Paige and Max have been inseparable since childhood growing up in the same Chicago suburb. Paige has always been a wild child with her gay best friend Max by her side. Now they’re living in New York City. Things change and Max’s place as the best gay friend is threatened when Paige announces her upcoming nuptials to Austin and Max quickly finds out Austin isn’t the only new man in Paige’s life… Austin’s gay brother and best man, Chasten, also comes into the picture. Chasten is a handsome, famous chocolatier who is always dressed impeccably. In contrast, Max is not a stereotypical gay man - he could not care less about weddings and fashion and is unsatisfied at his job which consists of professionally firing people and collecting plants in the process. Max and Chasten fight to be crowned Paige’s favorite gay and while things heat up, fall in love in the process.

Karger’s debut is entertaining, sweet, humorous, and a littttle bit spicy. It’s a slow burn romance with a little one night stand, enemies to lovers, miscommunication, and HEA themes. What I enjoy about Karger’s writing is the humor and writing style. He writes a lot of hilarious Max internal dialogue. It did go a little far sometimes to being a little cringey but overall it’s what kept my interest on the otherwise run-of-the-mill plot.

Overall, I’d rate this 3.5/5 stars. A really great debut from Karger and I will be looking out for his future work!

Thank you so much to Berkley, Sidney, and NetGalley for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

A wedding, 2 best men and an unlikely romance

This was a slow burn romance and while I enjoyed the humor I just didn't love Max. The story is told from his POV so while I liked it well enough, I never felt all in bc I honestly didn't care enough about Max. He just felt too whiny to me. I might have fared better if it wasn't such a slow burn. To spend most of the book waiting for a romance with characters you don't feel invested in just feels like work.

Very cute M/M romance with some twists that keep it from being too formulaic. I enjoyed the character dynamic and definitely the snark though, TBH, I think Max’s feelings about Paige and being her “gay bff” were 💯 legit and I’m not sure I’d have made the same decision he did in the same circumstances and it’s an issue both in life, and in M/M novels written by women that needs to be examined in more books that fir the category (kudos to Karger).
Also thought the author did a great job with different communication styles between characters - not everyone does it the same way but everyone does manage, which is how adults should do things and how we avoid the catastrophic blow ups that are so typical and (IMO) unwelcome in so many romances.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Max Moody is a man in crisis. About a year ago, his longtime partner decided he wanted to break up, but still call Max for sex…whenever. Max has been holding out hope that this arrangement can bring a reconciliation, though he’s beginning to understand that’s only a pipe dream. As an HR underling, Max is also unsatisfied, especially since he’s mostly firing people and collecting their abandoned desk plants at a downsizing ad agency. And, Paige, his perpetually indecisive childhood bestie, has just announced that she’s getting married and needs Max to be her best man. Max is both jealous and flabbergasted; he’s not a ‘stylish gay’ with any sense of flair or fashion. “Moody” isn’t only a surname when it comes to Max.

Unfortunately, Paige’s soon-to-be brother-in-law Chasten is also gay, and he is standing up as best man for his brother, Austin. Chasten is all the fabulous that Max lacks, with connections to Beautiful People and Great Locations. He’s clearly outshining Max in the Best Man Competition happening in Max’s mind. Paige and Max have deep roots, and Max’s ideas play on that nostalgia, but don’t work as a wedding shower plan. Plus, Max and Chasten had an awkward and unsatisfying “almost” hook-up before getting introduced in their roles. Chasten has sworn Max to secrecy over this one episode, but Max harbors an unrequited attraction for Chasten–and it’s further proof that Max will never find a forever love like the one Chasten desperately wants to find as well.

As Chasten and Max spend time together playing out their roles for the wedding, the attraction between them grows until Max can’t ignore it anymore. And, his indignation that even Chasten, who Max sees as the epitome of an awesome partner, keeps getting the run-around gives Max the gumption to stand up for himself at work, in his life, and even against Paige’s casual passive-aggressiveness.

