This was such a cute, spicy, love story. I really enjoyed the setting of a flower farm in North Carolina, and both FMCs were very likeable. The spice was great, as well as the overall plot of the story. I would definitely read more by Mazey Eddings.

Book Review 🌺 🌸-

Over the last year, @mazeyeddings has quickly become an auto-buy author for me. I love that each and every one of her stories is different but every books brings her diverse characters to life and always makes me laugh.

Swipe to see a picture of Mazey and I at @steamylitcon last summer!

Late Bloomer is no exception. Although no one will make me laugh as much Tilly or Lizzy (from her other books) Opal and Pepper brought so much sweetness to this story. I loved the neurodivergent representation and themes of grief and self discovery. While tackling all those bigger topics, the book is still lighthearted and sweet. Definitely one to check out!

Late Bloomer comes out April 16, 2024.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my advanced copies!

I’ve loved all of Mazey Edding’s books and I really enjoyed this one, but it took much longer for me to get fully invested. The narrator was absolutely phenomenal. I loved the voices of all the characters and felt like I knew more about them since I could hear them. Pepper and Opal are two amazing characters and I love them both. Opal’s sisters added common sense to her craziness and humor and support to her down moments. Pepper’s friends are both fierce and fun. The imagery of the book had me seeing the Thistle and Bloom and feeling the comforts of the cozy cabin. The story was slow at the beginning and even cutting out 50 pages would’ve had me invested much quicker. The characters could’ve been a tiny bit more mature in several scenarios, but their quirks were explained well by their backstory. I can only hope to hear more of their story in the future… series on the O. Devlin sisters please! 4.25⭐️, 2.5🌶

This was such sweet & cozy sapphic romance!

Was it a little over the top and cheesy at times? Yes.
Did I love it anyways? Also yes!

Mazey Eddings did an incredible job telling a sweet romance with beautiful neurodiverse representation, all while characters are dealing with toxic relationships and grief. The full cast of characters were great, but I adored Opal & Pepper. We have a grumpy/sunshine, slow-burn, with excellent banter and fabulous spice. It was charming, it was fun, delightful!

I especially loved the author's notes at the end on the book's title journey and the meaning behind all the flowers in the book!

- Review to be posted to Amazon once published!

this book fell a bit flat for me. I felt bad for Opal in the beginning of the story and really felt for her, and then thought the whole buying a flower farm was random. i get how it paves the way for her meeting pepper but there were just a lot of things where i was like these things are happening to move the plot along but dont particularly make sense to me. i also couldnt connect with opal or pepper and so i really raced through this audio to just get it done. didn't enjoy this one

When Opal Devlin unexpectedly wins the lottery, she sees this as her fresh start. People keep coming out of the woodwork to ask about her money, but she decides to invest in herself. She purchases a flower farm in Asheville, NC, sight unseen, and plans to make art there among the flowers.

As it turns out, though, someone is already living on the farm, and that someone is not expecting Opal.

Since moving to Thistle and Bloom Farms as a teenager, the flowers there have become Pepper Boden’s life. In spite of its current financial troubles, Pepper is determined to turn things around for her recently deceased grandma Lou’s farm. When Opal turns up with a deed, it turns Pepper’s world upside down.

Sweet Opal with her “dominant personality trait [of] pleasing others” decides to let Pepper stay on the farm and to help Pepper raise funds to buy Opal out.

So we end up with a forced proximity, opposites-attract, roommates situation with a bit of a grumpy-sunshine vibe thrown in and some delicious chemistry just waiting to be unleashed. It’s a recipe for romantic comedy goodness.

Highlights for me included
- A flower farm in one of my favorite places in the world (Yes, please!)
- How tender Opal and Pepper end up being with each other
- The Autism and ADHD rep
- The portrayal of migraines (I thought to myself, “Mazey Eddings really gets it.”)
- Pepper’s friend group and Opal’s sisters
- The memories of Grandma Lou (She just seems like she was the best.)

It did take me a few chapters to really get into the book, so if you aren’t immediately sucked in, please give it more of a chance.

Ellie Gossage’s narration is fantastic. She truly captures both Opal’s and Pepper’s personalities, and I enjoyed her voices for the supporting characters as well.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

This is the third book I have listened to by Mazey Eddings. I will definitely read or listen to anything she writes. Her stories pull you in from beginning until the end. This is a beautiful story about Opal and Pepper. I loved when Opal finally finds her voice by choosing herself over her friend and Ex. Pepper and Opal were really fun characters and well written. I found this to be a fun and sweet story. I had a great time listening to Ellie Gossage tell the story. She did a really good job and made it easy to follow along with. I would definitely recommend this book as well as her other books.


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

Late Bloomer is a sweet sapphic romance with great neurodiversity representation set in a flower farm!

