ARC Review: Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Description of the book: 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?

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ (5)

This is currently my favorite book of 2024 and it might even stay that way!

The overall story was very sweet and warm, while there were also things discussed that were more serious, like grief and having a strained relationship with your parent. I loved all of the characters a lot and I really enjoyed seeing that relationship between the MCs bloom!

There was a clear plotpoint that we were working towards with some smaller storylines sprinkled in between. Like the storyline of Pepper's complicated relationship with her mother. It made me so angry and frustrated and it sometimes made me want to yell at my screen. Which I think is a good sign. The characters felt so real. I loved Pepper's character development and Opal's bubbly personality! Their personalities sometimes clashed, but they always come back to each other. I can't speak on representation from experience, but I did like to read about an autistic x neurodivergent relationship.

By the end I was fully sobbing, my heart full and blooming.

I can't wait to read more of Mazey Edding' stories very soon!

'Late Bloomer' is out now!

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