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Best Men
Max Moody dacht dat hij het allemaal voor elkaar had. Hij woont in New York City en heeft de beste vriendin die hij zich kan Paige. Hij kent haar al zijn hele leven, sinds ze als kind buren waren in de suburbs van Chicago. Paige is een feestbeest, ze kan zijn zinnen afmaken en ze is er altijd voor hem. Er verandert nooit iets tussen hen, en dat vindt Max juist zo fijn. Maar dan heeft Paige ineens groot ze gaat trouwen en wil Max als getuige.
Hij is nog maar nauwelijks over de shock heen als hij ontdekt wie de andere getuige Chasten, de gay broer van de bruidegom. De introverte Max en extraverte Chasten zijn complete tegenpolen. Zouden de kleine vonkjes tussen deze twee totaal verschillende mannen ervoor kunnen zorgen dat hun ondersteunende rol bij de bruiloft uitgroeit tot een hoofdrol in elkaars leven?
Hij is nog maar nauwelijks over de shock heen als hij ontdekt wie de andere getuige Chasten, de gay broer van de bruidegom. De introverte Max en extraverte Chasten zijn complete tegenpolen. Zouden de kleine vonkjes tussen deze twee totaal verschillende mannen ervoor kunnen zorgen dat hun ondersteunende rol bij de bruiloft uitgroeit tot een hoofdrol in elkaars leven?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2023
268 people are currently reading
13979 people want to read
About the author
Sidney Karger
4 books171 followersSidney Karger is an award-winning screenwriter for film and television. He is a former writer/director with Comedy Central, MTV and AMC, among other networks, and contributing writer for Saturday Night Live, Billy On The Street and McSweeney's. He currently lives in New York City with his partner and their Australian Labradoodle, Zelda. Best Men is his debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 757 reviews
March 17, 2023
"I'm not sure how my entire personality has been boiled down to "gay best friend of woman getting married"."
Similarly to the movie Bridesmaids, Max Moody finds himself in competition with his best friend's fiancé's brother, Chasten, to give his best friend, Paige, the best wedding a man of honor can deliver. However, Max, unhappy with most aspects of his life, has found a bright spot in his wedding archenemy Chasten and can't help but think is this only the beginning of a happy ending for Paige or also himself?
While I've seen Bridesmaids over and over again and can't help but laugh every time, I just wanted Best Man to be over.
If I hadn't been reading this with someone else, I would have DNF.
What I Struggled With:
- The Characters:
I struggled with each and every main character. Mostly because they each felt so underdeveloped and one dimensional.
Immediately, Max comes off whiny and aloof. He is so negative and this book is mostly a stream of consciousness of all his most negative thoughts. He is so unhappy with all aspects of his life at 35 years old and it makes it hard to get through. I wanted to scream YOLO and force him to just do something about it!
Paige is truly an awful best friend. She consistently refers to Max as her "gay bestie" which feels so 2012. She is annoying, indecisive, has no thoughtful statements or contributions to the story, and allows Max to just spiral versus being a real friend to him. Also she can choke because she has historically done awful things to Max at pivotal moments in his life.
I guess Chasten is the love interest? But we barely get to know him and I don't even pick up on him liking Max until the VERY end, when it's all stated in literally a one sentence declaration.
- The Writing/Execution:
This book really just needed an honest editor. The purpose and plot of this story could have been told in 100 pages, since it's only over 350 pages due to the constant exposition and detail dumping. Like come on, there are entire chapters of Max just LAYING PEOPLE OFF THEIR JOBS???
There's so much exposition and wordy detailing about things that feel irrelevant to the story. I do not care about why people from the midwest prefer swimming pools over the ocean or each and every place you stopped while your parents visited the city. It slowed down the read for me and almost forces you to skim.
There were more chapters about layoffs than there were about romance and that should tell you enough about the execution and writing style.
- The "Romance":
I'm not convinced this is a romance, especially when it didn't exist until 90% into the book. Enough said.
As someone who understands the value of M/M romances and has read a slew of them, I wanted to love this one so much, but it just missed the mark.
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Similarly to the movie Bridesmaids, Max Moody finds himself in competition with his best friend's fiancé's brother, Chasten, to give his best friend, Paige, the best wedding a man of honor can deliver. However, Max, unhappy with most aspects of his life, has found a bright spot in his wedding archenemy Chasten and can't help but think is this only the beginning of a happy ending for Paige or also himself?
While I've seen Bridesmaids over and over again and can't help but laugh every time, I just wanted Best Man to be over.
If I hadn't been reading this with someone else, I would have DNF.
What I Struggled With:
- The Characters:
I struggled with each and every main character. Mostly because they each felt so underdeveloped and one dimensional.
Immediately, Max comes off whiny and aloof. He is so negative and this book is mostly a stream of consciousness of all his most negative thoughts. He is so unhappy with all aspects of his life at 35 years old and it makes it hard to get through. I wanted to scream YOLO and force him to just do something about it!
Paige is truly an awful best friend. She consistently refers to Max as her "gay bestie" which feels so 2012. She is annoying, indecisive, has no thoughtful statements or contributions to the story, and allows Max to just spiral versus being a real friend to him. Also she can choke because she has historically done awful things to Max at pivotal moments in his life.
I guess Chasten is the love interest? But we barely get to know him and I don't even pick up on him liking Max until the VERY end, when it's all stated in literally a one sentence declaration.
- The Writing/Execution:
This book really just needed an honest editor. The purpose and plot of this story could have been told in 100 pages, since it's only over 350 pages due to the constant exposition and detail dumping. Like come on, there are entire chapters of Max just LAYING PEOPLE OFF THEIR JOBS???
There's so much exposition and wordy detailing about things that feel irrelevant to the story. I do not care about why people from the midwest prefer swimming pools over the ocean or each and every place you stopped while your parents visited the city. It slowed down the read for me and almost forces you to skim.
There were more chapters about layoffs than there were about romance and that should tell you enough about the execution and writing style.
- The "Romance":
I'm not convinced this is a romance, especially when it didn't exist until 90% into the book. Enough said.
As someone who understands the value of M/M romances and has read a slew of them, I wanted to love this one so much, but it just missed the mark.
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 15, 2023
CW: Homophobia, Stereotypes
I will preface this review by saying I did not finish, and I only lasted 70 pages. But at a certain point, enough’s enough.
This book is branded as a “cute gay love story” but to be honest, the first 70 pages were not only irritating, but I would actually argue harmful to gay people.
The main character, Max is referred to as the “gay best friend” consistently, including by his best friend. I’ll admit I let it slide the first, second, and even third time, but it just would not stop. At a certain point I tweeted the author seeking responses because of how irritated I was getting. And the stereotypes did not stop there.
Max (and at this point, it’s really the author) discusses how he doesn’t “fit in” with traditional gay stereotypes and begins to list them as if the main character needed to identify in a certain gay category (isn’t the “I’m different” trope reserved for One Direction fan fiction?). Rather than using this as an opportunity for the author to validate queerness as an external factor that isn’t tied to stereotypes, the author buys into it and makes you feel like the main character should be more stereotypically gay.
To make matters worse, the stereotypes don’t stop there. Max accounts the first time he had a crush on a guy, and there isn’t a single characteristic related to the guy’s personality. The author uses the character’s physique as the only metric of value for this character to be a suitable partner for Max. Then, the author drops another stereotype that is so cringey I have to quote it, “Eddie wasn’t out even though he was a theater major (wink).” Haven’t we gotten past the point of theater only being available for gay men?
The author doesn’t offer any type of moment that makes the reader care about Max either. It’s as if the reader should care for Max because he’s gay and nothing else. You don’t get any indicator that Max has a personality outside of being gay, and being repeatedly referred to as the “gay best friend” certainly doesn’t help.
The breaking point for me was when we were introduced to the main love interest, Chasten. Once again, the author describes the characters physique as the reason why we should consider Chasten a suitable match for Max. The author even describes how Chasten is the “next rung on the evolution of gay man.” This comment is based on his physique and cost of his clothes (hello, privilege). The author is perpetuating these stereotypes that gay people have to fit into in order to be considered “valid.”
