The Worst Best Man

This was such a fun romance, with Lina a strong-willed woman who’s had to keep her emotions bottled up tight. She’s far less enthused about working with her almost-brother-in-law than Max is, as they try to win her a job as a hotel wedding planner, but finds herself unable to resist his effortless charm, when she isn’t trying to get him to look like an idiot. Their banter and madcap situations Sosa puts them in, from a dance class to a couples retreat they talk their way into, gives them a chance to get to know each other and for some of Lina’s defenses to come down. I wanted to read this as soon as I saw the cover, and found it to be a perfect lighthearted escape of a romance, with lots of sexual tension that pays off when the two do get it on, including on top of a car outside, my favorite of the sex scenes. Highly recommended!

Usually I inhale books like this. Cute cover. Fun, romantic comedy. But this took me several evenings of reading a chapter here or there to feel any urgency to finish. I really thought the story had potential but the writing dragged. The heroine, Lina, is a complicated woman and I really, really wanted to like her as she survived being broken up with on her own wedding day by “the best man,” she’s a good friend, hard worker, smart businesswoman, and is loyal to her family—but the telling on every page of her heritage, being jilted at the altar, and her dislike for the bearer of bad news, Max, from her wedding day, became repetitive and felt forced, and so I never connected with her.

Some scenes were so long detailing other characters and Lina’s relationship with them or with her Brazilian culture that I often felt like skimming to find names of other characters like Max, Andrew, Rebecca, Cartwright—just to get to the next topic that would hopefully drive the story forward. Heck, I didn’t even realize until chapter 20 that Lina identified as a black woman, Afro-Latinx—because her Brazilian heritage is so profuse throughout. Even in chapter 10, after the Capoeira instructor offers a long explanation of the martial arts form originating from enslaved Africans in Brazil, I still never made a connection that Lina’s family is bi-racial. It wouldn’t have made me like the main character more or not but with all the copious details about food, preparation of delicacies, music and dance, and family dynamics, I wish the author made a better visual depicting Lina earlier on.

I liked the ex-best man most of the time except the scene in chapter 15 when he realizes he is so turned on by Lina, his new business partner nee brother’s ex-fiancé, that he goes to his best friend’s to help sort out his feelings and ends up asking Dean if he can sleep in his huge bed with him because he is worried he will masterbate thinking about her and won’t be able to look her in the face at work the next day… “Let me sleep in here tonight. Your bed is huge.” I just did not buy that “man-bonding” sleepover. I think it was supposed to be cute or endearing but I just found it cringy.

And then there is that scene when Lina is trying to maneuver around Max in a pickup truck cab and her hand lands on his crotch. And rather than pull her hand away, she is incapable of doing anything but be mortified about it until the vehicle is turned off and the driver exits the truck and she notices Max’s breathing is audible and he asks her to “unhand” him and then she turns to meet his eyes and then gasps, yelps, and finally unhands him. Again, the humor seems heavy handed (pun intended).

Finally in chapter 22 when they do end up in bed, it really is the most drawn out sex scene because of all the open discussion about what she likes and doesn’t like: “I don’t enjoy it when men jab their tongue in as though they’re poking a bee’s nest with a stick. Or when they munch on me like a crunchy snack they can find at a concession stand. Cunnilingus is an art. It requires imagination and nuance. Oh I love it when a person talks dirty to me as they do it—in small doses, of course, because I’d obviously want you to be focused on the task at hand.” And so that’s how it “went down”—on and on like that. Max must have had the patience of a saint to listen to all that and still want her because I closed my kindle and came back to it the next night.

I am glad I read it through NetGalley. I’m glad there was a happily-ever-after that tied up all into a nice bow. But frankly I was disappointed. I expected better. Less is more.

Rated Mature for provocative sex and language.

ARC provided by NetGalley

This book is everything I want in a romcom – Carolina (Lina) is sassy, driven and so much more in need of a real connection than she lets herself believe. Max Hartley wins it as a patient, witty and hot partner who proves himself worthy of being with her. Their chemistry makes for some swoon-worth and hot scenes. The fact that he should be the off-limits brother of the Lina’s ex-fiancé and is now forced into close proximity by their respective work situations makes for a delicious and passionate read, and both Lina and Max really grow as characters by the end of the novel. Brazilian culture informs Lina’s character and it is one of the pleasures of reading an #ownvoices novel, because the authenticity is undeniable. The tias in this story remind me of mine, women who have been through real challenges and confront life with high expectations, wisdom and not a little bit of racy humor.

