The Best Man

Written by Kristan Higgins

Narrated by Amy Rubinate

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-and best friend of her former fiance. There's a lot about Levi that Faith never noticed, and it's not just those deep green eyes. The only catch is she's having a hard time forgetting that he helped ruin her wedding all those years ago. If she can find a minute amidst all her family drama to stop and smell the rose, she just might find a reason to stay at Blue Heron, and finish that walk down the aisle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Feb 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781452681504

Kristan Higgins

Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly and USA TODAY bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than twenty languages. She has received dozens of awards and accolades, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, The New York Journal of Books and Kirkus. Kristan lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband, two atypically affectionate children, a neurotic rescue mutt and an occasionally friendly cat.

Reviews for The Best Man

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

THE BEST MAN was both a humorous and heart-wrenching romance that was also quite heart-warming. The story begins when Faith Holland is jilted at the altar when her fiancé and love of her your life—Jeremy—announces to the congregation that he is Gay. She blames his best man Levi Cooper for forcing the issue. They have know each other all their lives but have never been friends. Faith flees to San Francisco and builds her career as a landscape architect.Three and a half years pass. Jeremy is the town doctor. Levi has left the service and become the Chief of Police. Faith has had a number of false starts as she tries to find new romance including dating another Gay guy and a man who is cheating on his wife which leads to a funny confrontation with his wife and child. Faith is urged by her family to come home to stop their widowed Dad from marrying a hugely inappropriate woman. When Faith gets home she finds herself quickly gathered back into her rather dysfunctional family. Her grandparents are constantly bickering, her older sister and her husband are having interesting marital difficulties, and her dad is oblivious to the very obvious gold-digger who has him in her sights. Faith's attempts to find her father a better bet for a second romance were really funny. Who knew there were so many characters out there in the dating pool?Along the way she keeps having run-ins with Levi who, she is certain, hates her. Levi is conflicted. He thinks she is hot but he can't quite get over that she is the ex-fiancé of his best friend. He has issues of his own too. He is raising his sister and both of them are still grieving the loss of their mother. He is dealing with a divorce from a fellow soldier who didn't find small town life exciting enough to keep her from re-enlisting. He is also still dealing with the fact that his father abandoned him when he was young and has now started a new life with a new wife and new sons. All of these things keep him from wanting to start something with Faith where he might be second-best. Faith is keeping secrets of her own too. She isn't the cute, perky character that Levi always believed she was. Besides suffering from epilepsy, Faith is still consumed by the fear that she is the one who caused her mother's death when she distracted her while they were driving. Probably the most touching part of the whole romance for me was when Levi did an accident reconstruction in the middle of the night and proved to Faith that the accident wasn't caused by anything she did or didn't do. He wasn't the sort of guy who could do sweet words or gestures but that said love to me.Readers who like strong emotions in their romance and who want some humor too can't do better than to read this romance by Kristan Higgins.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins is a 2013 HQN publication. Faith had her life all mapped out. Perfect guy, perfect wedding, perfect happily ever after… until her perfect fiancé leaves her at the alter after making a bombshell announcement. Now, several years later, Faith has returned home for the first extended visit since her wedding day fiasco. She’s successful in her work, but her love life is in shambles. She’s had one disastrous encounter after another- but Levi Cooper is the last person on earth she ever expected to develop feelings for. Levi is the man responsible, in Faith’s opinion, for messing up her perfect life. If not for him, she would be married to the perfect man, living her perfect life right now. But, as luck- or fate would have it, they are now temporary neighbors and the tension between them is palpable…I have been cleaning up my TBR and in the process I discovered I had a nice collection of books by Kristan Higgins I had never gotten around to reading- so I have vowed to star ‘mini-side challenge’ to get these books read, immediately! This is the second of KH's back-listed titles, I have struggled with in recent weeks, this one being around eight years old. The premise is overused, and not my favorite, but, the backstories are emotional, and Higgins’ large families are always fun. Unfortunately, though, instead of sexual tension between Faith and Levi, the vibes felt more like resentfulness, hurt feelings, and even prejudice or jealousy, and they were so rude to each other, which I'm sure was meant to be funny, but I just wasn't feeling it.But I did slowly warm up to Levi- and Faith’s assessment of him towards the end of the book convinced me he was a good fit for her.The conclusion was nice, and of course Faith finally gets the right guy and can make peace with some heavy issues that influenced her decisions over the years. Levi is still a diamond in the rough, at least verbally, but is ‘the best man’ where it really counts. Overall, a 3.5 for this one.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A recommended read. With her trademark wit, realistic characters and zingy one liners, Kristan Higgins brings readers yet another outstanding romance that is outrageously funny and full of emotion. The Best Man is a captivating novel that will keep you laughing out loud as Faith Holland heals the wounds of her past and finds love with Levi Cooper, the gruff yet lovable man who broke her heart when he stopped her wedding to the love of her life.