It feels like a straight person writing about what he thinks the gay experience is.
There are a few hundred pages left in the book, and I hope that the author addresses these things, but I’m not going to sit around and continuously be exposed to harmful words, expectations, and stereotypes in hopes that it pays off at the end. No thank you.
I will preface this review by saying I did not finish, and I only lasted 70 pages. But at a certain point, enough’s enough.
This book is branded as a “cute gay love story” but to be honest, the first 70 pages were not only irritating, but I would actually argue harmful to gay people.
The main character, Max is referred to as the “gay best friend” consistently, including by his best friend. I’ll admit I let it slide the first, second, and even third time, but it just would not stop. At a certain point I tweeted the author seeking responses because of how irritated I was getting. And the stereotypes did not stop there.
Max (and at this point, it’s really the author) discusses how he doesn’t “fit in” with traditional gay stereotypes and begins to list them as if the main character needed to identify in a certain gay category (isn’t the “I’m different” trope reserved for One Direction fan fiction?). Rather than using this as an opportunity for the author to validate queerness as an external factor that isn’t tied to stereotypes, the author buys into it and makes you feel like the main character should be more stereotypically gay.
To make matters worse, the stereotypes don’t stop there. Max accounts the first time he had a crush on a guy, and there isn’t a single characteristic related to the guy’s personality. The author uses the character’s physique as the only metric of value for this character to be a suitable partner for Max. Then, the author drops another stereotype that is so cringey I have to quote it, “Eddie wasn’t out even though he was a theater major (wink).” Haven’t we gotten past the point of theater only being available for gay men?
The author doesn’t offer any type of moment that makes the reader care about Max either. It’s as if the reader should care for Max because he’s gay and nothing else. You don’t get any indicator that Max has a personality outside of being gay, and being repeatedly referred to as the “gay best friend” certainly doesn’t help.
The breaking point for me was when we were introduced to the main love interest, Chasten. Once again, the author describes the characters physique as the reason why we should consider Chasten a suitable match for Max. The author even describes how Chasten is the “next rung on the evolution of gay man.” This comment is based on his physique and cost of his clothes (hello, privilege). The author is perpetuating these stereotypes that gay people have to fit into in order to be considered “valid.”
It feels like a straight person writing about what he thinks the gay experience is.
There are a few hundred pages left in the book, and I hope that the author addresses these things, but I’m not going to sit around and continuously be exposed to harmful words, expectations, and stereotypes in hopes that it pays off at the end. No thank you.
November 11, 2022
We all know I'm a stickler when it comes to romance novels and I can really be very critical, but I absolutely loved Sidney Karger's 2023 romantic comedy novel BEST MEN. One thing about romantic comedy novels that bugs me is that I feel like it can be hard to differentiate between them (but I read thrillers like legit everyday so I am a hypocrite saying this), but Karger's debut really is a complete stand out. It will be a go-to recommendation for me when it comes to MM romantic comedies.
Max Moody, our protagonist, lives in New York City and works in HR. When he's not working, he spends his time eating at Waverly diner with his best friend Paige and trying to restart the spark with his ex-boyfriend Greg. Paige and Max grew up in Chicago together and have been inseparable since childhood. When Paige tells Max that she's engaged to her handsome and wealthy boyfriend Austin, Max's dreams of marital bliss comes crashing down into his mind. He always wanted that, but with Greg wanting NSA fun (no-strings attached) after many years of being monogamous, Max's wish becomes a pipe dream. However, things become a bit more complicated after Max is introduced to Austin's younger brother, Chasten, who looks so familiar. As the group plans the wedding, Max realizes that dealing with Chasten will be harder than he thought.
This book is so funny! I actually want to call it a comedy-romance because Karger's wit shines through the pages. No surprise to find out that the author is a writer/director/producer and has worked for Saturday Night Live and Comedy Central. The book is laugh out loud funny, with both a romantic edge that I haven't seen in a romance novel yet. BEST MEN also does an impeccable job highlighting New York City as its own character. The author got every single hotspot, location, and atmospheric element to this city I call home perfectly. If you are a hopeless romantic, want a hilarious MM romantic comedy, love NYC or always wanted to feel the energy of it, BEST MEN is the book for you!
Max Moody, our protagonist, lives in New York City and works in HR. When he's not working, he spends his time eating at Waverly diner with his best friend Paige and trying to restart the spark with his ex-boyfriend Greg. Paige and Max grew up in Chicago together and have been inseparable since childhood. When Paige tells Max that she's engaged to her handsome and wealthy boyfriend Austin, Max's dreams of marital bliss comes crashing down into his mind. He always wanted that, but with Greg wanting NSA fun (no-strings attached) after many years of being monogamous, Max's wish becomes a pipe dream. However, things become a bit more complicated after Max is introduced to Austin's younger brother, Chasten, who looks so familiar. As the group plans the wedding, Max realizes that dealing with Chasten will be harder than he thought.
This book is so funny! I actually want to call it a comedy-romance because Karger's wit shines through the pages. No surprise to find out that the author is a writer/director/producer and has worked for Saturday Night Live and Comedy Central. The book is laugh out loud funny, with both a romantic edge that I haven't seen in a romance novel yet. BEST MEN also does an impeccable job highlighting New York City as its own character. The author got every single hotspot, location, and atmospheric element to this city I call home perfectly. If you are a hopeless romantic, want a hilarious MM romantic comedy, love NYC or always wanted to feel the energy of it, BEST MEN is the book for you!
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July 23, 2025I deserve paid compensation for reading this book
October 3, 2023
3.5 Stars
I liked it.
This debut had the sort of relevant, heartfelt, oftentimes snarky voice that I really relate to and enjoy in queer fiction of this kind.
Best Men is one of those stories that is told in a witty and entertaining way, but manages to make you think and feel on a deeper level than the initial laughs would suggest.
I really liked gay MC Max Moody, with his dry wit and cynical nature, and his endless inability to truly be the “gay best friend” icon his lifelong gal pal Paige wants/needs him to be in the socially chaotic lead-up to her big wedding.
I’ve seen a lot of reviewers not take kindly to Max, who always seems to be deemed the party pooper because he likes quiet and simple and loathes flashy and pretentious, but God, did I relate to this guy. His every single reaction to BFF Paige’s outlandish wedding events, one after another, and the pressure he felt to perform a certain role in her life, gave me sympathy anxiety and PTSD flashbacks to times in my life I was at the mercy of my own bridezilla.
My biggest issue with this entire story was Paige herself. I couldn’t stand her from the very first conversation to the last. And, tragically, she was heavily present in the entire book, because, obviously, the whole premise centred around Max’s involvement in her wedding. If you read this book and thought, "she’s just like my best friend!"... then it might be time to consider getting a new best friend (like I did with mine).
On the bright side, I enjoyed the writing and the pop culture references, and the very millennial nature of Max’s entire being (It’s me, hi! I’m the problem, it’s me!). I also liked that there was a romance element, between Max and a guy named Chasten—Paige’s soon-to-be new brother in-law—but I appreciated that it wasn’t solely about their relationship. This was Max’s story of growth and potential, first and foremost, but it was nice that he found a great guy along the way. *winning*
I definitely enjoyed the story enough that I decided to round up my rating. Plus, I’ve already added Karger’s next release to my over-flowing TBR, which speaks volumes to my satisfaction of this debut.
If you’re a fan of Steven Rowley or TJ Klune, you should consider checking this one out. <3
I liked it.
This debut had the sort of relevant, heartfelt, oftentimes snarky voice that I really relate to and enjoy in queer fiction of this kind.
Best Men is one of those stories that is told in a witty and entertaining way, but manages to make you think and feel on a deeper level than the initial laughs would suggest.
I really liked gay MC Max Moody, with his dry wit and cynical nature, and his endless inability to truly be the “gay best friend” icon his lifelong gal pal Paige wants/needs him to be in the socially chaotic lead-up to her big wedding.
