Best Kind of Awkward

Collier's Creek #1

by Becca Seymour

A new job, a move to a small town, and it takes less than ten seconds to get hung up on the delicious single dad wearing gray sweatpants.

In my defense, he has the whole… package.

He’s fun and generous, kind and intelligent. He also agrees to help me coach the new youth basketball team. Does it matter that he’s clueless about the game? Apparently not, since I’m keen to spend as much time with him as possible.

Will Evans is a little older, no doubt a lot wiser, and he’s also distracting in the best possible way.

But there’s something holding us back. It’s not our chemistry, as together we are combustible. Which means that, like me, Will’s not fully opening up. But you know what they say about secrets. They can get in the way of happiness, and if we’re not careful, they’re going to sneak up on us and destroy any possibility of a future we may have together.

With the support of our busybody neighbors, the cheers of the youth basketball team, and the unwavering conviction that we’re meant to be together, we’re reminded that true happiness lies in embracing our vulnerabilities and daring to love with our whole selves is always worth the risk.

Six couples, six low-angst romances, six reasons to fall in love…
Best Kind of Awkward is the first book in the multi-author series. Each book is stand-alone, but if you enjoy swoon-worthy romances set in a small town, then stay a while. You’ll fall in love with the men of Collier’s Creek.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Sports, Contemporary, LGBT, M M Contemporary, Friends To Lovers

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2023

About the author

Becca Seymour is a British/Aussie author and the #1 gay romance best seller of the True-Blue series. Known for "steamy and endearing" and "emotionally profound love stories" (InD'tale Magazine) her books have been nominated for multiple RONE Awards.

Becca has a sweet tooth for marshmallow-hearted monsters, swoon-worthy supernatural studs, and everyday guys and basketball players with hearts of gold. If you like your MM romance sweet, spicy, and occasionally action-packed, slip into stalker mode and fall hard for her True-Blue and Minnesota Eagles men—and maybe a shifter or monster two.

Monsters & Mates
Solan | Kael | Varek

Zone Defense

No Take Backs | No More Secrets | No Wrong Moves | No Backing Down


Fast Break

Rules, Schmules! | Facts, Smacts! | Regular Smegular! | Easy, Schmeasy!


True-Blue 
Let Me Show You | I’ve Got You | Becoming Us | Thinking It Over | Always For You | It’s Not You | Our First & Last | Next For Us


Outback Boys 

Stumble | Bounce | Wobble


Fangs & Felons

Thicker Than Water | Weaker Than Instinct | Brighter Than Fear | Stronger Than Fate | Softer Than Stone


Stand-Alone Contemporary

Not Used To Cute | High Alert | Realigned | Amalgamated | Under the Blazing Stars | Best Kind of Awkward | Tastes Like Sugar | Caden & Theo | Full Tilt


REVIEWS:
"WOW! Simply, Wow! A funny, steamy and endearing story that should be put into your family of books. Something that you can read over and over again when you need a pick me up." The Book Fairy Reviews

"An intense connection that smolders" - JayReads
"This book was a slow burn and I loved it." - Steamy Book Momma

"Characters to pull for, a romance to give you feels, and enough steam to keep you turning pages..." - Romantic Reads and Such

"Emotionally profound love story with many laugh aloud moments." - InD'tale Magazine

"Becca had me cracking up laughing and smiling ear to ear." - HeidiLynns BookReviews

Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Kind of Awkward is the first book in the Colliers Creek series. This is by Becca Seymour. This is a series of six books by different authors, all focusing on the small town of Colliers Creek, Wyoming. Although I have several of Becca’s books on my to read list and even own a couple of them, this is the first one I have had the chance to read and I am just in love. I adored everything about this story!



Colton Green is thirty years old and is the new science teacher in Colliers Creek. He is also the coach of a brand new basketball team of ten and eleven year olds. Colton has a history that he wished he could escape. Moving to Colliers Creek was a fresh start and felt like it could be just what he was looking for. A small town where he could be happy. He was really enjoying coaching the kids. When he asked for volunteers for an assistant, his star player’s dad jumps in. He doesn’t know the first thing about basketball but the way he looks in his gray sweat pants makes up for any lack of knowledge.

