Just adorable. I loved all of it. Opal and Pepper are very relatable characters and the story kept me reading.

I swear every single book Mazey writes is my new favorite and honestly, this one brought my heart so much joy.

Lets start with how gorgeous the cover is, then quickly jump into talking about the title and how Mazey included a whole afterwords about how it was originally going to be titled Lavender Haze and then one Miss Taylor Alison Swift screwed any and all SEO for anything titled that (but honestly SUCH A PERFECT TITLE FOR A SAPPHIC ROMANCE) and how this book went through many chaotic renamings until we ended up with perfection that is Late Bloomer…that journey is much like the beautifully chaotic love story that is Late Bloomer.

Opal, one of our leading ladies, is neurodivergent in that she has ADHD and anxiety and impulses that are hard to control. She wins the lottery and after a lot of people pleasing she decided to just BUY A FLOWER FARM OKAY?! What she doesn’t know is that the flower farm is the one place our other leading lady, Pepper, has ever felt at home. She is autistic and this farm is her purpose and her only remaining tie to her late grandma figure. So naturally when Pepper finds out that Opal now owns her home, farm, and honestly everything, she is simply baffled.

Even more baffling is why she would be drawn to someone who is her polar opposite and has accidentally wrecked her life. But attracted is kind of an understatement. Watching these two women fall into a messy yet beautiful sort of love while learning to let someone in and to communicate those BUG FEELINGS was equal parts beautiful and omg-I-just-need-to-wrap-y’all-in-bubble-wrap-and-force-y’all-to-stop-being-dense.

Set in the beautiful mountains surrounding Asheville, NC with glorious flowers oozing off every page, Mazey put so much heart and thought into every aspect of this story. The meanings of the flowers during different moments are so poignant, that truly this book is a work of love and art.

I had the privilege of also listening to this book via audio, and the narrator does an amazing job. I did wish we had a clearer divide between our heroines’ alternating POVs because honestly they sounded too similar, but I was still hooked and enjoyed every moment.

This book was a super sweet and spicy sapphic romance. Both Pepper and Opal were really interestingly crafted characters. The strength of this book lies in all the different types of representation it includes from neurodivergence to migraines. It was really neat to see the author include both a character diagnosed with Autism and someone who finds that neurodivergent fits better as a label where ADHD and/or Autism symptoms are present. I loved that the author didn't just stick to one type of neurodivergence because that can be a very broad group. Opal's people pleasing was painfully relatable and Pepper's trust issues were heartbreaking and I so wanted a happy ending for her. As much as I loved all that the author included in the book I found that I wasn't as convinced by the actual romance as I wanted to be. The attraction I definitely believed and the smut was top tier (clearly I need to be reading more sapphic books!!) However the romance wasn't as successful with me because I found certain aspects of the characters a bit frustrating. Opal was too naïve and Pepper came across as mean when she kept taking out her frustration at the situation out on Opal. Despite some frustration with the characters at times I found the book to be both very soft and sexy in perfect balance and I definitely recommend it to those who are looking for ADHD or Autism rep.
As for the audiobook itself, the narrator did a fantastic job of differentiating between the characters which is can be difficult in books where the main characters have the same gender. They created voices that beautifully fit all the characters and I greatly enjoyed listening to this book on audio vs reading with my eyes.

narration review: I loved the narration of this story! it somehow sounded in this audiobook how it sounded when I read an arc of this story. it was so beautiful & I felt all the emotions hearing it come to life

story review: This is the loveliest, sweetest, most special grumpy/sunshine story I've ever read! Pepper and Opal are two of the most lovable characters I've ever read. I wanted to give both of them the biggest, warmest hugs. Opal especially I wanted to be her best friend. My heart ached for her, probably because I related to it so much, as she tries to connect so deeply with everyone. I loved her story of finding her self-worth, self-acceptance, and strength in her voice to stand up for herself as she navigates her new start at life on the flower farm. And Pepper had to grow up so fast, I love that her friends and Opal give her a chance to rely on others, learning to trust in other people, in love, and in the possibility of finding her own happily ever after with Opal. The way Pepper and Opal fit together like actual soulmates was my favorite part of this story. The complement each other perfectly and I loved seeing them grow so much for the better as they navigate each other in the beginning, start a friendship, and eventual relationship. There is so much love, acceptance, joy and happiness, mingled with the harsh and sucky moments that come with life, that make this story so lovingly realistic and hopeful. This story, like most of Mazey Edding's stories, give me the joyous and giddy hope in real life love, friendship, and happily ever afters in all their glorious forms. One of my absolute favorite stories ever!

Thank you for the alc :)

So I remember reading an ARC of this author’s debut book, A Brush with Love, 3 years ago and liking it. I haven’t kept up with their releases since but this one sounded so good and when I got the audio ALC, I was excited to jump in! The premise and the cover all looked and sounded so good, but sadly this book was just a miss for me.

