The Flower Arrangement

MM Contemporary Romance Novella (Pursuit of Love)

By: K. C. Carmine

Narrated by: Freddie Wills

Length: 2 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Heartbroken after a bitter divorce, Brendan finds solace in running his beloved flower shop. His vow to think twice before jumping into a new relationship becomes hard to keep when he meets Hugh, a flamboyant hairstylist with skillful hands and a cheeky smile.

Hugh has finally succeeded in opening his own salon, but the glow of his success is overshadowed by not having anyone to celebrate it with. When brawny, six-foot-three Brendan appears on his doorstep with a bouquet of exquisite flowers, Hugh is tempted to break his no-dating-clients rule. Their friendship blooms fast but so does Hugh’s suspicion of Brendan being straight.

One kiss changes everything though. Hugh’s world is set on fire, and even if Brendan gets cold feet, Hugh isn’t about to let go of what could be love. A story of second chances, idiots in love, and steamy jacuzzi scenes.

A standalone book 1 (novella) introducing the series of MM books from the contemporary Pursuit of Love series.

©2022 K.C. Carmine (P)2023 K.C. Carmine

Fun short novella!

4.5 Stars! For my second read through of this novella I listened to the audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job and both MCs were done so well.

This was a super cute, sexy, fun novella. If you’re looking for a short read after a long day and just need something easy this is absolutely a book for you!

I loved both Brendan and Hugh from the start. They were friends for a while and harboured secret feelings for each other so even though this was a short read their love and romance didn’t feel rushed or fake.

I loved all the different flower meanings and especially loved the FU bouquet! I am a huge fan of piercings in books so was super excited to discover all the secret piercings on one of the MCs! One thing I love in books is when the MCs just have fun with each other in the bedroom. There were so many laughs and funny sentences during their sexy scenes and love how you can feel the chemistry and rightness between the characters when that happens!

My only thing is that it was too easy because it was so short. Would have loved to have more time with the MCs! However, I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author!

Super cute

Oh, I just loved this!!! It was ultra romantic and swoony. This couple was adorable, and I enjoyed their beautiful journey. They were totally made for each other. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest opinion. The narrator did a great job bringing the characters and story to life. I enjoyed the accent too.

Spicy quick novella!

K.C. does it again!! The angst of this novella had me ready to throw the phone (if I didn’t need it) because of the idiocy of these two men. Granted, in Hugh’s defense, he was oblivious to Brendan’s advances, but there’s only so much ignorance one can use. But when they finally get their heads from out of their asses, fireworks erupted into flames of an inferno!!

Loved the narration, too! But, I also have a weakness for an English accent so he could have talked about physics and I would have been enamored. Either way, Freddie’s performance was honeyed and enticing. His ability to capture the emotion and energy of the characters, along with their personality was lifting. And the intimacy, his gravely and seductive nature sucks you right there. Amazing performance!!

Sweet & Sexy

I have to say that the audiobook had me falling in love with the story all over again. Freddie Wills gave voice to the characters that I heard while I was reading the book. The audiobook is short but it made cleaning, cooking and driving much more enjoyable.

I'll be waiting for more audiobooks from K.C. Carmine's books!

Hotter than a jacuzzi!

I first discovered this steamy short story as an ebook and loved it. Once I learned there was an audio version, I jumped on it!

The story is so much fun. Hugh and Brendan are both dynamic characters that you'll love from the beginning. Despite being such a short story, K.C. Carmine was able to write fully developed characters and love story that didn't feel rushed or lacking. The two main characters have actually known (and wanted) each other for a year. This story picks up right as they begin to realize they've both been a little dense and act on those feelings, so it's not an insta-love kind of story, which I appreciated.

The first half of the novella is them figuring out their feelings and what to do about the misunderstandings between them. The second half of the story is melt-your-device steam. Seriously, Carmine packed more heat than should be possible into a bathroom scene. But it unfolded naturally and didn't feel rushed or forced.

Overall, the story is sweet, fun, and swoony. Both MCs are incredibly likeable, though Brendan's loveable bear qualities are my favorite. As a narrator, Freddie Wills did a great job. The MCs are from different parts of London and he made their accents shine. I appreciated the authenticity there. And who doesn't love a British accent?

Give this one a listen when you need a quick, fun escape for a couple of hours!

loved it!

The Flower Arrangement is my favourite KC Carmine novel and I loved the book.

The audiobook made me fall in love with the book and characters all over again! Freddie Wills did an excellent job in conveying the humour and emotions of the two MMCs.

I absolutely adored this book

Slow-Burn Romance

I liked this novella. The flow, character development, and storyline were good. The panty melting scenes were hot. I liked the ending. The narrator did a great job.

cute and sexy

That was fun and lovely. Two guys who adore each other but are too shy to take the next step for a long time. The book begins when things finally get rolling and quickly becomes very sexy. A short and joyful read.

Absolutely Lovely!

Performance: Having Freddie Wills narrate this story is a stroke of genius!! He brings Brendan and Hugh to life in a way that only someone from the UK can. Listening to him speak, the emphasis on certain words absolutely brought a new dimension of the story to me.

Story: I think this was the sweetest story!! This is the first audiobook that I’ve listened to by K C Carmine. They way she wrote this couple, their meeting, becoming friends, all the way to Brendan’s kiss. It was completely fascinating to me. I was invested in their coupledom. I’m looking forward to listening more of her writing and seeing Brendan and Hugh again. I hope that Mr. Wills will continue to narrate for her works. 😉

Didn’t quite buy the connection between MCs

This little novella is definitely sweet and brought the heat. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite buy into the MCs connection, and therefore the spice didn’t work as well as it could have for me. The MCs are friends, but because all of their one-year-long-history happens off page, and it quite quickly jumps to spice, it felt a bit icky to me. Instead of ‘pining after my friend’ being the vibe, it came off as ‘sprouting wood every time my hair dresser (whom I barely know) breathes in my direction’.

Supposedly they had seen each other every month and texted in between, but that didn’t really come through. They felt like strangers.

It *was* hot though, and nothing really wrong with it I suppose (I’m feeling very critical and trying to reel it back in lol), it just wasn’t what I expected after reading the blurb. It’s surely perfect if you’re looking for something short and sweet with spice (and dick piercings!)

I thought the narrator (Freddie Wills) did a good job with it. The narrating bits between dialogue did sound a bit like a wildlife documentary at times, but that’s probably just the ‘formal’ vibe of the writing shining through.