I’ve seen a lot of reviewers not take kindly to Max, who always seems to be deemed the party pooper because he likes quiet and simple and loathes flashy and pretentious, but God, did I relate to this guy. His every single reaction to BFF Paige’s outlandish wedding events, one after another, and the pressure he felt to perform a certain role in her life, gave me sympathy anxiety and PTSD flashbacks to times in my life I was at the mercy of my own bridezilla.
My biggest issue with this entire story was Paige herself. I couldn’t stand her from the very first conversation to the last. And, tragically, she was heavily present in the entire book, because, obviously, the whole premise centred around Max’s involvement in her wedding. If you read this book and thought, "she’s just like my best friend!"... then it might be time to consider getting a new best friend (like I did with mine).
On the bright side, I enjoyed the writing and the pop culture references, and the very millennial nature of Max’s entire being (It’s me, hi! I’m the problem, it’s me!). I also liked that there was a romance element, between Max and a guy named Chasten—Paige’s soon-to-be new brother in-law—but I appreciated that it wasn’t solely about their relationship. This was Max’s story of growth and potential, first and foremost, but it was nice that he found a great guy along the way. *winning*
I definitely enjoyed the story enough that I decided to round up my rating. Plus, I’ve already added Karger’s next release to my over-flowing TBR, which speaks volumes to my satisfaction of this debut.
If you’re a fan of Steven Rowley or TJ Klune, you should consider checking this one out. <3
April 14, 2023
I freaking loved this one SO much, it had me charmed right from the start and my giddy excitement never stopped. The thing that made it such a standout for me was the incredible wit and humor, I just really enjoyed the authors style and I seriously laughed so much. The romance was sort of a side plot here but it doesn’t matter because where this one shines is through Max and his personal journey with his career, friendships and yes his love life but it’s not entirely the focus. It’s also a super slow burn but it was truly worth the wait for me because Max and Chasten were so cute and I just loved them together. It’s mostly set in NYC and the author also really brought things to life for me, there is a small section set in Fire Island and again, he definitely did a great job with that setting too. This was a total delight and impressed me as a debut, I can’t wait to see what the author writes next.
June 2, 2023
✨Bridesmaids meets Fire Island (Kinda)✨
Listen, this is about as close to a movie as a book can get. The pacing, the beats, the relationship development—it all led to an extremely cinematic romcom experience. I think it works extremely well as a romcom viewed through a movie lens, but I can definitely see where it didn’t quite feel like a romcom/ romance novel.
It makes so much sense knowing that Karger is a screenwriter. It also really helped that another reviewer mentioned that this was similar to Bridesmaids, as that’s the perfect lens to view it through. It did some things I’m not a fan of in romance novels, but I don’t mind in romance movies? Like when there was a large gap between the couple seeing each other or the characters in the main relationship see other people during the span of the book.
As long as I enjoy the book I don’t much mind if I was led astray, but I do understand why people are confused in reviews. So while I think the book is just contemporary fiction with strong friendship and romance themes, it just really really worked. I cared equally about Max’s personal growth/journey as I did about the main relationship, which is rare and I’m definitely giving flowers where they’re due.
Don’t get me wrong, would I have loved more Chasten content? Absolutely! He’s a hot-chocolatier-cum-excellent-cook and I would definitely love a full on romance novel between him and Max. Also throw in an epilogue too because I need to see them all happy and in love buying groceries or something. But even then, I still really really had a great time reading this book!! I liked the friendships, the summer of sad plant collection, and especially Max and Chasten together. The content of them on Fire Island was so good.
As for the audiobook, wow did I LOVE Curtis Michael Holland!!! The voice he did for Chasten was absolutely H O T. If you’re gonna pick this one up, I definitely recommend the audio. I think Holland really helped Max feel relatable to me, rather than whiny. There was just so much heart!! I can see where Max comes across as jealous or petty or whatnot, but come on we have ALL been there! I really enjoyed seeing his HEA because he felt like family by the end. I just felt so happy for him!! The relationship just seemed so lovely and adult and I think he really deserved that type of peace.
Overall, this was a perfect book for the summer, wedding season, or when you really want to see someone good win (and have a horribly awkward one-night stand with a chocolatier who happens to be the brother of your best friend’s fiancé).
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️*/5
*There was talk of sexual content but the one sec scene between the main characters was extremely vague and fade to black. I’d have loved the spice to deliver just a bit more, but as a whole I think it worked for the book and I wasn’t disappointed. The romance was definitely slow burn after the failed one-night stand.
Note: Max’s career is in HR and he basically fired several people throughout the book. He hates it, but it’s definitely talked about. I definitely think the constant laying off and witnessing the stress of the employees can be considered a content warning. I didn’t hate it as it was unique? But it definitely stresses me out.
Thanks so much to PRHaudio for an ALC and to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
Listen, this is about as close to a movie as a book can get. The pacing, the beats, the relationship development—it all led to an extremely cinematic romcom experience. I think it works extremely well as a romcom viewed through a movie lens, but I can definitely see where it didn’t quite feel like a romcom/ romance novel.
It makes so much sense knowing that Karger is a screenwriter. It also really helped that another reviewer mentioned that this was similar to Bridesmaids, as that’s the perfect lens to view it through. It did some things I’m not a fan of in romance novels, but I don’t mind in romance movies? Like when there was a large gap between the couple seeing each other or the characters in the main relationship see other people during the span of the book.
As long as I enjoy the book I don’t much mind if I was led astray, but I do understand why people are confused in reviews. So while I think the book is just contemporary fiction with strong friendship and romance themes, it just really really worked. I cared equally about Max’s personal growth/journey as I did about the main relationship, which is rare and I’m definitely giving flowers where they’re due.
Don’t get me wrong, would I have loved more Chasten content? Absolutely! He’s a hot-chocolatier-cum-excellent-cook and I would definitely love a full on romance novel between him and Max. Also throw in an epilogue too because I need to see them all happy and in love buying groceries or something. But even then, I still really really had a great time reading this book!! I liked the friendships, the summer of sad plant collection, and especially Max and Chasten together. The content of them on Fire Island was so good.
As for the audiobook, wow did I LOVE Curtis Michael Holland!!! The voice he did for Chasten was absolutely H O T. If you’re gonna pick this one up, I definitely recommend the audio. I think Holland really helped Max feel relatable to me, rather than whiny. There was just so much heart!! I can see where Max comes across as jealous or petty or whatnot, but come on we have ALL been there! I really enjoyed seeing his HEA because he felt like family by the end. I just felt so happy for him!! The relationship just seemed so lovely and adult and I think he really deserved that type of peace.
Overall, this was a perfect book for the summer, wedding season, or when you really want to see someone good win (and have a horribly awkward one-night stand with a chocolatier who happens to be the brother of your best friend’s fiancé).
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️*/5
*There was talk of sexual content but the one sec scene between the main characters was extremely vague and fade to black. I’d have loved the spice to deliver just a bit more, but as a whole I think it worked for the book and I wasn’t disappointed. The romance was definitely slow burn after the failed one-night stand.
Note: Max’s career is in HR and he basically fired several people throughout the book. He hates it, but it’s definitely talked about. I definitely think the constant laying off and witnessing the stress of the employees can be considered a content warning. I didn’t hate it as it was unique? But it definitely stresses me out.
Thanks so much to PRHaudio for an ALC and to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
April 15, 2023
Funny, entertaining, poignantly accurate best friend story you can’t stop reading.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I actually had a lot of feelings about this book. It’s written in a humorous manner but in actuality, the author hits so many feelings inside of me.
He’s talking a lot about that deep best-friend connection that you get when you’ve known someone your whole life.
The story is written in the first person which I really enjoy. We get up close and personal with Max and his best friend, Paige. We feel all of the emotions he’s feeling as other people start coming into the scene, especially the other best man.
The author develops Max with a very dry wit and the sarcasm is spot on. This is a funny and realistic story of the tough triangle friendship experience.
