Best Man

Close Proximity #1

by Lily Morton

Zeb Evans doesn’t do messy.

The product of a disorganised and chaotic childhood, Zeb likes order and control, and as the boss of his own employment agency he can give that to himself. Life runs along strict lines and he never mixes business with pleasure. Everything in his life lives in neat, alphabetized boxes. Until Jesse.

Jesse Reed is Zeb’s complete opposite. He’s chaos personified. A whirling cyclone of disorder. He’s also charming and funny and a very unwanted distraction.

Which is why it comes as a complete surprise to Zeb to find himself asking Jesse to pose as his boyfriend for a few days in the country at a wedding.

Zeb doesn’t do impulsive, but as the time away progresses, he finds himself increasingly drawn to the merry and irreverent Jesse. But can he bring himself to break the hard-won lessons he’s learnt in life? And even if he can, how could Jesse be attracted to him anyway? He’s so much older than Jesse, not to mention being his boss.

From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages and Finding Home series comes a warm and funny romance about one man’s fight for control and another man’s determination to circumvent it.

This is the first book in the Close Proximity series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Humor, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance

232 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2019

About the author

Lily is a bestselling gay romance author.

She lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven't had a proper conversation with her since she got her Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams, and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing because how else would she get to spend her time with hot and funny men?

Her latest release is Under Gorse and Stone, which is a magical Christmas story about a centuries-old dragon and his human mate.

https://getbook.at/UnderGorseAndStone

You can keep up with Lily's latest releases and read the exclusive short stories '3 Dates' and ‘Best Love’ by subscribing to her newsletter: https://bit.ly/LilyMorton-Newsletter

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Reviews

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

YAY, a brand new Lily Morton series!



This first book was a bit of a loosely-tied spin-off for the London flatmates of Eli, from "Gideon (Finding Home #3)", although sadly Eli and Gideon didn't make an appearance in this story.

The book began with a short prologue from 3 years prior, when 21 y.o. Jesse had a job interview with 41 y.o. Zeb at his very pro-LGBT "people for hire for whatever you might need" agency.



That first meeting between Jesse and Zeb was pretty funny and reminded me a bit of something that might happen with Oz from "Oz (Finding Home #1)".

When being sent out on assignments, the fact that Jesse genuinely cared about people tended to get him in (often hilarious) "situations", like the dead grandmother and Jesse's black eye, which would normally have gotten the straight-laced Zeb furious, but instead tended to amuse him endlessly. As long as the customer was happy, that is. Which with Jesse was pretty much always.



Zeb had been drawn to Jesse for the entire 3 years they'd worked together, but he'd always kept a professional distance, siting their 20 year age difference and employer/employee status, but that all began to change when Zeb needed a personal favor from Jesse.

Zeb had agreed to act as best man when Patrick, his cheating ex-of-5-years, decided to marry a woman, which had "don't even go there" written allllllll the hell over it from the start. But Zeb promised, so he was honor-bound to follow through. And Zeb needed a date for the occasion, soooo...

Most of the drama came from Patrick's less-than-honorable intentions toward Zeb, Jesse, and his soon-to-be bride. Ugh, that asshole had me looking for a flamethrower and a match, no lie.



Other than the fallout from Patrick's shenanigans, the rest of the story was pretty much drama-free, other than Zeb's warring denial of his feelings for Jesse, so the angst was kept to manageable levels, with the same in regards to steam.

I loved Max (Zeb's step-brother) and Felix (Zeb's office manager) and can't wait to read their book. We were also introduced to the other flatmate, Charlie, and his potential love interest, Misha, so I suspect those guys will be the MC's in books 2 and 3.



I'd rate this story at around 3.5 *funny-but-not-OTT-hilarious* stars and recommend it to any fans of Lily's previous books.

** NOTE: The free, follow-up short for Jesse & Zeb, "The Graduate", is on Lily's web site at:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a...

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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)

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[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily Morton's books make me happy, and I'm thrilled that Best Man is the first book in a series. I liked the secondary characters introduced in this book (especially Felix and Max!) and look forward to their stories.

This book features two of my favorite tropes: age gap and fake boyfriend.

Zeb and Jesse have been crushing on each other for years in secret. Zeb, who's twenty years older then Jesse, thinks he's too old and serious for Jesse, and Jesse doesn't think Zeb could ever be interested in him.

