Three years ago on the morning of her wedding, Lina was left at the altar by her fiancé Andrew, who had his younger brother Max break things off with Lina on his behalf. As a successful wedding planner, this is a skeleton in Lina’s closet and a dark mark on her record. Forward to present day, Max and Andrew are working for their mom’s PR firm and partnering with a large hotel, who is looking to hire Lina as a full-time wedding planner. Afraid her potential new boss won’t hire her if she finds out about her past with Andrew, Lina pretends not to know the men, and then finds out she must work on a project with Max for the next six weeks.

The Worst Best Man is a delightful romantic comedy that warmed my heart. Lina is a strong woman, but doesn’t see her own strength when using her mom and aunties as a measuring stick. She was raised to never show emotions because it discredits women, especially women of color. And after an incident that caused her a job years ago, followed by her breakup with Andrew, Lina’s confidence isn’t the best. She needs this job and wants to control all aspects of the interview process, which isn’t easy with Max as her partner.

Right from the start, Lina and Max have a frenemy relationship. She doesn’t want to work with him, doesn’t trust him, and wants to make him suffer a bit for his part in the demise of her wedding. Their banter is fabulous, adding humor and ratcheting up the sexual tension. One of my favorite scenes is when she tricks Max into eating a pepper at a Brazilian restaurant. He replies to Lina, “Maybe I’m a shapeshifting dragon and this is my first transformation.” Later he tricks her into attending a capoeira class, which provides the reader with some interesting historical aspects of Brazil. Neither wants to feel something for the other, but they just fit together. And they talk to one another. It’s slow and beautiful as each realizes they want to make a go of a relationship.

The Worst Best Man made me laugh, had my heart racing, brought me to tears, and left me filled with joy. Max and Lina’s relationship isn’t perfect, but it’s mature and loving and feels so right. I loved how both Lina and Max learned to be introspective and forgiving, growing into a forever love.

My Rating:  A- Enjoyed A Lot

I knew The Worst Best Man was going to be a book that I would love. It follows Lina, a wedding planner whose fiancé left her at the altar after a conversation with his brother Max convinced him he wasn’t ready to commit. Lina and Max end up having to work together on a huge project that could expand both of their careers. What ensues is a lot of banter and tropes that were so much fun to read. Sosa hit my two favorite tropes (only-one-bed and fake dating) in this enemies-to-lovers book, and she used them so well. I adored Lina, a strong heroine with a really close family. Lina is Brazilian and her culture informs a lot of who she is and the choices she makes. The food descriptions in this book made me so hungry and I was craving Brazilian food the entire time. There was one restaurant scene in particular with Lina and Max where she is full-on petty and makes him eat hot peppers—it made my year. If you’re a fan of rom-coms from authors like Jasmine Guillory and Helen Hoang then you will adore The Worst Best Man.

My review of this book was posted on All About Romance on February 25, 2020.  I gave this book a B-, which is a qualified recommendation.

My review can be found here: https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/the-worst-best-man-by-mia-sosa/

And I have also posted it to my Goodreads account: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3206456340?book_show_action=false

The Worst Best Man is so cute. It kind of has all the romantic tropes in it - love to hate, fake relationship, and office relationship. I also loved that the author put some of her Brazilian heritage in the book through the main character. The way she added it flowed with the story and still taught me something about the culture. I loved the main characters, flaws and all. Max was so sweet - I love a misunderstood good guy in a rom com!

Carolina has a complicated past. Her husband-to-be left her at the alter (not great for a wedding planner!) and his best man/brother was the one to talk him out of getting married (which she finds out from a text). Yikes! Years later, she has built up her brand as a successful wedding planner and has an amazing support system in her family. Other than needing to find a new office space, things are going pretty well. But then the brothers come back into her life and she is teamed up with the best man to score the dream job of a lifetime. In order to land the job, she'll have to work through her past and make peace with the men who changed her future. 

Adorable! This book should be read with Christina Lauren's The Unhoneymoners because both will make you smile, laugh, and root for the protagonists. Carolina (Lina) and Max are such strong characters full of ambition and charm. While some of their antics may seem #petty when they are getting into the groove of working together, they are genuinely likable characters. And I absolutely loved learning about Brazilian culture, from the class that they attend to the amazing food described. What a delightful read!

I really enjoyed the characters,  Lina and Max.  Their connection and relationship building was great.  There were some laugh out loud moments that had me smiling and dropping what I was doing.   

I can't wait to read more by this author!

Well that was delightful.  I went in this book with just the knowledge that I've heard really good things about it.

Don't you love it when you listen to your friends and they don't steer you wrong?  Same.

Alright let's talk about this novel.  It's The Wedding Planner (movie) but steamy.  I adored it.  

The characters were well done.  The comedic situations were in fact funny.  The bedroom scenes....well done.  Just steamy enough.

I will absolutely be recommending this title.

