Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of Best Men in exchange for my honest thoughts!
Here’s the premise:
“When two best men in a wedding party fall for each other, they realize love isn’t a piece of cake in this hilarious and heartfelt romantic comedy debut by screenwriter Sidney Karger.
Max Moody thought he had everything figured out. He’s trying to live his best life in New York City and has the best friend a gay guy could ask for: Paige. She and Max grew up next door to each other in the suburbs of Chicago. She can light up any party. She finishes his sentences. She’s always a reliable splunch (they don’t like to use the word brunch) partner. But then Max’s whole world is turned upside down when Paige suddenly announces some huge news: she’s engaged and wants Max to be her man of honor. Max was always the romantic one who imagined he would get married before the unpredictable Paige and is shocked to hear she’s ready to settle down. But it turns out there’s not just one new man in Paige’s life–there are two.
There’s the groom, Austin, who’s a perfectly nice guy. Then there’s his charming, fun and ridiculously handsome gay younger brother, Chasten, who is Austin’s best man. As Paige’s wedding draws closer, Max, the introverted Midwesterner, and Chasten, the social butterfly East Coaster, realize they’re like oil and water. Yet they still have to figure out how to coexist in Paige’s life while not making her wedding festivities all about them. But can the tiny romantic spark between these two very different guys transform their best man supporting roles into the leading best men in each other’s lives?”
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 could feel like it was wandering off at times and getting too caught up in repetitive character beats.
Overall, if you’re willing to overlook the plotting issues I pointed out above, then I think Best Men can be enjoyable to consume.
Windup score: 75/100
2 Cents Critic 