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The Wedding Date #1
May the Best Man Win
The first in a smart, sizzling new contemporary romance series by USA Today best-selling author Mira Lyn Kelly.
Jase Foster is as loyal and committed as a friend can get - when it comes to the guys, that is. But with women he keeps it casual and experiences what one would call a "high turnover rate".
Emily Klein is beautiful and confident...and has mile-long legs that have been strutting in and out of Jase's life since adolescence, leaving a wake of destruction. As they get paired up time after time as the best man and maid of honor in the upcoming nuptials of all of their best friends, Emily and Jase find their mutual resentment simmering just beneath the surface...right alongside their mutual attraction. Committed to maintaining order for their friends' sakes, they keep their personal loathing for each other under wraps...at least so long as they have an audience. But once they're alone...
Jase Foster is as loyal and committed as a friend can get - when it comes to the guys, that is. But with women he keeps it casual and experiences what one would call a "high turnover rate".
Emily Klein is beautiful and confident...and has mile-long legs that have been strutting in and out of Jase's life since adolescence, leaving a wake of destruction. As they get paired up time after time as the best man and maid of honor in the upcoming nuptials of all of their best friends, Emily and Jase find their mutual resentment simmering just beneath the surface...right alongside their mutual attraction. Committed to maintaining order for their friends' sakes, they keep their personal loathing for each other under wraps...at least so long as they have an audience. But once they're alone...
352 pages, Audiobook
First published August 2, 2016
639 people are currently reading
1413 people want to read
About the author
Mira Lyn Kelly
93 books2,745 followersFor Mira's latest book news, sign up for her newsletter at http://www.miralynkelly.com/newsletter
Hard core romantic, stress baker, and housekeeper non-extraordinaire, Mira Lyn Kelly is the USA TODAY bestselling author of more than a dozen sizzly love stories with over a million readers worldwide. Growing up in the Chicago area, she earned her degree in Fine Arts from Loyola University and met the love of her life while studying abroad in Rome, Italy… only to discover he’d been living right around the corner from her back home. Having spent her twenties working and playing in the Windy City, she’s now settled with her husband in rural Minnesota, where their four amazing children and two ridiculous dogs provide an excess of action and entertainment. When she isn’t reading, writing, or running the kids around, she loves watching the Chicago Blackhawks and action/adventure movies, blabbing with the girls, and cooking with her husband and friends.
Hard core romantic, stress baker, and housekeeper non-extraordinaire, Mira Lyn Kelly is the USA TODAY bestselling author of more than a dozen sizzly love stories with over a million readers worldwide. Growing up in the Chicago area, she earned her degree in Fine Arts from Loyola University and met the love of her life while studying abroad in Rome, Italy… only to discover he’d been living right around the corner from her back home. Having spent her twenties working and playing in the Windy City, she’s now settled with her husband in rural Minnesota, where their four amazing children and two ridiculous dogs provide an excess of action and entertainment. When she isn’t reading, writing, or running the kids around, she loves watching the Chicago Blackhawks and action/adventure movies, blabbing with the girls, and cooking with her husband and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
March 9, 2017
Parts of this were outstanding. But a couple things really bothered me.
I loved Jase and Emily. I liked their interactions and how well they fit together. I liked their friendship and how their relationship developed over time. And I liked how clearly they cared about each other. I wish the author hadn't played games with their story because this could have been a knock-out romance.
Unfortunately, the problems were pretty overwhelming. The first, and most intrusive, was that while the readers knew something had happened ten years ago to upset a budding romance the author was coy to the point of stupidity. I hate when something that was important to the main characters, and that forms the basis for their current interactions, is kept from the reader. That goes double when it is something negative enough to put two people who are obviously compatible at odds with each other. It isn't until 49% (yes, I took note and did the math) in that we actually find out what happened and it was exactly what I thought it'd be—that the author was waiting until the two characters talked about it to reveal what had happened. I'm sorry, but that's broken and I hate that authors can even think that way. I get that they're trying to keep it fresh so you get the reveal when you have the conversation, but I doubt many readers experience it that way. Instead, we could have had all the interior dialogue that has one or both (preferably both) parsing through and evaluating and wondering what to do about this big thing that happened. Getting both sides of that early would have leant understanding and sympathy to the reader as we get to follow the same emotional trajectory as the characters. But no. Instead I got a big wad of wondering what the devil had happened throwing me out of the characters time and time again.
The second problem is that both Jase and Emily suffer from monster cases of negative motivation*. Worse, Emily's hesitance to trust is . Worse part two, though, is that both have motivational origins that are literally decades in the past. Which means that they've had years and years and years of being emotionally stunted nitwits about relationships. I'm sorry, but I don't find that attractive and wish romance authors would get a new schtick.
Finally, though, and this dropped the story a full star, Kelly has Jase pull a wicked bad reversal in the final quarter that was unneeded and, frankly, undercut everything we had learned about him to that point. I'm sorry, but Emily is a moron for even considering taking him back after that nonsense and I don't care how big or how many grand gestures Jase pulls out of his hat to get there. The story has Jase pull together a full-court press about the middle of the book that was touching and absolutely had me engaged with him, hoping he'd win the girl. That final cut back was doucheweasel material of the highest order, undercut everything real about his earlier full-court press, and should have benched Jase from all serious relationships for a few years so he could finish baking into an adult personality.
Anyway, this story had some problems and they weren't small. I liked parts of it very much indeed, and I hope that Kelly's other books have the same strengths but without the problematical bits. I'll probably give her another shot and pick up the next in the series. But my hopes aren't high.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
A note about Steamy: There are three or four explicit sex scenes of reasonable length so this is the middle of my steam tolerance. They're a little overblown and even undercut the emotional relationship a bit. Not to the extent that it became another drawback of the novel, but certainly not a real addition to enjoyment, either.
I loved Jase and Emily. I liked their interactions and how well they fit together. I liked their friendship and how their relationship developed over time. And I liked how clearly they cared about each other. I wish the author hadn't played games with their story because this could have been a knock-out romance.
Unfortunately, the problems were pretty overwhelming. The first, and most intrusive, was that while the readers knew something had happened ten years ago to upset a budding romance the author was coy to the point of stupidity. I hate when something that was important to the main characters, and that forms the basis for their current interactions, is kept from the reader. That goes double when it is something negative enough to put two people who are obviously compatible at odds with each other. It isn't until 49% (yes, I took note and did the math) in that we actually find out what happened and it was exactly what I thought it'd be—that the author was waiting until the two characters talked about it to reveal what had happened. I'm sorry, but that's broken and I hate that authors can even think that way. I get that they're trying to keep it fresh so you get the reveal when you have the conversation, but I doubt many readers experience it that way. Instead, we could have had all the interior dialogue that has one or both (preferably both) parsing through and evaluating and wondering what to do about this big thing that happened. Getting both sides of that early would have leant understanding and sympathy to the reader as we get to follow the same emotional trajectory as the characters. But no. Instead I got a big wad of wondering what the devil had happened throwing me out of the characters time and time again.
The second problem is that both Jase and Emily suffer from monster cases of negative motivation*. Worse, Emily's hesitance to trust is . Worse part two, though, is that both have motivational origins that are literally decades in the past. Which means that they've had years and years and years of being emotionally stunted nitwits about relationships. I'm sorry, but I don't find that attractive and wish romance authors would get a new schtick.
Finally, though, and this dropped the story a full star, Kelly has Jase pull a wicked bad reversal in the final quarter that was unneeded and, frankly, undercut everything we had learned about him to that point. I'm sorry, but Emily is a moron for even considering taking him back after that nonsense and I don't care how big or how many grand gestures Jase pulls out of his hat to get there. The story has Jase pull together a full-court press about the middle of the book that was touching and absolutely had me engaged with him, hoping he'd win the girl. That final cut back was doucheweasel material of the highest order, undercut everything real about his earlier full-court press, and should have benched Jase from all serious relationships for a few years so he could finish baking into an adult personality.
Anyway, this story had some problems and they weren't small. I liked parts of it very much indeed, and I hope that Kelly's other books have the same strengths but without the problematical bits. I'll probably give her another shot and pick up the next in the series. But my hopes aren't high.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
A note about Steamy: There are three or four explicit sex scenes of reasonable length so this is the middle of my steam tolerance. They're a little overblown and even undercut the emotional relationship a bit. Not to the extent that it became another drawback of the novel, but certainly not a real addition to enjoyment, either.
August 6, 2016
DNF @62%
This DNF is all on me. Lots of people loved this book. Unfortunately, the constant back-and-forth, starts-and-stops that Jase and Emily put me through got old really quickly. I don't mind some back-and-forth or reluctance on either the heroine or the hero to get involved but not both of them at the same time!
Jase and Emily were both single, beautiful with great jobs and great friends but somehow they can't seem to communicate like adults. They had so many chances to actually communicate but they never took it. They just went on assuming everything.