Never mind that at one point Zeb was dating Patrick. (I have nothing nice to say about Patrick. Patrick is a cheating fuckwhat who wants to eat his cake and have it too.)

Fortunately, after Zeb asks Jesse to be his fake boyfriend to none other than Patrick's wedding (such a fantastic idea, right?), Zeb pulls his head out of his proverbial arse and realizes that Jesse is the one for him.

There's a misunderstanding toward the end having to do with Patrick (but of course!). Fortunately, it doesn't last long, and the epilogue is a very happy one indeed.

All the love for: great banter, Jesse "helping" people (so funny!), spicy sexy times, and Jesse's cool dad.

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything I expected from Lily Morton ... What an awesome, fun and sweet read !!! I absolutely loved Jesse !! About as much as I love Eli, which is quite understanding since they are the best of friends ;) I wished there would have been more of Eli and Gideon, but hey...we can't always get everything we want. 



Jesse has been working for Zeb for three years now. He is what they call a "jack of all trades". Zeb's company caters mostly to the LGBTQ community and offers them everything they need... from gardner to "fake boyfriend" and anything in between. 

Jesse has been crushing on his boss from the moment they met, but Zeb has never shown any interest....he has also been in a relationship for years, so Jesse just crushes on from afar so to say...



What Jesse doesn't know is that Zeb has been feeling the same way about Jesse ... He is just worried that he is way too old for the likes of Jesse, they do have a 20 year age difference. He doesn't think Jesse would be interested in someone like him. 

But now, things are about to change between the two of them, because Zeb needs Jesse's help to pose as his fake boyfriend at a (pre) wedding getaway. And we are not talking about just any wedding here. We are talking about his ex-boyfriend Patrick's wedding, who cheated on him and is now marrying a woman... He even promised to be his best man. Should be some good times (read the sarcasm)



Things are never boring with Jesse around though, so I laughed my ass off. I also had to make use of my dear old fan when things between Jesse and Zeb started heating up !!!



So many wonderful side-characters were introduced and I really hope we get all their books. Lily Morton has set the bar high with this very first book in the series, but I am sure the rest of the books will be awesome as well. I for one can't wait ;)

Highly recommended !!!


An ARC was provided to

in exchange for an honest review

 

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp]

DNF @30%

I’ll never understand why so many authors use the evil ex trope. After all, it makes me instantly feel like the main character is an absolute loser for previously being in a relationship with someone like that.
I truly believe that the person someone chooses as their partner is a reflection of someone’s own character. So, if you choose to spends years of your life with a rude arsehole, then what the hell is wrong with you?? A lot. Obviously.
And if someone chooses to still hang out with their arsehole ex and continue to defend their actions, even after being, for example, cheated on by the arsehole ex? Then that makes them an even bigger tosser. Which was clearly what Zeb was.

Now, when it comes to the actual relationship between Zeb and Jesse I have to say I simply wasn’t impressed. It was lust-at-first sight with no depth and no build-up. It was just boring and empty.
Their dynamic also felt very forced; I didn’t really like the way Zeb treated Jesse as a child and they literally didn’t even have any chemistry whatsoever.

The writing also felt over the top and emotionless. It obviously tried to be funny, but it simply wasn’t. It really didn’t hook me at all.

In summary, this was just not fun or interesting, so I’m not going to finish the book because I can already tell that that fact won’t change.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5


It was ok.


Loved Jesse,well he's slinky-enough said.



Is it just me or are these books getting very similar? Stoic,buttoned up guy and the sassy,snarky one.



READ ARIANA'S WORDS because she's pretty much explained everything i was thinking.


Available on KU.

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook - 3.5 stars

Story - 2.5 stars

What is it with Lily and the horrible exes?? Ugh! ruined a good candy coated story for me.

[Ariana (mostly offline) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3,75 stars*

I loved both series by Lily Morton, with one or two of these books on my ‘best of the best’ shelf. And of course, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one.

And there are lots of things to enjoy here:

- the spectacular banter and sharp humour
- Zeb for his cute grumpiness, his caring and his hairy chest (Thank you, LM! 😁)
- Jesse for his joyfulness and no-nonsense approach to life
- the age gap (20 years) which is dealt with in a very good way
- the chemistry between Zeb and Jesse (sizzling)
- the fabulously written, sensual and meaningful sex scenes

So why didn’t Best Man quite hit bull’s eye for me?