Escaping to San Francisco when her marriage was called off, Faith Holland is finally ready to return to her small hometown and the family winery. When her siblings need Faith's help ejecting a scheming woman from their father's life, Faith agrees to temporarily come home and find their dad a more suitable partner. This visit will bring her face to face with all of the complex issues and people she has successfully avoided in the past. Faith soon finds her small town, friends and family slowly working their magic on her, and she is soon considering making her homecoming permanent.

Levi Cooper is just as scarred by his past as Faith is. Growing up in a trailer park with his single mom and much younger sister, Levi worked his way through high school, played on the football team and enjoyed a close friendship with his best friend Jeremy Lyon, Faith's high school sweetheart and former fiancé. The military was Levi's ticket to a better future and after four tours in Afghanistan, he returns home with a wife and finds a new career on the police force. Now divorced, he works long hours as the police chief and he is dedicated to his younger sister, Sarah. He remains close friends with Jeremy and he maintains his slightly skewed perspective of Faith. He is the strong silent type with a heart of gold and I absolutely adored him.

One of the things that I have come to expect in a Kristan Higgins novel is a delightfully quirky cast of characters. They are always richly developed with realistic flaws that make them easy to relate to. Their interactions are laced with humor that is laugh out loud funny and sometimes so breathtakingly poignant it will break your heart.

As with Ms. Higgins' previous novels, there is a strong family bond between Faith and her extended family. These relationships are wonderfully imperfect but the love between family members is always apparent. Faith's grandparents' relationship is full of bickering and beautifully illustrates that love is not always full of romantic moments. Faith's older sister's marriage shows that keeping the passion in a long term marriage takes hard work and creativity. With Faith's father, we learn that love is not blind and that we love our partners despite their imperfections.

The Best Man is one of those multi-layered novels that quickly engages the reader. Each layer reveals many different facets of the characters and enriches the overall story. The romantic plot between Levi and Faith is slow growing and deliciously steamy. But before Levi and Faith can find their happily ever after, they each must deal with their respective messy pasts. Each of these storylines is fascinating and provides a great deal of depth and growth to both of their characters.

The Best Man is a novel that will make you laugh and cry and it is a story that you will hate to see end. Luckily, it is the first installment of Kristan Higgins' Blue Heron series and we will have the chance to revisit this charming cast of characters in the not too distant future.

I loved every outrageous, zany, and heartfelt moment of this wonderful story and you will too.

[jonimfisher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Higgins captures the wonderful chaos of a young woman's love life. Faith Holland returns home to upstate New York years after being left at the altar. Her family grows wine and while Faith has been away her sisters and brother have been running things just fine. When Faith attempts to return home she faces one awkward, hilarious situation after another.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Best Man
5 Stars

After being left at the alter, Faith Holland escapes to San Francisco. Now, after years away, she returns home to Manningsport where little has changed except for the fact that the man who ruined her wedding is now the police chief, and she doesn’t know whether to strangle him or kiss him senseless.

Higgins's characters come to life on the pages and by the time the book ends, you feel as if you know them all personally. No one in the small town is shy of expressing their opinions and the shenanigans of Levi and Faith’s family and friends lead to much hilarity.

