Hounded by fairweather friends after winning the lottery, Opal impulsively buys a flower farm amid cottagecore visions of opening her own studio. But there is already someone living at the Thistle and Bloom – thorny farmer Pepper, who has no clue that her home has been sold out from under her, and is certainly not happy to learn about it.
Firstly, take a good look at that cover. It is so pretty that I returned to it multiple times over the course of reading this book, just because I wanted to look at it again. I am a sucker for flowers, folks. Also cottagecore sapphics.
This is a comfortable, low-angst romance about two young women who feel like they’ve never properly fit in with the rest of the world, and how they put together their own. I loved the premise, the banter and chemistry between Opal and Pepper, and the humor. I also enjoyed how the author wrote their neurodivergence – how it comfortably and realistically permeated their perspectives without being depicted as a drawback.
However, I thought the characterization of Opal was inconsistent, and that both her sisters and Pepper’s friend group were rather thinly sketched. The pacing also felt uneven, with the first half of the story moving leisurely, and the second half galloping through the evolution of Opal and Pepper’s relationship. I liked where things ended for them, but I wish it felt more earned.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
