Sometimes, families are the absolute worst. At other times, they’re the greatest! In Lina Santos’ experience as a wedding planner, they can be both, entirely too frequently on opposite sides of the aisle at one of the weddings she has planned. Or rescued. (Three little words, “chartreuse wedding gown”. Enough said)

But the one wedding she couldn’t rescue was her own. Not only was Lina left at the altar, but she was left with the task of letting all of the guests know that there wouldn’t be a wedding after all. Because the groom had bailed, leaving his brother to inform the bride and the bride to deal with all of the fallout.

Fast forward a few years. Lina has put the wedding-that-wasn’t behind her. In a lot of ways, fairly easily. She chose Andrew because he didn’t really touch her heart, so his runaway from the runway was more of a blow to her pride than any other part of her.

Which didn’t mean that she was overcome with joy to discover that Andrew and his brother Max, the best man forced to deliver the news to the no-longer-a-bride Lina, were the PR team for the luxury hotel chain that was looking to hire a full-time wedding coordinator.

A job that Lina desperately both wants and needs. What she doesn’t either want or need is to expose their collective and seriously messy past to a possible boss. So she panics and pretends she doesn’t know either of them.

Even better – or worse – or both, they go along with the ruse.

A ruse that Lina and Max are going to have to maintain for six weeks while the hotel’s new owner goes through a very thorough vetting process. A time period that is more than long enough to strain both the ruse and Max and Lina’s ability to tolerate each other for the length of time necessary for Lina to get the job and Max to prove to both the hotelier and his mother-the-PR-boss that Max is a different and separate person from his conniving, competitive older brother Andrew.

Not that Max is any less competitive, or possibly any less conniving where Andrew is concerned. But this level of connivance, deception and, surprisingly temptation is big enough to bite them all in the ass.

Especially once Max and Lina figure out that the heat in their back-biting is masking a desire to bite each other in an entirely different way!

Escape Rating B+: Max isn’t so much the worst best man as this scenario is the worst nightmare for a wedding planner – being forced to work with the erstwhile groom who left her at the altar and the almost-best man who was stuck giving her the news. Not that Max didn’t take some of the blame for Andrew’s actions, and not that Lina wasn’t more than willing at the time to shoot the damn messenger.

But in spite of the scenario beginning as soap opera worthy and descending from there, Max isn’t even the worst best man that Lina’s ever dealt with, on the job or off.

And they do begin this mess with something in common – they both want to get something over Andrew. In a whole lot of senses, he’s a professional embarrassment for both of them – Lina for the obvious reason, but Max because Andrew has been riding on his intellectual coattails their entire lives, and managing to take all the credit for Max’ hard work into the bargain.

This enemies to lovers romance is billed as a rom-com, and it is filled with the kind of witty banter that makes rom-coms so much fun. But underneath all of that, there’s more going on in this story than first meets the eye.

At the beginning, Max’ attitude towards Andrew, their mother, the job and Lina all come off as very manipulative. His desire to get one over on his brother seems to be driving his actions, and his thoughts are more than a bit on the ugly side.

Max’ relationship with his brother is toxic for both of them, and it seems as if their mother doesn’t see just how much poison she’s adding to that brew. The situation underpins the whole story, as Max is a bit unclear at the beginning whether he’s helping Lina or just using her. And it feels like a bit of both. Max’ manipulativeness soured me a bit on the story at that point, but so many people said so many good things about it that I stuck with it and I’m glad I did.

When Lina and Max become involved with each other, there are plenty of questions all around about whether their emotions are real or whether they’re both using the situation to get back at Andrew. There’s also a heaping helping of concern about whether any relationship they might have can get itself out from under Andrew’s shadow.

At the same time, there’s also a lot that gets said, and needs to be said, that doesn’t get clearly articulated near enough. Max wants Lina to show more of her emotions, but Lina – and every other woman reading this story – is very clear that being able to display your emotions in a professional setting is very much a male privilege. If she gets righteously upset, she’ll be seen as merely a stereotypical “angry black woman” or a typical “hot-blooded Latina as she is Afro-Latinx. If she cries in a work setting, she’s labelled as a “hysterical female” who can’t control her emotions. It’s happened to her. It’s cost her a job and a career. It’s happened to all of us so we do our best to clamp down our emotions at work. As Lina successfully does.

The resolution here is for them to find a way to deal with the very real situation that their relationship drags into the light. Not to paper them over, not to magic up a happy ending, but to earn one.

And that they definitely do!