Will Evans is a single dad and is thirty nine years old. He grew up in Colliers Creek but left for college and then his career. He’s been back for five years now with his ten year old son and they have a good life here. His son loves basketball and is thrilled to finally have a team to play on and being the dad he is, Will doesn’t hesitate to help the coach. Even though he doesn’t know the first thing about basketball.



Will and Colton were so perfect together. Their chemistry was off the charts. I adored them as a couple. They both have pasts though, things that they hesitate to bring up so early in their time together. And even though Will’s son already knows Colton and they get along great, he has to be careful about bringing Colton into their lives as more than his son’s coach.



They really did do everything right. But still, other things have a way of sneaking in to muddy up the waters a bit. The way everything was resolved was so cute and fun. I read this book in a day, only because I couldn’t put it down. I love small town romance and am already completely enamored with this little community. The next book is called Mandatory Repairs and is by Elle Keaton. I can’t wait to read it.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[Book Binge: Reviews by Melissa DaSilva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lately I have been in the mood for low-angst romances that have some conflict, so it’s not easy but it’s not heartbreaking either. Becca Seymour writes stories that fit this description so well and this one was well done as always! I also love how this book is not only linked to other books in the Collier’s Creek series but also to other books by this author!

Colton and Will’s story was wonderful. We get a little bit of almost everything in this book with an age gap, coach/parent, widower, small-town, some sports and even a few surprises! I loved seeing their relationship progress and I was so happy with their HEA!

There was also some humour in the book as well. The MCs are in their 30s and I loved one of their convos about how nice it is to have clean sheets on a bed as they make up the bed one night 🤣 same!!

I absolutely recommend this book and really look forward to reading other books in this series as well. And of course we see Cassius in this story who is going to be an MC in an upcoming book by this author and it only made me want his book even more. Can’t wait!

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really a sweet book. I love a slow burn romance and Will and Colton were wonderful together. I’m surprised I haven’t read more books by Becca Seymour I’ve certainly enjoyed the ones I’ve read.

[Dani (Daniiireads)]

- age gap
- parent x teacher
- widower
- small town

Colton, new to Collier’s Creek, is a high school chem teacher who coaches a youth basketball team in his spare time, which is how he meets Will, the father of one of his players.

The pair have an instant connection, one that baffles Will, who hasn’t really allowed himself to feel anything for anyone since his wife’s passing, but he can’t keep his eyes off Colton.

Sparks fly between them further when Will gets volunteered to help coach by his son, and tension rises as the two get to know each other better on and off the court.

Will & Colton’s story is fast paced, low angst, with a tiny dash of drama, but overall I really enjoyed it. I do wish their relationship had been a bit make drawn out, but these two were super cute!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colton & Will
Rating: 3.7⭐

- Single Dad
- Widower
- Age Gap (9yrs)
- Small Town
- Second Chances
- Basketball Coach/Parent
- Friends to Lovers

This was a sweet single dad romance in a multi author series. Colton is the new teacher in town and is also the new basketball coach. Will is the well loved hometown guy that came back with his son after the loss of his wife. Will has put many things to the side to make sure that he gives his son everything he needs, especially his time.

When Colton and Will meet, they're both instantly attracted to each other but they both have other things to worry about than trying to have a relationship with anyone. Will becomes the assistant coach, knowing nothing about basketball, and these two become fast friends. While getting to know each other and spending more time together, their relationship grows into more. They both have secrets though and it keeps them from fully committing to each other until the truth comes out.

Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
- Graphic sexual content between consenting adults
- Explicit language
- Mentions death of loved one due to breast cancer (past; off-page)
- Mentions incarceration of family member (past; off-page)

Verse: No
HEA: Yes
POV: Dual
Breakup: No, but a couple days apart
Cheat: No
OM/OW Drama: Yes, Will's best friend is in love with him
Ages: 30 & 39

[Heather MMRomanceReviewed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Launching another multi-author series, Best Kind of Awkward is a small town story with instant attraction, coach/parent vibes and a little bit of broken communication... it's got a good mix of mild angst and good connection. It's a quick read and a good introduction to the Collier's Creek world. I love Mav as a side character and the chemistry between Will and Colton.

