Another hit from the talented hands of Jaci Burton! She never fails to bring her fans a page turning, romantic storyline filled with perfectly chiseled characters. Hats off to her for another great job well done!

The characters are well written and the romance story is so cute! Will definitely recommend to readers who love a cute friends to lovers troupe.

I love a good fling!! I've been a longtime fan of Jaci Burton's books, though if you're expecting the same steam level as her motorcycle or sports series, you'll be sorely disappointed. I really enjoy any sort of "traditional" role reversal in romance novels, so the fact that the hero is the one more interested in a relationship than the heroine was a sweet twist.

Overall, I liked the characters. I loved the Bellini family and I will absolutely read more books in this series - specifically, for the family. My one complaint is that it took a while to really get into the story... It's a slow build for sure, so I could see where someone might not finish the book before it even gets started. That being said, I'm glad I stuck with it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

A fun story that kept me reading. A little comedy, A close knit family, and enough chemistry to sigh over making it a really enjoyable read.

I thought this was okay. I hoped maybe I would have liked it more, but it was still an entertaining read for an afternoon. Maybe because I’m not a big fan of friends to lovers. I also felt that the heroine’s revenge plot was more important than the romance. Don’t get me wrong, it was cute. But nothing memorable or something I’d call a favorite.

I’ve been anticipating reading this book because I loved the premise of the story. The heroine gets dumped by her fiance via email just a few days before the wedding. Tragic as that is, our hero, who was the best man for the wedding and has been friends with both the ex-fiance and the heroine since childhood, finally sees his opportunity to be with her. I love stories like this! She would’ve been the one that got away and now he gets a chance at that happy ever after.

I think Ms. Burton did a great job with the friendship between our main characters. They are so comfortable with each other it was really nice to see those interactions at first. Plus he’s just such a nice guy and a vet. Always love a good animal in the story.

The heroine has to process a lot and at first I couldn’t get behind her easy going attitude about the whole thing. As the story progresses and we understand her a bit more, maybe it was easier. But when it comes to a relationship developing between our main characters I think it went quite fast from friends to lovers. Almost like a switch, and I wasn’t sure if I felt like it was revenge or just insta-love.

However, THE BEST MAN PLAN is certainly the perfect easy, light hearted, summer read. It’s set in a small town, with a great group of friends and family. That’s one of my favorite things about Ms. Burton’s books! And it’s definitely a sweet romance. I’ll be on the lookout for the next one in the series.

The Best Man Plan is a fun romance about a girl left at the alter. Erin is furious, and sets out for revenge with the Best Man and her longtime friend, Jason. But is it just revenge, or is there more between the two?

I really enjoyed this book, for the most part. I loved the build up of the relationship between Erin and Jason, not quite a slow-burn, but still a bit of tension at first. And there was plenty of witty banter and fun times. However, I didn't really buy the reason her fiancé broke off the wedding just days before it was set to happen. This part felt a little too forced for me, and it also felt a bit rushed by the time we got there.

I would still recommend the book to romcom lovers, as not everyone will feel the same about the ending. And it definitely didn't ruin the book for me, just lowered the star rating to a 3.5 (which is rounded up to 4 for the full star review sites, as I did really enjoy the book overall).

The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: Erin Bellini is set to marry the man she's convinced is "The One" only to have him suddenly break up with her via email! Hurt and embarassed, Erin decides to indulge in a fling with Jason Callum, the best man and mutual friend to her and her now ex-fiance. Jason's loved Erin for years but never let on and now he has a chance to turn a no-strings fling into something more, but he's got his work cut out for him, Erin's trust has taken a beating and he is going to have to work extra hard to prove to her that he's the real deal.




Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? Jaci Burton is usually a hit with me but I admit to having a list of mixed feelings about this book.
1. The pacing is off. The book takes a while to find its pace and by the time it does there's not much page space left. The beginning is pretty slow with too much internal dialogue happening with Erin.

