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Allen Brothers #2

The Better Man

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Meet Max Allen.

He’s ambitious, too smart for his own good, and very single.
Nicknamed “Max-A-Million” by society gossip types, he thinks he’s got it pretty damn good and he’s right…for the most part.

Meet Daphne Rodriguez.
She’s ambitious, too smart for her own good, and very single.
She works extra hard for everything she has and never complains about the crappy hand life has dealt her.

When Max is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime, it comes with the condition that he must work with the one person he despises most…and wants the most: his sworn enemy, Daphne.

However, Max has no plans of giving Daphne the satisfaction of ever letting her know how he feels about her. Instead, he vows to make her life miserable at every turn.

Which works out perfectly, since Daphne has no intention of making it easy for Max either.

When all hell breaks loose and they’re on a collision course with disaster, these two stubborn people will have to overcome their mutual hatred of each other long enough to work together and get the job done.

For better or worse, they will have to rely on each other to save themselves…and the people they love most.

Unknown Binding

First published August 22, 2017

27 people are currently reading
256 people want to read

About the author

Barbie Bohrman

13 books780 followers
Raised in Miami until I moved to the Garden State in my early 20's.
When I'm not busy with my munchkins, I'm an avid reader, movie junkie and lover of all things pop culture. Thank you for taking the time to stop by.

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth.
796 reviews917 followers
September 1, 2017

Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books


✮✮✮ 2.5 STARS ✮✮✮




It's not often that I really struggle with a hero. Yeah, I'm Slutty McSluttisson and I find redeeming qualities in most male leads in books. So you could say I'm easy to please. Or easy. Both are probably true. But I digress. What we have here is an enemy-to-friends story and while Max-A-Million didn't remain Daphne's enemy he sure stayed on my shit list.


Max is really pissed off - Daphne rides his wave of semi-famous-ishness and copies his line of work - episodes of a tv-show that reviews bars and joints in New York and introduces them to a wider audience. Daphne even admits to it, only, she does it for free, on YouTube and for people with a budget. That they rub each other the wrong way is an understatement. But they also have this insane sexual attraction between them and they do everything they can to ignore it, because enemies.

Max' tv-show is popular with the women but the men think he's a douche (which, between us, he is). In order to raise the ratings of his show his boss tells him to get Daphne on the show or "begone!"

When Max tries to convince Daphne with him on the show she is already half on board. One major advantage would be not having to work two jobs to help her grandmother with medical bills and her wayward brother to get him into college. So it doesn't take long for her to accept the offer but she knows working with Max won't come without headache.


I really liked Daphne. She is one of those hard-working heroines who takes care of her family and doesn't trip over herself because Max graces her with his attention. She loves her little family and would do anything for them.


Max suffers from the foot-in-mouth syndrome throughout the whole story. The only thing he has going for him is his unshakable love and loyalty for his family. Let me tell you how we meet him: He hooks up with a woman at a bar, goes to the bathroom with her. She gives him a blowjob and...

“That was so sexy,” she said in a throaty whisper. “Is it my turn now?”
Trying my best not to laugh at the glob of cum that was coagulating by the second in her blonde tresses, I tucked myself back into my boxer briefs and zipped up my pants. “Maybe another time,” I lied. It seemed to do the trick though because her eyes lit up in excitement.



Yup, a keeper, that one.

Max is full of himself. He thinks he is God's gift to women and this is pretty much all I got from him throughout the story. He is inappropriate and selfish and patronizing. I really couldn't find anything that I liked about him other than his love for his family. He never grew on me but the worst he could do happened towards the end when tragedy struck. His reaction was completely out of line and horrible towards Daphne. All this happened at the 89% mark and the author had a whole two chapters to redeem him. Knowing my history with Max from the last 88% that didn't bode well for the rest of the book. When he finally came around he came up with this little nugget:

“You’re that Max fella, right?” one of the women asked. She seemed to be their leader because the other two were tight-lipped and kind of shy. I walked over to them, standing in front of the three of them. The leader of the pack asked, “Am I right?”
“That’s me, ladies,” I told them with a wink and a smile. Old women really loved me. It was something about the hair. They really dug the hair. “You broke my granddaughter’s heart,” the woman on the end suddenly said. “She’s been so sad not only for you but for the loss you and your family have suffered.”



