Book Review: The Flower Shop Arrangement by R Cayden
Book Blurb
An opposites-attract M/M romance, full of heart and heat, and set in a little flower shop with enough charm to overcome any scowl.
When I inherit a building from a grandpa I’ve never met, there’s only one plan: take the money and run.
Enter Nicholas, the florist with the little shop downstairs. I’m an awkward loner of a carpenter, a straight guy who is totally out of place in this unfamiliar city’s gay district. I don’t know what to do with Nicholas’s easy smile or his hopelessly romantic worldview, so I just ignore how it makes me feel when he says my name.
But as I start on some quick and needed renovations, friendly and talkative Nicholas keeps catching my attention, and my eye wanders where I’ve trained it not to go. The future of his business lies in my hands and what I do with this old, falling-down building. I can’t afford to think about him this way, but we make each other smile, and desires I’ve buried for years rise back to the surface with every loaded silence and moment caught alone together.
Nicholas doesn’t let me grunt and trudge away. He surprises me one night with a proposal. Turns out, Nicholas with the sweet little flower shop has some desires of his own, and we might be the perfect match. With love and romance off the table, we can focus all our attention on the bedroom until I sell the building and leave town, and no one needs to know about it.
No commitment is perfect for me. I’ve spent my entire life building walls.
But the second I get my hands on Nicholas, they all start tumbling down.
Book Review
The Flower Shop Arrangement by R Cayden, is the first book in The Gayborhood series and is an opposites attract romance between Grumpy Carpenter Clay and Sunshine Florist Nicholas. Clay inherits a building from a Grandpa he never knew and is keen to sell it when he meets Clay who owns the flower shop downstairs. The two men are drawn to each other despite Clay considering himself an awkward loner. As Clay is new to the Gayborhood he also keen to explore a new side of himself when the opportunity present, while hopeless romantic Nicholas is also keen to explore his hidden side.
What begins as mutually beneficial feelings-free arrangement develops into something more. I really liked this story, and I thought both MMCs were great. I found Clay both adorable and frustrating in equal measure! It was really sweet to watch his journey as realised he wasn't straight and is low-angst as he embraced everything he did with Nicholas. It hurt to see how little he thought of himself but through his interactions with Nicholas and others in the Gayborhood he finally blossomed into who he was meant to be.
Nicholas was just delightful and I love how he was always mindful of Clay felt and the two of them had excellent chemistry and heat together. There was some drama, but it made the HEA all the sweeter when they eventually go together. This was a really sweet and enjoyable read. 4.3/5 stars
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