Late Bloomer

PUB DATE: April 16th 2024
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC audiobook copy of Late Bloomer! Here is my honest review.

Late Bloomer was such a fun and cozy low stakes romance! It's grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, there's queer and lesbian representation, as well as autism and nuerodivergent representation!

Words genuinely cannot explain how much I LOVED the neurodivergent representation in this book as a queer autistic person myself! I felt myself really relating to Pepper specifically and honestly she may be my favorite character in this entire book!

This book was a little cringey and cheesy at times, but regardless, I ate it up! I'm almost positive that this audio production made me love the book EVEN MORE! I love how truly southern some of the characters accents are, and the Narrator did a great job at bringing this novel to life!

I will say, this book made me realize how much I don't care about flower farms, or flower competitions, or flowers in general. So when anything of the sort came up I was a little bored, but not to the point where it was unbearable.

The romance between Pepper and Opal was so extremely cute! I did at times feel like there wasn't much chemistry between them, and I found their banter to be somewhat awkward, but by the end of the book I was absolutely in love with both of them and their dynamic!

If you're looking for a sapphic, cute and cheesy, cozy romance, Late Bloomer is definitely the book for you! The nuerodivergent rep was probably my favorite aspect of this book by far. Such a nice read!

This book is like a warm hug on a breezy spring day. Opal and Pepper stole my heart with their authentic portrayal and relatable quirks. What struck me most was the refreshing neurodivergent representation woven seamlessly into the narrative. The candid conversations they shared about grief and trauma added layers of depth to the story.

While Opal and Pepper shone brightly, some of the side characters felt a bit flat, veering towards caricature rather than complexity, which occasionally tipped the scales towards cheesiness. Nonetheless, familiar tropes like grumpy-sunshine and forced proximity added to the charm.

Ellie Gossage deserves a round of applause for her stellar narration, breathing life into each character with a special flair. And can we take a moment to gush over that cover? It's an absolute stunner!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to dive into this gem.

CAWPILE
Characters - 9
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 8
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 6
Logic - 6
Enjoyment - 9

Late Bloomer had me smiling a lot. Mazey Eddings makes life suck a little less when you are traveling with Opal. This isn't because Opal's life is worse. Opal is such a positive person that you need that kind of hope and enthusiasm for when times are down that kind of light in a person is so beyond welcome. I just love Opal.

Now Pepper is Opal's complete opposite (chuckle). This is truly a grumpy and sunshine story. I love their chemistry and their entire relationship from beginning to end.

I totally recommend Late Bloomer.

I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.