2. Erin herself is difficult to get to know and that made her difficult to like. She had me firmly on her side in the beginning, I mean getting dumped mere days before her wedding and via email no less?! Heck yeah I was mad and hurt for her but after awhile her borderline obsession with getting revenge started to sound like a petulant teenager. And her stubborn refusal to change her opinion of her evolving relationship with Jason who is genuinely a good man grated on me. She knew what it was like to have a loved one push her aside with no care for her feelings and she still went and did the same to someone else. It's like she never had that moment of "I know what that feels like and I'm going to do my best to make sure I don't ever knowingly do that to someone else."

3. The circumstances that led to the beginning of Jason's and Erin's getting together was a bit sticky, Erin was on the lookout of revenge and on a rebound. That clouded things for me since she and Jason jumped into a fling rather quickly. I didn't feel like Erin was emotionally, or mentally ready to handle a new set of feelings when she hadn't come to terms with the ending of her previous relationship. It was difficult not to see Jason as taking advantage somewhat of a woman in emotional turmoil. I think this took a huge toll on the believability of Jason and Erin's relationship. A lot of it was centered on the physical and when it wasn't, Erin was still stuck on why her fiance left her and the anger she had over that.

4. As wonderful as the Bellini family sounded, their incredible life put them out of reach to me. They seemed too good to be true. They're priviledged to be sure but it's like the author forgot to also make sure that they connected with the reader on some level.

5. Jason carried most of the "likability" in this book. He's a veterinarian who genuinely cares about his patients. Jaci Burton does a wonderful job of making Jason human and not some buffed up alpha with no weaknesses. There's a heartbreaking scene with Jason at work that really showed him at his most vulnerable and it made me fall in love with him completely. All it took was that one scene in which he was stripped bare emotionally over something that DIDN'T have to do with Erin to make him realistic to me.

6. The absentee fiance makes an appearance and has a reason for doing what he did. It's a surprising twist that garnered my sympathy but only to a point. I felt horrible for him but it did not justify hurting and humiliating someone else. And for what he was going through, he deserved more than to be used as a prop to cause conflict and then to facilitate a reconciliation.


Click It or Skip It? It's still a mixed bag for me. Some of it I liked, some of it I didn't. I don't think this book is up to par with what the author is capable of writing but it wasn't a total miss either.

4 star

The story has laughs, secrets, twists & turns, and heartbreak.

This is Erin and Jason’s story. While Erin was working on last minute wedding details, she gets break-up email. She decides to go ahead with the reception. She is hurt and angry, but a party will help a little. She decides her best friend Jason is what she needs. A little fling to get over the hurt and move forward. But Jason as much as he wants her is not going to give into a fling. He wants a more then that with her. Jason has loved her for years and does not want to settle for a fling. So he creates his own mission to get her to want a forever with him. Can these two make a forever work? One email destroyed her what happens when real love comes for her? Will she push Jason away or find out her was the one she should have been with all along?

I loved these characters. I felt I could connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I recommend this book.

Review: The Best Man Plan by Jaci Burton https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-bx0
Publication Date: July 7, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 5 Stars

I enjoyed this introduction to the Boots and Bouquets series. All the characters have an easy camaraderie that makes you believe they’ve known each other for years. I especially like Erin’s relationship with her sisters. All that combined makes a place I wish I belonged.

Erin is easy to relate to and understand her reactions to events happening around her. Jason is the kind of guy I want to snuggle with and call my own. They make a couple that you can’t help but root for. This is a sweet, lovely, and sexy romance that I couldn’t put down. I’m anxious to read book two!

*Review copy provided by Pengiun in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

Kindle https://amzn.to/2Y9AHk8

I did enjoy this book, but I struggled with Erin a bit at first. I didn't really like her revenge plan because it didn't really take into account Jason's feelings or his friendship with Owen.

It was sweet and fun romance that was pretty low angst considering the whole being left at the altar thing.

