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Late Bloomer
A sapphic opposites-attract romance with Mazey Edding's signature sparkling voice!
Winning the lottery has ruined Opal Devlin's’s life. After quitting her dead-end job where she’d earned minimum wage and even less respect, she’s bombarded by people knocking at her door for a handout the second they found out her bank account was overflowing with cash. And Opal can’t seem to stop saying yes.
With her tender heart thoroughly abused, Opal decides to protect herself by any means necessary, which to her translates to putting almost all her new money to buying a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina to let the flowers live out their plant destiny while she uses the cabin on the property to start her painting business.
But her plans for isolation and self-preservation go hopelessly awry when an angry (albeit gorgeous) Pepper Smith is waiting for her at her new farm. Pepper states she’s the rightful owner of Thistle and Bloom Farms, and isn’t moving out. The unlikely pair strike up an agreement of co-habitation, and butt-heads at every turn. Can these opposites both live out their dreams and plant roots? Or will their combustible arguing (and growing attraction) burn the whole place down?
Winning the lottery has ruined Opal Devlin's’s life. After quitting her dead-end job where she’d earned minimum wage and even less respect, she’s bombarded by people knocking at her door for a handout the second they found out her bank account was overflowing with cash. And Opal can’t seem to stop saying yes.
With her tender heart thoroughly abused, Opal decides to protect herself by any means necessary, which to her translates to putting almost all her new money to buying a failing flower farm in Asheville, North Carolina to let the flowers live out their plant destiny while she uses the cabin on the property to start her painting business.
But her plans for isolation and self-preservation go hopelessly awry when an angry (albeit gorgeous) Pepper Smith is waiting for her at her new farm. Pepper states she’s the rightful owner of Thistle and Bloom Farms, and isn’t moving out. The unlikely pair strike up an agreement of co-habitation, and butt-heads at every turn. Can these opposites both live out their dreams and plant roots? Or will their combustible arguing (and growing attraction) burn the whole place down?
400 pages, Paperback
First published April 16, 2024
About the author
Mazey Eddings
7 books2,221 followersMazey Eddings is a neurodiverse author, dentist, and (most importantly) stage mom to her cats, Yaya and Zadie. She can most often be found reading romance novels under her weighted blanket and asking her boyfriend to bring her snacks. She’s made it her personal mission in life to destigmatize mental health issues and write love stories for every brain. With roots in Ohio and North Carolina, she now calls Philadelphia home.
Her debut novel A Brush with Love is being published by St. Martin’s Press.
Her debut novel A Brush with Love is being published by St. Martin’s Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,677 reviews
May 24, 2024
i haven't had the best luck with this author's writing but wanted to give it a shot because
1. gorgeous cover and
2. gay
but i'm once again let down. i liked the characters individually but felt zero chemistry between the two of them. i also think your enjoyment of this will depend on if you like quiet romcoms. i typically do not. i like angst and tension and this book had neither. the only points of conflict also annoyed me rather than adding richness to the story. idk prolly my last try with this author.
1. gorgeous cover and
2. gay
but i'm once again let down. i liked the characters individually but felt zero chemistry between the two of them. i also think your enjoyment of this will depend on if you like quiet romcoms. i typically do not. i like angst and tension and this book had neither. the only points of conflict also annoyed me rather than adding richness to the story. idk prolly my last try with this author.
August 15, 2024
❝ 𝓕𝓾𝓬𝓴 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓿𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮. 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.” ❞ 🌸🌷🍃
𝟑 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 ⭐⭐⭐
╰┈➤ 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓯 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂
Opal unexpectantly wins a scratch off lotto - trying to decide what to do with her new found fortune, she decides to buy a flower farm in Asheville NC sight unseen. When she arrives at the flower farm she discovers that there is already someone living there. Pepper. Who had no idea that the only home she has ever know had been sold right from beneath her.
Opal is a huge people pleaser and honestly doesn't seem to have much of a backbone so she comes up with a plan where Pepper can stay at the farm with her and work for her in order to pay her back for the property.
╰┈➤ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
While this started out cute and fluffy I quickly found that there was several things that didn't work for me.
As the story progressed, I found that I couldn't really connect with either one of the main characters. There wasn't much quality dialogue between the two of them and they took the approach of 'no strings attached' - many sex scenes but nothing to back up the 'I love yous' that come later. Like what?
Aside from that - I didn't feel like either of the main characters were very fleshed out, they felt very one dimensional to me. Opal's character didn't come across consistent to me - in Pepper's chapters she came across one way and in hers another way. I'm sure that could have been done intentionally but it didn't work for me.
There was way too many pop culture references for me. I hate that with a burning passion.
I think this would work for readers who have no problem with suspending disbelief- at all.. you have to suspend a lot here and if you like flighty self deprecating characters.
╰┈➤ 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓒𝓪𝓷 𝓔𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽
🌸Sapphic Romance
🌸Bi Representation
🌸Cottage Core Vibes
🌸Forced Proximity
🌸Grumpy/Sunshine
🌸Autism Representation
🌸Neurodiverse Representation
🌸Grief/Healing
A huge thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Mazey Eddings for the complementary audiobook in exchange for my honest review! 🌷💕
🐝
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.” ❞ 🌸🌷🍃
𝟑 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 ⭐⭐⭐
╰┈➤ 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓯 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂
Opal unexpectantly wins a scratch off lotto - trying to decide what to do with her new found fortune, she decides to buy a flower farm in Asheville NC sight unseen. When she arrives at the flower farm she discovers that there is already someone living there. Pepper. Who had no idea that the only home she has ever know had been sold right from beneath her.
Opal is a huge people pleaser and honestly doesn't seem to have much of a backbone so she comes up with a plan where Pepper can stay at the farm with her and work for her in order to pay her back for the property.
╰┈➤ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
While this started out cute and fluffy I quickly found that there was several things that didn't work for me.
As the story progressed, I found that I couldn't really connect with either one of the main characters. There wasn't much quality dialogue between the two of them and they took the approach of 'no strings attached' - many sex scenes but nothing to back up the 'I love yous' that come later. Like what?
Aside from that - I didn't feel like either of the main characters were very fleshed out, they felt very one dimensional to me. Opal's character didn't come across consistent to me - in Pepper's chapters she came across one way and in hers another way. I'm sure that could have been done intentionally but it didn't work for me.
There was way too many pop culture references for me. I hate that with a burning passion.
I think this would work for readers who have no problem with suspending disbelief- at all.. you have to suspend a lot here and if you like flighty self deprecating characters.
