Amanda Ashby’s opening meet-cute to her new series, Sisters of Wishing Bridge Farm, won MissB over. Heroine Emmy Watson works hard to retain ownership of her deceased Aunt Ivy’s farm by turning the Connecticut venue into a wedding site and herself a wedding planner. Not everything has gone as planned, however, and she’s at the airport, waiting to pick up the best man whose local-inn accommodations were flooded by the groom’s gormless brother. There’s nought to be done, the best man’ll have to stay with her. Unfortunately, the airport terminal also coughs up a ghost from Emmy’s past, her one-week-end-stand, Christopher Henderson. Ashby’s talent for witty writing is evident in the re-meet-cute, as Emmy echoes Casablanca‘s Rick: “Of all the arrival gates in all the world, he walked into this one.” It turns out he not only walked into her arrival gate, he’s walking into her first wedding planner’s job as – the best man. Christopher too is non-plussed by seeing Emmy again, especially when she whisks him into her truck and drives away. As a travel writer, he’s seen some weird stuff, but this is a first: “He’d been in a lot of strange situations on his travels, but as far as he was aware, this was the first he’d ever been kidnapped by a wedding planner.” Ashby’s witty writing and pop-culture references engaged MissB and she looked forward to the novel.

Though the opening was rom-comedy cute, Ashby build her h/h on the bedrock of serious stuff, adding much-needed gravitas notes. We learn more about Emmy and Christopher and begin to understand why their week-end-stand wasn’t extended. Emmy is deeply attached to the farm and the town of Sunshine (MissB knows, yes, this is so cheesy). Emmy’s loyalty to town and farm is in keeping with Emmy’s character: “Emmy … was sensible and quiet … She made jam and patchwork quilts. Witty rejoinders really weren’t her forte … if capable had a cheerleading squad, then she’d be on the banner – with stars around her name.” Again, more evidence of Ashby’s talented writing and an understanding for the reader that Emmy is introverted and conservative. Christopher is the opposite, a restless adventurer. But Christopher’s peripatetic penchant stems from a loveless, violent childhood: ” … it was all for this. To be successful. To do something important with his life. To not turn out like his father.” Ashby established her h/h on an opposites-attract trope and threw in a good dose of hurt from their original encounter. It turns out Christopher asked Emmy to travel with him and she refused, having just learned of her beloved Aunt Ivy’s cancer.

So, there’s hurt on both sides and a desire for very different life goals and styles. On those bases, Ashby’s romance had a lot going for it. Sadly, it didn’t live up to MissB’s initial expectations. Ashby’s writing remained witty and engaging throughout. Her descriptions of the wishing bridge were downright elegant and lyrical. But her narrative had other problems, problems that slowed it down and left Miss B. restless to finish rather than eager for it to go on and on. For one, Emmy and Christopher spend more narrative time in their heads than together. They think about each other a lot and lust after each other a lot, but don’t really interact that much. Secondly, despite the mind-lusting, when the love scene finally rolls around, the bedroom-door closes. Miss Bates doesn’t have a problem with “kisses-only” romance that builds on that singular desire, like many great inspie romance writers do (she’s looking at you, Sherri Shackelford, Karen Kirst, and Lacy Williams, and she misses you). But to have two characters mind-lusting and then close the door. Not enjoyable.

MissB’s third reason for not totally endorsing Ashby’s Falling For the Best Man is vague, but she’ll take a stab at it anyway. Ashby’s romance felt, to MissB at least, as if the writer was caught up in the writing of it in a way that neglected the characters coming alive. It felt as if there was something there that was trying to burst through the prose. Vague – sorry. In the end, Miss B. can say that Ashby is a rom-writer with potential and she’d be most curious to see what she can do in the future. For now, however, she and Miss Austen say that Falling For the Best Man is “almost pretty,” Northanger Abbey.

Amanda Ashby’s Falling For the Best Man is published by Entangled Publishing. It was released in January 2017 and may be procured from your preferred vendors. Miss Bates received an e-ARC from Entangled, via Netgalley.

Another sweet read with many twists and turns that kept me glued to my reader.
What I really loved about this book was the fact that even though the hero and the heroine sometimes caved in when things got rough but miraculously they are capable of talking to each other, of not misinterpreting things every five seconds but to communicate - with each other to boot. Novel idea, right?