In many ways, this book could have another layer of spark. Our main character is very underwhelmed by his job. He is shocked and very sad to think about losing his best friend. He is definitely very jealous of the new connection between his BFF and the other best man, Chasten.
But then the guys slowly start to get to know each other, and the story takes a new turn. I felt there would be a wonderful opportunity to expand the story by adding a second point of view with the other best man.
We don’t get to hear his side of the story ever. We’re not sure if he really likes him or has feelings for him. If that has been added, this book would have definitely leveled up from a four to a five star for me.
I love the fact this is written by a man so that we can get different interests and outcomes. This is a clean romance in that it is a closed-door book, although there are some heated and steamy scenes that you can use your imagination with and several memorable and hilarious scenes
Overall Best Men is a fabulous experience with some heavy feelings. A funny, entertaining, poignantly accurate best friend story you can’t stop reading. Love the Sarcasm and humor!
* copy received for review consideration
* full review - https://amidlifewife.com/best-men-by-...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I actually had a lot of feelings about this book. It’s written in a humorous manner but in actuality, the author hits so many feelings inside of me.
He’s talking a lot about that deep best-friend connection that you get when you’ve known someone your whole life.
The story is written in the first person which I really enjoy. We get up close and personal with Max and his best friend, Paige. We feel all of the emotions he’s feeling as other people start coming into the scene, especially the other best man.
The author develops Max with a very dry wit and the sarcasm is spot on. This is a funny and realistic story of the tough triangle friendship experience.
In many ways, this book could have another layer of spark. Our main character is very underwhelmed by his job. He is shocked and very sad to think about losing his best friend. He is definitely very jealous of the new connection between his BFF and the other best man, Chasten.
But then the guys slowly start to get to know each other, and the story takes a new turn. I felt there would be a wonderful opportunity to expand the story by adding a second point of view with the other best man.
We don’t get to hear his side of the story ever. We’re not sure if he really likes him or has feelings for him. If that has been added, this book would have definitely leveled up from a four to a five star for me.
I love the fact this is written by a man so that we can get different interests and outcomes. This is a clean romance in that it is a closed-door book, although there are some heated and steamy scenes that you can use your imagination with and several memorable and hilarious scenes
Overall Best Men is a fabulous experience with some heavy feelings. A funny, entertaining, poignantly accurate best friend story you can’t stop reading. Love the Sarcasm and humor!
* copy received for review consideration
* full review - https://amidlifewife.com/best-men-by-...
January 6, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review.
First of all, I would like to say that "himbo" was absolutely 100% not a thing in the year 2003, so I hope some copy or line-editor catches that before this book goes to print. And no, don't argue with me that it was first used in the 1980s (1988 specifically) and uses of it date from then, but it was absolutely not a term that anyone who was fourteen years old in 2003 would have known. The internet popularized it and repurposed it, around 2020.
I find myself talking about the above issue more than I should because I don't want to write the rest of this review. This is the third three-star book I've read in 2023, and I've only read five books so far. And this is the second ARC three-star. And I'm probably being generous with my three-star rating here. They're going to stop giving me ARCs. I can't really pinpoint anything wrong with the book, though, hence three stars. I just didn't really enjoy myself very much. There was something off about it for me, something negative. I felt bad while reading this book.
Also, I never connected emotionally with any of the characters or the plot. Which is a huge deal.
This is a romance about man named Max whose best friend Paige is getting married and he's acting as her best man/man of honor, while a younger more classically "gay" and handsome man, the brother of the groom, is the best man. Oh, and also they had a disastrous hookup before they knew who the other was. Now they have to work together to help Paige plan her wedding. (Sidenote: Not sure where the author got the idea that it was one of the duties of the best man/maid of honor to help plan the wedding; it's really not. They can help when asked, but it's still the main purview of the bride and groom, and any assorted wedding planners.)
But Chasten (the brother, lord what a name) isn't really the problem. The problem is the narrator, Max, who is a negative Nancy. He's unhappy in his job, he's unhappy with his body, he's unhappy in love (dumped by long-term boyfriend who he still hooks up with occasionally), he's unhappy about how his gayness manifests and how he's perceived in the regard by other gay men (which could have been really interesting to explore! I, too, would rather have a quiet night at home than go to a smelly loud bar, and the removal of body hair and keeping up with expensive fashions, etc. sounds exhausting). The narrative is dripping with his negative unhappiness.
Worth noting, a lot of this is addressed by the end, but I was so annoyed and miserable along with the narrator for most of the book, that the ending didn't really do anything for me. You still need to be on the narrator's side even while they're making the poor choices and experiencing troubles in their lives. At least, in a romance you do. Probably having a Chasten POV would have helped balance things out, and also give us a hint as to why Chasten would like, let alone end up with, Max. But we just had Max the whole time.
All of this is of course, YMMV.
Lastly, I do want to express some dismay that while I have been wanting to read more romances by male authors, this is not the result I was wanting. I comfort myself that if Alexis Hall exists, there have to be more male authors who are similarly talented waiting in the wings.
[2.5 stars, talked myself into lowering it a half star while writing this review]
First of all, I would like to say that "himbo" was absolutely 100% not a thing in the year 2003, so I hope some copy or line-editor catches that before this book goes to print. And no, don't argue with me that it was first used in the 1980s (1988 specifically) and uses of it date from then, but it was absolutely not a term that anyone who was fourteen years old in 2003 would have known. The internet popularized it and repurposed it, around 2020.
I find myself talking about the above issue more than I should because I don't want to write the rest of this review. This is the third three-star book I've read in 2023, and I've only read five books so far. And this is the second ARC three-star. And I'm probably being generous with my three-star rating here. They're going to stop giving me ARCs. I can't really pinpoint anything wrong with the book, though, hence three stars. I just didn't really enjoy myself very much. There was something off about it for me, something negative. I felt bad while reading this book.
Also, I never connected emotionally with any of the characters or the plot. Which is a huge deal.
This is a romance about man named Max whose best friend Paige is getting married and he's acting as her best man/man of honor, while a younger more classically "gay" and handsome man, the brother of the groom, is the best man. Oh, and also they had a disastrous hookup before they knew who the other was. Now they have to work together to help Paige plan her wedding. (Sidenote: Not sure where the author got the idea that it was one of the duties of the best man/maid of honor to help plan the wedding; it's really not. They can help when asked, but it's still the main purview of the bride and groom, and any assorted wedding planners.)
But Chasten (the brother, lord what a name) isn't really the problem. The problem is the narrator, Max, who is a negative Nancy. He's unhappy in his job, he's unhappy with his body, he's unhappy in love (dumped by long-term boyfriend who he still hooks up with occasionally), he's unhappy about how his gayness manifests and how he's perceived in the regard by other gay men (which could have been really interesting to explore! I, too, would rather have a quiet night at home than go to a smelly loud bar, and the removal of body hair and keeping up with expensive fashions, etc. sounds exhausting). The narrative is dripping with his negative unhappiness.
Worth noting, a lot of this is addressed by the end, but I was so annoyed and miserable along with the narrator for most of the book, that the ending didn't really do anything for me. You still need to be on the narrator's side even while they're making the poor choices and experiencing troubles in their lives. At least, in a romance you do. Probably having a Chasten POV would have helped balance things out, and also give us a hint as to why Chasten would like, let alone end up with, Max. But we just had Max the whole time.
All of this is of course, YMMV.
Lastly, I do want to express some dismay that while I have been wanting to read more romances by male authors, this is not the result I was wanting. I comfort myself that if Alexis Hall exists, there have to be more male authors who are similarly talented waiting in the wings.
[2.5 stars, talked myself into lowering it a half star while writing this review]
June 19, 2025
ooft. tough read.
picture it: you have an awkward Grindr hookup with a guy and a few weeks later find out he’s your best friends future husbands best man. Oh, and you’re her man of honour!