Opal is going through a rough patch when a large sum of money comes into her life. When she makes the decision about how to spend it, she meets Pepper and while the odds are stacked against them, they’re able to overcome obstacles to really see one another. While some of the obstacles may look easy to navigate, two neurodivergent people may not find them as easy! This was a fairly realistic portrayal of how that might play out. I enjoyed watching them navigate their issues separately but also come together for support when needed!

This audiobook was narrated by Ellie Gossage who did great with both Opal and Pepper! She was very engaging and I felt the strong difference between both characters.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Mazey Eddings, and Macmillan Audio for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait for everyone else to read this on April 16th!

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will post a Tiktok review within the week before it releases.

You'd think that winning the lottery would be a good thing, but its ruined Opal Devlin's life. She quit her dead-end job, but then she was just bombarded by people who wanted a piece of her winnings. To escape, she buys a failing flower farm in North Carolina where she plans to start her painting business. (The flowers can fend for themselves!) But (a very hot) Pepper Boden says she's the rightful owner of the farm, and she's not moving out, so the two strike up a cohabitation agreement.

I'm a huge Mazey Eddings fan, so I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this one! It definitely didn't disappoint! This was such a fun premise, and the execution was done beautifully. The dynamics between these two from beginning to end was a treat to listen to! I loved the farm drama and Opal and Pepper's reactions as the story went on. Tons of fun! I hope Opal's sisters are next in the series!

The audio: I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and generally, as long as the narrator doesn't pull me out of the story, I'm fine with it. Ellie Gossage goes above and beyond, and does a brilliant job with this story. Wonderful voices, great pacing, definitely a narrator I enjoy a lot!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audio copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

I am obsessed with this book!

Opal won the lottery and is ready for a fresh start. She decides to leave behind her cheating ex and her dead-end job by moving to Asheville, North Carolina. She buys a flower farm sight unseen. When Opal arrives at the farm, she is surprised to learn Pepper (the granddaughter of the farm’s deceased owner) is living on the farm with no plans to leave. Opal and Pepper decide to live together while Pepper tries to earn enough money to buy Opal out.

This book took me a little bit to get into, because I had trouble understanding the decisions Opal was making. She is so naïve at times that I felt secondhand stress on her behalf.

Once I finished a few chapters, I was hooked. I love the dynamic between Pepper and Opal. Their friendship and eventual chemistry felt compelling and believable. They are both sweet and want to make each other smile. Pepper is in her late 20s and sleeping with Opal is her first-time having sex. Opal was so sweet, tender, and nonjudgmental. All their sex scenes are super-hot!

The sex scenes didn’t come at the expense of the plot. I teared up during parts because Pepper’s grief over losing her grandmother is written so poignantly. There were also a lot of funny moments too.
I appreciated the book’s neurodivergent rep – Pepper is very open about having autism and Opal suspects she has ADHD but has never been formally diagnosed.

Both Opal and Pepper grow during the book, learning that they are each deserving of love and also how to stand up for themselves and each other. The confrontation scenes (which I’ll avoid mentioning in detail because I don’t want to spoil) were swoony as Opal and Pepper stood up for each other. The confrontation scenes at the end gave me a sense of closure without being cheesy.

Opal is bisexual and so are both of her sisters. I really hope we get future books involving Opal’s sisters’ love stories!!

At the end of the book, the author provides insight into her process of deciding on the book title and the flower symbolism used throughout the book. Hearing her process added a lot to my reading experience.

The narrator did a great job of communicating emotion and personality throughout the book.

Highlights:
- sapphic romance (bi & lesbian main characters)
- learning to stand up for yourself and those you love
- neurodivergent rep (autism and ADHD)
- the perfect mix of sweet and spicy
- great narration by Ellie Gossage

From a suspend-all-beliefs aspect, I enjoyed this. I liked how Pepper and Opal complimented each other and helped each other handle their weaknesses.

However, the entire plot is centered around one thing- Opal buys the flower farm from Pepper's mom after Grandma Lou dies. I work in title insurance. The transfer of property is basically my job. There are so many things wrong with this. I suppose, technically, it could have gone down as written- as long as Opal never recorded the deed. But then she wouldn't have real paperwork to show Pepper. Though I suppose Pepper could also not know how transferring property works. So needless to say, this was in my head the entire time. It definitely impacted my ability to connect with the book.

