Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: The Best Men
AUTHOR: Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely
NARRATOR: Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan
PUBLISHER: Troliver Books
LENGTH: 9 hours and 9 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 18, 2022
BLURB:
Best-selling authors Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely team up for the first time in an enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, irresistibly sexy stand-alone romance between the best man and the other best man! Performed by Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan!
In my defense, I was left alone with a bottle of single-malt and a lifelong penchant for protecting my baby sister. Still, that’s no excuse to send 10 drunk-texts on why her hasty marriage would be a mistake.
If only I had just texted my sister. But nope. I accidentally sent the message to her, her groom, and his super hot wingman.
I also used the phrase “super hot wingman”, so I’d like to die now.
Instead, I have to plan a wedding with the aforementioned hottie and share a too-small guesthouse in steamy Miami. Three days in the sun with the cocky, charming former athlete who likes to push my buttons? Fine, two can play at that let’s-infuriate-each-other game.
Until Asher ups the stakes with one wildly sexy suggestion. A no-strings fling, then I go back to my single dad life in New York, and he returns to his star-studded one.
Sign me up.
But the more nights I spend with the other best man, the more I want days too, and that just can’t happen. Especially when I find out the real reason why….
Contents Include: first times, a secret to-do list, champion-level flirting, fast cars, #eggplants, and two men who look good in formal wear.
REVIEW:
Twenty-seven minutes waiting (and stewing).
Ten drunken texts.
Four-way group chat.
Three days stuck together.
Two best men.
One naughty agreement.
Zero strings.
Endless fighting, flirting, frolicking … and falling in love.
Maybe there are strings after all …
The Best Men provides fabulous, frisky, fun fare from two of my favorite authors, Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely. This absorbing, absolutely addictive rom-com romp checks all the boxes and then some. It’s a delicious love story between newly divorced, single-dad, buttoned-up Wall Street trader Mark Banks (love the punny last name), and former professional athlete-turned-photographer Asher St. James.
Mark’s a hot math lover (his password’s the first seven digits of pi ℼ 🤣) who relies on logic, data, analysis, and a whole lotta spreadsheets (including some salacious ones). Asher, dubbed “Super Hot Wingman” by Mark, is a hot mess. He’s disorganized and routinely late (like twenty-seven minutes late the first time he met Mark, causing Mark great consternation). He goes with his gut, not columns, rows, or cells on a spreadsheet, much to Mark’s chagrin.
“Spreadsheets are no joke, St. James.”
These two couldn’t be more different, and they immediately get under each other’s skin. Ten scotch-induced, ill-advised, way too honest texts later, Mark finds he’s given Asher perfect ammunition to needle him endlessly. So, in the sexiest adult version of pulling pigtails ever, that’s exactly what Asher does. Can anyone say UST??
The blurb for The Best Men provides plenty of context for the story. But what it doesn’t tell you is that Asher and Mark are sweet, sexy, complex, highly endearing men. It also doesn’t tell you that the storyline is thoughtfully designed and expertly executed. It further doesn’t tell you how simultaneously heartwarming and humorous this lighthearted yet impactful romance is.
If you’ve previously read Ms. Bowen or Ms. Blakely’s books, none of this will come as a surprise. You can see their fingerprints all over The Best Men. Ms. Bowen displays her snark and wit, sharp dialogue, and incisive monologues that are sometimes biting and other times laugh out loud funny. Ms. Blakely delivers her hallmark erotic, sensual, incendiary scenes and UST for days. But these traits are not mutually exclusive as Ms. Bowen also deftly writes intimate, sultry, often scorching encounters with practiced ease, and Ms. Blakely also crafts witty repartee and insightful introspection, often of the lust-filled variety. The blend of their styles is seamless, and the result is spectacular.
If you find I’m using a lot of superlatives in this review, it’s because The Best Men is superlative. This is particularly so when delivered through the inimitable, delectable voices of Teddy Hamilton (as Mark) and Jacob Morgan (as Asher) on The Best Men audiobook.
I’ve listened to Teddy Hamilton/Jacob Morgan dual narration collaborations many times, yet something new stands out each time. While listening to their invested vocal performances in The Best Men, it struck me that their narrative styles are as polar opposite as the characters they are portraying. You’ll hear tension in Mr. Hamilton’s voice like he’s barely containing energy and desire. It sounds like promises of indulgence in wicked vices and naughty pleasures. If you look up the word “sexy” in the dictionary, you could add Teddy Hamilton’s voice to the list of synonyms. It’s seductive, dripping with sensuality. The intensity of his voice matches perfectly with Mark’s tightly wound character. He’s a coiled spring ready to unleash. And when he does, he’s confident, committed, and displays a surprising willingness to take risks.
In contrast, Jacob Morgan’s voice is pure vocal swagger. He performs with arrogant ease and a devil-may-care attitude that belies the truly devilish, tantalizing things he says. And boy, does it work when paired with Asher’s personality, a confident, seemingly frivolous playboy with a go-with-the-flow attitude disguising a deep need to love and be loved.
Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Morgan’s voices play off each other, even separated by chapter breaks. They both convincingly and accurately portray their secondary character (Asher for Mr. Hamilton and Mark for Mr. Morgan) in their respective chapters, giving them substantially similar voices so the transition isn’t jarring. They impart fluidity into the audio as their voices capture the nuanced emotions of the men, keeping the relationship between Mark and Asher simmering until it finally comes to a rolling boil.
The Best Men is a sinful treat in any format but is best served up through the audiobook, where these two exceptionally talented and skilled narrators bring Mark and Asher’s swoon-worthy romance to life. So scoop up this audiobook posthaste, and make sure you read the free prequel Super Hot Wingman too. (Audio is available for free on Ms. Bowen’s website). It’s not strictly required listening, but you’ll appreciate Mark’s predicament at the beginning of The Best Men infinitely better if you’ve read the hilarious short story first.
RATING: 
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