The Best Man's Guarded Heart

by Katrina Cudmore

The bridesmaid who can heal his heart

Greek tycoon Andreas Petrakis is hosting his brother's wedding on his private island. Ever since his marriage ended in heartbreaking disaster his own emotions have been on ice, but he's determined to be the best man his brother deserves.

Only he hasn't bargained on the early arrival of bridesmaid Grace Chapman. Bubbly, idealistic and feisty, she has no time for his frosty cynicism, and despite all his best intentions, he's soon actually enjoying the wedding! Andreas finds himself tempted by the unthinkable—letting Grace into his guarded heart…

Genres: Romance, Harlequin

251 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published August 9, 2016

About the author

City loving, book addict, peony obsessive, Katrina Cudmore lives in Cork, Ireland with her husband, four active children and a very daft dog. A psychology graduate, with a M.Sc. in Human Resources Katrina spent many years working in multinational companies and can't believe she is lucky enough now to have a job that involves daydreaming about love and handsome men!

Reviews

[Julie]

Poignant, uplifting and impossible to resist, The Best Man’s Guarded Heart is the second fantastic Harlequin Romance from a fabulous new writer of romantic fiction: Katrina Cudmore!

Grace Chapman has always been a bit of a dreamer. She still remembers her father reprimanding her as a child for living in a fantasy world, but Grace has always been determined to march to the beat of her own drum. Although she knows that most people seem to think that she will never amount to anything, Grace is determined to prove them all wrong and make her dream of becoming a florist a reality. With her best friend Sofia getting married, Grace is thrilled when she is asked to be her bridesmaid – and she is positively overjoyed when Sofia asks her to do the flowers for the wedding. Well aware that her entire future is at stake, Grace is adamant that this wedding will go off without a hitch. The flowers must be absolutely perfect with not a single petal out of place. She absolutely cannot afford any distractions of any kind – so why can’t she stop thinking about drop dead gorgeous best man Andreas Petrakis?

Single-minded Andreas has always refused to do anyone else’s bidding. He had incurred his father’s wrath when he had refused to work in the family business and their relationship had been strained even further when he had defied his father’s wishes and married a woman he didn’t approve of. When Andreas’ marriage had come to a bitter and acrimonious end, his relationship with his father had been completely and utterly shattered, but with his younger brother about to get married, Andreas must swallow his pride, paste a fake smile on his face and try his best to get through this ordeal without fighting with his father. When bubbly and idealistic bridesmaid Grace Chapman walks into his life, Andreas immediately dismisses her as a shallow airhead, however, he soon realises that first appearances can be very deceptive…

Andreas has been keeping his heart firmly under lock and key, but the more time he spends with Grace, the more he finds himself falling for her. As the defenses which he has built around himself begin to crumble, Andreas wonders whether he is strong enough to let down his guard and run the risk of putting his heart on the line for the second time. Or whether he will continue to be held hostage by his past…

The Best Man’s Guarded Heart is the perfect book to lose yourself in on a lazy afternoon. Katrina Cudmore writes with plenty of flair, sensitivity and compassion and in this compelling, emotional and heartwarming romance, she easily and skilfully balances humour and warmth with pathos and powerful drama leaving the reader on the edge of her seat and eager to find out what happens next.

I absolutely loved smart, ingenious and resourceful Grace and Andreas was a gorgeous Greek hero I couldn’t help but adore.

A wonderful read from a stellar new talent, The Best Man’s Guarded Heart is a first class read that should not be missed!

[Coral]

Plot: 4/5
Characterisation: 4/5
Prose: 4/5
How much I like it: 5/5

[Paula Brandon]

Grace Chapman is the florist for her best friend's wedding, which is being hosted on a private Greek island owned by the groom's brother Andreas Petrakis. She arrives early, determined to get the big job done on time, leaving her and Andreas on the island practically alone together! Andreas is still reeling from the break-up of his marriage due to his ex's blackmail and infidelity. He's not about to fall in love again, as he has too much trouble putting all his trust in another woman.

There was nothing terribly wrong with The Best Man's Guarded Heart, as it was a quick, fun read, but it never really grabbed me the way a good romance would. I learned far more about the work that goes on organising flowers for weddings than I ever needed to know, that's for sure! The emotional conflict keeping Grace and Andreas from their perfect union was believable and well-developed, although sometimes it felt like Andreas was acting like an ass just because he could, not because he should! I particularly liked Andreas's confession at the end that it was pain and humiliation that had been holding him back, not the ability to love again, which was refreshing. An added star for that!

All in all I enjoyed it, just wasn't entirely captivated.

[Angelka]

I liked this book. It was sweet and angsty.
There were some things that I did not like, for example, I wish that Grace was able to keep her emotions more in check during the wedding, which was really hard and I understand, but I feel like if she did keep her emotions locked then it would have helped her to not be as hurt.
Thing is that I totally understood him and her in this situation and both of their reasoning made sense.
There was definitely some tension in this book and I also liked how it was closed book and more focused on their developing relationship.

[Myra Wardhana]

I was at first not tempting to buy the book, but decided to give it a try and it was worth it.