I was v excited for this intriguing story but unfortunately it fell and it fell hard. main character is really insufferable. not thought provoking. kinda basic white girl energy. tries hard to be different but is bland AF. a lot of gross weird stereotypes. dare I say toes the line of homophobia/fatphobia/biphobia? what do you call a book that basically just bitches about… everyone?
and the worst part of all… the romance. I just DID NOT BELIEVE IT. Now.. I know the premise of the book is hookup turned enemy turned lover… but it really is as basic as that. There was nothing to make them fall for each other. Complete opposites. No tension. No turning point. It just kinda happens and happens really unnaturally. It was like oh we’re really just doin this. No appeal whatsoever.
Yup. Need a refund xx
picture it: you have an awkward Grindr hookup with a guy and a few weeks later find out he’s your best friends future husbands best man. Oh, and you’re her man of honour!
I was v excited for this intriguing story but unfortunately it fell and it fell hard. main character is really insufferable. not thought provoking. kinda basic white girl energy. tries hard to be different but is bland AF. a lot of gross weird stereotypes. dare I say toes the line of homophobia/fatphobia/biphobia? what do you call a book that basically just bitches about… everyone?
and the worst part of all… the romance. I just DID NOT BELIEVE IT. Now.. I know the premise of the book is hookup turned enemy turned lover… but it really is as basic as that. There was nothing to make them fall for each other. Complete opposites. No tension. No turning point. It just kinda happens and happens really unnaturally. It was like oh we’re really just doin this. No appeal whatsoever.
Yup. Need a refund xx
December 11, 2022
Utterly charming. Official blurb TK.
July 20, 2023
dnf @ 40% , firstly thank you so much berkley for sending me a copy of this book. I really tried to get into this one but I was just SO BORED. I picked this one up at least 20 times trying to finish it but just couldn’t, it just wasn’t for me
April 12, 2023
This new debut novel by SNL screenwriters Sidney Karger is an enjoyable rom-com about the bride’s Gay Best Friend, Max, and the groom’s brother, Chasten. These two gay opposites, get roped into helping with wedding planning and perhaps they have more in common than it initially seems.
𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙈𝙚𝙣 by Sidney Karger (2023) ★★★★ OUT MAY 2ND
Max is 34, working an uninspiring job in HR firing people, and stuck in a NSA situation with his ex. So everything’s just going great… add on top, his best friend Paige is getting married before him and just asked him to be her Man-of-Honor (with all the responsibilities that go with that). Problem, he’s not your average gay - doesn’t like fashion, parties, or well - anything about wedding planning.
Enter Chasten, 31, the grooms younger brothers who’s charming, funny and handsome (A-List Gay).
Is Max being replaced by this new gay in Paige’s life?
“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘺𝘮 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮.”
Verdict? I really liked it! Funny, witty, easy to read… I actually read it in one sitting! I enjoyed the character development. You form an initial impression of Max or Chasten - but find they are deeper as the story progressed. Although I didn’t like Paige, personally.
Solid 4 star for me. In addition to the Rom-com, this is also about Max figuring out his life, following your passion. Props for addressing the cringe “Gay Best Friend” title - seriously straight women - stop calling us GBFs!
@sidkny did a great job showing us around New York City and Fire Island - the different boroughs, locations, and pro-cons of both.
Thanks to @berkleypub and @netgalley for a chance to early review this story in exchange for an honest review.
𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙈𝙚𝙣 by Sidney Karger (2023) ★★★★ OUT MAY 2ND
Max is 34, working an uninspiring job in HR firing people, and stuck in a NSA situation with his ex. So everything’s just going great… add on top, his best friend Paige is getting married before him and just asked him to be her Man-of-Honor (with all the responsibilities that go with that). Problem, he’s not your average gay - doesn’t like fashion, parties, or well - anything about wedding planning.
Enter Chasten, 31, the grooms younger brothers who’s charming, funny and handsome (A-List Gay).
Is Max being replaced by this new gay in Paige’s life?
“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘺𝘮 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮.”
Verdict? I really liked it! Funny, witty, easy to read… I actually read it in one sitting! I enjoyed the character development. You form an initial impression of Max or Chasten - but find they are deeper as the story progressed. Although I didn’t like Paige, personally.
Solid 4 star for me. In addition to the Rom-com, this is also about Max figuring out his life, following your passion. Props for addressing the cringe “Gay Best Friend” title - seriously straight women - stop calling us GBFs!
@sidkny did a great job showing us around New York City and Fire Island - the different boroughs, locations, and pro-cons of both.
Thanks to @berkleypub and @netgalley for a chance to early review this story in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2023
Lovers of romcoms, you're going to eat this one up!
The very first thing I must note about this gem of a book is that I absolutely adore the writing style. It's fun, witty, whimsical (at times) and just a breeze to read with the perfect amount of detail. The epigraphs are each unique, silly, creative and such a fun way to set up what's to come in the chapter ahead.
This book was full of hilarious situations, thoughts, and fun memories that keeps you amused and entertained, and feeling closer to the characters. The takes on queer life is relatable (to the degree it can be without living in New York) and focuses a great deal on how we interact and think of our relationships. That being said, I did find Paige a touch more annoying than lovable, but I think it absolutely fits her friendship with Max and cannot see it any other way.
I absolutely loved this book and would not hesitate recommending this to anyone!
The very first thing I must note about this gem of a book is that I absolutely adore the writing style. It's fun, witty, whimsical (at times) and just a breeze to read with the perfect amount of detail. The epigraphs are each unique, silly, creative and such a fun way to set up what's to come in the chapter ahead.
This book was full of hilarious situations, thoughts, and fun memories that keeps you amused and entertained, and feeling closer to the characters. The takes on queer life is relatable (to the degree it can be without living in New York) and focuses a great deal on how we interact and think of our relationships. That being said, I did find Paige a touch more annoying than lovable, but I think it absolutely fits her friendship with Max and cannot see it any other way.
I absolutely loved this book and would not hesitate recommending this to anyone!
June 15, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up
A chaotic stream of consciousness liveblogging style book loosely disguised as a romance wherein the point of view character is a dude who is almost 40 but constantly drinks, never sleeps, has way too many inside jokes, eats diner food at all hours, and is generally Bad at Life. The book gave me a lot of sympathy heartburn and made me want to sit on my couch and talk to no one.
The title is apt as the two main characters are both Best Men in the same wedding. Max, the POV character, is bad at wedding planning but is a huge baby about being left out, and Chasten is good at wedding planning and is a Grown Up and shenanigans ensue! Like, a LOT of shenanigans. Too many shenanigans. I needed this whole thing to be turned down like 10 or so notches. The word "gay-xpectations" was used. Approximately four hundred songs were mentioned by name, artist, and song lyric. Every office plant Max obtained from people he fired at his job was listed in exhaustive detail. And sooo many inside jokes. I appreciate committing to the bit as much as the next person pretending they're doing improv comedy but goodness.
Because of all that other...stuff, the romance really took a backseat. I would have preferred to see some of that space given to the relationship development between Max and Chasten. I mean, a thorough description of the things they told each other about their respective childhoods is great and all but I'd rather read the list of office plants again than that boring crap. The romance needed to be brought UP 10 notches instead of crammed in at the end between other stuff i didn't care about.
Overall, the book needs less nonsense, more romance, and to get rid of every inside joke and song reference and then it might just be a pretty good story.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
A chaotic stream of consciousness liveblogging style book loosely disguised as a romance wherein the point of view character is a dude who is almost 40 but constantly drinks, never sleeps, has way too many inside jokes, eats diner food at all hours, and is generally Bad at Life. The book gave me a lot of sympathy heartburn and made me want to sit on my couch and talk to no one.
The title is apt as the two main characters are both Best Men in the same wedding. Max, the POV character, is bad at wedding planning but is a huge baby about being left out, and Chasten is good at wedding planning and is a Grown Up and shenanigans ensue! Like, a LOT of shenanigans. Too many shenanigans. I needed this whole thing to be turned down like 10 or so notches. The word "gay-xpectations" was used. Approximately four hundred songs were mentioned by name, artist, and song lyric. Every office plant Max obtained from people he fired at his job was listed in exhaustive detail. And sooo many inside jokes. I appreciate committing to the bit as much as the next person pretending they're doing improv comedy but goodness.
