The Worst Best Man
Ratings79
Average rating3.6
3.25/5
It was fun but that's it. The third act breakup was completely unnecessary, ex drama was weak and I was hoping for more
This book will probably satisfy a persons romcom itch. It has clear character arcs, hits all the story beats, and promotes healthy relationships, has good conversations about culture and race as well.
My low rating for this book comes from the chemistry and humor. Lina and Max were two pieces of cardboard. Not a single line in this book is funny, any attempt at humor is terribly dated and clunky. I really wanted to like this book, as I read more and more romance it is difficult to find books that aren't rife with sexism, bad communication, classism, racism, this book had NONE of that.
I think I really despised this style of writing. The sex scenes were grating, I felt no relationship between anyone in this book most of the two leads. I also cant stress how unfunny this was to me, I think that's what really turned me off from this book.
This book had all the great makings of a rom-com that was cute and loaded with chemistry. I'm so happy to knock this off my tbr.
It started slow but once it started to pick up, I was hooked. The fact that the fake relationship trope snuck up on me with this book was such a great surprise.
The banter and the one-liners that Mia Sosa always delivers never fail to make me smile or laugh. Something else that Sosa never fails to deliver? Fantastic, independent and strong female protagonists that you can't help but love.
The character growth and the insecurities that the two main characters of this book had was so well written and something that you couldn't help but feel connected to. This book felt like a journey of self-acceptance.
It felt like something was missing from this book that I just couldn't quite put my finger on but overall, this was super cute and enjoyable.
This was very cute! It had me more in the first half than the second, not gonna lie, but overall it was a solid 3 stars.
Part of what pulled it down was in the cliched writing, and I don't mean as in tropes, I mean as in literal lines of dialogue or monologue that we have heard a million times before. They stop being funny or cute at some point, be and just become cheesy and cliche to a point where I can't take it serious.
I also think this book could easily have been longer, which is not something I often say. There are moments that simply seem rushed because we haven't had enough time with the characters and their feelings.
But this was exactly what I was in the mood for and needed right now! A good read, for sure.
The Worst Best Man was a fun read! I enjoyed the banter between Lina and Max a lot. These two characters were great and I loved their character growth. I loved the moments with Lina's family too, there were so many hilarious moments. The romance was great with lots of chemistry and steamy moments, even though it was a slow burn. A super entertaining read!
This was really fun! I enjoyed the twist on the enemies to lovers trope, I liked the whole wedding planner background of the main character and I loved the descriptions of the Brazilian culture and food (hello cheese balls!).
I will say the male narrator wasn't great, he made the female characters sound like whiney children which is just annoying, but the female narrator was great!
Star deducted for awkward AF sex scenes
Ok now see THIS is what I needed after reading Columbine and Flowers for Algernon. I absolutely adore Lina and Max. I was laughing pretty much from start to finish. What a fun, Rom-Com. I'm so glad I started reading more of these.
A solid 4 ★
WARNING: If you are Brazilian, please, do READ this book, do not LISTEN to it.
It's aggressive to our poor and undervalued (Brazilian) years.
Come on. I'm sure I've already read/ listen to enough audiobooks with different cultures and all of them displayed the concern to choose a narrator that was fluent in both languages (examples: Sandhya Menon book series, The Daevabad trilogy, Love from A to Z, and even that Athena's Club series they've chosen a woman who spoke a good and understandable French.)
That shit disturbed me.
It's impossible that this bitch speaks Portuguese in a daily bases life (yes, I've searched the narrator background and IMDb says that she is half Brazilian).
Jesus.
Her Portuguese is... URGH.
Her “ãos” are miserable. CaiPIrinhas - pi is the tonic, “Mãe” is not that nasal, and “filha” does not sound es “fília”, Most of the phrases sounds like the google translate chick, and it is painful to listen.
I know I'm being a little too judgy but it's my culture and I've already experienced a lot of prejudice by being Brazilian so each opportunity displayed to make us “not that bad” I grab it with my fool (yes, fool as in at silly as it may be) efforts.
Tirando isso... esse livro é ÓTIMO = okay, atende ao proposto muito bem.
Embora com algumas cenas hot um pouco too hot para o horário comercial - mas ainda assim, escutável - o livro traz temas muito atuais e abrangentes.
