Publishers Weekly
07/04/2016
This flimsy contemporary romance set in Chicago relies heavily on the hero’s inability to communicate. Emily Klein will never forgive Jase Foster for betraying their high school friendship, but avoiding him as an adult is not an option: his friends keep marrying her friends. At a wedding where he stands as the best man, she’s the maid of honor, making it doubly hard to get through the evening in a civilized fashion. Both Jase and Emily are one-dimensional characters, though Jase has slightly more depth, scarred by his mother’s abandonment and fixated on Emily’s past misdeeds. Jase has always had a weakness for Emily’s smile and legs, and when they hook up for a one-night stand, the chemistry is explosive. However, he doesn’t talk to Emily about his growing feelings, he avoids his father because he doesn’t want to discuss his mother, and he encourages his friend to walk out on his wife and baby instead of working out problems. There’s not much to recommend this romance other than the cast of friends, who have more personality and witty one-liners than the protagonists. It’s clear from the heavy-handed setup that those side characters will return in future sequels, which may be more entertaining than this one. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
"This series introduction comes out of the starting gate by delivering the heat—and then some!" — RT Book Reviews
"This page-turner has it all: fantastic characters, witty banter, and sizzling chemistry. I absolutely loved it!" — Gina L. Maxwell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Playboys in Love series
"Highly emotional and supremely sexy, May The Best Man Win was a satisfying and engaging story from beginning to end." — Guilty Pleasures
"With outstanding writing, impressive characterization, and plotting that both gratifies and surprises, Kelly proves that she's an author to watch. Sweet and sexy: a witty, smart, and romantic love story." — Kirkus Reviews
"An author who can make a reader feel a wide range of emotions is clearly one who is skilled at their craft. Jase and Emily’s happy ending in May the Best Man Win is well deserved and I eagerly await the next story in The Best Men series." — All About Romance
Kirkus Reviews
2016-06-21
When Jase and Emily are continually thrown together as wedding attendants, long-buried resentments, miscommunications, and attraction bubble up until a one-night stand becomes a red-hot affair that cools considerably once they actually face their painful shared past.Jase Foster and Emily Klein are good friends to everyone but each other and usually the tallest in a crowd—so naturally they are both highly sought-after wedding attendants in their overlapping social circles, and they're usually paired together. Because of a shared experience in their past—involving his high school best friend who was her boyfriend—they are definitely not friends, though there's always been a spark between them. When two friends need their help planning a wedding more quickly than expected, they are forced to spend time together, and, in an explosive moment that flashes from irritation to begrudging understanding, they give in to a long-standing attraction they've never allowed themselves to explore. A hot kiss leads to a one-night stand they'll use to get over it, though they never quite do. Giving in to their physical attraction and emotional rapport, the two fall into a relationship that may be love—until a series of events makes it clear that they are both holding on to some emotional baggage from their high school days, and they'll have to clear the air before they can truly be happy. The romance spans a year before Jase and Emily get it right and is an intelligent, perfectly balanced combination of humor, emotion, and sexual tension. With outstanding writing, impressive characterization, and plotting that both gratifies and surprises, Kelly proves that she's an author to watch. Sweet and sexy: a witty, smart, and romantic love story.