I am so happy to see the success of this novel because it is well-earned.

I loved Mia Sosa’s “The Worst Best Man,” a witty and delightful story featuring complex, endearing characters. The female lead character, Lina, came across as very controlled and type A on the surface, but she had a hidden sensitive side that was just waiting to emerge. I appreciated the close relationship Lina had with her family, and the extra motivation it provided her to build a successful business because of their support in launching it. Lina’s love interest, Max, seemed like her complete opposite at first; he was pretty laid back except when it came to the constant competition in which he engaged with his brother, Lina’s former fiance, Andrew. However, Max was actually dealing with some hidden self-esteem issues because of the constant comparisons between him and his brother, as well as the fallout from a bad breakup. As a result, Lina and Max were more alike than they realized at first, and they ended up complementing each other quite well.

I found the relationship progression between Max and Lina to be nicely paced. It took a while for Lina to warm up to Max, and even when she finally did, she was determined that their involvement would be nothing more than a fling. I completely understood Lina’s concerns about getting involved with her ex’s brother, as well as her fears about being with someone who made her feel “big” feelings, but I was happy that Max managed to break through her barriers and convince her that a real relationship was worth the risk. Their banter and interactions along the way were very amusing, especially their first lunch together when Lina tricked Max into eating hot peppers. It was totally juvenile behavior, but I couldn’t help laughing anyway.

The book’s secondary characters, particularly Jaslene, Lina’s best friend and assistant, and Dean, Max’s best friend, were also a lot of fun. I would love to see more of both of them in future stories.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are my own.

Hilarious, funny, heartwarming and Joyful!!! This book will bring you so much laugh at the right moments, and at the right time. I really enjoyed reading The Worst Best Man the characters really brought so much to the table making the story very light to the heart. as Mia said in her acknowledgments “an ability to focus for an extended time on spreading joy despite the sadness around you” << This is what I loved about this book that it spread joy no matter what.. Lina Santos, a very professional wedding planner. it is her business, her life, everything she ever wanted but something is missing, still, she doesn't really want to let her emotions and feelings come to the surfaces and finally acknowledge what she is feeling, after a terrible experience in her past.. she just wants to make people happy and make every wedding a dream come true even if that means never finding her own.. The Worst Best Man is a story about the strong bond of a family that supports Lina in every way possible, is about being true to yourself and your feelings, about communication, about being honest with your own self and embrace everything you have ever work for. it's about taking chances and making bold decisions but most of all it's about Love and let yourself be vulnerable with the right person. I enjoyed reading how Lina and Max's friendship evolve so much with time, especially after all their fears and past experiences that were always making them hesitate to take one step farther. they were funny, bold, vulnerable, strong together.. they were the perfect team, now it's about time for them to get rid of any previous thought and embrace what is best for both. The secondary characters were also hilarious, I really laugh so much with Lina's best friends and Family all of them, were a huge part of Linas and Max story and at the same time they were always looking forward to the latest gossip of their "relationship" My first book, written by Mia Sosa and I'm already looking forward to "The Wedding Crasher"

I liked this book, I truly did but I thought the pacing was just too slow. Sure, I enjoyed the story idea, the characters (although, Lina’s anger seemed excessive and mostly misplaced), some of the humor, the chemistry and the many sparks generated from animosity and attraction but still, I could not stop myself from getting distracted or simply choosing to go do something else to take a break from what seemed at times like a never ending walk on a hamster wheel (E.g.: A whole lot of work, with very little progress to show for it).

This romcom brightened up my week!

The Worst Best Man was my first book by Mia Sosa, but it won’t be my last. The story was absolutely charming and filled with culture, laughter, and a bit of forbidden love (ex-fiancee’s brother) thrown into the mix.

Lina Santos is a wedding planner, and she’s makes her business on all the details of making your happily ever after. So it’s not great that on her resume is a failed attempt at her own wedding, with the groom crying off and citing his brother as the reason.

Fast forward and Lina needs to find a new place of business, stat. A dream job is right around the corner, however, and she wants it. Bad. The kicker? Having to work with none other than her ex-fiancee’s brother on her pitch.

I had a tropetasm reading this book. For real. We got one bed, fake dating, no-strings sex, enemies to lovers, forbidden hero…AGAIN, TROPETASM!

