Battling the Best Man

Harmony Falls #2

by Elley Arden

On the cusp of a brilliant Chicago medical career, Dr. Kory Flemming rarely gets a vacation from her demanding brain injury fellowship, but she can’t say no to maid of honor duties in her best friend’s wedding. Hometown or not, being in Harmony Falls, Pennsylvania, isn’t easy, especially when the only man smart enough to trump Kory’s high school academic achievements turns out to be a sexy, accomplished adult up to his old, flirtatious tricks.

Will Mitchell has been destined for success since the day he was born. After spending his formative years racking up academic honors, it was only natural for him to be named the chief operating officer of his family’s thriving company. He has it all—more or less—so when the target of his high school infatuation turns up hot and haughty at his brother’s wedding, Will decides he wants her, too.

An innocent dance at the wedding reception leads Kory and Will to an illicit tryst in the coat checkroom, and the game they’ve been playing since high school changes into something more serious. The new attraction takes Will and Kory by surprise, until a failed merger and family tragedy threaten both their professional goals.

Now, Will’s struggling to preserve his reputation as “the successful one” and Kory’s stuck in Harmony Falls watching her illustrious medical career slip away. Worse yet, maybe the only way to get things back on track is to work together. Can they put aside their rocky past and ignore their titillating present in order to secure the future for the people they adore?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

204 pages, ebook

First published January 27, 2014

About the author

Elley Arden is a born and bred Pennsylvanian who has lived as far west as Utah and as far north as Wisconsin. She drinks wine like it’s water (a slight exaggeration), prefers a night at the ballpark to a night on the town, and believes almond English toffee is the key to happiness.

Elley writes provocative, emotional, contemporary romances, where Mr. Not-My-Type ends up being Mr. Right.

Reviews

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Home Versus Big City Stars

As children we see and watch all kinds of things … we see how our parents work and interact with others… we learn how to please them and in turn they make us feel like we did good…

But what if wanting to please our family and them being proud of us becomes a burden… what if we are not able to develop all of the interests we wished to…. because a path has already been laid out. Or if you found your path, what if the push to succeed is so strong it blinds us from being open to love and real happiness.

We have two main characters that have to address those issues in this book. One is an accomplished Doctor… on her way to being a big wig in Chicago… Kory Fleming has worked hard for every achievement, honor, scholarship and now fellowship in medicine she has obtained. She came from a small town, one which seemed to be an accessory to the powerful ownership of the Mitchell Family.

Kory was special, with curiosity, intelligence and drive, sprouting and in full force at a young age. She was always encouraged by her family to excel and do well in any pursuit or interest. When science and medicine seemed to be the path, her family sacrificed everything for her to participate and go to science summer camps and academic advancement programs… nothing was spared for her education from her parents… and on a roofers salary and mom fighting a disability, Kory sometimes wondered how they did all they did for her. She only knew… her winning all the honors and achieving was the answer they wanted from her… and with that determination she had from the beginning… she put those blinders on and went about making her way in the world, and medicine.

Will Mitchell was on a parallel path… growing up in the real estate focused family had its own challenges… Will’s mind was quick with numbers and was encouraged to succeed at everything… but not through a loving unit… more as it was expected and had to happen. He went through grade school as friends with Kory… it was only natural, the two were the brightest in the class. They were thrown together time and time again as they would be competing for the same honors.

The turning point between these two took place during their being accepted to an advanced math course, Calculus … they were ninth graders thrown in with seniors… a big deal. Only Will did not stick up for his friend, Kory, when the boys started teasing her with sexual jokes… making her really uncomfortable. He just let it happen and sort of laughed it off … wanting the approval of the guys…. So when the teachers realized what was happening… did they do the right thing… nope… they sent Kory back to Algebra… let Will stay in the class and from that moment on… Will Mitchell became the enemy.

They continued to compete… she seeming to always coming in second, making a mental scar deeper and deeper.

Will, grew into the mathematical whiz and took over the running of his family’s company when his father passed. However, his mother is a ball buster; she runs the company and expects only high profit margins… there is no place for humanity or caring and she runs interference nonstop with Will and how he feels things could be.

