LATE BLOOMER

After she wins the lottery, a woman’s spontaneous purchase of a flower farm lands her a surprise roommate, too.

Opal Devlin is known for being a people-pleaser, the type of woman who will do any favor a friend asks of her. When she unexpectedly wins the lottery, her phone starts blowing up with long-lost connections trying to get a piece of the pie—and making her wish she could get away from it all. When she finds an ad for a flower farm for sale in Asheville, North Carolina, it seems like the perfect solution to her problems. She buys Thistle and Bloom convinced she’s making the right decision for her future, not only acquiring a place to get away from the demands on her time and wallet but giving herself the space to pursue the full-time art career she’s always wanted. The biggest wrench in her plan? Thistle and Bloom already has an occupant: Pepper Boden has been keeping the farm afloat since her grandmother died, and she thought she owned the place—until her estranged mother sold it out from under her. Although Opal and Pepper hardly get off on the right foot, they agree to cohabitate until they can figure out who’s moving where. While Opal wants to use the farm as a backdrop for her painting business, she knows she needs Pepper’s knowledge and skill with flowers to ensure Thistle and Bloom keeps turning a profit. Living under the same leaky roof has its complications, however, not least of which is the women’s budding interest in one another, and their forced proximity leads to several delightful scenarios. Eddings’ latest romance is evidence of the author’s own blossoming, as she uses Opal’s and Pepper’s individual struggles and stark personality differences to explore important discussions about mental health and neurodivergence that don’t feel out of place. The characters have easily distinguishable voices, and their alternating perspectives offer a deeper look into this endearing, emotional love story.

Opposites attract in this sweet Sapphic romance.