╰┈➤ 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓒𝓪𝓷 𝓔𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽
🌸Sapphic Romance
🌸Bi Representation
🌸Cottage Core Vibes
🌸Forced Proximity
🌸Grumpy/Sunshine
🌸Autism Representation
🌸Neurodiverse Representation
🌸Grief/Healing
A huge thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Mazey Eddings for the complementary audiobook in exchange for my honest review! 🌷💕
April 11, 2024
Late Bloomer is a fun and breezy sapphic romance following, Opal, an artist hellbent on following her dreams after winning the lottery and buying a flower farm, and Pepper, the farm's former owner who had no idea of its sale. When the two meet and learn of their predicament, both are forced to stick it out and live with each other regardless of their clashing personalities and habits. Despite being total opposites, as Pepper and Opal begin working together on the farm and opening up to each other, their unlikely friendship slowly blooms into more.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint! Pepper and Opal were so chaotic and whimsical together; the cottage core vibes were absolutely darling and fit so well with both of their characters and history. I loved the neurodivergent rep and how that played out in both of them, the two had such vastly different yet similar experiences and inner workings. I also have to mention the journey Pepper and Opal both went through, the character development was so gentle and unwaveringly strong for these two, together and separately. If you are in the mood for a cozy queer romcom full of charm, found family, steam, banter, and so many sweet and tender moments, this book is for you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just got this ARC and I want to SCREAM! Just look at that cover.... GORGEOUS. I'm going to go daydream about this book and running a small town farm with my imaginary wife😌
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Many thanks to Netgalley and Mazey Eddings for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint! Pepper and Opal were so chaotic and whimsical together; the cottage core vibes were absolutely darling and fit so well with both of their characters and history. I loved the neurodivergent rep and how that played out in both of them, the two had such vastly different yet similar experiences and inner workings. I also have to mention the journey Pepper and Opal both went through, the character development was so gentle and unwaveringly strong for these two, together and separately. If you are in the mood for a cozy queer romcom full of charm, found family, steam, banter, and so many sweet and tender moments, this book is for you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just got this ARC and I want to SCREAM! Just look at that cover.... GORGEOUS. I'm going to go daydream about this book and running a small town farm with my imaginary wife😌
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Many thanks to Netgalley and Mazey Eddings for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
April 19, 2024
Happy publication day to Mazey Eddings’ Late Bloomer!!
If books could speak, this one would scream “Girls are just superior!” the moment you touch it.
Mazey Eddings outdid herself with Opal and Pepper’s story.
The pace, the characters’ arc, the delicate writing about sexuality and intimacy, being neurodivergent, dealing with traumas and grief, even the spicy moments between them… chef’s kiss.
The thing that took my breath away is the reality of them; I've no idea how many times either of them has spiralled in here, but it's certainly the right amount for a totally normal girl in her 20s.
Personal feelings aside, the only drawback is the not-so-different POVs.
Some people look for similar ones - instead of a polar opposite -, and it’s cool, but Opal and Pepper’s voices are so similar that more than once I asked myself whose chapter was I reading. Both characters have their personality, are shy and don't properly communicate, and they’re both great in bed, and would tear apart anyone who messed up with the other; even their spiralling is very similar.
I'm not saying they can't have the same insecurities or be bold about the same stuff, but I’d have liked it if there were something that would have clearly distinguished them, not only Opal’s hair colour or Pepper’s love for flowers.
↠ 4 stars
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
p.s.: please, look how cute the cover is!
If books could speak, this one would scream “Girls are just superior!” the moment you touch it.
Mazey Eddings outdid herself with Opal and Pepper’s story.
The pace, the characters’ arc, the delicate writing about sexuality and intimacy, being neurodivergent, dealing with traumas and grief, even the spicy moments between them… chef’s kiss.
The thing that took my breath away is the reality of them; I've no idea how many times either of them has spiralled in here, but it's certainly the right amount for a totally normal girl in her 20s.
Personal feelings aside, the only drawback is the not-so-different POVs.
Some people look for similar ones - instead of a polar opposite -, and it’s cool, but Opal and Pepper’s voices are so similar that more than once I asked myself whose chapter was I reading. Both characters have their personality, are shy and don't properly communicate, and they’re both great in bed, and would tear apart anyone who messed up with the other; even their spiralling is very similar.
I'm not saying they can't have the same insecurities or be bold about the same stuff, but I’d have liked it if there were something that would have clearly distinguished them, not only Opal’s hair colour or Pepper’s love for flowers.
↠ 4 stars
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
p.s.: please, look how cute the cover is!
Read
July 11, 2024Very sweet sapphic neurodivergent romance between ADHD chaos bunny artist and autistic flower-grower. The conflict is really very much in their respective heads: Opal struggles with impulse control, emotional lability, and self esteem, while Pepper is conscious of not fitting in a neurotypical world, as well as profoundly traumatised by abusive parenting and abandonment.
Obviously that's fairly heavy stuff, so the decision to make the plot and conflict around them as light as possible is the right one: they have enough on their plates just with coming to understand one another. It's also lovely to see how they learn to play off one another's strengths: Opal is great with change and emergencies, where Pepper is good at stability and getting things done properly.
What a lovely cover.
Obviously that's fairly heavy stuff, so the decision to make the plot and conflict around them as light as possible is the right one: they have enough on their plates just with coming to understand one another. It's also lovely to see how they learn to play off one another's strengths: Opal is great with change and emergencies, where Pepper is good at stability and getting things done properly.
What a lovely cover.
August 5, 2024
4⭐️
This book was beyond cute and adorable! This book was light and fluffy for the most part with just a hint of trauma that we actually get a slight deep dive into.
Right from the very start, I really loved Opal. I was very scared that she was going to end up being a character that acted as a human doormat but I was SO wrong. She's actually a very relatable character who is very bubbly and stands her ground against the people that aren't good for her. Pepper was very relatable as well, as we share some of the same neurodivergent traits. I really found myself relating to her and her mannerisms. I loved the representation in here and I thought it Pepper was written with a lot of care and knowledge on said representation.
One thing about this book is it's written in a way that feels very young adult, minus a few pretty spicy scenes throughout it. It has a very "modern" and "young" way of speaking that I find a lot of young people (teenagers mostly) saying, whether that be through certain terms or references. I'm not saying that's a bad thing!! I just don't think that that aspect was really for me.
I can definitely see why some people are put off by this, as it can look a little insta-lovey and things move very fast. But all in all, I was looking for a cute, fluffy book and this absolutely delivered. I will absolutely be reading more from the author; I had a lot of fun and I thought the relationship between Pepper and Opal was very cute and wholesome. Yes, it had it's issues. But I think that if you're reading this purely for the vibe and kinda keep your expectations around there, you'll end up enjoying this more. 🩷
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Need a breather after finishing Redeeming 6 and I want to read this before the summer is over so now's the time! 🩷🌷
This book was beyond cute and adorable! This book was light and fluffy for the most part with just a hint of trauma that we actually get a slight deep dive into.
Right from the very start, I really loved Opal. I was very scared that she was going to end up being a character that acted as a human doormat but I was SO wrong. She's actually a very relatable character who is very bubbly and stands her ground against the people that aren't good for her. Pepper was very relatable as well, as we share some of the same neurodivergent traits. I really found myself relating to her and her mannerisms. I loved the representation in here and I thought it Pepper was written with a lot of care and knowledge on said representation.