The setup is the wedding of best friends… and Will and Kory are in the wedding party. Both had hardly talked to one another… and when they do it is like sparing. There is a moment where they actually have some kind of shocking connection; a kiss… feelings which confuse both of them… and then it is over.

Kory is due back to her fellowship and then possible position assisting stroke victims, her specialty. He goes back juggling his frustration with a sale of the rehab elder care home which is up for sale due to poor profits… he mother is insistent to divest it, leaving the town with no place for the patients to go in their area.

As Kory is about to leave, her father has a stroke changing everything… she is torn as her mother keeps insisting “she is better than this place and everything will be fine..go” causing Kory to really be conflicted; she has battled them before… as if her family doesn’t want her around and keeps shoving her to Chicago and career. The tipping point is the rehab home… Will’s is refusing to allow her dad to come and it is the only place where her mother could actually visit him due to her not driving. Kory takes matters into her own hands and confronts Will, demanding it happen. He explains the rehab is not in the black and will be closed if it can’t make a profit. The gauntlet is thrown ….decision made… Kory decides to put her life on hold to make sure her dad gets the care he needs… from her. She offers and accepts the position to make the rehab profitable in a specific period with the terms Will gives her.

This story covers a lot of different topics and I felt rather well. Things happen where we carry them around and make them reasons why we do things… yet as big as we make them… we never go to the source of the pain and confront and ask… why did this happen or explain to me – what was the deal. If we did more of that when these life events happen… one wonders… would we be better off? Would we be the same people?

There is well defined history between the characters.. we understand the whys and want them to get together happily. I liked how they were able to feed into their desires for each other without embarrassment… and their sexy times were just right… hot … wanting and passionate.

If you are looking for a little spice, romance and actual story… then this would be a fun time.

Arc provided in exchange for an honest review

For more reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Jonel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love how Arden combines an up and coming relationship with the realities of everyday life to create such a touching yet exciting read. I also appreciated the fact that the characters had a history with one another. They weren’t strangers who ran into each other on the street one day and magically fell head over heels in love, but rather had gone to high school together. This intriguing storyline is brought together by Arden’s brilliant skills as a storyteller. Everything melds together seamlessly, allowing you to picture it all

The main characters in this novel made me laugh, cringe, and want to beat my head off the wall in turns. They were quite well developed and extremely real. I enjoyed the fact that they both had real issues to deal with above and beyond their relationship. That said, the female lead was almost pigheaded in her single-mindedness at times. The supporting cast in this tale was intriguing. They came from all areas of the community and were all connected in that small town way that warms your heart.

As a whole this was a quick, happy, enjoyable read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. It is another awesome work by Arden leaving you satisfied yet wanting more.

Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upgraded to 3.5 for bacon.

Will and Kory have been competing since their teen years. Kory is finally a doctor in Chicago and escaped Harmony Falls. She's back to be maid of honor in her best friend's wedding and spends the weekend avoiding Will, the best man. Then bad things happen and Kory decides to stay in town for a bit to help her family.

The relationship between these two is tumultuous and hot. They each have intense family pressures. There's also the personal history. I was a bit surprised with how little of her upset Kory ultimately told Will about. She started the book with a lot of anger and bitterness toward him as a result of things from high school. I was unconvinced by how easily she seemed to get over those residual emotions.

I like how they individually come to certain decisions at the end of the book. I would have liked to see Will tell Kory his decisions, but I'm glad things worked out as they did.

This was another solid story by this author, and I continue to look forward to her next books.

Update:
I forgot to mention THERE'S BACON! And chocolate and biting. I'm adding 1/2 a star for these things.

[Stacie Marquart · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it.

[Chu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review Originally Posted at: Book Freak

They were childhood nemesis – competing for everything during their younger days. Will Mitchell may have been the valedictorian, but Kory was considered to be the most awarded girl in the history of their school. Now, she was a brilliant doctor finishing her fellowship in Chicago, and Will was still in their town, CEO of their company.


They were bound to meet again her best friend and his brother’s wedding. It all started with an innocent dance, a little make-out session in the coatroom and suddenly – their old school games slash competition have upped. Fireworks were shooting across the room, as their attraction flares. But everything changed, when a merger failed and a family tragedy happened which threatened both their professional careers.