I love these multi-author series because we get to see different glimpses of authors we know and also have the opportunity to find new-to-us authors too! Looking forward to seeing who else is finding love in Collier's Creek

[Lady Macbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Lovely story with little angst.
Colton is a 30 years old man, science professor and basketball coach; an injury preventend him from going pro, but, instead to be resentful, he uses his experience to help middle school children to play that sport. There's something dark in his past and it's hinted that his brother is in jail an that Colton has no contact with his own family.
Will is a 39 years old widower with a son who's in Colton's team, he came back to his hometown after his wife's death to let his parents help with Mav; Will accepts to help out during the training and he and Colton become fast friends.
They hit off instantly and soon they surrender to the attraction they feel for each other.

Sadly, this story didn't totally work for me because I didn't connect with Will: he's an amazing father and I appreciated that he still worked to set an exemple for Mav and I get that he wanted to wait to introduce Colton as his boyfriend, but his behaviour was a little cowardly.
He didn't talk to Colton about his real work nor about Kelly for months (and despite the author constantly says that the small town was full of gossipers, no one actually told Colton anything): I woould have get if he waited for some days, but months?
Second, how is it possible that he or his wife didn't notice Tony's feelings but Colton understood him after literally ten minutes?
The whole drama was unnecessary: what single father doesn't worry about his phone when he has a 10 years old son in another city? And why didn't he call Colton directly to the hotel room to let him know what was happening?

I don't know, it seemed that the one really invested into their relationship was Colton.
Anyway, luckily for them, they have their sweet HEA.

Overall was a nice reading, but it didn't enthrall me.

I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

[Edga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story, with two incredibly likeable MCs. It's a heartwarming read filled with passion, humour, a second chance, regrets, new beginnings and special moments. Will is such a nice guy, a real sweetheart, and a widowed single dad. Colton is the perfect match for him. There's very little angst present in their story, literally just a smidgen. I thoroughly enjoyed the basketball training sessions, and how the students reacted to Colton. It showed what a great guy he is. I also enjoyed that Becca included some of the characters from her previous books, I love Easter eggs. Nice story, with a lovely HEA.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this delightfully sweet small town romance between two very likeable characters.
Will (39) is a single dad who’s so sweet, especially when he blushes. Colton (30) is the new science teacher/basketball coach who relocated to Colliers Creek for a fresh start. Will volunteers to help with the basketball team and the attraction between them builds as they laugh, joke and just be themselves with each other. They jump at the chance to share their limited time together and soon enough the sweet and tender moments become more heated. Will and Colton are so sweet together and after a minor bump along the way they get a beautiful HEA.

This is a low angst super sweet romance with a great cast of characters that held my interest and kept me invested from start to finish. I adored the sometimes bumbling and blushing side of Will and the happiness that he and Colton found warmed my heart.

This is the first book in the multi author series and I look forward to more.

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️Book one of the Colliers creek series which Ive waited for.
A great start to the book with Will having no idea how to play baseball. An instant attraction buzzes between them at the first meeting. And maybe at their second meeting especially with some tight sweets-pants.
Colton 30 yrs was coaching the U12 basketball and really needed volunteer help with the team.
Will 39 yrs was a parent to one of the kids and worked at a cafe but wasnt all he did.
A fantastic book to read, I was caught up reading this that I forgot to take notes for the review. But I absolutely loved the ending of this book.

[Molly Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say, but Colton and Will, along with Mav, now own a piece of me from this beautiful small town romance. Colton moves to Colliers Creek after his life is upended by poor decisions from his family to start a new fresh start, where he meets akward widower Will and his son Mav. The two bond over starting fresh , and just going for what makes them happy. Truly a beautiful low angst read, I can not wait to see what's next in this picturesque town.

