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The Best Man

(Blue Heron #1)

Kristan Higgins (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 25,470 ratings · 2,004 reviews

Sometimes The Best Man Is The One You Least Expect...

Faith Holland left her hometown after being jilted at the altar. Now a little older and wiser, she’s ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family’s vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there’s some great scenery there....

Like Levi Cooper, the local police chief ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 426 pages

Published February 26th 2013 by Harlequin HQN

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2013 Contemporary Romance

469 books — 855 voters

Can't Wait Books of 2013

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Apr 23, 2019 Melissa rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, 2019, predictable

I’m sure the number of enthusiastic reviews I’ve written for her work hardly makes this a secret, but nevertheless, I feel compelled to mention, Kristan Higgins has earned favorite storyteller status from this reader. She’s become a go-to author. An automatic reach. No marketing campaign necessary to convince me. The heart, humor, and relatability dominating her storylines have captured my heart time and again, ensuring any and all of her books earn a place in my read (if not my loved) pile.

With ...more

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Nov 15, 2017 A. rated it it was ok

Shelves: kinda-meh, annoying-as-fuck-heroine, eye-roll-inducing, lukewarm-and-anemic, pov-3rd-person, cold-unemotional-stoic-hero, gruff-grumpy-or-brooding-hero, where-s-your-pride-woman, cops-in-any-shape-or-form, ow-drama-yuck

2 Stars. Barely.

This is my first read by this author. I can see why so many readers love her books. Her writing is compelling and witty. And while I do admit this book was funny and entertaining at times, it basically rubbed me the wrong way.

***********Spoilerage Below. Rant Ahead.**********

Issue No. 1:

I couldn’t relate to the heroine. She is naïve, whiny and has low self-confidence. She blushes all the time, needs to be looked after and has to be carried around because she forgets to take ...more

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Oct 10, 2012 willaful rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: made-me-laugh, wall-meet-book, arc-gift-or-netgalley, reunited-or-have-history, special-needs-physical, o-farmer-gardener

I'm really puzzled about how to approach this review. There is much about this book that is sensitive, generous, moving, and funny. There is also much that feels like getting a pie in the face. With a rock in it.

Faith has an exceptionally bad history with men, even for a Higgins heroine. Her longterm sweetheart Jeremy came out to her at their wedding and it's been nothing but bad revelations ever since. Yet fate has chosen her to be a matchmaker for her widowed father, who the family fears is in I'm really puzzled about how to approach this review. There is much about this book that is sensitive, generous, moving, and funny. There is also much that feels like getting a pie in the face. With a rock in it.

Faith has an exceptionally bad history with men, even for a Higgins heroine. Her longterm sweetheart Jeremy came out to her at their wedding and it's been nothing but bad revelations ever since. Yet fate has chosen her to be a matchmaker for her widowed father, who the family fears is in danger of marrying Lorena, "clearly a gold digger and not a candidate for stepmother." The burden of guilt Faith carries about her mother's death makes it impossible to refuse to go home, even though it means facing the lover who dumped her -- and his best friend Levi, who pushed him into doing it.

Starting with a gossipy prologue about the aborted wedding, the story is firmly set in the "small town full of lovably eccentric characters" subgenre, and the romance cliches fall thick and fast at the beginning. As I read on, I found I didn't mind, because the elements were all used -- yes it's a bit over the top that Chief of Police Levi gets called out to rescue pet chickens from dogs but it also reveals something about his dependable character. Faith's relationship with Jeremy is also more than just a plot point; they still care deeply about each other and regain some of their former closeness over the course of the story, and Jeremy and Levi's friendship is also strong. Despite his deceit, Jeremy is really a love and I would have read a romance for him in a minute.

And there's a realistic ugly side to this small town. In one poignant scene, Levi thinks about how, as police chief, he helped a woman who had once begrudged him some Halloween candy, because he was a "trailer park kid."

Levi's sensitivity about class issues was one of the reasons he and Faith had never been friends -- that and his contempt for her people-pleasing attitude. Faith is so aware of his dislike, she has a "boredom scale" that measures the way he looks at her: "One was Oh. It's you. Ten was You're invisible." They start the story with a lot of bad feeling between them -- as well as a bit of history of attraction and a forbidden kiss. And that attraction begins to blossom as they start to understand how each misinterpreted the other.