Best Men is a quiet and tender book about discovering how to fight for one’s dreams, even when everything seems hopeless. Max’s desires have gone unmet for a long time. He doesn’t know how to advocate for himself, or that he’s even worthy of love. His passion project of saving abandoned plants turns into a healing experience, and a point of pride when he’s pretty much at his lowest. I really enjoyed how Chasten is a pseudo-foe, by virtue of his pleasing nature, to be the best support he can for Paige and, by extension, Austin. Chasten’s growing affection for Max stems from a feeling of kindred spirits, both hopeless romantics who can’t seem to find a worthy partner.

I enjoyed this book a lot and found myself getting immersed in Max’s character to the point I heard Max’s voice in my head as I read. He’s snarky, sad, awkward, and blunt, all of which made him sympathetic (and a little pathetic). His redemption comes fast and furious and just in time to (maybe) not ruin Paige’s wedding.

There is enough humor to keep the story from getting too maudlin, though it’s definitely a delicate balance. This isn’t a breezy read. Max goes through a lot of soul searching and deep emotional work before he finds his happy ending. This story is highly recommend for readers who want a character they can wallow with for a scorching NYC summer before the Labor Day love arrives.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! It was absolutely adorable with so many laugh out loud moments! I loved the LGBTQ rep in the book and appreciated all the pop culture call outs. Overall such a cute read!

I had really high hopes for Best Men after reading a lot of early reviews, however, I found Max, the main character to be insufferable which took away from the experience of this one for me. I did laugh at Max's poor HR practices (given that I'm an HR professional in my real life...) but ultimately, this was not a favorite for me.

I had high hopes for this one, but it ended up being a DNF for me at a little over halfway through the book. While there were elements that I enjoyed- I think it was well written (if a bit overly descriptive at times), and the humorous notes were there- it was not the romance book for me, mainly because there was not enough interaction between Max and Chasten for me to be invested in their relationship. The dealbreaker for me, however, was Paige. She was incredibly self-centered at times, and treated Max horribly. There have been too many times in my own life that I have found myself in Max’s shoes, being treated by my friends the same was that Paige acted towards him, and for that reason I found myself being triggered and anxious while reading the book. This is not the fault of the story itself, but it was ultimately what made me decide that it was not the book for me.

I **loved** the snark and humor in this book. This felt more like a comedy with a romantic underlying storyline but I absolutely loved that. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Reading the synopsis made me really excited to read Best Men. The idea of two best men falling in love at their best friend's wedding, sign me up! Unfortunately this one didn't play out as expected and in many ways didn't feel like a romance to me.

It started off a lot of fun for me and while learning more about Max I really wanted him to get his own happily ever after. I had a hard time connecting with Max or Chasten though. Max is mostly negative in this book. He's not happy with his job or romantic life (he's still sleeping with a guy that broke up with him a year later) and not up until the last 5% of this book did he seem to find something he loves.

Then there's the best friend's wedding. Paige and Max have been best friends since they were really young and probably would've ended up married if Max wasn't gay. Paige is very indecisive and I honestly didn't like her. She seemed to expect a lot of Max for this wedding, but he even tells her weddings aren't really his thing. And to be honest, we don't really see much of the wedding preparations. It's mostly Max at work having to fire people and not enjoying it.

Chasten was an interesting character and I would've loved to have had his POV a few times or even more interactions/moments with him and Max. I mean I got there was an attraction and we had a few almost moments, but it felt like it stayed on the surface. There was a lot of his character I feel we didn't get to see.
I have to say I did love the little lists, text messages, speech ideas, or other little things we got at the end of each chapter. It was a nice touch I really think more books should have.

All in all, Best Men wasn't a bad read, but I felt like a lot stayed on the surface that I needed more from.

4.75 Stars

Max + Chasten

Max is 35 years old and he's been dreaming of marrying his dream guy for decades. But so far it hasn't happened. And suddenly his very best childhood bestie Paige announces she's getting married. And Max will be her Best Man. Just as Chasten will be his brother Austin's Best Men. And yup - Chasten is the guy Max had a very weird kinda one-night stand with a few days ago. Whoops.