This is a sapphic, opposites attract, forced proximity romance between Opal and Pepper. Basically Opal wins the lottery but her life doesn’t really get better. Everyone is coming out of the woodwork for a handout now, and since she’s a bleeding heart she just keeps saying yes. So to save herself, and her money, she ends up purchasing a failing flower farm in North Carolina! Her hopes for isolation there don’t go well either when Pepper shows up claiming to own the farm and they soon find themselves both living there.

I just never got invested in the main characters as people on their own, let alone as a couple. The conversations and actions all just felt so cliche and forced. I don’t know, maybe this author just isn’t for me.

I received an audio ALC from the publisher via NetGalley, all thoughts in this review are my own.

A beautiful sapphic romance! I was thrilled to receive this arc and I had a great time reading it! This was so cute & such a great comfort read!
Opal is just an amazing FMC and the representation in this novel was wonderful.

Mazey has knocked it out of the park once again. I absolutely adored this sweet sapphic romance. I LOVED the flower farm setting. I've never really bought fresh flowers for myself (Pat does sometimes but it's rare!), but this book made me want to go right to a farmer's market and pick out some dahlias. And then I got this perfect Booksta picture at one!

Opal and Pepper were SO sweet together. Their personalities were the perfect fit. I love the angst of a forced-proximity roommance, and these two neurodivergent cuties did angst beautifully.

Some suspension of belief is definitely required, because I can't imagine a world where one woman buys a house and when she realizes someone else is still living there, just lets that woman stay. That was a long sentence. Opal has an unbelievably big heart!

I cracked up at the list of possible titles for this book. It was so Mazey and so funny--the perfect way to wrap up this gorgeous book.

Thank you to NetGalley and McMillan audio for allowing me the opportunity to listen to this novel.

This book is posed as an opposites attract trope, however, they are more alike than they are different. Both Pepper and Opal battle their insecurities via inner dialogue while desperately seeking happiness.

This cute sapphic novel is full of warm fuzzies and awkward situations. I identified with Opal’s character being a people pleaser and was excited for her new adventure. If you enjoy a soft romance with a little bit of spice, then Late Bloomer is just the one for you.

This was a cute sapphic neurodivergent romance. There wasn't a whole lot to the plot, and things were a bit convenient at times. Opal and Pepper were slow to trust, which given past trauma was understandable, if a bit frustrating. I wanted more from it, but I enjoyed what we did get. I liked that Opal was an artist and Pepper a flower farmer. The confrontations with the causes of their past trauma were cathartic. All the characters were very quirky and individual which made the whole thing more enjoyable especially considering the amount of plot. I did like their neurodivergence and how they weren't ashamed of it and were upfront about it. That was refreshing.

The audiobook performance was good. It didn't detract from the story and I always knew who was speaking. I found listening enjoyable and the characters felt real and distinct.

*Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Griffin, and Macmillan audio for providing an early copy for review.

Thank you Netgalley, MacMillan audio And Martins Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review. Not sure how but this is my favorite Mazey Eddings book. I loved the Easter eggs of her previous books. I loved the characters the story everything was perfectly written. The steam was some of the best yet. I have pre-ordered it and cannot wait to hug it and tab my favorites.

Highly recommend

3.5/5⭐️ Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings
Late Bloomer is a good, cozy, Sapphic romance. It makes an entertaining palette cleanser. The banter in this book had me in stitches. I really enjoyed so much of the dialogue when Mazey Eddings really let these two women out of their heads long enough to actually talk to eachother. Unfortunately, both women did spend the much more of the book worrying internally about their own neurodivergence and perceived unworthiness. I’m neurodivergent too, but I was begging them to stop harping on it constantly. it was hard to suspend disbelief at times, because this not how the transfer or inheritance of property works.

I read this in audiobook format. The narrator, Ellie Gossage, did an excellent job, and I enjoyed her performance. However, books written in first person, with dual points of view, really require dual narration. It’s very hard to follow along with just one narrator.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own

Overall: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Plotline: 3.5/5
Audiobook: 4/5

Romance: 4/5
Spice Factor: 2.5
Themes: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Enjoyment Factor: 4/5
Review: A lighthearted sapphic romance, this book is that warm and fuzzy feeling you get all wrapped up in book form. Opal and Pepper are polar opposites, playing off each other very well in their banter scenes. There was no actual plotline; the competition took a backseat and was never the sole focus. I loved the character development between Opal and Pepper, as they were such complicated people, and that shone within their love story. The author does a phenomenal job of portraying neurodivergence. The audio narration was exceptionally well done. I was nervous about the story being two women and only one narrator, but she could find different voices for the main characters, making the experience more enjoyable. Now, the spice! PHENOMENAL!

I could not finish this book. I did listen to a little of it but I could not listen to the narrator. It might have been better if I actually read it instead of listening to it.

Story: 4.5 ⭐️
Steam: 4 🔥
Audio: 5 🎧

I loved this. Nothing like a sapphic spring romance.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this book. I found the flower farm to be a sweet and fun place to center a romance story. I loved that Pepper and Opal each had their flaws but were able to support one another. It was very cute. I’d love more sapphic work from Mazey!