The parts of the story from Levi's perspective were my favorites. He's written a little too self-consciously "just an average guy" at times, like when he thinks "A regular… what was that Greek chick's name? The one who caused the slaughter of an entire city?" He remembers the details, but not the well-known name Helen of Troy? But he's a good guy with a hard past, and I liked him for coping so well. Faith is less easily likable, until we discover what makes her so needy. "Jeremy, the only one who'd ever seen in her something that was special and rare and precious. Jeremy had been proof that she was forgiven. But now there was nothing."

Good characters, good backstory, good romance -- what went wrong for me was the humor, which too often sailed over-the-top into very offensive. I was uncomfortable when the wife of Faith's date shows up--toddler in tow--and gleefully calls her "whore." Ten times. I was uncomfortable with the depictions of no-class "gold digger" Lorena, and Faith's grandparents, who can't say a word to each other that doesn't contain an insult. I was uncomfortable when a blind date starts whimsically grilling Faith about whether she likes to be tied up, completely ignoring her obvious distaste. And I was enraged when a blind date for Faith's father turns out to be a "she male," to everyone's horror and amusement. "Humor" at the expense of a marginalized minority is ugly and mean-spirited.

And that's when I stopped wanting to read Jeremy's story, because who knows what might happen in it? I had a hard time even finishing this book, and I had to rate it down because my enjoyment was significantly spoiled. Here, two stars doesn't mean "it was okay," because it was not okay. It's just my acknowledgement that there was much about the story that was worth reading.

(reviewed from e-arc provided by netgalley)
...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Mo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5

First off I want to say that I love Kristan Higgins. Have read all her books and totally love her stories, her characters, her humour, her dogs…. She has it all. Felt like I was waiting forever for this one as it only just became available NOW on KINDLE in Europe – why make us wait so long? Not fair…..

It is the story of Faith and Levi…. Oh and Jeremy is in there somewhere too.

Faith left her hometown after she was jilted at the altar.

Everybody loves her, she is popular, well off, has lots ...more

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Jun 08, 2016 Susan Phillips rated it it was amazing

I just love Kristan Higgins’ author’s “voice.” She could write the phone book, and I’m sure I’d read it.

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Aug 15, 2017 Kiki rated it it was ok

Shelves: hero-beyond-redemption, wishy-washy-hero, would-be-better-if-she-tossed-him, weak-hero, wheres-the-fucking-grovelling, he-screws-around-she-doesn-t-nope, heroine-2nd-best, too-much-emotional-cheating, hero-loves-ow-almost-till-end, heroine-does-all-the-hard-work

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 16, 2016 Amy | Foxy Blogs rated it really liked it

Shelves: headphones, library2go, amazon, 2016-books, september-2016

I just finished listening to this one which makes it the second book for me by this author.

Since I read the second book first I knew a little bit about this story. I knew Faith was engaged to the love her life but was left at the altar when Jeremy came to terms with his true feelings. It wasn't that he didn't love her but that he was gay and had never accepted that as who he was until his best man, Levi, challenged him to see what he really wanted in life.

The title is so fitting for this story ...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Jonetta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, netgalley-arc

The one thing you can always count on in a Kristan Higgins story is you’re going to experience just about every emotion before you reach the end…and that’s with the same characters! This one is no different in that your heart breaks for Faith Holland at the outset when she’s jilted at the altar after Jeremy Lyons, her fiancé, announces he can’t marry her because he’s gay. And, his best man, Levi Cooper, is the one that halted the wedding to make him fess up. Since they were planning to honeymoon The one thing you can always count on in a Kristan Higgins story is you’re going to experience just about every emotion before you reach the end…and that’s with the same characters! This one is no different in that your heart breaks for Faith Holland at the outset when she’s jilted at the altar after Jeremy Lyons, her fiancé, announces he can’t marry her because he’s gay. And, his best man, Levi Cooper, is the one that halted the wedding to make him fess up. Since they were planning to honeymoon in San Franciso anyway, Faith goes alone and ends up staying there for three years.