Faith and Levi’s romance builds slowly from animosity to attraction to love, and the flashback scenes play an important role in the development of their characters. My one small nitpick is that the physical relationship occurs mainly off page, which is disappointing given Faith and Levi’s intense chemistry and the steamy buildup.

Nevertheless, The Best Man is a fantastic read with delightful characters and a captivating romance. This book will make you laugh till you cry and cry till you laugh. Pick it up ASAP!

[myab-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my first book by this author. I enjoyed her writing style and this book brought a few tears, laughs and sighs which was a nice surprise. I look forward to reading more from her. ... on a side note however, I think some of her slang words (hemorrhoid was the one) was used a wee bit too much for me, kinda felt like she was trying to force a laugh.. which didn't happen. but just my opinion.

[lauigl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After devouring Now That You Mention It recently, and loving it, I felt compelled to squeeze in another book by Kristan Higgins. So I went with the first book in her Blue Heron series, The Best Man.  She’s two for two now folks.  I loved this book too!  It’s more romance than women’s fiction, but equally enjoyable. Here’s a little glimpse into the plot…Faith Holland’s fiancée, Jeremy Lyon, dumped her at the alter, and Faith blames his best man, Levi Cooper, for the breakup. To escape the humiliation of her failed nuptials, Faith flees to California intending to stay until the gossip subsides. Three years later her sister, Honor, calls her home to help out with a situation involving their dad. It won’t be easy facing the pity that well-intentioned friends will dole out, but Faith is looking forward to returning home to her family, their vineyard and Jeremy. Jeremy?! Besides, as an architectural landscaper she can do some renovation work on the family’s old barn and acquire other projects that will keep her occupied. She’ll need the distraction since she still loves Jeremy despite what he did to her. But wouldn’t you know it, the first person she runs into when she gets back to her hometown is Levi, now the police chief of Manningsport. She still hates him, and is forthcoming about her feelings towards him. He’s never seemed to like Faith and judging from his reactions to her arrival that hasn’t much changed. He is ruggedly handsome though, she can’t deny that. And when Faith finds herself in need of assistance on more than one occasion, it’s Levi who comes to her rescue. Might their hostilities be masking something that they’ve both been unwilling to confront for many years?Ahh….the enemies to lovers trope. I loved it!! There were so many great things about this book: watching the romance develop, the fully fleshed-out characters, the humor, the secret that Faith carries and how it affects her life with her family, her relationship with Jeremy, Faith’s adorable dog, Blue, and the surprise visitor who shows up in Manningsport and threatens to destroy everything. It all kept the plot moving. I enjoyed every component of the story. Kristan Higgins’s stories are like a jigsaw puzzle; a lot of little pieces that need to come together to form a complete picture. How she manages to reconstruct those pieces so effectively is what has me coming back for more.The Best Man will make you laugh (I cracked up at the ladies’ verbal jabs at poor Levi), it will make you sad, it will have you rooting for the underdog. But in the end you will feel gratified that you’ve spent time with the Blue Heron family of characters. Definitely recommended for lovers of romance.

[msralways · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The beginning had a very good feel to it, but then I think things started to drag a little and Levi started to get it n my nerves. The epilogue was really good though and I think this series has some potential.

[mhanover10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a fun chick-lit book. I don't know if I would recommend this as an audio book. The reader was way too bedroom breathy and it sometimes was lolling me to sleep, which is not good when driving. There were times I laughed out loud, especially when the grandparents were talking. It's a great beach read.

[pennykaplan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Faith leaves her small town finger lakes community when she discovers, at the altar, that her fiance is gay. Now she's back, a successful landscape designer, to deal with her quirky family, and find romance with the ex-best man. Funny as well

[debr56 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

loved it!!

[jkgrage · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this story and loved the characters in it but although I like slapstick comedy stories, those scenes didn't seem to belong in this book. Still a very nice read.

[courtney_chance-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My goodness. I bought this book last month. I am SO glad I finally picked this book up.

first cons- I did dislike Levi at first. He was so hard to like. I disliked how long it took for them to establish they even had feelings for eachother. I didnt think some of the conversations were necessary.