There was also a twist I didn't see coming, that added a bit more complexity to the story.

The Best Man Plan really made my heart sing. I fell madly in love with Jason and hoped that Erin saw what was right in front of her for her whole life.

Erin was mad as a hornet when she got that email. But, was she mad at the engagement ending or the way he did it? So, instead of doing some soul-searching, she decides that a fling to get Owen out of her system is the way to go. What she didn’t expect was finding out that there is so much more to the person that has been her best friend since she was a kid. Yea, he’s hot … wonderful with animals … makes her laugh … has always been there. But, he’s just a fling and then they will go back to being friends again. Right?

Jason has been in love with Erin since they were kids. He stepped aside for Owen because, well, that’s the kind of man he is. If he was going to make her happy then he wouldn’t stand in their way. But, breaking up with her in an email and three days before the wedding … no … he’s no friend of his anymore. Now, the woman of his dreams wants to have a fling to get over him. With him. No, that’s not happening either. When Erin comes to him, it will be with an open mind and an open heart. But, he’ll keep her occupied, he’ll help her get over him, he’ll show her what a real man will do for the woman he loves. And, maybe, he’ll win the girl in the end or just be friends.

When all is said and done, it’s way more than a fling. Erin sees Jason now but Owen steps back into her life and things get complicated. But, thank god for Agatha and her broken heart.

What a wonderful story. It was really heart-warming. Jason was just perfect. Kind, gentle, fun and fun-loving. The perfect man, really. It took a while for Erin to open her eyes, but, when she did, it was beautiful to see and feel the love they had for each other. Then there was Puddy and Agatha … I loved them! What a wonderful book to lose myself in. Jaci Burton truly swept me away with this story. I am looking forward to reading all about the rest of Bellini’s. This looks like it will be a fun and interesting series.

Jason loves Erin and has for a while. There are a few kinks in a happily ever after, though, when we meet the couple. First, Erin has no idea. Two, she’s engaged to his best friend. Barrier number two is obliterated when Erin gets a text three days before her wedding telling her that her fiancé is calling the whole thing off with no other explanation - he basically ghosts his whole family as well.

As Erin starts to build a different life for herself, she relies more and more on Jason - who is also the local veterinarian and the hottest guy she knows. Thus, when she decides to have a fling and get the ex out of her system, Jason is the prime candidate. It’ll just be sex, she tells us and herself.

Famous last words.

This book is charming and warm and I adored both Jason and Erin. The reveal of the ex’s reasoning and that bit of the story dragged too much for my personal tastes, which is why this isn’t a DIK, but overall it has the wit and heat of a work by Ms. Burton and I recommend it for a solid contemporary romance escape.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
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I've enjoyed other books by Jaci Burton (the first few books in her play-by-play series are great) so I thought I'd try out this new series by her. It didn't hold up as well for me as those other books, I think mostly because it's almost too easy to read - and by that I mean, the language and sentence structure is really simple.

The plot is straightforward - a rejected bride has a retaliatory fling with one of the groomsmen who has had a crush on her for years. A lot of the story time is given to wondering about the groom - why he did what he did and where is he now. The answer turns out to be rather predictable (or at least, I figured it out from the start).

The romance itself is sweet, with some sexy scenes between Erin and Jason, and I enjoyed the setting of the vineyard, and Erin's family and friends are all likeable people (definitely some good options for secondary characters to get their stories). It's a fluffy beach read that will while away a few hours but likely won't linger long in your memory. I have yet to decide if I'll try more of the series, though I am kind of interested to read about Erin's now ex-fiance.

This review has also been posted at BN.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫⠀
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Review: ⠀
This was a quick friend to lovers read. Jason was my favorite character. He was such a sweet and caring guy. Overall I enjoyed the plot. Some parts were slow and focused too much on friends and family. There was a twist at the end I didn’t see coming. There was chemistry between Jason and Erin but I needed it a little bit more on a deeper level.⠀
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Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.⠀

The Best Man Plan (Boots and Bouquets #1). By Jaci Burton. 2020. Berkley (ARC eBook).