When Faith returns home to work on a project at her family’s winery, she only plans to stay for a few weeks. She’s only visited a couple of times since her fiasco of a wedding and the town is so small that most everyone had attended. The first person she encounters is Levi, now the police chief and former Army vet (decorated at that) and the tension is thick; he never really cared for Princess Super-Cute and she hasn’t forgiven him for his responsibility in halting her wedding.

While you can’t help but like Faith, there are times you want her to get a backbone. But, there’s a reason for why she behaves the way she does and it’s an important part of the story. Her clashes with Levi sizzle with their animosity and lustful attraction, which neither really gets for a while. There are a lot of colorful characters in the town and no one is shy about sharing their points of view about and with the two. It doesn’t help that Jeremy is beloved by all of them and is still there, too. Add to that Faith’s pretty whacky family and you’ve got a story that is often hilarious, sometimes sad and always romantic in some form or fashion.

I love Higgins’ stories with her less than perfect characters who end up surprising you when you dig underneath the surface. Faith doesn’t look for your sympathy and you can’t help but admire how she picked herself up and never shied away from what happened to her. Levi is über sexy and has his own issues to deal with and his journey to discover the real Faith helped him to look at his own situation in a different light. It’s a fun, adult romance that tackles some serious issues but not so seriously that you end up in a bad place. I laughed so hard at times it brought me to tears. I liked them as a couple and am glad this is the first book in a new series, which will allow me to revisit some favorite characters again. 4.5 stars

(I received an ARC from NetGalley) ...more

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Aug 28, 2015 ♥Sharon♥ rated it it was amazing

I am so happy that I decided to pick up one of Kristan Higgins books. I absolutely adored this story and I cannot wait to read more from her.

The Best Man is book #1 in the Blue Heron series. What I loved most about this story was that the romance between the two main characters was so refreshing to read. It was sweet, tender, sexy and there was just the right amount of angst thrown in too. Nothing was overdone.

This is Faith Holland and Levi Cooper’s story. Both characters were easy to love. Levi was that kind of guy that was imperfect in ways that drew you in and made you swoon like crazy. And sweet beautiful Faith. She was the perfect match for Levi even if he had a hard time seeing that himself.

With a shared past that had been a bit bumpy, Levi and Faith’s lives end up going down paths that wouldn’t cross again until a number of years had passed. Both of them have changed in different ways but there was a piece of their past that hadn’t changed. There was something that had always simmered just below the surface when they were together and soon enough it would bubble over.

Faith and Levi’s past involved Levi’s best friend and Faith’s ex-fiancé Jeremy. When Faith was left broken hearted at the alter nothing could take away the humiliation she felt. How did she not know? Why didn’t someone say something to her? So she did the only thing she could and left Manningsport and headed to San Francisco.

There is something stirring within Faith’s family that brings her back home after a few years. She was looking forward to seeing her father John, her brother Jack, her sisters Honor and Pru, her best friend Colleen and lets not forget Goggy and Pops. The one person that she wasn’t looking forward to was seeing Levi.

Faith hadn’t forgotten what happened on her wedding day and her feelings towards Levi hadn’t changed much. That’s until she runs into him and realizes that there is a bit of a spark between them. This spark sends them both into a passionate tailspin. ❤

I really enjoyed these two together. One minute Levi would be all brooding and the next minute he was being sweet and sexy. I loved Faith’s tenacity and her sweetness. Their romance was slow building and I’ll admit, the sex scenes were not over the top hot and heavy but it really didn’t matter. They were sexy in such a tender way that it was rather refreshing.

There was so much more to this story than just the romance brewing between Faith and Levi. Faith needed to come to terms with something that happened when she lost her mom and Levi needed to realize he was so much more than that boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He deserved to be happy.

I also enjoyed the side story of Faith and her siblings trying to find a girlfriend for their dad John. It was comical. Groggy and Pop were a hoot too. And everyone needs a best friend like Colleen. She was rather entertaining to say the least. Oh and Blue. What a sweet dog he was. That is when he wasn’t humping Levi’s leg. :)
...more

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Feb 26, 2014 Didi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, favorites, second-chances, best-of-2014

RE-READ JANUARY 15/16

10++++ MILLION STARS!!!!!!

