Late Bloomer

Mazey Eddings never disappoints me. Honestly, this was breathtaking, refreshing and so raw. I loved every moment about this. The dislike and angst between Pepper and Opal. The hilarious moments and forced roommate situation. Then the blooming of feeling between the two MCs. All of it was such a beautiful thing to watch. The messy bits, the ups and the downs. All of it played out beautifully. The epilogue was truly CHEF'S KISS. Beautiful way to wrap it all up with a bow. Absolutely brilliant! 4.5 stars!

I especially love that Mazey gave us a list of Book Titles that could've happened as well as more in depth info and reasoning for the flowers that were mentioned in the book. Loved these small gestures, they made a huge different!

I received this ARC from NetGalley to read and review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this ebook.

“I’m not sure the exact moment we switched roles, but Opal’s grumpiness makes it feel like sunshine is radiating through my veins.”

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(thank you to NetGalley and PUBLISHER for making this available to read in advance!)

i scarfed this book down in three days — mazey became an auto-buy (or just generally auto-read in this case) author for me the second I put down A BRUSH WITH LOVE. so, i knew LATE BLOOMER was going to be good. but girlypop I was NOT prepared for this!!!

people-pleasing ray of sunshine Opal wins the freaking lottery and on a whim buys a flower farm where she plans to paint shoes, giving her artist self a fresh start. grumpy-raincloud-with-a-secret-heart-of-gold, Pepper, the owner of said [struggling] flower farm, doesn’t realize it’s been sold from right underneath her until Opal shows up on her doorstep. they agree to be roommates (😏😏) until Pepper can eventually raise enough money to buy the farm back from Opal. but things, of course, get complicated because DUN DUN DUN they’re attracted to each other and have no idea how to process the ridiculous situation they’re in

and this book is S P I C Y. holy moly.
“maybe we should huddle together for warmth” is my new favorite subtrope

mazey is, in my opinion, the poster person for neurodivergent representation in fiction. I remember feeling SO seen by Harper and Lizzie when I read her first two books, and if you find yourself represented by characters who are on the autism spectrum, I hope this book holds you and is another firm reminder of the beautiful love you deserve.

grief and complicated family dynamics are also touched on very beautifully in this book. potential TWs if conversations surrounding the loss of a loved one and/or characters that are openly emotional manipulative/abusive are sore spots for you.

but cannot recommend more. this book is a gift.

I am such a fan of Eddings' writing and Late Bloomer is not exception. Mazey Eddings has written a sapphic opposites attract that is charming, sweet and full of swoon.

It has the elements that I love about a good romance book. The opposites attract, dislike to love and the funny moments that led them to become roommates and I love how you can see them slowly fall for each other and come to term with their feelings for each other despite being so different. I absolutely love the sunshine and grumpy trope and it works so well with Opal and Pepper. Another thing that I loved about this book was the neurodiverse representation in this book, specially with autism. I am very happy that we are seeing more neurodivergent main characters in romance and I thought mazey did it in a way that felt honest and respectful that made sense with the character.

This book did make me a bit emotional as it discusses topics like grief and learning how to live with that, comforting each other and how you can find hope and be happy. I thought the epilogue was the perfect ending to their story. It was warm, sweet and comforting. I really loved this book and it's set in a flower farm that I think anyone would love.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for this E-ARC, and want to say that all opinions remain my own.

I adored this book. Opal and Pepper had such a fun dynamic, and I love forced proximity! I was attached to both women from the beginning and loved their interactions. I found it refreshing how the women treated the other's neurodivergence, and the scene with the flower was so sweet.

The banter was top-tier and it really added to the story how slowly Pepper warmed to Opal.

This was a beautiful book about seeing eachother's differences and embracing them. It made me want to run out and buy all the author's other books. I will for sure be looking out for future releases by Mazey.

Mazey Eddings knocks it out of the park again with this beautiful sapphic romance! Late bloomer will hit you in all the feels!