Again, I can handle this if it's only the heroine or the hero doing it but they both do it, and it's annoying. The absolute last straw that made me DNF was when they decided to be "just friends" at around 60% of the book. Ugh. No.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This DNF is all on me. Lots of people loved this book. Unfortunately, the constant back-and-forth, starts-and-stops that Jase and Emily put me through got old really quickly. I don't mind some back-and-forth or reluctance on either the heroine or the hero to get involved but not both of them at the same time!
Jase and Emily were both single, beautiful with great jobs and great friends but somehow they can't seem to communicate like adults. They had so many chances to actually communicate but they never took it. They just went on assuming everything.
Again, I can handle this if it's only the heroine or the hero doing it but they both do it, and it's annoying. The absolute last straw that made me DNF was when they decided to be "just friends" at around 60% of the book. Ugh. No.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2016
5 stars
May the Best Man Win was such a good read, loved everything about it.
From the first page I knew this was going to be a fun read.
I enjoyed both Jase and Emily's characters, they entertained me, they frustrated/annoyed me, they made me laugh and the chemistry between them was off the charts.
I had a great time reading May the Best Man Win and can't wait for the next book in the The Best Men series.
Mira Lyn Kelly has become one of my must buy authors, love her writing & storytelling. I highly recommend this book and all of this talented authors work.
Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via Netgalley for the advance copy.
May the Best Man Win was such a good read, loved everything about it.
From the first page I knew this was going to be a fun read.
I enjoyed both Jase and Emily's characters, they entertained me, they frustrated/annoyed me, they made me laugh and the chemistry between them was off the charts.
I had a great time reading May the Best Man Win and can't wait for the next book in the The Best Men series.
Mira Lyn Kelly has become one of my must buy authors, love her writing & storytelling. I highly recommend this book and all of this talented authors work.
Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via Netgalley for the advance copy.
April 4, 2022
May the Best Man Win is a very interesting read. Miss Kelly did not make her story only focusing on enemy turns to lover. It has so much more.
For me what is interesting is the argument between Emily and Jase about love. Watching their friends suffer from lack of trust in relationship, makes them doubting love. Emily is more persistent in arguing.
The banter is very good. The push and pull is not because of immature decision. And the chemistry is hot.
Very enjoyable read.
4 stars
For me what is interesting is the argument between Emily and Jase about love. Watching their friends suffer from lack of trust in relationship, makes them doubting love. Emily is more persistent in arguing.
The banter is very good. The push and pull is not because of immature decision. And the chemistry is hot.
Very enjoyable read.
4 stars
September 4, 2016
Mira Lyn Kelly starts off her new romantic comedy series with a delightful concept. The Best Men is a set of novels featuring four male friends who keep ending up in wedding parties together, through a combination of family, friends and fate. The movie Four Weddings and a Funeral came to mind when I heard about this series and since it happens to be among my favorites, I was very hopeful that this romance would play out somewhat along those lines. The fact that this first story, May the Best Man Win, combines a second chance romance with an enemies-to-lovers trope put it squarely in my ‘read now!’ pile. I’m happy to say that it delivers on the romance, the comedy, and will even make you shed a few tears as our couple in question gets their own happy ending.
Fate is definitely not being kind to Jase and Emily. High school friends who had a falling out that was never righted, they determinedly went their separate ways and haven’t been in contact much in the last ten years – except when forced to play nice at mutual friends’ get-togethers. And when those friends start getting married, both Jase and Emily end up being in the bridal parties. While civil in public, their sniping at each other in private masks a secret, an unwanted attraction left over from their teenage years. When the latest engagement party threatens them with another involvement in yet another wedding, they call a truce. And with the truce comes the undeniable truth that the chemistry between them won’t be ignored any longer. A heated secret affair challenges them to break down the walls they’ve built. Hurt feelings, misunderstandings and misconceptions line the path that’s led to their current relationship. Can they find a way to let go of the past and regain their friendship and even have a chance at love?
What a lovely read! The series idea hooked my attention and the first chapter clearly sets out the antagonistic relationship between Emily and Jase. Their friends seem to have no idea just how much the pair hates each other since they keep putting them in the unenviable position of being partnered in wedding parties due to their physical heights – Jase is over six feet tall and Emily is just under, making them the most obvious pairing when matching up their guests – much to the chagrin of both. And individually they are really nice people. Emily is a warm hearted, friendly woman who seems to always get the role of keeping the bride calm during the wedding preparations. She offers sound and practical advice, handkerchiefs for tears, and a buffer between them and the mothers or mothers-in-law as required (before and after the ceremony). She is, in fact, the perfect bridesmaid.
Jase, well, he pulls off the best man role like a champ. In a somewhat stereotypical fashion things seem to happen to the groom on the night of the bachelor party or the morning of the wedding that require quick thinking and inventive excuses. His job is to make sure the groom makes it to the altar, and he does it with aplomb. He’s a loyal friend, a handsome and smart guy, and a hit with the ladies – even if it’s Emily’s scornful eyes he can’t help catching.
This romance focuses heavily on the relationships and as the story unfolds from wedding to wedding, there are glimpses of Jase and Emily’s past and we learn how and why they ended up where they are now. Part of it involves a high school love triangle that, if they had the chance to change it, would play out differently. But it’s not just teenage angst that is behind their fallout. There are some fairly serious issues at play here that when revealed, make their antagonism and hurt feelings understandable. The attraction they feel to each other may have matured into more adult feelings but the underlying trust that was broken must be rebuilt for them to move forward. Still, you don’t need to trust someone or even like them to sleep with them, and the lustful feelings they have drive their relationship into new territory. They share some steamy scenes in some interesting places, and find out that perhaps hate and love are not so far apart after all.
Since the series will comprise four books, we are introduced to the three other men who will get their own stories and they are quite the gentlemen. Bromances in books are some of my favorite scenes to read and these guys make me laugh with their antics. One of the couples that gets married in the story goes through some interesting relationship difficulties that put Emily and Jase squarely in the middle. The fallout from those scenes and the subsequent conflict and resolution to Emily and Jase’s own relationship brought tears to my eyes. An author who can make a reader feel a wide range of emotions is clearly one who is skilled at their craft. Jase and Emily’s happy ending in May the Best Man Win is well deserved and I eagerly await the next story in The Best Men series.
This review is also posted at All About Romance at this link: http://allaboutromance.com/book-revie...
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
Fate is definitely not being kind to Jase and Emily. High school friends who had a falling out that was never righted, they determinedly went their separate ways and haven’t been in contact much in the last ten years – except when forced to play nice at mutual friends’ get-togethers. And when those friends start getting married, both Jase and Emily end up being in the bridal parties. While civil in public, their sniping at each other in private masks a secret, an unwanted attraction left over from their teenage years. When the latest engagement party threatens them with another involvement in yet another wedding, they call a truce. And with the truce comes the undeniable truth that the chemistry between them won’t be ignored any longer. A heated secret affair challenges them to break down the walls they’ve built. Hurt feelings, misunderstandings and misconceptions line the path that’s led to their current relationship. Can they find a way to let go of the past and regain their friendship and even have a chance at love?
What a lovely read! The series idea hooked my attention and the first chapter clearly sets out the antagonistic relationship between Emily and Jase. Their friends seem to have no idea just how much the pair hates each other since they keep putting them in the unenviable position of being partnered in wedding parties due to their physical heights – Jase is over six feet tall and Emily is just under, making them the most obvious pairing when matching up their guests – much to the chagrin of both. And individually they are really nice people. Emily is a warm hearted, friendly woman who seems to always get the role of keeping the bride calm during the wedding preparations. She offers sound and practical advice, handkerchiefs for tears, and a buffer between them and the mothers or mothers-in-law as required (before and after the ceremony). She is, in fact, the perfect bridesmaid.
Jase, well, he pulls off the best man role like a champ. In a somewhat stereotypical fashion things seem to happen to the groom on the night of the bachelor party or the morning of the wedding that require quick thinking and inventive excuses. His job is to make sure the groom makes it to the altar, and he does it with aplomb. He’s a loyal friend, a handsome and smart guy, and a hit with the ladies – even if it’s Emily’s scornful eyes he can’t help catching.
This romance focuses heavily on the relationships and as the story unfolds from wedding to wedding, there are glimpses of Jase and Emily’s past and we learn how and why they ended up where they are now. Part of it involves a high school love triangle that, if they had the chance to change it, would play out differently. But it’s not just teenage angst that is behind their fallout. There are some fairly serious issues at play here that when revealed, make their antagonism and hurt feelings understandable. The attraction they feel to each other may have matured into more adult feelings but the underlying trust that was broken must be rebuilt for them to move forward. Still, you don’t need to trust someone or even like them to sleep with them, and the lustful feelings they have drive their relationship into new territory. They share some steamy scenes in some interesting places, and find out that perhaps hate and love are not so far apart after all.