Because of all that other...stuff, the romance really took a backseat. I would have preferred to see some of that space given to the relationship development between Max and Chasten. I mean, a thorough description of the things they told each other about their respective childhoods is great and all but I'd rather read the list of office plants again than that boring crap. The romance needed to be brought UP 10 notches instead of crammed in at the end between other stuff i didn't care about.
Overall, the book needs less nonsense, more romance, and to get rid of every inside joke and song reference and then it might just be a pretty good story.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
October 7, 2024
DNF @ 35%
Terrible. Horrible. No good.
The MC is insufferable. Very much giving "not like other gays".... which is wild. Like a gay MC putting down all the other gay characters in the book for liking stereotypical "gay" things.... um.... Also our MC's best friend constantly referred to the MC as her "gay best friend." The first or second time it's like, whatever, but it just. kept. happening.
Also, asexuality is an identity or orientation. It's not a period of your life where you choose to be celibate. Fuck off with that shit. It's 2024.
Terrible. Horrible. No good.
The MC is insufferable. Very much giving "not like other gays".... which is wild. Like a gay MC putting down all the other gay characters in the book for liking stereotypical "gay" things.... um.... Also our MC's best friend constantly referred to the MC as her "gay best friend." The first or second time it's like, whatever, but it just. kept. happening.
Also, asexuality is an identity or orientation. It's not a period of your life where you choose to be celibate. Fuck off with that shit. It's 2024.
March 21, 2023
i wanted to love this one but unfortunately, it didn't land for me! the tone of writing here was really casual, conversational, unfiltered, and a little unpolished, which was at times refreshing and fun and at other times grating and distracting. i felt like nothing happened in the plot, and the characters weren't dynamic enough to really hook me and make this as fun as i had hoped it would be.
June 11, 2023
Worst read of the year. Whose story am I reading in this story? The woman best friend is given the spotlight like it's her story. Fine. Let the two supposed -to - be side/main characters interact and let the story happen. But no. What are we doing here with a book that goes nowhere until the second half?!
May 4, 2023
I hated all three of the main characters.
May 6, 2023
I should've DNFed this one. Everyone drive me nuts. Max is a wimp, Paige is a bitch and Chasten is a jerk. The ending wrapped it all up and saved the book but by then it was too late.
April 22, 2024
A gay romance written by someone clearly burned by the gay scene one too many times. I have so many problems with this book I don’t even know where to start.
The main character, Max Moody, a name as creative as you imagine, is utterly insufferable. Let it be known that Max is not like other gays. While others are socialising in bars, he is eating the most revoltingly greasy omelette you’ve ever seen. While some may enjoy queer icon Madonna, Max enjoys the musical stylings of the Smiths. You already know he has the audacity to claim he has a good music taste as well of course.
“I’m reminded of how being gay is not really my forte. Oh, I like guys that way, but I’m not really the kind of gay you’re expecting. Anyone who knows me will agree that I’m not a professional gay and should have my gay card taken away by the gay police. I love morose eighties college rock and hate Britney Spears. I use my Brooklyn Botanic Garden membership more than my gym membership. I’ve seen half an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race. And I’m really not a fan of going to Pride parades. Not because I’m not, you know, proud or whatever, but because I’m deathly uncomfortable in noisy, large crowds.
Sometimes I think I’m still single because other gays don’t know what kind of gay I am. I don’t think I fit in anywhere since I’m not a jock, muscle guy, daddy, twink, bear, cub, otter, hyena, cobra, walrus or any other ridiculous label gays put on each other. (I made up those last three.) I’m a Max Moody. That should be enough for someone, right?”
Have you maybe considered that you’re still single because you are an absolute killjoy?
To only mention the self-righteous and yet somehow self-deprecatory internalised homophobia would be a discredit to just how lame this character was. Just a complete melt.
A not-insignificant portion of this book was set at his job as HR personnel, tasked with laying off a large proportion of the workforce. This was a pretty pointless addition to the storyline as there never was really a satisfying payoff and the emotional ‘dilemma’ fell flat since I didn’t actually care. I guess it forced his hand in getting a long overdue hobby by dumping orphaned ex-employee potted plants on him, but all it really did was serve to exemplify how much his backbone resembled the flimsy, disintegrating paper straws he apparently has such a problem with several times during this novel.
That only begins to describe how little I respected this man. Invertebrate-kin Max is down so horrendous and seemed to think he was still in a relationship with his LITERAL ex Greg, by all metrics a Neanderthal and yet somehow more understandable as a character. The levels of delusion were absolutely unreal - his final breaking off of their “relationship” was meant to be a big character development moment for Max, where he was finally ready to move on. Mind you they were just friends (?) who “do the sex” at this point, and Greg did not care about him at all (and can we blame him?).
His best friend Paige, the bride-to-be, is one of the most annoying characters I have ever read. From the time he came out to her in school, she has called him her GBF (or gay best friend for us uninitiated). She was actively EXCITED about the prospect in fact, despite getting pied about being his date to Winter Formal. What follows is a melange of pure homophobic stereotyping and active harm that was genuinely quite shocking. At one point she quite literally outs him, and SHE is mad at HIM about it because he forced her to “keep a secret for so long”? Be unbelievably serious. When Max finally calls her out on always referring to him as her GBF when by all intents and purposes he is just her best friend (which to be quite honest is just as unserious since the whole rest of the novel he was fighting for the title and disparaging every gay under the sun), she gets so angry at him she pushes him into a pool. And then MAX is the one who has to apologise? Where is the character growth?
“I realized forever ago you were never going to tell me how fierce I look or throw shade while we have a kiki or wear silly wigs with me or gossip about Bravolebrities or call each other ‘gurl’ while spilling tea, screaming show tunes at a drag queen lip sync—” - taken from the final chapter, by the way.
Then we have the romance with Chasten. Dear lord, the lack of chemistry puts the noble gases to shame. They had a cheap and disastrously bad hookup after meeting at a gay bar, and then by movie magic he is the brother of Paige’s fiancé and will be in the wedding party. Cue the stupid rivalry and cat fighting over being Paige’s #1 gay. This forms the major conflict of the novel, both for the Paige-Max “friendship growth” arc, AND for Chasten-Max enemies-to-lovers-esque hellscape of a romance. Max has to learn to love despite hating the fact Chasten is TOO popular, TOO well-coiffed, TOO well-connected, TOO much the classic caricature of a gay man. Max simply can’t compete. But of course, Chasten wins Max over by bonding over opening lines to songs like Like a Virgin by Madonna and Truth Hurts by Lizzo. Maybe Chasten isn’t so bad after all, he knows songs.
“What’s your favorite opening line in a song?” I challenged him. To my surprise, he answered right away.
“That’s easy,” he said. “Madonna.” I roll my eyes a little too hard at that one. Madonna? Really? Everything was going so well but this answer was so … basic. Anything romantic I was trying to suppress disappeared completely like the boardwalk deer at night.”
They had almost nothing in common, every intimate scene felt so shallow, uninspired and rigid, it was actually quite the gag Chasten was interested at all.
Even if you managed to get past the terrible character crafting, the writing was genuinely offensively bad. The dialogue and Max’s internal monologue was beyond cringe:
““Oh, the shops are straight that way, right?” Paige asks one of the Speedos.
“You mean gayly forward, yes,” one of them says.”
There were moments that were so disparaging to the queer community my optic nerves almost snapped from the eye rolls they triggered:
“I don’t mind drag shows, but sometimes they feel like mandatory gay fun. Like, can’t we all just go bowling, grab a burger and call it a night? Don’t get me wrong—I’ll go out for a gay drink once in a while at Gym Bar or an Eagle beer bust, hence my meet and greet with Chasten at Barracuda, but even those places feel forced. I’d much prefer to hit up a graffiti-stained underground hole-in-the-wall, listening to some freaky band on the Lower Lower Lower East Side. I’m guessing Paige is buddying up to Chasten right now because he’s a new type of gay flavor that Paige can’t seem to enjoy from me.”
