What an amazing story of thinking you know yourself only to find yourself. As someone going through a similar journey, the exploration of self is amazing from both leading characters. A budding love story that warmed my heart!

Opal (24) is a sweet little fool, and her decision-making abilities (or distinct lack thereof) made me want to hurl my kindle across the room. She buys a flower farm unseen from a stranger on Facebook, and finds her new home already occupied.

Pepper is a skeptical untrusting flower farmer that finds herself in a precarious situation after her great aunt dies. The flower farm she thought she’d inherit was sold by her mother, a human trash bag, and now she’s stuck living with Opal while she figures out how to buy her home back.

There is a lot of crying and hugging. Despite the tension between Opal and Pepper at the start, not very much actually happens.

3.5⭐️

i have not much more to say than if you fell in love with dani and jamie in the haunting of bly
manor, you will absolutely LOVE opal and pepper (plus no tragedy!)

this was such a refreshing and heartfelt romcom that was filled with the best kind of cheesy, awkward, and adorable moments you would expect. also the cover is just so gorgeous i need to go and buy the physical copy for my own bookshelf.

All hail Mazey Eddings, champion of romance. This book was gorgeous, start to finish. I'm always looking for a great Sapphic romance for my shelves, and this one hit so many marks. I loved the flower farm, I loved the characters, the plot was stunning. Eddings is solidified as an insta-buy and insta-recommend author in my books.

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

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I'm so disappointed. The neurodivergent representation was honest and real, but I kept getting confused because both characters blended in with eachother. The story started off strong, the setting at the flower farm (and the cover!) simply divine, but it progressed at such a disjointed pace that I lost interest and it was a struggle to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yall, this book. THIS BOOK. It was such a great sapphic love story. Mazey Eddings has such a way with words and normalizing what feels so abnormal. I mean, a girl winning the lottery then buying a flower farm? TBH, that feels like something I would do, which almost made this book more fun. This book was cringey and cheesy and full of pouch out loud moments. I loved every single page. Mazey is truly a master with words. I love Opal and Pepper and their weird reluctant friends to lovers and their AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES energy (not really, but….ya know). I knew I would love this book because I love Mazey, but I thoroughly did not expect to LOVE this book as much as I did.

Found difficult to get hooked, slow read. I liked the characters, but I found the romance a little bit bland. I expected a little bit surprised, at least, and did not find any. It was a cute story, but nothing that was memorable.

I have tried a few times to push myself through Late Bloomer but unfortunately it isn't the book for me. I DNF @ 30%.

The authors writing in and of itself was decent. Some of the lines I found were pretty impactful such as, "I deferred my dreams, months ticking by, until those dreams faded and complacency disguised itself as comfort." It's raw and relatable allowing a chance for the reader to connect with Opal.

However, as the story progressed I felt like those moments were few and farther in between. The character development was sluggish and felt like it was developing into more of stereotypes than individuals. It might just be me but I also found both Opal and Peppers behaviour to be rather childish for their ages. I also wasn't invested in the romance that was forming between them because it felt pretty force and I couldn't buy into the progression that it was taking.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Late Bloomer is a sapphic, neurodivergent romance that was an absolute joy to read. The representation of neurodivergence in the novel is authentic and done with care. Pepper stims with no remorse and is never presented as a burden or unworthy of love due to her autism. Opal is fun and vibrant, and reading about her coming into her own felt vindicating, and you cannot help but root for her success. The romance between Pepper and Opal is filled with sweet tension; Their interactions had me kicking my feet and giggling every time I opened the book. I would happily recommend this novel to anyone who wants a truthful and kind romance about people not always represented in romantic comedies.

This was the sapphic cottage-core romance of my dreams! Opal wins the lottery and in an effort to distance herself from her mooch-y fake friends, she literally escapes by buying the Thistle and Bloom. Enter Pepper, grumpy flower farmer and actual(?) owner, and the two of them quickly come to the agreement that they'll live together as roommates while they sort out the situation and enter a flower sculpture competition for the prize money.

I loved the idea of both Opal and Pepper finding refuge in the Thistle and Bloom at different points in their life. Both have been hurt in the past and the farm is their safe space as well as the source of inspiration for their art (the way the author describes growing flowers absolutely sounds like an art form; not to mention Opal's shoe-painting business), which is why it's all the more important that they save it from bankruptcy. However, things get further complicated when they begin a no-strings, no-feelings sexual relationship when obviously, there are some very real feelings growing between them.

I really like the way Mazey Eddings wrote both Opal and Pepper's characters; they come across as somewhat messy zillennials (complete with doctoring their own hair to fit their mood)— and they are! Opal and Pepper are 24 and 26 respectively. I saw some reviews call them immature but as someone around their age, I completely sympathize with the way they're both just trying to get by financially while navigating a new relationship. Like, there is a third act break-up that some might see as an overreaction, but I think it fits the pattern of their prior relationships, and the way they react makes sense. What I could have done with less of is the amount of zillenial pop culture references— from 3 different Taylor Swift references to Phoebe Bridgers and Timothee Chalamet. I feel like constant pop culture references tend to date a book.

