3.5/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

SYNOPSIS -- Opal is thrilled to quit her minimum wage job after unexpectedly winning the lottery, but she soon finds out that wealth isn't all it's cracked up to be. Opal has always struggled to say, and having a new stack of cash is making the "takers" in her life pop up tenfold. After deciding she needs to protect herself, she decides this includes starting fresh, and buys a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina. There, she plans to work on her art and give herself the chance at independence she's always wanted. Unfortunately, her plans go instantly awry when she shows up to the farm to find Pepper Boden standing strong on her OWN ownership rights of the farm. In an attempt to solve both of their problems, they agree to co-habitat at the farm until they find a better solution. What they don't know, however, is that this farm is growing more chemistry than it is flowers...

Okay, this book was super cute! It started out super strong and hooked me from the very start! While I lost a little bit of interest towards the middle, it picked back up towards the end as character arcs were completed and the characters continued to grow. The spice was really fun and definitely NOT closed door, so don't read if you prefer that. The emotional connection was really nicely woven into the physical throughout the book, making Pepper and Opal's predicament even more interesting. Speaking of, Pepper and Opal were great main characters. Aspects of this felt a little bit forced to me, though... It kind of felt like they were checking off all of the "representation" boxes in a way that felt slightly disingenuous. However, props to Mazey Eddings for her continued efforts at representing all types of people. I would absolutely rather have semi-forced rep than none at all, and others may feel differently from me on this regard!

Overall, this was a cute book with some great spice and unique and fun main characters. I think the plot could have been a little bit more interesting, but I still enjoyed it!

Flowers are always great, and a romance involving flowers? What's not to love? I think the story was really cute, the narrator was great, and the plot was fluent and not rushed and the two MCs were flawed and real.

“You deserve a life so peaceful it feels deliciously boring.”

Mazey’s ability to capture the beauty and struggles of neurodiversity is unfounded.

From the whimsical nature that is Opal to the guarded walls surrounding Pepper, these two shouldn’t work, but thankfully for us—they do!

I honestly loved how at different points in the story, both Opal and Pepper felt lost—as though their entire lives were being uprooted without their permission. But together they were able to find a new normal, make new goals, and come together in a way that strengthened not only each other, but one another’s dreams.

Hearing about the experience Mazey has had since announcing this book has chilled me to my core. I’m grateful she’s writing books that show every day people. People with daily struggles, neurospicy struggles. People who aren’t always the easiest to get along with if we aren’t willing to hear them out or get to know them. I love that she writes about all forms of sexuality as though it’s NORMAL, because it is and deserves to be included in beautiful stories without it having to be nit-picked or highlighted as anything outside of the norm.

If you haven’t picked up a Mazey book yet, do yourself a favor and get them all. She has adult romcoms, new adult romance, and even a young adult story that’s easily one of my favorites. I promise it’s worth it to grab them all.

Also, the narrators did a phenomenal job with LATE BLOOMER. I was sucked into this flower-filled world right alongside Opal and Pepper, and I didn't want to be anywhere else.

Tropes:
- Sapphic romance
- Bi representation
- Forced proximity
- Opposites attract
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Autism representation
- Neurodiverse representation
- Grief + healing
- Found family

I absolutely adore everything Mazey Eddings and this book was no exception - I loved it! Opal and Pepper, opposites attract.. c'mon! LOVE. The narrator did a fabulous job differentiating between the two characters. If you're looking for a small town, enemies to lovers, sapphic, neurospicy, with a heartwarming, unique story..this one is for you!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC!

Ok lots of thoughts here. This is overall a really cute and sweet story! I love that they live/work on a flower farm! It’s such a beautiful visual! I also like the idea behind Opal and Pepper’s romance and how they each get the opportunity to stand up for each other! It was so satisfying!

I have a few complaints though… Opal is kinda the worst 😅 she knows that Pepper is neurodivergent but gets consistently upset when Pepper gets overstimulated or takes a bit to adjust to situations. She’s just so inconsiderate of Pepper. And honestly these two had HORRIBLE communication. They didn’t ever resolve their conflicts, just kinda move past it. Major side eye there.

Opal should honestly be bald for how often she bleaches and dyes her hair (and don’t be fooled by the cover, she looks like that for like 2.6 seconds)

This whole book also reminded me of those house hunters memes “I paint shoes for a living and I own a flower farm and our budget is a gazillion dollars” 🤣 and then we find out that Pepper’s middle name is Ann? Like all the 90s kids are now triggered 💀

One thing I will say tho, is that the author wrote Pepper’s grief SO WELL. The way Pepper remembered her grandma’s smell and how it took time before she could go into her room was so accurate and relatable.

Overall, this was okay. Nothing to rave about, and I didn’t dislike the story itself. The narrator did a great job!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance listener copy!