Let's plan a wedding, shall we? LOL!

_____

That was adorable and also a little bit sad!
It was more Max-lost-as-a-gay-guy-in-New-York than a romance. But we get the romance parts too.

I just loved reading this. Max is so not a typical gay guy - he thinks. He doesn't like fashion and going to gay bars and drag shows and to Brooklyn. He kinda hates his job and most people and crowds... and wedding planning. He sarcastically jokes his way around most situations.

Chasten is the opposite, he knows and likes everybody, he's a proud gay hottie doing all the gay things. He has a super sucsessful business. What would he want with Max? And they can't start anything anyway - they can't take the attention away from the bride.

I loved how Max takes us along for a bit and we so hope that he'll get that HEA he's been dreaming of forever.

I sometimes had that idea in my head while reading... if Max would've lived in a different time and had a bunch of best friends, he would have perfectly fit into A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Just the whole vibe of the book and his sadder, slightly depressed scenes.

I loved the book. I loved the (sometimes hard to read on my kindle, because too small) between-the-chapters-fun-extras.

Paige got on my nerves quite a bit to be honest. But she's stressed with all the wedding prep - so she's allowed.

I really enjoyed reading this - wouldn't mind watching the movie one day soon!

► BEST MEN was a super cute and fun and sad and gay and New Yorkey tale of friendship and love and brunch and wedding and just everything! - READ IT!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of Best Men in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I had a solid time with Best Men as it takes us on a ride with Max Moody, who can be pretty messy as he's trying to navigate his way through life and love. The other characters have their own crap to deal with, too, and it's endearing to watch them do so through a humorously poignant lens. Sidney Karger's clever prose actually feels reminiscent of Alexis Hall's style of witty comedy. I did find myself struggling with the lack of plot meat, though. And that's not to say I have an issue with books that choose to be character-driven rather than plot-driven, because such books can be very satisfying for me to read. It's just that Best Men specifically really felt like it was wandering off at times and getting too caught up in repetitive character beats.

Overall, I'm giving Best Men an official rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. If you're willing to overlook the plotting issues I pointed out above, then I think this can be an enjoyable to consume.

I'll be honest - I didn't immediately fall in love with Best Men. It took me some time to warm up to the characters, and I found some of the characters pretty annoying. I had heard great things about the book so I came in with high expectations and while I did end up enjoying the book, it was only a three star read.

Max Moody is still recovering from a break up - a seven year relationship that turned into a friends-with-benefits arrangement that isn't fulfilling his emotional needs. He's still hung up on his ex but trying to move on. When Paige, his childhood best friend, announces she's getting married and asks Max to be her Man of Honor, he's taken totally off-guard; he always expected to be the first to settle down. To make matters worse, her groom's brother and best man, Chasten, turns out to be the man Max recently tried to hook up with, only for their encounter to end in humiliating fashion.

Max and Chasten could not be more different, and Max finds himself competing with Chasten for Paige's attention, while also bristling against her expectations of him to support her wedding planning. They butt heads repeatedly but over time find a way to begrudgingly work together, and along the way they start to catch feelings.

I'll be honest... Paige exhausted me. She uses the term "gay best friend" over and over through the course of the book, and it was so grating. Max does eventually confront her about feeling like she doesn't appropriately value him, and that was such an important moment for me as a reader. It helped in redeeming the book, but ultimately this was something of a letdown for me.

✨ Review ✨ Best Men by Sidney Karger

Thanks to Berkley and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

This is a really hard one for me to review -- it felt like it had 5 star humor and 1-star problematic conflicts. I'll put in a quick summary and what did and didn't work.

Max Moody is our main character -- a gay guy in NYC who doesn't love crowds, fashion, or other stereotypically "gay" things. His bff Paige is getting married, and he's her best man. Max falls for / also hates / also loves Paige's fiancee's brother Chasten, and all sorts of on-again / off-again drama ensues as Paige, Chasten, and Max try to plan her wedding and all its assorted events.

