First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
Late Bloomer was a sweet, sapphic romance about Opal who wins the lottery and impulsively buys a flower farm. She finds Pepper is already living on the farm and that her con artist mother sold the farm out from under her. This was an easy to read rivals to lovers books with forced proximity and believably neurodivergent main characters. I loved watching these characters fall in love little by little and the dreamy backdrop of the flower farm was just too cute. I really liked this one!
4⭐️

3.5 ⭐️ *rounded up*

Late Bloomer was a cute, but also kinda corny, sapphic romance. Eddings always does a great job of writing characters you can’t help but love.

I wasn’t as into this plot as I have been with previous Eddings books, but I still loved the characters enough to want to know how it would end. Overall, this was a lighthearted, feel good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced copy of the audiobook.

Late Bloomer is an adorable sapphic romance novel with neurodivergent representation. Both Pepper and Opal were like-able characters and I enjoyed getting both POV. This is a nice light hearted fun book, however I do think some of the pop culture references may age poorly. Overall I really enjoyed this book and was nice to see the characters grow though-out the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Did I cringe through the first couple of chapters and almost DNF this? Yes.
Did I stick it out and absolutely LOVE it. YES.
So good. :’)

Thank you author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!!

I relate so much to opal it’s crazy! She talks about constantly being in one sided relationships and not knowing how to change that. I always describe it like being a fairy godmother. It’s like constantly helping and fixing and caring but feeling like nobody is gonna help you or fix things for you or care about you. Also when the lady was selling her the farm she was talking about how she should’ve been more cautious and she wished people helped her and cared about her and opal was all it and I was literally crying thinking about how bad it felt like she was gonna get got. The neurodivergent rep was great and as a neurodivergent person I related to both characters a lot so I think it was don’t pretty well.

Side note the author also wrote a list of how the flowers in the book are deliberate and symbolic and I love it so much.

Mazey Eddings is a MASTER of banter, desire, and relatable heroines. I love love love her inclusion of characters with neurodivergency, and Opal, with ADHD, and Pepper, with Autism are no exception.

Opal, an aspiring artist, has won the lottery, and spends her winnings on buying a failing flower farm outside of Asheville, NC. Pepper has grown up and worked on the flower farm her entire life, and is shocked to learn that her mother has sold her 'promised' inheritance to Opal. These opposites are forced into a shared living situation as Pepper works to buy out Opal's share of the farm. Heads-bump and wires are crossed, yet an explosive attraction blossoms. Can these two opposites scratch this physical itch and keep emotions and feeling out of this new arrangement?

This was such a fun and vulnerable sapphic romance, and the steam was so steamy. The setting was unique, and the plotline about a floral competition bringing Opal and Pepper's strengths together was fun. I also really adored Opal's sisters and wonder if Eddings has plans to return to this world/family.

I listened to the MacMillan audiobook narrated by Ellie Gossage, and she did a fantastic job! I genuinely thought there was two different narrators, and was surprised when I went to list the narrators and found only one! Her accents, nuanced delivery, and emotive capabilities enriched my reading experience.

It wasn't my favorite Eddings book to date, but I struggle to land on what it was that was lacking for me. However, readers of contemporary sapphic romances will store adore this one!

This was such a cute, spicy, love story. I really enjoyed the setting of a flower farm in North Carolina, and both FMCs were very likeable. The spice was great, as well as the overall plot of the story. I would definitely read more by Mazey Eddings.

Book Review 🌺 🌸-

Over the last year, @mazeyeddings has quickly become an auto-buy author for me. I love that each and every one of her stories is different but every books brings her diverse characters to life and always makes me laugh.

Swipe to see a picture of Mazey and I at @steamylitcon last summer!

Late Bloomer is no exception. Although no one will make me laugh as much Tilly or Lizzy (from her other books) Opal and Pepper brought so much sweetness to this story. I loved the neurodivergent representation and themes of grief and self discovery. While tackling all those bigger topics, the book is still lighthearted and sweet. Definitely one to check out!

Late Bloomer comes out April 16, 2024.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my advanced copies!

I’ve loved all of Mazey Edding’s books and I really enjoyed this one, but it took much longer for me to get fully invested. The narrator was absolutely phenomenal. I loved the voices of all the characters and felt like I knew more about them since I could hear them. Pepper and Opal are two amazing characters and I love them both. Opal’s sisters added common sense to her craziness and humor and support to her down moments. Pepper’s friends are both fierce and fun. The imagery of the book had me seeing the Thistle and Bloom and feeling the comforts of the cozy cabin. The story was slow at the beginning and even cutting out 50 pages would’ve had me invested much quicker. The characters could’ve been a tiny bit more mature in several scenarios, but their quirks were explained well by their backstory. I can only hope to hear more of their story in the future… series on the O. Devlin sisters please! 4.25⭐️, 2.5🌶

This was such sweet & cozy sapphic romance!

