I really wanted to like this book, and to me it fell a little bit flat. The writing was good I just couldn't connect to the characters as much as I wanted to!

I read about twenty pages, and this is not a book for me. I appreciate the opportunity to read the ARC, so I do want to give honest, hopefully helpful feedback.

I did enjoy the back and forth of the first person point of view. The set up of the plot had my interest.

I enjoy characters that have a wide, clever, vocabulary that does not rely heavily on profanity.
I do not enjoy raunchy humor.

I liked this book, It had good character development, and it had more depth than just being another romance novel. I enjoyed how it brought to life how much parenting style, and the values your parents emphasize can impact you, past childhood. The novel also touches upon how competition may not be the best motivator or parenting style. This book speaks to forgiveness as well, and how forgiveness is a big part of personality and living a life that you can look back on and think positively. I loved the elements of Brazilian culture and the use of Portuguese throughout the novel! I liked how there were internal struggles for both characters. I also appreciated how there were the two different perspectives, so the reader is able to watch the two characters fall in love with each other. The only issue for me was that there was no epilogue! Overall, great read with a fantastic splash of culture!

The story opens on the day of Wedding Planner Carolina "Lina" Santos' own wedding. As she's waiting in the wings for her cue, her fiance Andrew's brother and best man, Max comes to the church to let her know that he received a text from Andrew saying he can't go through with the wedding because of a conversation that he had had with Max the previous evening. Although not heartbroken, Lina is embarrassed, due to the fact that weddings are her business and very angry with Max for his part in it.
Advance a few years and Lina is offered a chance to work for a 5 star hotel as their exclusive, in house wedding planner. The catch, she has to work with Andrew and Max.
This story had the making of a hit, but in my opinion, the author left a void. The premise allowed for the inclusion of much hilarity between the main characters which wasn't harnessed to it's full potential.
I enjoy a good enemies-to-lovers story, but found this one to be just okay.
Thank you Mia Sosa, Harper-Collins, Avon and NetGalley for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Got off to a rocky start with the POVs. There were times that I couldn't tell if I was reading from Lina's or Max's POV. Aside from the typical sappy/unreal dialogue like most romance novels, I really enjoyed this read. I was happy to hear the author use Lina to express the very real emotional stress WOC go have when trying to temper ourselves to be palatable for others when we should be allowed to be just as vulnerable and upset without our characters being judged.

Books like The Worst Best Man are right up my alley. Enemies-to-lovers, a bit of comedy, and hot sex. But this took me about a week of reading a chapter here or there to feel any urgency to finish. The story had potential, but the writing dragged in certain parts. Our heroine, Lina, is a complicated (kind of uptight) woman. The story opens up with her being broken up with on her wedding day by the best man, her (now ex) fiance's brother. Cut to three years later, and the once best man is now the one person who can help her get her dream job. I think we all know what happens next...

Some scenes were so drawn out, detailing other characters and Lina’s connection them, rather than on the budding relationship between Max and Lina, that I often felt like skimming to find the next scene that would hopefully drive the story forward. I enjoyed most of the humor, but in some instances, it fell flat and often seemed to be at the sake of Max's likeability. That being said, I did generally like Max - much more than Lina if I'm being honest. She's so tightly buttoned up and controlled that I can't imagine putting up with her in a relationship.

At the end of the day, this book fell right in the middle for me. I didn't hate it by any means, but I can't see it being a book I return to in the future. The sex was hot, there was no crazy-big-fight-over-something-stupid moment, which I appreciated, and Max and Lina were generally fun to read about. If that sounds good to you, definitely give The Worst Best Man a shot!

If you're looking for a delightful enemies-to-lovers romp that features wedding planning and lots of Brazilian food, this is it! Lina is not just the typical Type A character, but a woman who cares deeply about her family and about chasing down a successful career. In the midst of an interview process for the job of her dreams, she is forced to work with her ex-fiancée's brother Max, who is all in from the moment he is teamed up with Lina. There are so many adorable situations throughout where you see a variety of different couples and wedding traditions, and it captures the perfect note of judgement from Say Yes to The Dress and wholesome support and love for the soon to be wed couples. Lina finds herself trying to balance what she thinks she wants (a stable, boring, business-like relationship) versus what she feels herself drawn to (something a little more emotionally vulnerable with highs and lows and spontaneous fun). This is a great set-up for rich character development and made the central crisis in the novel feel less contrived than other romance novels I've read.

When it came to this one, I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it as much as I wanted to. It had it's interesting moments but it also disappointed me in a few ways too.

