Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Meeting Mr. Adorkable
SERIES: Collier’s Creek
AUTHOR: Ali Ryecart
PUBLISHER: self published
LENGTH: 346 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 24, 2023
BLURB:
Two wounded hearts. One small town. A romance with the power to heal.
Dumped by his older lover and left jobless in the family business, life isn’t looking too rosy for Lucian, a sweet but awkward English florist. At rock bottom, he’s determined to make a fresh start, and the Wyoming town of Collier’s Creek might just be the place to do it.
After years living in New York’s fast lane, Arlo’s come home. No stranger to heartbreak, all he wants is a simple life after his relationship with a younger man crashed and burned. The last thing he’s looking for is love. Those days are long gone, and they’re never coming back.
But fate has other plans for Lucian and Arlo. A clumsy encounter in a cheesy bar, a spilled pitcher of beer, and their worlds are turned upside down. Life will never be the same again.
Will the reticent silver fox be the key to piecing together Lucian’s fractured heart? And will Arlo find the courage to open himself up and let the dorky Englishman restore his belief in love and life? Find out in this always heartfelt, often quirky, cross-cultural romance that proves age is just a number when it comes to affairs of the heart.
Six couples, six low-angst romances, six reasons to fall in love… Meeting Mr. Adorkable is the fifth book in the multi-author series. Each book is stand-alone, but if you enjoy swoon-worthy romance set in a small town, then stay awhile. You’ll fall in love with the men of Collier’s Creek.
♥♥ Meeting Mr. Adorkable is an MM small town, age gap, ugly ducking finds his inner swan, cross cultural, opposites attract quirky romance with plenty of snarky banter, heart and humor.♥♥
REVIEW:
This is a very cute and lowish angst story that brings two pretty opposite characters together. Both men have been through breakups that make them reluctant to jump back into the dating/relationship game. Lucian is a bit of a fish out of water having moved from England to Wyoming. He needs a break and a fresh start and he couldn’t have landed in a more different place. He’s temporarily taken a job a the local florist in Collier’s Creek. It’s a world away from his job back home. But a bad breakup and kerfuffle has led him to take this break away.
Arlo on the other hand has retuned home after many years in New York after a breakup. He needs a fresh restart as well. He’s got friends in Collier’s Creek, Hank and his matchmaker wife Francine, who are a wee bit too involved/invested in his love life. They (well Francine really) are continually trying to set him up, but he is more wounded than they realize and hasn’t been in the mood or attracted to anyone. That is until he’s doused with a pitcher of beer at the local bar. This very awkward meeting between the accident-prone and clumsy Lucian and Arlo is a bit of kismet 😉
Arlo finds Lucian to return a lost item and then he can’t get the man out of his mind. Despite his allergies and his fear of being hurt again, he find himself seeking out the younger man. As they spend more time together, it’s clear the attraction is mutual and they being a slow building relationship. There is humor and snark and steamy times for this intriguingly different couple.
The story is told from dual POV, so it’s easy to follow the storyline and understand the motivation of both Lucian and Arlo. Arlo is far from the suave Englishman and his penchant for getting into/causing accidents and mayhem continue from the first scene throughout the story. The age gap between the two characters is also a concern as their relationship develops, but it turns out they have more in common than not and they are there to support and encourage each other despite some of the other obstacles. Lucian’s family also weighs in with unneeded advice that nearly derail our two intrepid heroes. The development of their relationship as they get closer was believable and entertaining 🙂 And Peanut is adorable too! The epilogue is sweet and I really enjoyed their journey. For fans of age gap and small town settings especially, I think you will be rooting for Arlo and Lucian. Recommended.
RATING: 
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