
Member Reviews

This is a tricky one for me to review. I ended up switching between eyeball reading and audio. I LOVED the audio. The narration made it really easy to follow and I was engaged. The personalities of each character really shined with the narration.
To enjoy this book I think you have to suspend reality a bit. The premise is a little ridiculous (winning 100k and quitting your life to buy a flower farm and sell shoes?) but as long as you keep that surface level of investment the story is fantastic.
Don't think too hard. Enjoy the characters and the ridiculousness of the plot. The spice was really good.
I had some issues with the autism/adhd rep, because it seemed sometimes the characters' neurodivergent traits were really competing with each other to the point where neither character felt truly and fully developed. I know Mazey does a lot of research for this so I imagine this is more relatable to some readers than it was for me.
I loved Pepper. I came around to Opal. There is some third act messiness that I am never a huge fan of but thankfully it resolved quickly. As a whole, there was not a lot of true conflict. Again - great for a lighter read with enough tension to keep it interesting but it won't cause stress to read it. Unless the juvenile nature of Opal starts to grate on you.
Love this author. Easy to read book. Will recommend to readers of sapphic romance.

4.5 stars!
I loved these little neurospicy, sapphic, flower babes so stinkin much!!
As a queer, artistic, gardener myself, I loved so many aspects of this book. The character development was really well done and both Opal and Pepper were so multidimensional.
The dialogue had me laughing at loud so many times, it was so fun to read!
I can’t wait to read more of Mazey’s work!!

I was really excited to read this book after reading, and loving, The Plus One last year.
Let me start by saying that I really appreciated the autism/neurodiversity representation in this story. I loved how different both Pepper and Opal were even though they were both on the spectrum. I feel like this is something that we need to see more often, and I loved that it made the characters feel more real.
I will say that I struggled a little bit with the romance because we do have more of a lust first romance second relationship. I really would have liked more development of the actual romance, because we didn't get to see that as much on page. Once the physical relationship started there were at least 3 big sex scenes that were very involved (for whomever wants to know).
I also thought that the near-ending/third act break up/misunderstanding felt contrived and not as important as it would have needed to be.
I also don't actually know if this is a spoiler, but <spoiler>Pepper is a virgin. I know that this book is called Late Bloomer and I should have guessed. But I didn't. I felt like the reason that she was a virgin was because she was autistic and I wasn't sure I really liked the whole reasoning. I do think that you can be an older virgin with no problem. But something about it rubbed me the wrong way.</spoiler>
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i dnf this book @ 46%, i don’t really understand the main characters and also as a couple as well! i love a good saphic romance but im not sure if i would continue with this author

Just finished reading it last night!! It was sooo good, the characters were so relatable dealing with anxiety, autism, grief, found family, and complicated family relationships! I thoroughly enjoyed it

4/5 stars -- thank you netgalley and the publisher! i thought this was cliche and adorable, however please note that i am a sucker - absolute sucker - for sapphic love stories. i could relate pretty deeply with pepper and her initial disdain towards opal. it very much was relatable in some ways. i can also always appreciate a romance book that touches on sensitive topics like grief, bad parental relationships, and books that don't do the third act break-up and actually have plot and character development.

Lesson learned, Mazey Eddings is not an author for me. I will not be going into a huge amount of detail here, because I think that a large part of my reaction is down to preference, and that's hard to explain (and also makes you sound like a jerk). But I will say that these characters read like fake puppet people to me, moving at the author's whims. The dialogue also felt incredibly cheesy and constructed to me, not true to life or her characterization, which by the way I also felt was a mess. Particularly Opal, who is a self-effacing doormat who is also somehow brash and friendly and outgoing. In my experience, people who have that little self-esteem are not usually troublemakers, they are go-alongers, and Mazey Eddings wasn't a good enough writer to make that contradiction make sense. An extremely beautiful book cover that tricked me into a reading a subpar romance. I am honestly baffled at the positive reviews, and some from people I love and trust! Taste is truly a mystery.
[2.5 stars]

just a soft lil romance u can tune ur brain off too and chill with, I really have been waiting for a cozy sapphic romance w sweet vibes and this tickled my pickle

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book and I very much enjoyed it! Opal is a quirky whirlwind of vibrancy and color and Pepper is a calm breeze but underneath it all stirs a much deeper soul. This book is all about love, loss, fresh starts, finding yourself, and learning to trust and give your heart, as hard as that can be! I loved seeing Opal and Pepper slowly learn each other and grow together in such a magical way and the cast of chosen and actual family brought such laughter and light. While a few bad apples tried to spoil the bunch, love wins and all the giggles, tears, grief, struggles, and confusion were well worth it. I really enjoyed the setting and premise of this one and it was a heartwarming one to boot!

I enjoyed this story of Opal and Pepper and how their relationship unfolds. It's a really sweet story about love and acceptance, set at a wonderful old flower farm. I especially appreciated the autism/neurodiverse rep, and seeing how the women worked with it all to come together. My one quibble is that the story felt a little slow at times, with little tension aside from figuring out how to navigate their differences (and similarities!) That was definitely much to work with, but more outside events/influences might have made it feel a little more engaging for me. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the advance digital copy!

