LATE BLOOMER

In this dual-perspective romance, Ellie Gossage ably performs both narrators with voices that fit their distinct personalities. Bubbly, optimistic Opal wins the lottery and uses most of her newfound wealth to outright purchase a beautiful flower farm in Appalachian North Carolina. But when she arrives at her new home, she discovers cynical Pepper, who has been living and working there since her mother abandoned her years ago and who expected to inherit the farm from its late owner. When Opal and Pepper begrudgingly agree to cohabitate, they fall in love in a take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. Both characters are neurodivergent; these traits manifest in different ways, which Gossage portrays effectively. S.P. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2024]