Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute, funny and spicy sapphic read! I loved the neurodivergence representation with Opal and Pepper. I loved the way the author wrote the grief that Pepper experienced throughout this book. I really liked the speed of the romance between Opal and Pepper was going, it took a while for them to realise that they were attracted to each other and then to act on it, that really made me invested in them throughout the story

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Late Bloomer' by Mazey Eddings.

I've read a book written by Mazey Eddings before so when I recieved this ARC I was so excited. Sadly this fell flat for me and I honestly can't work out why. Eddings has such a cool writing style and I really did enjoy the beginning and end of this novel but the middle just kept losing my interest so I can't rate it higher than a 3 due to that.

Queer, neurodivergent women falling in love on a flower farm. I think this book might have been specifically designed just for me.
I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of ‘Late Bloomer’ by Mazey Eddings, one of my most anticipated books of the year by one of my favourite authors. It is a tender, hopeful story that is full of hilarity whilst remaining soft and sentimental. And there is sex in a greenhouse!

The sub-plots about the farm, Pepper’s grief, and Opal’s growing confidence create a complete and absorbing world whilst allowing the romance story to shine. Eddings’s writing is so emotionally strong; I always feel wrapped up in the feelings of each character. On a personal level, I was incredibly moved by Pepper in whom I saw both some of the most difficult and best parts of myself.

The writing is accessible, making the book easy to read, and still absolutely beautiful. I think that some of the references and language will date quite quickly, although I actually really liked how rooted in the 2020s it felt. There is some miscommunication between the protagonists Opal and Pepper - the perfect amount to create tension without being frustrating and leading to utterly exquisite pining that Iadored basking in.

I love the way Mazey Eddings writes neurodivergent characters. Pepper and Opal’s neurodivergences make them at times difficult and annoying but Eddings is clear that they are no less loveable for this. I tend to be quite sceptical and picky about disability representation in romance but ‘Late Bloomer’ portrays the characters’ disabilities as actually disabling them, without making the book About Disability.

It probably goes without saying by this point, but I cannot recommend ‘Late Bloomer’ enough.

I loved the relationship between Opal and Pepper, this made the book so easy and delightful to read overall. Definitely recommended.

3 stars - a cute grumpy/sunshine contemporary romance with Hallmark movie energy.

I've never read a Mazey Eddings book before but I loved her writing style and will definitely check out her other work! Opal and Pepper were both intriguing characters and I enjoyed seeing their different approaches to life and learning about their ways of thinking. The flower farm was a beautiful setting and definitely added to the story.

Although the book is written from both Opal and Pepper's POVs, they felt very similar and were hard to distinguish when reading. I also found many of the side characters were hardly fleshed out at all and didn't feel like real people. I would have liked the romance to be a little slower as it felt quite sudden, and the main conflict stemmed from communication issues, which I find a little frustrating.

Overall a fun, easy romance read - thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the arc!

"Late Bloomer" is a sapphic romance written by Mazey Eddings.

What a lovely read! Light, fun and effervescent, it made me smile, laugh and freak out repeatedly! Between an adorable small town, a hilarious grumpy x sunshine, a tasty forced proximity, and a mind blowing slow burn, I was completely absorbed! The neurodivergent representation of the two protagonists is beautifully portrayed and in addition there is a touch of angst that moved me in some scenes. The captivating and lively writing, the fast and brisk pace, and the presence of short chapters prompted me to devour it in less than a day, without moments of boredom or heaviness, making it difficult for me to tear myself away from the pages. Seriously, I cannot express anything but compliments!

The setting of Thistle and Bloom Farms is stunning! A farm with fields of beautiful flowers, immersed in the quiet of nature, away from everything and everyone! I was fascinated by the beautiful descriptions of this picturesque landscape, which I found extremely cozy!