PROS!!
OMG was this book not LOL comedy. Pru had me cracking up non stop. Levi and Faiths banter was hilarious. Omg Lorena or whatever her name was, she was a hoot. Is faith not totally adorable. That window scene with wonderful chief of police had me crying I laughed so hard.

I enjoyed the romance/comedy aspect but with the family aspect.

this book was something else

[ktleyed · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was okay, but not great. My first by this author, it seemed to take forever to really get going between the the two leads and I felt there was a lot of low-brow humor that I didn't really appreciate - nor like. Just made me uncomfortable. Much of it I just didn't even think was funny and the heroine was just too cute. Faith was left at the altar when her fiance came out and admitted he was gay. Levi, his best man, knew the truth, but didn't do anything about it until right before the wedding. For that reason, Faith really has it out for him. Like I said, okay story, Faith reminded me of a cutesy Disney character, but I did like Levi's character. Frankly, I don't know what he saw in her, no chemistry between them.

[sleahey_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This audiobook, laugh-out-loud funny at times, tells the story of star-crossed lovers in the middle of New York's wine country. The reader does an excellent job conveying the personality of Faith, who is still recovering from being left at the altar on her wedding day. It turns out that her long-time boyfriend is gay, and his best friend, the best man, objects to the marriage in the middle of the ceremony. What makes this book a pleasure is the authentic voice, the good humor, and the solid themes of family and friendship while avoiding being saccharine.

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good book. Faith has come home after three years away, to help out at the family winery. In her small town it's hard to get past everyone's memory of her being left at the altar but she's trying. She also has to face Levi, the man she still holds responsible for ruining her wedding. There are also the typical dramas she has to deal with in her family. She needs to decide if she's going to come back home to stay or head back to California as soon as she can.I liked Faith. There was a lot more to her than was first apparent. In high school she seemed to be the slightly spoiled, always perky youngest daughter of one of the rich families. Her boyfriend is the ultra popular and best looking guy who is also the quarterback. Everything goes along great for eight years as they date, then get engaged. Then on the day of the wedding, right at the altar, Levi forces Jeremy to finally come clean with Faith - he's gay. Faith is devastated and flees to San Francisco where she works for three years before being called home. Her siblings need her to save their father from a gold-digger and use her talents to improve the winery grounds. I loved the way she was happy to come home. She was homesick, missed her family and her hometown. She hasn't quite gotten up the nerve to see her ex-fiance yet, but she's getting there. She has had a couple encounters with Levi though. She's still angry with him and is pretty darn snarky around him. Their encounter at the bar, where he has to rescue her is hilarious. She still gets the feeling that he doesn't like her whenever they meet. When she ends up moving into the apartment next door to him there are more encounters that start feeling like they're not so adversarial. There's also a heat growing between them that she doesn't know what to do about. I really liked the slow growing of their friendship as they learned more about each other. Faith gets really frustrated with Levi's unwillingness to talk, especially about emotions. She is incredibly moved when he takes the time to do the research that ends her guilty feelings over the death of her mother. Those feelings have affected the way she feels about her family and the new information gives her the courage to talk to them about her mother.Levi was definitely the strong silent type. He had been friends with Jeremy since high school. He had suspected that Jeremy was gay from the moment they met, but it never made a difference to him. He was concerned about Jeremy's inability to admit it, especially as things got more serious with Faith. He finally had to say something before both Jeremy and Faith made a mistake that would be devastating to them both. However, that put him on Faith's hate list, a difficult place to be since they were both still friends with Jeremy. Levi also suffers from a bit of inferiority complex because he has grown up on the poor side of town, also causing him to look at Faith rather cynically. By the time he comes back from the army he has lived down his "trailer park" past and is now the police chief, a job he really enjoys. He is also the guardian of his younger sister who is giving him fits about staying at college. When Faith returns to town he's expecting more of the same girl she was when she left. He soon finds himself pretty amused by the scrapes she gets into and has fun with her about them. He also discovers that the attraction he first noticed when Faith was Jeremy's girlfriend hasn't gone away. I loved seeing him fight those feelings because I knew it would be a losing battle. I really liked seeing the way that he took such good care of her during and after her seizure and how that seemed to be the beginning of their new friendship. It was obvious that his inability to talk about his emotions frustrated Faith, but he didn't seem to be able to do anything about it. I loved the way he could show his feelings in the way that he took care of her and did things for her. The scene at her grandparents anniversary party was pretty sweet of him. I also liked his friendship with Jeremy and how it never changed. It was pretty funny that it was Jeremy that finally made Levi face his feelings for Faith. Once again the secondary characters add another great layer to the story. Faith's family was especially fun. Her dad is pretty clueless about the intentions of the woman he calls a "friend" and his reactions are pretty funny. Her sisters are older and still treat her like the baby. Her one sister has teenage children who argue with each other like normal kids do which is always fun to see. Then we also get to experience the attempts that Pru's husband Carl makes to spice up their marriage, from sexting to hearing the kids complain about their parents' "activities". Faith's grandparents have been married for sixty-five years and the way they treat each other is kind of bizarre, but seems to work for them. I'll be interested to see if Levi's sister Sarah gets her own story, once she gets past her homesickness and attitude toward her brother. Jeremy's presence throughout the book was great for showing the importance of friendship, but I sure did get frustrated with his guilt complex for awhile. I'm looking forward to seeing where the next book goes.