One thing about this book is it's written in a way that feels very young adult, minus a few pretty spicy scenes throughout it. It has a very "modern" and "young" way of speaking that I find a lot of young people (teenagers mostly) saying, whether that be through certain terms or references. I'm not saying that's a bad thing!! I just don't think that that aspect was really for me.
I can definitely see why some people are put off by this, as it can look a little insta-lovey and things move very fast. But all in all, I was looking for a cute, fluffy book and this absolutely delivered. I will absolutely be reading more from the author; I had a lot of fun and I thought the relationship between Pepper and Opal was very cute and wholesome. Yes, it had it's issues. But I think that if you're reading this purely for the vibe and kinda keep your expectations around there, you'll end up enjoying this more. 🩷
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need a breather after finishing Redeeming 6 and I want to read this before the summer is over so now's the time! 🩷🌷
April 5, 2024
was this a lil cringe, cliche and adorably cheesy full of wholesome goodness with one too many pop culture references? absolutely it was, yes.
but did i adore Opal and Pepper anyways? absolutely i did, yes.
im here for a good sapphic time, not a long time 🕺🏻
but did i adore Opal and Pepper anyways? absolutely i did, yes.
im here for a good sapphic time, not a long time 🕺🏻
April 3, 2024
3 stars★
Opal's luck strikes when she wins the lottery and impulsively purchases a flower farm in Asheville. Little does she know, Pepper is already residing there! To make amends, Opal proposes a plan for Pepper to stay and work together on the farm as repayment.
This book had me going through a whirlwind of emotions. On one hand, I absolutely loved the representation of neurodivergent characters and the sapphic spice level. But on the other hand, I gotta keep it real, the contrived drama and situations didn't quite hit the mark for me. Opal and some of the side characters sounded quite similar, which made it a bit confusing to figure out who was speaking. It was like a never-ending guessing game of who was speaking. I was really hoping for a deeper emotional connection with the main characters too. Sometimes, it got a bit cringey or over the top for my taste. The dialogue felt a bit clunky in places, and I wanted more tension. Overall this was light-hearted read, not too heavy on the plot.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for hooking me up with an early listen to the audiobook!
────────
pre-review: this will be my first sapphic romance! hope it delivers 🩷🌺
Opal's luck strikes when she wins the lottery and impulsively purchases a flower farm in Asheville. Little does she know, Pepper is already residing there! To make amends, Opal proposes a plan for Pepper to stay and work together on the farm as repayment.
This book had me going through a whirlwind of emotions. On one hand, I absolutely loved the representation of neurodivergent characters and the sapphic spice level. But on the other hand, I gotta keep it real, the contrived drama and situations didn't quite hit the mark for me. Opal and some of the side characters sounded quite similar, which made it a bit confusing to figure out who was speaking. It was like a never-ending guessing game of who was speaking. I was really hoping for a deeper emotional connection with the main characters too. Sometimes, it got a bit cringey or over the top for my taste. The dialogue felt a bit clunky in places, and I wanted more tension. Overall this was light-hearted read, not too heavy on the plot.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for hooking me up with an early listen to the audiobook!
────────
pre-review: this will be my first sapphic romance! hope it delivers 🩷🌺
March 22, 2024
This was delightful!! A cozy sapphic romance between two neurodiverse women with a version of forced proximity. Opal wins the lottery and after being fed up with friends wanting handouts, impulsively decides to buy a flower farm where she can do her art in peace. But she buys it off of Facebook marketplace, and when she arrives the grand-daughter of the late owner is still living there and Pepper refuses to move out. They come to a tentative agreement for the next year, and then slowly fall in love. Pepper is autistic and Opal probably has ADHD and is maybe autistic as well, but they are definitely an opposites attract kind of romance. I found this to be incredibly charming, while also being quite sexy as well. A really great contemporary romance that is worth reading! Especially if you're looking for a very low-angst romance with cozy vibes. The audiobook narrator does make Opal sound a bit young when they're actually mid-twenties, but otherwise did a good job. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
May 24, 2024
Obsessed with this cover
Reading this because of @mimi's review
I wanted to love this more.
What I liked:
- The autism rep
- The ADHD rep
- The setting
- That cover
- The flowers (at the very end there is a whole part where Mazey explains each flower mentioned and what it represents)
What I didn't like:
- How people-pleasing/pushover/insecure Opel was. Like you do not just do the things she did, and it even ruined the ADHD rep for me. There is impulsivity and then there is stupidity.
- I was super proud of Pepper at the start with her whole relationship with her mom and then that scene happened and it was really unrealistic to me. Especieally after the conversations where she told Opel about past experiences.
- The family and friends of Opel, I don't think I need to explain that one.
Reading this because of @mimi's review
I wanted to love this more.
What I liked:
- The autism rep
- The ADHD rep
- The setting
- That cover
- The flowers (at the very end there is a whole part where Mazey explains each flower mentioned and what it represents)
What I didn't like:
- How people-pleasing/pushover/insecure Opel was. Like you do not just do the things she did, and it even ruined the ADHD rep for me. There is impulsivity and then there is stupidity.
- I was super proud of Pepper at the start with her whole relationship with her mom and then that scene happened and it was really unrealistic to me. Especieally after the conversations where she told Opel about past experiences.
- The family and friends of Opel, I don't think I need to explain that one.
October 6, 2023
While there’s so much to love about this story, the stunning cover (yes, I judge books by their cover), the autistic and neurodivergent rep, sunshine versus grumpy MC, and the beautiful writing, I didn’t love it as much as I expected to beforehand. This doesn’t mean I think the book is bad. On the contrary, even. It’s just that I’m looking for different things in a story.
Sometimes, I need a comfort read, but I know by now that a comfort read for me doesn’t mean a low angsty, low conflict romance with a HEA. And that’s exactly what Late Bloomer is. I was constantly waiting for more angst and more conflict, not necessarily between Opal and Pepper (I’m known for my hate for unnecessary third-act break-ups); inner conflict would have been great, too. But I didn’t get any, at least not as much as I wanted to, and I felt a little bored while reading.
So, if you’re looking for a low angst, low conflict story in your next comfort read, this one is for you. I’m going to pick up a story with more friction and tension (hopefully). So bye!
I received an ARC from St. Martins Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Sometimes, I need a comfort read, but I know by now that a comfort read for me doesn’t mean a low angsty, low conflict romance with a HEA. And that’s exactly what Late Bloomer is. I was constantly waiting for more angst and more conflict, not necessarily between Opal and Pepper (I’m known for my hate for unnecessary third-act break-ups); inner conflict would have been great, too. But I didn’t get any, at least not as much as I wanted to, and I felt a little bored while reading.
So, if you’re looking for a low angst, low conflict story in your next comfort read, this one is for you. I’m going to pick up a story with more friction and tension (hopefully). So bye!
I received an ARC from St. Martins Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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August 26, 2023
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 feelings 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 difference!
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 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 difference!
