scijessreads

This book was joyful and messy and full of humor and heart. Opal and Pepper are two women who have very deep wells of emotion that they aren’t immediately great at expressing with others, or even with themselves, and it is so satisfying to see them both evolve throughout the story and yet also both stay true to the essence of who they are and love each other for it. The friends and family that surround them are wonderful and deserve more on-page time. Honestly, my only wish about this book is for more. More of everything, because Opal and Pepper are two characters that have so much more to explore and offer to readers.

The relationship was handled with such care, and it was refreshing to see something so real, raw, and beautiful unfolding between Opal and Pepper. Their hesitance with each other, and the nuance of both of their neurodivergent personalities, made the stakes feel real and alive. I loved the references to movies and music and the absolute delight our two protagonists found in making the other happy. The flower farm setting, Opal’s artistic endeavors, and the family and emotional baggage that they both work through, all of it is a means to see these two women bloom into versions of themselves that they need to be. Both individually and together.

There’s a line near the end, “and nothing is perfect but everything is right, and that’s all that matters.” This is Opal and Pepper – life, really – in a nutshell.

*I read this book as an ARC via NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own. Publication date is 4/16/24.