Ginny Frost
The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa fulfilled the
category “Book with an
Oxymoron in the Title” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge. I had several
great titles for this one, Openly Straight, Summer Frost, and Death
of a Ghost. But we all love romances here, so…
The Worst Best Man is a classic enemies-to-lovers
romance. It chronicles the story of Lina, a wedding planner who is stood up at
her own wedding. We flash forward a few years, and Lina is doing well but needs
a new location for her business. Her job search finds her working with her ex-fiancé
and his brother. Lina pretends not to know the two men so she can vie for the
perfect job. Of course, this gets her in trouble. Let’s not mention how amazing, hot, and fun former best man Max
is. Lina is in hot water here!
The novel had some wonderful elements. Lina is
Brazilian, and the author paints fantastic pictures of the culture, food, and
traditions through Lina and her family. I loved every second of hearing about
eating Pão de Queijo or dancing to samba music. I listened to the audio (of
course). Occasionally, the characters spoke in Portuguese, adding even more to
the culturally rich book. I loved that the white guy embraced her culture and
wanted to learn more about it. Especially the part where she tricked him into
eating some very spice peppers.
Another great aspect of the story was the conflict.
The novel built the perfect level of conflict as we moved through the tale. This book was the picture-perfect
representation of “the build.” The author carefully layered a failed wedding,
then business with the ex, then liking the ex’s little brother, then losing her
place of business, all the while working on her inner goals of emotional stability
and keeping her lust in check. The further you read in the story, the more the
conflict escalates. It’s a perfectly written romance.
But…
I mentioned I listened to the audio. I would not recommend it. The narration
alternated between two readers, one male, one female. The woman reader was
amazing, speaking Portuguese and differentiating between characters with
changes in her voice. The male reader, on the other hand… Well, I’ll say it. He
was terrible. He made Lina sound like some dizzy blonde. All his female voices
were awful. If I were the author, I’d ask for a new version of the audio. The
female reader could have done the whole thing, and then the book would have
been absolutely perfect. I’m not sure why they choose to use dual readers in
many romance books. It isn’t necessary, and in this case, it almost ruined the story.
I finished on audio, but if I ever reread, only paper!
I give The
Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa Five Pieces of Pão de Queijo (if you don’t listen to the audio).