I really wanted to like this book, all the ingredients were there but in the end it fell a little flat for me. It started very abruptly with little to no set up of Opal's character and situation, I thought I had accidentally started on chapter 2 for a few minutes. From there the character development got a little better and we got some backstory and perspective but I still felt a little like I was reading the second book in a series.

I would read more books from this author but for me this one was pretty forgettable in terms of plot and characters. While I do appreciate that the ADHD and autism rep in this book is jot something that was written for me in particular as I am no autistic, many of the commentary and descriptions of this became repetitive as the book progressed.

Thank you NetGalley + the publisher for this arc! I was initially very excited to read a sweet little sapphic romcom and to be fair, this technically has all of the best elements. We've got forced proximity, sapphic yearning, etc, but something was just...missing? For me. While I absolutely did not hate this book, it was just very much *okay* - for me, at least! Would be willing to try other works by the author, but this one just wasn't my fave.

You’ll fall in love with Opal and Pepper as they come together in the most unconventional way with an equally unconventional love story. Opposites attract is taken to a new level in this beautiful blooming romance.
At each turn and new obstacle, Opal and Pepper are there for each other in unexpected ways. This one stuck with me for weeks after, and still comes to mind whenever I see beautiful florals.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, especially in the audiobook format. This narrator did a great job distinguishing between the characters using her vocal inflection and tone, and added a lot of emotion to the character's voices. The plot itself was interesting and well-thought out, and I enjoyed Pepper and all of the side characters immensely. My biggest issue with the book was probably the main character, Opal, came off as slightly shrill and irritating in the first few chapters. Once the secondary characters and main setting were introduced however, I was totally on board. This is a lovely story about love blossoming in unexpected places!

Late Bloomer is a wlw small town romance that is beautifully written and wholesome. The story follows one of the female main characters who wins the lottery and discovers who her real friends are. She takes a big step for herself and becomes involved in another woman's life. Together, they create something beautiful. This book is a feel-good read that everyone should experience. The way the author portrays the characters and their relationships is heartwarming and uplifting. The small town setting adds to the charm of the story, making it a delightful and enjoyable read. Overall, Late Bloomer is a heartwarming and uplifting story that is beautifully written and will leave you feeling good.

Lush, vibrant, and intense, just like the beautiful flowers on Pepper's farm I was pleasantly surprised and refreshed with how authentic and vivid these characters were! This is a charming, steamy tale of two sapphic women finding unbelievable chemistry and then love in a fun strangers-to-lovers setup. I was extra happy to see fantastic autistic lesbian representation, and in the main characters no less! Autistic women so rarely get to be depicted as desirable or sexy, and we are, it's almost never in a believable character like Pepper. This book became and instant classic for me. I can't wait to read more from this author!

This one was so cute!!! I loved everything about it!! i loved Opal and Pepper so much! I thought they where both such complex characters on their own but worked so well together and I loved how they helped each other heal. We have opal who has never felt like enough and always giving her best to everyone even though they don’t give it back just hoping for acceptance and love from someone. (And hello I sooo related to this one especially as a girl in her early 20s!!!!) I found a lot of similarities between my self and opal! That’s when opal wins big off a scratch ticket and finds her self as the owner of a flower farm. But when she gets there she finds it’s not all what she thought it was, and pepper who grown up on the farm with her grandma Lou was there and she was not happy to see opals arrival. Pepper had her issues such as Autism and parental issues and I really enjoyed her journey and character as well, I really felt for her so many times. I loved the tension between the two too, it was done so well!!! The spicy scenes where definitely spicing to!!! I also loved the setting of this one with the flower farm and I want to move there my self and be their 3rd LOL (jk kinda 😅) I listened to the audiobook for this one and I thought the narration was done really well, it was the same person for both characters but I think she did the different voices well if I missed the first of the chapter of them telling me who it was I had no problem telling them apart! Once again Mazey has nailed it out of the park with her new release!

I very much love the level of attention sapphic romances are getting in recent years and this was a perfectly pleasant and enjoyable read/listen. I don’t think this will be one I think about forever which is how I usually judge my feelings on a book but it’s one I enjoyed as I went through it. The characters and plot and writing style were decent just maybe not as memorable as other books I’ve read.

I love me a good sapphic romance, and Eddings creates a sweet story with her neurodivergent MCs, Opal and Pepper.

Opal finally catches some wind of good luck when she wins the lottery - but that good luck doesn't last long when she impulsively buys a flower farm near Asheville, only to find the previous owner's granddaughter, Pepper, already living there! Similarly down-on-her-luck Pepper agrees to cohabitating until she can repay Opal back and, therefore, buy back her beloved flower farm.

I have a lot of mixed emotions about Opal and Pepper's story: I appreciate, as always, neurodivergent representation, but I really just could not see the romance between these two. It seems like the emotional connection came out of nowhere, despite the clunky back and forth dialogue. Overall, however, this was an easy and light-hearted read (if a little cringy at times) that I would recommend for some great spice!