Loved this! I'm a huge Mazey Eddings fan, and this didn't dissapoint. I love the banter, I love the chemistry, and I especially love the neurodivergent representation.

Mazey Eddings' just so very, very talented and does an incredible job giving us rich, full bodied characters and swoony build ups. I love Opal and Pepper so much. I felt like they are much younger than their stated ages but it totally works with the idea/title of "Late Bloomers' and I can easily project forward their story in my mind, how they will truly grow up together. The level of conflict is perfect and even the misunderstandings are understandable with these two. I enjoyed the Asheville setting and the uniqueness that a flower farm brings to the table. I would recommend to any patron who wants something swoony and is down for a sapphic romance (there is some hot scenes in there, which were sublime).
Thanks so much for the ARC!

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings
Release Date: 4/16/24
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Me? Giving Mazey 5 stars? Who is surprised here! Late Bloomer is yet another book of vulnerability and perfection from the Queen of romcoms with neurodivergent representation and this time it’s sapphic!

Whew. These characters are so damn lovable. Pepper Anne (is this a nod to the cartoon bc I truly hope so) and Opal are both absolute messes in the most delightful way. Watching them open up with one another and learn to trust was such a treat.

The chemistry? Amazing. The thought and care Eddings put into not only character development but also all the flowers she chose throughout? Outstanding. And the humor woven throughout a book that is absolutely going to tug on your heart strings is perfectly placed.

And ohhhhh we’ve all had a Laney and a Miles and I loved to hate them. Every character was written so well!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This one is our in April and you’re not going to want to miss it!

Eddings does it again! I’ll read anything she writes. And wow, this cover is stunning!!! Low angst, sapphic romance, set on a flower farm, sold! I loved the characters, the neurodivergent representation, the setting, and the steam! 5/5 stars
A big thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mazey never lets us down! When this book began with our gal winning the lottery, I wasn’t sure I’d like it 🤣 but as usual, there was a beautiful plan and I’m so glad I stuck with it!

Opal and Pepper are each their own particular brand of chaos, and I love them all the more for it. Add in a couple of great side characters, a setting near and dear to my heart (stay weird, Asheville!), and opposites attracting but one of them is an artist? Boom. Solid gold.

Read this if you like feelings, farms, or fools in love. You won’t regret it!

You deserve a life so peaceful it feels deliciously boring. A life filled with flowers and sunny days and people that show you all the time that you're valued and worthy. You deserve it all.
~
Mazey Eddings does it AGAIN in her first LGBTQ+ novel, and I could not love Pepper and Opal more. The premise? Obsessed (though I’m still holding out for that Christmas tree farm, I do agree that these babes are flower girls). The enemies to lovers? Perfection. The mental health rep? On point as always. The love story? Just swoon-worthy. I loved the banter, I loved the mishaps and the tears, I loved the smiles and soft moments, the laughter, the side characters/sisters, and I wanted to absolutely pummel you know who, but that’s exactly what makes Mazey a gem at writing. I have truly never met a book by her I haven’t loved, and I know this one will be a breath of fresh air (and flowers!) for so many of you when you get to pick it up in April. And you will pick it up in April because you definitely want to know these characters and their stories that will make your heart smile.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley for this eARC.
I just adore the sweet spiciness with neurodiverse characters in Mazey Eddings books. While that essential element remains consistent, Eddings' characters and plot continue to be fresh and hilarious. Opal and Pepper are brilliant together and apart- and the reason behind their forced proximity is wonderfully ridiculous.
As someone who lives near Asheville, the build up to an event at the Grove Park Inn is on point... and I really do want them to start a flower sculpture competition. It would be amazing.

I loved so many things about this.

It has big themes of trusting yourself, learning to love others who are different than you, AND an amazing love story.

Eddings provokes so much emotion. Brings the human experience directly to the page. I really appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation AND neurodiversity. Unlike anything else I’ve seen on the book market lately.