Max definitely lives up to his title of Worst Best Man at the start of this story: he wakes up achingly hungover, five minutes before the wedding, and with a text from the groom saying essentially *You were right, the wedding’s off, tell the bride for me.* Dear god. There oughta be a word for this sharp mix of joy/horror one feels watching poor Max flail his way through this first chapter. I loved him at once, fiercely.
The bride is Lina, and — oh dear *god* — she’s not just a bride. She’s a *wedding planner*. And she prides herself on her icy control of emotion — not because she doesn’t have any of them, but because she’s a woman of color and the world is primed to turn her feelings into weaknesses. So she handles her business as best she can and gets on with her life. She’s pricklier than Max, warier — and I couldn’t wait to see her learn to trust someone.
They end up working together and hiding the fact that they know one another. They end up stranded at an inn, forced to share a room. It’s a masterclass in all my favorite rom-com beats: Only One Bed, Okay Maybe Just A Fling Then, Oh No My Family Loves You/Oh No My Family Hates You. There’s embarrassment and banter, but no cringeworthy humiliation. 
A lot of books are claiming the rom-com title these days — but a lot of them focus more on the rom than the com. Not so here — this book is fucking *hilarious.* I’ve liked Mia Sosa’s past work, but this story put her firmly on my auto-buy list. She’s pushed herself as a creator, and put so much heart and thought and wit into this. As a critic I can only say: you absolutely love to see it.

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 her partner. 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.

Fun and fast paced, Mia Sosa manages to make chemistry spark between Lina and Max from the very start. They are ADORABLE together. I loved how integral Lina’s family is to the story, and her reasoning for keeping her emotions under lock and key. There’s a lot of internalized pressure to live up to the sacrifices the generation before you made and I’m glad that an own voices author added that to a witty rom com.

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa- Look, I think y’all should just go ahead and get this book. I think you will not be disappointed. It is funny, sexy, fast-paced, and emotional.

Lina, the heroine, is a wedding planner. When the book opens she gets jilted on the day of her wedding. Her almost brother in law, Max, is the one who delivers the news. Fast forward three years and Lina and Max are forced to work together. Lina is not happy about this, but she also recognizes that Max is handsome. Lina plays some pranks on him as payback for what she thinks is the part he played in the destruction of her wedding. The pranks were never too mean though, which was great for me. 

Max is kind of wonderful and maybe I have a serious case of heart eyes for him. Max SEES Lina and it was lovely. 

“But you encouraged him to?” Lina’s mother asks. “I suppose. Maybe this won’t make sense, but I was a jack— jerk, I was an immature jerk back then. Listen, let me say my piece and then you can pick me apart all you want. I’ll take it.” She nods and motions for me to come forward with a flick of her fingers, as though she’s a character in a martial arts movie challenging her next opponent. The gesture confirms what I suspected: If I don’t talk my way out of this, she will kick my ass. I take a deep breath and do what I do best— identify a theme and sell it. “I don’t see any point in rehashing the past. Suffice it to say that if my brother truly loved Lina, he either wouldn’t have left her at the metaphorical altar or he would have found his way back to her.” I swivel around to speak to Lina directly. “Assuming you would have wanted him back, that is.” To her mother, I say, “But here’s what I know today. My brother’s a decent guy. He isn’t mean, he’s rarely rude to anyone except me, and he doesn’t fuss. I expect he’ll make a fine father and husband one day. But being in this family’s presence for less than an hour tells me that my brother wouldn’t have been Lina’s perfect match. You’d want her to have someone full of life like all of you. You’d want someone who would absolutely adore her. Who’d make her take down her bun and forget herself even for just a few minutes. Who’d make her cry, but only for the sappiest reasons.”

Lina has some issues with accepting love. Max has issues feeling like second best. They work them out. Oh and there is a scene where there is only one bed! 

I hope that helped convince you to add this book to your TBR (if it isn’t there already). This book will rightly end up on lots of favorite lists later this year.

Grade: A

The Worst Best Man was a really fun, romantic comedy that I'm glad I read. Carolina is left on her wedding day by her douchebag fiancé who doesn't even show; he sends his brother Max in to do his dirty work for him. Fast forward a  few years and Carolina is now a pretty big deal in the wedding planner world and she has to team up with Max to score a job position she really needs.

I will admit, it takes a while to get used to Carolina. She is very petty towards Max in the beginning and takes her buried deep frustrations out on him when he wasn't the one to leave her at the altar. The more the two work together though and get to know one another, you sense that she really dodged a bullet by not marrying his brother and that the guy she's meant to be with is the one standing in front of her. I loved the Brazilian representation in here, loved Carolina's relationship with her mother and their closeness. I am definitely looking forward to more from Ms. Sosa!

When I first finished it yesterday, I put it as four stars. But then I spent the rest of the night and today thinking about this book and just had to bump it up to 5 stars

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. It's funny and cute and sexy, oh my god is it sexy, and THE DRAMA.

I love everything about this. If you love the funny and swoon-y contemporary romances, this is NOT one to skip over. I mean, look at that cover first of all.