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

DNF @ 15% - 2.5 stars for great writing, lovely narrator, great plot premise, well rounded FMCs who were unique from one another, my favorite tropes - but just executed in a way I had to reshelve this book

Took another look at the page as I was trying to make sure I was understanding the plot correctly (spoilers I was not getting it) and realized that I had requested a SMP audiobook on accident and I am currently taking a break from this publisher.

**SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT**
Regardless, just from how the plot started to progress and the introduction of one of the FMCs, Opal, I could just tell I am not the target audience of this book. Be it because of age or just huge personality difference, I just could not find it in me to care at all what Opal was going through and found myself increasingly annoyed with her as each moment passed- she seems sweet enough, and I understand her struggles with self esteem and I liked the raw moments. But her co-dependency and being super aware but still self harming was very triggering and jarring to read and I wanted the moments to pass by faster.

I liked Pepper a lot actually, and wanted to keep going but I just could not deal with each of their internal immediate pining instead of dealing with the very serious, very complicated dilemma that they were apart of. Like Pepper was mostly realistic and seemed like a great character. Opal, however, is just not it.

Opal's lack of consideration to Pepper and Pepper's personal life/the life on the farm immediately gave me the ick and I couldn't get passed the selfishness. I felt like Opal went from the extreme doormat people pleaser (that willfully ignores what is in front of her even tho she knows she is being used and wants to be used anyways) to then bulldozing right over Pepper and her feelings and life and past. She went from one extreme to the next and it is not in me to find out if she ever becomes accountable and treats Pepper better or not.

I talk a lot about making sure a book finds the right reader, but I think sometimes I forget how much mood can affect whether a book is for a certain reader, particularly myself. I start off with that statement because Late Bloomer is objectively a really lovely and sweet book that has so many elements I normally love. But it also features a character who buys a flower farm, sight unseen, without consulting a lawyer, a realtor, or even going HERSELF down to the property tax section in Buncombe County to pull the deed herself. And for some reason, I just really couldn't quite move past the absolute recklessness of that. I tried so hard to move past it, I really did, but... Just please don't do that. Like if you're considering buying a piece of property, PLEASE do not do what she did.

Okay, anyway, this book is about Opal, who is a people pleaser to the EXTREME and is walked all over as a result. She wins the lottery (sort of, a scratch off ticket) and then proceeds to buy a flower farm without doing ANY due diligence (my stress level, truly). When she shows up at said flower farm, it turns out Pepper is already living there, and has been, and also Pepper thinks that the farm should be hers. (Also, truly, intestate inheritance is absolutely wild, but there should have been an estate??? And Pepper could have like intervened? Asked the court for assistance?? BEEN INFORMED AT THE VERY LEAST!!!!)

Honestly, I know that I just said that I really tried so hard to put this out of my head, but y'all, I despise property law. Hate it. Trusts and estates? Learned just enough for the bar and then threw it out of my head. The fact that this book had me thinking this hard about how none of this makes sense is distressing. I hate this part of the law. Honestly, I would prefer to think about zero laws while reading a book. (This is why books where characters commit felonies without thinking twice also stress me out. Actions have consequences!! I don't want to think about them!!)

Okay, I'm going to have to be quick here before I get side tracked on another rant. So, anyway, Pepper and Opal share this house and they dance around the fact that they're both attracted to one another, but also, the other person is in the way of them having full ownership of this house. Also, Pepper is grieving her grandmother (which is a thing I love in books) and I really adored some of the things Opal does to sort of be there or support Pepper during this time. I think most people will be able to focus completely on the fact that this book is a really sweet (and steamy) sapphic romance and ignore all of the reasons why this plot is bonkers. Or they won't care that the plot is bonkers. Equally possible.

But also the epilogue?? The likelihood of all this legal stuff working out the way that it does in the book??? I mean. I'm just saying. I find it hard to believe. As far as the audiobook goes, I am still having trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that this is a one narrator book because Pepper and Opal sound COMPLETELY different in their perspectives and that is a sign of a truly fantastic narrator so kudos to Ellie Gossage. That's some serious talent. Anyway, I hope you read this book and love it!

Late Bloomer is a lovely story filled with lovable characters, witty humor, and character growth, all taking place on an enchanting yet rundown flower farm on the outskirts of Asheville, NC. Eddings created a perfectly paced narrative with snippets of humor that balance the deeper themes.

When Opal Devlin won the lottery she was given a chance to reclaim her life and assert her own needs. Buying a flower farm in picturesque Asheville, NC was a statement of independence and self-worth. When she discovers Pepper Boden on the property, she suggests Pepper stay temporarily. Their initial interactions are marked with tension and uncertainty but as time goes by, a mutual understanding and respect blossoms. Together, they navigate the challenges of running a failing flower farm while denying the unmistakable chemistry between them.