The audiobook is narrated by Ellie Gossage. While I do not have any complaints about her actual narration, I wish it had dual narrators. The book is told by the POV of both Opal and Pepper. While each chapter does state who's POV it is from, it would have been more discernable with two narrators.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book. I could easily connect with the characters. They felt so relatable, especially Pepper's past. Not everyone had a strong relationship with their mother so it's nice to feel a connection with a character and feel empathy and compassion because you know how they are feeling. Opal is just hard not to love, she is quirky and adorable. I love the Neuro divergency represented by both Opal and Pepper. But, Opal is easiest for me to relate to because I too have ADHD and every time she experienced an episode of imposter syndrome or emotional dis regulation I just felt for her do much. It just made me feel so normal because it didn't feel like the main point of the story. The girls were just self aware of it. I also love, love, love the fact that this story takes place on a flower farm it just add a special whimsy to the story. And oh my gawd the spice. Well done and not over the top. Loved it. Loved the narrator! Loved the tidbits at the end about the flowers and how the book got it's title and it looks appreciated the content warning about lose and abandonment at the beginning. Overall loved this book so much ❤️

#SpeakUpSMP and let your readers, reviewers, and influencers know about the tangible steps you are taking to ensure the safety and equity of your influencer programs. Your silence only serves to deepen the divide and erode the trust between St. Martin's Press and those who have supported your authors and titles.

Spring is in the air and being at a flower farm sounds like a perfect setting for a sapphic romance. Opal wins the lottery and is at crossroads with her life. She decides to buy a flower farm sight unseen where she learns Pepper lives there and it was a farm started by her grandmother. They decided to help each other out and live together on the farm. I loved seeing their friendship/romance develop. There's a lot of funny moments and I love how Eddings writes real characters and how their mental health is important in the story. The story is told in dual POV and I wished the there was 2 narrators instead of 1.

The author's note was such a treat. I loved the ideas of the different titles she came up with.

Thank you @smpromance @macmillan.audio @netgalley for a copy of this.

As always, Ellie Gossage's narration of Mazey's latest release was exceptional. Mazey has a remarkable talent for delving deep into her characters' emotions, and Ellie's narration truly brought them to life. While I typically adore Mazey's work, this story didn't resonate with me as firmly as others.

Opal's life takes a drastic turn when she wins the lottery, although I wish she had won more, given her aspirations. Opal's character, although well-intentioned, often comes across as a pushover, which I found frustrating at times. Despite being scammed, she becomes deeply involved in helping Pepper overcome her struggles, showcasing her kind-hearted nature.

On the other hand, Pepper is portrayed as more guarded and cautious, which feels relatable and authentic. Their evolving relationship and eventual romance added a sweet element to the story, and I appreciated seeing the antagonists face the consequences of their actions.

While the story had moments of charm and romance, it didn't capture my heart like Mazey's previous works. Nevertheless, Ellie Gossage's narration and Mazey's storytelling prowess ensured an enjoyable experience.

3.5 stars! Super cute sapphic rom com with lots of cheesey lines, adorable mishaps, and loads of flower puns. I loved Opal and Pepper together and they were easy to root for and both so very relatable, even though they were so different - opposites really do attract! I loved the neurodivergent representation and how each character had a lot to overcome but it still felt light and was a fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC!

This was so cute! Sure, it was a little cheesy, but that didn’t stop me from grinning throughout. Loved the neurodivergence of it all between the two FMCs and enjoyed both of their character development — a backbone for Opal and love for Pepper. Aren’t their names cute too?

Tropes include forced proximity and grumpy sunshine with spice at 2/5.🌶️🌶️

(Thank you, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Mazey Eddings is a new author to me, and I grabbed the audio version of Late Bloomer because I loved the cover. Such a sweet and interesting story about Opal who buys a farm from FB Marketplace after winning the lottery (WTF?). LOL, how could that not grab your attention?

My heart went out to feisty Pepper, who is the victim of a manipulative mother, and stands up for what she believes is right.

Eddings paints a colorful picture of this small North Carolina town, and I enjoyed the family drama - both with Opal's interesting sisters and the women in Pepper's clan as well.

The audio version of Late Bloomer is beautifully performed by Ellie Gossage.

4⭐️
I really enjoyed this one! It was sweet and endearing and even though it was a bit cheesy, its always nice to see sapphic books with happy endings. The characters were extremely frustrating in a way that made them very realistic and made me actually care about them. The flower symbolism throughout the book was beautifully done and I could feel the love through the pages. I felt the story progressed a bit quickly but it was a short book so that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The premise was fun and I didn’t mind all the pop culture references. I recommend this book when it’s released next month on April 16!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio copy!

I was immediately enamoured with the storyline of winning the lottery and then impulsively buying a flower farm in North Carolina. If only that could happy to me! Mazey Eddings did a great job with developing the characters of Opal and Pepper and I thought their chemistry was really fun from the get go. Some of the plot points seemed a little left behind in favor of developing the relationship without them, but I think some of them could have been catalysts for the changes in their relationship that just sort of seemed to happen (i.e. I wish the competition had been used in the story more and the surpise guests later in the book just seemed so short and unexpected). That being said, I really enjoyed the characters and the sweet moments, plus the spicy scenes did their job too!

Ellie Gossage did an amazing job with the narration. I tend to struggle with audiobooks that have dual POVs, but Ellie was able to use her voice to distinguish so well between the two that you could be fooled into thinking it was actually two people. She did great with the other characters in the book and was really good with the few emotional bits as well.