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 … 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.
more
I’m always excited for this author’s releases and even more so when they signal the start to a new series, but the blurb for Best Man had my attention even more with its promise of a romantic comedy employing the fake boyfriend trope. Happily, the first book in the Close Proximity series met every one of my expectations and then some.
I immediately liked Jesse- his brilliance, sunny charm, and happy outlook lit up the pages form the start. I’m always a sucker for well-written banter, and Jesse’s antics and quick-witted snipes often had me laughing, but the humor never felt imbalanced or overly juvenile. Instead, it gave Best Man that bright happy feel that’s reminiscent of those emotions that come with new love. While Zeb was a much different character than Jesse, I liked that his charms and loyalty were evident along with his buttoned-up, serious personality, and I loved how Jesse brought out the fun in him in a way that the readers were able to experience how well the two men complemented one another. I always find myself so caught up in this author’s romances and I think a big part is how she develops the chemistry and relationship. It never feels rushed and there are multiple pockets of connection in the little details or seemingly menial interactions that build over the course of the story, drawing me in and creating an undeniable love that feels true. The frissons of happiness I got while reading Best Man are exactly why I read romance. When you add in great characters, smooth writing, and a fun, but balanced humor, I can’t think of much that is better.
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 wonderfull 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!! I loved the writing and these sweet characters!
I highly recommend this book!
DBO~Review by Dia~
What a wonderful book! The characters are amazing and the story is beautifully written. Jesse and Zeb are perfect together but it takes a while to get there. Add to that a sneaky ex and their journey gets even bumpier. You will not be disappointed reading this!
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.
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!
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.
Superheroes & Hide-and-Seek
My absolute favorite thing about reading a Lily Morton book is the snark and sass. Every time I open one of her books I know I’m in for a treat and Best Man is no exception. What a fantastic beginning to an amazing new series!
I’d love to spend one day in the life of Jesse. Just think of the wonderful, zany shenanigans we’d have. I haven’t laughed this much in a long time. I love the vibe and volleying between Zeb and Jesse. What makes it even better is that they’re forced to spend lots of time together, which is one of my romance go-to’s.
I adored Jesse’s sass and how he defends and stands up for Zeb in a toxic environment. I don’t think anyone has ever done that for Zeb before and he needs that. With Zeb, I love how clueless he is about his own feelings for Jesse even when he’s being a stubborn idiot. He may not realize it but they shine through in all his actions. Zeb’s and Jesse’s dates are so sweet and are some of the best ideas for getting to know someone. Wow, make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy as the scenes with Zeb and Jesse are scorching! Spreading of, hide-and-seek is my new favorite game.
Zeb’s ex and his family are jerks and quite simply horrible people. I’m also so, so glad he has Max in his life; butterfingers, indeed. As an aside, I’m learning all sorts of interesting trivia about the English language, and I really enjoyed the cameos that occurred.
So many characters that need stories and I can’t wait to read them all (yay for librarians)! A truly outstanding read by the ever-talented Lily Morton.
Best Man by Lily Mortonis the first book in the Close Proximity series. It is a contemporary m/m romance with fake relationship and age gap themes.
Zeb and Jesse are opposites in many ways, but that attraction is undeniable. I loved them together, giving each other a nice balance in life. The characters were likeable and their story entertaining. I laughed at Jesse’s sass and antics, I shook my head at Zeb’s struggle over his attraction and I loved how sweet but steamy these two could get. Very enjoyable read.