Why Daphne forgave him is beyond me. I told her to run. She didn't listen. *sigh*.

Anyhoo...this story didn't work for me at all and I only blame Max for it. I'm sorry about that because I did like the first one in this series and was looking forward to meeting Max. I hope that this author will do Jack justice. I really loved the banter between the brothers and Jack's little girls and I did enjoy parts of the book. The writing is fabulous and the pacing is perfect.

As always the reminder that please do take my review with a grain of salt. You might have a completely different experience.






Profile Image for Jen .
814 reviews624 followers
September 10, 2017
3.5 Stars

Without a doubt, he would be one of those epic heartbreaks that years later you would still be thinking , “what if?” while holding onto your chest as if it had just happened all over again.


Max Allen has a great life. Just ask him. He makes his money reporting on and reviewing hot nightclubs throughout NYC while his phenomenal face and body ensures he always has an unending supply of available women to scratch what ever itches might pop up. What else does a perpetually single man need? Now, if only the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on would stop trying to steal his thunder by posting her own reviews of the city’s clublife. Who the hell does she think she is?

And if only his boss didn’t think it was a super swell, non-negotiable idea for Max to Team up with Daphne and co-host a show together. After months of animosity between the two, how the hell is he ever going to convince her to work with him? Don’t worry, that’s a rhetorical question. Even Max can’t come up with an answer for that.

“And you’ve just wasted approximately…” she glanced up at me with that same sneaky smile playing on her lips, “thirty-three seconds checking your balls. Good to know your priorities never change, Max.”

Daphne Rodriguez doesn’t just have a lot going on in her life, she’s down to only two hours of sleep a night and about ready to drop. Taking on the solo task of financial responsibility for her sweet abuela and teenage brother has her burning the candle at both ends and somehow still coming up short. When jerkwad hottie and over the top asshole Max Allen suggests they host his locally televised show together, Daphne thinks he’s lost his mind. Until she sees the salary offered, that is.




From my first Barbie Bohrman book manyish moons ago, she’s been a goto author for me and the Allen Brothers series is no exception. I adored Trevor and Veronica’s story so I had some relatively high hopes heading into The Better Man. Let’s start with what I loved. Max and the inner workings of his inflated ego made for a constant stream of entertainment. While he’s cocky as hell, he’s also smart and empathetic so he realizes when he’s gotten himself into an “oh shit!” situation and when to start backing off. His thoughts and interactions with the folks in his circle helped make the book for me.

Likewise, Daphne is a character I rooted for from the beginning. She literally gave it her all to make things easier for her family and there wasn’t an ounce of complaint in her.  She also takes approximately zero crap from Max and I loved that. One of my favorite things about Ms. Bohrman’s writing is that she’s able to make a character snarky and willful as hell without making her over the top bitchy just for the sake of a laugh. I actually want to hang out with the women she writes and that’s saying something.

The Max & Daphne romance portion of the book fell a little flat for me. I got the mutual attraction, but the later deeper feelings and the monkey wrench thrown in to complicate things didn’t really work for me. I get why certain things had to transpire the way they did, but there was just something missing. I would’ve enjoyed spending a little more time with these two as a couple, or at least falling for each other beyond the physical.   

I can’t end this review without saying how much I’m anticipating the third Allen Brother’s story. It’s going to gut me and I may need copious amounts of wine to get through it, but the second it hits my kindle I’m dropping absolutely everything and reading it.   

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for AJ.
3,247 reviews1,069 followers
August 25, 2017
4.5 stars!

This book! Wow. This book! I’ve just finished it and I’ve gotta admit, I’m kinda speechless just now, but wow, I loved this read! A wonderfully entertaining and sexually charged enemies-to-lovers romance, this book is laugh-out-loud funny, full of banter, teasing, sizzling chemistry, steamy sexy time and a heartfelt romance. But it packs a strong emotional punch, and I love how effortlessly it all blends together. I loved it!