This book has queer rep and neurodivergent rep; Opal is bisexual and Pepper identifies as queer, and both women are on the spectrum. I appreciate how Mazey Eddings also wrote in multiple queer side characters, as well as how she portrayed neurodiversity— everything from Opal's autism and ADHD causing her use alcohol as an unhealthy coping mechanism to Pepper's sensory sensitivities that cause her to dislike large crowds.

The sex:

I was pleasantly surprised by the sex scenes in this book! They're pretty damn hot and varied, super emotional as time goes on, and I loved the dynamic— Opal is the more assertive one in bed, which leads to some solid dirty talk on her part (it's also in contrast to how she is out of bed because she tends to waffle over a lot of decision making), while Pepper is a little more rough and uncertain but she also has this stern edge. And of course there's greenhouse sex because what even is the point otherwise.

Overall:

I had so much fun reading this book— it had so many laugh-out-loud moments while at the same time Opal and Pepper were such intensely sympathetic characters, perhaps even more so because they were not above messing up (also can we talk about the epilogue?? what Opal did for Pepper is literally the most romantic thing a person can do in this economy). I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotionally satisfying romcom that also brings the heat.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 3.75/5
Publication Date: April 16th

I loved the ADHD/autism rep (Pepper is extremely relatable to me) but unfortunately I didn’t connect to the writing style and the story itself was so formulaic I just skimmed the second half of the book because I could predict everything that was going to happen. Both characters had a similar voice, so I often forgot whose point of view I was reading.
Overall this book had a few great moments and excellent representation, but the story itself needed some more polish.

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

I really love the cover and the synopsis, by which I mean I was expecting a slightly more relaxing extended proximity story but was surprised by what turned out to be a little too much angst for me in the family abandonment and taking advantage of someone financially (the law comes through in the end!)

The conflict at the end also felt a little too drawn-out (in real time, not book time) for how small it seemed (to me), and I also thought it was a missed opportunity that their flower display didn’t pay homage to Pepper’s grandmother and a different kind of love.

With that said, I did enjoy the parts of the book that were more what I was expecting — unexpected roommates, a bit of art and working on the flower farm — but I think I just wanted more of it and there were certain parts of the story that stressed me out more than I think they were supposed to and I couldn’t let them go! The writing was great though, the steaminess and intimacy was top tier, and there were a few quotes that I even saved because they made me think or resonated with me.

From the moment I saw Late Bloomer's title on Twitter, I knew I had to read it. And sure enough, it was exactly the warm, safe, healing sort of book I needed. I related to both Opal and Pepper in many ways, from Opal's compulsive people pleasing to Pepper's intense trust issues. The Thistle and Bloom sounds like my own personal heaven, and I would pay literal money to be part of Opal and Pepper's friend group. The romantic pacing was fantastic, particularly because it wasn't linear. Opal and Pepper hookup, then they get awkward around each other. Opal and Pepper admit they have feelings for each other, and then they both start second-guessing the other's feelings. They dance around their love for each other because they're terrified of getting hurt, which is...so real, and it all makes the ending that much more satisfying (plus, the ending wonderfully showcases both Opal and Pepper's character development). Overall, for me this book was exactly right, and I'm thrilled to say I finished reading (devouring?) my first sapphic love story on Valentine's Day. I will be recommending this to ALL my friends.

i will not be rating or reviewing outside of netgalley as long as st. martin's press is still under boycott.

Ladys and gentleman, Mazey eddings.
This book is just another reason why i love her. I absolutely loved the cottage core, girlish, and charming vibe this book contained. I am very appreciative of the representation of Autism and the LGBTQIA+ community. As someone who is both bi=sexual and Autistic i felt very heard and understood. I cant tell you how many times i had to sit and reread a paragraph because i felt so understood. Each of the characters are so much fun and well written. I enjoyed every single one. Opal and Pepper will have my heart forever. They fit so perfectly together. It really warmed my heart watching their love bloom throughout the entire book I was always so excited to sit down and read about them. The spice between them was amazing. It doesn't just happen just because. I felt like it was happening in order to help the plot and cause more emotional chaos for the characters.
I really really deeply connected with Pepper. Even down to her awful mother. I cried because i know exactly how Pepper feels. Its been a minute since iv deeply connected with a character and well...this is the one. Pepper being autistic really hit me. I loved that i understood that her routine being thrown off was causing chaos. I understood her confusion, anger, sadness. It was fun to watch her figure herself out and her feelings for Opal through the story. The representation was really nice. I dont come across alot of autistic representation that shows the reality of autism in a daily sense in books so this was greatly appreciated.
Opal. Opal is so funny. I loved her quick wit and snarky responses. She is such a bright spot in this book. She is Peppers other half. She is so optimistic and carries a wild child vibe. I loved her bright hair and go get it attitude. She does everything from her heart and its so sweet. She is so loving and caring. She 100% falls first even though she isn't suppose to. I would be lying if i wasn't cheering on the characters. I wanted them to fall in love and be together.
Mazey Eddings is very thorough with her writing and her world building is incredible. I felt like i was in the flower fields along side Pepper and Opal. I think its safe to say ill read just about anything Mazey Eddings writes. Trust me. You are going to want to read this book. Its perfect. Through and through. This will probably be a new comfort read for me.
Thank you St. Martins Press and Mazey Eddings for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