I received this ARC from NetGalley to read and review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this ebook.
April 18, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC. It has not affected the contents of my review.
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]
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]
January 5, 2024
I've really enjoyed my recent reads from Mazey Eddings, and I was really looking forward to this queer romance from her, but I struggled a bit with this one. I'm trying to wrap my brain around what exactly irked me, but I think it was that it didn't feel like it had much direction.
With Late Bloomer, we get a slow-burn, contemporary romance between a bisexual people-pleaser who is seeking to start over in a small town (classic romance trope!) and a lesbian flower farmer who gets sucked into the the other woman's drama. First of all, YAY for non-neurotypical MCs and some spicy sapphic sex scenes! I will never get bored of those two things, and good on Mazey Eddings for giving the people what they want.
However, despite some really positive aspects of the story, I kept waiting for something to happen other than little misunderstandings and sort of a meandering, directionless plotline. There were some exciting things happening in the background, things that could have given the story more umph, but they seemed to fizzle out before they made me excited. Plus, I had a hard time telling who was "talking" at times- their voices got mixed up in my head.
I applaud Mazey Eddings for this story, but I think she has the ability to write even bigger and better (hopefully queer!) romances.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram
With Late Bloomer, we get a slow-burn, contemporary romance between a bisexual people-pleaser who is seeking to start over in a small town (classic romance trope!) and a lesbian flower farmer who gets sucked into the the other woman's drama. First of all, YAY for non-neurotypical MCs and some spicy sapphic sex scenes! I will never get bored of those two things, and good on Mazey Eddings for giving the people what they want.
However, despite some really positive aspects of the story, I kept waiting for something to happen other than little misunderstandings and sort of a meandering, directionless plotline. There were some exciting things happening in the background, things that could have given the story more umph, but they seemed to fizzle out before they made me excited. Plus, I had a hard time telling who was "talking" at times- their voices got mixed up in my head.
I applaud Mazey Eddings for this story, but I think she has the ability to write even bigger and better (hopefully queer!) romances.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram
April 30, 2024
I've come close to purchasing this book so many times so when it was available at the library I figured it would be smarter to read and then purchase, and I'm glad that I did because I didn't love this book.
I'm no expert book formater, but the font size and line spacing seem to be doing a lot to make this book look longer because the actual content doesn't really deliver what you think it would for a book that is 375 pages. This book also never makes a solid case as to why this particular story set in mostly one location needed to be told from both Opal and Pepper's perspective. As a dual POV truther it feels wild to come on the internet to complain about a romance being told from two perspectives, well... here we are friends. I get that it's Opal who wins the lottery, but honestly most the heft of the story could be coming from Pepper's perspective and it might have made for a stronger narrative if we were only in her head and seeing her life getting turned even more upside down than it was before Opal arrived and complicated matters even further. Opal was just too cookie cutter quirky romance heroine that didn't offer much of anything outside single siblings that future books could follow, which honestly isn't enough of a reason to get as much airtime as she gets in the book.
I devoured almost the first two hundred pages in a single sitting. Partly because I was intrigued, partly because I was at a fast food restaurant waiting for the next bus, but partly because the first two hundred pages read like what could have been a hundred pages. We get to meet Opal and Pepper, learn that Opal has won the lottery and immediately puts her winnings to use to purchase land that Pepper is currently living on (and maybe the person who sold her the land didn't have the rights to do so?) and set up a scheme wherein feeling bad about this situation strike up a roommate agreement and future plan that Pepper might be able to purchase the farm back at some undisclosed future date. With half the book spent setting up the basic premise the latter half becomes this plot to enter a floral arrangement contest to maybe get the down payment on purchasing the farm back.
Only sorta. Pepper is hesitant to enter the contest for at least another twenty or so percent and so it's a lot of spinning wheels and time spent exploring the chemistry of our two leads now that they have this friends with benefits arrangement going.
Only this is a sorta too... While yes we get to see them hooking up and the complications that arise from that it's also not a lot of seeing the chemistry? They're forced together and there's definitely some cute banter, but nothing that had me rooting for them ending the book cohabitating. A lot of romance that I've read recently seems to want to jump to that point in a relationship; people living together in a sort of pseudomarried bliss without any of the time people might spend actually dating or being a couple. It's just speed run for the sake of a plot and this book felt like it was trying to navigate the obstacle course in record time to the detriment of both Pepper and Opal who never really got to be more than the shadow of potential characters.
The third act conflict was also pure foolishness in my opinion, and probably the reason that I can't give this three stars. It's not the worst thing that I've ever read, but it just didn't ring true. It lacked a believably, both narratively and from just a common sense perspective. This is far better than the last book I picked up by Eddings, so at least on that front I'm not upset that I decided to give this a go. I'll probably pick up more books from them in the future, but this was definitely a swing and a miss.
I'm no expert book formater, but the font size and line spacing seem to be doing a lot to make this book look longer because the actual content doesn't really deliver what you think it would for a book that is 375 pages. This book also never makes a solid case as to why this particular story set in mostly one location needed to be told from both Opal and Pepper's perspective. As a dual POV truther it feels wild to come on the internet to complain about a romance being told from two perspectives, well... here we are friends. I get that it's Opal who wins the lottery, but honestly most the heft of the story could be coming from Pepper's perspective and it might have made for a stronger narrative if we were only in her head and seeing her life getting turned even more upside down than it was before Opal arrived and complicated matters even further. Opal was just too cookie cutter quirky romance heroine that didn't offer much of anything outside single siblings that future books could follow, which honestly isn't enough of a reason to get as much airtime as she gets in the book.
I devoured almost the first two hundred pages in a single sitting. Partly because I was intrigued, partly because I was at a fast food restaurant waiting for the next bus, but partly because the first two hundred pages read like what could have been a hundred pages. We get to meet Opal and Pepper, learn that Opal has won the lottery and immediately puts her winnings to use to purchase land that Pepper is currently living on (and maybe the person who sold her the land didn't have the rights to do so?) and set up a scheme wherein feeling bad about this situation strike up a roommate agreement and future plan that Pepper might be able to purchase the farm back at some undisclosed future date. With half the book spent setting up the basic premise the latter half becomes this plot to enter a floral arrangement contest to maybe get the down payment on purchasing the farm back.
Only sorta. Pepper is hesitant to enter the contest for at least another twenty or so percent and so it's a lot of spinning wheels and time spent exploring the chemistry of our two leads now that they have this friends with benefits arrangement going.
Only this is a sorta too... While yes we get to see them hooking up and the complications that arise from that it's also not a lot of seeing the chemistry? They're forced together and there's definitely some cute banter, but nothing that had me rooting for them ending the book cohabitating. A lot of romance that I've read recently seems to want to jump to that point in a relationship; people living together in a sort of pseudomarried bliss without any of the time people might spend actually dating or being a couple. It's just speed run for the sake of a plot and this book felt like it was trying to navigate the obstacle course in record time to the detriment of both Pepper and Opal who never really got to be more than the shadow of potential characters.
