This was an easy breezy sapphic romance between two women who both think they’re the rightful owner to the flower farm. Opal, the chaotic artist who buys the farm after winning the lottery, and Pepper, the serious woman who thinks she’s inherited the farm from her grandma. They agree to live there together while they work out a solution and you already know how that goes.

It was an easy listen, the tone was pretty light and the characters were endearing, if not a little young feeling. I really enjoyed Pepper’s character, the autism rep was great and I loved her character arc. I also really enjoyed the side characters and what a great support system they were for our FMCs.

There was a lot of focus on the inner monologue instead of a complicated plot or them actually communicating with each other. It felt like they went from hooking up to being in love with not a lot of getting to know each other beyond the sex but if you love character driven stories with lots of exposition about their inner thoughts maybe you’ll love this part of it! I could have personally used more swoons and romance between them.

Overall though I thought it was good and I was entertained by the audio. The audio performance was great, I could easily tell the difference between the FMCs and the side characters. I do recommend it if you’re looking for something sapphic and easy reading!

Late Bloomer is a Sapphic romance set on a flower farm outside of Asheville. Told from the perspectives of Pepper and Opal, I loved how this story incorporates the thoughts of each of the FMCs. Opal is 24 and living in Charlotte at the start of the story. She wins big on a scratch off ticket and decides to buy a house and flower farm outside of Asheville, a place she's always felt far more at home. Pepper is 26 and isn't pleased about Opal's arrival. She's grieving the death of her grandmother who raised her and she struggles with changes to her routine. Pepper is open about her autism and neurodivergence, and I love how Eddings writes about these topics with such care.

This book is both light and fun and contains enough depth to keep it relatable. It was considerably spicy, starting at around half way through. There are nods to the title throughout, but particularly in how Pepper finds herself sexually. Oh and there's a big flower competition. Really, I loved all of this book and it was a delight to listen to as well.

I am not usually much of a romance novel fan, but this one had been on my radar since it was announced, so I was super excited to have an audio ARC! I could hardly wait to download and start listening! And then...I listened.

I NEVER don't finish books that I start, but I seriously considered it several times during this one. I took a day off and pondered what was so off-putting while re-reading the description, and suddenly it came to me - it wasn't really the story that was the problem (more on that shortly) - it was the narration. I appreciate the challenge of differentiating between characters in a dialogue/internal monologue-heavy book like this one. But the choice to seemingly fashion Opal and Pepper's voices after Quin and Tiffany from the TV show Daria with only minor variants on those themes for the supporting characters was not a pleasant thing to listen to for eight hours. Particularly when the text itself frequently contradicts the inflection (or lack thereof) of the narration. But I forced myself to ignore the voices and focus on text only, which dramatically improved the experience. I can't emphasize enough how much I encourage readers to experience this one in a non-audio format.

Narrative stylings aside, the story was a bit all over the place. We'll start with the positives:
- Opal and Pepper are (for this kind of story) fleshed-out characters with personalities, opinions, backgrounds, etc.
- None of the "good" characters excuse/explain away the sociopathic actions of the "bad" characters for the sake of manners or tragic backstories.
-The romantic scenes were written by a grownup who has experience.

However....
-Despite the lottery winning happening very early, the story takes a while to get going - there's a lot of time spent on establishing Opal as a people pleaser that could have been condensed into shorter scenes or combined into a single anecdote.
- The degree to which nobody involved (including Opal's parents and Pepper's friends) ever even raises the possibility of involving law enforcement or at least lawyers in the resolution of the property's ownership - even the coziest cozy mystery acknowledges that criminal fraud is a thing before launching into how a tea party or pet parade can handle it better.
- The above issue is part of the general vibe of not being too bright that permeates the first (at least) half of the book for both Opal and Pepper. The overarching story establishes each of them as being competent and creative in multiple aspects of their lives, but both of their actions in the early parts of the story are described with the Silly Girls Being Dumb tone that is happily becoming less common but has been a hallmark of horror movies, romance novels, etc. for far too long.

So overall, I'd give the story about 3.5 stars and the audio about 1.5, with a rounded-up average of 3 stars. If you enjoy sapphic romance that's got a YA vibe but grown-up descriptions, you'll probably like this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This isn’t the first book that I’ve read by this author and it surely won’t be the last. I think that Late Bloomer is hands-down, my favorite book by this offer so far. This book was incredibly easy to get into and a book. I didn’t expect to love as much as I actually do. Not only is the cover absolutely amazing and probably something I’m gonna be adding to my actual bookshelf, but the story inside the book is so touching and lovely. Pepper and Opal go through so much throughout this book and I love how gentle and kind these two are not only to themselves, but to each other.