Com lutas MUITO relacionáveis. Como ser mulher, em uma posição de liderança é f*da, como sempre temos que nos mostrar fortes e inabaláveis, mesmo com o mundo caindo, para provar nossa competência.
Também fala da insegurança, da comparação que somos submetidos todos os dias (interessante a autora optar por esse tema ser um struggle masculino, na visão do Max e seus traumas amorosos).
A relação da família é SUPER relacionável, pelo menos com a minha família.
My aunts, cousins, parents (inhales deeply)... they are always here, there, everywhere; getting in each other lives, suffocating us with love, but also, they worked their asses off to provide the best to their children, and are always concerned to make us feel safe and unharmed.
E então que vemos as personagens.
Lina é uma personagem bem construída com várias camadas, porém, uma delas, deixou a desejar (foi remediada ao final do livro, eu sei, mas me perturbou por 30 e poucos capítulos).
Não consigo entender esse ponto de vista: Por que não namorar alguém que tira, pelo menos um pouco, seu centro do eixo?
Porque você perdeu o fio uma vez não significa que tem que necessariamente namorar alguém bege pelo resto da vida. Isso sim, seria um tiro no pé.
Andrew is a jackass. Come on. And if I had a brother like this, I would through him in the nearest moat I would find on the way home.
E achei um pouco TOO MUCH todo o trauma/abalo sísmico nesse capitulo (33), meio que uma dramatização exagerada da coisa toda - embora, meu lado indeciso diga que é compreensível, a sua maneira, o drama dos irmãos.
Porém, esse quadro da personalidade do ex-noivo pintado pela autora me fez duvidar do caráter da própria Lina em optar por um cara tão babaca como opção de potencial marido.
Contudo, o discurso (brinde de casamento) da Lina foi absurdamente bonito, e achei esse sumário do porque ser vulnerável em uma relação vale a pena - quando correspondido, claro.
Todas as personagens são carismáticas ou irritáveis a sua maneira, como um background bem construído para entendermos as relações familiares/a base do casal principal. E um grande parêntese para Dean, que é engraçado DEMAIS - chap. 32 - e ele tem média razão em tudo.
And Max.
Too cute to handle. Even with a groaning, bored and needing narrator's voice.
E, para fechar essa miscelânea de pensamentos aleatórios...
This phrase:
“There is room for different kinds of greatness, even if you cry doing it.(...) especially if you cry doing it”
This was really cute!
At times it was cheesy and unrealistic but that was what I was anticipating going into it, so I wasn't too, too upset by it.
This mainly gets 4 stars because of the chemistry between the two characters. I absolutely adored them and they went great together.
Would definitely recommend to fans of Hallmark movies and cheesy romance novels.
Absolutely loved this one!! This was my first read from this author and I cant wait to check out more. I'm always a softie when it comes to ‘Enemies-to-Lovers' stories and this was no miss. The back story was interesting and the banter kept me laughing and anticipating where their love story was going to go. Also, want to give my love to the Latina representation in the story, being Latina myself I always love to see them being presented as the heroine of the story and seeing that diversity being showcased.
Ok I really liked this. I went into it thinking it would just be some cheesy rom-com and in some ways, it was? but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book which was well written, funny and engaging. Also a WOC lead? You already know I'm with it haha
2.5 stars.
I liked Lina. I liked Max. I loved reading about Lina and her family. I loved reading about Max's friendship with Dean.
Unfortunately, I did not love reading about Lina and Max together...which was a slight problem, given that the book is their love story.
Going into it, I was all set for a trope-rific romp, but instead, the romance was just a mish-mash of strange, inconsistent interactions. I kept waiting for things to click, but they never did. I was honestly glad it was over.
Also, a lot of the humor felt forced, but that's pretty subjective and could have just been my mood at the time.
I did appreciate the multiple LGBT+ side characters, the cultural diversity, and the fact that Sosa didn't shy away from topics that romances frequently avoid. For all that, I almost rounded up to three stars, but for me, that rating entails a book I enjoyed and would recommend, and I just can't quite make myself do it.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. *
Oh, how I ended up loving this book.
Max isn't the usual hero we get. See, he is soft, caring, understanding, and willing to think before he acts. He is just so... amazing.
I ended up loving the main characters relationship and how it progressed. It was so sweet and lovely. This book also had me laughing and smiling often at the banter and the antics characters got into.
This book is sweet, light, and terribly fun and I'm sure I'll be rereading it in the future.