Amazing . This story was everything I wanted and I absolutely loved the characters!!
Would recommend to anyone who loves a good romance story!

I'll preface this by saying this was my second audiobook. In some ways, I do think listening to this book was a benefit because the author has beautiful prose. The narrator also did a good job of distinguishing the characters except for one scene. That's my first critique, there were too many characters some of which did not get a lot of play in the book. The scene I'm referencing that was hard to listen to has a character we only see in that chapter and then his boyfriend who comes to a party, never to be mentioned again. I know that would've been brought up in book club if I had read this book for one.

I found Pepper to be a more fully formed protagonist than Opal or maybe I just liked her better. Either way, some parts of Opal's character confused me like how she was so forward with sex, but also insecure and shy. I found myself asking, wow, where did that come from. Opal is described as a giver, always doing for others, I was surprised she continued to give so much as the relationship unfolded. I would've imagined it would help with the character arc to see her receive (and not just in the bedroom).

It was a good book and I was a sucker for all the flower puns. My last critique would be the ending. I did love that the third-act breakup was avoided, but when the chapter ended and I heard "epilogue," I was confused. If I had been reading it, I would've gone back to reread before moving on to the epilogue. It surely did have a big HEA.

Many thanks to @macmillan.audio & @netgalley for the #gifted audiobook

#AudiobookReview 🎧📖
Late Bloomer by Mazey Edding
Story: 4✨ Narration: 5✨

🎶 Book Vibe as a Song Lyric: “If beauty is the only way/to make the nightmares go away/I’ll plant a garden in your brain/and let the roots absorb the pain.” -Lucy Dacus, Trust

✍️ Favorite Quotes:

“I spent most of my life desperately searching for friends and closeness and companionship, always serving as people’s back up plan, a good time in small doses, ready and eager like a puppy to jump at anything I was lucky enough to be included in, then doing everything possible to ensure the people around me had a good time, even if it left me spent and empty.”

“‘I can promise you,’ she says voice soft, like a rose petal, ‘as someone with little to no natural instinct on what is socially acceptable in conversations, nothing feels like an over-share.’”

What I Loved:
🧠: The autism, ADHD, & AuDHD rep; formal and self-diagnosed (both are valid)

🎙️ Stellar narration by @elliegossage

💐The beautiful setting of a North Carolinian flower farm

⛈️/☀️ Grumpy/Sunshine Romance

🔥 Sapphic Steaminess w/ sexy consent

💁🏼‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️Opal and Pepper are such endearing characters

💔 Pepper’s grief is so real and true.

Loved and Hated:
😭 The mistreatment by Pepper’s mom, Opal’s “friend” and her ex hit me so hard. Myself and every autistic person I know has had similar experiences and it’s heartbreaking.

Not My Favorite:
🫂 I wanted more of Pepper’s pal Deitcha and Opal’s sisters and the wonderful support and insight they provided.

🖋️Writing/wording…
At least twice Opal uses whiskey metaphors. As somebody who has also given up drinking and gotten sober for my well-being like Opal did - I don’t romanticize alcohol anymore and it felt very unlikely Opal would still view booze so affectionately.

The word “fisted” (no, not in *that* way…), the author had the women “fisting” each other’s hair, fisting each other’s clothes etc. frequently and it was…not my favorite word choice, I get she meant “she grabbed a fist full of my shirt,” but “fisted” ain’t it.

🧠 Love the Migraine rep, but most of us don’t only have one/season or one/year.

🗣️ Heavy on the miscommunication and “just TALK to each other!” vibe

📕 Overall:
A swoony, authentically neurospicy, queer, v emotional, funny, flower-filled delight: highly recommend.

⚠️TWs/CWs include: grief, loss of grandmother/guardian, unhealthy relationship with alcohol, drug use, parental abandonment, homophobia, outing, alcohol use, graphic sexual content, graphic language/swearing - like, if the seeing/hearing: “cuntasuarus” is gonna bug ya, this might not be your book…, bullying, manipulation, gaslighting, emotional and verbal abuse, and mother/daughter estrangement.

This book was emotional and deep and so real! We love a neurodiverse main character and the fact that this take place on a flower farm is just dreamy! Who doesn't want to quit their day job and open up a flower farm in Asheville? GOALS!

I have so much love for this book I don't know where to begin. A cord was struck deep within me with how relatable both Pepper and Opal were, while keeping the vibes light when dealing with some highly emotional themes. It's a balancing act that the author perfected in my opinion. The complexity of relationships ( parental, platonic and romantic) were all handled so well and realistically with regard to neurodiverse main character. The attention to detail from the author was remarkable and situations felt relatable to an extent I do not offend feel is captured in writing. I'm grateful to have felt such a bond within the pages of this book.