I want him to be my booty call too!

He can’t believe that he was going to be someone else’s booty call – most especially Kory’s. I adore watching him questioning his attractiveness and his ego. I can’t believe that he allowed himself to be Kory’s booty call. Better that than nothing, eh? He works hard on everything, why not this girl? Will is an amazing guy, patient, understanding, and a hard worker. He was charming, sexy and irresistible – so for Kory to resist this man for a couple of years, I think was an effort on her part.

Brain injury fellowship – WOW. This girl must really be THAT intelligent to be able to get into this type of fellowship. Two words to describe Kory – DRIVEN & AMBITIOUS.

She was married to ambition, and she liked it that way.

But was she happy? Was it really what her life is all about? Granting that only a few could get to the place where she is right now – but is it worth it? She had lived her life in a fast-paced way, she lost track of time, and her surroundings. So coming back into her small town, experiencing a near-tragic event with her family had put everything on hold for her. Her career was on pause, she made a deal with Will which put her career on a different path. This time, instead of dealing with surgeons, with patients in less than a second – she deals with life, and death. Not just with strangers, but with people whom know by heart. Day by day, I see change in her. She was learning things that weren’t found in expensive medical textbooks and weren’t taught in medical school. It was a little tougher than what she originally thought – but one thing is for certain, you can feel the contentment. She was finally making a difference in the life of other people.

As a healthcare worker myself, earning money doesn’t really equate to the feeling that patient gives you when they say how grateful and thankful they are for taking good care of them. You get that feeling of adrenaline rush when you save a life, when the family can finally take that one long breathe after holding on for so long after giving them the good news, or even that feeling when you offer them comfort when they’re mourning.

They were good for each other.

I love watching how these two great people came about. He wasn’t pushy, and all she wanted to do was to get away. He never really demanded she would stay, but he did everything to woo her. As nemesis, the tension was already present, and both of them can achieve great things, but working together just proved that everything they work for could never be much better.

What I love most –
Not just those HOT steamy scenes that makes me want Will for my own, but it’s family stuffs that made me cry. Arghh. Will is a great son who tries everyday to please his mother, even though her mother wasn’t generally a happy person. And for Kory to allow her career to be put on hold for her family. There was no second guessing about it, her family needed her, and even though her mother would constantly push her back to Chicago, she still stayed and watch everything fall back into their normal places. The scene with her dad – it had caused me to shed some tears. It was a simply constructed scene but filled with emotions that had rocked me to the core.

Good things come when you least expect it – at least I did with this book. I didn’t expect to laugh, cry and fall in love. But Elley Arden did those things to me, and after that short read, I think I’m coming back for more from this author.

★ARC Copy was given in exchange for an honest review.★

[Raven Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Kory is in town for her best friend’s wedding and is hit on by her childhood nemesis and bully. Lifelong competitors, they team up when tragedy strikes and discover each other in an opposites attract sort of way, except they are not so different.

A light-hearted romance, I enjoyed from cover to cover. This was the kind of book I like to read to just lazily pass an afternoon. Of course, I am a slow reader so I would never be able to read a book like this in one afternoon, but I did finish it rather quickly. The story is part of a series but definitely could be a standalone.

I loved the characters and the idea of two professionally-driven, competitive, type A personalities getting over themselves enough to fall for each other. Watching them come together was fun and entertaining. Romance is less graphic than other contemporary romance novels, there and sometimes graphic but sometimes told not shown. This is the kind of nice, cute story that makes you want to just…sigh.

That is the good news. The bad news is this story is full of plot holes.

I am not sure how believable it really is for Kory to fall for her high school bully. It would have been better if Will had simply been an arrogant rival or if Kory had preconceived notions about the “son of a Mitchell”. As it was, he made fun of her and had an entire class making fun of her. And as much of a stretch as it is for a neurologist to want to settle for chronic care in a nursing home, that part is actually realistic in a Doc-Hollywood-Michael-J.-Fox sort of a way. It is the bit about the nursing home that is not. Most of the work in a nursing home is done by CNAs and overseen by an RN. A doctor is merely on-call. The other piece that just doesn’t make sense is the medical directorship in Chicago. There are 80 hospitals in the Chicagoland area and an entire medical district within the city made up of three major hospitals, not to mention the Rehab Institute. There is no way a still wet-behind-the-ears student, no matter how bright, would be offered the position of a medical director. Competition is just way too steep.