Was it a little over the top and cheesy at times? Yes.
Did I love it anyways? Also yes!

Mazey Eddings did an incredible job telling a sweet romance with beautiful neurodiverse representation, all while characters are dealing with toxic relationships and grief. The full cast of characters were great, but I adored Opal & Pepper. We have a grumpy/sunshine, slow-burn, with excellent banter and fabulous spice. It was charming, it was fun, delightful!

I especially loved the author's notes at the end on the book's title journey and the meaning behind all the flowers in the book!

- Review to be posted to Amazon once published!

this book fell a bit flat for me. I felt bad for Opal in the beginning of the story and really felt for her, and then thought the whole buying a flower farm was random. i get how it paves the way for her meeting pepper but there were just a lot of things where i was like these things are happening to move the plot along but dont particularly make sense to me. i also couldnt connect with opal or pepper and so i really raced through this audio to just get it done. didn't enjoy this one

When Opal Devlin unexpectedly wins the lottery, she sees this as her fresh start. People keep coming out of the woodwork to ask about her money, but she decides to invest in herself. She purchases a flower farm in Asheville, NC, sight unseen, and plans to make art there among the flowers.

As it turns out, though, someone is already living on the farm, and that someone is not expecting Opal.

Since moving to Thistle and Bloom Farms as a teenager, the flowers there have become Pepper Boden’s life. In spite of its current financial troubles, Pepper is determined to turn things around for her recently deceased grandma Lou’s farm. When Opal turns up with a deed, it turns Pepper’s world upside down.

Sweet Opal with her “dominant personality trait [of] pleasing others” decides to let Pepper stay on the farm and to help Pepper raise funds to buy Opal out.

So we end up with a forced proximity, opposites-attract, roommates situation with a bit of a grumpy-sunshine vibe thrown in and some delicious chemistry just waiting to be unleashed. It’s a recipe for romantic comedy goodness.

Highlights for me included
- A flower farm in one of my favorite places in the world (Yes, please!)
- How tender Opal and Pepper end up being with each other
- The Autism and ADHD rep
- The portrayal of migraines (I thought to myself, “Mazey Eddings really gets it.”)
- Pepper’s friend group and Opal’s sisters
- The memories of Grandma Lou (She just seems like she was the best.)

It did take me a few chapters to really get into the book, so if you aren’t immediately sucked in, please give it more of a chance.

Ellie Gossage’s narration is fantastic. She truly captures both Opal’s and Pepper’s personalities, and I enjoyed her voices for the supporting characters as well.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

This is the third book I have listened to by Mazey Eddings. I will definitely read or listen to anything she writes. Her stories pull you in from beginning until the end. This is a beautiful story about Opal and Pepper. I loved when Opal finally finds her voice by choosing herself over her friend and Ex. Pepper and Opal were really fun characters and well written. I found this to be a fun and sweet story. I had a great time listening to Ellie Gossage tell the story. She did a really good job and made it easy to follow along with. I would definitely recommend this book as well as her other books.


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

Late Bloomer is a sweet sapphic romance with great neurodiversity representation set in a flower farm!

Opal is going through a rough patch when a large sum of money comes into her life. When she makes the decision about how to spend it, she meets Pepper and while the odds are stacked against them, they’re able to overcome obstacles to really see one another. While some of the obstacles may look easy to navigate, two neurodivergent people may not find them as easy! This was a fairly realistic portrayal of how that might play out. I enjoyed watching them navigate their issues separately but also come together for support when needed!

This audiobook was narrated by Ellie Gossage who did great with both Opal and Pepper! She was very engaging and I felt the strong difference between both characters.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Mazey Eddings, and Macmillan Audio for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait for everyone else to read this on April 16th!

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will post a Tiktok review within the week before it releases.

You'd think that winning the lottery would be a good thing, but its ruined Opal Devlin's life. She quit her dead-end job, but then she was just bombarded by people who wanted a piece of her winnings. To escape, she buys a failing flower farm in North Carolina where she plans to start her painting business. (The flowers can fend for themselves!) But (a very hot) Pepper Boden says she's the rightful owner of the farm, and she's not moving out, so the two strike up a cohabitation agreement.

I'm a huge Mazey Eddings fan, so I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this one! It definitely didn't disappoint! This was such a fun premise, and the execution was done beautifully. The dynamics between these two from beginning to end was a treat to listen to! I loved the farm drama and Opal and Pepper's reactions as the story went on. Tons of fun! I hope Opal's sisters are next in the series!

The audio: I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and generally, as long as the narrator doesn't pull me out of the story, I'm fine with it. Ellie Gossage goes above and beyond, and does a brilliant job with this story. Wonderful voices, great pacing, definitely a narrator I enjoy a lot!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audio copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

I am obsessed with this book!