The narrator of this book, Ellie Gossage, did such a fantastic job. I don’t believe I’ve listened to any other books that she is narrated. Though I’m not a huge fan of single narrated books when there’s more than one perspective, Ellie did a fantastic job at separating these two characters with their own significant voice. Which was much appreciated by me, especially since I’ve listened to other audiobooks where the author has the same tone and voice inflection for both characters and it is way too confusing. This was absolutely perfect.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love Mazey Eddings so much! This book is such a delight and a true celebration of neurodiversity, sapphic love, and all things tender. Not only are the vibes immaculate, this is the perfect book for those looking for a great sapphic love story, especially during the spring and summer months. What could be more whimsical than two tender souls trying to find love on a flower farm?! The characters were so lovable. Mazey is a master in creating rich characters that are so easy to love as well as stick with you long after you finish the book. Definitely an easy book to recommend with a whole-hearted PLEASE READ THIS!

I loved this! I don't know how someone couldn't love this! The main character is one of my absolute favorite mcs I've read in a long time. She felt so related with how awkward she could be but also how nice she loving. She did everything with all her heart and I loved that about her.
The love interest was also amazing. As someone who has a horrible parent I could relate to her so much. Also as someone who is probably autistic I also really appreciate the representation. She felt very authentic and didn't fall into those usual stereotypes we see with autistic character
Also the chemistry between the two was amazing! It was so clear they were meant for each other if they would just talk! Everything about them was perfect and I adore this book! Do yourself a favor and read this. Even if its just for the end of the book where the author talks about naming the book!

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings was a treat. I enjoyed seeing both Opal and Pepper grow and develop throughout this book. Read this book if you want to read a queer romance, Autism & ADHD rep, a portrayal of migraines, flower farm set in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. I thought the narrator, Ellie Gossage, did an excellent job.

This book started off strong for me but then fell a little flat. I understand we need to have conflicts in books, but I feel like this one had too many. It was a quick and easy listen, but I was hoping for more.

This book sounded like so much fun, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. The story started off very strong, but it ultimately fell short of my expectations. Opal was an entertaining main character at the beginning, but her naivete was often cringeworthy, and I had a hard time connecting with Pepper, although I did feel bad for her situation. The story was a bit slow, and the plot just didn't feel like it was progressing, so I found myself not interested in picking the book back up. I really enjoyed Mazey Eddings's other books, so I was disappointed that this one fell flat for me, but I will definitely still read her future works.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ellie Gossage. She was so good that I actually thought there were two female narrators. It was easy to tell the two main characters apart, and she did a great job voicing a range of side characters. I really enjoyed her narration, and I would definitely recommend this one on audio.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

"I want to stay so long at the Thistle and Bloom that my veins turn to roots in the soil. I want to walk up and down the rows of flowers until I know the paths in the pitch black, my final destination always being your doorstep…”

A chaotic, sunshiney artist, and a surly flower farmer bumble their way into love.

What I liked:
- Opal & Pepper: I adore these two. Their inner monologues are so damn good.
- The flower farm: Can I just pick up and move to a flower farm for the rest of my days?
- Neurodivergent rep: Mazey does this so well in all of her books.
- Pepper’s friends: I love Pepper’s friends so much - their support system is amazing.
- Grief: Mazey’s description of Pepper’s grief was so raw and real.

What didn’t work for me:
- Nothing at all

Beautiful audiobook and narration!
The story, however, while it had a strong start ended up falling quite short for me. I found it hard to like the two main characters and didn’t feel like I cared enough about their progressing relationship to finish the last 1/4 of the novel. Beautiful writing style, just not the title for me.

How could a sapphic romance taking place on a flower farm NOT be the cutest thing ever? With characters that felt real and with real life shit happening to them, their romance felt believable. Also, amazing smut with these two as well!
I have read all of Eddings’ works prior to release and I don’t think I will stop requesting!
4 stars!

Opal and Pepper are Mazey Eddings’ answer to the missing cozy sapphic neurodivergent love story from the romance genre. After winning the lottery, Opal buys a flower farm sight unseen at the spur of a moment. What she doesn’t bargain inheriting with it, is resident farmer Pepper who feels her home has just been stolen out from under her. It’s hate at first sight for neurodivergent Pepper who hates change of any kind and is highly untrusting of the manic pixie dream girl Opal, with the fried white hair who seems to think she can win Pepper over with her bubbly personality. Realizing they might have to work and live together, at least until Pepper can afford to buy Opal out, the two strike up a deal that will leave them sexually satisfied with no-strings attached. This book is hot. Like HOT hot. Eddings’ fans already know she can write a sex scene, and really, isn’t that what we’re here for? This was fresh and fun, even a little emotional, and I enjoyed all of it. Do I think Opal and Pepper will stay together until the end of time? Eh, probably not, but I am here for their ride and appreciate all that Eddings is doing in this book breaking down stereotypes and labels of ADHD and autism.
Ellie Gossage did a fabulous job narrating and I loved her stylization for Opal and Pepper’s voices and Pepper’s mother’s Southern accent. As a new-to-me narrator, I hope to hear her voice more romance because I would definitely listen to her again. Thank you to Macmillan for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

CWs (as noted by the author): Grief after the loss of a loved one, Complicated relationships with alcohol, Parental neglect/abandonment

Super cute and easy read, I love lesbian cottage core vibes with a little smut. It was cringy at times and I think the pop culture references will date it pretty quickly, but overall it was enjoyable to read :). Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

(3.5)

This was a cute, springtime, diverse sapphic romance between Opal, an artist, and Pepper, a flower farmer. Opal unexpectedly wins the lottery and decides to quit her job and buy a piece of property to start her textile painting business. A beautiful farm is put up for sale and Opal sees it as the perfect opportunity to start fresh. What she doesn’t expect is to arrive at the farm, finding out that the woman who sold it was a con-artist and the mother of our other FMC Pepper, who currently resides at the farm.