Then there was the comphet insinuation that straight people can’t possibly change their mind about marriage, because of the struggles the queer community have faced:
”FUCKING STRAIGHT PEOPLE. I REALIZE I’VE BEEN ON FIRE ISLAND for three and a half minutes, so I normally wouldn’t pit straights versus gays, but goddamn. I’m too painfully aware of the history of same-sex marriage not being legal, so the idea of canceling a wedding shouldn’t be as easy as buying and sending back the wine. It’s a privilege to question whether or not she wants to get married. Paige gets an engagement party, a bachelorette party, a shower, a wedding. She’s lucky. I spent the better chunk of my twenties wanting only one of those things.
Jesus. I just made her moment all about me.”
Absolutely audacious considering how anti-gay Max seemed to be. Oh wait, he’s just anti-other-gays apparently.
What really pisses me off is if you wanted to critique dating in the gay scene, or in the modern landscape, or tackle stereotyping from straight friends, that could be such an interesting nuance to add to romance when done correctly. Not only was it done badly, it was done in such a way that it infuriated me in its depictions of gay spaces. And I am definitely not taking ANY opinions from someone who deifies Morrissey, and I’m not sorry.
This was a manifesto for the most annoying gay man you have ever met, dedicated to stroking the ego that’s telling them that they’re not the problem. The only reason I finished this is I garner an almost unhealthy amount of enjoyment in writing bad reviews, otherwise this would have been a hard DNF for me. Don’t bother.
The main character, Max Moody, a name as creative as you imagine, is utterly insufferable. Let it be known that Max is not like other gays. While others are socialising in bars, he is eating the most revoltingly greasy omelette you’ve ever seen. While some may enjoy queer icon Madonna, Max enjoys the musical stylings of the Smiths. You already know he has the audacity to claim he has a good music taste as well of course.
“I’m reminded of how being gay is not really my forte. Oh, I like guys that way, but I’m not really the kind of gay you’re expecting. Anyone who knows me will agree that I’m not a professional gay and should have my gay card taken away by the gay police. I love morose eighties college rock and hate Britney Spears. I use my Brooklyn Botanic Garden membership more than my gym membership. I’ve seen half an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race. And I’m really not a fan of going to Pride parades. Not because I’m not, you know, proud or whatever, but because I’m deathly uncomfortable in noisy, large crowds.
Sometimes I think I’m still single because other gays don’t know what kind of gay I am. I don’t think I fit in anywhere since I’m not a jock, muscle guy, daddy, twink, bear, cub, otter, hyena, cobra, walrus or any other ridiculous label gays put on each other. (I made up those last three.) I’m a Max Moody. That should be enough for someone, right?”
Have you maybe considered that you’re still single because you are an absolute killjoy?
To only mention the self-righteous and yet somehow self-deprecatory internalised homophobia would be a discredit to just how lame this character was. Just a complete melt.
A not-insignificant portion of this book was set at his job as HR personnel, tasked with laying off a large proportion of the workforce. This was a pretty pointless addition to the storyline as there never was really a satisfying payoff and the emotional ‘dilemma’ fell flat since I didn’t actually care. I guess it forced his hand in getting a long overdue hobby by dumping orphaned ex-employee potted plants on him, but all it really did was serve to exemplify how much his backbone resembled the flimsy, disintegrating paper straws he apparently has such a problem with several times during this novel.
That only begins to describe how little I respected this man. Invertebrate-kin Max is down so horrendous and seemed to think he was still in a relationship with his LITERAL ex Greg, by all metrics a Neanderthal and yet somehow more understandable as a character. The levels of delusion were absolutely unreal - his final breaking off of their “relationship” was meant to be a big character development moment for Max, where he was finally ready to move on. Mind you they were just friends (?) who “do the sex” at this point, and Greg did not care about him at all (and can we blame him?).
His best friend Paige, the bride-to-be, is one of the most annoying characters I have ever read. From the time he came out to her in school, she has called him her GBF (or gay best friend for us uninitiated). She was actively EXCITED about the prospect in fact, despite getting pied about being his date to Winter Formal. What follows is a melange of pure homophobic stereotyping and active harm that was genuinely quite shocking. At one point she quite literally outs him, and SHE is mad at HIM about it because he forced her to “keep a secret for so long”? Be unbelievably serious. When Max finally calls her out on always referring to him as her GBF when by all intents and purposes he is just her best friend (which to be quite honest is just as unserious since the whole rest of the novel he was fighting for the title and disparaging every gay under the sun), she gets so angry at him she pushes him into a pool. And then MAX is the one who has to apologise? Where is the character growth?
“I realized forever ago you were never going to tell me how fierce I look or throw shade while we have a kiki or wear silly wigs with me or gossip about Bravolebrities or call each other ‘gurl’ while spilling tea, screaming show tunes at a drag queen lip sync—” - taken from the final chapter, by the way.
Then we have the romance with Chasten. Dear lord, the lack of chemistry puts the noble gases to shame. They had a cheap and disastrously bad hookup after meeting at a gay bar, and then by movie magic he is the brother of Paige’s fiancé and will be in the wedding party. Cue the stupid rivalry and cat fighting over being Paige’s #1 gay. This forms the major conflict of the novel, both for the Paige-Max “friendship growth” arc, AND for Chasten-Max enemies-to-lovers-esque hellscape of a romance. Max has to learn to love despite hating the fact Chasten is TOO popular, TOO well-coiffed, TOO well-connected, TOO much the classic caricature of a gay man. Max simply can’t compete. But of course, Chasten wins Max over by bonding over opening lines to songs like Like a Virgin by Madonna and Truth Hurts by Lizzo. Maybe Chasten isn’t so bad after all, he knows songs.
“What’s your favorite opening line in a song?” I challenged him. To my surprise, he answered right away.
“That’s easy,” he said. “Madonna.” I roll my eyes a little too hard at that one. Madonna? Really? Everything was going so well but this answer was so … basic. Anything romantic I was trying to suppress disappeared completely like the boardwalk deer at night.”
They had almost nothing in common, every intimate scene felt so shallow, uninspired and rigid, it was actually quite the gag Chasten was interested at all.
Even if you managed to get past the terrible character crafting, the writing was genuinely offensively bad. The dialogue and Max’s internal monologue was beyond cringe:
““Oh, the shops are straight that way, right?” Paige asks one of the Speedos.
“You mean gayly forward, yes,” one of them says.”
There were moments that were so disparaging to the queer community my optic nerves almost snapped from the eye rolls they triggered:
“I don’t mind drag shows, but sometimes they feel like mandatory gay fun. Like, can’t we all just go bowling, grab a burger and call it a night? Don’t get me wrong—I’ll go out for a gay drink once in a while at Gym Bar or an Eagle beer bust, hence my meet and greet with Chasten at Barracuda, but even those places feel forced. I’d much prefer to hit up a graffiti-stained underground hole-in-the-wall, listening to some freaky band on the Lower Lower Lower East Side. I’m guessing Paige is buddying up to Chasten right now because he’s a new type of gay flavor that Paige can’t seem to enjoy from me.”
Then there was the comphet insinuation that straight people can’t possibly change their mind about marriage, because of the struggles the queer community have faced:
”FUCKING STRAIGHT PEOPLE. I REALIZE I’VE BEEN ON FIRE ISLAND for three and a half minutes, so I normally wouldn’t pit straights versus gays, but goddamn. I’m too painfully aware of the history of same-sex marriage not being legal, so the idea of canceling a wedding shouldn’t be as easy as buying and sending back the wine. It’s a privilege to question whether or not she wants to get married. Paige gets an engagement party, a bachelorette party, a shower, a wedding. She’s lucky. I spent the better chunk of my twenties wanting only one of those things.
Jesus. I just made her moment all about me.”