What worked:
--this book was so freaking funny that it had me giggling. I loved the writing style -- sarcasm and wry humor galore.
--Max collects plants and starts this giant apartment garden -- love!
--I loved that this pushed at stereotypes, especially with Max's character
--Chasten owns a chocolate factory (yes please)
--overall, I really liked the budding relationship between Chasten and Max

What didn't work:
--Paige is constantly calling Max her "gay best friend" in ways that felt not only annoying and immature but sort of problematic. When this is finally confronted in the book, it felt like Paige won the fight, in ways that felt uncool. This Paige-Max relationship felt SUPER problematic, and not appropriately resolved. I really hated Paige.
--Max is in the middle of some really awful relationships (Greg, his job, etc., and it didn't make me dislike the book, but it made me feel free frustrated for him.
--okay, your maid of honor / best man are not your wedding planner, and I was so confused why the best men were responsible for so much of the planning (and then Chasten was the god of planning and it felt like Paige wasn't particularly kind to him either).
--but basically I guess I hated Paige

I'd definitely read this author again, but please leave Paige behind 😂

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: m/m romance
Setting: NYC
Pub Date: out now!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ laughing at satire and snark galore
⭕️ mean brides
⭕️ diner food, well and just food
⭕️ the millenial nyc scene

Sidney Karger's "Best Men" is a delightful M/M romance novel that takes readers on a journey of unexpected love and friendship. The story follows Max Moody, who is living his best life in New York City with his best friend Paige. They grew up together in the suburbs of Chicago, and Paige is everything Max could ask for in a friend. She's outgoing, finishes his sentences, and is always up for a splunch (their unique term for brunch).

However, Max's life takes an unexpected turn when Paige announces her engagement and asks Max to be her man of honor. Max, who always thought he would get married before Paige, is shocked to hear that she's ready to settle down. But things get even more complicated when Max meets Austin, the groom, and Chasten, Austin's charming and handsome younger brother who happens to be his best man.

As Paige's wedding approaches, Max and Chasten realize that they're like oil and water, with their vastly different personalities clashing. But they have to find a way to coexist in Paige's life without stealing the spotlight from her wedding. Amidst all the chaos, a tiny spark of romance ignites between Max and Chasten, leading them to question their roles as mere best men.

Written in the first person, "Best Men" is an engaging romantic comedy with witty humor and pop culture references to the 80s New Wave era. The novel is a clean romance with closed-door intimacy, making it suitable for readers who prefer a more modest approach to the genre. Overall, "Best Men" is a heartwarming story of unexpected love and friendship that will leave readers feeling satisfied.

i had a great time reading this book. it has a fun premise, with a slight enemies to lovers vibe going on. the comedic set ups and payoffs were hilarious. and it has the right amount of conflict to keep you interested and the perfect level of wit to keep you laughing.

Max is a really interesting protagonist. i disagreed with him at some points and it was nice to see his ideas challenged and the introspective thinking it sparked. i also really enjoyed Chasten as a love interest, as he kind of represented a lot of things Max hated. they complimented each other really well.

Max’s dynamic with Paige was a great backdrop for a conversation about being the Gay Best Friend. it’s such a nuanced topic and i loved Sidney’s take on it.

this book is a lot of fun. if you love romance, laughs, drama, and plant gays, pick this one up!

Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for this complimentary audiobook.

𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘯!

I had so much fun with this story and I can’t beleive this is a debut. This is one of those books that you can’t stop listening, loved the audio, loved the characters, loved the plot, I was so entertaining.

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗻 by Sidney Karger releases today May 2, 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

Best Men follows Max Moody, who thinks he’s got it all figured out. That is, until his best friend, Paige, announces her engagement. Suddenly, Max is faced with having to navigate shared wedding party duties with the groom’s charming hot gay brother Chasten, who just happens to be a failed one-night-stand Max would rather forget. Struggling with this new entity coming between Max and Paige’s strong bond, Max finds himself working hard not to make this entire wedding and marriage situation about himself, even if his best friend is sorta kinda abandoning him. But as the trio spends more time together, Max realises that there might be more to Chasten than just a best-friend thief. Can the two work together to give Paige the dream wedding she deserves?