The third act conflict was also pure foolishness in my opinion, and probably the reason that I can't give this three stars. It's not the worst thing that I've ever read, but it just didn't ring true. It lacked a believably, both narratively and from just a common sense perspective. This is far better than the last book I picked up by Eddings, so at least on that front I'm not upset that I decided to give this a go. I'll probably pick up more books from them in the future, but this was definitely a swing and a miss.
March 18, 2024
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Goodreads giveaways for providing a physical copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I have mixed feelings on this one. For me, it was one of those romances with 'not enough plot.' There was a lot of sex and not a whole lot of talking between Opal and Pepper. For real, WAY TOO MANY sex scenes. They're attracted to each other, we get it. What about emotional connection? If I finish a book where the two MCs are engaged at the end, I would hope I have an understanding of how they will face any hardships or struggles that come their way. Opal ran away at one point, so you know that annoyed me. I loved watching Pepper stand up to her mom, though, and seeing Opal help Pepper through a horrendous migraine. Eddings's way of including the one bed trope was clever, too. Overall, it was a nice romance, but without the plethora of sex scenes it might have been labeled as YA due to the characters' minor developments and weak growth. I needed more substance.
I have mixed feelings on this one. For me, it was one of those romances with 'not enough plot.' There was a lot of sex and not a whole lot of talking between Opal and Pepper. For real, WAY TOO MANY sex scenes. They're attracted to each other, we get it. What about emotional connection? If I finish a book where the two MCs are engaged at the end, I would hope I have an understanding of how they will face any hardships or struggles that come their way. Opal ran away at one point, so you know that annoyed me. I loved watching Pepper stand up to her mom, though, and seeing Opal help Pepper through a horrendous migraine. Eddings's way of including the one bed trope was clever, too. Overall, it was a nice romance, but without the plethora of sex scenes it might have been labeled as YA due to the characters' minor developments and weak growth. I needed more substance.
August 26, 2023
everything about this made me cry, but mostly that this one passage in late bloomer made me think of my favorite quote from @kaitgrange on tiktok: “warmth can coexist with grief”, which in my life also fits so serendipitously with this one scene in the book. i think some books are meant to find you and give you hope, the same way that some people are meant to find you and give you hope. i’m confident that late bloomer is just that for me.
October 13, 2023
2.5⭐
When one of your most anticipated reads of the year falls flat... Ugh!
Listen. LISTEN. The premise of this books sounded SO promising. I was so excited for a neurodivergent sapphic love story that takes place on a FLOWER FARM (hello!!!), but this was so... forced? Cliche. Bland! The phrases "she giggled" and "she rolled her eyes" were used SO many times I wanted to rip my hair out. There were so many issues with the writing, the pacing, and the characters. Opal and Pepper's love story is based off of little to nothing. The only thing the have in common is that they are both neurodivergent! The opposites attract narrative did not land. The grumpy/sunshine trope missed the marked entirely. The chemistry just wasn't there for me. The conversations surrounding sensory issues should have been fleshed out more, in my opinion. There definitely needed to be more talk about how touches during s3x can sometimes feel wrong, off, too much, and just downright overwhelming.
I also really disliked the way Eddings painted us neurodivergent people as "disasters." The characterization of Opal was that of a "walking tornado" (I'm paraphrasing) and she's described as someone who bounds into people's lives and messes things up. Made me super uncomfy. I'm so tired of the narrative that every person with ADHD is a "mess" when it comes to taking care of their spaces, their appearance, their well-being. It's getting old.
Now I don't want to be remiss and not mention what I DID enjoy about this book. There are a few saving graces! The descriptions of grief were really well done. I also did enjoy that Pepper and Opal do not try to change one another. There is a coherent understanding between them that autism and ADHD are very difficult to navigate. It's also understood that communication isn't always easy when you don't have a neurotypical brain.
I really wish this book was better. I'm hoping that since this is an ARC, maybe some of the things I disliked will be revised. Fingers crossed the finished copy is a bit better.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
When one of your most anticipated reads of the year falls flat... Ugh!
Listen. LISTEN. The premise of this books sounded SO promising. I was so excited for a neurodivergent sapphic love story that takes place on a FLOWER FARM (hello!!!), but this was so... forced? Cliche. Bland! The phrases "she giggled" and "she rolled her eyes" were used SO many times I wanted to rip my hair out. There were so many issues with the writing, the pacing, and the characters. Opal and Pepper's love story is based off of little to nothing. The only thing the have in common is that they are both neurodivergent! The opposites attract narrative did not land. The grumpy/sunshine trope missed the marked entirely. The chemistry just wasn't there for me. The conversations surrounding sensory issues should have been fleshed out more, in my opinion. There definitely needed to be more talk about how touches during s3x can sometimes feel wrong, off, too much, and just downright overwhelming.
I also really disliked the way Eddings painted us neurodivergent people as "disasters." The characterization of Opal was that of a "walking tornado" (I'm paraphrasing) and she's described as someone who bounds into people's lives and messes things up. Made me super uncomfy. I'm so tired of the narrative that every person with ADHD is a "mess" when it comes to taking care of their spaces, their appearance, their well-being. It's getting old.
Now I don't want to be remiss and not mention what I DID enjoy about this book. There are a few saving graces! The descriptions of grief were really well done. I also did enjoy that Pepper and Opal do not try to change one another. There is a coherent understanding between them that autism and ADHD are very difficult to navigate. It's also understood that communication isn't always easy when you don't have a neurotypical brain.
I really wish this book was better. I'm hoping that since this is an ARC, maybe some of the things I disliked will be revised. Fingers crossed the finished copy is a bit better.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
June 29, 2024
If reading Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun and Late Bloomer this year has taught me anything, it’s that I have a type in romance novels: two neurodivergent sapphics in love.
What I loved about this story is that at one angle, Pepper and Opal are perfectly complementary—and at the other angle, they are contradictory opposites. Opal is a people pleaser, always eager to help others and get on their good side. Pepper is suspicious of others after being burned many times, including being manipulated by her mother. To her, Opal’s generosity looks like a trap. While they’re both neurodivergent (Pepper is autistic, Opal doesn’t have a definitive label), they have very different communication styles: Opal is bubbly and chatty, Pepper is more guarded and suspicious.
As you can imagine, they have difficulty living with each other, even as they can’t deny their chemistry. Their relationship often takes one step forward and two steps back. But what I liked about this dynamic was that their conflict all made total sense. They have a lot of miscommunication, but that’s because they have clashing communication styles. They are also both dealing with trauma that sometimes bumps up against each other’s in uncomfortable ways. And besides, they are trying to communicate. This isn’t a book where I was mentally yelling, “Just talk to them!”