As an observation (And I’d like to stress, NOT a niggle) I can’t help but noticing that Jesse and Zeb remind me massively of Gabe and Dylan from Rule Breaker and that the interview scene at the beginning is very similar to the one in Oz. Not that this particularly bothered me as I loved all of it!

However, unfortunately, there are some niggles, too.

The first one is plot related. There are a few things which don’t make sense to me. For example:
a. Why doesn’t Zeb know that Jesse is intending to leave the company in a month’s time? He is the boss! Surely Jess had to give notice?
b. And even once Zeb knows that Jesse won't be his employee for much longer, he still resists Jesse on the grounds of being his boss.
c. Why was Max, Zeb’s half-brother, invited to Patrick’s pre-wedding do in the Cotswolds? Neither Patrick nor his fiancée like him, nor does anyone else there, so there is no reason for him to be there?
d. The ‘fall-out’ between Jesse and Zeb towards the end felt overly dramatic and a bit construed, considering ..
e. … how quickly Jesse gives in when Zeb apologizes. It’s like “Sorry.” Followed by “Ok.” And kisses. End. No discussion about stuff etc etc?

The second niggle is about some characters, Examples:
a. I get that Nina is a b**** out of hell and that she hates Zeb, but to me, the way she behaves and the things she says felt very much exaggerated. She’s almost a caricature of an evil ‘step-mother’.
b. Patrick comes across as a real a******,too, and that’s ok. (LOL, well , it’s not ok for Zeb) But again, he is ALL bad, not even a hint of any niceness. Not sure if a guy like Zeb would have lived with him for FIVE years?
some of which seem to be drawn in a very 'black and white' way.

Finally, it felt like we are told continuously (by various people) how ‘kind, charming, chaotic, clever, witty’ etc. Jesse is. It started to get a bit too much at one point. And the same goes to a lesser extent for Zeb. His character traits are also 'listed' on various occasions. I could have done with a lot less!

Saying that, and despite the things that didn't gel for me, – I undoubtedly enjoyed the book and as always, the humour is spot on, but it's not a favourite.
And I’m certainly going to be back for Max/Felix, and Charlie/Misha. (guessing the paring)

[Cat the bookworm (semi hiatus ish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily Morton’s books are a safe bet - banter, British humor, usually an evil ex and a third act breakup.

And this book delivered exactly that - nothing more, nothing less. It’s a fake boyfriend, grumpy/sunshine, age gap, boss/employee story. Zeb, the grumpy boss, needs a fake boyfriend for the wedding of his ex, Patrick (aka the handsome, spoiled and evil ex who has an evil homophobic family, too). Zeb owns an agency who - amongst other things - provides people with fake dates. So ofc he asks one of his employees to be his fake date, even though he’s not willing to admit that he ging’s said employee, Jesse, very attractive.

Jesse’s had a crush on Zeb for ages, and he jumps at the opportunity to spend time with him, even though he assumes that Zeb sees him as a kid, despite his very mature age of 24.

You kind of guess where it’s going. It’s predictable ofc, but I’ve been in the mood for a predictable, feel good book with only minor drama (thankfully, the breakup was just a short one), so I had a good time with it.

As most of this author’s books, the audiobook narration was done by Joel Leslie, whom - again- I know what I get into when I listen to him: his posh English is VERY posh, his older characters usually have a slightly deeper voice and are a bit out of breath, while his younger characters are flippant and animated. Again, I didn’t mind, it was exactly what I expected it to be, and sometimes all you need is a bit of a comfort book that’s not too taxing.

3.5 stars, rounded up because of this quote alone:

“It’s all the tiny moments that go to make a real love story. The funny things that go wrong like when one of you forgets your anniversary or does something silly. They all become part of your story. And you add to it with every argument or slammed door that you have. Every birthday or Christmas that you mould into a thing that only the two of you recognise. It’s taking care of each other when you’re throwing up or have a cold, it’s huddling under the duvet together laughing so hard your ribs hurt. It’s holding the other one when they’re frightened, knowing you will do anything to make them feel better again. It’s like being two pebbles on a beach. You start off individual shapes and then the weather and proximity means you rub the rough spots off so in the end you’re smooth with a patina that only echoes one other person.”

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure Lily Morton gold and I loved it! Jesse and Zeb are just the kind of characters I love reading about and, coupled with the banter and no angst on 'roids overload, this made for a brilliant read. The build from boss/employee relationship to falling so hard for each other - wonderful!

