Rusty Best never expected The One to be his total opposite: an older, inexperienced, shy geek with two left feet. Swoon.Rusty:I’ve taught plenty of wedding parties to dance in my brothers’ family business, but this father of the bride stopped me in my tracks. He wants my help getting better at being gay, so he doesn’t embarrass his daughter. How can I say no?From the moment I put my hands on him, … no?
From the moment I put my hands on him, our friendship is raring to turn into more. But can I get those shy eyes to see how I feel about him in time for the big night?
Tom:
I want everything to go perfectly for my daughter this week, even if she is marrying the jerk of a Walker kid. After all, I spent two decades raising her before her mother and I split up. She and my ex-wife keep telling me to start my new life, but I felt like I missed my chance to fit into the gay world. Until I take one look at the dance instructor and find myself wanting to move in ways I’ve never tried before.
But I’m the wrong side of 40 for the outgoing, touchy-feely, redheaded man who sweeps me off my feet. How can I ever keep up with him—while keeping my eye on the jerk my daughter’s about to marry?
The Best Men, Inc. trilogy (Best Laid Plans, Best Foot Forward, and Best Served Hot) are low-angst, high-shenanigans stories about the craziest wedding of the summer! No cheating or love triangles, and everyone who deserves a happy ending will get one. Each book follows a different brother so they can all stand alone, or be read in any order. RSVP now to join the fun!
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1 limber extrovert
1 clumsy introvert
1 sweet bride
1 sour groom
sass (to taste)
courage (as needed)
Blend ingredients together. BEST served on the dance floor. (Recipe can be made without the groom, if you prefer a sweeter dish)
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Oh man, the week leading up to the wedding was just as fun from Rusty and Tom’s POV as it was Griff and Dill’s! I really enjoy how this series is playing out. By now, we know the events, but it’s still different from another perspective. I adored Tom and Rusty. Their relationship was instalove, emotionally, but a bit of a slow burn, physically. Truth be told, I kind of liked that about it. It gave it a more realistic vibe, and a fresh approach. I appreciate how Zoe Dawn decided to order these books. Even though, they could have been written in any order, it just makes sense to have Dill go first. He is the ringleader. In some aspects, you could probably read these in any order, but there are some scenes, regarding Beth and Jason, that are more detailed in book one than they were in this book. That aside, they overlap. I can’t wait to see how Zoe has written Blaze’s story in book 3!
***I voluntarily accepted an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews. My review reflects my own thoughts and opinions***
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was looking forward to reading this one.
I really like the writing style. It’s fun and had great flow, easy and enjoyable to read. This translated into a great story for Tom and Rusty.
Tom is the father of the bride and Rusty is their dance teacher. Tom has a few struggles with being out around the obnoxious family of the groom being so new to the gay world.
A sweet, fun insta love story
Rusty is the dance instructor that teaches the wedding party. He teaches Tom and his daughter to dance the daddy/daughter dance for her upcoming wedding. As soon as he puts his hands-on Tom, he knows he wants him. Tom is the bride’s father. Tom is shy, recently divorced and newly out. But he thinks he is too old for Rusty. They start spending time together and realize age really isn’t an issue. Loved it!!! I am voluntarily leaving a review form an ARC that I received. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.
Rusty helps the family business through his dance studio. Whenever there is a need for dance lessons in the party planning that his brother does, he provides it. He is happy with his life but at 27 years old, he wants a serious relationship, but hadn’t found one man willing to commit.
At 43 years old, Tom can now openly live his life as a gay man. But he doesn’t really know how. His ex-wife and daughter urges him to go out and date, but he thinks it is a bit late already. He has put his life on hold so that he could raise his daughter with his wife then.
Meeting each other through his daughter’s upcoming wedding and him needing lessons for their father-daughter dance was momentuous for Tom. Mutual attraction sparks. It started with dance lessons which develops into friendship and so much more! A love story with age gap, family love and support, and really sweet, sexy dance moves. Loving it!
The blurb promises a real treat, and i was so happy to see that the book actually delivered it.
Late gay bloomer Tom and his dance teacher, Rusty, were absolutely precious. I liked how their romance unfolded, and the author showed every step in a believable way. The spotlight was on their attraction, but it didn’t shy away from their insecurities and doubts. I loved the age difference, their opposite personalities and how wonderful they worked together.
This was a sweet quirky romance combined with delicious sexy times…absolutely recommended.
This age gap romance centering on father of the bride, Tom and dance teacher, Rusty was sweet and fun. Outgoing and fun Rusty was the breath of fresh air Tom needed to feel comfortable in his own skin after coming out later in life. While this could be read as a stand alone, it is much better to read all the books in this series especially maybe all at once.
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Best Men Inc series, and runs a parallel timeline to book one, so you don’t NEED to have read book one, Best Laid Plans, but I would advise you to. I really enjoyed that book.
This one, not so much.
What I liked in book one, doesn’t work for me here, and I have no idea why.
Taking place over the same time period, the relationship between Rusty and Tom moves at speed, FAR too fast for my liking, especially as Tom is a newly outed older man, who has had no sexual contact with a man before. Emotions are bandied about FAR too soon, as well.
I did enjoy the differences between Rusty and Dill, his brother in book one. Again, the family are very acceptng of Tom, even though he is older than Rusty.
Its a good book, but not one that I enjoyed as much as book one.
I do look forward to the final book in the series, though.
3 good stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Slow-burn M/M romance: nerdy Tom, a gay virgin and Rusty, former twink on the prowl
This was a touching story of two entirely different men who find one another at just the right time. Tom had been happily married to his ex-wife for their daughter’s sake for two decades. They divorced to allow each of them to have a real life. Chrissy his ex-wife remarried and Tom gets along splendidly with both. But Tom has never really dipped his toe in the gay scene. He’s self-conscious because he’s a gay virgin at 43yo. Beth, Tom’s beloved daughter is getting married to someone Tom dislikes but for her, he’ll forgive the groom’s transgressions. For the wedding, Tom is taking dance lessons so he won’t show off his natural clumsy side. Boy! When he lays eyes on the red-headed dancer in his short-shorts and tight T…well, something else gets tight 😉 Rusty is at the point in his 27 years to want a real relationship, not those he found on a dim dance floor.
Whether gay or straight, beautiful quote: Rusty is thinking, “Until I’d touched him, I’d never realized how powerful it was to know that the other half of you lived in someone else.” This is typical of Ms. Dawn’s writing in this book. The characters are wonderfully unique, the plot uniquely wonderful and the ending…Whoa! For a slow-burn romance it steams up considerably at the end. WHAT AN ENDING…chapters 16 to the end. There will be huge surprises, lots of steam with lots of dancing. Now that this couple have gotten their HEA, I’ll need to read the other two books, characters having been mentioned in this book already.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Gay Romance Reviews and it comes highly recommended. I give it 4.5 slow-burn but flaming stars.
Note: to my followers, I have more LGBTQ reviews lately b/c the plots are more diverse and unique than most straight romance. Just saying…
4 ½ stars
Best Foot Forward is a good continuation of the Best Men, Inc. series. As in the first book, the secondary characters are well placed and supportive of the storyline. The unlikable characters are just as easy to hate from this perspective as they instigate angst and unrest with their evil plotting.
This romance is fast, as in the first book, but I am still satisfied with the believability the author infuses into the pages. Sometimes a couple knows what is there.
The age gap is handled without too much fanfare, and I like that. These characters complement each other, and numbers are, therefore, unimportant to me.
Tom and Rusty are a lovely couple who navigate this new situation with humor, passion, and hope. Their romance is believable and HEA pleasing.
I look forward to more from this author.