[thelustyliterate-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 StarsThis is a well written and sweet romance. Likeable characters. Mild steam. A little too much dog interference, especially when things heat up. The scene where Faith and Jeremy talk again for the first time and reconcile, got me all misty eyed.

[jbarr5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Best Man by Kristan HigginsHave read many of the authors works and have loved them all. Book #1 of the Blue Heron series. Finger Lakes area along with vineyards and Mennonite farmlands.Faith Holland had been left at the altar, Jeremy was her to be husband. He was a doctor and they spent a lot of time together in town, in love til the day they were to marry. We learn he was gay and thus didn't want to marry her.Her sister, Honor had called and summoned her back home to the vineyard as she thinks their father is about to marry a young woman. Faith plans to restore the stone barn into a wedding/event area with the vineyard right there. She's a landscape designer. Levy Cooper the local police chief. He's back from the war and now the police chief of the town and he pulls Faith over upon her return. They are total opposites but could they be attracted to one another?The chapters go back in time so you can follow what happened in the past as it relates to the present day life's.Levy knew of the secret, why Jeremy couldn't marry Faith... Hot steamy sex scenes and her secret and guilt about the death of her mother comes out... I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[paideiamom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hmmm. Like many others, I don't know how to review/rate this book because of one problematic scene. So I will skip that barrier for a bit and give a general feel.

First, I haven't enjoyed Ms. Higgins for a while. I read her stuff because I want to get back the loving feeling I once had. Do I buy her stuff new anymore? Um, no, sorry, I don't. Is this book enough to get me to buy her stuff new anymore? Um, no, sorry, it isn't.

Like (seemingly) all writers, Ms. Higgins has a niche, a clique, a group of characters in a pool that seems to be the only pool in which she fishes. This pool has interesting characters, some more interesting than others. This pool is invariably located in a quirky small town with quirky small-town characters and quirky small-town situations that would be highly suspect in a town of more than, say, 800 people.

The first character that seems to leap onto Ms. Higgins' pole and hook itself is the slightly needy, ever-insecure, not-quite-physically-perfect heroine. In this case, the character is a young woman who was left at the altar a few years before by her high school sweetheart. They had stayed together through those rough long-distance college relationship years and their relationship culminated in a walk down the aisle. That they didn't consummate their relationship on that altar at the end of the aisle (ewww, not that way) is the foundation on which this book is built.

I won't give any spoilers here, but I think within the first few paragraphs of the book you will figure out the reason for the nonstart, even before the big reveal.

So a few years ensue. There is personal and professional growth of the jilted bride, her erstwhile groom and the BFF/Best Man of the Groom. Circumstances conspire for our not-bride-to-be to come home. Let the cast of quirk begin. There are relatives who behave (the younger relatives), there are siblings who overshare and never share, and grandparents who absolutely, positively hate each other. Having grandparents who divorced after 52 years of matrimonial hell, I did a lot of wincing and had some serious flashbacks that required chocolate to soothe me. Not everyone will have that kind of chocolate-seeking reaction. Some might even find them funny.