[read_romance.withgloria Gloria Worlikar · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was my first book from the author and I loved her writing style and how beautifully the characters were written, I am looking forward to checking out more books from the author. One of the reasons I wanted to dive into the Collier's Creek Series is that I was looking forward to getting into a small-town romance series and this series was just what I was looking for.

Best Kind Of Awkward by Becca Seymour is the first book in this series and was so amazing that I devoured it in just a few hours. This story is about Will & Colton, Colton has recently moved to Collier's Creek and is a teacher in the town school and coach for their new basketball team; whereas Will is a single dad to his ten-year-old son who is in the basketball team.

Colton & Will had amazing chemistry, even when they initially started as friends, their attraction was just over the top. The sexual tension between them was so amazingly written, I liked it so much. I liked how Colton could read Will so easily and was patient with him even when he wanted to know about his past with his wife and other stuff, he never pushed him. They both had their past but they were so perfect for each other and I was glad they found their happily ever after.

This book was just so beautifully written and a great start for this series and I am looking forward to other books from this series and also Cass's story because I loved his character so much.

* I received an ARC copy from Neon Rainbow Reviews and this is my honest review *

[Claire Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Becca Seymour's novels and Best Kind of Awkward was no exception. The first in a multi-author series Collier's Creek set the stage nicely for the rest of the series.

Colton and Will made a great team and a sweet couple. Mav, Will's 10-year-old son was an adorable addition, I enjoyed the interactions between them all and his adoration of Colton his cool coach. This was a sweet, low-angst read set in a small town where I found the people who lived there to be a supportive bunch, who though a bit nosy, didn't interfere or spread gossip around.

I loved the chemistry between the two men which was there right from the beginning and I enjoyed the build-up in their relationship and how the issues that came up were dealt with. Will's deceased wife must've been a wonderful woman and I loved that she laid the groundwork for Mav to accept that one day Will would meet a man or a woman and fall in love.

Including Cassius as Colton's best friend was a nice touch for those of us who have read No Wrong Moves book 3 in the Zone Defence series.

I just know Colton and Will are going to live HEA and Mav will go on to big things with his basketball.

[Fernanda Parente · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!! My first book from this author and it's such an amazing book
Colton and Wiil meet through Will's son's basketball games that Colton coaches. What starts out as a collaboration between the 2 becomes an attraction.
But there are secrets separating them... Or is love above all?

Will and Colton are so adorable together and that small town is a dream come true
Can’t wait for the next one.
Highly recommended

[Damian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay read.

I started reading this book, and I was engrossed in it till chapters twelve through fifteen. It was as if a teenager had written them. Too much inner mind thinking when there are two people present to carry on a conversation. Also, there was too much drama. Those chapters need to be rewritten or thrown out. I'm not sure why this author always feels the need to appease certain readers. The story between Will and Colton is good. They both have baggage that they carry, but need to talk about their problems so their relationship can move forward.

[Raven and Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love multi-author series, especially when I like several of the authors involved already. One of the things I enjoy about it is the way some characters pop up across books and they even often get tied into other unrelated series. Gives me so much more to read! Anywho…Becca Seymour has done it again with these characters. Colton and Will grabbed onto my heart and didn’t let go. These two had instant chemistry and despite not 100% talking about everything, they didn’t give up on each other. Colton is trying to settle into a small town and start a new life while Will is a bit stuck in a holding pattern after the death of his wife. Kelly really felt like a silent 3rd person in their relationship and I thought it was very moving. I may have almost cried once or twice, but this book was oh so good; a balm to the soul if you will. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the books set in Collier Creek!

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Story

I enjoyed this entire story from start to finish. Will and Colton are so sweet together and so is their story.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Theodore · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @90%

Man, this really had the bones of a good story but there was just too much left to the reader's imagination and everything just felt so fleeting and fake.

Why did we skip over Colton and Will's first weekend together? It's supposed to be a pivotal time because it's the first time they're spending an extended amount of time but it's just timeskipped over?