I love Grace right away, she somehow reminds me of my own self, so excited when travelling to a new country on her own. Her excitement travelling abroad for the very first time reminds me how reluctant and not so eager at first I was travelling on my own to United Kingdom and Paris when I was just about to turn 16, my very first time going alone without parents and brother for a four week homestay and English classes at Cambridge, United Kingdom with a mini-weekend to Paris, France.

Thanks to my mom who decided to sent me on that trip during a school vacation, at the end, I was having the time of my life!

And I was smitten by Andreas too, of course being a Greek man, stubborn and perhaps a little too jaded with love after his ex-wife's betrayal until he met Grace.

And how the author add few Greek words, makes me remember my recent trip to Germany and went to a Greek restaurant with my mom and aunt and the napkin was showing few basic Greek words translated to German and since I have learned German at school in Switzerland, it was so easy to understand... And by the way, the food was delicious!

Now I want to go to Greece desperately, it is still in my bucket list! I definitely will bring this book with me should I make the journey indeed!

[Pauline]

I received an advanced copy and was delighted to read the book. I love floristry and easily identified with Grace's frenzy in preparing for her best friend's wedding in a totally alien location as well as launching a new career. Throughout the book the details of significant things and places added to the atmosphere. I could feel myself getting exhausted with all those steps up from the pier. The insights into the emotional turmoil of the very likeable characters of Andreas and Grace as each battled with their hopes and fears made the story more credible and more romantic.
The bouquet of flowers described towards the end of the book was a lovely touch. I really enjoyed the book. A great way to get a little positivity into the week. I look forward to the next one.

[Denise Giltinan]

I received an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review. It's been a while since I read a romance and now I'm wondering why! I have passed many happy hours this weekend getting lost in the beautifully described Greek island of Kasas and getting to know Grace Chapman the wedding florist and bridesmaid, and the best man Andreas Petrakis. Katrina not only created a lovely romantic tale, she also painted a vivid picture of the island which was the beautiful setting for the wedding and I could almost touch and smell the beautiful wedding flowers created by Grace. I loved the characters and enjoyed being transported to a beautiful sunny place over a miserable cool weekend here in Ireland. Well done Katrina, I'm looking forward to your next book.

[Sally Murray]

This book is amazing! I loved the story of Grace and Andreas. The island setting is lovely. The author has perfectly recreated the sights and atmosphere of the Mediterranean. Andreas is the archetypal Greek hero and totally gorgeous but he has deep issues to overcome and isn't looking for love. Grace, a creative florist, also has her reasons for remaining reserved. But the attraction is too strong for either of them to contain. Their desire for each other literally jumps off the page. There are also some lovely humorous moments, making this an exciting and uplifting read. The bride's shoe at the end of the story is a lovely touch. This story really does sweep you away, taking you higher and higher. For me it's a keeper!

[Carrie]

This is the second book I’ve read by this author and she has me hooked with her lovely, lyrical voice. I loved this book. It was sweet, tender and humorous and set against a majestic Greek backdrop – I could feel the sun on my skin. But central to the book is the hesitant and wary growth of the romance between the two characters. Each has very worthy reasons not to go forward with a relationship, but in the end there’s no going back for either of them as Grace's bubbly charm proves too hard to resist for Andreas' hardened heart. Grace and Andreas struggle for their HEA, but as a reader I was rooting for them all the way. I’d certainly recommend to anyone looking for a great read with a delightfully light touch.

[Aileen O'Neill]

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book. It is a beautifully descriptive story that captivates from the beginning. It is so well written that I was instantly transported to Greece, along with Grace to meet best friend Sofia and her fiancée Christos, Andreas and his parents.
I loved that the heroine, Grace is not a push over but a kind hearted, confident business woman well able to stand up to Andreas. Andreas on the other hand is a strong and sexy hero trying to shield his heart from further hurt. They can't resist each other. I'm already in love with Andreas. A great read.

[Liz Montgomery]

I received this book before it was released and was asked to review it. So I suppose I have to say first that I really enjoyed it. The detail in the Greek Islands was amazing felt like I was there. A lot of research went into it. The story was well written and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it finished it overnight. My only criticism is that they fell for each other to soon in the story would have liked if it was a bit later in the book. I can't wait to read the next book from this new author. Keep up the good work

Liz Montgomery

[Ann McQuillan]

So sad to have just finished this wonderful story. Having received an advanced copy to read I can honestly say it felt like I was in Greece with these wonderful characters and great descriptions of the locations. The descriptions of everything from the people to the flowers brought the reader a sense of being there and wishing you could be a guest at the wedding. Would recommend this book to anyone looking for a romantic "get away from it all" story.

[Kate Dorgan]

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Once I started I couldn't put it down and finished it in the early hours of the morning. I was transported back to some amazing holidays in Greece, I only wish I had met Andreas in my travels! This is a great romance set on an idyllic Greek island. Grace is feisty and funny and more than a match for Andreas. Great holiday romance that I would recommend for your summer holidays!

[Martina Walsh]

I was given a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is the second of Katrina's books I have read & I just love her ability to completely immerse the reader in her beautiful settings. This is escapism at its best, the characters are both believable and likeable and I did not want to put it down. I am already looking forward to whatever journey Katrina will take us on with her next book.

[Jonita]

Sweet