Mini Review: This was a fun Adult Romance book! This was the first Mia Sosa book I've read, and I'm interested in reading more books from this author in the future! And just a side note, but I love the cover of it!

This book. THIS BOOK.

Do you ever have the feeling that sometimes a book finds you, rather than you finding the book? And it comes to you at just the right time? That's this book for me! I've honestly had an ARC copy of this for what feels like a long time now, and I'm so sad that I sat on it for so long! But the universe knew when I really needed this book and when I finally got to reading it in the midst of all this 2020, it was exactly what I needed.

I devoured this book! It follows Lina, the up-and-coming wedding coordinator as she has to work with her ex-fiancés brother to land the job of her dreams. There's so much going on in this book. Enemies-to-lovers? YES. Forced proximity? In more ways than one! Family? Friendships? Food? All there! Was there only one bed? TWICE!

There were so many laugh-out-loud and heartfelt moments. The character growth was incredible, and while (of course) there was some drama, it was the perfect amount. I can't even begin to say how excited I am that Dean and Solange get their book next!

This is one of my favorites of the year, and is one of those books that I want to own in multiple formats! If you've been waiting to read this one, consider this your sign!

Just okay. Easy to put down, hard to pick back up.
This started off good and I liked the premise but it slowed way down really fast. It was hard to stay in the story. I think it needed to be edited for content, some parts really dragged. It was easy to put down but hard to pick back up.
I just didn't get any feels that I think I was supposed to get.

This was a great romantic comedy! I enjoyed learning about the Brazilian culture through this book about a jilted bride that is reunited with her ex and his brother (her worst enemy) through a contest for a job. The author has great comedic timing and the reader won't be disappointed.

** spoiler alert ** The Worst Best Man is a bunch of fun. It definitely scratched the rom-com itch. There are oodles of my favorite tropes in here, particularly the combo of stranded together and fake dating when they go to visit a site. The ship definitely works, and in a very realistic way. Though I'm not a huge fan of the nth hour separation thing, I did appreciate the way they were both still able to function and work together like good partners during that brief time.

I didn't get sucked into it emotionally the way I do with my top faves, but otherwise I've got only positive things to say.

Cute book! It was your typical rom-com, with communication problems abounding. I would've liked it if the characters had some other sort of conflict, but it was interesting enough and the writing was fine. Nothing outstanding.

A wonderful enemies to lovers story. A wonderful representative for Latin characters and a diverse cast of fun characters. I liked the themes of family and the importance of it. A sweet romance and good read.

The plot twists in this story are in abundance. I was completely unprepared for the wild ride ahead. A hilarious and absurd, while also believable romantic comedy that I did not know I needed.

I recommend for everyone who needs to read something light-hearted and wants to rest their eyes from binging of 90 Day Fiance and Married at First Sight.

A hilarious and steamy good time! Imagine being a wedding planner who was not only left at the alter, but then forced to work with the cause of your duress years later. Max may not be the man who left Lina at the alter, but he is the reason behind it according to Lina's former groom. The two are forced to work together when Lina joins the competition for a job that's practically got her name written all over it. Of course, Lina would love to work with anyone but her almost brother-in-law (well accept maybe her almost husband), but it looks like she's got no choice. Maybe she can at least get some revenge along the way?

In reality, Lina gets a lot more than she originally bargained for. She discovers that Max isn't the monster she initially thought he was. He's actually a pretty good guy. It also helps that he is hot as hell and turns her on beyond belief of course. As the two get closer, they discover they've got a spark that neither of them anticipated. Lina just wanted a great job. Max just wanted to get from under his brother's shadow. Both of them get way more than they bargained for.

This book was funny, steamy, and just an all around easy read. I'm so happy that I decided to give this a go because the hype was definitely worth the product. I also loved the cultural aspect of this story and the fact that an Afro-Latinx woman was the star of the show. I can't wait to read more by this author.

This is my first book by this author and I can see how there are more stories to tell for the characters in this book. Carolina "Lina" Santos is a wedding planner with a past that her clients don't know about. She was a jilted bride. This was several years ago and she has moved on, or so she thinks, but when she comes face to face with her ex-fiance and his brother things don't go so well. This is the beginning of a fun story with a lot of spicy scenes. I liked how the characters really got to know each other over the course of the story and I liked the mention on Lina's Brazilian heritage throughout the story. I hope that there will be more books in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was cute and engaging. It hit a couple harder topics but overall was really enjoyable. Her family was very active throughout the book and the scenes with them were very funny and reminded me a little bit of my own family. Dragged at times but overall, very good.