With a premise like that, who wouldn’t want to devour this book in one sitting? Sidney Karger definitely has a talent for setting the scene. From the get-go, we follow Max and his intrinsic thoughts which draw you right into the narrative. The setting of the story, New York City, almost becomes another secondary character as it draws you in with its charm.

The highlight of this book is certainly the characters, especially our main character Max. If you’re a fan of Steven Rowley or Alexis Hall‘s brand of humour, then you will absolutely devour Best Men. Max Moody’s internal monologue is at times hubristic and at others self-deprecating but above all, it’s always witty, funny, and will have you laughing out loud with how often you’ll catch yourself thinking “hey, that’s what I’d say!”.

With that in mind, I wouldn’t exactly call Best Men a rom-com though. The comedy part is definitely overpowering here and it takes more than a while for any sort of romance to kick off (which I was very fine with since Max was such a riveting character) and even then, the focus is more so on the best friend plot between Max and Paige. I think this would have benefitted from giving Chasten his own point of view since we never really get a read on the guy and it was often hard to see any kind of bond developing between Max and Chasten without knowing where exactly Chasten was at emotionally. Still, I somehow preferred the focus on Max and Paige’s changing friendship dynamics. Honestly, give me more of this in romance. I adored the premise of having to navigate the truly tough situation of finding yourself faced with your best friend…finding a new best friend.

So if you’re looking for a witty yet emotional story following the difficult dynamics of a triangle friendship with a bit of romance thrown into the mix, then Best Men is the book for you!

I don’t think I am the intended audience for this book. I figured it was a romance when I requested it…and while that is a part of the plot it wasn’t really most of the plot. It’s more about self-discovery and friendship…. I had a bit of trouble connecting with the characters but that’s probably just me!

It’s well written :)

I had mixed feelings on this one but overall it was a fun and heartfelt one-night—stand, enemies to lovers romance that sees two gay best men forced to work together to help plan a wedding.

I loved all the millennial pop culture references! Parts of the story were slower (read boring) than others but it was a solid debut and perfect for fans of authors like Casey McQuiston.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley and @prhaudio for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review. Great on audio narrated by Curtis Michael Holland and definitely marks a debut author to watch!!

🔥Steam level: fade to black

Consider me charmed from the moment Max ruined his first pair of Nikes (which I can promise you the way he did this won’t make your list of top 100 ways to do so). Life isn’t exactly working out for Max. He’s stuck in the same uninspiring job, he wants the white picket fence and kids dream but has no partner to see it through with, and now his childhood best friend has announced she is engaged. This last one he’s having the hardest time coming to terms with. As Paige’s “gay of honour” he’s forced to spend a lot of time with the wedding party, and that means his introduction to the groom’s best man and brother, Chasten. Turns out they have a lot in common and in fact, Chasten seems eerily familiar.

Well Max’s character, and even Chasten, were big highlights for me, Paige made me want to take my book and toss it out the window. Everything that came out of her mouth was a reference to Max’s sexuality. I don’t know about you but I can go through conversations (probably many in a row) without ever referencing an individual’s sexual orientation but this seemed impossible for her, or at least when it came to anyone who was gay. At first I thought I was just being picky but she just wormed it into every piece of conversation.

There’s a lot of books that call themselves romantic comedies but they are really just lighthearted stories and lack actual humour. Max’s cynical and dry approach to life combined with some shenanigans put the comedy back into the genre. After learning that this is Karger’s debut novel and he was previously a contributing writer to SNL the unfiltered and nonchalant approach of the narration made a lot of sense.

Although, I would have preferred a large portion of this novel (particularly Max’s inner monologue) being directed towards the romance instead of his relationship with Paige but, I’m probably biased because I did not enjoy her character one iota. It was still a highly enjoyable, easy read!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.