Since the series will comprise four books, we are introduced to the three other men who will get their own stories and they are quite the gentlemen. Bromances in books are some of my favorite scenes to read and these guys make me laugh with their antics. One of the couples that gets married in the story goes through some interesting relationship difficulties that put Emily and Jase squarely in the middle. The fallout from those scenes and the subsequent conflict and resolution to Emily and Jase’s own relationship brought tears to my eyes. An author who can make a reader feel a wide range of emotions is clearly one who is skilled at their craft. Jase and Emily’s happy ending in May the Best Man Win is well deserved and I eagerly await the next story in The Best Men series.
This review is also posted at All About Romance at this link: http://allaboutromance.com/book-revie...
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
August 17, 2016
Buddy-read with
Bubu
:)
The premise of the story is quite simple:
Two people with a long nursed grudge against each other get thrown together in their numerous mutual friends’ weddings again, and again, and again, allowing their relationship to progresses-regresses-progresses- regresses, well, you get the picture.
Before I go any further, let me comment on these mutual friends. Since the book is the first in the series, it would be expected to have some secondary characters who then be featured in subsequent books. The story went way beyond this expectation. It frankly got bogged down not only by numerous “best” friends but also by their parents, cousins, significant others, coworkers and so on...This made it very difficult to concentrate on the main couple. As result, the story felt unfocused for at least the first half of it.
And it took that much time (48%) to finally reveal a reason for MCs mutual hatred for each other. Meanwhile, the hate didn’t prevent them from enjoying sexy times anywhere . The way their relationship was progressing, it begged the questions: If they were not paired together during weddings because of their heights, would they ever be together? Would lust be the only reason?
Even though the second half of the story was focused more on the main couple, it wasn’t getting any better. The constant indecision drama made it for a tedious read: he is unsure what he wants from the relationship while 10% ago it was she who was having these debates, and 10% before, it was he, and back to her again…
Even though the book was a disappointment, reading it with my friend, Bubu, was a delight, as usual.
Thank you, Bubu for a wonderful b-r!
May the best man win or lose, just come to a decision, please!
The constant back-and-forth between wishy-washy couple who can’t decide what to do with each other- to trust or not to trust, to be friends with benefits or to be just friends, to love or not to love, to hate or not to hate – got really old.The premise of the story is quite simple:
Two people with a long nursed grudge against each other get thrown together in their numerous mutual friends’ weddings again, and again, and again, allowing their relationship to progresses-regresses-progresses- regresses, well, you get the picture.
Before I go any further, let me comment on these mutual friends. Since the book is the first in the series, it would be expected to have some secondary characters who then be featured in subsequent books. The story went way beyond this expectation. It frankly got bogged down not only by numerous “best” friends but also by their parents, cousins, significant others, coworkers and so on...This made it very difficult to concentrate on the main couple. As result, the story felt unfocused for at least the first half of it.
And it took that much time (48%) to finally reveal a reason for MCs mutual hatred for each other. Meanwhile, the hate didn’t prevent them from enjoying sexy times anywhere . The way their relationship was progressing, it begged the questions: If they were not paired together during weddings because of their heights, would they ever be together? Would lust be the only reason?
Even though the second half of the story was focused more on the main couple, it wasn’t getting any better. The constant indecision drama made it for a tedious read: he is unsure what he wants from the relationship while 10% ago it was she who was having these debates, and 10% before, it was he, and back to her again…
Even though the book was a disappointment, reading it with my friend, Bubu, was a delight, as usual.
Thank you, Bubu for a wonderful b-r!
October 3, 2020
"It was like all those little broken pieces inside her were falling back into place."
Enemies to lovers, one of my favorites tropes. And written by Mira Lyn, it was bound to be good. Of course it is not only good, but awesome.
Jase and Emily have known each other for a very long time and there's a lot of emotional baggage between them, ever since Jase lost her to his best friend back in the day. Even though they don't get along, they keep being paired up in parties and weddings, meaning they're forced to tolerate each other's presence.
Yes, there's obvious attraction on both sides, but their dislike for each other seems to be even stronger.
And then Jase comes to her rescue and curiosity takes the best of them - what if, just once, if it doesn't mean anything, maybe they can see what all the fuss is about?
The chemistry between the two of them is off the charts, the sex scenes are hot (what else would you expect from Mira?) and the will they-won't they kind of made me wonder if there was a HEA to this in the end.
Take a chance on this book. It shows you putting the past behind you and following what makes you happy can totally change your life.
Enemies to lovers, one of my favorites tropes. And written by Mira Lyn, it was bound to be good. Of course it is not only good, but awesome.
Jase and Emily have known each other for a very long time and there's a lot of emotional baggage between them, ever since Jase lost her to his best friend back in the day. Even though they don't get along, they keep being paired up in parties and weddings, meaning they're forced to tolerate each other's presence.
Yes, there's obvious attraction on both sides, but their dislike for each other seems to be even stronger.
And then Jase comes to her rescue and curiosity takes the best of them - what if, just once, if it doesn't mean anything, maybe they can see what all the fuss is about?
The chemistry between the two of them is off the charts, the sex scenes are hot (what else would you expect from Mira?) and the will they-won't they kind of made me wonder if there was a HEA to this in the end.
Take a chance on this book. It shows you putting the past behind you and following what makes you happy can totally change your life.
November 27, 2016
I’m not a great reader of Contemporary Romance, but every so often, a book will catch my eye, usually because friends have enjoyed it. In this case Maria Rose’s review at AAR whetted my appetite for this charming, funny and sexy enemies-to-lovers story.
Emily Klein and Jase Foster have known each other since High School, but even though they ‘like’ liked each other back then, Jase lost the girl to his best friend, Eddie, who plucked up the courage to ask her out first – and like the good guy he still is, Jase backed off. Over a decade later, Jase and Emily still see each other occasionally, but there’s a lot of baggage between them, with each blaming the other over a significant incident in their pasts. When they meet, the gloves just about stay on as they put on a show of amity for their friends while continually sniping at each other and barely masking their dislike.
Recently, they’ve been thrown together more frequently than usual, most often at the weddings of friends at which Jase serves as groomsman while Emily is a bridesmaid. As all these friends have big, expensive weddings (and obviously more money than sense!), there are venues to be scouted, arrangements to be made and rehearsals to be attended; and as if that weren’t bad enough, Jase, at six-feet-five is one of the few men not to be dwarfed by Emily’s five-feet-eleven plus in heels, so their heights mean they’re usually paired up in processions, photos and seating plans.
At their second or third wedding on the trot, Jase and Emily can’t ignore the crackling sexual tension between them and decide that maybe hooking-up “just once – to see what it’s like” will enable them to get past this weird attraction and get back to normal; normal being when they didn’t look at each other and wonder what the other looks like with their clothes off. Only in Romancelandia does that ever seem like a good idea, but in any case, Jase and Emily pretty much scorch every flat surface they can find on more than one occasion, each time telling themselves it’s the last time.
Before long, Jase is realising that “just sex” – even the amazing, mind-numbingly incredible sex they’re having – isn’t enough for him. He doesn’t know exactly what he does want, but he knows it isn’t Emily leaping out of bed and being unable to get away fast enough, or her practically shoving him out of her apartment on the morning after. Then something happens to make him realise that perhaps he might have been wrong in some of the assumptions he made about Emily in the past and to want to get to the bottom of it and clear the air. Even though Emily is skittish, they talk it through and both of them come to understand what actually happened and to accept that things weren’t as they seemed. And Jase comes to another important realisation, too. He wasn’t there for Emily back when she needed a friend, and what he wants more than anything now is to be a friend to her as well as whatever else is going on between them. Emily isn’t quite sure she actually wants Jase as a friend, especially as it seems to mean no more toe-curling sex – but after a false start, decides to try the friendship thing… and discovers she likes it.
I liked the way the book is constructed, with Jase and Emily unable to keep their hands off each other in the first part, and then that side of things taking more of a back seat as the emotional side of the relationship comes to the fore and starts to build; and I really appreciated the way the author has Jase and Emily talking through their issues and looking back with more mature eyes to see that they both made mistakes. That’s not to say that everything in the garden is rosy after that, because even though they seem to be setting into a relationship that is good for both of them, they still have trust and commitment issues to deal with, and I admit that some of the back-and-forth got just a teeny bit irritating. Then when, near the end, Jase throws a major guy-tantrum, it felt like a complication-too-far and caused me to lower my final grade a bit.
Another issue I had was with the sheer number of mutual friends these two have, and the number of those mutual friends who were pairing up to get married. I think if Richard Curtis had been on hand, we’d have had Eight Weddings and – Another Wedding or something! But apart from those niggles, I enjoyed May the Best Man Win, which is a great mix of funny, tender, sexy and sweet. The two central characters have real depth and are likeable and attractive – plus the chemistry between them is off the charts. There’s a strong supporting cast, and I enjoyed the way the relationships between Jase and Emily and their circle of friends were presented. I suspect most of these characters will be getting their own books, and on the strength of this one, I might just pick them up.