Audiobook Performance:
I was a little worried when I saw that there was only one narrator doing this dual first person POV. Usually I would prefer two different people so we could get a feel for each character. However, Ellie Gossage did amazing! She made the two characters distinctly different and I could always tell who was leading each chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of Late Bloomer by Mazey Edding! This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and it did not disappoint. I absolutely adored Pepper and Opal. Individually, they are neurodiverse, delightful and emotionally growing characters - deeply authentic and incredibly endearing. I especially connected with Opal. As a couple their chemistry was amazing, bot emotionally and physically. 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I’m absolutely obsessed with the flower farm setting and the cast of queer characters. I’m dreaming of two more books featuring Opal’s sisters. Mazey Eddings is an auto-read author for me. Five stars!

This book was everything I wanted and more. The cover promised sapphic and flowers and it absolutely did not disappoint! The main characters are extremely relatable, the story has the sweet charm of a hallmark movie, and the spicey scenes are really well done.
Both characters are neuro-divergent; Pepper is diagnosed as Autistic and Opal has either ADHD or autism but no specific diagnosis. Opal has a wonderful and loving family but a tendency to let people walk all over her and take advantage of her good nature. Pepper came from a narcissistic mother who abandoned her when she was a kid, leaving her with a grandmother she had never previously met. Luckily Pepper and her Grandma got along beautifully and she was able to discover a passion for flower farming. Sadly the story picks up shortly after Pepper loses her Grandmother and is still mourning and trying to figure out how to build a life without her only stable parental figure. As Pepper and Opal get to know each other they unpack their respective trauma and start to learn how to become better versions of themselves. As a neurodivergent, gay, traumatized girl that loves flowers I heavily related to both main characters and found them deeply lovable.
The book does get pretty cheesy at times, but I think it balanced out the darker topics. It was a good way of reminding the reader that despite the trauma and all the hardship that can bog us down, there is opportunity for levity if you look for it.
Finally, the spice. If you like sapphic spice there’s the perfect amount of it in here and the sex scenes are very passionate and well done. I felt there were just enough sex scenes to keep me entertained but not too many that it took away from the development of the relationship.
I listened to the audiobook, read by Ellie Gossage, and I thought she did a wonderful job! She was able to keep the voices of Pepper and Opal distinct despite the fact that they don’t have dramatically different accents.

This was such an incredible book! I was so invested in the characters, and I loved the representation. I listened to the audiobook and loved every second! Can’t wait to pick up a physical copy - the cover of this book is gorgeous!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC copy of Late Bloomer! Here is my honest review.

Late Bloomer was such a fun and cozy low stakes romance! It's grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, there's queer and lesbian representation, as well as autism and nuerodivergent representation!

Words genuinely cannot explain how much I LOVED the neurodivergent representation in this book as a queer autistic person myself! I felt myself really relating to Pepper specifically and honestly she may be my favorite character in this entire book!

This book was a little cringey and cheesy at times, but regardless, I ate it up! I'm almost positive that this audio production made me love the book EVEN MORE! I love how truly southern some of the characters accents are, and the Narrator did a great job at bringing this novel to life!

I will say, this book made me realize how much I don't care about flower farms, or flower competitions, or flowers in general. So when anything of the sort came up I was a little bored, but not to the point where it was unbearable.

The romance between Pepper and Opal was so extremely cute! I did at times feel like there wasn't much chemistry between them, and I found their banter to be somewhat awkward, but by the end of the book I was absolutely in love with both of them and their dynamic!

If you're looking for a sapphic, cute and cheesy, cozy romance, Late Bloomer is definitely the book for you! The nuerodivergent rep was probably my favorite aspect of this book by far. Such a nice read!

review: late bloomer by mazey eddings ✨🩷🌷

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"i want our house. our home. next to you is my favorite place in the world, and that’s the only spot i care about holding on to.”" 💬✨🩷

✨ MY THOUGHTS ✨

⚠️ cw: abandonment, emotional abuse, grief, death of a loved one, alcoholism, toxic friendship, ableism, & gaslighting ⚠️

if you love changing your hair color at minor inconveniences, floral sculptures, daydreaming of winning the lottery, taylor swift references, found families, punny jokes, queer romance, neurodivergent representation, lots of laughs, cries, & spice this book might be for you...

alexa play mirrorball by taylor swift 🎶

🌟 RATING: ★★★★★/5
🥵 spice scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (some details but not too explicit)

📆✨ release date: april 16th, 2024

mazey eddings is literally one of my favorite authors!! i love love love all of her books!! so absolutely no one should be surprised i fell completely in love with pepper & opal!! this book was wonderful not criticism!! just phenomenal!! add it to your tbr!! i promise you won't regret it!

If you are looking for an opposite attraction trope that also is sapphic, look no further! Late Bloomer follows Opal and Pepper. One is s risk taker and the other is so brutally honest. The perfect grumpy sunshine trope.

This book is relatable in the aspect that there are people who are still discovering who they are, at any age; and this beautiful story really showcases that. The emotions, the second guessing and super unsure about what the norm is. And to add to the relatability of this story, both characters are neurodivergent, but in different ways.

Thank you to Netgalley, Mazey Eddings, and publisher for the ARC audible copy!