I read this last year, loved it and then subsequently read everything else KH has ever written. I have faves from her amazing database, but some distinct standouts. This Blue Heron series is truly remarkable, but The Best Man is...UN-BELIEVABLY OUT OF THIS WORLD, FANTASTIC!

I noticed things I didn't the first time around, and frankly, fell in love with Levi and Faith even more. Much, much more. Levi, gah! I can't even tell you how incredibly amazing ...more

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Sep 19, 2017 Jennifer rated it liked it

Shelves: adult-content, adult-contemporary-romance, i-met-the-author, finished-series, listened-to-audiobook, read-2017, one-click-authors, higgins-love

I was late to the game when I finally found Kristan Higgins. My first experience with her was the perfection that was If You Only Knew. Although her former works are probably very good, if you've read any of her newer stuff, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say nothing else compares. The Best Man was published in 2013 and is the first installment in a series of romances set in the community of Blue Heron. I found it to be a good contemporary romance for adults. Overall, I liked it. It w ...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Duchess Nicole rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Fans of Jill Shalvis, Bella Andre, Terri Osburn

Shelves: 4-star-read, make-me-cry, genre-contemp-romance, hero-is-a-gamma, self-contained, sigh-worthy, e-pcs, read-in-2014, humorous

I just loved Faith and Levi! This is the first in the Blue Heron series by Kristan Higgins and my fourth book to read of hers. She never fails to impress me with her evocative, if somewhat long winded family drama and sweet, slow, believable romances. Add in a dash of humor that is seriously chuckle-worthy, and I'm game for everything she can throw at me. And anyone who calls enemies hemorrhoids and utilizes Fifty Shades of Grey as sexy, silly comic relief is, quite frankly, DA BOMB!

This is set ...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Lisa Kay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: m-audible-dot-com, authors-k, authors-h, genre-romance-contemporary, vocation-man-in-uniform-or-w-badge, animal-dog-in-story, 2013-rlftci-group-challenge, theme-small-town-lovin, challenge-bookcover, challenge-nbrc-tower

Rose Quartz

★★★★½ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Amy Rubinate is another narrator I haven't heard before, but I quite liked her. I do think she did a better job on the second half of the story, but maybe that is influenced by my liking the later half better. When a character’s voice is supposed to hold a note of humor or derision, she handles it nicely.

In the first half of this book I thought the heroine was a bit too hung-up on what the hero did in the past. I kept thinking, “Geez, lady. ...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Ririn Aziz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, kristan-higgins, cabaran-2018, wish-list, cabaran-2020

My 7 years review just gone like that, because I clicked finished through the app!!!!! Why this problem still happened after all this while??

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Dec 28, 2016 *TANYA* rated it really liked it

Adorable book. Faith was a hoot!! I liked that this wasn't your typical "insta-love" type read. And the family banter was hilarious, great family camaraderie. ...more

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Nov 01, 2017 Blacky *Romance Addict* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, best-of-the-best, he-is-mine, 5-stars-for-enjoyment, read-2017, read-contemp-oldie-chick-lit, favorite-contemporary

First time reading this author and I AM IN LOVE!

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Feb 19, 2017 Karen rated it it was amazing

She's done it to me once again...

...more

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Jun 20, 2014 Ami rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommended to Ami by: Nur

Shelves: 2-or-2-and-a-half-stars-rating, romance, new-to-me-authors-2014

2.5 stars

I definitely had issues which reduced my reading experience. Now, the good thing was ... it had all the element of small town romance, heck down to the meddling secondary characters.

BUT, I felt that the romance was a bit lacking. For enemies-to-lovers theme to work, I need proofs that the animosity can change. Here, I just felt that both Faith and Levi spent more time with other people than being together and in love. I mean, how can I believe in them, when on pages, it seemed that I k ...more

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Oct 23, 2019 Jacob Proffitt rated it did not like it

Shelves: unfinished

I'm bailing on this one really early in. I just can't take the cartoons presented as characters and Faith's self-flagellation is already old and Levi is a self-righteous jerk who apparently blames Faith for not noticing that her boyfriend was gay while sitting on that information himself the entire time. I'm not a fan of flashbacks in general, so getting a huge honker of a flashback where we see Levi figuring out that Jeremy is gay on first meeting him means that the entire six plus years of the ...more

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Dec 19, 2012 StScho rated it it was amazing

Shelves: i-hate-to-love-you, yummy-men, favorites, funny-af, warrior-men

I love me some Kristan Higgins. Just when I think she can’t reel me in any longer (not too impressed with her last book), she comes out with this gem.