Emily Klein and Jase Foster have known each other since High School, but even though they ‘like’ liked each other back then, Jase lost the girl to his best friend, Eddie, who plucked up the courage to ask her out first – and like the good guy he still is, Jase backed off. Over a decade later, Jase and Emily still see each other occasionally, but there’s a lot of baggage between them, with each blaming the other over a significant incident in their pasts. When they meet, the gloves just about stay on as they put on a show of amity for their friends while continually sniping at each other and barely masking their dislike.
Recently, they’ve been thrown together more frequently than usual, most often at the weddings of friends at which Jase serves as groomsman while Emily is a bridesmaid. As all these friends have big, expensive weddings (and obviously more money than sense!), there are venues to be scouted, arrangements to be made and rehearsals to be attended; and as if that weren’t bad enough, Jase, at six-feet-five is one of the few men not to be dwarfed by Emily’s five-feet-eleven plus in heels, so their heights mean they’re usually paired up in processions, photos and seating plans.
At their second or third wedding on the trot, Jase and Emily can’t ignore the crackling sexual tension between them and decide that maybe hooking-up “just once – to see what it’s like” will enable them to get past this weird attraction and get back to normal; normal being when they didn’t look at each other and wonder what the other looks like with their clothes off. Only in Romancelandia does that ever seem like a good idea, but in any case, Jase and Emily pretty much scorch every flat surface they can find on more than one occasion, each time telling themselves it’s the last time.
Before long, Jase is realising that “just sex” – even the amazing, mind-numbingly incredible sex they’re having – isn’t enough for him. He doesn’t know exactly what he does want, but he knows it isn’t Emily leaping out of bed and being unable to get away fast enough, or her practically shoving him out of her apartment on the morning after. Then something happens to make him realise that perhaps he might have been wrong in some of the assumptions he made about Emily in the past and to want to get to the bottom of it and clear the air. Even though Emily is skittish, they talk it through and both of them come to understand what actually happened and to accept that things weren’t as they seemed. And Jase comes to another important realisation, too. He wasn’t there for Emily back when she needed a friend, and what he wants more than anything now is to be a friend to her as well as whatever else is going on between them. Emily isn’t quite sure she actually wants Jase as a friend, especially as it seems to mean no more toe-curling sex – but after a false start, decides to try the friendship thing… and discovers she likes it.
I liked the way the book is constructed, with Jase and Emily unable to keep their hands off each other in the first part, and then that side of things taking more of a back seat as the emotional side of the relationship comes to the fore and starts to build; and I really appreciated the way the author has Jase and Emily talking through their issues and looking back with more mature eyes to see that they both made mistakes. That’s not to say that everything in the garden is rosy after that, because even though they seem to be setting into a relationship that is good for both of them, they still have trust and commitment issues to deal with, and I admit that some of the back-and-forth got just a teeny bit irritating. Then when, near the end, Jase throws a major guy-tantrum, it felt like a complication-too-far and caused me to lower my final grade a bit.
Another issue I had was with the sheer number of mutual friends these two have, and the number of those mutual friends who were pairing up to get married. I think if Richard Curtis had been on hand, we’d have had Eight Weddings and – Another Wedding or something! But apart from those niggles, I enjoyed May the Best Man Win, which is a great mix of funny, tender, sexy and sweet. The two central characters have real depth and are likeable and attractive – plus the chemistry between them is off the charts. There’s a strong supporting cast, and I enjoyed the way the relationships between Jase and Emily and their circle of friends were presented. I suspect most of these characters will be getting their own books, and on the strength of this one, I might just pick them up.
April 20, 2024
Review from 2017
I've given this a C and B- for the two narrators and a B for content at AudioGals. So I'm saying 3.5 stars overall.
May the Best Man Win is the first book in Mira Lyn Kelly’s four-book series, The Best Men , in which a group of friends are at that time in their lives when many of their peers are making trips down the aisle, and are regularly asked to be part of those wedding celebrations as groomsmen. This book comprises a charming, sexy and funny (fr)enemies-to-lovers story that focuses on Jase Foster and Emily Klein who have known each other since high school, but who really don’t get along. Back then, Jase “like” liked Emily, and Emily “like” liked Jase, but his best friend, Eddie, asked her out before Jase could get around to it, and like the good guy he was – and still is – Jase backed off.
Since then, they’ve seen each other occasionally, mostly because their circles of friends have some overlap, and they have ended up being paired up in a few wedding parties, because as two of the tallest people in any given room – he’s six-feet-five, she’s five-feet-eleven in stockinged feet – they don’t risk dwarfing their partner. But they hate it. And each other. There’s a lot of history and baggage between them dating back to their high school days, as both of them blame the other for a significant incident in their pasts; and when they meet, they can barely be civil, although they do put on a show of amity for friends, family and wedding guests. But Jase can’t deny that he likes yanking Emily’s chain, and takes delight in getting a rise out of her.
When two of their closest friends announce their intention to tie the knot, Jase and Emily know they have another excruciating day to look forward to, and console themselves with the fact that it IS only one day… plus the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner the day before. But when the bride-to-be begs for help in selecting somewhere to have the reception, Emily and Jase end up scouting out venues and spending a little more time together than usual.
They still dislike each other, though. Yet they can’t deny there’s something that crackles between them every time they are together, and finally, they can’t ignore it any longer and mutually agree to – “just once – to see what it’s like” so they can get over this… whatever it is and get back to normal. Normal being that they’re not looking at each other and wondering what they look like naked. Only in Romancelandia does the idea of having sex with someone you are attracted to in order to cure you of that attraction seem like a good idea – but they’re both desperate enough to believe it might work, and soon, Jase and Emily are scorching pretty much every flat surface they can find on numerous occasions, even as they tell themselves – and each other – that this is absolutely the last time.
Before long, however, Jase realises that “just sex” isn’t enough for him anymore and that he wants a real relationship with Emily. But he isn’t quite sure how to go about it. There’s still a lot that needs to be resolved between them, and I liked that it’s Jase who finally takes the bull by the horns and starts THE conversation. Emily is skittish at first, but they both gradually come to understand the truth of what happened back in their high school days and to acknowledge that they both made mistakes. It’s an emotional scene, and the author handles it well, having them both look back with more mature eyes and Jase realising that he wants to be the sort of friend to Emily now that he wasn’t back then.
But even as things between them seem to be heading in the right direction, neither Jase nor Emily can shake off some of the trust and commitment issues that continue to dog them. I enjoyed the way in which the physical element of their relationship takes a back seat to the growing emotional one in the latter part of the book, although I can’t deny that Jase throwing a major “guy tantrum” towards the end caused me to lower my final content grade a little.
I read the ebook version of May the Best Man Win a few months back and enjoyed it sufficiently to want to listen to the audiobook, even though I’m unfamiliar with both narrators. Tad Branson has been reviewed here at AudioGals a couple of times, but Seraphine Valentine was an unknown quantity. As seems to have become the standard for contemporary romance, the male PoV sections of the book are narrated by the male narrator and the female PoV by the female narrator, although there’s one section near the end where Mr. Branson reads part of a chapter that is written from Emily’s PoV and I’m not sure why that is.
While both narrators give decent performances in terms of both narrative and dialogue, I preferred listening to Mr. Branson overall, as he seemed to be the more technically accomplished of the two. He differentiates well between the various male characters, and I liked his generally laid-back, humour-laced portrayal of Jase. His interpretation of Emily, by means of a slight raise in pitch and softening in tone is pretty good, and he does a reasonable job with the other female characters he narrates in his portions of the story, especially in achieving the right sort of world-weary, snarky tone for his wise-cracking, very pregnant assistant Janice. On the downside, Molly, an honourary “one of the guys” sounds a little overly-harsh, but that didn’t really bother me too much. He’s also good in the love scenes he gets to narrate, bringing an appropriate level of sexy to both description and dialogue. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Ms. Valentine; in the book, the first time Jase and Emily hook up is explosive, but there was no sense of urgency or heat to Ms. Valentine’s reading of the scene – or of any of the later sex scenes – and I felt like I’d listened to a damp squib rather than the fireworks I was expecting.
In terms of the other aspects of her performance, she differentiates fairly well between the female characters, and her portrayal of Jase is quite good, with a slight drop in pitch and the addition of a husky note to his speech working quite well to convey his attractiveness. But my biggest issue with her is the way she continually inserts questions into the text which aren’t there. For example, when she’s bemoaning her lack of sex life early on in the book, and her friend tells her to get herself a good quality vibrator and a Magic Mike DVD, Emily ponders:
“… but the fact that she’d gotten chills at the mention of Jase’s name – and not the prospect of Channing Tatum doing those incredibly erotic dance moves – didn’t bode well.”
What Ms. Valentine says is this:
“… but the fact that she’d gotten chills at the mention of Jase’s name (?) – and not the prospect of Channing Tatum doing those incredibly erotic dance moves ? – didn’t bode well.”