One reason I requested this title was because of the main character Lina. Her job is a wedding planner and honestly, I just love any romance that has a wedding planner in it. It was also great to see her being Brazilian have a lot to do with the plot. She was easy to understand when it came to her hatred towards the brothers. I mean, if I was left at the altar and it was caused by his brother than I would be pretty mad. With that comes a lot of personal growth for Lina. When she wants to be spiteful, she takes a step back. She does do some hilarious things to Max though. We can't always be nice! It makes her realistic.

Max and Andrew, her ex-fiancee, doesn't get as much development as Lina. Although Max and Lina have their own point-of-views, Max still lacked. The other characters were minor and that was fine as it let the spotlight stay on Max and Lina.

The romance between Max and Lina was okay. I don't think there was a lot of development leading up to it and in ways it felt a little forced.

As for the plot, it was interesting and I am always a fan of brothers in books. The book got quite steamy at times. There was definitely a lot of plot twists throughout but they lacked that surprised factor and I found myself being able to spot them out before they even happened.

Overall, it was a decent read. It at least kept my attention but I just wish the romance had been more believable.

It’s Lina’s wedding day. As a professional wedding planner, she’s made sure everything is perfect (even the weather). Then a knock at the door: the groom’s younger brother and best man, Max, with the unfortunate news that the groom isn’t coming. Partly because of something he said last night while they were drinking together, but now can’t remember.

Three years later, Lina is offered the chance to try out for a terrific new job. She’ll be paired with a marketing consultant to prepare her pitch. And guess who it is...Max, of course, who is anxious to do well and prove he’s as good as his perfect brother at their shared career. Maybe better at some other things, too. Especially when an inconvenient attraction develops between these two antagonists.

This had all the satisfaction of a good enemies-to-lovers story. Begrudging respect, smoldering glances, snarky banter. Parts of it genuinely made me laugh aloud. My only quibble was the character of Andrew, the older brother and ex-fiancé. I couldn’t get a good read on him and sometimes it seemed like Sosa couldn’t either. But otherwise this was a delight.

I so wanted to like this book more than I did. But for as much as I love the diversity and unique story line, the characters and dialogue were stilted and felt off. There were times when I couldn't tell who's point of view I was reading, Lina's or Max's. And some of it got a little cringey. Unfortunately, this romantic comedy left me wanting.

Lina, a wedding planner, was jilted at the altar by her fiancé Andrew (who was encouraged to do so by his brother Max). Now, several years later, the three unexpectedly cross paths again in a professional setting as Lina is up for a new job and Andrew and Max are partnered with the top contenders of the job to help with marketing. Can Lina get over her anger and work with Max so that she can get this job? Can Max see past Lina’s impassive demeanor?

This semi-steamy romance (6.5 on the chaste-to-steamy scale) is an enjoyable read. I appreciated the look into Lina’s past with her emotions and how she had tampered them down because being overly emotional in the past has been viewed negatively. As someone who also is carefully neutral, I appreciated the solidarity and the opportunity to view it from a bird’s eye view.

Lina is such a wonderful character! Strong and fierce but totally relatable. The author does a great job of sucking you into the story.

A clever enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy from Mia Sosa! I haven't read her books before but will be rectifying that immediately! I loved the concept of the book and the characters were entertaining. Sure they got on my nerves at times but hey, they can't all be perfect!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon books, and Harper Collins for the ecopy advanced readers copy of this novel.

I love a good enemy to lovers trope. This one did not disappoint in that regard. We first meet Max who is tasked as a best man to do something pretty crappy. Lina is on the receiving end of that crapy task,which doesnt shine him in the best light.

I immediately enjoyed the character of Lina and how she handles said crappy task. The way the author explains Lina's ability to settle her emotions had me checking myself for those coping skills.
Fast forward three years, and we find Max and Lina working together, not by choice.

Arent all the best stories started this way?
You can imagine, like any good rom-com, where this is heading. With just the right amount of angst, frustration, and steam this book left you cheering for everyone to win.

The story went back and forth on Max and Lina's own first person perspective. I struggled at times remembering who's perspective I was reading. The dialogue felt similar between both.

I also struggled with the unnecessary use of aggressive swearing. I am no prude and generally have no issues with swearing but there were times that I felt colorful language was placed in the text simply for it to be present.

I would have enjoyed a bit more dialogue between Max and his brother Andrew to add to more understanding.

Warning: With an honest review I will say that there is a fair amount of language and sex that can deter some readers. I would describe this as an open-door romance.