While they have obstacles to overcome, I was rooting for this couple the whole time. They have good chemistry and obviously care about each other, so it’s worth getting over those hurdles. Also, this may be my favourite romance cover of all time. It’s gorgeous. It’s well worth the price just for that cover alone.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
What I loved about this story is that at one angle, Pepper and Opal are perfectly complementary—and at the other angle, they are contradictory opposites. Opal is a people pleaser, always eager to help others and get on their good side. Pepper is suspicious of others after being burned many times, including being manipulated by her mother. To her, Opal’s generosity looks like a trap. While they’re both neurodivergent (Pepper is autistic, Opal doesn’t have a definitive label), they have very different communication styles: Opal is bubbly and chatty, Pepper is more guarded and suspicious.
As you can imagine, they have difficulty living with each other, even as they can’t deny their chemistry. Their relationship often takes one step forward and two steps back. But what I liked about this dynamic was that their conflict all made total sense. They have a lot of miscommunication, but that’s because they have clashing communication styles. They are also both dealing with trauma that sometimes bumps up against each other’s in uncomfortable ways. And besides, they are trying to communicate. This isn’t a book where I was mentally yelling, “Just talk to them!”
While they have obstacles to overcome, I was rooting for this couple the whole time. They have good chemistry and obviously care about each other, so it’s worth getting over those hurdles. Also, this may be my favourite romance cover of all time. It’s gorgeous. It’s well worth the price just for that cover alone.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
July 5, 2024
Ummm why do I want to move to a flower farm now!?
I really loved this one. The two heroines meet because one buys a flower farm the other one lives at and works at. It wasn't supposed to be sold, but they compromise and she moves in while the other continues to live and work there. They're both going through a lot, but they quickly realize how attracted to each other they are. They know they shouldn't get involved, but they do! The cast of characters in here was really great and I loved how they both had to confront things in their lives and also their feelings for each other. The setting of this was perfect and this audiobook was just great!!
I really loved this one. The two heroines meet because one buys a flower farm the other one lives at and works at. It wasn't supposed to be sold, but they compromise and she moves in while the other continues to live and work there. They're both going through a lot, but they quickly realize how attracted to each other they are. They know they shouldn't get involved, but they do! The cast of characters in here was really great and I loved how they both had to confront things in their lives and also their feelings for each other. The setting of this was perfect and this audiobook was just great!!
May 27, 2024
"Hope doesn't hurt you. People do."
I was so lucky to get an arc of this sweet little book from Netgalley. I cannot thank the powers that be enough for pointing me in its direction! It's not something I would normally pick up, but don't let its summary fool you... because it's a gem in disguise. Much like Opal (ha! see what I did there).
Opal, long-standing nice girl, wins the lottery. She's a never-say-no-girl, an I'll-give-you-another-chance girl, a tender-hearted-hopeless-romantic girl. She's an artist, full of hope, and wanting to make a difference in small but effective ways. She's probably you, she's definitely me, and I loved following along as she tried to figure out what to do with... too much money to even grasp.
She does what all artists dream of and buys a flower farm (obviously), without realizing it's failing (because of course it is), that comes with an angry Pepper (not the kind that goes with salt). This of course leads into forced proximity hate to love that NOBODY!!!!! can get sick of. I was enthralled and I was so happy to be a part of their world 🌸🌷🌻🌹🌼
More importantly, it really touches on the "too-nice-girl" souls. It always seems to come across as an insult, when really, it's a super power. We hope for others to treat us with understanding and kindness because: "Hope doesn't hurt you. People do." & that should never feel like too much to ask for, to not be hurt for trusting someone to be a bit more empathetic to life.
Because sometimes we're an autistic florist who never understood what it could feel like to have someone love you unabashedly. Sometimes we're a neurodivergent artist who wins the lottery and can finally take the time to understand what happens in our brain. More understanding creates more love, and more love can only be a good thing. I loved getting to know Opal and Pepper, and I loved watching them get to know each other.
Most of all, I'm so happy to see Mazey Eddings thrive off such a special book. I enjoy a good authors note, but I love a passionate explanation of why a book being published can mean so much to them. You can really tell when an author puts their soul into their words, and Mazey, I felt yours!!! I can't wait to find more to love by you.
I was so lucky to get an arc of this sweet little book from Netgalley. I cannot thank the powers that be enough for pointing me in its direction! It's not something I would normally pick up, but don't let its summary fool you... because it's a gem in disguise. Much like Opal (ha! see what I did there).
Opal, long-standing nice girl, wins the lottery. She's a never-say-no-girl, an I'll-give-you-another-chance girl, a tender-hearted-hopeless-romantic girl. She's an artist, full of hope, and wanting to make a difference in small but effective ways. She's probably you, she's definitely me, and I loved following along as she tried to figure out what to do with... too much money to even grasp.
She does what all artists dream of and buys a flower farm (obviously), without realizing it's failing (because of course it is), that comes with an angry Pepper (not the kind that goes with salt). This of course leads into forced proximity hate to love that NOBODY!!!!! can get sick of. I was enthralled and I was so happy to be a part of their world 🌸🌷🌻🌹🌼
More importantly, it really touches on the "too-nice-girl" souls. It always seems to come across as an insult, when really, it's a super power. We hope for others to treat us with understanding and kindness because: "Hope doesn't hurt you. People do." & that should never feel like too much to ask for, to not be hurt for trusting someone to be a bit more empathetic to life.
Because sometimes we're an autistic florist who never understood what it could feel like to have someone love you unabashedly. Sometimes we're a neurodivergent artist who wins the lottery and can finally take the time to understand what happens in our brain. More understanding creates more love, and more love can only be a good thing. I loved getting to know Opal and Pepper, and I loved watching them get to know each other.
Most of all, I'm so happy to see Mazey Eddings thrive off such a special book. I enjoy a good authors note, but I love a passionate explanation of why a book being published can mean so much to them. You can really tell when an author puts their soul into their words, and Mazey, I felt yours!!! I can't wait to find more to love by you.
May 18, 2024
Found the characters and the romance to be shallow. It's all telling and no showing. Opal is supposedly great at every art form despite us never seeing her create anything (we see some finished products but they happen off page). The chemistry amounts to "hey you hate me but I think we should bang it out, like RIGHT NOW with zero build up." All the conflict that happens is easily told off with a few words like "Don't test me!" and the antagonists really said "wow, she sure told me" and just walked away content to never bother them again. HAHAHAHAH.
September 27, 2024
I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Late Bloomer” is a perfect example of don’t judge a book by its cover. I loved the cover and was sure this was going to be a great read. Unfortunately, that’s not how it turned out.
For a romance without a lot of plot it’s pretty critical that the characters make up for it and make you want to read. That isn’t what happened here. Both Opal and Pepper got on my nerves and I found them more irritating than anything else.
It starts out pretty badly. I was yelling at my phone by 10%. I can handle a lot of things but stupidity is not one of those things. Opal wins the lottery and decides to buy property, sight unseen, off of Facebook Marketplace. She has no one look at the paperwork, just writes a check and goes on about her day. My suspension of disbelief couldn’t handle that.