This was such a well written and relatable story! Opal and Pepper are two adorable characters, both too in their own head to admit true feelings for each other. I love the way Opal looks to try and understand Pepper and her needs, all while barely understanding herself. These two characters find themselves while finding each other.

I loved the writing style, the narration was great. The story itself was good, but some of the fighting/misunderstandings were so frustrating and could have been flushed out better. I enjoyed the spicy scenes, Will read this author again!

Mazey Eddings does it again with unbeatable chemistry, characters I want to be my friends, and swoony stories that satisfy!

Flower farm, sapphic romance, neurodiverse, this one had it all. I loved it. As an anxious person myself, I found the protagonist so relatable and the love story was beyond wonderful. I feel like this book has only solidified that I am and will always be waiting for the next Eddings book to fall in love with.

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

Regarding the audiobook -
So, I didn't know I was requesting a audiobook when I requested for this book on Netgalley. I thought it was like a normal ebook, I usually only do non-fiction audiobooks because I cannot follow a story in audiobook form. That said I really liked the narrator of this book, like I could really hear the different personalities with the voice changes she did with the different characters.

Regarding the story -
This is the story of Opal who just won the lottery and bought a flower farm without even looking at it. When she finally gets to the farm, she founds Pepper who's been living and working in the farm since she was 17 with her late grandmother. The book had a grumpy-sunshine scenario which I usually don't like but I think hearing Pepper's inner monologue and how she processes things as an autistic person made it much more realistic. I really liked Opal's chapters but that just might be I relate to her whole heartedly. In the end, I thought this was a really cute book and would definitely recommend it.

A cozy romance full of emotion and healing - loved it and can't wait to read what Mazey Eddings writes next!

3.75/5 stars rounded up.

This book was nothing groundbreaking, but super cute nonetheless.

I loved the flower farm setting and the neurodivergence representation through both our main characters. The romance was also super wholesome and made me awwww out loud on multiple occasions.

Overall, an adorable read perfect for this time of the year.

🩷On Wednesdays We Post Pink 🩷

@mazeyeddings is one of my autobuy authors. Swipe to see me and my bestie!

She writes the perfect combination of funny banter, spicy romance and neurodivergent rep. Late Bloomer is no exception.

Tender hearted Opal wins the lotto and buys a failing flower farm in North Carolina. When she gets there she finds a grumpy yet gorgeous Pepper who thinks she is the rightful owner of the farm. You see where this is going!

I love how sweet and kind Opal is even though it leads to those closest to her taking advantage. It warm my heart to see how Pepper warmed up to Opal. Grumpy sunshine is my jam. If you’re looking for a sexy, sapphic, opposites-attract romance be sure to check out Late Bloomer!

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for the ALC!

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the eARC and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this title in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to me for pre-ordering the book to get a beautiful art inlay (*soon*).

Favorite line: My love for you exists because you exist.

NGL. My heart skipped a beat when I heard that line while listening to the audiobook.

Late Bloomer is a sapphic romance featuring two neurodiverse leads. Opal gets the chance of a lifetime when she wins the lottery. Due to her chaotic nature, it’s no surprise that she impulsively spends it by buying a flower farm in Asheville, NC off of Facebook Marketplace.

When she arrives at the Thistle and Bloom, she is met by a feral flower farmer - who happens to be the recently deceased owner’s pseudo-grandchild, Pepper. And also the perfect grump to Opal’s sunshine.

In an unlikely forced proximity situation, they work together toward a common goal but also end up finding themselves in each other.

Mazey Eddings is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her characters are always charming and endearing, her banter is fresh and funny, and the spicy is always just enough.

This book checked all of the boxes for me, but somehow didn’t capture me the way I would have expected. It took me a really long time to finish reading/listening. The audiobook was well done, which is probably what kept me engaged enough to finish it. The narrator was able to give each character a distinct voice, and I was impressed.

It could also just have been the time of year I read this. I’m end of year teacher dead inside, and maybe I needed something that didn’t feel raw or vulnerable.

TW: parental abandonment, gaslighting by friends and lovers, death of a loved one off page

3.5/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

SYNOPSIS -- Opal is thrilled to quit her minimum wage job after unexpectedly winning the lottery, but she soon finds out that wealth isn't all it's cracked up to be. Opal has always struggled to say, and having a new stack of cash is making the "takers" in her life pop up tenfold. After deciding she needs to protect herself, she decides this includes starting fresh, and buys a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina. There, she plans to work on her art and give herself the chance at independence she's always wanted. Unfortunately, her plans go instantly awry when she shows up to the farm to find Pepper Boden standing strong on her OWN ownership rights of the farm. In an attempt to solve both of their problems, they agree to co-habitat at the farm until they find a better solution. What they don't know, however, is that this farm is growing more chemistry than it is flowers...