Despite the odds being rather stacked against them, somehow Emmy and Christopher just can't help falling for each other, again. You get the chemistry between them and you feel why they just have to end up with each other and I loved to see how it all came about. Throw in some meddlesome villagers in a great community in Sunshine, one of those villages where everybody knows everything about everybody, far-traveled stuffed alligators, two-foot high, preloved trophies and an ancient wishing bridge and you have a wonderfully romantic story with amazing characters in a place that makes you long to travel there and, of course, this simply has to turn out a really good book.
I really enjoyed reading this story and I'm looking forward to other books by Amanda Ashby, namely the next books in the series "The Wedding Planner's Baby" and "Dating the Wrong Mr. Right".

Sweet small town girl meets traveling boy. Boy invites girl to Fiji and she stands him up. 2 years later they meet up again and romance begins. Cute story and a quick read. I enjoyed Emmy and Christopher's story.

A beautifully crafted sweet, hometown romance, Falling for the Best Man tackles when Emmy’s past catches up to her in the form of ex-fling, Christopher, being the best man in the wedding event she’s hosting at the family farm she grew up on.

The chemistry between Emmy and Christopher is flirty and their romance steadily grows and matures at a believable pace.

This mostly clean romance is told from the dual viewpoints of Emmy and Christopher and is definitely a book you want to pick up and read on these brutally cold winter nights, or for a fun read on the beach! (I’m looking at all of you southerners and those who live across the pond!)

This is a stand alone book in a series, but has a HEA ending. It sets up the next book in the series for Emmy’s siblings perfectly.

DISCLAIMER: I requested an advanced copy in order to participate in the blog review tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way by receiving said review copy.

Emmy lives for her family farm and the Wishing Bridge on the property. She's determined to make it a wedding destination and keep her heritage alive. She just has to make sure this first wedding goes off without a hitch. Then her one and only fling walks through the airport and she discovers he's the best man she has to house through the wedding week.
Christopher needs a fake girlfriend so he looks good to the production company looking to make him a star of his own travel show. Determined to get one of the bridesmaids to agree he sees it as great opportunity for the week. He didn't expect the wedding planner to become a kink in his well laid plans.
Emmy and Christopher from the start have an undeniable explosive attraction. They're just determined to fight it. They're both hurt from the past. As they're constantly thrown together their personalities compliment each other to perfection. He's not big on settling down and she loves her small town. She's the yin to his yang.
The story is well written and started a wonderful series off with a bang. I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book. If you enjoy a unique and fun second chance romance, I highly recommend Falling for the Best Man.

I voluntarily reviewed this book I received from the publisher.
This was a short and sweet read. Opposites attract in this love story. You've got Emmy, a homebody trying to save her Farm, and Christopher, a traveling writer looking for his next adventure. They deal with awkwardness caused by their previous hookup and their growing attraction. Both are looking for different things and have issues they need to work out. Their romance was super fast paced. They grow too. I needed something more from the story. I still enjoyed it.

I loved the summary. The concept sounded right up my usual romance genre BUT the writing wasn't strong enough to carry me away. I kept feeling as if I was reading it all at a high-surface level and not feeling and falling in love with the story or the characters. It was all so-so, but with so many other better written stories in this genre, I wouldn't want to waste my time on this again. Thankfully, I didn't have to waste my $ with NetGalley's assistance.

The book was ok, not bad but also not great. Chris and Emma had previously met years ago, they were actually a hook up. Emma has just started a new business as a wedding planner trying to save the family farm, which is not only falling apart, but both of her sisters whom have equal shares in, want to sell. Since there was a accident in the small towns inn, due to water damage and all the other guest were relocated elsewhere, there were no rooms left, so she told the bridezilla that she would have best man stay in the cottage on her farm, she did not know it was Chris, since name she was given was Kit, a childhood nickname. Emma was shocked and to see Chris, as was he, and worse that he was staying in her farm. Chris did not want to stay there, since he was not really too happy to see her either, since their departing years earlier was not on great terms, which was due to lack of communication, really on Emma's part. He is on a mission to find a fake girlfriend to travel with him so that he can get a t.v. show. Emma is not too happy since she has to keep bridezilla happy, and stress free, also she is a little jealous even though she thinks he is a player. Of course there is more misunderstandings, even though there is some crazy chemistry between them, neither want to give in, still thinking the worse of the other, and that they have nothing in common. Of course, truth comes out, they go thru some time apart, since neither want to change there life, but eventually they do have a realizations about their lives and they get there HEA. Enjoyed, the town, and Emma's friends.