First, let me say that this cover instantly drew my attention. I LOVE IT TO PIECES. Lina was my favorite. She’s Afro-Brazilian, and I loved the glimpses of Brazilian culture and food. Lina’s family was my fave, too, and the way they supported her…*chef’s kiss*I love seeing a supportive family in romance.

Max was Lina’s perfect counterpart. They have a lot of good banter and good vibes and they have to work together and make a pitch to get Lina her dream job. Max has had to compete with his brother and getting Lina the job is part of that, but what happens when you start to fall for your brother’s ex-fiancee??

Delicious tension, hilarious attempts to play tricks on the other, and super sweet lovemaking, that’s what.

And Max had his own great dynamic with his bestie, Dean. Their convos were some of my favorite parts and they gave me LIFE, ya’ll. I want more of these types of interactions between male besties. Can anyone say #FriendshipGoals?

There’s a lot of open, honest communication between Max and Lina, too, and the level of honesty made me love these two even more.

The only thing that felt off was Andrew (the groom’s) place in the story. He felt more like a placeholder and a few interactions I thought would have more oompf kind of fell flat.

Overall, this is Lina’s journey to taking back her mojo, owning her emotions, and opening herself up to new experiences. I loved it. I LOVED her. Also, I’m so excited for Dean’s story, you have no idea.

WORST BEST MAN by Mia Sosa was such a fun read! There’s a jilted bride, her incredibly supportive in-your-face family, a fabulous bromance, plenty of laughs and the sworn enemies: Asshole Majora and Asshole Minora … that would be the ex and the ex’s brother. Oh, and romance! There’s definitely romance.

After being jilted at the altar by Andrew Hartley, Lina Santos throws herself into her work as a wedding planner. A plum job opportunity sees her potentially working with not only Andrew but his brother, Max. During the interview, Lina makes the split-second decision to pretend there’s no history between the three. After all, who wants to hire a woman who got jilted? Talk about bad juju!

There is plenty of humour and there are great one-liners dotted throughout the book as Lina and Max do find themselves working closely with each other. And if these two aren’t trading great one-liners, the supporting cast of Max’s BFF Dean (I heart Dean) and Lina’s exuberant family bring their own personalities to the party.

Among all the funny times, there’s ample opportunity to meet the vulnerable Lina and misunderstood Max. I really enjoyed getting to know them and their deeper motivations. Ultimately, this is a romance, so it was great to see the palpable chemistry between them. I really believed in them as a couple.

The prose does get somewhat clunky when readers are being preached to and I do think Lina’s attitude towards Max is misplaced; after all, he wasn’t the one who jilted her, but these are minor quibbles in what is an overall enjoyable and fun read.

I believe the author has plans to write Dean’s story next. I am definitely looking forward to it.

3.5 stars

Mia Sosa hasn’t disappointed, this is an amazingly great romcom. She exudes a sense of wit and fun in her writings that just makes you laugh out loud and roll your eyes. Lina and Max make an adorable couple. They have history and now have to operate in the present. With her ever present family members filled with vibrant personalities they get all kinds of interference. You will keep turning the pages just to see what antics they will get up to next.

Lina comes from a close knit Brazilian immigrant family and works as a wedding planner. Although she’s volatile and emotional by nature, she’s been teased by her family all her life for her inability control her emotions and has also had several costly emotional outbursts in the past, so now she tightly controls her emotions to the point that she appears to be emotionless and lacking empathy. When her safe fiancé breaks off the wedding on the day of, and blames the best man (his own brother), for advice that led to the break off, Lina immediately decides she hates the brother, Max, To me it seemed quite a bit like shooting the messenger, so initially, I didn’t find Lina very sympathetic.

Three years later, when she runs into both brothers again and is forced to work with Max in order to secure a job as wedding planner for a prestigious hotel, we start to see why she reacts the way she does. Initially, she tries to keep Max at a distance, and his opinion of her is not particularly favorable either, but then both he and the reader start to see the real Lina, buried under layers of control. She’s warm and caring, just very wary of letting down her guard. I loved the way Max helped her feel safe enough to open up to him and the way she saw through his shell also. I loved all of the Brazilian culture woven into the book, and I also enjoyed the scenes where Lina was shown competently performing her job. Overall, a very good book, my first from this author, but I’ll definitely check out more of her books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.