Or in one of the early sex scenes, what’s written is this: “And when his focus switched from her eyes to where he was thrusting inside her, the heat of that visual pushed her past any state of arousal she’d ever been in…”
But what you hear is this:
“And when his focus switched from her eyes to where he was thrusting inside her? the heat of that visual pushed her past any state of arousal she’d ever been in…”
I know there has been a trend over the last couple of decades for people to speak in questions, even when they are making statements – technically known as a high-raising terminal. “I went to the shop on the corner? And I bought some milk? And then I went home?” But. It. Drives. Me. Nuts. And while a narrator has to make judgement calls on their acting choices, they shouldn’t be inserting things into the text that aren’t there.
Of course, once you notice something like that, it becomes like an Elephant in the Room – you’re trying to ignore it, but deep down, you know it’s coming and you listen for it so that it becomes impossible to ignore. And I’m afraid that it did spoil my overall enjoyment of Ms. Valentine’s portion of the narration.
Ultimately, May the Best Man Win is an entertaining contemporary romance and will definitely appeal to those who – like me – enjoy snarky banter and a couple in desperate denial of the sparks that ignite whenever they’re in the same room. But if you have a choice between listening to it or reading it, I’d definitely go for reading. The audiobook version isn’t terrible, but I remember enjoying the story much more when I read it for myself.
I've given this a C and B- for the two narrators and a B for content at AudioGals. So I'm saying 3.5 stars overall.
May the Best Man Win is the first book in Mira Lyn Kelly’s four-book series, The Best Men , in which a group of friends are at that time in their lives when many of their peers are making trips down the aisle, and are regularly asked to be part of those wedding celebrations as groomsmen. This book comprises a charming, sexy and funny (fr)enemies-to-lovers story that focuses on Jase Foster and Emily Klein who have known each other since high school, but who really don’t get along. Back then, Jase “like” liked Emily, and Emily “like” liked Jase, but his best friend, Eddie, asked her out before Jase could get around to it, and like the good guy he was – and still is – Jase backed off.
Since then, they’ve seen each other occasionally, mostly because their circles of friends have some overlap, and they have ended up being paired up in a few wedding parties, because as two of the tallest people in any given room – he’s six-feet-five, she’s five-feet-eleven in stockinged feet – they don’t risk dwarfing their partner. But they hate it. And each other. There’s a lot of history and baggage between them dating back to their high school days, as both of them blame the other for a significant incident in their pasts; and when they meet, they can barely be civil, although they do put on a show of amity for friends, family and wedding guests. But Jase can’t deny that he likes yanking Emily’s chain, and takes delight in getting a rise out of her.
When two of their closest friends announce their intention to tie the knot, Jase and Emily know they have another excruciating day to look forward to, and console themselves with the fact that it IS only one day… plus the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner the day before. But when the bride-to-be begs for help in selecting somewhere to have the reception, Emily and Jase end up scouting out venues and spending a little more time together than usual.
They still dislike each other, though. Yet they can’t deny there’s something that crackles between them every time they are together, and finally, they can’t ignore it any longer and mutually agree to – “just once – to see what it’s like” so they can get over this… whatever it is and get back to normal. Normal being that they’re not looking at each other and wondering what they look like naked. Only in Romancelandia does the idea of having sex with someone you are attracted to in order to cure you of that attraction seem like a good idea – but they’re both desperate enough to believe it might work, and soon, Jase and Emily are scorching pretty much every flat surface they can find on numerous occasions, even as they tell themselves – and each other – that this is absolutely the last time.
Before long, however, Jase realises that “just sex” isn’t enough for him anymore and that he wants a real relationship with Emily. But he isn’t quite sure how to go about it. There’s still a lot that needs to be resolved between them, and I liked that it’s Jase who finally takes the bull by the horns and starts THE conversation. Emily is skittish at first, but they both gradually come to understand the truth of what happened back in their high school days and to acknowledge that they both made mistakes. It’s an emotional scene, and the author handles it well, having them both look back with more mature eyes and Jase realising that he wants to be the sort of friend to Emily now that he wasn’t back then.
But even as things between them seem to be heading in the right direction, neither Jase nor Emily can shake off some of the trust and commitment issues that continue to dog them. I enjoyed the way in which the physical element of their relationship takes a back seat to the growing emotional one in the latter part of the book, although I can’t deny that Jase throwing a major “guy tantrum” towards the end caused me to lower my final content grade a little.
I read the ebook version of May the Best Man Win a few months back and enjoyed it sufficiently to want to listen to the audiobook, even though I’m unfamiliar with both narrators. Tad Branson has been reviewed here at AudioGals a couple of times, but Seraphine Valentine was an unknown quantity. As seems to have become the standard for contemporary romance, the male PoV sections of the book are narrated by the male narrator and the female PoV by the female narrator, although there’s one section near the end where Mr. Branson reads part of a chapter that is written from Emily’s PoV and I’m not sure why that is.
While both narrators give decent performances in terms of both narrative and dialogue, I preferred listening to Mr. Branson overall, as he seemed to be the more technically accomplished of the two. He differentiates well between the various male characters, and I liked his generally laid-back, humour-laced portrayal of Jase. His interpretation of Emily, by means of a slight raise in pitch and softening in tone is pretty good, and he does a reasonable job with the other female characters he narrates in his portions of the story, especially in achieving the right sort of world-weary, snarky tone for his wise-cracking, very pregnant assistant Janice. On the downside, Molly, an honourary “one of the guys” sounds a little overly-harsh, but that didn’t really bother me too much. He’s also good in the love scenes he gets to narrate, bringing an appropriate level of sexy to both description and dialogue. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Ms. Valentine; in the book, the first time Jase and Emily hook up is explosive, but there was no sense of urgency or heat to Ms. Valentine’s reading of the scene – or of any of the later sex scenes – and I felt like I’d listened to a damp squib rather than the fireworks I was expecting.
In terms of the other aspects of her performance, she differentiates fairly well between the female characters, and her portrayal of Jase is quite good, with a slight drop in pitch and the addition of a husky note to his speech working quite well to convey his attractiveness. But my biggest issue with her is the way she continually inserts questions into the text which aren’t there. For example, when she’s bemoaning her lack of sex life early on in the book, and her friend tells her to get herself a good quality vibrator and a Magic Mike DVD, Emily ponders:
“… but the fact that she’d gotten chills at the mention of Jase’s name – and not the prospect of Channing Tatum doing those incredibly erotic dance moves – didn’t bode well.”
What Ms. Valentine says is this:
“… but the fact that she’d gotten chills at the mention of Jase’s name (?) – and not the prospect of Channing Tatum doing those incredibly erotic dance moves ? – didn’t bode well.”
Or in one of the early sex scenes, what’s written is this: “And when his focus switched from her eyes to where he was thrusting inside her, the heat of that visual pushed her past any state of arousal she’d ever been in…”
But what you hear is this:
“And when his focus switched from her eyes to where he was thrusting inside her? the heat of that visual pushed her past any state of arousal she’d ever been in…”
I know there has been a trend over the last couple of decades for people to speak in questions, even when they are making statements – technically known as a high-raising terminal. “I went to the shop on the corner? And I bought some milk? And then I went home?” But. It. Drives. Me. Nuts. And while a narrator has to make judgement calls on their acting choices, they shouldn’t be inserting things into the text that aren’t there.
Of course, once you notice something like that, it becomes like an Elephant in the Room – you’re trying to ignore it, but deep down, you know it’s coming and you listen for it so that it becomes impossible to ignore. And I’m afraid that it did spoil my overall enjoyment of Ms. Valentine’s portion of the narration.
Ultimately, May the Best Man Win is an entertaining contemporary romance and will definitely appeal to those who – like me – enjoy snarky banter and a couple in desperate denial of the sparks that ignite whenever they’re in the same room. But if you have a choice between listening to it or reading it, I’d definitely go for reading. The audiobook version isn’t terrible, but I remember enjoying the story much more when I read it for myself.
December 15, 2017
Love is hard. It's hard to trust. Hard to let go. Hard to let down your guard. And in that way, this messy, will-they-won't-they romance was genuine, if not a bit angsty. I just love a good hate-to-love romance, too, so May the Best Man Win definitely had that going in its favor, as well. I did find it a little unrealistic that these two people had so many friend couples in common, that they were forced to be in the wedding party, shoved together because of their height for every one of them. But it made for good chemistry and sexual tension, so whatever. =) This was more like 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up because I'm looking forward to reading about the other best men, even if I was hoping it would be Brody featured next instead of Max.
May 23, 2016
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ARC received from: Netgalley
Rating: 5*
Trope: Enemies turned lovers turned friends turned lovers
Chemistry: Off the charts Scorchio
One-Sentence Summary: Jase and Emily light the pages on fire with their chemistry
Review: HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS! I don't think I've ever read a book with so much UST between the characters. The first half of the book was just full of lust-covered hatred and jibes and UNRESOLVED SEXUAL TENSION. And then when the sexual tension was resolved? CRAZY HOT SEX SCENES.