I've mostly read Amanda's YA books before a few years back and I loved them.So I was quite surprised and excited to see that she was writing a new contemporary romance series!

This is a second chance romance with a beautiful setting and lovely characters!
Emmy and her sisters have inherited the Wishing Bridge Farm after their aunt's death, and though her other two sisters aren't too keen on keeping the farm, Emmy desperately wants to save it.And she has the plan.If she manages to plan and pull off the current wedding without a hitch, she can afford to save the farm and turn it into a wedding destination.After running into a few problems, she now has to pick up the best man who will be staying at her guest cottage.And to her shock the best man is none other than Christopher- the guy she hooked up with two years back and the one she left with just a message, before they were going to leave for Fiji.

Christopher is a take it easy kinda guy, a travel writer who never stays long in one place.He's been all over the world and doesn't ever want to have regrets.He is in talks with a production company for a show that would feature him and his adventures.All he needs to do is spruce up his image and he needs a fake girlfriend for that.He's hoping to find one at the wedding.Imagine his shock when he finds Emmy waiting for him at the airport.
Though things between them are awkward at first, they soon end up in a truce as Emmy needs the wedding to be perfect and she doesn't need Christopher and his wild ways messing anything up.
But what will happen when they slowly fall for each other?Will it last beyond the wedding?

Emmy and Christopher were quite the opposites but well suited to each other.Both of their characters have been primarily shaped by their experiences in life.Emmy was content to be in a small town, taking care of the farm,baking bread and planning weddings.She's quite like her aunt and doesn't want much other than a peaceful,happy life.
It was really annoying at times when her sisters picked on her for not moving out of town.They should respect her decisions.So what if she doesn't want to travel all over the world?She should do what makes her happy!
Christopher has his own set of issues stemming from his childhood experiences with his father.Though, he has quite the reputation, he isn't actually all that bad.I loved how he helped Emmy out once they set their differences aside.It was really beautiful seeing them fall in love with each other!
Personally I think a balance is needed, which the characters realized and achieved in the end.You need not stay in one place alone or shift around the world every month.You can have both and there is always a middle ground.:)
This is a sweet and beautiful story you must read!Can't wait to read the other books in the series! :D

Something neither of them planned for but it turned out to be the best decision that either of their hearts could make for them. Emmy was just looking so secure the future of her farm. Chris was looking for a leg up. Neither would guess that the very event would change their lives forever. I had fun watching these two do what they do and then work to not get caught in the lie that was real. This one had laughs from the start of the thing being set in to motion. Emmy was working so hard to keep things on track. The harder she worked the more things just went in the other direction.

Sweet, simple, hilarious fun. Never would you image that saving the family farm, getting the job of your dreams, and planning a wedding would go together but this one did it and then some.

Cute story! I especially enjoyed Emmy's inner snark; Ms. Ashby's "voice" is a lot of fun. I liked Emmy and Christopher together and was rooting for them from the first chapter, and though I was a bit annoyed with Emmy's sisters' 'tudes initially, I'm looking forward to seeing where the author will go with their stories, Bec's especially.

But...the one aspect of the book I wasn't crazy about was the romantic conflict. Both his and her "issues" felt a bit like overreaction, and therefore didn't take a while lot more than some personal reflection for them to get over. On the one hand, yay, they get together for a cute ending. On the other, frustrating--couldn't they have taken a chill pill six chapters earlier and saved everyone the angst? Still, this was a cute read from an author I'll definitely be looking for more of in the future.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B-

Emmy needs for this weekend to go perfectly. It's her first wedding in her new business as a wedding planner and up to this point, things just haven't been going that great. So she finds herself at the airport to pick up the best man - who ends up drawing the lucky straw and will be staying with her at her farm, since the groom's brother caused a flood at the inn everyone was staying at, leaving no place for the man to stay.

The last person she wanted and thought she would see was Christopher... the man she had a weekend long fling with, the one time she has ever left town. Good thing he's not the best man... or is he?

Christopher wasn't too happy to see the girl who dumped him over a text message but there is still a drawl towards the beautiful girl who stole his heart that weekend 2 years ago. After confessing that we was planning to use the wedding as an opportunity to find a "fake girlfriend" for a future engagement, Emmy is determined to keep Christopher close by and not allow for anything else to go wrong with this wedding.

But fate has a totally different idea for these two... so let the fun begin. Christopher still sees the woman he fell for 2 years ago, but can Emmy let go and let fate step in so she can find the love that she's always been looking for?