Mazzy Eddings never disappoints. Truly.
In this glorious grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, sapphic romance, we meet Opal and Pepper, who are united under strenuous circumstances to save a beloved flower farm. (Those are a thing?! I love it!)
I adored this. Opal was so easy to relate to and love, and as always, we have beautiful and authentic autism rep in Pepper, who teaches us so much about the brain of an autistic person.
The highlight of this book by far was the beautiful setting- I want to go to this farm so. freakin'. badly.
This was also my first non-YA Mazzy Eddings book and I was um...delighted. 🌶️

This book was full of tropes. First of all, you have opposites attract: Opal and Pepper have very different personalities. On that note, there’s also a hint of grumpy/sunshine: Opal is optimistic, whereas Pepper is naturally suspicious. There’s also forced proximity: Opal and Pepper agree to share the farm while they figure out the ownership situation. Fortunately– or perhaps unfortunately– there is more than one bed in the farm, thus preventing our two protagonists from being subjected to the “only one bed” trope.
Speaking of tropes, I’m sure there’s a more succinct name for it, but I can’t quite remember. Anyway, I absolutely love when characters agree to embark on a casual no-strings-attached romantic entanglement, only to end up catching feelings for each other. I have never felt more like an omniscient ancient god as I do when I see two characters promising that they are going to be able to avoid emotional connections. Oh, you foolish mortals!
The best part about this book is that it is low stakes and there isn’t really a villain. Yes, there are clearly characters who have a history of manipulation, but part of the overall character arcs for both protagonists is the realization that they don’t have to put up with anyone’s nonsense anymore and that they have the emotional strength to advocate for themselves. I don’t want to diminish the very real anguish these antagonists have caused in the past, but the newfound knowledge of not having to tolerate manipulation reduces the antagonists to static archetypes.
I would absolutely recommend this quirky little romance novel full of queer joy and neurodivergent representation. At the risk of sounding cliche, Opal and Pepper both have big hearts and big dreams, and it was so wonderful and refreshing to see them find happiness together. The scorching hot chemistry helped too! This is my first experience reading one of Eddings’ books, but I am looking forward to reading more in the future.
I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced e-arc of this book!
Late Bloomer, in my opinion, had a lot potential with the premise. While I’m not a huge fan of a FMC who’s a complete pushover, Eddings writing style made Opal seem tolerable.
Where this story falls flat is the characters. There doesn’t seem to be much depth to them or their relationship. Opal and Pepper both had points where they seemed to be one way personality wise, but the author switched that up some point later and it didn’t feel like growth, if that makes sense?
It was a cute read despite that, and while the pop culture references will take you out of the story, it was a solid read.

I'm so glad Late Bloomer exists. Do I think the plot was anything new or groundbreaking? No. And that's the point. Thousands and thousands of easy romance stories exist with straight leads. Thousands and thousands of easy romance stories exists with neurotypical leads. Queer people and neurodivergent people deserve easy romance stories as well.
In 2022, when the movie Bros came out, I remember there being discourse around how relationships between gay people look different than straight relationships and how it is important to portray that within a classic romcom structure. That is what this book does.
The characters were likable and distinct. The portrayal of their various diagnoses was done well.

Late Bloomer is deliberate, quirky, and steamy new adult romance.
Recently down-on-her-luck Opal finds herself with a lump sum of lottery winnings and a desire to leave town.
Pepper runs and operates a flower farm and finds herself alone after her grandmother passes away.
Enters Peppers Mother, Trish. She has a penchant for swindling and a deed for a certain flower farm, unexpectedly throwing Pepper and Opal together.
Pepper and Opal are opposites from the start in this slow-burn romance. Opal has ADHD, two sisters, and is the epitome of a bi-disaster. Pepper has autism, is an only child raised primarily by her grandmother, and has never been in a relationship.
The pair bond over their trauma and work together to keep the farm up and running in this sweet and wild sapphic romance.
This book is great for those who love steam, new adult novels, and opposites attract.

in this book, we get so many amazing things like a bisexual MC, neurodivergent MC, and sapphic romance! but unfortunately, this story just didn't hit home for me. there were a lot of moments that I found myself really enjoying the MCs and their stories but then we wouldn't get more to what it was that I had been enjoying. I kept waiting for something more to happen with the two MCs and it seems that most of the exciting aspects had been kept to the background. i also felt a disconnect between the MCs in their relationship, which could be my own disconnect from the story itself and its characters. overall, this was a very fun and light sapphic romance to pick up and I'll be looking forward to what else Mazey Eddings releases in the future!

Wow, I don't know if I've ever related to a character so much as Opal. And I loved the setting of the flower farm so much. It honestly made me want to make the short drive to Asheville to find a flower farm for myself. I do wish their was a little more slow burn to their relationship but I still loved Opal and Pepper.

**Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy**
I loved every minute of this book. Thank you, Mazey, for sharing your gift with us. Please keep 'em comin'!

This book did not do it for me. I’ve loved her other books, but this just really lacked for me. I had a hard time getting invested. I didn’t understand why miles and Laney were there at all or why they had a relationship. I almost DNF.

What an adorable book, but I could have done without the sex scenes. They felt like they came out of nowhere and would have been better if there was a little build up before they started that part of their relationship. I loved that it was set at a flower farm, I can honestly say I don't think I've ever read a book set there before.