But let's rewind back to the beginning. Meet Jase and Emily. They have a RIDICULOUS number of mutual friends. Seriously, before you get through the first third of the book the author is going to make you feel like you have an inadequate social life because there is no way normal people have that big of a social circle....... right? Anyway, as you can imagine Jase and Emily keep running into each other at weddings and because of a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING when they were at school together (cue delicious backstory and character layers being peeled back), they hate each other. But secretly lust after each other. Then not quite so secretly lust each other.
The way the book is structured is very much around Jase/Emily's encounters and each chapter is pretty much a new month, a new wedding or a new run-in so you don't get any of the filler stuff that takes up all the room, everything you get is important relationship development. It has been a long time since I read a romance which would be so amazing if it was turned into the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Seriously, I can picture it in my head: imagine the set-up of 27 Dresses but take out the mildly irritating Katherine Heigl and replace it was the wonderful UST and chemistry of Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas's characters from Sweet Home Alabama. If a Hollywood producer happens to be reading this and umming and ahhing about which book to adapt into a film next (since when was the last time Hollywood produced anything original?!) then let me make clear a future romcom blockbuster is sitting right here!
In case you're still wondering about how I feel about this book, *spoiler alert*, I LOVED IT. It hit all the right notes for me with the UST, the relationship progressing (and regressing) at just the right speed, some likeable secondary characters and of course a happy ever after.
I loved the way the book ends with an epilogue from Max's POV thereby revealing to us that his book is up next. I can't wait to find out what is in store for him and Brody but most importantly, GIVE ME SEAN/MOLLY'S BOOK NOW!!!!!! Thanks.
Originally posted @ Love's A State Of Mind
August 2, 2016
Slick's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers stories and with the history between these two, their path to their happily ever after was hard, almost too hard I was good with everything until their last issue and then for me what seemed to be a rush to the end. I don't mind when a couple has to work to be together and while I get that they'd been through a lot, I wanted more time with them after they figured it out, but sadly we didn't get that. With all that being said, I still enjoyed May The Best Man win immensely. The characters were flawed, their shared history not pretty, and the hero's personal history was sad and made it very easy to see his issues with relationships, but the chemistry between them and the way that both owned up to their mistakes made me believe their story and that they'd make it in the long run.
I found it a bit crazy how Jase Foster and Emily Klein kept getting thrown together when their mutual friends all seemed to be pairing up and getting married. What I found even more interesting was how committed Jase was to making sure "his" grooms were at the wedding on time so their brides would not worry especially for someone who didn't believe in letting another person have that much control over your life. Yes, Jase was affected by his mother walking out when he was a young boy, but he was more affected by the shape his father was in for years afterwards.
Jase and Emily were in high school when an incident changed their lives forever and in turn changed what little relationship they had at that point. It was a complicated time for them and the both made mistakes. I appreciated that they were mature enough now to realize the mistakes they made and figured out a way to move past them.
I loved the attraction between them from the start, they way it built, the moments they shared before either one of them wanted to admit there was more to it and the difficulty they both had with accepting they wanted more. These were some scared individuals and despite the way they felt when they were together, despite the fact they missed each other when apart; they both kept protecting their hearts and refused to let the other one in completely. I kept rooting for them and I hurt for them when it was so evident they needed one another, but just couldn't trust not only each other but their own judgment.
Highly emotional and supremely sexy, May The Best Man Win was a satisfying and engaging story from beginning to end.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers stories and with the history between these two, their path to their happily ever after was hard, almost too hard I was good with everything until their last issue and then for me what seemed to be a rush to the end. I don't mind when a couple has to work to be together and while I get that they'd been through a lot, I wanted more time with them after they figured it out, but sadly we didn't get that. With all that being said, I still enjoyed May The Best Man win immensely. The characters were flawed, their shared history not pretty, and the hero's personal history was sad and made it very easy to see his issues with relationships, but the chemistry between them and the way that both owned up to their mistakes made me believe their story and that they'd make it in the long run.
I found it a bit crazy how Jase Foster and Emily Klein kept getting thrown together when their mutual friends all seemed to be pairing up and getting married. What I found even more interesting was how committed Jase was to making sure "his" grooms were at the wedding on time so their brides would not worry especially for someone who didn't believe in letting another person have that much control over your life. Yes, Jase was affected by his mother walking out when he was a young boy, but he was more affected by the shape his father was in for years afterwards.
Jase and Emily were in high school when an incident changed their lives forever and in turn changed what little relationship they had at that point. It was a complicated time for them and the both made mistakes. I appreciated that they were mature enough now to realize the mistakes they made and figured out a way to move past them.
I loved the attraction between them from the start, they way it built, the moments they shared before either one of them wanted to admit there was more to it and the difficulty they both had with accepting they wanted more. These were some scared individuals and despite the way they felt when they were together, despite the fact they missed each other when apart; they both kept protecting their hearts and refused to let the other one in completely. I kept rooting for them and I hurt for them when it was so evident they needed one another, but just couldn't trust not only each other but their own judgment.
Highly emotional and supremely sexy, May The Best Man Win was a satisfying and engaging story from beginning to end.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
August 4, 2016
If you don’t mind a reluctant to love/trust each other main couple who do one thing while thinking another, you might be able to enjoy this book. For me, this back and forth, wishy-washy couple, who while being intimate are already planning on walking away/not having a relationship, got old. That is certainly not my idea of romance, folks. I actually found their snarky comments, stink eye stares kind of funny in the beginning. However, it grated on this avid true romantic at heart nerves for them to keep doing so, especially after they realized they had feelings for each other.
It took f-o-r-e-v-e-r to spill the beans why the heroine hated the hero and why he thought so little of her. Frankly, once I was given the whole picture, I wanted to throat punch the hero for believing such lies about her. And where was this girl’s self-respect? How could she so readily spend that much smexy time with a guy who obviously thought very little of her.
The Eddie business had me wanting him to make a cameo appearance just so someone could make him pay for his part in this whole mess. The hero certainly didn’t win any points with me for not standing up for his girl and believing the lies in the first place.
So, my fellow romance book-loving friends, there was simply too much back and forth, stomping on each other’s heart for my taste. Though the engaging writing flowed and had interesting sub-characters, the heart of the matter remains there was just too much animosity, mistrust, and indecisiveness to be worth wading through to see them finally get their HEA. I did love it, however, when they seemed to make a breakthrough. However, my heart cracked a little every time they alternated pushing each other away. Here’s to hoping others can overlook this and consider it a big win in the romance department. It was quite a frustrating read for me.
Title: May the Best Man Win, Series: The Best Men (Book 1), Author: Mira Lyn Kelly, Pages: 352, stand-alone, HEA, no love triangle, heroine does take another date to a wedding and went out with him a few times, no OW drama
Book 1 - May the Best Man Win
Book 2 - Best Man for the Job - not released yet (NRY)
Book 3 - Best Man With Benefits (NRY)
Book 4 - Stand in Best Man (NRY)
(This review is based on ARC ebook received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No monetary compensation was made. There is no relationship/affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher.)
It took f-o-r-e-v-e-r to spill the beans why the heroine hated the hero and why he thought so little of her. Frankly, once I was given the whole picture, I wanted to throat punch the hero for believing such lies about her. And where was this girl’s self-respect? How could she so readily spend that much smexy time with a guy who obviously thought very little of her.
The Eddie business had me wanting him to make a cameo appearance just so someone could make him pay for his part in this whole mess. The hero certainly didn’t win any points with me for not standing up for his girl and believing the lies in the first place.
So, my fellow romance book-loving friends, there was simply too much back and forth, stomping on each other’s heart for my taste. Though the engaging writing flowed and had interesting sub-characters, the heart of the matter remains there was just too much animosity, mistrust, and indecisiveness to be worth wading through to see them finally get their HEA. I did love it, however, when they seemed to make a breakthrough. However, my heart cracked a little every time they alternated pushing each other away. Here’s to hoping others can overlook this and consider it a big win in the romance department. It was quite a frustrating read for me.
Title: May the Best Man Win, Series: The Best Men (Book 1), Author: Mira Lyn Kelly, Pages: 352, stand-alone, HEA, no love triangle, heroine does take another date to a wedding and went out with him a few times, no OW drama
Book 1 - May the Best Man Win
Book 2 - Best Man for the Job - not released yet (NRY)
Book 3 - Best Man With Benefits (NRY)
Book 4 - Stand in Best Man (NRY)
(This review is based on ARC ebook received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No monetary compensation was made. There is no relationship/affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher.)
January 20, 2020
Um, NO!
“Liquid heat spilled down his fingers as her body quivered around him.”
One sentence and you know if this book is for you or not. Me personally? NOT.
I’m thinking “Gross” and “There’s something definitely wrong with this picture.” Again, this is all on me. No one forced me to read this. It’s my fault I was suckered into this. Really, I should have known at the very beginning that this was not my preferred type of book, but I didn’t think it would be that bad (it was).