This is the second book of the Allen Brothers series but can easily be read as a standalone (though fans of The Best Man will be thrilled to see more of Trevor & Veronica).

Max Allen is the youngest of the Allen brothers, and is a semi-celebrity in New York City thanks to his TV show where he promos the hottest clubs in town. It’s a concept he developed which has made him a huge success, and the arrogant, ambitious, gorgeous and infinitely charming playboy nicknamed ‘Max-A-Million’ loves every moment of.

I was blessed with the looks of a fucking Adonis, so yeah, men usually hated me anyway. I paid their bullshit complaints little to no attention at all. Let me put it this way, if I had a nickel for every single time some guy was jealous of me, I’d be rich.
Oh, wait! I
am rich. So, fuck them.

The only glitch in his otherwise perfect life is Daphne Rodriguez. He may be wildly attracted to her stunning looks, but her YouTube channel where she also explores the NYC nightlife is getting a lot of attention – even though it is a blatant copy of his show. And then his boss hits him with his worst nightmare - he needs to bring Daphne on as a co-host for his show – otherwise he’s fired.

Daphne was the most stubborn and ambitious person I had ever met. Basically, she was me but in the female form … I had to shake off the strong attraction I had to her on a physical level since in order for all of this to work for both of us, I had to keep my dick in my pants.

Daphne is a spitfire. Her life is hard, and she is the sole supporter for her aging grandmother and teenage brother, working two jobs to make ends meet in addition to her own show, but she makes the best of it and just carries on. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime when Max Allen shows up at her work and makes his proposal. Of course she and Max have seen each other around the clubs and have clashed a number of times – in fact she has witnessed his manwhoring and epic arrogance up close, and though she wants nothing to do with him, his offer is too good to refuse.

Was he nice to look at?
Oh my God, yes! A million times, yes!
But as soon as he opened his mouth, his doucheness just poured right out of him. it was like he couldn’t help himself. Almost sad really.

And so begins their battle, and it is fantastic! There is snark and banter, arguments and wisecracks, but it’s all underpinned by the sizzling chemistry between them. They are both wildly attracted to each other, and they both accept it, they’re both just too full of animosity to do anything about it, and it makes for a great dynamic.

I still hadn’t boarded the elevator. It was as if my feet were glued to the floor. There was already a tension in the air between us. It felt electric and dangerous. And for a moment I thought I might choose to take the stairs. He was very tempting; I’d give him that.
“Are you getting on?”
“Aren’t you getting off?” I asked.
Max tilted his head to the side and smirked at me. “If you get on this thing, probably.”
“You’re disgusting.” I rolled my eyes at his cock-sure response even though a part of me found his arrogance more than slightly amusing. Boarding the elevator, I decided to stand as far away as I would from Max. “Whatever, I’m going down.”
“That’s what she said.”

The sexual tension builds to epic heights, and there’s a bit of a slow burn happening as against all of their intentions they begin to fall hard for each other, and I loved watching it happen. And when it does – hot damn! The sex is hot and super passionate. Max has a dirty mouth, Daphne loves it, and they are all kinds of sizzling together – with a deeper connection that makes everything that much more intense.

“You like it when I talk dirty to you … Do you know how I know?”
She shook her head in response. “Because your pussy gets tight and squeezes the living shit out of my cock whenever I say something dirty. The filthier I get, the harder you squeeze my dick. So…” I pushed my dick as hard and deep inside of her as I could and then stilled my movements. Making her dangle like a fish on a hook. “I’m going to keep on fucking you until you come so hard you won’t be able to see straight.”

*fanning my face*

God, I loved Max! He is one of those arrogant playboy assholes that you cannot help but love. Yeah, he’s a little bit in love with himself, but deep down he’s got a huge heart, and I loved watching his journey as he fell in love for the first time I his life, and how openly he embraced all that came with that. And he’s got a sensational sense of humour, and his quips and one-liners are just gold!