Then we essentially skip over most of the time Will and Colton spend with each other to have them be comfortable enough to fly over to Boston together (which we also didn't see Will asking Colton)

Then when they're at Boston, the POV follows Colton as he just wastes time in the city instead of following Will's POV of meeting with Tony, which would've been a more interesting scene to further define to Will and Tony's relationship.

We timeskip over Will trying to help a drunk Tony, which I guess could've been for dramatic effect since its absence could've implied him choosing Tony over Colton, but since it's revealed in the very next chapter anyway, it just feels cheap and rushed.

Another timeskip happens when Will finds Colton's file. Instead of us seeing his reaction and anger at Tony, we just start at Will driving back home thinking about when he found file. It would've been nice to see the pivotal moment when he came back to an empty hotel room with the manila folder on the bed.

Also, the whole Will doesn't respond to Colton because his phone was soaked doesn't really fly with me. Will could have like sent an email or something. I get his phone was dead but technology for communication isn't really that hard to come across these days (a library, presumably his office)

Yet another timeskip when Colton lands in Denver and meets up with Cassius. We don't get a reunion scene and instead just start off right before the charity auction which Colton is blindsided by (which should've been explained when he first met up with Cassius)

All that leads to Will betting 100k on Colton's lap dance and I just did not have enough investment in either person to care.

There was so much potential here. Will trying to fight against being just the widow label that was put on him. Colton trying to escape his brother's reputation. None of those really mattered since they're not shown in any interaction with their community.

The relationship felt flat because so much of the individual dates and time together was just handwaved into the exposition.

Tony's confession would've felt more impactful if we were able to see Will's actual reaction to it as opposed to just his retelling.

Also, there were too many one off named characters that I assume are for the other books. For a small town series, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't really get a cast of recurring locals.

I'm also disappointed that we barely got any scenes of Maverick interacting with either of the MCs. The basketball team thing was literally only so that there could be a reason for Will and Colton to meet. It dropped off once it served its purpose which further contributes to the ephemeral feeling the story gave me.

[InsatiableSuccubooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet premise but story was all over the place

The characters were sweet, but the story jumped around, skipping ahead over important scenes. There was major inconsistency with the best friend, how he went from happy and welcoming to angry, heartbroken. It didn't make sense and felt like it was thrown in just to make the story longer or give it some angst.

Overall, while there were some really nice moments and I enjoyed the premise and MCs, the time skips and inconsistent best friend drama made it feel more like a rough draft than a finished story.

[Julie Underhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Kind of Awkward by Becca Seymour is the first book in the Collier’s Creek series by various authors. Will Evans is a barista in Collier’s Creek, Wyoming, even though he doesn’t need to work due to owning a lucrative company with his best friend in Boston. His wife had died leaving him with his 10 year old son, Maverick, and he moved back there because he was burned out and to be closer to his family and it was where he grew up. Colton Green has moved to Collier’s Creek due to problems with his family. He is a high school science teacher and also a great basketball player and he is coaching the first basketball team the town has had, filled with younger players learning the game. Mav was on the team and that is how he met Will, who became his assistant coach. The really hit it off and soon started to see each other more and more outside of coaching and eventually wanted to see where a relationship would lead them. Everything was going well until Will had to take his once yearly business trip back to Boston to meet with his business partner friend and took Colton with him. That was when he found out how rich Will was, even though he never flaunted it, and there was also a problem with his friend that almost caused a breakup. Both men were miserable and needed to solve the problem. That is where their friendly neighbor and Colton’s friend, Cass, came in and got them to where they needed to be to figure everything out and find their way to their forever together, and it was a very funny yet poignant way that that happened. I really enjoyed this story. Will was often red faced over what was happening and was truly grieving his wife and had to figure out that it was OK to move on, especially with what he was feeling with Colton. Colton was a good guy trying to get past his family problems and was a great teacher and coach. Everyone looked up to him and he was really happy that he found Will. Mav and the other kids on the basketball team were pretty funny and Will and Colton’s friends were there to help them. There was some angst concerning what happened in Boston and the story had a great ending. Also the love scenes were hot. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading more in the series because Collier’s Creek seems like a great place to live where couple’s can find love and start their lives together.