This was super cute, as all of Mazeys books are! Both of our MC’s are neurodivergent which Mazey always does so well. I am not usually interested in sapphic romance (just not my cup of tea personally) but I always love Mazeys books and knew it would be quick to get through. This was cute but I think where it fell flat with me was the plot. The main plot points weren’t really touched on (other than trying to make money so Pepper could buy back the farm). I was expecting Peppers mom to play a bigger role, and that plot point kind of just fell off. And the plot with Laney and Miles also started in the beginning of the book, we hear nothing about them, and then they show up at the last minute.

The audiobook for this story was so good! I think the narrator fit the roles perfectly, everything was clear and concise.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Mazey Eddings and NetGalley for the early ARC of Late Bloomer, available April 16th!

I always love to see queer representation in books! This was a great and inclusive romance book. It was definitely too spicy 🔥 to include or recommend to any of my students!
I love that it revolved around a flower farm since I love growing flowers in the summer. The idea of buying and moving to a flower farm does sound tempting to me!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to read and review!

This was so cute! As an avid gardener myself, I was excited to pick this up, but I was unprepared for how utterly charming it would be. Opal and Pepper are both so messy, but I loved them and their journeys to love and self actualization! It's my first Mazey Eddings read, but I'll be diving into the backlist pronto!

4 stars!

Mazey Eddings is one of my favorite authors. She has never steered me wrong, and "Late Bloomer" is no different. I loved this lovely story full of autism and ADHD representation, bi/queer/sapphic romance, flowers, kitsch, self-acceptance, and grumpy x sunshine wonderfulness! Eddings treats her characters with such passion, such care, that they feel authentic and lived-in, like friends I know in real life. Opal and Pepper are both messes in their own very specific ways. That is what endears readers to Eddings' characters, in my opinion. They aren't cookie-cutter-perfect people who have their lives together tied up with neat little bows. They are blunt, honest, flailing, unsure, compassionate, misunderstood, solid, beautiful, chaotic messes. Opal and Pepper are total opposites. Opal is sunshine personified, always trying to do things selflessly, to a fault. When she buys Thistle and Bloom Farms, she wants to use it as her fresh start. Pepper, the rightful owner of the farm (or so she thought), has been jaded by life and grief and abandonment and is better off hiding away on the farm out of reach of harm's way. Together, they teach each other how to love, care, be tender, express themselves, be affectionate, and communicate effectively. I might not have been as pulled in by their love story as I have been with some of Mazey's other books, but I still really, really liked this one. Terrific spice, incredible heart, bursting with vibrancy and love! I also loved the audiobook narration by Ellie Gossage. She really brings these characters to life in a vivacious, intricate way.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mazey Eddings, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

3.5. this was cute but the plot kinda lacked. I felt for Opal but she felt a little half baked. I also wish there were more characters. A little flat.

I’m a huge fan of Mazey Eddings - I’ve read all of her new releases right from the very beginning. I love them all equally in their own unique ways (meaning they’re all equally my favourite and you can’t make me pick between them!). late Bloomer is a sweet and soft, slow burn, sapphic romance with neurodivergent characters and is really special in its own way.

I loved how Pepper, an autistic girl left abandoned by her mother with a great aunt she called her grandmother, learned to live and thrive on the flower farm (Thistle and Bloom, in Asheville) she grew to call home. She created a network of friends as a support system. I loved how Opal was wildly impulsive and even with her insanely supportive family, and craftily manipulative friends, when her “best friend “ gave her a scratch-off lotto ticket for her birthday which she won big on, and she decided to buy a flower farm through a FB marketplace advertisement, they supported her new endeavor to leave town and go paint fabrics (and especially her attempt to get away from the manipulative friend and terrible boyfriend).

Right from the moment Opal and Pepper have their prickly meeting you can tell this is going to be an excellent and emotional opposites attract story - and Mazey doesn’t let us down! It’s a thrilling emotional ride through every single page and I love every word and every minute spent with these characters. I completely and totally recommend this book to everybody … whether you have read any sapphic romance before or not, this is such a beautiful, slow burn love story, because both have their neurodivergence to work around that it takes longer than most to get to a place where they realize and give into their feelings.

Audio is narrated by Ellie Gossage, who did a really fantastic job. She voices both characters and while I normally prefer two POVs to be separate narrators, especially when they’re both the same gender (to have better differentiation between them), she’s given enough vocal inflection to make us realize she’s changed between Opal and Pepper - the sign of a great vocal actor. Very well done. You’re definitely going to want to get the audio version of Late Bloomer!

I received an advance read and listen copy from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and Macmillan Audio, and this is my honest feedback.