“People like you are the reason God doesn’t talk to us anymore. So thanks for that.”
“Geez, I was just joking around, Max,” he said.
“Did I hurt your feelings?”
“A little bit, yes.”
“Then you might want to get a colonoscopy for all that butthurt because I don’t give a shit.”

And Daphne is a great heroine. She’s strong, smart, sensible and brave, and she also has a lot of love for the people in her life. She’s happy, and she works hard to create the life that she wants, and I love that about her. She’s a wonderful match for Max – exactly what he needs – and again, I loved her honesty and openness with him as things between them begin to develop.

From fighting to flirting, passionate sex and heartfelt declarations, I could feel their connection, and I loved every moment of it.

I feel like I was being sucked into something bigger than the both of us. As if a fucking tractor beam was grabbing hold of every single fiber of my being and dragging me further and further down the rabbit hole that was Daphne. And I fucking loved it.

But right when it looks like they are finally finding common ground, life is ripped out from underneath them and threatens to destroy everything.

Ho.ly. damn. This little book took me by surprise. It’s fun and entertaining, it made me laugh and it made me cry, and holy hell did I swoon, and I felt every single moment. I love how even though it is predictable, there were parts of this book that still took me by surprise, and I finished it hugging my kindle to my chest at how it all ended up.

“When you find the one you’re supposed to be with, you know it with every fiber in your being. You feel it in your bones that they are your person…and you are theirs.”

I thought the ending was a bit abrupt, and I would have loved to see a bit more, but I know that will come in the next book of the series, and I cannot WAIT for that one!

Loved it! 4.5 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Profile Image for Laura.
2,588 reviews113 followers
August 19, 2017
***ARC Provided by the Author***

This book snuck up on me. And, I admit, I ended up liking this as much as a certain reality star likes himself (I promise, this will make sense when you have read it, and you will laugh).

Max, well, at first I was not the biggest fan of Max. I think I felt the way Daphne felt about him, like he was really attractive and split his time being charming, being a jerk, and being a dork. The charming and the slightly dorky, well those are ok, but the jerk...well he elevates that to "Max is an ass level" often enough that he is a little difficult to get over.

Daphne sees right through him. And, she assumes the worst about him in a number of situations. And, it is hard to blame her, as he comes across exactly like the jerk you think he is. But, then she starts to get to know him, and she finds out that underneath all of the surface stuff, he is a nice guy.

So, then the author has a challenge. How do you sell an enemies to lover romance in which you don't really like the hero all that much, and you sort of side with the heroine with the reasons she doesn't like him?

Answer: You write this book as well as Bohrman does and that solves the problem. You write characters the reader likes, and connects with. You tell a story in which you get to like the characters through the evolving view they have of one another. And, you make sure there is a shift that is realistic, that the chemistry is there, and that you are willing to believe in the change from hate to romance. It also matters that the characters admit their feelings toward one another.

I loved the conversations that they have, and the acknowledgement of the hate that has turned into something else. I liked that they kept their "edge" and that the romance didn't turn either Max or Daphne into totally different characters.

I also really liked the way the author handled the main conflict, the "big fight" so to speak. It had to be something that you believed, but at the same time, not enough that you lost the belief that the characters were meant for one another. This was done perfectly.

At the beginning, I wasn't sure what I thought, as I mentioned. By the end, my heart was in my throat, I was cheering and I was sniffling. What more can I possibly want from a book? Well, the author answers that with the preview of the next book. Now, I want the next book.

I recommend this title.
Profile Image for Deanna.
3,686 reviews56 followers
August 22, 2017
Original review: A Novel Glimpse

Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I originally met Max Allen back in the first book in the Allen Brothers series, The Best Man. I was intrigued by his character. He was a guy who thought he was the top of the food chain due to his money and his success. I wondered what it would take for Max to give up his attitude of importance and put someone else first. I found out in The Better Man.