I know there is a whole audience of readers out there who will enjoy this type of book, I’m just not one of them. Not for me.
“Liquid heat spilled down his fingers as her body quivered around him.”
One sentence and you know if this book is for you or not. Me personally? NOT.
I’m thinking “Gross” and “There’s something definitely wrong with this picture.” Again, this is all on me. No one forced me to read this. It’s my fault I was suckered into this. Really, I should have known at the very beginning that this was not my preferred type of book, but I didn’t think it would be that bad (it was).
I know there is a whole audience of readers out there who will enjoy this type of book, I’m just not one of them. Not for me.
Read
June 13, 2016well, this was
FUN
!
review to come ....
review to come ....
August 17, 2016
Buddy read with Lyuda.
June 7, 2017
Oh this was cute. A little bit on the slow side, but still very enjoyable.
August 5, 2016
4.5 Stars
I absolutely loved this book. MAY THE BEST MAN WIN is entertaining, emotional and super-hot, with a dash of sweetness and may just be my favorite book from Mira Lyn Kelly! Who doesn't love a passionate and drama-filled enemies-to-lovers romance when done right? If this book is anything to go by, the entire series is going to be a hit.
Jase Foster and Emily Klein have a lot of friends in common, who also happen to have been afflicted by a contagious wedding fever and they have found themselves standing up for these friends way too often. Why is this a problem? Because Jase and Emily have a complicated past and strongly dislike each other, at least on the surface. Underneath is where everything is happening, where long denied feelings are simmering, where every disinterested glance and every cutting comment belies the sizzling hot attraction between them. But with all the happy endings happening around them, will they get theirs, especially with the baggage they have been lugging around for so long?
I did not put this book down until the end because it was so much fun to read. The dialogue, the comedy, the romance, the chemistry between Jase and Emily and even the secondary characters combined to make this a must read.
If you have this book on your reading list, I suggest you move it to the top. If you don't, you really should add it immediately because it is the perfect summer read!
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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I absolutely loved this book. MAY THE BEST MAN WIN is entertaining, emotional and super-hot, with a dash of sweetness and may just be my favorite book from Mira Lyn Kelly! Who doesn't love a passionate and drama-filled enemies-to-lovers romance when done right? If this book is anything to go by, the entire series is going to be a hit.
Jase Foster and Emily Klein have a lot of friends in common, who also happen to have been afflicted by a contagious wedding fever and they have found themselves standing up for these friends way too often. Why is this a problem? Because Jase and Emily have a complicated past and strongly dislike each other, at least on the surface. Underneath is where everything is happening, where long denied feelings are simmering, where every disinterested glance and every cutting comment belies the sizzling hot attraction between them. But with all the happy endings happening around them, will they get theirs, especially with the baggage they have been lugging around for so long?
I did not put this book down until the end because it was so much fun to read. The dialogue, the comedy, the romance, the chemistry between Jase and Emily and even the secondary characters combined to make this a must read.
If you have this book on your reading list, I suggest you move it to the top. If you don't, you really should add it immediately because it is the perfect summer read!
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Want more? Subscribe to my Newsletter on The Sassy Bookster.
Follow me on Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin’.
Like my page on Facebook.
July 7, 2016
Sweet, dramatic, and compelling!
This is a lighthearted story about friendship, relationships, family, and love.
The characters are witty, stubborn and sexy. The writing is precise and clear. And the plot is full of tension, emotion, sizzling chemistry, and cheeky dialogue.
This is a lovely, enjoyable read that is perfect for anyone who loves contemporary romance.
Thank you to NetGalley, especially Sourcebooks Casablanca, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This review and more can be found on my blog at www.whatsbetterthanbooks.com
This is a lighthearted story about friendship, relationships, family, and love.
The characters are witty, stubborn and sexy. The writing is precise and clear. And the plot is full of tension, emotion, sizzling chemistry, and cheeky dialogue.
This is a lovely, enjoyable read that is perfect for anyone who loves contemporary romance.
Thank you to NetGalley, especially Sourcebooks Casablanca, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This review and more can be found on my blog at www.whatsbetterthanbooks.com
October 19, 2018
This was a super cute audio.
May the Best Man Win was one of those random books I chose on my audible to listen to. I need books to help me get through my days/weeks at work. Fortunately for me, I ended up liking this book and ended up getting the second one from this series.
In this book, you will meet Jase and Emily. They have a past because they used to be friends. They had a crush on each other but never took the dive from friends to lovers. Emily ended up dating one of his best friends which really did a number on their friendship. Well their lucks turns from bad to worst since they have mutual friends.. who end up getting married. They go to the same four weddings.. where they eventually take that dive.
Now the smut and their chemistry was so freaking good! I really enjoyed getting to know them and watch their little cat and mouse game. Everyone saw the attraction and the sexual tension so I was really happy that no one really tried to keep them apart.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It did start off a bit slow but it picked up rather quickly. I enjoyed the ending and I can't wait to dive into the second book of this series.
May the Best Man Win was one of those random books I chose on my audible to listen to. I need books to help me get through my days/weeks at work. Fortunately for me, I ended up liking this book and ended up getting the second one from this series.
In this book, you will meet Jase and Emily. They have a past because they used to be friends. They had a crush on each other but never took the dive from friends to lovers. Emily ended up dating one of his best friends which really did a number on their friendship. Well their lucks turns from bad to worst since they have mutual friends.. who end up getting married. They go to the same four weddings.. where they eventually take that dive.
Now the smut and their chemistry was so freaking good! I really enjoyed getting to know them and watch their little cat and mouse game. Everyone saw the attraction and the sexual tension so I was really happy that no one really tried to keep them apart.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It did start off a bit slow but it picked up rather quickly. I enjoyed the ending and I can't wait to dive into the second book of this series.
April 6, 2022
Our hero and heroine always get paired together in the bridal parties of their friends, because they are both tall. Unfortunately, they both despise each other. So, this is an enemy to lover's trope.
Now, when I say they hate each other, I mean they really, really hate each other. As the story progresses we learn why they hate each other and the story really takes off.
Good story with wonderful characters!
Now, when I say they hate each other, I mean they really, really hate each other. As the story progresses we learn why they hate each other and the story really takes off.
Good story with wonderful characters!
July 21, 2016
I loved this fun read and I am so excited that it is just the beginning of what should be a great series. To say that the relationship between Jase Foster and Emily Klein is complicated is a gross understatement. Their history has taken them from friends to enemies to whatever the heck they are now! As their mutual friends start marrying off they find themselves constantly paired together in the bridal party so they agree to put the past behind them and play nice. You can feel the sexual tension between them but even though they are combustible together the pain of the past and the different directions they see their lives going in the future make any sort of relationship impossible. Now that they aren't tearing each other apart though being together just feels so right!
There is a wonderful group of characters in this story that should give us several great stories to come. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
There is a wonderful group of characters in this story that should give us several great stories to come. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
August 5, 2016
Jase and Emily have a history that started when they were in school and has been building for years now. Now all of their friends are getting married and they are chosen as the Best Man and Maid of Honor. So they have to deal with each other quite a lot when they are involved in all of the wedding festivities.
The more they see of one another, the more the realize that they don’t quite dislike each other as they thought.
This book started out rather slow. After I got past the first chapter it picked up and took me on an entertaining ride. I enjoyed getting to know Jase and Emily and watch them fight their attraction of each other. May the Best Man Win is the first in the series and I think it can be read as a stand alone.
The more they see of one another, the more the realize that they don’t quite dislike each other as they thought.
This book started out rather slow. After I got past the first chapter it picked up and took me on an entertaining ride. I enjoyed getting to know Jase and Emily and watch them fight their attraction of each other. May the Best Man Win is the first in the series and I think it can be read as a stand alone.
August 3, 2020
A good solid 3.5 stars
Well-put-together enemies-to-lovers story, built around snappy dialogue, a credible set of circumstances, and hot sex. The focus, more or less throughout, is on the H & h (although their circle of identical friends gets a little too much air-time - I suspect a series coming on). Both are pleasant, not too chewed up by their mandatory back-stories, and the HEA is satisfactory.
A few points off for an unnecessary "this can never be" moment at the end. It didn't feel totally convincing; in addition, there was a genuinely interesting plot line involving a mutual school friend which didn't feel completely finished off. Bit of a missed opportunity, but overall, a good read, and I'll look out for the rest of the series.
Well-put-together enemies-to-lovers story, built around snappy dialogue, a credible set of circumstances, and hot sex. The focus, more or less throughout, is on the H & h (although their circle of identical friends gets a little too much air-time - I suspect a series coming on). Both are pleasant, not too chewed up by their mandatory back-stories, and the HEA is satisfactory.
A few points off for an unnecessary "this can never be" moment at the end. It didn't feel totally convincing; in addition, there was a genuinely interesting plot line involving a mutual school friend which didn't feel completely finished off. Bit of a missed opportunity, but overall, a good read, and I'll look out for the rest of the series.
