The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

This is one of the most anticipated contemporary romance releases of 2020 and I was fortunate enough to be given an arc from Avon Romance/Harper Collins Publishers last fall.  Who could resist that cover?

This was one of those guilty pleasures I couldn't put down. Mia Sosa kept a good pace throughout and there was never a dull moment.

So this is a story about a wedding planner named Lina who isn't exactly what you'd expect from a wedding planner. She's not going to squeal with you over your dress and flower choices but she'll make sure you have a kick ass wedding. And I liked how that was addressed in this story because if a black woman isn't super smiley or perky all the time people write her off as being aloof and having a bad attitude.  Lina is an Afro-Latina who has to navigate the fine line between being passionate and being considered an angry black woman. Black women have to be in constant awareness of their emotions and don't get the luxury of crying things out.

Lina's business is struggling when she comes across an event planner opportunity for a major hotel. This opportunity can change her life. The only problem is she has to work on a marketing plan with Max, the brother of her ex fiance who left her at the altar.

I don't know much about Brazil but I adored Lina's Brazilian family. They're very reminiscent of my own family. And I enjoy the touches of Brazilian culture throughout the story including Portuguese phrases, food, and dance.

Max always had the support of his best friend which made for some hilarious interactions while he tried to sort out these new found feelings.

This plot could've been overly messy since Lina is hooking up with her ex's brother and the brothers have a long standing sibling rivalry but it actually worked. And what makes or breaks these stories is chemistry and luckily Lina and Max have a lot of sizzling chemistry.

One thing I wish they would've addressed was the interracial aspect of their relationship. With Max being white and from a completely different background I thought it would've been brought up. But other than that this was a fun read I devoured in a couple of days. And a must read for anyone looking for a good romance.