Veterinarian Jason Callum can’t believe it when his best friend calls off his wedding to Erin Bellini just days before the ceremony. Jason has pined for Erin for years but he’s not quite sure how to handle the proposal Erin offers.

I didn’t enjoy The Best Man Plan as much as I did the series’ starter and novella, The Matchmaker Mistletoe Mission. I’ve read rebound romances before, but I think this is the first where it is used in the manner of a “revenge fling.” I just found that I couldn’t warm up to the plot, but I think it was Erin that I had more of an issue with then the trope itself and the chemistry was not quite there.

It took me a while to read this. But I think that's me and the state of the world. I just was not able to focus.

I've read Jaci Burton before and enjoyed her work. I think it was well written, I just couldn't get into it. I would recommend it to romance readers who like the friends to lovers trope, and mentioned it positively in our weekly book discussion group.

I've enjoyed Jaci Burtons previous books and this was no different.

The possible love triangle aspect was a bit iffy for me as I usually don't enjoy those. But poor Erin was jilted in an email by her bestfriend/fiance. She hatches a plan to have a fling with their other best friend Jason. But he's not having it. He wants more as he's been in love with her for forever.

I admired Jason's loyalty and his conviction to not take advantage of Erin. Their relationship was easy to see and feel them fall for each other.

I could understand some of Erin's actions but didn't agree with most. When the ex comes back and tells all, it's hard, it really is, to see them come together for HIM. But Jaci has me hoping for a great future for the ex and that's a sign of a great author :)

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars of best friend romance

This may be book #1 in the series, but do read book #0.5, The Matchmaker's Mistletoe Mission, which gives you Clay and Alice's story, and introduces the vineyard and the Bellini family to us. What I think I loved most about this book was the setting for the story – both the vet's life as shown to us by Jason, and the vineyard/wedding business of Erin and her family. The two provide an idyllic setting for romance, and give plenty of opportunities for cute, awww moments.

I found Erin to be a curious character, who still had quite a lot of growing up to do. She had a responsible role in the business, yet was at a bit of a loss when dealing with people. It made me very curious about how she was with her ex-fiancé, Owen. As it is, we only see her days before she is to marry, when it is all called off. She then decides she needs a fling, and her best friend Jason seems to be the first target. Not only did I feel sorry for Jason because he had long cared for her but accepted she had chosen Owen, but because she makes it clear it is just about revenge. In my mind I was thinking, if this was a guy suggesting this, few people would be impressed – but it was just as bad from her.

As time moves on, she stabilises somewhat and straightens her head out – until a very unexpected twist moves the story in a different direction again. Through all this, Jason definitely comes out as the most sensible, loving, and patient man – lucky Erin!

I enjoyed reading this story, and particularly enjoyed catching up with the rest of the gang from the first book.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Erin is used to being the one in control, but when her conniving fiancé breaks up with her via email a few days before her wedding, she can't help but feel hurt and embarrassed. The money spent on a wedding not taking place, the humiliation of not only being dumped but by email. Erin's way of handling the fallout is unconventional as she opts to rebound with her best friend, Jason.

Jason has had more than friendly feelings for Erin for a while, but stepped aside when Own began dating Erin. He's stood in the wings, always ready to support Erin in whatever way she needs. He just never suspected that he would become her rebound guy.

As the story evolves, Erin begins to mature and realizes that she needs to trust her instincts, as well as her heart. Being "in love" is more about appearances, but about the commitment deep inside of yourself to put another person first.

The Best Man Plan is the second book in the Boots and Bouquets series by Jaci Burton. A sweet contemporary romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet! The characters are well-written and relatable. The Best Man Plan is a charming romance featuring the friends to lovers trope with heated chemistry that is off the charts. What a beautiful story that is perfect for the wedding season.