Opal is not a character I really sympathize with anyway. She’s a doormat to her friends and ex-boyfriend, like ridiculously so. It was so painful to hear her justify their awful behavior to herself and others. She has ADHD but it felt very stereotypical.
Pepper, while not quite as bad as Opal, wasn’t a favorite character either. She’s also neurodivergent and while it was quite so stereotypical, it also wasn’t fleshed out very well. Both felt more like caricature of people than actual humans. There was no depth, tension, or chemistry. It all felt forced and rather boring.
Also, the author used “she giggled” so many times. I’m sorry but grown women giggling all the time just sounds immature. Although, I guess that does track since I felt both Opal and Pepper were immature for their ages.
While I can’t recommend this there were others who seemed to enjoy it. I would take a look at other reviews and see if my issues were a me thing.
“Late Bloomer” is a perfect example of don’t judge a book by its cover. I loved the cover and was sure this was going to be a great read. Unfortunately, that’s not how it turned out.
For a romance without a lot of plot it’s pretty critical that the characters make up for it and make you want to read. That isn’t what happened here. Both Opal and Pepper got on my nerves and I found them more irritating than anything else.
It starts out pretty badly. I was yelling at my phone by 10%. I can handle a lot of things but stupidity is not one of those things. Opal wins the lottery and decides to buy property, sight unseen, off of Facebook Marketplace. She has no one look at the paperwork, just writes a check and goes on about her day. My suspension of disbelief couldn’t handle that.
Opal is not a character I really sympathize with anyway. She’s a doormat to her friends and ex-boyfriend, like ridiculously so. It was so painful to hear her justify their awful behavior to herself and others. She has ADHD but it felt very stereotypical.
Pepper, while not quite as bad as Opal, wasn’t a favorite character either. She’s also neurodivergent and while it was quite so stereotypical, it also wasn’t fleshed out very well. Both felt more like caricature of people than actual humans. There was no depth, tension, or chemistry. It all felt forced and rather boring.
Also, the author used “she giggled” so many times. I’m sorry but grown women giggling all the time just sounds immature. Although, I guess that does track since I felt both Opal and Pepper were immature for their ages.
While I can’t recommend this there were others who seemed to enjoy it. I would take a look at other reviews and see if my issues were a me thing.
June 6, 2024
One of the best sapphic romances I've read in a while. Very sweet, cute and tender. Opal and Pepper were magic together. I also loved the cottage vibes, it felt so magical.
March 5, 2024
a sapphic romance! from the lovely mazey eddings nonetheless 🤭 I was so excited to receive the arc of this and quite enjoyed it. however, there was still something i felt was lacking in this story, whether that was chemistry between our two leads or it simply could have been the story and plot line itself. it was good, but i feel like i kept waiting for it to be great…all in all she was cute and i DID finish it in one sitting so??
April 27, 2024
2 stars. This was certainly something. Not a good something but something. Honestly, I was so incredibly bored while reading this. The writing itself wasn’t bad but the plot was directionless and meandered. Nothing happens. I also didn’t like any of the characters. I do like that both were neurodivergent but also I kinda didn’t like how it was done. Both characters seemed to just be the worst of their conditions almost like stereotypes. Outside of that I found both to be insufferable and their characters were inconsistent personality wise. They were one dimensional and I didn't get to really know them because they kept changing so much. It was bizarre.
The romance also ended up being a flop for me because there was absolutely no chemistry between Opal and Pepper. Like none. It was all so awkward and stilted. The dialogue was the worst. So fucking corny and try hard. One of the characters says "dead ass" and I wanted to crawl out of my skin. I cringed my way through a lot of this book not gonna lie. The reviews are good for this one so take my review with a grain of salt I guess.
The romance also ended up being a flop for me because there was absolutely no chemistry between Opal and Pepper. Like none. It was all so awkward and stilted. The dialogue was the worst. So fucking corny and try hard. One of the characters says "dead ass" and I wanted to crawl out of my skin. I cringed my way through a lot of this book not gonna lie. The reviews are good for this one so take my review with a grain of salt I guess.
July 3, 2024
Les 45 premiers pourcents, choupi, cute, j’aime bien !
La suite, ça perd en crédibilité, les personnages n’ont pas d’alchimie et leurs discussions sont un peu wtf des fois, leurs réactions aussi.
Malus pour Opal dont j’ai pas du tout aimé l’attitude parfois ( pendant la compétition ???) et aussi pour un truc tout con :
Ça me soule les scènes de sexe dans les romances où les gens sont sales/pas lavés mdrr et ils disent « je suis pas propre » et l’autre répond « je m’en fous je t’aime comme tu es » oui mais non bro, ça n’a rien à voir, please hygiène, enfin soyez un peu réaliste la team.
Bref c’est peut être niche comme réflexion mais c’est pas la première fois que je le vois et ça me soule mdrr😅😅😅😅
La suite, ça perd en crédibilité, les personnages n’ont pas d’alchimie et leurs discussions sont un peu wtf des fois, leurs réactions aussi.
Malus pour Opal dont j’ai pas du tout aimé l’attitude parfois ( pendant la compétition ???) et aussi pour un truc tout con :
Ça me soule les scènes de sexe dans les romances où les gens sont sales/pas lavés mdrr et ils disent « je suis pas propre » et l’autre répond « je m’en fous je t’aime comme tu es » oui mais non bro, ça n’a rien à voir, please hygiène, enfin soyez un peu réaliste la team.
Bref c’est peut être niche comme réflexion mais c’est pas la première fois que je le vois et ça me soule mdrr😅😅😅😅
April 19, 2024
I loved everything about this book. There's autism/ neurodivergence rep. I found reading I related to a lot of the inner dialogue Opal had. The setting was perfect and there was such great banter. I really felt for Pepper.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the gifted copy.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the gifted copy.
April 16, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Summary:
This book is about a shoe-painting artist (why??) named Opal who impulsively spends the majority of her lottery winnings to buy a flower farm from Facebook Marketplace. She shows up and it turns out her irresponsible purchase from some rando turned out to be a scam (shocking!) and that someone lives there already who claims to be the rightful owner. They decide to live together while sorting out who is the rightful owner and of course, they fall in love.
My thoughts:
THIS BOOK BLOWS. Here’s why.
This started out cute and promising in the beginning chapters where everything is being set up. But then we get to the biggest chunk of the novel: Pepper and Opal’s boring interactions and their boring, boring repetitive sex. I was not convinced that these two had chemistry at all. They both felt very one-dimensional.
This book also utilizes dual POV for each chapter which didn’t feel necessary as it didn’t make me care about either characters more. Also in Opal’s own POV, she came across a certain way, but then from Pepper’s perspective, Opal was very different - so the character inconsistency did not make sense.
I need to mention this but the whole Opal is a shoe artist thing…? Like, is she the kind of person who paints on shoes that you see sold on Etsy...?? That alone did not make me take her seriously. She wanted to start a shoe-painting business (girl just go on etsy) which was barely mentioned and she didn’t seem to be making any real effort towards that.