With a cover and description like this, I REALLY wanted to love this book. However, unfortunately, I could not finish it. I made it through 60% and found myself DREADING picking up my kindle. Nothing about the story ever really drew me in, the big plot points felt extremely rushed and there was an odd amount of details added to inconsequential pieces of the story. I was bored after the initial plot points of Opal winning the lottery, her obtaining the farm, and her meeting pepper. I feel like these major plot points were SO SO rushed and happened inorganically throughout the text. Furthermore, I feel like too many irrelevant characters were introduced in great detail with almost as much dialogue as the main characters. Once the major conflict of Pepper wanting the farm was introduced I was not intrigued. I feel like a conflict outside of the two major characters should have been at play, bringing them together in a more authentic way. I also felt like the main characters inner monologues were inconsistent and blended together. I was excited to see neurodivergent, ADHD, and autism representation but I don’t think it really landed. With the hallmark-esque plotline I was expecting a slow burn, forced proximity romance, but found a clunky strangers to lovers, who still don’t know a lot about each other romance which was uncomfortable. The entire romance was based solely on their physical attraction to each other, their romance had no depth, they barely had any dialogue with each other.

I adore a good grumpy/sunshine rom com, and this one has that in spades. I knew once I read the description and saw the cover, I was going to enjoy reading this book. This is the first book I have read by this author, so I was doubly excited.

Opal is a hot mess. Nothing in her life has gone the way she has planned: she’s not a successful artist living the high life in the city, and she’s not in a successful relationship. Instead, she’s a dancing ice cream cone constantly being taken advantage of by her friends and ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, everything changes when she wins the lottery. Instead of helping, it makes things worse and Opal has no idea what to do. Then she sees Thistle and Bloom Farms for sale and impulsively buys it. She’s ready for her fresh start, except, Pepper is already living there claiming to be the rightful owner, not Opal. With no choice but to cohabitate, Pepper and Opal have to learn to live together and if some feeling pop up, well, they’ll have to deal with that too.

This was a fun read! I enjoyed the characters and thought the autism representation was well done. Opal’s sisters, Olivia and Ophelia, were particular favorites of mine and I hope they each get their own books soon. I would read those in a heartbeat! While I thought the ending could have been more drawn out, I didn’t see that as a major issue and really enjoyed reading Opal and Pepper’s romance overall!

*rolls my kindle up into a tube and yells real loud into it "This was adorable!!!"

I'd describe it as a cozy f/f romance with spice!

The MC's were everything I wanted them to be. Opal was a hoot and Pepper was just the right amount of grump to balance out Opal's sunshine.

The story starts out with Opal winning the lottery and deciding to find a new fresh start somewhere. She stumbled across a sales ad online for a beautiful flower farm (while knowing nothing about flowers nor farms) but buys it to have a scenic serene place to do her artwork and get away from her old life. But upon arrival, she finds the flower farm occupied by the recently deceased owner's granddaughter, who didn't even know her astranged/schemey mother had sold it. They strike up a deal and the story goes from there.

Don't miss out on the author's notes after the story ends! I was highly entertained by the discussion of possible titles that were thought up for this story as well as the cute little info dive into the various flowers that they grew at the farm and their symbolism.

Solid 4 cozy stars.

It was a nice introduction to this author's work for me and I'm interested in reading what other things she's previously published (looks like a lot of people like them!).

Thank you to NetGalley and Saint Martin's Griffin Press for an advanced copy of this book so that I may share my honest feedback and review.

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙮. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙨 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥, 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙚. 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚. 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.

I just loved this super cute romance! 🥰

Opal wins the lottery and decides to buy a flower farm to help inspire her art.

Meanwhile, Pepper has no idea that her mother has up and sold her home out from under her…conundrum!

I really loved the neurodivergent rep in this one, and how they had to learn to understand one another’s uniqueness.

I also loved how cute they were as they started to develop feelings for one another, and we got one of my personal favorite “tropes”: getting “it” out of their systems. 😘

“𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩!”

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What this book is giving:
✅ Romantic comedy
✅ Dual POV
✅ Sapphic
✅ Grumpy/Sunshine
✅ Neurodivergent rep
✅ Just gotta get it out of our systems
✅ Flower Farm

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

4/5

this book was really sweet!! the storyline was really lovely and the romance developed in a way that felt really realistic. it can be tricky for me to get into a romance but this story was really character driven and I believed that they cared for each other. the grief aspect of the story was also really personal and was something that was explored and treated with care. I genuinely felt invested in seeing how their story went and to see how their partnership extended <3