April 21, 2017
This was total cheeseball. More erotic and less offensive than 50 Shades of Grey though. Kind of a guilty pleasure, absolutely zero thought necessary book. I am not even sure there was a plot. Good for a hangover.
Want to read
April 15, 2018💝 FREE on Amazon today (4/15/2018)!💝
September 18, 2023
Enemies to lovers is not an easy trope to make believable especially when the reader is given no clue as to why the future lovers became enemies in the first place. Jase is close to 30, works in “private banking”, and is successful, handsome, and marriage averse (“the word ‘wife’ made his balls retract"). There’s a touching story about his parents that helps explain why Jase is no fan of marriage.
He has an active imagination in his head but “locker room talk hadn’t really interested him, even in high school” (and so it wasn’t surprising that the sex scenes aren’t that explicit). Jase was also relatively self aware of some of his flaws, if not right away. He certainly recognized his own “jealousy… the real gut wrenching bad decision making caveman kind.”
Emily is a beautiful and highly valued senior account executive at a public relations firm. She has great legs and a “killer smile.” She’s 26 and assumes she has plenty of time to find “The One.” But she views Jase, despite his attractive appearance and charisma, as the opposite of what she’s looking for.
Emily and Jase used to be high school friends (with a “spark”) who became enemies at some point after Jase apparently lost interest (as Emily recalls it) and after she ended up dating his best friend for a year (a relationship that did not end well). After only occasional sightings of each other following high school, they suddenly start running into each other (literally) more frequently. They have a bunch of mutual friends and, with both of them extremely tall (Jase is 6’5”), we are told that they are often paired up for picture taking purposes at weddings.
Some of the wedding related stories were quite entertaining, and they are both shown to be good friends to those in their overlapping social circle. But I became a bit frustrated with the unexplained antagonism the longer it remained unclear why Emily "hated" Jase. I would have preferred it if the author had divulged the reason for the decade long animosity earlier than the midpoint of the novel. That said, the trading of snappy insults between them (and the friendly teasing between them and their friends) was fun and engaging. This was set in Chicago but when I grew up in New Jersey, clever insults were highly valued amongst my friends.
Jase described one such volley with Emily:
“Those long legs slid in next to his, all but ensuring she’d end up in his space under the table. Great. ‘You again,’ she murmured, then tuning up a smile even he wouldn’t spot as a fraud, she asked, ‘Shitty day, I hope?’
‘Worse every minute,’ he assured her, meeting her grin and raising her a friendly shoulder bump that should have had steam shooting from her ears.
But they were on good behavior so she capped it, offering him a smarting pinch on the cheek and a singsong, ‘That’s what I like to hear.’ Yeah, that was his girl.”
Despite my mild annoyance with the author’s decision to play hide the ball with the enemies origin story, I became invested in both Jase and Emily. I was intrigued by both of their stories, and by the stories of some of their friends and family. I found the conflicts in those stories to be complex and realistic. I also liked how the author did an impressive job of showing how certain parties “in the wrong” were deserving of further consideration. There were situations that seemed black and white to me at first but were later revealed to be more complicated. This made the second half of the book much stronger than the first.
Overall, the long emotional journey that Jase and Emily had to travel, and the baggage they both carried on that journey, made the obstacles they faced seem very real and believable. And that made overcoming those obstacles all the more satisfying.
He has an active imagination in his head but “locker room talk hadn’t really interested him, even in high school” (and so it wasn’t surprising that the sex scenes aren’t that explicit). Jase was also relatively self aware of some of his flaws, if not right away. He certainly recognized his own “jealousy… the real gut wrenching bad decision making caveman kind.”
Emily is a beautiful and highly valued senior account executive at a public relations firm. She has great legs and a “killer smile.” She’s 26 and assumes she has plenty of time to find “The One.” But she views Jase, despite his attractive appearance and charisma, as the opposite of what she’s looking for.
Emily and Jase used to be high school friends (with a “spark”) who became enemies at some point after Jase apparently lost interest (as Emily recalls it) and after she ended up dating his best friend for a year (a relationship that did not end well). After only occasional sightings of each other following high school, they suddenly start running into each other (literally) more frequently. They have a bunch of mutual friends and, with both of them extremely tall (Jase is 6’5”), we are told that they are often paired up for picture taking purposes at weddings.
Some of the wedding related stories were quite entertaining, and they are both shown to be good friends to those in their overlapping social circle. But I became a bit frustrated with the unexplained antagonism the longer it remained unclear why Emily "hated" Jase. I would have preferred it if the author had divulged the reason for the decade long animosity earlier than the midpoint of the novel. That said, the trading of snappy insults between them (and the friendly teasing between them and their friends) was fun and engaging. This was set in Chicago but when I grew up in New Jersey, clever insults were highly valued amongst my friends.
Jase described one such volley with Emily:
“Those long legs slid in next to his, all but ensuring she’d end up in his space under the table. Great. ‘You again,’ she murmured, then tuning up a smile even he wouldn’t spot as a fraud, she asked, ‘Shitty day, I hope?’
‘Worse every minute,’ he assured her, meeting her grin and raising her a friendly shoulder bump that should have had steam shooting from her ears.
But they were on good behavior so she capped it, offering him a smarting pinch on the cheek and a singsong, ‘That’s what I like to hear.’ Yeah, that was his girl.”
Despite my mild annoyance with the author’s decision to play hide the ball with the enemies origin story, I became invested in both Jase and Emily. I was intrigued by both of their stories, and by the stories of some of their friends and family. I found the conflicts in those stories to be complex and realistic. I also liked how the author did an impressive job of showing how certain parties “in the wrong” were deserving of further consideration. There were situations that seemed black and white to me at first but were later revealed to be more complicated. This made the second half of the book much stronger than the first.
Overall, the long emotional journey that Jase and Emily had to travel, and the baggage they both carried on that journey, made the obstacles they faced seem very real and believable. And that made overcoming those obstacles all the more satisfying.
June 12, 2016
4.5 stars
May the Best Man Win... what a read! I think this may have been my new Mira Lyn Kelly favorite! I love her books - they are always the recipe for sweet, sexy, and a whole lot of fun. Jase and Emily are quite the couple, and enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes to follow.
The beginning of this one was a bit jumbled - I found it hard to follow for the first chapter or so since there was so much going on. After that, everything was smooth sailing, and all I did was fall more and more in love with the plot and the characters with each passing page.
The heat between Emily and Jase paired with the animosity between them was perfect. It made for some pretty steamy scenes, and I loved watching them fall in love and become friends again, as they had been when they were teens.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series - I already have some guesses as to what relationships will happen next, and boy, am I waiting for some of those guys to fall and fall hard :)
May the Best Man Win... what a read! I think this may have been my new Mira Lyn Kelly favorite! I love her books - they are always the recipe for sweet, sexy, and a whole lot of fun. Jase and Emily are quite the couple, and enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes to follow.
The beginning of this one was a bit jumbled - I found it hard to follow for the first chapter or so since there was so much going on. After that, everything was smooth sailing, and all I did was fall more and more in love with the plot and the characters with each passing page.
The heat between Emily and Jase paired with the animosity between them was perfect. It made for some pretty steamy scenes, and I loved watching them fall in love and become friends again, as they had been when they were teens.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series - I already have some guesses as to what relationships will happen next, and boy, am I waiting for some of those guys to fall and fall hard :)
September 8, 2016
I had high hopes for this book. The cover and storyline had everything I like.
However, it took me a REALLY long time to get into this book. I almost gave up on it, except for the fact I that I paid a lot of money for the ebook, so I trudged on.
There were so many characters introduced in the beginning that I had a hard time following what was going on. It didn't give me the time to get invested in the main characters. Also, I felt the love-hate initial part of the book was forced and the characters lacked chemistry. It wasn't until they stopped fighting and became vulnerable that the story picked up. Unfortunately, then it started to drag and the back and forth of the characters hesitations with each other started to annoy.
But it had its moments--especially when Jase wanted to become her friend-- so I'm giving it 3 stars.
However, it took me a REALLY long time to get into this book. I almost gave up on it, except for the fact I that I paid a lot of money for the ebook, so I trudged on.
There were so many characters introduced in the beginning that I had a hard time following what was going on. It didn't give me the time to get invested in the main characters. Also, I felt the love-hate initial part of the book was forced and the characters lacked chemistry. It wasn't until they stopped fighting and became vulnerable that the story picked up. Unfortunately, then it started to drag and the back and forth of the characters hesitations with each other started to annoy.
But it had its moments--especially when Jase wanted to become her friend-- so I'm giving it 3 stars.
June 11, 2016
I really liked Jase, he was a sexy man, "...she’d made it about halfway clear of the bed when Jase’s breathing changed and then she found herself scooped back into all that solid warmth, held tighter than she had been before. “Trying to sneak out on me?”he asked, his sleeprough voice rumbling low against her ear." I liked this book, I loved Jase, I thought he was a great guy.
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