I have to admit that I hated Max the pretty much the entire book. His sense entitlement and over the top confidence were off-putting. He was just too full of himself for my taste. I couldn't stand how mean he was to others, especially Daphne. I was shocked she was actually into him. Max was supposed to be gorgeous, but his attitude would have killed things for me.

Not Daphne. Their spark was too strong. Luckily, so was her personality. Daphne was able to give back to Max what he dished out. She was also able to take the high road when he couldn't. I loved that about her. I also loved Daphne's sense of family. Her relationships with her brother, grandmother and even her friend Derek were shining moments in the story.

Toward the end, there were moments of greatness for Max. When he finally surrendered to his feelings for Daphne was one of them. He became sweeter than I imagined. There were also amazing moments with his family, especially his twin nieces. What he was willing to do for them brought out another side of him. I liked Max in those moments.

I can't review The Better Man without mentioning the shocking surprise Barbie Borhman included. It gutted me and brought me to tears. I won't say what happened, but I wasn't expecting to be so shattered. It made me very anxious to get the next book in the series, and it made The Better Man a better, more complex story.

Despite my initial dislike of Max, The Better Man was a great read. It had the push and pull I have come to expect from a great enemies to lovers story. I would recommend it and the rest of the Allen Brothers series to contemporary romance readers.
Profile Image for Richelle Robinson.
1,290 reviews35 followers
August 25, 2017
Whew. This book. I honestly wasn't sure how I was going to end up liking this book. When I first started reading I couldn't stand Max at all! He had an unbelievable ego, sense of entitlement and privilege that knew no bounds. I like cocky guys but Max was just a bit too much at times and I wanted to knock him off that pedestal so hard. I decided to only keep reading because of Daphne and how much I loved her, her spunky attitude and nonsense approach on life. Plus, I love her family and how they all take care of each other.

"That was all it took for me to know that I was ruined for any other woman; this right here… this moment with Daphne meant more to me than I had expected it to."

Halfway during the book the light went off and Max became the man I knew he could be and it made me so happy seeing this side of him. As expected there was drama but it wasn't the kind of drama I would have ever expected in a million years. I had to read those chapters twice to make sure it really happened. My heart broke and I wasn't sure how Max and Daphne could come back from this to be honest.

I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers and this book was well done. The first book was good but this book got to me big time. The writing was on point and the story flowed and I could relate to Daphne big time. I love it when you can identify with characters as you read. Bohrman really impressed me with her storytelling and writing in this book and I can't wait to read the next story.
Profile Image for Hypable Books.
264 reviews18 followers
August 25, 2017
Read our full review on Hypable!

The Better Man was my first time reading anything by Barbie Bohrman, but the blurb had me intrigued enough to take a shot! I was pleasantly surprised at how the story pulled me in. I read the first half of the book one night, the second half of the book the next night, and was sad to see that it wasn’t longer!

Admittedly, the book does have a bit of vulgar scene in the beginning. Some might not bat an eyelid at it, but for others I would say to stick it out because the hero isn’t that big of a jerk the entire time.

On the other hand, Daphne is a fun, smart, and sassy heroine. She’s able to hold her own in a male dominated world and isn’t afraid to stand up to Max’s bullshit when he needs to be taken down a peg. I also loved that she’s Cuban, as it’s always good to see diversity in romance.
Profile Image for Danielle.
807 reviews43 followers
August 23, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I read this book in one day and that has not been common for me lately. I really loved Max and Daphne. Max could come off as a spoiled jerk, but I like that regardless of his wealth everything was not handed to him in his job. He really had to work for that and for Daphne. I love love loved Daphne. She is the type of heroine I like. She didn't get all drooly over Max. I felt like she genuinely hated him so it made it so much sweeter when they finally hooked up. The conflict in this story was sad. Even though Max was wrong I see where he was coming from. I really loved the resolution of this story. It seemed realistic to me. I would definitely recommend this book because I just really loved the story.
367 reviews15 followers
August 26, 2017
Rivals, enemies and an opportunity of a lifetime that bring these two together. Max aka Max-A-Million and Daphne are modern rivals in New York City entertainment industry. The best of the best and the up and coming. But when they are paired up together, they are explosive and complementive of each other.

