Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Be My Best Man
AUTHOR: Con Riley
PUBLISHER: Figment Ink
LENGTH: 313 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 7, 2017
BLURB:
~ Will Jason’s third time as a best man lead to first-time love for Vanya?
After fleeing violence in Moscow, student teacher Vanya Petrov winds up lonely in a run-down London hostel. At least visiting the Bond Street store where his roommate works lets him practice his English, but as Vanya’s vocabulary expands, so does his isolation, especially when he sees happy couples planning their perfect weddings.
According to Jason Balfour, weddings are a waste of time and money. After all, he’s been best man for his brother twice already. Saying that a third marriage will end in divorce too leads to an angry ultimatum: to save his relationship with his brother, Jason must meet his fiancée, at last, and make a good first impression.
Jason’s need to dress to impress brings him and Vanya together. Language is no barrier to falling in love with the young and fragile Russian, and neither is their age difference. But Vanya’s bruised soul carries secrets that could rip them apart. As the wedding draws near, Vanya must confess, and soon, or risk losing Jason—his own best man in Britain.
REVIEW:
Be My Best Man is the first book of Con Riley’s I read back in 2017 and it remains one of my favorites. It’s a heartbreakingly beautiful story of a Russian immigrant struggling to create a life in London while he seeks asylum. Ms. Riley has said this is the “book of her heart”. When an author states which of her books is her favorite, I take heed. That means it’s going to be extra special.
It’s the violence, ridicule, and rejection for being gay that Vanya suffered in his home country, and the hardships he faces in England – poverty, loneliness, hopelessness, anxiety, and the loss of his intended teaching career – that have shaped the vulnerable, kind man and endeared him to Jason – and to me. Being denied asylum after six months of indecision by officials would be akin to signing his death warrant. “He wants what other people take for granted—the right to love, free from fear of persecution.” It’s hard to imagine the fear of being sent home this twenty-two-year-old man must have to suppress every day while straining to find a way to survive without employment (it’s forbidden), living in an unsafe hostel with two friends, while trying to get by with second hand clothing and only government vouchers for food.
Jason has just had a falling out with his foster brother/best friend of more than thirty-five years over Andrew’s impending third wedding of which Jason highly disapproves. When he meets Vanya in a department store, he mistakenly thinks he’s a personal shopper. Vanya desperately needs money – off the record – so he allows Jason to believe his assumption and hire him to dress him appropriately for meeting Andrew’s fiancée. It’s amusing how Vanya keeps claiming he needs one more meeting (after another) with Jason to properly attire him. Vanya’s broken English enchants Jason, who often can’t understand him but loves to hear his accent. They quickly become comfortable with each other, sharing their respective woes.
Jason is attracted to Vanya but maintains that he is not interested in getting involved because of how badly he was hurt by his last boyfriend’s lies. But involved they do become. Vanya experiences his first ever kiss and first ever date and it’s so romantic. But the personal shopper misunderstanding leads to more secrets and lies of omission until there’s no way for Vanya to come clean without risking everything he and Jason have established – a place where they are both falling in love. And indeed, Ms. Riley conveys a palpable sense of foreboding.
There’s a fairytale quality to this novel with its twenty-two-year age difference between an established older man and a younger man in need of rescuing. Vanya yearns to stand on his own and wants his love for Jason to speak for itself and not be tainted by gratitude or inequality. It’s easy to overlook that the greatest gift bestowed in this book is a priceless one – Vanya helping Jason mend his relationship with his beloved brother.
At a time when Vanya has lost everything, found family plays an essential role. Before meeting Jason, his friend and roommate, Kaspar, and Kaspar’s girlfriend, Anna, are keys to his survival. All three are immigrants and provide each other with friendship, care, and protection while they all face an uncertain future. Vanya later finds refuge in another found family with Andrew and his intended, Chantel.
This book was written at a time when the U.K. was considering withdrawal from the EU and heightened nationalism led to anti-immigration sentiment. Now, when millions of refugees are fleeing their homes in Ukraine, it seems like a good time to revisit this book. The fear felt by Vanya is likely being felt by those millions in real life. Ms. Riley’s passion on the subject propels the book and gives it the touch that differentiates a good story from a great one. You can’t help falling in love with Vanya, a darling, sympathetic character. In fact, all of the characters are highly likable, including Jason, of course. It’s been revealed that Vanya will have a cameo in Ms. Riley’s upcoming novel, Austin. Eep! I can’t wait to see him again.
If you haven’t read Be My Best Man before, now’s the time to do it, and if you have, what are you waiting for? Go get your fill of Vanya, Jason, and this lovely romance again.
RATING: 
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