Opal and Pepper, the two protagonists with their respective first person povs, won me over! They are two complex people, full of doubts and fears, whom I became very fond of! The development of the romance, with the various tropes I mentioned above, fully convinced me. I rooted for them, for the tentative, uncertain steps they take toward each other. Their interactions are tender and sizzling, the chemistry is mind blowing, and the spicy is really tasty! I loved them so much! In addition I also loved the secondary characters, well defined and likeable!

All in all, "Late Bloomer" is an adorable, fun and cozy romance that I really enjoyed!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for approving my request to read an arc of this book


I’m usually a fairly slow reader, but I devoured this book in one day and I enjoyed it so much! It was so lovely to read a book with two neurodivergent characters and such a wonderful cast of queer characters. I loved the set up for their relationship. One sided enemies and forced proximity to friends to lovers, it wasn’t rushed or dragged out, it was paced just right. I loved how Opal and Pepper’s passions for their special interests translated on to paper, I could feel the excitement and happiness as I read along and it just made me so giddy to read about such a supportive and loving relationship

This was such a gorgeous sapphic small-town romance, I absolutely loved it! Opal and Pepper were a breath of fresh air and I really loved the complexities within both of their lives and how they came together to make a life even better for themselves. They couldn't have fit together more perfectly and the chemistry was off the charts. I have never read any of Mazey's previous work, this is my first, and I can now confidently say it won't be my last. Mazey is such a beautiful writer and has a stunning way with words. I couldn't put the book down because of how beautifully descriptive and enchanting every chapter was. I would highly recommend this sweet and endearing read.

I absolutely adored this one! Late Bloomer is such a feel-good sapphic romance where two people come together in the most unlikely way and slowly learn how to lower their walls.

I really admired Opal’s level of self-awareness as she recognised her tendency to be a pushover and easy to manipulate. It was so important and worthwhile to follow Opal as she better learned how to establish better boundaries and make better choices for herself. Pepper was a breath of fresh air and I thoroughly enjoyed her perspective as we witness both her high and low moments in desperation to hold onto her grandmother’s farm. The chemistry between Opal and Pepper was instantaneous and yet, you really feel that their relationship is worked towards. Neither Opal nor Pepper are perfect, but they done the best that they could to maintain an open level of communication and I overall had such a lovely time with this book. The side characters were endearing, particularly Opal’s sisters, and Late Bloomer is filled with a cast of characters you can’t help but want to know and love.

I definitely recommend picking this one up when you can, and a massive thank you to the publisher for the early copy to review.

This was beautifully written and very sweet. I love the cover so so much! Opal and Pepper, my grumpy/sunshine babes, forced to live together on a flower farm, delicious tension! Such a beautiful depiction of grief, too, as Pepper deals with the loss of her grandmother and her relationship with her mother.

The way these two protect each other and push each other to be the best version of themselves was so special to read. I love them!

"I just wanna stay in that lavender haze..."

Late Bloomer is a super sweet, sapphic, grumpy/sunshine romance featuring two neurodivergent cuties. 

I adored both Pepper and Opal. They were both so endearing in their own individual ways. I just wanted to give them both a big hug. Plus, the chemistry between them was unbelievably adorable. 

I could really relate with how difficult both characters found communicating and processing their emotions. They're both smart, beautiful women but they're also very vulnerable and I loved watching their walls slowly crumble as they began to learn how to trust again.

I read this dreamy romance in a single day and I'm sad to say goodbye to both Pepper and Opal. I just couldn't help but fall for them.

Late Bloomer was a wholesome and giddy read that had me smiling the entire time! I devoured this in the span of a day and just felt so excited and lighthearted (which I desperately need right now) while I read Opal and Pepper’s story. Both women have my heart for different reasons— they were so adorably tender and flawed, a little chaotic and lost, and it just made them both so much more endearing. I really connected with both of them and that’s why the book was a winner for me. I didn’t really care about the plot because I was so enamoured with Pepper and Opal, but I did love the flower motif within the book. All of imagery it evoked elevated the already sweetly poetic writing. It was just an easy, adorable read!

Mazey Eddings in her sapphic era is truly a winning combination!!