The Best Men by Sarina Bowen & Lauren Blakely

Release date: January 18^th

Right, so. I’ll be honest. The first few chapters I thought Bowen and Blakely had dropped the ball with this one. Yes, I know, that’s totally implausible but sometime it’s bound to happen, right?

Wrong.

They knew exactly what they were doing!

This is the forced-proximity trope at its best. Two best men, working together to prepare for the wedding of their best friend and sister, respectively. Mark is a recently divorced, single dad who wants to explore his bisexuality. Asher is a former jock who’s always up for a good time. Alone in a small guest house they’re just going to have some fun. It’s just sex, no need to get feelings involved. 

So, in the very beginning I thought Mark was just …boring. Buttoned up. And Asher appeared as, well, some sort of insufferable player. Although the opposites-attract thing’s usually great, I just couldn’t picture it with those two. I didn’t feel the chemistry. But in the end I couldn’t be more in love with them if I tried.

B&B made me do a one-eighty, going from scepticism to total adoration. I live for that sh*t. There’s nothing better than a story where the author(s) can change my perception – and feelings – along the way. It felt completely organic and believable, how Mark and Asher went from practical strangers with only surface level knowledge of each other, to a perfect match.

*Sigh*

All the feels!

From the point where the two best men goes to Miami, this read is a joyride. It’s also way, waaaaay more shenanigans throughout than I expected. And yet, it’s still the perfect amount!

This is a low-angst read for sure and, despite Asher’s playfulness and all their banter, it had a mature feel to it even though Mark is only 27. I also loved that there was so much unspoken emotion, and how they had their own code for the things they weren’t ready to say out loud.

When I turn off the light, I kiss the back of his neck, savoring the scent of this well-fucked man. “Hey, Mark?” “Yeah?” I kiss him one more time. “Fuck you.” I can feel his smile in the dark when he says, “Fuck you too.”

So yeah, clearly not too mature.

But there’s no fabricated drama, just two genuine people finding something unexpected and trying to make it work.

5-stars. Highly recommend.

* A free e-copy of this book was kindly provided by the author *