Opal won the lottery and is ready for a fresh start. She decides to leave behind her cheating ex and her dead-end job by moving to Asheville, North Carolina. She buys a flower farm sight unseen. When Opal arrives at the farm, she is surprised to learn Pepper (the granddaughter of the farm’s deceased owner) is living on the farm with no plans to leave. Opal and Pepper decide to live together while Pepper tries to earn enough money to buy Opal out.

This book took me a little bit to get into, because I had trouble understanding the decisions Opal was making. She is so naïve at times that I felt secondhand stress on her behalf.

Once I finished a few chapters, I was hooked. I love the dynamic between Pepper and Opal. Their friendship and eventual chemistry felt compelling and believable. They are both sweet and want to make each other smile. Pepper is in her late 20s and sleeping with Opal is her first-time having sex. Opal was so sweet, tender, and nonjudgmental. All their sex scenes are super-hot!

The sex scenes didn’t come at the expense of the plot. I teared up during parts because Pepper’s grief over losing her grandmother is written so poignantly. There were also a lot of funny moments too.
I appreciated the book’s neurodivergent rep – Pepper is very open about having autism and Opal suspects she has ADHD but has never been formally diagnosed.

Both Opal and Pepper grow during the book, learning that they are each deserving of love and also how to stand up for themselves and each other. The confrontation scenes (which I’ll avoid mentioning in detail because I don’t want to spoil) were swoony as Opal and Pepper stood up for each other. The confrontation scenes at the end gave me a sense of closure without being cheesy.

Opal is bisexual and so are both of her sisters. I really hope we get future books involving Opal’s sisters’ love stories!!

At the end of the book, the author provides insight into her process of deciding on the book title and the flower symbolism used throughout the book. Hearing her process added a lot to my reading experience.

The narrator did a great job of communicating emotion and personality throughout the book.

Highlights:
- sapphic romance (bi & lesbian main characters)
- learning to stand up for yourself and those you love
- neurodivergent rep (autism and ADHD)
- the perfect mix of sweet and spicy
- great narration by Ellie Gossage

From a suspend-all-beliefs aspect, I enjoyed this. I liked how Pepper and Opal complimented each other and helped each other handle their weaknesses.

However, the entire plot is centered around one thing- Opal buys the flower farm from Pepper's mom after Grandma Lou dies. I work in title insurance. The transfer of property is basically my job. There are so many things wrong with this. I suppose, technically, it could have gone down as written- as long as Opal never recorded the deed. But then she wouldn't have real paperwork to show Pepper. Though I suppose Pepper could also not know how transferring property works. So needless to say, this was in my head the entire time. It definitely impacted my ability to connect with the book.

The audiobook is narrated by Ellie Gossage. While I do not have any complaints about her actual narration, I wish it had dual narrators. The book is told by the POV of both Opal and Pepper. While each chapter does state who's POV it is from, it would have been more discernable with two narrators.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book. I could easily connect with the characters. They felt so relatable, especially Pepper's past. Not everyone had a strong relationship with their mother so it's nice to feel a connection with a character and feel empathy and compassion because you know how they are feeling. Opal is just hard not to love, she is quirky and adorable. I love the Neuro divergency represented by both Opal and Pepper. But, Opal is easiest for me to relate to because I too have ADHD and every time she experienced an episode of imposter syndrome or emotional dis regulation I just felt for her do much. It just made me feel so normal because it didn't feel like the main point of the story. The girls were just self aware of it. I also love, love, love the fact that this story takes place on a flower farm it just add a special whimsy to the story. And oh my gawd the spice. Well done and not over the top. Loved it. Loved the narrator! Loved the tidbits at the end about the flowers and how the book got it's title and it looks appreciated the content warning about lose and abandonment at the beginning. Overall loved this book so much ❤️

#SpeakUpSMP and let your readers, reviewers, and influencers know about the tangible steps you are taking to ensure the safety and equity of your influencer programs. Your silence only serves to deepen the divide and erode the trust between St. Martin's Press and those who have supported your authors and titles.

Spring is in the air and being at a flower farm sounds like a perfect setting for a sapphic romance. Opal wins the lottery and is at crossroads with her life. She decides to buy a flower farm sight unseen where she learns Pepper lives there and it was a farm started by her grandmother. They decided to help each other out and live together on the farm. I loved seeing their friendship/romance develop. There's a lot of funny moments and I love how Eddings writes real characters and how their mental health is important in the story. The story is told in dual POV and I wished the there was 2 narrators instead of 1.

The author's note was such a treat. I loved the ideas of the different titles she came up with.

Thank you @smpromance @macmillan.audio @netgalley for a copy of this.