If you can get past these discrepancies (I did), the story here is pretty good. Really good. In fact, I wholeheartedly recommend this, but for adult readers due to graphic sexual content.

Disclaimer: All books reviewed by me have been received via purchase, lending, or given to me by an author or publisher for the purposes of an honest review. No reviews are purchased. They are my own opinion. For more reviews such as this, please visit http://ravenreviewer.tumblr.com

[Amanda R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kory was back in her hometown to be a bridesmaid for her friend Alice and as soon as that was finished she was back to Chicago and her fellowship. All she wanted was to get out of town without dealing with Will. Her nemesis from high school. Anything she did he had to do better and vice versa. Between the two of them they hold all of the records academically, but Kory left and has become a doctor, she feels like she's bested him at the top level. She got out and he stayed there. Now she's staying for a while because something bad happened when she was planning on leaving.

Will doesn't do relationships. He thinks they are a waste of time, the person you're with will end up leaving you. He works in a family business with his mom and brothers. He loved the competition between Kory and him. The drive to compete with her is still there. Something else is there now though, seeing her at Alice and Justin's wedding opened his eyes to how much she had changed. Now he wants her to stay and not go back to Chicago.

Convincing her is the hard part though. Things happen that rocks Kory's world, things that make her question a lot of things in her life. She just wants to have fun with Will, nothing more. Then there is more. More that she has to figure out and decide what shes going to do with her life. I enjoyed the rivalry between the two, but I enjoy the banding together even more. Great book, and easy to read. I'm sure you'll enjoy it too!! Leave the author love in the form of a review!

[Beauty and the Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Battling the Best Man is a refreshing story of Will and Kory. Childhood rivals that turn to each other, though part of their need for each other is selfish they find happiness along the way.
I didn't read book one of the series Crashing the Congressman's Wedding and was able to follow along so i will say Battling the Best Man could be a standalone.
Will and Kory were those two overachieving friends who though it was fun to do homework on the weekends. Getting together for Korys best friend and Wills brothers wedding throws them back into each others lives. Circumstances happen that keep Kory from returning back to her life (work and more work) and into an agreement with Will.
Kory's character is endearing, though there are many times i wanted to bang my head against a wall she could be frustrating. Seeing someone who seems to have there head on educationally but not worldly is always a train wreck waiting to happen. She lived in a bubble motivated by her need to be the best. I wanted to shake her and scream at her but most of all i wanted to watch her succeed and grow.
Some of my favorite dialogue was wills constant bickering with his mom, i speak sarcasm fluently so their battle of whits tickled me pink.

Overall great short read, cute, funny and would recommend
I also want to read book one now

http://beautandthebook.blogspot.com/2...

[Zili · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars in my Sky!

In Battling the Best Man Elley Arden has created a short, sweet and light-hearted contemporary romance which will make you smile. It proves that not all books have to be overly dramatic and angst filled to be entertaining (don't worry there is some drama and tension to keep your interest).

The book begins with a wedding, which actually makes a change as more often than not they usually end with one. Kory is home for her bestie's wedding where she is Maid-of-honour and Will, her old high school nemesis (her words not mine) is the Best Man. I laughed at the banter between Kory and Will, where he's more focused on her, Kory is genuinely annoyed with him.

There are some sexy scenes and I enjoyed their chemistry, although I would have liked to see their relationship build a bit more. I was expecting Will to have a bit more of a dark side so to speak, but sometimes this isn't always necessary. If you're looking for a fun escape and contemporary romance is your thing then Battling the Best Man is defo up your street.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Also reviewed on my blog Zili in the Sky

[Nikki Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Lightning Bolts

It all started with a wedding.......