Faith and Jeremy have been high school/college sweethearts. The happiest day of Faith’s life is when Jeremy proposed. On their wedding day, Jeremy jilts her (coward!) and his best friend Levi is ~~mostly~~ partly responsible. Years later, Faith is finally coming home. The past is in the past. Except for Levi….he is still definitely on her hit list (if ...more

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Jan 15, 2016 NinaReader rated it really liked it

A really cute, sweet story!

This is my first Kristan Higgins book and I highly enjoyed it.

Faith and Levi have known each other since grade school but it wasn't until Jeremy moves into town that they really had anything to do with each other in more than a cursory acknowledgement. Jeremy became Faith's ever devoted and faithful boyfriend then fiance and Levi's best friend.

The wedding day was beautiful, attended by hundreds - of families and friends in their picturesque hometown when Levi was ins ...more

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Dec 30, 2019 *The Angry Reader* rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

What in the hell is wrong with this book? Why is it bad for a woman to enjoy sex? Why can’t boots be empowering and sexy? HOW MANY TIMES DOES THE AUTHOR USE THE WORD “SLUTTY?”

This may have been an okay read. I was okay with the story line. Okay with characters. Curious to see what happens next. But every use of the word “slut,” or “whore” or “slutty” was like a stab in the eye ball.

No thank you. And I won’t pick up this author again. Awful judgmental shit.

...more

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May 28, 2013 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, romantic-comedy, hate-at-first-sight, funny-hilarious

I would have rate it 5 stars, if chick lit is the only genre I read. But sadly, I had read too much awesome romance, so although I kinda love this book, I gotta rate it 4 stars just to be consistent. I actually read this whole book in one night and then only I realize is actually 400+ pages. I had no idea how I manage it, but I did lose some sleep over it.

The first chapter itself had me laughing so hard that I have to stop myself looking like an idiot. Faith is having such a bad luck when comes I would have rate it 5 stars, if chick lit is the only genre I read. But sadly, I had read too much awesome romance, so although I kinda love this book, I gotta rate it 4 stars just to be consistent. I actually read this whole book in one night and then only I realize is actually 400+ pages. I had no idea how I manage it, but I did lose some sleep over it.

The first chapter itself had me laughing so hard that I have to stop myself looking like an idiot. Faith is having such a bad luck when comes to looking for a steady boyfriend. It is unbelievable that all her potential mates ended up either being gay, a criminal or having some other unsavory behavior. So now she is resorting to stalking and staking outside a guy's home to avoid any surprises in the future. She even had a checklist made, not because she is picky, she just want someone who wasn't gay, married, unkind, amoral or too short.

We got some flashback on how Faith met her boyfriend of 8 years, Jeremy who ended up being her ex-fiance now. I don't think is a spoiler to mentioned that he is actually (view spoiler), since it was mentioned from the first chapter itself. I do find the flashback chapters getting in the way while I was reading the present story. But we learned how deep is Jeremy and Levi's friendship and how is Faith's initial relationship with Levi back in the senior high days.

Most people hate their ex's best friend, and in this case ex-fiance's best friend. But they doesn't had any deep hatred, mostly just annoyed of each other presence. Levi used to be considered white trash from the trailer park, so we see how he value his friendship with Jeremy, the rich kid who treated him as equal. After Levi's stint at the army, he came back as a hometown hero and now the local police chief. But his job mainly covers settling neighbor dispute, which include someones dog attacking someone else chicken, cat got escape and etc.