[Sara Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unimpressive/lackluster** Instead of being in the moment and reading about it we got to read about it after it happened. EXAMPLE: There was a big buildup about Will's best friend being in love with him. Did we get to read dialogue for the confrontation? NO!! We got to read Will's thoughts after the confrontation. **It is a cop out for authors too lazy to create the dialogue for it.

If the author can write 2 pages of dialogue on eating veggies and what burger to eat at a restaurant, she could have at least given me closure for Will and Tony! I wanted a big blow-up of dialogue the heartbreak for Tony.
Will should've been down on his knees apologizing after what he did to Colt.

**On another note
You're telling me they ran Colton out of town because his BROTHER stole $10,000 and Colton turned him in after getting hospitalized?!?! BULLSHIT

Major spoiler below







Will and Colton fly to Boston to meet Tony and work. While Will is "working"/ drinking with Tony Colton wanders the city. Colton finally meets up with them and Tony is a complete dick to Colton. They leave the bar and spend the night together, their first time penalty scene. The next day Will leaves Colton at a coffee shop to meet Tony. They ended up spending the day drinking instead of working. Will fails to bring up Tony's feelings for him. After getting drunk Will remembered he was supposed to go on a date with Colton. Trying to sober up he calls Colt to help him get Tony home. When Colt gets there Tony drunkenly confesses his feelings, kinda hits on Will. Frustrated Colton goes to fetch keys and a wallet and stumbles on a file about himself so he goes back to the hotel instead of helping Will. Will understands and says he will be there in 45 mins instead he never shows up. He fell asleep at Tony's worried about leaving him alone. His phone was lost so he doesnt make an effort to contact Colton to let him know. ***He could have called the hotel from any phone.
Colton ends up flying home alone and heartbroken. Will confronts Tony(off page) eventually flies home........not enough apologies happen and Colton forgives him. Each confessing their love.

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet!

This is the second book I’ve read in the Collier’s Creek series and I loved it. The books can be read in any order and you won’t feel lost. Best Kind of Awkward is actually the first book released in the series but I read it after I read the second one that was released.

I’m a sucker for a single dad romance and this one is really great. Will has been back in his hometown of Collier’s Creek for about 5 years. He left Boston so that his son Mav can spend time with his grandparents. He didn’t expect to get involved with coaching Mav’s fledgling basketball team – he really doesn’t know much about basketball. When he meets the coach of the team, they make a connection that he’s not sure he’s ready for.

Colton moved to Collier’s Creek to get away from a bad family situation. He’s never coached such young kids before but he’s really enjoying it. He enjoys it even more after the hot dad of one of his players volunteers to help with the team.

Both Colton and Will have secrets that they need to reveal if their relationship is to continue to grow. I’m afraid if I say too much more it will a bit spoiler-y. Just let me say that the story held my attention from start to finish. There were a lot of feels in this book – some brought happy tears and a few brought sad ones for what these guys had to go through. The story is relatively low angst but it wouldn’t be nearly as good without some conflict.

Best Kind of Awkward has a wonderful HEA and the epilogue set five years in the future was the icing on the cake. I always love getting a glimpse of the MCs months or years later to see how things are going for them.

A copy of this book was provided to me at my request and my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Independent reviewer for GRR, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 1 in the Collier's Creek series, a multi-author series based in a small town. There are 6 books.

Colton is new in town, teaching basketball and science and Will is a returnee to town, single dad to 10 year old Max, after the death of his wife, 5 years earlier. Spaks fly when they meet, and the rest is history.

I loved the low angst in this book, SUPER low. It made for a very enjoyable read! I loved that Colton knew Will was keeping something from him, and he waited Will out, til he was ready to tell. Loved that, when he finds out, Colton doesn't hold that against Will, just takes it all in his stride.

It's super smexy, but in a sweet way. Will hasn't been with a man before, and I loved that things flowed naturally between them. I enjoyed that some of it was faded to black. I liked that for these two. There is a time and a place for super hawt and smexy, but Collier's Creek ain't it!