Anyway, on with the story. Not spoiling anything for anybody but those who don't actually know the title of the book, it is soon evident that the new Hero (with a capital H) will be the former Best Man. Our heroine Faith has issues with the Best Man, not the least of which is she blames him for the nonstart at the altar.

He is now the chief of police in this small town o' quirk. They are thrown together often and longingly. They give in to this passion a time or two before consummation. There is angsting, some gnashing of teeth, a big MIS and some sex, most of it behind closed doors.

What makes this different from the last few Higgins' books for me? You actually get to know the Hero. He is introduced. His back story is given. He is allowed a voice in the book. When I think back on Ms. Higgins' books (and more than a bit of time has elapsed since I have read the others; these are not reread books for me), I remember distant heroes who seem to have no more history or back story or personality than a lamp bought at Pier 1. Attractive, can be used in a variety of settings, will last for the long run, but nothing to distinguish them from any variety of attractive, reasonably affordable inventory there for the picking and in danger of being quickly forgotten and discarded once your tastes change.

The other different positive is our Faith has experienced life outside of small town quirk and survived and thrived and if she wants, she can go back again to the big city. But she doesn't necessarily want to. She can leave, and does, but her heart is in the small town, her family is in the small town and now she wants to be there, relationship issues or no.

It was a fun book for me. I enjoyed it. I didn't set it down to go make a smoothie and then forget to pick it back up. I read it in one weekend that was interspersed with an out-of-town trek to a junior high quiz bowl national championship and didn't bother to hide it from all the smarty-pants junior high kids I was surrounded by reading their Deliriums and Perks and Eleanor and Parks and Lincoln bios.


So onto the "issue" with the book. SPOILER ALERT: This spoiler is a situational spoiler, not one having to do with the main characters' HEA so I am not hiding it.

The dad of Ms. Jilted is a widower. The circumstances of his widowerhood are important to the story. A long time has passed since he lost his beloved wife. The family is afraid his current single status may be detrimental to their bottom line if he goes for a golddigger. So Ms. Jilted decides (again, for reasons explained in the book) to set her dad up with various women she has vetted. One woman she picks for him turns out to be transgender (again, if you can't figure this out before the big reveal, you aren't paying attention to the setup). The transgender character is referred to as a "he-she" at one point and there is a lot of flapping of wings and squawking about the near miss.

Well, I knew as soon as I read it, this would become an issue. This is where I am having a hard time figuring out my feelings. I am not going to say that some of my best friends are transgendered. I am not going to say I have intimate knowledge of the transgender world. I am not even going to say I understand transgender. I will say I need a "Transgender for Dummies" book, though.
I know "he-she" is offensive without any knowledge base. I would think most would understand that. What I do have a hard time with is how some are so up in arms over the author's treatment of this matter.

I do know a transgender female through my work. I know it was a difficult decision. I know that it was not a decision made lightly. But I also know this person totally understands and has empathy toward those who don't "get it." She doesn't expect everyone to openly accept her and her physical being, especially upon initial knowledge. She gets that this affects how she is perceived and accepted in the everyday world. Heck, her children love her and accept her, but they don't "get it," either. They just let her be her.
She knows this decision to have this surgery has/will affect every relationship, whether it is a relationship that will mature or it is a relationship that will remain forever inchoate once information is shared.

All of the above is really no more than my writing down all the ways my brain went with this scene. I understand if a reader is offended by the words chosen in a scene that the book didn't necessarily need to have. I understand there are a lot of people more enlightened, sensitive, aware than I will ever be that find this totally unacceptalbe. But I also understand that there are people who need time to think about the circumstance. Need to investigate if they choose to. Even Cher has a hard time with Chaz's decision (yeah, I went there).

So don't let this one scene impact your decision on whether to read this book. This scene is fairly well telegraphed. You can easily skip this scene and not have to deal with it. Or if you feel so strongly, then don't read the book. You won't be missing anything. It is fun and frothy, but there is no dearth of fun and frothy available on the market today.