Add in the British humour and this was a slam dunk win. I laughed so hard at time, Jesse has a totally filter-less gob and some of his banter was absolutely priceless. Oh how I love me some British humour and to have an author that doesn't try and detract from this humour with Americanisation, win-win for sure. 😁

I did have a few niggles though, starting off with Patrick's mother - I can't be doing with the old caricature wicked parent trope and she was definitely one of those, though she didn't dominate the book so it was just a niggle. I would've loved more on Zeb's past and less on the dickwomble Patrick, the whole Patrick scenario was brushed aside a tad too easily but that's just Jesse I guess. Me? I would've made Zeb grovel for his idiocy! But those are just niggles because I really did love this one and I'm not letting the niggles take away from my rating, I loved it just too much to do that.

[Dia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars

I absolutely loved the writing and the banter between the main characters!!!

This is the first book in the Close Proximity new series by Lily Morton. I enjoyed all the books I've read by this author and this book was no exception.

Zeb - the controlled and organized boss, who hired Jesse 3 years ago.

Jesse is everything Zeb isn't, young and causes chaos wherever he goes. "A total walking disaster" as Zeb put it.

I can't say I am a big fan of the fake boyfriend trope, maybe because it's been used too much and I got bored at one point, BUT here it worked so well. The writing got me addicted, the main characters are lovable and sweet. There are also some pretty amazing side characters and I am curious about their own stories in the next books: Felix and Max, Charlie "Sunshine" and his best friend Misha.

This book was funny and extremely hot. But we also get angst and a wonderful sweet ending.

Overall I really loved it, but I'm not rating it with 5 stars because at one point I got a little tired by the "I'm his boss and he's so much younger than me", and what really felt unrealistic and well stupid would be how Zeb promised his ex to be his best man. This bugged me.

I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!! Loved the writing and these sweet characters!

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love Lily Morton and her endlessly entertaining, heartwarming books. This one had it all for me: age gap, boss/employee, grumpy/sunshine, close proximity (duh), ‘just one bed’, fake boyfriends, delicious slow burn with a LOT of UST, British humour, so much snarky, sarcastic banter, beautiful MCs, great side characters and an entertaining setting. It’s like Lily Morton looked in my brain and picked out every trope I enjoy and then wrote this book.

Of course I hated Patrick - as one should - and I wanted to shake Zeb violently sometimes for not seeing him for the fuckwit he is. But I thought it was a well developed conflict that made me love Zeb and Jesse as a couple even more.
I especially liked that this book didn’t end with the typical ‘we got married, bought a house and had a couple of kids’ epilogue, but with an alternative happy ending of fulfilling jobs, a dog and a lot of traveling - equally as worthy as the more normative relationship development we see in so many other books’ epilogues!

I can’t wait to read the other books of the series, so I’ll get right to it! 5 happy ⭐️ from me!


Reread 8/25
Still awesome on a reread but not quite 5 stars this time. Mostly because the ex storyline got on my nerves and I wanted more groveling after the annoying third act breakup. The tropes still do it for me tho, go figure!

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This one really hit the spot. Loved most everything about it.

Age Gap
Banter for DAYS
Good bit of steam

I'd give it 5 stars if it weren't for OTT Nina, OTT Patrick and the OTT drama at the end. Didn't ruin anything for me but I think Nina and Patrick could have been less atrocious. And I definitely could've done without that damn kiss. Not necessary IMO.

That aside, this was a great start to what looks to be a new series. Lily Morton is a definite auto-buy author for me.

[Vanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!!!🤩Absolutely loved it!💕😍. Ms. Morton has come through again. What a lovely story!!💖l loved it despite the familiar fake-boyfriend-trope. 👬It had everything that her books are known for; adorable characters, witty banter, sassy humor, incorrigible side characters, sizzling sex🔥low angst and a fabulous HEA. 💝
Zeb and Jesse are complete opposites. Zeb is serious and organized, Jesse is funny and impulsive; Zeb is forty four, Jesse is twenty four. Add to that, Zeb is also Jesse’s boss for the past three years and therefore hands off. But when Zeb needs a “fake boyfriend" for his ex's wedding party, he immediately goes to Jesse.. and Jesse is perfect for that role. 👌💕His vivacious personality combined with wit and sass proves to be Zeb's undoing and despite inner reservations, he starts to fall for Jesse. Jesse having been attracted to Zeb for all this time, is also unable to resist their magnetic attraction and the fake relationship soon turns into a real one. 💖🔥
But can their road to "Happily Ever After" be that simple? What is Patrick's (Zeb's ex) agenda in asking Zeb to be his "best man"? Can Zeb get over the mental block he has about Jesse's age? Will Jesse give Zeb a chance? The story is funny, hot, romantic as well as sentimental. The supporting characters are wonderful and I hope to read their stories next.. (Max and Felix; Charlie and Misha).
Highly recommended to all fans of M/M romances who are looking to laugh a little and go "aww" a lot.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻♥️