The highlight of this book gotta be the Hollands family who owned the Blue Heron Winery. I myself used to live with both my grandparents and parents together with my siblings under the same roof. So I can imagine how chaos can it be when four generations of Hollands congregate together. They have multiple conversations at one time where everyone are talking and nobody is listening. Faith moved to San Francisco for three years after being jilted at the alter and now she is considering moving back to the family and get herself involve with the family business. Her big sister, Prudence, is facing sexual relationship issue with her husband, who wanted to turn things kinky. Wink wink. Both her niece and nephew thinks that their parents are turning into sex addicts. Faith also had this bitchy bff, Colleen who had been longing for a sugar daddy and wants to be her stepmum. She had a thing for men over 50s. Oh yeah, did I mentioned Faith's ex-fiance, Jeremy? Apparently, they both still wanted to maintain their friendship despite all the previous heartache.

Back to Levi, our hotshot police chief. I gotta love the guy who is fastidious, able to cook and willing to bath my dog. Despite their animosity, Faith can't help but notice what an attractive man he is, and bonus points for being heterosexual. They both felt the attraction between them all those years ago, but because Faith wass Jeremy's girlfriend, they didn't act upon it. Levi often gave Faith this condescending look whenever he was with her. He used to feel that she was this Hollands' little princess that was a little too perfect for humanity. The one who saves little puppies, help the poor, donate her kidney, that sort of thing.

When Levi made his moves and got together with Faith, I thought things will become all lovey dovey between them. That usually the case in chick lit. But it seems like they both are unsure. To outsider, Levi is this charming chief of police, but deep down he had this wall surrounding himself ever since he came back from the army and followed by his mum passing. Nevertheless, he do had a close relationship with his little stepsister, Sarah. He is so uncommunicative towards Faith, and she started to question his commitment towards her.

Towards the end, there is a slight twist and revelation from Faith about her mother. I thought Levi's issue with his minor PTSD and between his father can be explore more. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining chick lit that is heavily focus on the Hollands family dynamic and also about second chances. ...more

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Aug 13, 2017 Vintage rated it liked it

Shelves: a-real-sweetheart, bromance-alert, charming, dogs-rule, funny, cutesy, humor, made-me-cry, rom-com, banter

Compared to the dreary The Perfect Match, this was awesome. Okay, readable.

The h is dumped at her wedding when the best man pushes the groom to make his big confession: he's gay! The sweet couple had been the cutest high school couple, and everyone is shocked at the fallout. She beat feet for the bright lights of San Francisco and who could blame her.

Three years later and the h is back in town. She needs to get over the past, see her ex-fiancee who is still, at heart, her best friend, glare at t ...more

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Mar 01, 2016 Brenna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: alpha, series, romantic, loveable-jerk, favorite-series, the-gigs, second-chance

It took me a while to get into this book. It's my first Kristan Higgins novel and something about her writing/dialogue style took me some getting used to. There were so many characters thrown at you introduced so quickly that it was frustrating at first. I honestly considered DNFing it multiple times. And I very rarely DNF.

It took me 2 days to get to 30% but once I made it to that point I was pretty freaking hooked.

The storyline of a girl (Faith) falling for the best man (who she hates) who sto ...more

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Jul 26, 2014 Gwen (The Gwendolyn Reading Method) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: best-romance

ok, this was pretty dang good

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Sep 21, 2012 Kajol rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, contemporary-romance, favorite-author, humor

Rating: 4.3 stars!

An advanced reading copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

After staring at the blank page for a quarter of an hour, fidgeting and scowling in hopes to scare the God of inspiration if there ever was one, I finally decided to start my review with this one line: I loved this novel.

Maybe it's because I love contemporary romances that I liked this one so much.

It's been a week since I finished reading it, and I'd be lying if I said that I remember exactly what I felt Rating: 4.3 stars!

An advanced reading copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

After staring at the blank page for a quarter of an hour, fidgeting and scowling in hopes to scare the God of inspiration if there ever was one, I finally decided to start my review with this one line: I loved this novel.

Maybe it's because I love contemporary romances that I liked this one so much.

It's been a week since I finished reading it, and I'd be lying if I said that I remember exactly what I felt while reading this book. I do not remember the witty dialogues every few pages that I might've/might not have thought to include or a particular scene I might've wanted to mention on this review but what I do remember is that the whole experience of reading this book was comforting and at the same time, fun.

