Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. It was light and fluffy, and I loved the neurodivergent rep in both main characters. The grumpy x sunshine vibes were perfect, and both women were well developed characters. All in all, a very fun and cottage core contemporary sapphic romance.

Mazey Eddings is the queen of writing neurodivergent characters. She never fails. I loved the mental health yep and I feel like these characters rang very true.

What didn’t work as well for me here was the love story. I seemed a bit contrived. Also, the whole book is centered around the flowers but there seemed to be no resolution here.

Ellie Gossage did a fabulous job with the narration and I truly got a sense of who the characters were based on her embodiment of them.

Mazey will continue to be an auto read author for me, this one just fell a bit short.

I loved this audio! The narrator did a fantastic job!

I don't often read a lot of sapphic stories, but I am thrilled that I was able to listen to this one. Opal had me cracking up from the get go, and the banter in the story was fantastic!

If you enjoy forced proximity, complicated family dynamics, grumpy sunshine, and neurodiversity representation then definitely give this one a try!

I didn't know what to expect when I opened up Late Bloomer. Honestly, I didn't even realize what was on the cover. Oops! It was a great surprise being able to figure things out along with the characters. Opal wins the lottery and along with it buys a flower farm in North Carolina. It's been failing, but she now has plenty of money to put into it. When she arrives at the farm, someone else is there saying the farm is theirs. Now, you can see where this is going. Enemies to lovers lesbian romance anyone? It was very well written and a good follow up to Mazey Edding's previous novel. I'm interested to see what she puts out next.

Mini synopsis: after a surprise lottery win, Opal buys a flower farm & inherits a grumpy farmer in Pepper. Can they live together or will one be forced to leave?

Look at that stunning cover 😍😍😍 this was my first Mazey Eddings and I enjoyed my time that I’ll check out another book by this author! It was cute & sweet with a little bit of cringe & classic romance tropes. And I don’t mean in a bad way! The romance was cute between Opal & Pepper and I really liked the setup on the flower farm. The slow build and the friendship were my favorite parts. I’m a sucker for a good cast of side characters & this had multiple groups of side characters that I want more of! Pepper’s friend group seemed so fun & welcoming and Opal’s sisters so sweet! I kinda hope we get some companion books with them! I also enjoyed the little bit of flower competition we got glimpses of! But I kinda wish we spent more time there! Also, there were a couple of parts that didn’t work for me. There’s not much going on plot wise & the relationship felt very surface level are my only negatives here!

I enjoyed that both characters were neurodivergent and they didn't shy away from it. This was a cute sapphic read perfect for spring and summer time.

Adorable romantic story! I liked seeing how the dynamics worked with one of the characters having ADHD & one being Autistic.

Amazing . This story was everything I wanted and I absolutely loved the characters!!
Would recommend to anyone who loves a good romance story!

I'll preface this by saying this was my second audiobook. In some ways, I do think listening to this book was a benefit because the author has beautiful prose. The narrator also did a good job of distinguishing the characters except for one scene. That's my first critique, there were too many characters some of which did not get a lot of play in the book. The scene I'm referencing that was hard to listen to has a character we only see in that chapter and then his boyfriend who comes to a party, never to be mentioned again. I know that would've been brought up in book club if I had read this book for one.

I found Pepper to be a more fully formed protagonist than Opal or maybe I just liked her better. Either way, some parts of Opal's character confused me like how she was so forward with sex, but also insecure and shy. I found myself asking, wow, where did that come from. Opal is described as a giver, always doing for others, I was surprised she continued to give so much as the relationship unfolded. I would've imagined it would help with the character arc to see her receive (and not just in the bedroom).

It was a good book and I was a sucker for all the flower puns. My last critique would be the ending. I did love that the third-act breakup was avoided, but when the chapter ended and I heard "epilogue," I was confused. If I had been reading it, I would've gone back to reread before moving on to the epilogue. It surely did have a big HEA.

Many thanks to @macmillan.audio & @netgalley for the #gifted audiobook

#AudiobookReview 🎧📖
Late Bloomer by Mazey Edding
Story: 4✨ Narration: 5✨

🎶 Book Vibe as a Song Lyric: “If beauty is the only way/to make the nightmares go away/I’ll plant a garden in your brain/and let the roots absorb the pain.” -Lucy Dacus, Trust

✍️ Favorite Quotes:

“I spent most of my life desperately searching for friends and closeness and companionship, always serving as people’s back up plan, a good time in small doses, ready and eager like a puppy to jump at anything I was lucky enough to be included in, then doing everything possible to ensure the people around me had a good time, even if it left me spent and empty.”

“‘I can promise you,’ she says voice soft, like a rose petal, ‘as someone with little to no natural instinct on what is socially acceptable in conversations, nothing feels like an over-share.’”

What I Loved:
🧠: The autism, ADHD, & AuDHD rep; formal and self-diagnosed (both are valid)

🎙️ Stellar narration by @elliegossage

💐The beautiful setting of a North Carolinian flower farm

⛈️/☀️ Grumpy/Sunshine Romance

🔥 Sapphic Steaminess w/ sexy consent

💁🏼‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️Opal and Pepper are such endearing characters

💔 Pepper’s grief is so real and true.

Loved and Hated:
😭 The mistreatment by Pepper’s mom, Opal’s “friend” and her ex hit me so hard. Myself and every autistic person I know has had similar experiences and it’s heartbreaking.

Not My Favorite:
🫂 I wanted more of Pepper’s pal Deitcha and Opal’s sisters and the wonderful support and insight they provided.

🖋️Writing/wording…
At least twice Opal uses whiskey metaphors. As somebody who has also given up drinking and gotten sober for my well-being like Opal did - I don’t romanticize alcohol anymore and it felt very unlikely Opal would still view booze so affectionately.

