Late Bloomer is my favorite book from Mazey Eddings yet! When Opal wins the lottery, she finally has the opportunity to do what she wants for herself. As a people pleaser, Opal often finds herself helping people whether she wants to or not. When she decides to buy a flower farm, she is shocked to find the farm is already inhabited. Pepper is a bit of a grump, though Opal soon learns she has very good reasons to be. When it appears that they’ve both been scammed, Opal and Pepper must work together to save the flower farm. Surely any feelings they catch along the way are only temporary…? 

Late Bloomer is such a delightful sapphic romance. There’s forced proximity, shenanigans, and a sunshine/grump dynamic. Opal and Pepper have a lot to learn from each other and I enjoyed watching them gradually open up. Pepper is dealing with a lot of grief from the passing of her grandmother, one of the only loving and stable adults in her life. The way Mazey Eddings writes about grief is heartfelt and realistic. There is also excellent anxiety, autistic, and ADHD rep. This all seemed very thoughtfully done. The ensemble cast of characters created a warm and loving found family for Pepper and Opal. Opal’s sisters were also great and I enjoyed how they refused to let Opal get back with her terrible ex! 

Late Bloomer is a cozy romance, perfect for Stardew Valley lovers who romanced Emily or Leah (or anyone who imagines what it would be like to live on a flower farm!). I would highly recommend Late Bloomer to anyone who enjoys sapphic romance, forced proximity, and a sunshine/grump dynamic. Can’t wait to see what Mazey Eddings writes next! 

Thank you to Mazey Eddings, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.