I truly struggles between a 4 and 5 star rating for this book. I wish all of the book review applications had a 1/2 star rating. I freaking LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Max Hartley. In the Epilogue, he is kind of immature and clearly uncomfortable. But as the story unfolds, he is truly a gentleman with a great heart and a huge capacity for love and forgiveness.

Now Ms. Lina (Carolina) Santos, that was a whole other subject. She's a strong and bullish young lady. As Lina's story unfolds the reader is drawn into all the things that have happened to her to shape the unemotional, but highly organized wedding planner that she has become.

I loved the chemistry these two had from the beginning. I literally read this book and laughed out loud as some of the scenes played out..... I got lots of side-eye from my husband and had to explain the pepper scene, etc.

As someone who works with Brazilians daily and recently returned from Rio, it was awesome to read about some of the foods, drinks, and cultural traditions I have grown to love over the years because of my experiences with my peers and traveling to Brazil.

There was a Happy-ending, even though there was a lot of angst and many situations to keep Max and Lina apart. Awesome story-telling.

Not my favorite romance novel & I freely admit I love a good romance novel! The dialogue was not believable, the story line was uninspired & although I did love the references to Brazilian culture I didn't feel like they were integrated well. It could have been a much better book.

I had a lot of fun with this title. I started and finished it in a day - couldn't put it down. The lead characters were fun and relatable. The road to the HEA was believable. I wish there were more about Lina's family since they were a delight. Overall, loved it and I can't wait to recommend to my patrons who love romance.

The Worst Best Man

Let’s just jump right in and talk about what I loved about The Worst Best Man!

I loved the depths that the author gave to Lina. She was an incredibly well-rounded character. She had a loving and entertaining family but she also had generations of strong women unwittingly adding guilt and pressure to succeed built into her character. Lina had an incredible work ethic and she doesn’t just drop everything once the romance begins in earnest, although there are some questionable judgement calls because comedy must ensue. Her business is an essential part of the plot and I’m so glad that the author has her actually working throughout the book (the working girl who is never written working in romance books is a pet peeve of mine). And even though Lina aims to be focused and composed she is given layers of emotion to be peeled back and explored. It all added up to a fantastic character.

I loved the Brazilian heritage and culture that was written in to the story. I loved the hijinks and funny moments, there were some great opportunities for petty revenge in the enemies-to-lovers sections. And

Now on to the things that I didn’t like... some of the dialogue was stilted and contrived. It just didn’t flow naturally. And Max didn’t seem to have a distinct voice, everyone just sounded alike actually. All of the males felt like they were written by a woman, their tones and verbiage just sounded off to me. And that tends to take me out of a story as I’m reading.

I also wanted more from a couple sections of the book. I wanted more interaction between Max and his brother. I wanted the rivalry and consequential situations to blow up bigger and louder. I wanted more from their mom’s presence, especially some scenes between her and Lina.

I wanted more to be built around the ex-fiancé situation. Lina and Max both think so heavily about how it will look dating the brother of her ex-fiancé but besides said brother, absolutely no one indicates they give a flying fig. Just a few judgmental people or comments sprinkled in would have given so much more to this perceived obstacle and made the ending sweeter.

I think I just wanted a few more hurdles for them to jump and overcome to really bind their new love together and give the reader more to hold on to. While Max’s inner turmoil was interesting and the final job interview was concerning, I’m not sure it was enough for me.

So overall I liked the story but it was a bit of a back and forth. However, I’m definitely going to need to look into lime green wedding dresses. Some of the details the author threw in were forever memorable. Ha.

I absolutely adored this book. This was a brother's fiance/oh no one bed/jilted at the altar book that met my expectations. It was steamy. The romance did built over time. I liked that we had a heroine connected to her culture. My only complaint is that I have to wait a year and change for the next book in the series.

Lina gets jilted at the altar and the one that delivers the news, is the best man, Max. Yeah not a great start for someone who is a wedding planner, she didn't plan for her soon-to-be-husband to run away.

Move forward 10 years and Lina is flourishing as a wedding planner when hotel owner asks her for an interview to possibly do weddings at the hotel. There's a hitch she has to convince the owner how to sell herself as a wedding concierge with the help of a marketing team. Oh and what team would that be? Well known other than her ex-fiance and his brother's firm.

Lina teams up with Max (the best man), but there is a lot of mischief with her and she is maybe a little annoyed with the ex-best man. But Lina see something different from Max than her former fiance. These enemies-to-lovers had plenty of banter and the sexy times was hot.

Mia Sosa is a new-to-me author and I will definitely be reading some more of her books.

*An ARC was received via Net Galley for an honest review.