The word “fisted” (no, not in *that* way…), the author had the women “fisting” each other’s hair, fisting each other’s clothes etc. frequently and it was…not my favorite word choice, I get she meant “she grabbed a fist full of my shirt,” but “fisted” ain’t it.

🧠 Love the Migraine rep, but most of us don’t only have one/season or one/year.

🗣️ Heavy on the miscommunication and “just TALK to each other!” vibe

📕 Overall:
A swoony, authentically neurospicy, queer, v emotional, funny, flower-filled delight: highly recommend.

⚠️TWs/CWs include: grief, loss of grandmother/guardian, unhealthy relationship with alcohol, drug use, parental abandonment, homophobia, outing, alcohol use, graphic sexual content, graphic language/swearing - like, if the seeing/hearing: “cuntasuarus” is gonna bug ya, this might not be your book…, bullying, manipulation, gaslighting, emotional and verbal abuse, and mother/daughter estrangement.

This book was emotional and deep and so real! We love a neurodiverse main character and the fact that this take place on a flower farm is just dreamy! Who doesn't want to quit their day job and open up a flower farm in Asheville? GOALS!

I have so much love for this book I don't know where to begin. A cord was struck deep within me with how relatable both Pepper and Opal were, while keeping the vibes light when dealing with some highly emotional themes. It's a balancing act that the author perfected in my opinion. The complexity of relationships ( parental, platonic and romantic) were all handled so well and realistically with regard to neurodiverse main character. The attention to detail from the author was remarkable and situations felt relatable to an extent I do not offend feel is captured in writing. I'm grateful to have felt such a bond within the pages of this book.

This was such a well written and relatable story! Opal and Pepper are two adorable characters, both too in their own head to admit true feelings for each other. I love the way Opal looks to try and understand Pepper and her needs, all while barely understanding herself. These two characters find themselves while finding each other.

I loved the writing style, the narration was great. The story itself was good, but some of the fighting/misunderstandings were so frustrating and could have been flushed out better. I enjoyed the spicy scenes, Will read this author again!

Mazey Eddings does it again with unbeatable chemistry, characters I want to be my friends, and swoony stories that satisfy!

Flower farm, sapphic romance, neurodiverse, this one had it all. I loved it. As an anxious person myself, I found the protagonist so relatable and the love story was beyond wonderful. I feel like this book has only solidified that I am and will always be waiting for the next Eddings book to fall in love with.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Regarding the audiobook -
So, I didn't know I was requesting a audiobook when I requested for this book on Netgalley. I thought it was like a normal ebook, I usually only do non-fiction audiobooks because I cannot follow a story in audiobook form. That said I really liked the narrator of this book, like I could really hear the different personalities with the voice changes she did with the different characters.

Regarding the story -
This is the story of Opal who just won the lottery and bought a flower farm without even looking at it. When she finally gets to the farm, she founds Pepper who's been living and working in the farm since she was 17 with her late grandmother. The book had a grumpy-sunshine scenario which I usually don't like but I think hearing Pepper's inner monologue and how she processes things as an autistic person made it much more realistic. I really liked Opal's chapters but that just might be I relate to her whole heartedly. In the end, I thought this was a really cute book and would definitely recommend it.

A cozy romance full of emotion and healing - loved it and can't wait to read what Mazey Eddings writes next!

3.75/5 stars rounded up.

This book was nothing groundbreaking, but super cute nonetheless.

I loved the flower farm setting and the neurodivergence representation through both our main characters. The romance was also super wholesome and made me awwww out loud on multiple occasions.

Overall, an adorable read perfect for this time of the year.

🩷On Wednesdays We Post Pink 🩷

@mazeyeddings is one of my autobuy authors. Swipe to see me and my bestie!

She writes the perfect combination of funny banter, spicy romance and neurodivergent rep. Late Bloomer is no exception.

Tender hearted Opal wins the lotto and buys a failing flower farm in North Carolina. When she gets there she finds a grumpy yet gorgeous Pepper who thinks she is the rightful owner of the farm. You see where this is going!

I love how sweet and kind Opal is even though it leads to those closest to her taking advantage. It warm my heart to see how Pepper warmed up to Opal. Grumpy sunshine is my jam. If you’re looking for a sexy, sapphic, opposites-attract romance be sure to check out Late Bloomer!

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the ALC!

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the eARC and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this title in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to me for pre-ordering the book to get a beautiful art inlay (*soon*).

Favorite line: My love for you exists because you exist.

NGL. My heart skipped a beat when I heard that line while listening to the audiobook.

Late Bloomer is a sapphic romance featuring two neurodiverse leads. Opal gets the chance of a lifetime when she wins the lottery. Due to her chaotic nature, it’s no surprise that she impulsively spends it by buying a flower farm in Asheville, NC off of Facebook Marketplace.

When she arrives at the Thistle and Bloom, she is met by a feral flower farmer - who happens to be the recently deceased owner’s pseudo-grandchild, Pepper. And also the perfect grump to Opal’s sunshine.

In an unlikely forced proximity situation, they work together toward a common goal but also end up finding themselves in each other.

Mazey Eddings is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her characters are always charming and endearing, her banter is fresh and funny, and the spicy is always just enough.

This book checked all of the boxes for me, but somehow didn’t capture me the way I would have expected. It took me a really long time to finish reading/listening. The audiobook was well done, which is probably what kept me engaged enough to finish it. The narrator was able to give each character a distinct voice, and I was impressed.

It could also just have been the time of year I read this. I’m end of year teacher dead inside, and maybe I needed something that didn’t feel raw or vulnerable.

TW: parental abandonment, gaslighting by friends and lovers, death of a loved one off page