Also if you’re gonna make her a shoe artist at least commit to the bit and bring up her shoe artistry more LMAO. I thought it was weird they emphasized that part of her character but never really dived that deep into it. They just used that as a point to be like “she’s artistic! ” like bro I’m not going to ask an etsy shoe artist who paints mediocre art on shoes to help me with anything creative. I’m an artist myself (not for shoes, thankfully) so this just really made me weirded out. It felt like someone trying to write about an artist who knows next to nothing about artists and just threw a dart at a board to choose what her speciality was.
I wanted to stop reading this book about halfway into it but I pushed on hoping that it would become more enjoyable at some point but spoilers: it doesn’t. I listened to this as an audiobook and fell asleep at one point while listening.
As for the sex scenes, if you can suspend your belief enough that a virgin is anywhere near good at oral sex and fingering, then you’ll enjoy it. Oh, and speaking of the sex scenes, there are a lot. I would say too many even. I couldn't care less about these characters and there was no build up or tension to the sex so every time they had sex I was just like, “Here we go again. Come on, ladies, let’s wrap it up.” and I wanted to skip past it. Like, come on- Pepper has gone through a lot. She needs therapy. The last thing she needs is constant sex from some situationship with a girl she barely knows who possibly holds power and ownership over the one thing in her life she cares about.
There are so many things in this book that bothered me and all I can say is that if this wasn’t in audiobook form, I would’ve DNF’d it immediately. When we got to them making a respectfully, I was ready to bow out. This book is cheesy in the worst way and the characters fall flat. I had high hopes for this but I’m sad to say, I don’t recommend picking this up.
Summary:
This book is about a shoe-painting artist (why??) named Opal who impulsively spends the majority of her lottery winnings to buy a flower farm from Facebook Marketplace. She shows up and it turns out her irresponsible purchase from some rando turned out to be a scam (shocking!) and that someone lives there already who claims to be the rightful owner. They decide to live together while sorting out who is the rightful owner and of course, they fall in love.
My thoughts:
THIS BOOK BLOWS. Here’s why.
This started out cute and promising in the beginning chapters where everything is being set up. But then we get to the biggest chunk of the novel: Pepper and Opal’s boring interactions and their boring, boring repetitive sex. I was not convinced that these two had chemistry at all. They both felt very one-dimensional.
This book also utilizes dual POV for each chapter which didn’t feel necessary as it didn’t make me care about either characters more. Also in Opal’s own POV, she came across a certain way, but then from Pepper’s perspective, Opal was very different - so the character inconsistency did not make sense.
I need to mention this but the whole Opal is a shoe artist thing…? Like, is she the kind of person who paints on shoes that you see sold on Etsy...?? That alone did not make me take her seriously. She wanted to start a shoe-painting business (girl just go on etsy) which was barely mentioned and she didn’t seem to be making any real effort towards that.
Also if you’re gonna make her a shoe artist at least commit to the bit and bring up her shoe artistry more LMAO. I thought it was weird they emphasized that part of her character but never really dived that deep into it. They just used that as a point to be like “she’s artistic! ” like bro I’m not going to ask an etsy shoe artist who paints mediocre art on shoes to help me with anything creative. I’m an artist myself (not for shoes, thankfully) so this just really made me weirded out. It felt like someone trying to write about an artist who knows next to nothing about artists and just threw a dart at a board to choose what her speciality was.
I wanted to stop reading this book about halfway into it but I pushed on hoping that it would become more enjoyable at some point but spoilers: it doesn’t. I listened to this as an audiobook and fell asleep at one point while listening.
As for the sex scenes, if you can suspend your belief enough that a virgin is anywhere near good at oral sex and fingering, then you’ll enjoy it. Oh, and speaking of the sex scenes, there are a lot. I would say too many even. I couldn't care less about these characters and there was no build up or tension to the sex so every time they had sex I was just like, “Here we go again. Come on, ladies, let’s wrap it up.” and I wanted to skip past it. Like, come on- Pepper has gone through a lot. She needs therapy. The last thing she needs is constant sex from some situationship with a girl she barely knows who possibly holds power and ownership over the one thing in her life she cares about.
There are so many things in this book that bothered me and all I can say is that if this wasn’t in audiobook form, I would’ve DNF’d it immediately. When we got to them making a respectfully, I was ready to bow out. This book is cheesy in the worst way and the characters fall flat. I had high hopes for this but I’m sad to say, I don’t recommend picking this up.
March 16, 2024
Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings
Contemporary sapphic romance.
Opal Devlin likes to do things for people. Even when she can’t afford it herself. Winning the lottery is a surprise bonus she never expected. She also didn’t expect friends to immediately expect a handout. Opal takes the money and buys a farm, thinking she can finally make her art into a business. But when she gets there, she finds that the farm is still actively growing flowers and Pepper didn’t know her mother had sold the property out from under her. Opal and Pepper agree to coexist on the farm while they both make decisions on their future.
Lots of life planning, some angst, a bit of loving, and quite a few flower arrangements and metaphorical flower analogies.
🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook when reading this story. The audiobook is narrated by Ellie Gossage. The performance is well done with distinct voices for Opal and Pepper as well as a couple of the secondary characters. Both the print version and audio also have chapter headings that tell you whose POV is being told. The different temperaments of Pepper and Opal come through clearly in the audio which helps in getting to know them both.
I enjoyed the sisterhood closeness and support of Opal’s sisters, Ophelia and Olivia. They are overjoyed at Opal’s winnings and drop everything to travel to her when she calls.
I’m glad Opal saw through her so called friend.
I also thought it was great that Opal was so supportive of the farm and the business.
Opposites attract romance with several depths of love and friendship and affection.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.
Contemporary sapphic romance.
Opal Devlin likes to do things for people. Even when she can’t afford it herself. Winning the lottery is a surprise bonus she never expected. She also didn’t expect friends to immediately expect a handout. Opal takes the money and buys a farm, thinking she can finally make her art into a business. But when she gets there, she finds that the farm is still actively growing flowers and Pepper didn’t know her mother had sold the property out from under her. Opal and Pepper agree to coexist on the farm while they both make decisions on their future.
Lots of life planning, some angst, a bit of loving, and quite a few flower arrangements and metaphorical flower analogies.
🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook when reading this story. The audiobook is narrated by Ellie Gossage. The performance is well done with distinct voices for Opal and Pepper as well as a couple of the secondary characters. Both the print version and audio also have chapter headings that tell you whose POV is being told. The different temperaments of Pepper and Opal come through clearly in the audio which helps in getting to know them both.
I enjoyed the sisterhood closeness and support of Opal’s sisters, Ophelia and Olivia. They are overjoyed at Opal’s winnings and drop everything to travel to her when she calls.
I’m glad Opal saw through her so called friend.
I also thought it was great that Opal was so supportive of the farm and the business.
Opposites attract romance with several depths of love and friendship and affection.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.
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