The Worst Best Man: A Novel

I almost didn't buy this book because some of the positive reviews for it made it seem like it was going to be one of those trying-to-hard-to-be-quirky cookie cutter romances that all seem to share the same identical pastel covers and too-plucky-to-be-believed heroines. I am so, so glad that I bought this book anyway because that really couldn't be farther from the truth. THE WORST BEST MAN is like a smart rom-com in book form, only better because, ummm, gratuitous food porn, a smart woman of color protagonist who loves her job and has some pretty important dialogues about what it means to express emotion in public spaces as a woman of color, and an honestly hilarious battle of wills in an enemies to lovers romance that never feels too easy or too mean-spirited. It was just the pick-me-up I needed.Lina is a wedding planner who was ditched by her own would-be-husband at her wedding several years ago. Andrew, her ex, sent a mystifying text message to his brother, Max, suggesting something he said on their night out was responsible before just, you know, going dark. Even though Lina is super successful in her own right now, she has never forgiven either brother for ruining what should have been the best day of her life, which is why when she ends up landing the chance to make a major career move with the owner of a successful boutique hotel chain, she is not happy to see that the brothers-- and their mom-- are also involved.As it turns out, Lina isn't the only planner the hotel might want to work with. And since Max and Andrew are ever in competition, they're going to let the best brother-- and planner-- win by working to develop a pitch that will appeal most to the Cartwright hotel chain. At first, Lina is icy to Max and pranks him (including tricking him into eat a very spicy Brazilian pepper at one of their lunch meetings) but it soon becomes pretty clear that Max isn't a bad guy. He's very different from Andrew and he's also very attracted to Lina-- to her looks, her personality, her success, and her vulnerabilities. It doesn't take all that much time for the ice to melt. But the drama that awaits them is much more lasting.I ended up liking this book a lot. It's the perfect quarantine read because of all the vicarious parties and celebrations. Honestly, the beautiful descriptions of food warrant an extra star alone. The cake-tasting scene and the lunch at the Brazilian restaurant had my mouth watering. I loved how the connection between food and family was brought in with Lina and her family, and its ties to Brazilian culture. Also, all of the in-text Brazilian words! I love it when authors do this; it's fun seeing people speaking their native languages on the page because people do this in real life and it adds a touch of realism. I'm also a huge sucker for books about professional women who love their jobs, and I liked especially how the author wrote about what it meant for Lina, as a woman of color, and how it affected her perceived freedom to express her emotions in public. The story about her work as a paralegal was sad.I honestly wasn't all that sold on Max as a love interest at first, but I ended up liking him more later on in the story. As other readers have said, there was a LOT of talking in the sex scenes-- to show consent and the importance of communication, I think. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but I think I just don't really like it when humor and sex are mixed. I read another chick-lit recently, CRUSHING IT, that did this also, and I didn't really like it there, either. Some people do, though, and I think this is just a matter of personal preference. For me, I thought the sexual tension between the couple and their banter were the best parts, and it was the moments where they opened up and talked about their feelings despite all of their emotional walls and barriers, that really made me swoon.Anyone who enjoys fluffy romances with fiercely intelligent heroines who love their jobs, have a dry sense of humor, and encounter plenty of drama that won't require you to suspend your disbelief will really like this book. I said on Twitter that I think it would make an excellent movie and I stand by that.3.5 out of 5 stars