Absolutely audacious considering how anti-gay Max seemed to be. Oh wait, he’s just anti-other-gays apparently.
What really pisses me off is if you wanted to critique dating in the gay scene, or in the modern landscape, or tackle stereotyping from straight friends, that could be such an interesting nuance to add to romance when done correctly. Not only was it done badly, it was done in such a way that it infuriated me in its depictions of gay spaces. And I am definitely not taking ANY opinions from someone who deifies Morrissey, and I’m not sorry.
This was a manifesto for the most annoying gay man you have ever met, dedicated to stroking the ego that’s telling them that they’re not the problem. The only reason I finished this is I garner an almost unhealthy amount of enjoyment in writing bad reviews, otherwise this would have been a hard DNF for me. Don’t bother.
May 2, 2023
Max + Chasten
Max is 35 years old and he's been dreaming of marrying his dream guy for decades. But so far it hasn't happened. And suddenly his very best childhood bestie Paige announces she's getting married. And Max will be her Best Man. Just as Chasten will be his brother Austin's Best Men. And yup - Chasten is the guy Max had a very weird kinda one-night stand with a few days ago. Whoops.
Let's plan a wedding, shall we? LOL!
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That was adorable and also a little bit sad!
It was more Max-lost-as-a-gay-guy-in-New-York than a romance. But we get the romance parts too.
I just loved reading this. Max is so not a typical gay guy - he thinks. He doesn't like fashion and going to gay bars and drag shows and to Brooklyn. He kinda hates his job and most people and crowds... and wedding planning. He sarcastically jokes his way around most situations.
Chasten is the opposite, he knows and likes everybody, he's a proud gay hottie doing all the gay things. He has a super sucsessful business. What would he want with Max? And they can't start anything anyway - they can't take the attention away from the bride.
I loved how Max takes us along for a bit and we so hope that he'll get that HEA he's been dreaming of forever.
I sometimes had that idea in my head while reading... if Max would've lived in a different time and had a bunch of best friends, he would have perfectly fit into A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Just the whole vibe of the book and his sadder, slightly depressed scenes.
I loved the book. I loved the (sometimes hard to read on my kindle, because too small) between-the-chapters-fun-extras.
Paige got on my nerves quite a bit to be honest. But she's stressed with all the wedding prep - so she's allowed.
I really enjoyed reading this - wouldn't mind watching the movie one day soon!
BEST MEN was a super cute and fun and sad and gay and New Yorkey tale of friendship and love and brunch and wedding and just everything! - READ IT!
💜
💜
February 2, 2024
1⭐️
If I never hear the phrase “gay best friend” until I’m crippled it will still be too soon. Glad that book’s in my rear view ✌🏼
If I never hear the phrase “gay best friend” until I’m crippled it will still be too soon. Glad that book’s in my rear view ✌🏼
August 11, 2023
On today's episode of "can someone please give me back the last 3 hours? 😫", a cringe-worthy M/M romance with unidimensional characters, whiny best friends, childish brides, and so much more that I did not need.
May I interest you (or not) in:
🤵🏽♂️ a bride who wants her best friend to be the perfect gay best friend, emphasis on "gay," who loves to plan bridal showers, shop for wedding dresses, and be Carrie's Willie -- the gay bestie whose only purpose in life is being there for straight girls.
🤵🏽♂️ a gay best friend who is just as horrible (ok, maybe a little less): he is whiny, he's lazy, and he won't take a decision for himself until faced with the worst.
🤵🏽♂️ And when Chasten told Max, “I thought this was going to be about you and me, not us and Paige,”: YOU AND ME BOTH, CHASTEN, YOU AND ME BOTH
🤵🏽♂️ an entire chapter to describe employees Max had to fire. Sure, it sucks, but like: WRITE ABOUT IT SUCKING rather than listing these people who played no other role in the book than being fired.
May I interest you (or not) in:
🤵🏽♂️ a bride who wants her best friend to be the perfect gay best friend, emphasis on "gay," who loves to plan bridal showers, shop for wedding dresses, and be Carrie's Willie -- the gay bestie whose only purpose in life is being there for straight girls.
🤵🏽♂️ a gay best friend who is just as horrible (ok, maybe a little less): he is whiny, he's lazy, and he won't take a decision for himself until faced with the worst.
🤵🏽♂️ And when Chasten told Max, “I thought this was going to be about you and me, not us and Paige,”: YOU AND ME BOTH, CHASTEN, YOU AND ME BOTH
🤵🏽♂️ an entire chapter to describe employees Max had to fire. Sure, it sucks, but like: WRITE ABOUT IT SUCKING rather than listing these people who played no other role in the book than being fired.
January 28, 2024
2.5 ⭐️ A light, easy read however the characters were never fully developed to become likeable.
May 20, 2023
I completely understand why Sidney Karger got a book deal. Best Men was funny in an understated way, Reading this book was like watching a comedy show without the prerecorded laughs. Especially during the first quarter of the story, I was continually in stitches, laughing my head off. The second and third quarter were another kind of fun, where we see how much chemistry there is and grows between our best men. I appreciate this so much, not many authors dare to take the time to do this.
I kind of didn't like Paige, she was annoying, self-centered and she actually treated Max like a side-kick. On the other hand, this story had so much depth, that I can easily imagine Max and Paige fixing this at some point in their lives. That's how real the characters felt to me.
I also like how obviously this story was written by a guy,
In short, Best Men is wildly addictive, very funny and perfectly life-like.
I kind of didn't like Paige, she was annoying, self-centered and she actually treated Max like a side-kick. On the other hand, this story had so much depth, that I can easily imagine Max and Paige fixing this at some point in their lives. That's how real the characters felt to me.
I also like how obviously this story was written by a guy,
In short, Best Men is wildly addictive, very funny and perfectly life-like.
July 14, 2023
Wow - i dont remember when was i this disappointed? i think not only is this book wrongly marketed (and like how!!) but i just dont get what exactly was the point of the story? like sure there's the universal messages filled here and there, but like bro - WHY WOULD ANYONE REALLY READ THIS? the romance? nope. the characters? Okayish. the writing? good but like just went in circles. Story? ALL OVER THE PLACE and SO RANDOM! side characters? YES LETS TALK ONLY ABOUT THEM.
DNF 50% into the audiobook, if i was reading it physically, would have been sooner! easily one of the worst books of 2023. just skip it already.
DNF 50% into the audiobook, if i was reading it physically, would have been sooner! easily one of the worst books of 2023. just skip it already.
September 23, 2025
I hated this book, I tried and tried to just complete it cos I paid for it but dnf about 25%. I wish I could turn back time and just get my money back. to sum up annoying characters, boring conversations, max was such a whiney complainer. detail dumping and barely any romance at all Ike if I could give it a zero I would. I
21/09/2025 tried again. So this time I finished this via audiobook but I still didn’t like it I’ve never read a book where there wasn’t a character didn’t like till this book. I absolutely hated the characters and the story could’ve been a 10/10 if executed better and had better characters but all I can do is give it a 2*
21/09/2025 tried again. So this time I finished this via audiobook but I still didn’t like it I’ve never read a book where there wasn’t a character didn’t like till this book. I absolutely hated the characters and the story could’ve been a 10/10 if executed better and had better characters but all I can do is give it a 2*
May 8, 2023
I think I feel a bit cheated by my expectations. “Best Men” left me more frustrated than swooning. I found the characters annoying, Paige (the narrator’s best friend), especially, although the narrator was a bundle of negativity too. And this is a personal thing, but I find the name Chasten simply meh to read. You can tell there was a lot of thought put into the format of the book, but I do wish it was just more enjoyable overall. I’m really sorry about not liking it, but it just wasn’t for me.
May 19, 2023
I had really high hopes for Best Men after reading a lot of early reviews, however, I found Max, the main character to be insufferable which took away from the experience of this one for me. I did laugh at Max's poor HR practices (given that I'm an HR professional in my real life...) but ultimately, this was not a favorite for me.
Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
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