Okay, this book was super cute! It started out super strong and hooked me from the very start! While I lost a little bit of interest towards the middle, it picked back up towards the end as character arcs were completed and the characters continued to grow. The spice was really fun and definitely NOT closed door, so don't read if you prefer that. The emotional connection was really nicely woven into the physical throughout the book, making Pepper and Opal's predicament even more interesting. Speaking of, Pepper and Opal were great main characters. Aspects of this felt a little bit forced to me, though... It kind of felt like they were checking off all of the "representation" boxes in a way that felt slightly disingenuous. However, props to Mazey Eddings for her continued efforts at representing all types of people. I would absolutely rather have semi-forced rep than none at all, and others may feel differently from me on this regard!

Overall, this was a cute book with some great spice and unique and fun main characters. I think the plot could have been a little bit more interesting, but I still enjoyed it!

Flowers are always great, and a romance involving flowers? What's not to love? I think the story was really cute, the narrator was great, and the plot was fluent and not rushed and the two MCs were flawed and real.

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

Mazey’s ability to capture the beauty and struggles of neurodiversity is unfounded.

From the whimsical nature that is Opal to the guarded walls surrounding Pepper, these two shouldn’t work, but thankfully for us—they do!

I honestly loved how at different points in the story, both Opal and Pepper felt lost—as though their entire lives were being uprooted without their permission. But together they were able to find a new normal, make new goals, and come together in a way that strengthened not only each other, but one another’s dreams.

Hearing about the experience Mazey has had since announcing this book has chilled me to my core. I’m grateful she’s writing books that show every day people. People with daily struggles, neurospicy struggles. People who aren’t always the easiest to get along with if we aren’t willing to hear them out or get to know them. I love that she writes about all forms of sexuality as though it’s NORMAL, because it is and deserves to be included in beautiful stories without it having to be nit-picked or highlighted as anything outside of the norm.

If you haven’t picked up a Mazey book yet, do yourself a favor and get them all. She has adult romcoms, new adult romance, and even a young adult story that’s easily one of my favorites. I promise it’s worth it to grab them all.

Also, the narrators did a phenomenal job with LATE BLOOMER. I was sucked into this flower-filled world right alongside Opal and Pepper, and I didn't want to be anywhere else.

Tropes:
- Sapphic romance
- Bi representation
- Forced proximity
- Opposites attract
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Autism representation
- Neurodiverse representation
- Grief + healing
- Found family

I absolutely adore everything Mazey Eddings and this book was no exception - I loved it! Opal and Pepper, opposites attract.. c'mon! LOVE. The narrator did a fabulous job differentiating between the two characters. If you're looking for a small town, enemies to lovers, sapphic, neurospicy, with a heartwarming, unique story..this one is for you!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC!

Ok lots of thoughts here. This is overall a really cute and sweet story! I love that they live/work on a flower farm! It’s such a beautiful visual! I also like the idea behind Opal and Pepper’s romance and how they each get the opportunity to stand up for each other! It was so satisfying!

I have a few complaints though… Opal is kinda the worst 😅 she knows that Pepper is neurodivergent but gets consistently upset when Pepper gets overstimulated or takes a bit to adjust to situations. She’s just so inconsiderate of Pepper. And honestly these two had HORRIBLE communication. They didn’t ever resolve their conflicts, just kinda move past it. Major side eye there.

Opal should honestly be bald for how often she bleaches and dyes her hair (and don’t be fooled by the cover, she looks like that for like 2.6 seconds)

This whole book also reminded me of those house hunters memes “I paint shoes for a living and I own a flower farm and our budget is a gazillion dollars” 🤣 and then we find out that Pepper’s middle name is Ann? Like all the 90s kids are now triggered 💀

One thing I will say tho, is that the author wrote Pepper’s grief SO WELL. The way Pepper remembered her grandma’s smell and how it took time before she could go into her room was so accurate and relatable.

Overall, this was okay. Nothing to rave about, and I didn’t dislike the story itself. The narrator did a great job!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance listener copy!

I really wanted to like this book, all the ingredients were there but in the end it fell a little flat for me. It started very abruptly with little to no set up of Opal's character and situation, I thought I had accidentally started on chapter 2 for a few minutes. From there the character development got a little better and we got some backstory and perspective but I still felt a little like I was reading the second book in a series.

I would read more books from this author but for me this one was pretty forgettable in terms of plot and characters. While I do appreciate that the ADHD and autism rep in this book is jot something that was written for me in particular as I am no autistic, many of the commentary and descriptions of this became repetitive as the book progressed.

Thank you NetGalley + the publisher for this arc! I was initially very excited to read a sweet little sapphic romcom and to be fair, this technically has all of the best elements. We've got forced proximity, sapphic yearning, etc, but something was just...missing? For me. While I absolutely did not hate this book, it was just very much *okay* - for me, at least! Would be willing to try other works by the author, but this one just wasn't my fave.