Imagine going to a wedding, everything is set in place, the bride is ready to marry the man she loves, preparing to solidify their vows to one another, and live happily ever after… Welp turns out the groom decided he didn’t want to marry the bride after all thanks to his brothers talk the night before… so much for Lina getting her wedding.“The Worst Best Man” By: Mia Sosa was such a lighthearted, funny, warm, and entertaining story. Carolina, a.k.a. Lina for short was jilted at the altar by her former fiancé, Andrew Hartley. Andrew realizing he didn’t want to marry Lina, had his brother, Max deliver the bad news to her… poor Max definitely had his hands full and was blamed for being the messenger. Flash forward to one year, Lina was focused and determined to make her wedding planning career to the next level and bigger opportunities. With the opportunity to potentially land the job of being The Cartwright Hotel’s wedding coordinator, it was everything Lina could have possibly wanted… except not until she found out she had to work with her former fiancé’s brother, Max in order to land the job of her dreams.I thought this story was equal parts sweet and funny. In true romantic comedy fashion, Lina and Max were put into a unique situation where they were forced to put aside their past in order to achieve their goal of making a good impression for their pitch, and for Lina to get the job she wanted. The moment when Lina saw Andrew and Max walk into the conference room, I was surprised and lowkey wanted to smack Andrew (not a fan of him). Lina was a professional, but she definitely had her moments of mischief by playing pranks on Max in order to exact some kind of revenge of him for inevitably ruining her wedding. While I could understand Lina’s feelings towards Max, I felt like she was a bit unfair towards him only because, Max was just the messenger, he didn’t leave Lina at the altar. Sure whatever Max told Andrew ended up convincing him to call off the wedding, but if Andrew truly wanted to be with Lina and if they were meant to be, they would have found their way back to one another. I just felt bad for Max at times because, he genuinely wanted to be on good terms with Lina, and show her that he wasn’t like his brother.I loved how silly and open Lina became when she was around Max, he surely did bring out something in Lina that she wasn’t use to. Lina was always use to maintaining control in her life, but with Max, she truly did let loose, and was able to show the true version of herself that normally she would have kept hidden behind her armor. Likewise, Lina brought out something more in Max. Lina was able to shed light on Max’s competition with Andrew, and always feeling like “second best”, when in fact, Max was never a first or second choice, he was the only choice for Lina.Lina and Max were equal parts sweet, and passionate. I enjoyed the little bit of spice in the book, it was great, but I was more focused on Lina and Max more. That’s not to say I didn’t appreciate the spice because, I did in fact love it, I too will also never forget the flower field scene featuring Lina’s car, happy memories indeed according to Max *wink. In addition, the romance was so stinking CUTE! Like the things that Max would say to Lina literally had me smiling, gasping with delight, and of course swooning with absolute joy. Where can I find a man like Max?… asking for me duh.Overall, I loved the story and the tight knit family that was Lina’s family. I may not be Brazilian, but I sure did appreciate learning about the culture and traditions. Plus Lina’s family such as, her aunts and cousin were hilarious. Also Dean was such an amazing friend to Max, he made me laugh as well. Lina and Max may have been the focus of the story, but Lina’s family definitely stole the show at time. From funny, to sweet, spice, and heartfelt moments, I would highly recommend reading this story! I loved it!

4 1/2 "Messy, Wicked, Games" Stars!I loved it! It was just about perfect. 2 things kept it from being perfect for me:1. Andrew- Lena's ex/ Max's brother. 😳 He was a complete and total jackass! He made me so freaking mad. I am talking serious immature douchebag! 🤬2. I WANTED MORE! I needed a epilogue for this one. Just a little bit more Lena and Max and this would have absolutely been 5 stars!But! Even without the epilogue, and the jackass ex, this story was just right for me for today. I can hardly believe I'm saying that because I don't usually love enemies to lovers stories. I also don't usually like stories where one of the main characters was with the other main character's sibling. That's usually a no go for me. A little bit eww. However, in this case, I liked both Max and Lena so much and I wanted them together so badly, it didn't bother me. Much.This story was most of all hilarious! I laughed out loud so many times. My son thought I was losing it. 🤣 The story was also sweet with tender vulnerable moments that tugged at the heart. And it had some sexy steamy scenes that may tug at other things... I'd call this one of the best romantic comedies I'd read in a while. If only there was just a wee bit of an epilogue...Ok, so I listened to the audiobook of this one. The story is told from both Lena's and Max's POV and there are duel male and female narrators. Both narrators are very good with their parts, except for the male doing female voice. It was kind of annoying. Otherwise very good. Especially the female narrator. Lena is Brazilian. From a non Portuguese or even Spanish speaking person, the accent she used added richness to the narration and to the story. Keep in mind, I wouldn't really know if it was authentic or not.Happy (listening) reading!