[scorchingrevs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this book based upon a recommendation and I am so glad that I did. Its light hearted humour and steamy romance made this a highlight of a very dark week.

Faith left when her fiancée came out at the alter. She didn’t blame her fiancée for this; she blamed his best friend Levi. That side of her character actually annoyed me slightly. Put the blame where blame is due, or even realise that you’ve been let off fairly lightly, but don’t blame the man who tried to do you a favour! Nether the less, she does blame him and this leads to some very prickly conversations with the town cop when she returns to town to start on a new project. Their early interactions were quite hard work to read as there was no way that I could see the romance building. Once it did, I really got into this tale! Faith was a strong character who dealt well with a lot of baggage and I did want her to get her HEA...eventually!

Levi was a hero I could get onboard with. He was nice to everyone, except Faith, rescuing dogs and helping people with their everyday lives. He was a bit of a ladies’ man but not one to sleep with a different girl every night. His attitude toward Faith at the start was a little trying (he was rude the majority of the time) but once he realised that he was very much attracted to her, and that she wasn’t the snob that he imagined, I started to like his character. His dry humour and charisma made him a lovely main character and I enjoyed reading his story.

This story was full to the brim with humour. The sweetest was to be found in Faith and Levi’s burgeoning relationship; whether it be removing the horny dog from the room when they are trying to have heartfelt discussions or dealing with her gay ex-fiancée, there were some lovely moments. I have to say the bits that had me laughing aloud on the bus weren’t to do with the lead characters at all but to do with the sex life of her mad-cap sister. In this book, Faith has a series of family members who help the story along nicely whilst creating some slap-stick humour. The scene where her sister tryed to sext her husband but mistakenly sent it to her oldest son made me cry with laughter...got some strange looks for that one J

This is set in a small town and I love small town stories. I love that everyone knows everyone, can ask people for the smallest favour and some of these interactions actually helped the story along well. It was a delightful romance that had me laughing aloud manically at points. It did take me a while to get into it, because of the afore mentioned problems with the romantic setup, but once I was in I was hooked until the end.

A charmingly funny story that blends the ridiculous with the heart-warming, seamlessly. With a cast of amazing characters, there is bound to be something that appeals to pretty much anybody. I will be picking up the next book in the series J

[amycr-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Made me laugh, made me teary eyed, made me smile. Awesome book.

[t8l8costa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic. Hooked me from the first page. It's hard to find a book that makes you both laugh out loud and cry, but Higgins managed to do it once again.

[beckymmoe_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this one in a single day! (I would have tried for a single sitting if I could have gotten away with it, but darn if those kids didn't need to eat. Geesh.)I think this is one of, if not my favorite, Kristan Higgins books to date. I loved Faith (and the fact that she ended up crying in *my* airport twice in this book just proved that if she really existed, we'd totally be besties), her extra fifteen pounds (again, besties), her love of Ben & Jerry's (ditto), and her extremely well-behaved dog. (If only he could give mine some tips.) Faith has some very funny moments, but she's not ditzy--I will never look at automatic flush toilets the same way again! She also manages to give as good as she gets with Levi, which was totally necessary, especially when he was being a "hemorrhoid". Her "Boring Scale" rating system for the looks he often gives her (one: "Oh, it's you," four: "What's your name again?" six: "I can't believe I still have to talk to you," nine: "So this is what hell is like") is just too funny. Levi, for his part, ends up more than making up for his (apparent) butt-headedness as the book progresses. Seeing things from his point of view definitely helps readers understand where he is coming from, and his two big gestures totally seal the deal. I absolutely loved that he was an army vet too. Excellent choice.Once again Higgins outdoes herself with the quirky family and friends--this book promises to be first in a series, so I can't wait to see whose story we'll get next. The only part that I wasn't totally in love with was the side story of older sister Pru and her husband--it had some funny moments, but there was a lot of bouncing back and forth and at times it was vaguely disturbing. Despite that, this is definitely one for my keeper shelf!