Note: Before I start and then eventually forget, I'd like to mention this to you now, that this novel has more than its fair share of cliched moments, some very ridiculous conclusions and maybe a slight repetitiveness that is normal to this genre these days. It also has scenes that were meant to be humorous but ended up seeming overdone and distasteful. Despite all that, I plead guilty of somehow loving this novel. :)

Faith Holland was a heroine whose imperfections were highlighted by her seeming so real, that she almost took a corporeal form and played out the scenes in the book right before my eyes. At first I'd been a bit irritated by her lack of self-confidence, her naivete and the times when she almost came off as.. clingy. Not a great trait in the lead, eh? I thought so too, right until the moment I decided to see it all from her point of view, and it was at that moment that I finally started to accept her and understand her reactions, in a twisted sort-of way. Yes, she still annoyed me occasionally as main character nicely described and created are wont to do, but I didn't mind it as much.
As far as Levi Cooper goes, he wasn't the most perfect of heroes either. From his past activities, he seemed selfish and callous at times and even came off as rude. But you know what? I still quite liked him. There, I said it. Most of all, I loved his oh-so-green eyes, heh. I'll admit, I didn't love him as I love some fictional heroes(I mean with a mad, consuming, crazy-glint-in-the-eyes passion of course), but till the end of this book, I found myself feeling all warm while thinking about him. I mean c'mmon! The guy baked chocolate cookies at midnights when he couldn't sleep! To help you more, I'll let you know that he had a great body, was nice to people, possessed a fine sense of humor and- wait for it- could cook. Do you see what I mean?

As far as the plot, the writing and the drama goes, this book was obviously a hit, although the best thing about The Best Man was that this was a Kristan Higgins book. I've been feeling it for sometime and I couldn't name what I felt until now, but I realize that almost every Higgins book is written and compiled in such a way that it slowly sucks away your tensions, let's you saunter in the fictional world with a lazy, peaceful gait and at the end of the story, you find yourself completely relaxed, content and refreshed. Kristan Higgins' books are reads that I might sometimes also describe as comfort reads, much like the comfort foods we love, that feed our soul. I actually remember myself comparing this read with a warm, sunny day in winter with lovely wind ruffling your hair as you can't help yourself but look up at the sky and smile. Poetic and dreamy, and I know I went a lil' overboard so you can slightly lighten up the image I painted, dim the light a bit and then see it- because that is exactly how I felt. It's not about this particular book, it's not even about the characters- this is just how all the good Kristan Higgins' novels make me feel. As if I just had a great vacation and am recharged to face Monday once again.

Anyway, I acknowledge that this wasn't the best of reviews since I didn't provide any insight or critiques relevant to the story, so I am sorry for that, but I'd like to end this by telling you that maybe it's just me who liked this novel as much, and maybe it's because I have a soft spot for Higgins' novels, but it still doesn't alter the fact that I had a great time. So if you love contemporary romances and enjoy stories set in small towns(in this case, one with a beautiful landscape, lots of vineyards and some enviable destinations) with interesting characters, this book is for you. ...more

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May 17, 2013 Keertana rated it really liked it

Shelves: swoooon, teary-eyed-reads

It seems as if Kristan Higgins can do no wrong. Although Somebody to Love was a bump in the road, The Best Man certainly wasn't. From the beginning itself, it's difficult not to like Faith, the protagonist of this novel. After all, she's been dumped at the altar by her perfect boyfriend-of-eight-years, Jeremy, when he announces that he's gay. Thus, fleeing to San Francisco, Faith harbors a broken heart and a pool of hatred for Levi Cooper, Jeremy's best friend who convinced Jeremy to come out wi It seems as if Kristan Higgins can do no wrong. Although Somebody to Love was a bump in the road, The Best Man certainly wasn't. From the beginning itself, it's difficult not to like Faith, the protagonist of this novel. After all, she's been dumped at the altar by her perfect boyfriend-of-eight-years, Jeremy, when he announces that he's gay. Thus, fleeing to San Francisco, Faith harbors a broken heart and a pool of hatred for Levi Cooper, Jeremy's best friend who convinced Jeremy to come out with the truth. Growing up, Levi never liked Faith. Not only was she extraordinarily rich, especially compared to his one-room house in a trailer, but she was Princess Super Cute - extra nice, extra peppy, all the time. Now, three years after her failed wedding, Faith is back home, still single and still detesting the very sight of Levi, now Chief Cooper. It seems fate, however, has slightly different plans for them...