What I loved about this book:
- dual POV. I love getting both characters thoughts and feelings in a romance
- the humor. I was laughing my ass off at times
- the cultural appreciation! Our main character is first generation Brazilian and very proud of where she comes from. That shows quite often throughout this book.
- the steamy scenes. yeah
- the pacing
- work drama!
- Dean is the quirky and often ridiculous best friend

What I didn't love about this book:
- it ended

I adored this book! Lina and Max were both fantastic characters. This was a unique twist to the romance genre and it was super well written. I definitely recommend this one.

This was a quick, enjoyable read. I will definitely recommend it for people wanting a nice rom-com in a book. The only issue I had is that I didn't understand the Portuguese that was used and felt at times I was missing something.

i've read a couple other books by mia sosa and i enjoyed them, so when i saw this on netgalley i didn't hesitate to request. plus, that cover, so cute right? also, enemies to lovers, sign.me.up.
but.... it was a bit of a bummer. i really struggled to get into it, hence it being 2 weeks after it was published that i finished it.
first off, the reason lina dislikes max is... silly. what on earth could he have said to 'make' his brother leave her? (i know, later it comes out, but that's what she thought for 3 years and what i thought for 85% of the book, so ugh). he didn't *do* anything, why is she soooo mad? i get being mad in general, but i'm a bitch and even i couldn't have sustained that much animosity to someone who didn't actually do anything to me. perhaps if they had been friends beforehand, or even if they'd bickered/fought beforehand - anything to establish a relationship before the wedding that didn't happen, then i would have felt like the anger 3 years later was more justified.
that did annoy me quite a bit, but on top of that, i just didn't feel anything for either of the characters or their relationship. the first sex scene came out of nowhere to me - i mean, i saw where it was going with the car and the only one bed but i don't think there was enough build up at all, the pacing was so off. i wasn't ready for it because i feel like it came out of nowhere. and then the scenes themselves were kind of cringey and i ended up skimming/skipping most of them.
the conflict at the end... it just annoyed me, honestly. 
other than that, it was just fine. i considered dnf'ing a few times not because it was bad, but because i just didn't care. which is a super bummer. lots of people loved it. i've enjoyed her other books. but this one just wasn't for me.

Listening to the audio of THE WORST BEST MAN was a pleasure for my ears and a delight for my heart. And not only did I enjoy a lovely and romantic adventure watching Max and Lina fall in love, I actually laughed and could see this entire novel thrown on to the big screen basically beat for beat. And while there are super big feelings, emotions, and hurdles for our couple to deal with, the story never lost its hope and lightness. There are no unexpected deaths, illnesses, or babies. Just grown-ups with jobs and families and feelings and their work to deal with all of these things. Plus, the sexy times are delicious yet also had the couple laughing and not being super serious all the time, which was lovely to see depicted. Showing lovers laughing together over silly things that sometimes happen during sex is so important, because it can't all be mind-blowing intensity all the time.

Best of all, the entire cast of characters, including the ex who jilted Lina and is a jerk to his brother Max, are completely fleshed out. This world Sosa has created is super fun and I cannot wait for more stories!

Discrete had always been Lina’s motto. Lina is a few feet away ready to troubleshoot any mishaps threatening to ruin Bliss’s wedding day. Lina was the wedding planner. Her job was to bring the couple’s vision to life, no matter how wonky that vision may be. Lina was not averse to voicing her concerns if the situation calls for it but in the end she can’t stop the couple’s choices. That’s not to say Lina didn’t appreciate the unexpected. Justine was Lina’s assistant and best friend. When Lina was to marry on her wedding day Andrew called it off and left his brother Max to tell Lina. MAx and his brother Andrew were that close but something Max had said when he was drunk and they were out drinking made Andrew and runs out on  their  wedding the day of the wedding. Somehow Lina blamed Max more than Andrew. Lina was interviewing for a wedding concierge but she was to put with Max who was a marketing expert. 
I enjoyed reading this book.I didn’t really want to put this down. I liked the plot and the pace.  It was different for a woman to fall for her ex fiance who jilted her at the altar and max was the one to tell her. But it was a definite twist for sure. I loved how supportive and protective Lina’s family could be. I felt bad that Lina had guarded her heart after Andrew but I definitely understood. Also that she now made safe options but again I could understand. I really liked the man Max had grown into. Lina and Max had hot chemistry. They also developed a great friendship first. I would like to have seen more of Max's family. I wondered why Max’s mom encouraged Max and Andrew to compete against each other. I would have also liked an epilogue. But I did like the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.

Wasn’t very wild about this one. The characters fell flat and the plot couldn’t sustain my interest. Overall, meh.

***I received a copy through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***

This book was funny, cute, and everything a good rom-com should be. I loved Max and Lina’s storyline, even while being a little predictable. Surprisingly, I wish Andrew would have been involved in the plot a little more to make things more interesting. But overall, this was a good read. Looking forward to hearing Dean’s story in 2021!