Daphne is all about family with her grandmother and brother. She puts her needs before herself. If it wasn't for her grandmother taking her in, she wouldn't be where she was at now. With two jobs, she makes ends meet. But always tries to end of having dinner with her family. But when an opportunity comes available, Daphne has to way pros and cons to be with her rival, Max.

Max has made a name for himself. With being in a prominent family, he wants more. Wants to be known. He not just known as Max-A-Million. His Twitter following has a nickname for him. But when he is forced to partner with Daphne, their chemistry is off the charts. But when a tragic moment hits close to home, he questions himself if he can be true and honest with himself.

The last part of the Better Man totally blindsided me. Family comes together and unite. I've really enjoyed The Better Man and can't wait for more!

4 stars
Received arc for an honest review
Profile Image for Michelle.
3,176 reviews36 followers
August 21, 2017
3.5 stars. Max Allen has made a household name of himself because of the personality he portrays in the media, but his image needs a bit of revamping because it's not all good publicity anymore. That's where Daphne Rodriguez comes in. Although she's the last person that Max wants to work with because her very presence antagonizes him, there's no denying the boost in ratings when they collaborate. If it weren't for his brothers Trevor and Jack, I think it would've been a lot harder for me to like Max because he really is a self-centered jerk, but he does care a lot for his family. I admired Daphne's work ethic and how she put everything on the line so she could provide for her brother and grandmother. She's not easily intimidated and doesn't have a problem standing up to Max when he gives her a hard time. I enjoyed the barbed exchanges, but the developing romance between them was not as easy of a transition for me to buy into. I did like the emotional fallout towards the end because that had such deep implications for everyone and pushed all of their vulnerabilities to the surface and forced the main characters to fight for what mattered the most. I'm also interested in seeing what lies ahead for the last Allen brother in the next book.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for Amanda Bound (Cacchione).
1 review
February 8, 2020
Up until now, I have enjoyed everything I've read by this author - and I particularly liked the other book in the Allen brother series - so I assumed this one would be no different. Unfortunately, it ended up being one of the least enjoyable stories I've read in a long time. While there are some humorous parts, I found both of the main characters (Max and Daphne) extremely unlikeable, and a lot of their interactions felt over-the-top and unrealistic to me. In addition, there were a LOT of grammatical errors, including numerous sentences and paragraphs that didn't make any sense. I realize that probably makes me sound like I'm just picking, but there were seriously so many errors that it was really bugging me by the end. It almost seemed as if an entirely different person wrote this book.
Profile Image for Kasey McCarthy.
1,346 reviews2 followers
August 23, 2017
Max and Daphne's story starts out with them being rivals. Both of them think they are next up and coming reality star. Max's boss wants Daphne's help to make Max's show better. When they start working together, will they tear each other apart or will the unthinkable happen and they fall in love? Amazing story about how a persons reputation doesn't mean that's who they have to be. A must read!
Profile Image for Casey.
2,650 reviews47 followers
September 21, 2017
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick

The Better Man is the second book in the Allen Brothers series by Barbie Bohrman. After reading and loving The Best Man (Allen Brothers series #1), I couldn't wait to read the next book! I was really excited to get to know Max better, especially after helping the hero from the first book with his grand gesture! This book is a standalone story though, and you don't need to read these in order. That being said though, I would recommend it if possible since the first one is so good! While I loved the previous book though, The Better Man wasn't exactly what I had been hoping for.

Max Allen has it good. His job reviewing night clubs for his own TV show has him rich with cash and women. The only thing that he doesn't have going for him is the woman that is intent on beating him to every night club in town for her own reviews on her YouTube channel, Daphne Rodriguez. But when the ratings start to slide and his boss tells him that he has to secure Daphne as his partner if he wants to keep his job, Max reluctantly sets out to convince her to join his network and show. But as much as Max dislikes Daphne, she dislikes him more. Needing to provide for her family though, Daphne can't turn away the amount of money they are offering her. But the more these two are around one another, the line between love and hate starts to blur and soon the attraction is more than they can fight.