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a love/"hate" relationship with Lily Morton (don't worry, she knows how I feel and we're good 😊 ).

I just get settled into finally declaring a favourite couple (Gideon & Eli) and then she puts out a new book which has me changing my mind yet again.

So far, every book without fail has seen me revising to take account of the latest unique and brilliant pairing she so skillfully crafts into real and wonderfully flawed characters that feel like people I want to know.

With Jesse and Zeb Lily came this >< close to breaking me because the sass and the snark from Jesse is equalled only by Zeb's stoic and determined need to be Mr Reliable and my heart wept buckets for his childhood while I was simultaneously trying not to choke to death on my breakfast bar with laughter.

I know some non-British readers have commented on not always getting the references, but - as a Brit - I obviously don't have the same issue and so every single one of the jokes hits the mark at full speed for me.

As with any romance from Lily, there's witty dialogue, seriously steamy encounters, a perfectly understandable typically British crisis to be overcome and, in this one, a decidedly dickheadish ex to be dealt with.

Add in a 20-year-age gap, the fake boyfriends trope and forced proximity with only one bed and you have an absolute winner.

There's a brief mention of Ivo from the equally excellent Risk Taker and I'm pretty sure that Zeb's mate and business manager Felix went to the same office management school as Dylan from her Rule Breaker and we also get to peek in at Eli and Gideon still living their happy life in Fowey.

I'm now desperately waiting for the second chance/redemption story that has to be coming with Felix and Zeb's step-brother Max because it's so very clear that something's gone on there and she's giving my heart palpitations at the though of all the hate sex that book could result in.

There's also very definitely hints of another pairing with Jesse's flatmate Charlie (please don't break my heart with him and his illness Lily I'm begging you now!) and Charlie's best mate Misha, so there's that to look forward to.

I don't think it's possible for Lily to write a book I won't fall in love with but this one's definitely hitting all the feels.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review I freely admit the fangirling.

[D.L. Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weekly BR with my girl Cass.

This was super cute, as expected. The usual funny banter, I appreciated Zeb’s sarcasm and sass. I loved that Jesse was so happy go lucky, always making the best even out of a horrible situation. I especially loved how protective both men are in their own way.

I think my issue, and I’m sure it’s a me issue, is that I’m getting burnt out. It doesn’t matter how wonderful these books are, I suppose I’ve just reached my limit at the moment.

Having said that I found some of the plot points a bit tired, the emotional interactions were at times bland.

Honestly, Sometimes I enjoy the drama more than the sweetness. I’m either bored or an asshole. Probably a bit of both. 🤣🙈

On a high note my favorite parts were their dates. I loved how creative they were, I’d kill for a boyfriend who would do even an iota of what they did.

Overall a lovely little escape, I just think I need an escape to a different pasture.

[Ele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be the party pooper here. I think I started on the wrong foot with this one because who in their right mind would accept to be the best man to the guy who cheated on them with his best friend and never even expressed any kind of remorse? Zeb's reasons never resonated with me, not even when he tried to explain himself. Also, Patrick was either stupid or a lunatic IMO.

OTT is what I expect from Lily Morton and I usually eat it with a spoon but, for some reason, this was the first time the OTT characters and banter irritated me. A lot.

Plus, the scene that caused all the drama in the end is so overused and manufactured in romance, I'm totally over it.

Three stars is not bad but when it's Lily Morton I always expect more. I guess I just didn't click with this one but the secondary characters seemed great so I'm going to continue with the series.

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who can turn a frown into a smile? Why, Lily Morton can!!

There’s nothing like a Lily Morton book to brighten your mood! The snark and sassing her characters give us are priceless! 👏👏❤️❤️

That being said, the plot in this fake boyfriend, May-December storyline felt a bit off. Some things just didn’t make sense in the way that they were overly dramatic or too easily resolved. I’d go into details, but no spoilers!!

