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My Review:Title: The Best Men
Author: Sarina Bowen, Lauren Blakely
Series: The Best Men #1
Published by: Indie
Release Date: January 18, 2022
Format: Audio ALC
Narrator: Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan
Length: 9 hours and 9 minutes
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Romance
Source: the author
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2022 Audiobook Challenge, Lenoreo's 2022 COYER Winter, Lenoreo's 2022 Diversity Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:
Blurb:Bestselling authors Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely team up for the first time in an enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, irresistibly sexy standalone romance between the best man and the other best man!
Performed by Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan!
In my defense, I was left alone with a bottle of single-malt and a life-long penchant for protecting my baby sister. Still, that's no excuse to send ten drunk-texts on why her hasty marriage would be a mistake.
If only I had just texted my sister. But nope. I accidentally sent the message to her, her groom, and his super hot wingman.
I also used the phrase “super hot wingman,” so I’d like to die now.
Instead, I have to plan a wedding with the aforementioned hottie and share a too-small guesthouse in steamy Miami.
Three days in the sun with the cocky, charming former athlete who likes to push my buttons? Fine, two can play at that let’s-infuriate-each-other game.
Until Asher ups the stakes with one wildly sexy suggestion. A no-strings fling, then I go back to my single dad life in New York, and he returns to his star-studded one.
Sign me up.
But the more nights I spend with the other best man, the more I want days too, and that just can't happen. Especially when I find out the real reason why…
Contents Include: First times, a secret to-do list, champion-level flirting, fast cars, #eggplants, and two men who look good in formal wear.
I received a free copy through the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
3.5 stars — This was a fun, light and steamy romance!
As always, Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan gave fantastic performances. I was a little thrown off by Mr. Morgan’s choice to give Mark an accent, but that’s what I do…notice irrelevant stuff.
I hate writing reviews like these, because I genuinely enjoyed the book, but all I can focus on is how I didn’t enjoy it as much as my friends did. I don’t mind marching to my own drum in pretty much everything, but I hate being the odd duck on a book. I don’t know if it’s the January blues or what, but I had a harder time getting (and staying) sucked into this book. I’m not sure if the pace was a bit slower? Or maybe I just didn’t connect with the characters quite as strongly. I found that the romance was very lust heavy, which is aces for most people, but I think I was missing that extra oomph from the emotional connection. I would get glimmers of it, but it was just never quite as strong as I was hoping for I guess. But seriously, if you’re looking for strong steamy content, you will be rewarded.
Mark surprised me on quite a few occasions! Like Asher, I thought I had him pinned, but he was so much more complex than that. I loved that while he could be a bit buttoned up in some aspects of his life, he was the exact opposite of repressed in so many other aspects. He was surprisingly brave, adventurous, forthright with his desires. He didn’t shy away from challenges. And wow, he genuinely cared for and had a close relationship with his sister. Sometimes I felt like his relationship with Rosie was a bit more background than I was expecting. It contributed in some areas, but at other times I felt like it was just an extra thing about him. But again, that might have just been me.
Asher surprised me too! He had these vulnerable moments that made me want to hug him. I saw these glimmers of depth to him, but I will admit that I wanted even more…I’m a greedy fucker like that.
I LOVED their banter with one another — the way they pushed and pulled and teased. Great chemistry, and I loved that the enemies part didn’t last very long. And as I said, their steamy chemistry was off the charts.
So yeah. A solid fun m/m read with lots of great steam!
Hey, don’t beat yourself up! I think maybe it helped me enjoy it more that I hadn’t read the prequel.