The Worst Best Man is my first book by Mia Sosa and is a hilarious enemies-to-lovers romance about wedding planner Lina and her ex-fiancé’s brother Max and about opening yourself up to a chance at love.On the day of her wedding to Andrew, Lina is told by her fiancé’s brother, and best man, Max that Andrew isn’t coming, and Max had a role in the decision. Three years later, at a wedding reception she’s planned, she meets Rebecca, the CEO of a hotel group who is looking to hire a full-time wedding planner. Jumping at the chance, Lina arrives at the interview, until she meets the representatives from the marketing company, Andrew and Max. As she has to work with one of them closely for her pitch to Rebecca, she decides Max is the better option. It also gives her the opportunity to get back at him for his role in her failed wedding, and so begins a hilarious back and forth of pranks and one up man ship. Throughout, an underlying attraction builds between them, but both can’t imagine the other feels the same, due to the almost forbidden nature of their chemistry. Until they are suddenly thrown into the situation where they must act like a couple and real feelings are admitted. Will they be able to make it work with them as a couple, and impress Rebecca, or are they doomed from the start thanks to both of their hidden insecurities?TWBM was great, such an enjoyable, easy romcom read with relatable characters and a lot of steam. Both Max and Lina had a lot of feelings buried underneath their calm and collected exteriors, for different reasons. Max was in constant competition with Andrew and always has felt second best, not realising his strengths are different to his brother’s and that it’s not a bad thing. I really felt for him and understood his feelings, although I liked how he never pursued Lina to get back at Andrew, it was purely down to his own feelings for her. He was sweet, charming and funny, such endearing qualities and I really liked his character, he helped to push Lina out of her comfort zone and realise who she really wanted to be with. Lina was tough on the outside, keeping her emotions hidden to prevent being labelled as overdramatic or emotional like many black or lantinx women are, especially in the workplace, which was eye-opening. She was so strong, smart and determined, she knew what she wanted. I admired her outlook at the end, she let Max come to his senses by himself, but also had some self-realisation on her own too. She was so proud of her heritage and her family, all she wanted to do was make them proud, which she succeeded in every day just by being her.At no point did I feel like their relationship was taboo or forbidden. As Max mentioned, Andrew was just someone who Mia dated previously, and I think that viewpoint was helped by how different Andrew and Max were but also how they weren’t close as brothers, they felt more like colleagues. Another thing I loved was the Brazilian representation and culture within this book. I loved how Lina and her family spoke Portuguese, not just words or phrases but full sentences. I felt introduced into the culture alongside Max, including the food and the dances and so many other culture references, it was so well written and has only increased my desire to visit Brazil.Lina’s family and other side characters like Max’s best friend Dean really helped make the story become more real and I am intrigued if any of them get their own books, I would love to read more from this group. Mia’s writing was great, really engaging and kept me interested.Overall, The Worst Best Man was a fun, entertaining and hilarious read which I devoured in one day. I would highly recommend this book, it had everything a romantic comedy needs, and it certainly won’t be my last by Mia.

I loved linas family! And I love that she sicked them on Max I thought that was so funny!Almost straight from the beginning you could see that max and Lina had a undeniable pull between them which was obviously made awkward by the fact that she was going to marry his brother.However I do have to say it didn't completely make sense to me why years later lina blamed max for what andrew did, sometimes its appeared even more then she actually did him.That seemed a little immature, blame Andrew and not want to be around him, sure but all max was supposed to have done was give him advice he didn't make him do anything, in the end it was his decision.Anyways other then that, it was a funny and sweet read.Not the best romcom I've ever read but definitely not the worst. Just sort of the middle of the road hence the star rating.

First impression: The cover screams nauseating chick lit to me, which would usually put me off, instantly. However, as it turns out, it was refreshing to read this romantic comedy that has a female character of Brazilian heritage. The reader is given a taste of Brazilian culture, which I found informative and interesting.The upside: There is a lot of good stuff in this book, especially the development of both characters, which I found insightful. The observations on human behaviour are very good, particularly, how both Max and Lina react to the negative experiences they have had to face, the impact those experiences have had on them (their personal demons), the conflict that results, and how they navigate through it.I also liked the way the reader is given an insight into both Lina’s and Max’s professional roles, and how they worked together. The author really did her homework! You can see how they managed to achieve the outcome they did. I enjoyed that aspect more than the romance!There were laugh out loud moments.I am always happy to discover a book which has a main character that is under-represented in fiction.The downside: I was not keen on the style of writing: in particular, the romance was too sweet for my taste - sickly sweet, in parts, and their sexual exploits made me cringe.It took too long to reach the conflict (about 80% into the story), and the resolution was rushed and lacked Wow! factor.The verdict: It may not be a great work of fiction, but it is good escapism.

This book is fine if you want something quick to read that you don't really need to think about at all.I enjoyed parts of the book such as Max's relationship with his brother, however I found the character of Lina really lacked a personality, apart from being Brazilian (which must have been mentioned 100+ times) we learnt very little about her as a person and there was little to no character development.Also all the conflict was very forced, particularly towards the end of the book, it was very much "oh no I've reached the third act and have run out of things to write so lets randomly rip the couple apart" as well as many other cliches.Like I said, the book is fine, but I doubt I will be reading more from this author.

First of all yes!!!! The diversity in this book was just everything. Like I've read a lot of romcoms but there isn't usually a heroine who is from a different ethnicity.Anyway moving on The Worst Best Man was exactly what I needed after reading some heavy, emotional books, this is light-hearted, fun, sexy and such a feel good.I liked Lina's character and what she represented, however, I felt like her character was a bit too reserved. However, as I got further into the book, the truth behind why she is reversed and stubborn becomes clear. Her relationship with her family is great, a good dose of drama which reminded me of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.Enter Max. The tall, dark, handsome stranger and is everything Lina doesn't want, at least that's what she keeps telling herself. In reality, Max is EVERYTHING like oh my swoon-worthy alert!Warning, there is a lot of sex in this book. I had no idea how much there would be but honestly, if sex scenes aren't your thing, thats fine. However, I will say this, the way in which Sosa writes such scenes depicts what *safe* sex should be like and ultimately, what healthy sex should be like. Not only that but the honesty and unfiltered scenes are exactly how sex scenes should be addressed.