Still, this is Lily Morton we are talking about and even if some situations felt like revists of scenes from her other books, I could t help but laugh and smile my way through this book!!

And, omigod, the cupboard scene was pure, UST deliciousness!!!

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I loved it. It’s taken me far too long to actually read it but that’s because life’s been very busy lately. At times like this most of my reading is done in bed. But due to my constant laughing and giggling my grumpy hubby couldn’t sleep. So the book had to be put down.

Like I said I loved this. Jesse was a breathe of fresh air and exactly what Zeb needed in his life.

It’s funny and sweet and while I can’t wait for Max and Felix’s book. I think I’m going to try either Oz or Rule Breaker next...
Decisions, decisions.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily Morton quickly soared to my best of the best authors list a few years back and she’s continued to hover there ever since. When she releases a new book, I follow my finger’s natural instinct to one-click on amazon. Sometimes I can’t wait and crack it open as soon as it completes the download. On the other hand, some books will sit safely on my kindle until I’m desperate for a good book. After a disappointing read the other day, I knew what I needed. A Morton fix! The Best Man was the cure for my funk and I’m eager for more of this new ‘Close Proximity’ series. As ever, it was hilarious and tender while the heat simmered hotter and hotter. If you’re not familiar with her books yet this is a lovely place to start!

What's to like: Zeb and Jesse are easy to like! Zeb’s been invited to his ex’s wedding. Which isn’t a huge deal in itself. What’s problematic is he’s also been asked to be the best man. The most troubling part is feelings may still linger. Zeb doesn’t want complications but he doesn’t want to attend this event alone. Requesting that Jesse assist him with this situation seems logical. Okay, not really but I was glad for this impulsive moment! Jesse is wonderful at what he does and can seamlessly slip by his side and act as if he’s always belonged there. The slippery part is, he feels like he does belong there. Jesse makes him happy and to his utter surprise, Zeb does the same for Jesse. How has he missed what’s been right in front of his face for years? Jesse is beautiful, inside and out and Zeb suddenly realizes he’s about to lose him. But wait? How can you lose what you never even had? Best friends prove to be helpful or just call out bullshit for what it is. I was tickled to find connections within this new series to previous stories. Jesse’s best friend and former roommate is a special nurse we know and love and Zeb’s stepbrother has made an appearance before. More potential couples dangle before our eyes and I’m very much looking forward to keeping up with this new gang.

What's to love: I’m a sucker for passionate opposites attract romance. I enjoy a well-suited age gap pairing. Fake boyfriends? Yes, please! Top it off with Morton’s signature wit and sass and you can clearly see there is a LOT to love here. I had a flash of déjà vu but didn’t mind the similarities too terribly much. Zeb is a man of structure. He’s tidy and particular. He’s always in control. Well, he likes to think so. Jesse makes him want to be reckless. He lights a fire in his heart and pushes his buttons. But these wishes are futile. First of all, he’s too young. Second, he’s his employee. Or maybe that should be first? Regardless, he’s not an option…off the menu…forbidden fruit. Which apparently just makes him all the more desirable. But here’s the thing, they are good together. And they are good for one another. Why fight it? That is indeed the question! If you want the answer, I’d suggest you follow your one-click fingers and go get this comical charming tale.

Beware of: Vile ex with wicked intentions is sure to tick you off. Chemistry and sexual tension build and build until…the sweet release takes your breath away. And the fond reminder that candles on a cake are meaningless when it comes to a foolproof match.

This book is for: Morton fans most assuredly have this on their radar if they haven’t devoured it before now. But if you’re not in the club yet never fear, I’m saving you a seat!

Book UNfunk

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook - 8/2023

Ebook - 9/2019
Another winner by Lily Morton. I can't get enough of this author, she never fails to deliver with her adorable characters, witty humor and swoony romance. Zeb Evans is the older bossman who is all primp, proper, mature and loves to organize. Jesse Reed is a much younger employee, someone totally opposite of Zeb. Jesse is all messy and chaotic, but also lively and fun and everyone loves his sunny disposition including his stoic boss, Zeb.

The boss / employee dynamic do reminds me of Rule Breaker, but with less angst. Zeb and Jesse actually like each other since the beginning even though Zeb remain professional and tends to act as if Jesse is insufferable, especially with Jesse playful antics. Their verbal sparring is a joy to read, so sarcastic, so annoyingly adorable.