I won't deny it - I struggled with the first third of this novel. I listened to The Best Man and while the audio book is good - not excellent, but still worth a listen - it tends to drag the break-up between Faith and Jeremy for too long. The Best Man switches between Faith and Levi's perspectives, one chapter in the present and one in the past, giving us a full overview of their lives. We grow to see Levi's difficult childhood - a father who abandons him, a life of scrounging for money, and the painful decision to join the army since he doesn't have $5,000 to pay for college even after a generous scholarship. We also see Faith's childhood, one that seems perfect on the outside but actually harbors a great deal of pain. Faith suffers from seizures and was in the car with her mother when she died. As such, Faith has spent her whole life attempting to atone for the fact that her mother was looking back at her, not the road. "Princess Super Cute" is all a facade to hide her pain and Jeremy - sweet, kind, perfect Jeremy - seems to be Faith's salvation. It takes a long while to reach this understanding, though. We are treated to pages upon pages of Faith remembering Jeremy with fondness, when, frankly, I would have kicked him if I was in her place. And yet, everything does make sense and Faith winds up being a much deeper character than we bargained for.

As always, The Best Man tackles a multitude of issues. Faith's family plays a huge role in this, particularly her widowed father, and Levi himself has an important family role as the sole caretaker of his younger sister, Sarah. If there is anything Higgins excels at, it is well-written family relationships. Levi and Sarah were my definite favorites, but Faith and her sisters, all going through different problems and at different stages in their lives, was utterly poignant as well. Furthermore, I loved how Levi and Faith's relationship developed oh-so-slowly. It's practically a tease - hell, it is! - and it was particularly interesting to see how Levi views Faith - as someone strong - compared to how Jeremy views her as vulnerable. And Jeremy. *sigh* You want to hate a guy for stringing a girl along for eight years and then leaving her at the altar, but you can't. Or, you can, but just not this guy. Jeremy and Faith's friendship was a highlight of this story as well and it was a refreshing change from the usual road of angst that many authors typically take. Higgins, however, is anything but typical. I love that her heroines have lives, are passionate about their careers and families, and even have pets (okay, DOGS) to keep away the loneliness. I love that her heroes are flawed - completely - and yet they are good men with good hearts. And I love these small towns. Not the vicious kind, but the sweet (but still annoying) type. All in all, The Best Man is yet another lovely romantic addition from Higgins. Needless to say, I cannot wait for the companion novel! ...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Cocktails and Books rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenges, contemporary-romance, netgalley

Faith Holland avoided her hometown after fleeing to San Francisco. Having been jilted at the alter by the love of her life and he was outed by his best friend, she needed to be away from the pitying stares of her small hometown and running into her ex. But when she comes back to Blue Heron for a couple of months to work on a project at the family winery, she has to come face to face with the past and the man she felt ruined everything, Levi Cooper.

I LOVED Levi Cooper. He's a man of few words and ...more

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Nov 28, 2013 Michelle [Helen Geek] rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Anyone. A solid, very enjoyable read!

Shelves: chick-lit-fun, keep-to-read-again, 4-star, military-twist, tbr-kindle, kindle_daily, has_kids, love-again-years-later, series, series_bk_1

02/14/2015 --

I was going through the mountain of books on my Kindle looking for something to read and ran across this one. I don't remember reading a Kristin Higgins book before, but I have a few of them. I looked to see what some trusted friends were saying and they loved her. Why not?

I have to say .. I am now a fan and am happy to have a new author to read. Thankfully she has several written and will keep me busy for a bit of time :)

Sorry. Not going to take the time for a detailed review. Thi ...more

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About Kristan Higgins

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Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of 19 novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. Her books have received dozens of awards and accolades, including starred reviews from Kirkus, The New York Journal of Books, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal , People and ...more

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“Maybe love isn't just a bouquet of roses once in a whole. Maybe it's just sticking it out, when it's hard, when you're mad, when you're tired.” — 26 likes

“I don't want to lose you, I love you, and…and that's all I've got.”
As speeches went, it wasn't great. As feelings went…different story.” — 25 likes

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