Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  They Met in the Park

SERIES:  Meet Cute Chronicles

AUTHOR:  Nell Iris

PUBLISHER:  JMS Books

LENGTH:  62 pages

RELEASE DATE:  February 27, 2021

BLURB:

Can a spoiled little dog bring two strangers together?

The first time Jacke sees him, it’s a happy accident. He’s taken refuge in a quiet corner of the park, decompressing after a difficult day at work, when the man, dressed in a fancy suit, passes by him walking a spoiled little dog.

As the days pass, Jacke notices the adorable pair several times. He’s unable to take his eyes off the man whose first priority is the dog, even over his own comfort. And one day, when circumstances are right, Jacke takes a chance and speaks to the man. David.

David’s personality is as adorable as his outward appearance, and a short walk in the rain results in mutual attraction and a promise to see each other again. A second meeting in the park turns into a date, and Jacke starts longing for something he thought he’d never have; a partner. But does David feel the same? Will a chance meeting in the park turn into love?

REVIEW:

NOTE:  While this is the second story in this series, it’s completely unrelated to the previous story and is a stand alone.

Jacke enjoys his work as a stoneworker and he likes working with his hands and building things.  He’s not that keen on his job – or more importantly his boss.  So he’s taken to stopping by a local part to relax and unwind after work.  The fresh air and beauty of nature help him to let go of the stress of the workday.  In addition, he is intrigued by the man in the fancy suit who daily walks a tiny spoiled dog.  He seems very invested in his walks with dog and keeps up a constant conversation of encouragement.

David is a front of house manager of a fancy hotel.  He walks his elderly neighbor’s dog Princess daily as she has had some health issues and is unable to handle the walks herself.  Princess is a spoiled little dog but David loves her and he also cares for his neighbor and loves being able to help her.  He’s obviously got a good heart as evidenced by the care he takes of the little dog.

Finally one day, it’s raining a bit and Princess is not cooperating.  Jacke he’s his opportunity to speak to the man that he’s been surreptitiously watching.  He helps David get Princess safely through her walk and they seem to get along.  They agree to meet again in their place in the park and develop a bit of a pattern of seeing each other and share their contact information.  David accepts Jacke’s quiet ways and Jacke accepts David’s lively and talkative personality as well.  They have an ease with each other that neither has experienced before.  Both men are in their 40s and they’ve come to accept that maybe a partner isn’t in the cards for them.  But maybe, just maybe, they’ve just been waiting for the right person 😀

Yet another lovely short story romance from Nell Iris.  One of the things I appreciate most about these short stories is that early on we get a sense of the characters and understand a lot of their personality and motivations without some big info dump.  Enough is revealed from the Jacke’s POV and from David’s conversations that we understand what kind of men they are and why.  When they finally begin talking to each other, it’s really like they’ve just been waiting for this moment to arrive.  These men are as different as night and day, but they find in the other a soft place to land.  They really see each other for who they they are and they accept each other unquestioningly 🙂  They fit together and provide something that the other is looking for.  I just felt like this story was a nice warm hug.  Beautifully written and I was left with such a happy, calm and cozy feeling.  Recommended particularly for fans of shorter stories and those that feature more mature characters.

RATING:

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