I will admit a huge part of my struggles here were Daphne and Max themselves. Max drove me nuts! He was so self absorbed and such a douche at times that it made it really hard for him to like. His most redeeming quality was how he was with his family, especially his nieces. He was adorable with them, and that was what had me not hating him at the beginning of this book. He did get better later on, but it was really hard to like him at times. Daphne while being strong for her family and a good granddaughter and sister, she was also hard to like for parts of this story. She judged Max and was irritating at times. Luckily I did like her more, and she got better as the story progressed. I never felt the pull beyond the attraction here for these two, and their relationship seemed to change from antagonistic attraction to intense like/love almost instantly. Frankly I just didn't see it or believe it.

So while I liked parts of this book, overall I just never really felt like it was 100% genuine. I wish I had seen more of a real connection grow between these two, but I don't feel like we got that here at all. They never really had any bonding moments before things were suddenly different between them and it was hard to see how they got from Point A (Hate) to Point B (Like/Love). I also have to admit that the next book is one that while I am interested in reading, I am a bit wary of. Something happened in this book to set that one up (I won't say what so as not to spoil anything) and I am still struggling with it. If things were different it would be easier to get behind the story, but having things go down the way they did here I think it will be harder for me to accept though I will definitely be reading it. Sorry to be so vague, but I really don't want to be the one to spoil it. I do like the characters in this series, and it was great to see familiar faces from the first book. I think that readers will enjoy this one, especially if you like enemies to lovers. If you are looking for a deep and emotional connection though, this one might not be for you.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**
Profile Image for Jessica CW.
1,035 reviews12 followers
September 21, 2017
This was a weird read for me, Max was an ass to everyone and Daphne was just trying to up him professionally while doing right by her family.

It was small and obscure how these two went from enemies, to co workers to more.

I could see the sexual chemistry but personality clashes made it harder to see.

I hated the tragedy though. Getting to know her in the first book, then this- terrible. I cried.

And then Max throwing it in Daphne's face, then he taking him back so easily frustrated me. He shouldn't have been an ass to deal with his heartache and she should have made him work for it more. Jack did a good thing counselling his brother, cause he had no right to show he was sweet on the inside and he prickly as a defensive mechanism.

I'm glad about the Trav and Veronica update too. Another wedding and baby. Maybe Daphne and Max made a baby that night of the tragedy? That would be cosmic intervention if so.

I hope her brother is on the right path now. Since I felt like many early pieces were suggesting this tragedy- I just didn't want to confirm my suspicions.

What is about with the Allen brothers parents? They should be there after the tragedy.

The epilogue is cute.

I feel like the next book will have some big shoes to fill considering how amazing she was. And the letters reminds me of ps I love you, and the deceased first wife in Safe Haven as well as another tear jerker book- Second chances by Alysha Fowler had a piece about letters to her still alive husband and children.

I believe letters are a beautiful final piece.

Although bitter sweet I cannot wait to read Jacks new chapter. It sucks that there has to be his story but okay I'll read it anyways.

Not my fav Allen brothers book but I did enjoy it and felt the emotion from it.
Profile Image for Christi Fowler.
1,635 reviews17 followers
September 13, 2017
Genre: Romance - Romantic Comedy, Enemies-to-lovers
Stand-alone: Yes
Part of a Series: Yes Book 2 of the Allen Brothers Series
POV: Daphne and Max
Steam Level: Toasty
4/5

The Better Man is the second book I've read by Barbie Bohrman (the first being the first book of the Allen Brothers Series) and, while I liked it, I liked the first book (The Best Man) better. The Better Man was funny and had a slow build up to some explosive sexual tension. And just when I thought that I was going to maybe give this book a slightly lower rating Barbie Bohrman throws in a twist that was so unexpected and heart-wrenching I could not believe it. I was literally bawling while reading it and waiting for the "just kidding" which didn't happen. This event and the fallout afterward is what bumped my rating back up. Overall a good book and a great entry in the enemies to lovers romance subgenre.