Actually no. I lied. It didn't. It started long ago in their teen years. Kory and Will were always fierce competitors. Didn't have to be sports or a club, they were just both that way with the other. Now, Kory is home for her best friends wedding and runs face to face with the best man. Feelings are a little different, but Kory doesn't belong here anymore. Feelings are heightened that night, but both ignore it. She'll be gone soon.

Except she isn't. Things happen, and she stays longer.

Battling The Best Man is a light hearted story that keeps the reader turning the pages. The way Will and Kory battled their feelings made for some great tension. However, at times, the actions and feelings felt a little forced. We know that they'll get together, but the feelings just didn't flow in a natural way. I wasn't always 'feeling' what they felt. This is an enjoyable story, the pacing is good, other than a few parts where the narrative is too much, but other than that, I liked this book. This is my first read by this author and I would look for more.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing tale of small town, weddings, family, and fate.
Battling the Best Man by Elley Arden is her second book in the Harmony Falls series.

Kory is back in her small hometown doing her duty as her best friend's maid of honor. Will is best man at his brother's wedding and when Kory and he share one dance together it leads to a secret hookup in the coat closet.

This is a much more dangerous dance than they used to do in high school. Things start to develop and then something goes wrong and now they're both struggling to find their way. They learn that they may have to join forces instead of acting against each other to get a favorable end result.

A short, sweet, feel-good romance that is well paced with likeable characters you really start to care about.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this story is mainly about Kory and Will, because it is part of the Harmony Falls series, we see old friends too which is always good.

Kory and Will are maid-of-honour and best man at Justin and Alice's wedding although Kory would much sooner avoid Will after everything he put her through at school. The only problem with that is how difficult it is to avoid someone you're supposed to be partnered with AND when you find out that they can't even remember what happened at school. That's a lot of wasted energy right there.

Things progress quite quickly for Will and Kory on a professional and a personal front. Throw in some gossip, a few challenges and an attraction that can't be ignored and away you go.

This is well written and paced, exactly what I've come to expect from Elley Arden, and like I've already said, it's very good to see old friends. How the stories arc through each other is also exceedingly well fitted. Recommended for all Contemporary Romance fans.

[Yazmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Battling the Best Man by Elley Arden, Dr. Kory Flemming has worked hard to be where she is today. She did her best in school to get honors and get in the advance programs, all to meet her goal of becoming a doctor. Her parents sacrificed much to pay for the science summer camps and any academic advancement programs she could attend.
 
Kory often wondered how they were able to afford it considering her father is a roofer and her mother was fighting a disability. But she had to make every one of their sacrifices worth it, so she became a doctor and is now doing her fellowship as a brain injury doctor in Chicago. Only now she has to take a vacation, from her demanding job, to go be the maid of honor for her friend’s wedding back home in Harmony Falls. Read More...

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Received for an honest opinion.

I really enjoyed "Battling The Best Man" by Elley Arden. Although this is your typical love/hate romance between Dr. Kory Flemming Will Mitchell I liked the uniqueness of some aspects of the story. Yes, I thought that they characters had great chemistry and their banter was fun. But I have to say that one of my favorite parts was when Kory expressed her difficulty at achieving her success. Although it was not the biggest part of the story, I enjoyed the authenticity of Kory's struggles. My second favorite thing was how they both got over their misconceptions about each other and truly let their guard down. This was a fun and light romance. I recommend it and enjoyed it!

[Renee Entress · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review:

4.5 Star Review - Battling The Best Man

Kory has come to town for a wedding. During the wedding she runs into her high school rival. She is still mad at him for something that happened years ago.

Will is attracted to Kory and wants to spend time with her. Only problem is she is only in town for a day or two.

When a family tragedy strikes does Will see an opportunity to keep Kory close and lure her into a relationship. He thinks he can get her so involved in things in town that she will stay.

Can Will keep her around or is he fighting a losing battle as her own family is pushing her to return to her job out of town? In the end will they see what they are missing by not trying to be together?

[Rosemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW !!!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elley Arden will take you on a great ride to explore the relationship between Kory and Will. I loved this book and can't wait to get started on the 3rd book in the series, "Marrying the Wrong Man".