriers/struggles/flaws are actually blessings.

In addition to these beautiful *and freaking steamy* book, I adored the diversity of the friends and family (and found family) within the pages. SO MUCH REPRESENTATION. I loved it so much and I'm sure there will be readers who will feel seen in fiction. That's my hope for everyone, to read books where they can see themselves in the story.

I absolutely loved the thought behind the flowers, the metaphors and the overall vibe of this book. Doesn't buying a flower farm and living on it with your best friend/lover sound like the dream? It does to this girl! :)

I think this lands somewhere around the 3.75star range for me. The narrator was great. I loved how she played both main character parts. It was sweet in the moment and I definitely enjoyed myself while listening!

i loved this book and the audiobook was no different. im not a huge audiobook person but i truly loved this one. I felt like the characters were so well captured!

This was so darn good!

This was the sapphic read us readers need. Equal parts individual development of characters mixed with that adorable attraction and falling for each other.
It def is the sapphic summer read for everyone to fall in love with!

Mazey Eddings’ Late Bloomer is a charming and engaging romance. Its delightful narrative explores growth and maturation with keen insight, offering readers a sweet, sapphic romance that easily resonates. Eddings’ ability to balance humor and raw emotion is noteworthy; she uses it to deliver a fun book with a bit of substance.

The story follows Opal Devlin, whose life takes a strange turn after winning the lottery. Looking for a fresh start and a place to grow her painting business, she purchases a flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina via Facebook Marketplace. However, her plans are thrown into disarray when she discovers the sale may not have been on the up and up. When Pepper Boden, the supposed rightful owner, enters the picture, Opal’s idyllic notions of farm life are squashed. Forced to coexist on the farm until the ownership can be sorted out, Opal and Pepper do nothing but chafe and irritate one another. Over time, however, the dynamic between the two shifts and an unexpected attraction develops. As this de facto relationship slowly blooms, readers quickly flip through the pages to find out if it will become a floral tribute or a whoops a daisy.

Eddings does a nice job developing Opal and Pepper. They are multifaceted characters with delightful personalities; readers easily form a connection to them. Their “grumpy/sunshine” dynamic is smile worthy, making this slow-burn romance an enchanting read. What’s more, the storytelling is filled to the brim with Eddings’ joyful, animated tone, making Late Bloomer the perfect vacation read.

Final remarks…

Eddings does a nice job with this heartfelt depiction of love and relationships. Told with raw, refreshing tenderness, Late Bloomer is both captivating and engaging. Readers will enjoy this happily-ever-after.

Late Bloomer’s Strengths…

Well-written
Entertaining
Fresh & original
Heartfelt and tender

The audiobook narration…

If you are one that prefers to listen to books, Ellie Gossage delivers a polished, emotive, and nuanced performance in Late Bloomer’s audiobook adaptation. Her narration style and range are quite distinctive, providing her with the ability to give voice to Eddings’ multidimensional, layered characters. Her highly skilled, passionate narration is nothing short of immersive and captivating; she simply makes the storytelling come to life. It is easy to see why she is considered one of the top audiobook narrators in the industry; her performance in Late Bloomer is exemplary.

I only recently discovered Mazey Eddings but she's becoming a must read author for me!

I enjoyed this one, I love a good opposites attract. I definitely connected to both characters for different reasons. Pepper was hard to like at first, but I ended up liking that she came around and often stood up for Opal. Opal is such an innocent spirit - all she wants to do is create and don't I feel that down to my bones. Her need to people please was a bit much at times and I would've loved to see her character grow a little more in the self-love aspect and wish she had stood up for herself earlier on in the story. This book also has a great cast of side characters, I actually hope we get Opal's sisters' side love stories as well!

All in all, I did love the artistic/flower farm aspect to this one. I do wish we had gotten to see them working on the contest piece a bit more/around the flower farm together more. But all in all, still an enjoyable Sapphic romance!

CW: abandonment, emotional abuse, death, grief, toxic friendship, Alcoholism.

I went between the ebook and audiobook at first for this one. The narrator did such a great job though- I thought there were 2! The voices for each character were so distinct. I'm impressed!

A huge thanks to St. Martin's Press, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the early copy and ALC. All opinions are my own.

This may be my favorite book of 2024 so far. It's rare to find an author or book that is able to capture the struggles of neurodivergence in a new relationship. Not only does this book do so perfectly, but it feels like a queer Hallmark movie with a perfect balance of plot, character development, and spice. Opal is a feisty hot mess, Pepper is a quirky curmudgeon with everything to lose. Together, they are a captivating duo with a mission to save their flower farm from financial collapse and discover the love they cannot live without.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️