I love a good lifetime movie romance. This book was the fun and flirty book version of that. My favorite trope is enemies to lovers and Lina and Max go through many battles between the two of them that make you giggle. This is just a fun and swoony read that was a breath of fresh air and I am recommending it for romance lovers.

This book was really cute. I enjoyed the two main characters and the wedding planner aspect. Really a fun read.

I started this book months ago and didn’t immediately click with it so I put it down again. I kept hearing about it on Twitter and from authors I like so I decided to give it another chance and I’m so glad I did. I really enjoyed the unique plot and Max. Max! He’s a great hero. I loved how he supported Lina without being intrusive or overbearing. And Lina is badass in her own right. Very fun read.

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed every moment! Relatable, nice story arc, fun and now I want my own Banana Cab experience. Strong characters, and a great story arc. I really enjoyed this read, and getting know the characters and cultural nuances. Sosa clearly describes the wedding market and all the ups and downs a planner must go through. I also enjoyed the dialogue and depictions of strong women owning and running businesses.

This book was fantastic. Humor, heart, sensuality, emotion-packed...from beginning to end Mia Sosa's engaging, realistic characters drew me into their story and had me rooting for them. The heroine's Brazilian culture and her large family's meddling, lovable ways had me laughing out loud and wishing I could swing by their shop for some delectable treats.

The romance, the banter, the sexy-times...Sosa has crafted a novel I definitely recommend.

Mia Sosa can do no wrong. There are very few contemporary romance authors that can balance realistic characters in humorous situations. Sosa is one of them. Must read, if nothing for the delicious featured food!

BOOK REVIEW: The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

Genre: Spicy Romance

An “enemies-to-lovers” romance that definitely has a touch of spicy!

What is my T.I.M.E. “Jalapeno Rating” for the "spice factor"? Two Jalapenos… 🌶🌶

Definitely moderately spicy. You can expect a few graphic scenes. However, they don't happen too frequently within the book.

I also thought The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa would make a great movie! At the center of the story is a leading lady who happens to be a top-notch wedding planner. So, the story is filled with beautiful and funny wedding sequences.

And since her family is Brazilian, you are going to be in for a treat with all the yummy, amazing Brazilian food ideas you're going to read about!

Let me just tell you now… Go ahead and find a great Brazilian restaurant in your area! Because you are definitely going to want to bring this book to life and go experience some of the goodies you just finished reading about…

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa
2020 Book Release | February

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books & DIY Home Ideas | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com ... Including my video tutorials for DIY home ideas inspired by recommended books to support you in bringing your favorite books to life in your life and home.

You can see my full review for The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa at https://www.thisismyeverybody.com/books/reading-wrap-up-february-2020


✨😎✨A big thank you to Mia Sosa, HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

This book deserves the "rom com" title it's marketed under, so it's not just a gimmick. It starts off as an enemies-to-lovers romance. We first meet a hungover Max in the prologue when he has to break the news to Lina, his brother's fiancée, that she's being jilted on her wedding day. She soon learns that Andrew (the groom) credits Max with helping him realize he wasn't ready to get married and she summarily tosses Max out of her bridal suite with no plans to ever talk to him again. Fast forward to their first meeting again 3 years later, when Max is assigned to help Lina with her pitch for a job interview as a wedding planner for a hotel chain. Sparks fly immediately.

As they (eventually) call a truce and start to become more than friends, there is even a brief fake dating part thrown in when they get stuck at an inn with one bedroom for a night. (Yes, there is even an only one bed setup here!) Their chemistry is really off the charts, but what I love the most about their relationship is that they each allow the other to be vulnerable in ways they haven't been with previous partners. This book didn't rely on miscommunications that could be cleared up with a simple conversation to create conflict, nor did it step around the fact that it could be seen as taboo by some people that they are even together given she was once engaged to his brother.

I adore Lina. Nothing against Max, but she is the heart of the book to me. I also love Lina's best friend and assistant, Jaslene (is she getting her own book??? ahhh) as well as her huge family who are so important to her and so supportive. I almost always avoid books set in the DC area, but Mia is one of the few exceptions since she knows DC, and for that reason I enjoyed the setting as well. I appreciated the realistic little touches like the fact that Max has to live with roommates because he can't magically afford to live on his own in one of the most expensive cities in the country in a neighborhood like Adams Morgan. (I may have slightly judged him for living there... but that's my NE DC bias at play!)

Last but not least, I also love the cover. I'm not a fan of all of the illustrated covers that are so popular now but this is a perfect example of a cover that works better as a cartoon. This might be my favorite book of hers yet. I can't wait for the next one!