I received an advanced copy of this book for free from the author. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,081 reviews
September 3, 2017
I almost put this book down when I started it. I had an instant dislike for Max. He had an ego bigger than the Grand Canyon and wasn't ashamed to admit it! Daphne was a spit fire she was the polar opposite of Max and took nothing for granted and told it like it was. She was not afraid to speak her mind. I decided to continue to read because I loved her Daphne wasn't afraid of Max. Daphne was his competition so he hated her. Daphne was just trying to survive and help her family. Fate brings them together and neither wants any parts of it because they "hate" each other right?!?!?! Once they finally give into the chemistry between them, that same fate tears them apart. We see a complete transformation of Max of course once he gets his head out of his A**! The other characters are here as well. I was shocked at what happens with Avery so the jury is sill out on that one. I look forward to the final book in the series which is Jack's story.
1,048 reviews24 followers
September 3, 2017
Ummm...HOT AF...just needed to get that off my chest!

Max and Daphne are a couple you just know are going to get it on, but the push and pull, before they know whats going to happen, is amazing and angsty to watch.  The sexual tension is off the charts their snippy banter back and forth will get you going and even giggling at a time.

Daphne is one amazing woman.  She's a hard working woman, determined to give her, her grandmother and her brother a better life.  Along comes, Max and she's leery of his intentions. But Max isn't what everyone sees in the gossip magazines.  He's a good guy, he's not always outwardly the best guy, but he has a good heart.  I wasn't the biggest Max fan at the beginning of the book, he was a bit too in love with himself, used his "fame" to his advantage but as he spends time with Daphne, the "real" Max comes out and yeah - I slowly fell for his charms.
"I knew that Daphne was different.  But she was more than that...she was a game changer."

I think an author who can make you love a not-so-loveable character (like Max) is brilliant.  We watched as he and Daphne slowly changed and fell in love.  Even through a seriously- OMG, out of the blue, holy shit curve ball, these characters remained strong and loyal to who they were.  Watching their metamorphosis was stunning.
Profile Image for Sara.
1,403 reviews166 followers
November 25, 2017
3.5 Stars

Sigh... I wanted to like Max, but he is just a pompous jerk and even when he hit redemption level, I could give him that redemption in my head.

This is a sizzilingly sexy enemies-to-lovers romance, which is one of my favorite tropes. Max is living the high life of success and fame. Daphne comes along and sort of rides his coat tails. Max takes exception to that. There are some great, laugh out loud funny moments and some really great sexy banter along with sizziling sexy times, but I couldn't get over how much I didn't like Max.
Profile Image for Paris.
Author 15 books66 followers
September 3, 2017
The Better Man started off rocky. We met Max in The Best Man, but we didn’t really get to know him well. My first reaction to him was not great. In fact, I couldn’t stand him. If I thought his brother Tyler was egotistical, Max takes it to a whole different level. He was a jerk and I couldn’t wait for someone to know him down. I loved Daphne for the most part, although there were a few time I really wanted to smack her around too.

This was a great enemies to lovers storyline. The drama was something I never saw coming and absolutely broke my heart. While the drama got wrapped up for Max and Daphne in this book, it’s something that will definitely still need to be dealt with in the next book. Before the drama happened I was solidly giving this book 3 stars, but the I was blindsided, I bawled like a baby and had to give Barbie 4 stars for totally catching me off guard.

Even though I didn’t like Max until about halfway through the book, I still enjoyed this book a bunch and I think it is definitely a must read.
Profile Image for Missy.
280 reviews5 followers
September 6, 2017
Great book!!! Slow build but super hot with a heartbreaking twist.
Profile Image for Nstefa.
3,462 reviews21 followers
January 16, 2018
4.5 stars!! When you have to work with someone you don’t want to but max must work with Daphne to save his job but little does he know that she will find him in his darkness....
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