Will's business partner was the only real stumbling block, and really only because Will couldn't see it!

Max was a star, taking in that Dad has moved on from mum, and is with Coach. Very much loved that Max' mum had prepared him for this point in time, and Max was like: Alright then! And i agree that Kelly would have loved Colton.

There is an epilogue, 5 years later. Some things are thrown in that epilogue that I would have liked to have been privvy to before that point, but I see why things were left as they were in the main book.

A delightful read, a great introudction to this series. Very much a Seymour book though, and I really did enjoy it.

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere

[Canadian Girl Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙛𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙩𝙤𝙣'𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙚, 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮.

BEST KIND OF AWKWARD by Becca Seymour, book one in the Collier’s Creek series, is Colton and Will’s story.

Colton is the new science teacher and basketball coach in town and looking to try and start his life over again.

Will is a single dad who is trying to make the best life he can for himself and his son.

Colton and Will stumble through their first meeting a little awkwardly which quickly turns into a wonderfully sweet connection that builds nicely throughout their story.

Colton and Will definitely hit a few bumps along the way to their happily ever after but make it through pretty smoothly. Their story definitely hit me in the feels and had the pages blurring at times.

Get ready for… mm, sports (basketball), coach/parent, single dad, age gap (9 years), instant attraction, bisexual rep, told from the first-person dual point of view.

Warning… death (partner, cancer)

4.5 Maple Leafs / 3 Flames / 3 Tears

*A copy was kindly provided to Canadian Girl Book Blog*



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[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m already a huge fan of this author, and I love small town romances and shared worlds. Best Kind of Awkward does a great job in setting up Collier’s Creek as somewhere I’d love to visit, and giving a glimpse of other characters who will be getting their own books. I hope we see some of Will and Colton in the rest of the series too, as I loved their story, couldn’t put it down, and read it in one very late night sitting.

Both Colton and Will have been through a lot, and are well overdue for their HEA. I loved how this book was very much about family, but at different ends of the spectrum with Will’s being wonderful and Colton’s very much not. I thought Will was a great dad, and I enjoyed his interactions with Mav, and Colton’s with the team he coaches. I love how Will is a lot more than he seems too, and Colton’s reaction when he finds out.

I figured Colton’s past would come back to bite him. I loved the way that was handled in this story, which wasn’t how I expected. I loved seeing characters from other books by the author, especially Cass, who is a lot of fun. The scene at the auction is priceless.

Will’s parents are great. I love how they’re supportive, and encouraging. One of the highlights of the story, apart from Will and Colton’s relationship, is how present Kelly is. She’s left a fabulous legacy and will always be a part of their lives.

I’m already looking forward to my next trip to Collier’s Creek and its neighbours who know everything and do what needs doing to ensure a HEA.

[Bill Bottomley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free advance copy for review purposes.

Colton is a high school science teacher who finds himself pressed by the principal to coach 10-/11-year-old basketball. In college, he was headed toward the pros, but an injury ended his career. At the end of the first training session, one of his charges, Mav, helps him clean up. When his father, Will, shows up to collect him, it turns out he’s a fox. Colton runs into Will at the coffee place where he’s working as a barista. Unbeknownst to Colton, Will is a widower and is very wealthy as a result of being a silent partner in a cyber security company that he founded to his business partner, Tony. On his side, Colton has not told Will that he has a brother who is a felon locked in jail, who is the reason Colton has ended up in the small town of Collier’s Creek because thanks to him, Colton lost his job and his accommodations. Most of the book goes along swimmingly though there are some areas of angst. They manage to overcome them on the way to a happy ending.

The plot moves along relatively logically but I couldn’t always follow. I really liked the main characters. The secondary characters were important to plot development and even supply surprises. This is the first book in a multi-author series and in my opinion it’s quite successful.