I adore Opal’s bright optimism, self-understanding, and her creative abilities. Despite this, deep down she consistently felt that she was not good enough which allowed her self-doubt to creep in. Pepper’s self-awareness rivals that of Opal and the connection that forms between them is a pivotal element to the story. Edding’s did a fantastic job with Opal and Pepper’s growth individually and together. The romance that blossoms will tug at the heartstrings of even the most jaded readers.

Audiobook note: Ellie Gossage’s performance elevates Edding’s brilliant writing to a new level. Gossage captures both the humorous and emotional moments perfectly. I was so consumed by this story that I became grumpy each time I had to press pause. If you’re an audiobook lover, I’d highly recommend giving this one a listen.

Late Bloomer is a well-paced tale with charming characters whose happiness and well-being readers will root for. I enjoyed every moment and look forward to revisiting this tale again and again!

Thanks to @stmartinspress & @macmillan.audio for the gifted review copies.

Late Bloomer is the fifth book I’ve read from Mazey Eddings and it might be my favorite yet. It was just such a lovely read! I binged it in a couple of sittings and fell in love with both Opal and Pepper and with the charming little flower farm where the story was set.

I loved the premise of the story where Opal wins the lottery and is able to quit a dead end minimum wage job and go follow her dream of being an artist. When she first wins, she is bombarded by people who clearly don’t care about her but think she owes them a handout. Uninspired by where she’s living and tired of being verbally abused by her so-called friends, Opal buys Thistle and Bloom Farm in Asheville, NC, and then tells no one where she’s going. Her new home is exactly what she hopes it would be, aside from presence of Pepper Smith, a gorgeous but furious young woman who has been living at the farm and is in disbelief that her family would sell it right out from under her, leaving her homeless. After getting off to an initially rocky start, Opal and Pepper decide to room together.

The chemistry between Opal and Pepper is fantastic. It’s definitely an opposites attract situation, with the two of them butting heads quite often in the beginning, but it’s such a fun ride watching the two of them grow closer. There’s hilarious banter, a bit of angst, and then a healthy dose of steam once the two of them realize just how good they can be together.

The audiobook is narrated by Ellie Gossage, and I thoroughly enjoyed my listening experience.

If you’re looking for a sapphic romance that is sugar and spice and everything nice, be sure to check out Late Bloomer. Available now!

Late Bloomer follows optimistic Opal after she wins the lottery, providing her with the opportunity for a fresh start and to pursue her dreams. When she meets grumpy Pepper, I was hoping for tension and angst, set against a wonderful, cozy backdrop of a flower farm, but I didnt feel like we got as much as we could have. This is my fifth book by Mazey Eddings and I enjoy her ability to create real, dynamic characters. Late Bloomer provides great neurodivergent rep, a flower farm setting but the conflict is low, so it felt cozy and comforting but not that exciting. Overall, this was middle of the road for me comparative with Eddings past books.
Ellie Gossage did a wonderful job with her narration. It was engaging and easy to listen to.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

🌸Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings🌸

Pages: 400 🎧
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Goal 2024: 47/100 🎧

✨What is your favorite flower?✨

“You might want to take a second to adjust your collar, your redneck is showing. “

“I like her so much, it takes everything in me to not jump on her like a koala.”

Stop it right now!! 🤤🥵🤤 Thank you macmillionaudio, netgalley & mazeyeddings for the audio Arc copy of this hot romance. 🥵

This book is the hottest thing I have read in a hot second and it is absolutely adorable. I mean I can’t be the only one who wishes she could own a flower farm right? This book was just over here speaking to my soul! It was witty, sexy and had a cute plot all at once. I breezed through this because there was never a dull moment for me. I need more Opal and Pepper!

This is a sexy, sapphic, opposites attract romance!

Synopsis:

Winning the lottery has ruined Opal Devlin's's life. After quitting her dead-end job where she'd earned minimum wage and even less respect, she's bombarded by people knocking at her door for a handout the second they found out her bank account was overflowing with cash. And Opal can't seem to stop saying yes. With her tender heart thoroughly abused, Opal decides to protect herself by any means necessary, which to her translates to putting almost all her new money to buying a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina to let the flowers live out their plant destiny while she uses the cabin on the property to start her painting business. But her plans for isolation and self-preservation go hopelessly awry when an angry (albeit gorgeous) Pepper Smith is waiting for her at her new farm.
Pepper states she's the rightful owner of Thistle and Bloom Farms, and isn't moving out. The unlikely pair strike up an agreement of co-habitation, and butt-heads at every turn.
Can these opposites both live out their dreams and plant roots? Or will their combustible arguing (and growing attraction) burn the whole place down?

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