I really loved Emmy and Christopher together. I love small town romances... especially when the "big city" partner comes in and isn't use the dynamics of the busy body townspeople. Christopher is charming, handsome and just the right amount of sarcastic fun for the closed off but lovable Emmy. This was a cute quick read and I can't wait for more books in this series.

Emmy and Christopher are complete opposites, but somehow they understand each other perfectly. Their biggest obstacle is his need to wander and her need to stay in her hometown. They each have their own reasons for doing so that are tied up in the past. As they discover those reasons, they will need to decide if their love is enough to overcome their differences. I had a really good time reading this book. There were smiles and tears, and in my book, that makes for a really good story. I also loved getting to know Emmy's sisters, can't wait to find out what all the secrets they're hiding. Great start to a new series!
4.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. I was not compensated for this review, all conclusions are my own.

***ARC Provided by the Publisher and Tasty Book Tours***

This book had all the elements that I look for in a book. The writing was strong and there were no areas where I was pulled out of the story by the writing. The dialog believable and Emmy and Christopher spoke like real people. I liked the characters, and it was a second chance romance. yet, this one didn't totally work for me.

Emmy and Christopher met a couple of years ago, had a couple of day romance and then, for reasons you find out in the book, she did not accompany him on a trip that he had booked and their relationship fizzled.

I think this was my issue, that there was a combination of insta-love combined with a second chance romance that felt just a little off to me. In order for me to really believe the angst of the second chance meeting, I needed something a little deeper than a 2 day affair...or maybe see a little more of that relationship in flashbacks.

This said, looking past this, it was a sweet and charming romance. It is clearly a set up for the stories of the other sisters, which is fun. I also think the story here may have suffered a little with the attempt to also set up the other stories, which is a common thing in "first in a series" books.

That said, I am definitely interested in reading the next stories. There was enough here to make me want to see what happens next.

I do recommend this book.

Emmy Watson is fighting hard to save her family farm. She is working to make it a go-to destination for weddings. She is running her first wedding that she needs to go flawless. She is more than surprised when she picks up her ex-fling from the airport Christopher who is the best man. In a turn of events Christopher stays at her beloved farm. Will she be able to get the wedding of without a hitch and save her farm? Or will Christopher prove to much of a distraction?

In an Oyster Shell – It’s a cozy, heart-warming romance.

The Pearls – The setting is ideal. It is a farm that holds vintage treasures and a wishing bridge. Having the story revolve around this farm makes for a treasured read. I can’t wait for there to be more books in the series.

The characters were compelling. The main character was easy to follow and really comes into herself. The most interesting thing about this book is the supporting characters. The author lets us know about the supporting characters, which builds intrigue for further books.

The romance was clean and beautiful. It was really cozy. The conclusion is very satisfying.

Falling for the Best Man by Amanda Ashby is the first book I have read by this author. It was a fun, flirty and sweet story. The seriousness of trying to save the family farm is balanced out with the shenanigans of trying to keep best man in line. Of course, wedding planner, Emmy, and best man, Christopher have a history so it is not exactly instant attraction.

The style is brisk and the story pulls the reader into Emmy’s plight and Christopher plans. I enjoyed reading the different perspectives on events which makes it hard to root for one or the other. In fact, I found myself pulling for them both to see what was right before them in terms of how well they fit together. I loved the ending and now have a new TBR author. Light hearted read that I can recommend for the romantic reader at heart.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was the first novel that I have read by Amanda Ashby. I was pleasantly surprised by this book as it is not what I have read in quite some time but I was completely engaged from the first chapter. This light-hearted romance presents two quite different people who are attracted to each other, for the second time. What Ashby has managed to do, is clearly express the close-knit community that Emmy so dearly loves.
The story starts when Emmy, a wedding planner, trying to ensure the success of her family’s farm, agrees to look after the best man, for a wedding she is planning. However, when she arrives to collect Christopher, she discovers that it is the person who she met two years ago, after a christening, and had a fling with over two nights. The problem was that she stood up Christopher, by not going on an overseas trip with him.
The story alternates, with both Emmy and Christopher, telling their story which is done in a clear manner and effectively shos their feelings for each other, if not spoken between them. The book manages to convey their intense feelings for each other without being at all explicit. This is a pretty tame and clean portrayal of a blossoming romance.
I did enjoy the character of Be, Emmy’s sister as this gave diversity to the book and highlighted the relationship between the siblings.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more from Ashby. I wholeheartedly recommend this novel as a well written romance.