[Kiki Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC Review***TheBest Kind of Awkward by @authorbeccasteele is the first book in the upcoming multi-author Collier Creek series set in a picturesque Wyoming village.
Colton is a science teacher and youth basketball coach who’s relocated from across the country. An inconvenient family member made his last job untenable, and he’s ready for a new beginning. Bringing basketball to a football-centric town is the type of challenge the former player is up for!
Will is the dad of one of Colton, most promising players, Mav. This hottie in the gray sweatpants is a widowed barista with a secret. He’s quickly recruited as an assistant coach, which gives them both plenty of reasons to spend time together…
This is a small town, low angst story. I liked that both characters where in their 30s, and had a bit of life experience. And that Will could still grieve for his wife - you can move on and still miss what you had, especially if it resulted in a great kid.
The town itself sounds lovely- and who can’t appreciate the importance of a good cup of coffee?
I enjoyed this lovely tale about starting over and finding love when you least expect it.
Colton and Will were sweet and steamy together, and their HEA is wonderful. Expect all the emotions in this one!
This series is off to a great start and I’m looking forward to future visits to Collier Creek. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

[meep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best Kind of Awkward is the first book by Becca Seymour in a multi-author series entitled Collier’s Creek which will have 6 books.

Colton moves to the small town of Collier’s Creek to escape his brother's crime. There he gets a job as a Chemistry teacher and is almost forced to start a basketball team at his school. There he meets Maverick who is talented despite never playing before. While looking for parents to help assist him with the team, Maverick's father, Will, decides to sign up to spend more time with his son. Colton and Will soon start spending time together and realizing they actually like one another.

I really liked this couple. Colton and Will clicked together and had wonderful chemistry. I did, however, wish we could have seen into their life together a bit. Maverick finds out about them dating, then it pretty much shoots to the epilogue and they are married. We barely see any interactions with Will, Maverick and Colton and a super brief intro from Will's parents to Colton which we did miss since they were such a big part of Will's life.

Overall, it was a good story and I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series since this was such a good start. It was my very first Becca Seymour book as well so I will definitely be trying out others.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

[AshPenny37 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to Collier's Creek! The Best Kind Of Awkward is book one in this shared world multi author small town series. In it, we're introduced to Will, a barista at the local coffee shop and Colton, the newly arrived in town science teacher/school basketball coach. Sparks fly straight away when these guys meet courtesy of Will's son (Mav) being on the basketball team but there's lots of communication and getting to know each other to back up the insta attraction. That is, communication up to a certain point as both men are hiding something they know they should tell the other about, but don't want to from fear of either rejection or that he'll react in a certain way.

I like that these characters have these insecurities that lend the awkwardness to their growing relationship, and that they're a little bit more mature (30 and 39). That said, Will's absolute obliviousness to some things and his reticence to deal with them lends an angle to the story that doesn't really work for me as it feels like wannabe angst that's not angsty which results in a resolution that wants to be a grand gesture but doesn't want to be one at the same time. In the end, that kind of made things fizzle out for me.

So, in my opinion, this quick and easy, sweet single dad/teacher encounter gets 3.5*.

An ARC was provided by GRR. This is my honest review.

[Roger R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great start to the “Collier’s Creek” series by several authors. The story was written by Becca Seymour. All the stories are stand-alone but you will recognize the minor characters who are the main characters in their respective books. I have enjoyed reading stories that features a DILF. This one was a very good reading. I loved the twist near the end of the story and the climax which was very sweet! 5 stars reading from me!

The story focuses on Colton, a basketball coach for tweens. He had a past which was the cause for him moving to Collier’s Creek. You’ll have to read to find out what it was. He was crushing on the dad of one of the players. That player was one of the most eager to please Colton. He would help Colton with getting practice equipment squared away. That would give Colton couple minutes to oogle over that hot DILF.

That hot DILF would be Will, who had relocated back to his hometown after the death of his wife and his son’s mother. Will had realized he was bi and he was oogling over his son’s basketball coach. He decided to volunteer to be Colton’s assistant but he knew almost nothing about basketball. That didn’t stop him and that didn’t stop Colton either.

I’ll just go ahead and stop right there and have you pick up the book to read to find out what happens! A very good reading!!!!