Their professional relationship took a turn when Zeb impulsively asked Jesse to be his fake boyfriend to attend his ex wedding. Let just say, the ex, Patrick is a total wanker. Even the family members are awful. I'm especially ecstatic when Jesse being Jesse can't keep his mouth shut and decided to give everyone a piece of his mind whenever someone dare to insult Zeb. He's the best side kick anyone could ever have. Jesse is loyal, passionate and caring and I love him to bits.

On the other hand, Zeb is quite a stubborn man and needed someone to shake some sense into him. He overthink everything and sometimes make awful decision thinking is the right thing to do. Is hard to even be mad at him when he is being so damn honorable. Zeb is successful and a hot silver fox, yet all he feels are insecurities when he face with the amazing Jesse. Also he is being too nice to his wanker of an ex, which contributed to some minor angst towards the end. Anyhow, this book mainly make you smile and laugh and just swoon dreamily.

This is the first book of a brand new series and I'm already excited for more after meeting some interesting secondary characters, Felix and Max, oh yum.... and Charlie, oh boy.

[AussieMum · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 71%
The beginning had some really great banter that sucked me in but it got old quick. There was just too much and some of it was veering into slapstick.

I’ve read a lot of “fake relationship” stories and this one felt like much of the same. The jealous ex about to remarry. The cold bride. The ex’s whole family hating on a MC...the list goes on. And while I like Jesse I’m not fond enough of Zeb to keep going. This did have some good bits but not enough to hold my attention, which is disappointing considering I’ve loved several of this authors books.

[Ky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesse is a twenty-four year old graduate that has a CV full of odd jobs in a wide range of themes. He is funny, loud, kind and fiercely loyal. He manages to land job with an agency that people hire when they need help with something as simple as doing their weekly shopping or mowing the lawn or something more unique like needing a fake boyfriend for an event they're attending. Jesse, who loves people and is easily bored doing the same thing over and over again, turns out to be the perfect fit for the agency, even if some of his hires end up very eventfully and somewhat comically.

Zeb is forty-four and the owner of the agency. He is cntrolling, organised and socially awkward. He had a complicated relationship with his father and that, along with the way he spent his childhood, shaped him into the man he is today. He doesn't like to break his promises and that's how he ends up being the best man for his ex on his wedding with a woman. He's not very eager to attend that wedding so he puts it out of his mind. And then it's too late to actually find a date to take so he resolves to asking Jesse a favor. He is to pretend to be his boyfriend for a few days at a gathering a month before the wedding as well as his date for his ex's special day.

There's a lot of UST here since both of them are obviously attracted to the other but try not to do anything about it for a big part of the book - each of them for his own reasons. There's also a significant age gap between Jesse and Zeb that puts the breaks on anything happening between them either because Zeb is too old and Jesse can't possibly stay with him for the long run or because Jesse is too young and immature for Zeb who think of him as a kid. Which one of those is the supposed reason they don't take the next step depends on who of the two of them you ask - I'll let you figure out who thinks which.

There's also quite a bit of well-done jealousy which, as I've realised, is something of a signature of this author, along with her pentance for snarky characters that make me laugh out loud - and a misunderstanding that thankfully gets resolved very quickly. In the secondary characters I recognised two potential future couples (I think Max was my favorite of the four) and there were mentions of MCs from previous books along with a quick cameo over the phone from Eli (Gideon's book).

Partick-the-ex had mostly bad qualities and was obviously the bad guy, but thankfully not in a caricaturish way like some of Lily Morton's previous bad guys have been. He had some good moments and, even though he was very selfish, he was still very realistically portrayed and I believed he could easily exist in real life.

This new series got off to great start and I was glad to find myself enjoying the story and the humor.




