The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa– Look, I think y’all should just go ahead and get this book. I think you will not be disappointed. It is funny, sexy, fast-paced, and emotional
Lina, the heroine, is a wedding planner. When the book opens she gets jilted on the day of her wedding. Her almost brother in law, Max, is the one who delivers the news. Fast forward three years and Lina and Max are forced to work together. Lina is not happy about this, but she also recognizes that Max is handsome. Lina plays some pranks on him as payback for what she thinks is the part he played in the destruction of her wedding. The pranks were never too mean though, which was great for me.
Max is kind of wonderful and maybe I have a serious case of heart eyes for him. Max SEES Lina and it was lovely.
“But you encouraged him to?” Lina’s mother asks. “I suppose. Maybe this won’t make sense, but I was a jack— jerk, I was an immature jerk back then. Listen, let me say my piece and then you can pick me apart all you want. I’ll take it.” She nods and motions for me to come forward with a flick of her fingers, as though she’s a character in a martial arts movie challenging her next opponent. The gesture confirms what I suspected: If I don’t talk my way out of this, she will kick my ass. I take a deep breath and do what I do best— identify a theme and sell it. “I don’t see any point in rehashing the past. Suffice it to say that if my brother truly loved Lina, he either wouldn’t have left her at the metaphorical altar or he would have found his way back to her.” I swivel around to speak to Lina directly. “Assuming you would have wanted him back, that is.” To her mother, I say, “But here’s what I know today. My brother’s a decent guy. He isn’t mean, he’s rarely rude to anyone except me, and he doesn’t fuss. I expect he’ll make a fine father and husband one day. But being in this family’s presence for less than an hour tells me that my brother wouldn’t have been Lina’s perfect match. You’d want her to have someone full of life like all of you. You’d want someone who would absolutely adore her. Who’d make her take down her bun and forget herself even for just a few minutes. Who’d make her cry, but only for the sappiest reasons.”
Lina has some issues with accepting love. Max has issues feeling like second best. They work them out. Oh and there is a scene where there is only one bed!
I hope that helped convince you to add this book to your TBR (if it isn’t there already). This book will rightly end up on lots of favorite lists later this year.
Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee
I already mentioned that this cover is so incredibly hot but the story was a lukewarm read for me. It felt like there was too much crammed into the story. It is 224 pages and in those pages we get fake relationship, familial adoption that is sort of contested, deceased parents & sister, grandmother who is mad at the hero, and some work issues. Because there were so many themes/tropes it felt like none of them were fully developed.
Garrett is on the verge of taking over his family’s company. His grandmother tries to force him into an arranged marriage, but he claims to already have a fiance. He needs a wide fast. He knows Natalie from work and she needs to create a stable family so she can adopt her niece. Natalie was so committed to being Sophie’s mom that we don’t even get to meet Sophie until the book is well past 30%. It made it hard for me to be invested in that part.
Lack of development on several of the plot lines did not impact the chemistry between Garrett and Natalie and my investment on them as a couple. I did want more though. But I am a greedy reader and I know this.
Overall the book felt a little scattered with too many things happening but it was still an enjoyable read. The author sets up the story of another couple and I am probably going to read that. I think I need to remember this this story is part of the Harlequin Desire category line and the many plot lines are a feature and not a bug.
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