*An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. *

[L Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

The similarities between this story and Lily Morton’s earlier work, Rule Breaker, are glaringly obvious; right down to the spiteful superficial ex and the gorgeous flatmate with relationship issues. Unfortunately, this wasn’t nearly as enjoyable. It isn’t a bad story, per se, and I really enjoyed the humor in the beginning. I just thought it was dull and kind of… shallow? The main characters were already attracted to each other and the only conflict was that Zeb thought he was too old for Jesse and Jesse thought Zeb wasn’t over his ex. The words that come to mind when describing this story are formulaic and predictable. Jesse and Zeb are watered down versions of Dylan and Gabe and by the 60% mark I already knew Patrick was going to do something slimy, it would cause a rift between Jesse and Zeb, and that rift would quickly be resolved once Zeb explained things to him, professing his love in the process. Nothing new, nothing exciting. The fact that I read two fabulous stories prior to this one also didn’t help. 2.5 stars

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's getting repetitive. I think this book came before the other book in a diff series I just read. Same premise. Boss and employee. An event that brings them together. The boss having a past that prevents him from going after the employee. He resists. The employee who is snarky, sunny, sociable, attracted to the sophisticated older man. Age difference. Even the descriptions of the boss (physically) and the employee are similar.

Boss: hairy chest, muscular, bulkier, broader. dark wavy hair. scruffy.
Employee: slimmer, 6 ft. "pretty", dark hair, longish.

Blah blah broken record.

Writing is still fine, but the later book has more finesse.

Hence 3 stars. Given that this author's trajectory with me is going down, I think I need to quit her for a while.

[Gustaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best Man was a really great addition to Lily Morton's catalogue. However, I might have a little too high standards for her book. I'm expecting to be blow away by her work and while I really liked this book, I wasn't blown away.
With that said, I'm a sucker for fake boyfriends. And age gap. And England. So there was a lot for me to really like about this book.

Jesse is young and vibrant. Zeb a bit older and in need of having control. Yet, he makes a promise to his ex to be his best man at said ex wedding. He asks Jesse to come with him to the wedding as his fake boyfriend. The rest is a classic fake boyfriend story. Except it's not. Zeb is also Jesse's boss. Uh, trouble.

There's a ton of great secondary characters in this book. I can't wait to read their stories. There's also a few I would rather forget about. I'm looking at you Patrick.

[Alisonbookreviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Lily Morton!! Her writing style is so hilarious. The banter is amazing combined into a love story
Can't wait to read the rest of this series ❤❤❤❤❤

[BevS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another rom-com series from Lily Morton **dramatic eyeroll 🙄**. The question we should be asking of course is 'can she write anything else 🤔'??

Yes, I liked the characters but unfortunately the author's work seems to be on a rinse and repeat cycle, revolving solely around the same sort of storyline for every series. One character who seems to have lost the plot [usually the older one], one who is younger and has more sense and sass, and all set in an imaginary world where nothing really bad ever happens and money is no object. I know this is fiction, but surely some of the real world with all of its many faults should peek through at some stage??

Felix/Max and Charlie/Misha are my predictions for the following stories. Will I read them?? Probably not, I think I've had enough of unrealistic, sugary sweet storylines.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh lord I adore Lily Morton... this book was everything- sweet, smart sassy and a whole lot of vulnerable ❤️ Jesse was a fabulous character and perfect for Zeb.. special mention to Felix & Max who I hope are book 2 and a high 5 to Jesse’s Dad - stayed up all night to read this in one hit so it can only be a 5 for me !

[Elsa Bravante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhhhhh, una historia muy british, con sus toques de humor, sarcasmo unido a mucha ternura.
Encantadora con personajes encantadores.

[W · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Queen of Snarky Banter, Hilarious Dialogue & Unforgettable Heroes Does It Again!

Long live The Queen !
With her trademark character-driven, delightful , vivid and humorous writing style Lily Morton give us Best Man . A must read MM Rom-Com !

I had lots of fun with Best Man. A boss/employee, hilarious , low angst, quirky tale. A well written and crafted, age gap love story with lots , and I mean A LOT, of passionate , hot AF , deliciously descriptive sexy times



I thought that nothing could compare or come close to my love and fidelity for Lily Morton's other book heroes Dylan (Rule Breaker) and Oz (Finding Home) my top favorites MC of all her book series. Then here comes Jesse and he climbs to the top of the ladder and park himself right besides Dylan and Oz.

Jesse

From the moment, I began reading Jesse and Zeb story , I was captivated and intrigued by these two lovable heroes . I got carried away by their chemistry , easy going , snarky banter and hidden (not really) UST.
I was in love within the first two pages! Yeah, insta love , alright!

Zeb <

This story gave me ALL THE FEELS and left me wanting for more! An unforgettable and charming read!

Don't think about it, add it to your TBR list and GET THIS BOOK NOW ! You'll be thanking me later!

Advance copy provided by Les Court Services in exchange for an honest review.