"When I'm in the mood for a charming, funny, and emotional romance, I know that Kristan Higgins never disappoints."
Reviewed by Maria Munoz
Posted March 28, 2013
Romance | Romance Contemporary
Faith Holland has reason to be cautious about trusting a
man. Starting with her high school sweetheart Jeremy came
out of the closet on their wedding day, Faith has endured a
string of men with secrets. Needless to say, she doesn't
see much hope for her own happily ever after. When her
widowed father looks like he is falling under the spell of a
gold-digger, Faith rushes home to run interference. Faith isn't thrilled that the first person she meets when
arriving in Manningsport is Police Chief Levi Cooper, and
not just because he stops her for speeding. Levi has been
Jeremy's best friend for years and was instrumental in the
burst of honesty that ruined Faith's wedding day. Faith has
never figured out why Levi has always disliked her. For his
part, Levi has been attracted to Faith since high school but
she's always been off limits as his best friend's
girlfriend. Now that she's back he's determined to keep his
distance. But a still-feeling-guilty former fiancé, a loving
family, and a nosy town have their own plans for this
reluctant couple. THE BEST MAN will not doubt please fans of contemporary
romance. Faith and Jeremy's shifting relationship has the
right balance of fun, flirty, and challenging banter. They
both have wounds from their past that they must heal before
they can trust the love growing between them which adds
emotional depth to the story. I enjoyed the supporting
characters with their distinct voices and quirky
characteristics. When I'm in the mood for a charming,
funny, and emotional romance, I know that Kristan Higgins
never disappoints.
SUMMARY
Sometimes the best man is who you least expect.... 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
roses, she just might find a reason to stay at Blue Heron,
and finish that walk down the aisle.
ExcerptLevi Cooper, chief of police of the entire Manningsport
Police Department, all two and a half of them, tried to
give people a break. He did. Even the tourists with the
lead feet, Red Sox stickers on their bumpers and complete
disregard for speed limits. He parked the cruiser in plain
sight, the radar gun clearly visible—Hi there,
welcome to Manningsport, you're going way too fast and here
I am, about to pull you over, so slow down, pal. The town
depended on visitors, and September was prime tourism
season; the leaves were starting to turn, buses had been
rolling in and out of town all week, and every vineyard in
the area had some special event going on.
But the law was the law.
Plus, he'd just let Colleen O'Rourke off with a stern
lecture and a warning while she tried to look remorseful.
So another speeder just wasn't going to be tolerated
today. This one, for example. Seventeen miles an hour over
the limit, more than enough. Also, an
out–of–towner; he could see the rental plates
from here. The car was a painfully bright yellow Honda
Civic, currently clocking in at forty–two miles per
hour in a twenty–five mile–an–hour zone.
What if Carol Robinson and her merry band of geriatric
power–walkers were out? What if the Nebbins kid was
riding his bike? There hadn't been a fatal crash in
Manningsport since he'd been chief, and Levi planned on
keeping it that way.
The yellow car sailed past him, not even a tap on the
brakes. The driver wore a baseball cap and big sunglasses.
Female. With a sigh, Levi put on the lights, gave the siren
a blip and pulled onto the road. She didn't seem to notice.
He hit the siren again, and the driver seemed to realize
that yes, he was talking to her, and pulled over.
Grabbing his ticket pad, Levi got out of the cruiser.
Wrote down the license plate number, then went over to the
driver's side, where the window was lowering. "Welcome to
Manningsport," he said, not smiling.
Shit.
It was Faith Holland. A giant Golden Retriever shoved
its head out of the window and barked once, wagging happily.
"Levi," she said, as if they'd seen each other last week
at O'Rourke's.
"Holland. You visiting?"
"Wow. That's amazing. How did you guess?"
He looked at her, not amused, and let a few beats pass.
It worked; her cheeks flushed, and she looked away. "So.
Forty–two in a twenty–five
mile–an–hour zone," he said.
"I thought it was thirty–five," she said.
"We dropped it last year."
The dog whined, so Levi petted him, making the dog try
to crawl over Faith's head.
"Blue, get back," Faith ordered.
Blue. Right. Same dog as from a few years ago.
"Levi, how about a warning? I have a, um, a family
emergency, so if you could drop the cop act, that'd be
super." She gave him a tight smile, almost meeting his
eyes, and pushed her hair behind one ear.
"What's the emergency?" he said.
"My grandfather is...uh...he's not feeling well. Goggy's
concerned."
"Should you lie about stuff like that?" he asked. Levi
was well acquainted with the elder Hollands, as they made
up about ten percent of his work week. And if Mr. Holland
really was under the weather, he'd bet Mrs. Holland would
be picking out his funeral clothes and planning a cruise.
Faith sighed. "Look, Levi. I just took the red–eye
from San Francisco. Can you give me a break? Sorry I was
going too fast." She tapped her fingers on the steering
wheel. "I'll take a warning. Can I go now?"
"License and registration, please."
She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Still got that
branch up your ass, I see."
"License and registration, and please exit the vehicle."
She mumbled something under her breath, then groped
around in the glove compartment, her shirt coming out of
her jeans to reveal a patch of creamy flesh. Looked like
the fitness revolution had passed her by; then again, she'd
always been a little lush ripe chunky, ever since he could
remember. The dog took the opportunity to shove his head
out again, so Levi scratched him behind the ear.
Faith slammed the glove box shut, shoved some papers in
Levi's hand, got out of the car, nearly hitting him with
the door. "Stay put, Blue." She didn't look at Levi.
He glanced at her license, then at her.
"Yes, it's a bad picture," she snapped. "Want a tissue
sample?"
"I don't think that'll be necessary. This has expired,
though. Another fine."
Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms under her
chest. Still had that amazing rack.
"How was Afghanistan?" she asked, looking over his
shoulder.
"Really great. I'm thinking of getting a summer place
there."
"You know what I wonder, Levi? Why are some people
always such hemorrhoids? You ever wonder that?"
"I do. Are you aware that antagonizing an officer of the
law is a felony?"
"Really. How fascinating. Can you get it in gear,
please? I want to see my family."
He signed the paper and handed it to her. She wadded it
up and tossed it in the car. "Am I free to go, Officer?"
"It's Chief now," he said.
"See someone about that branch." She got into the car
and drove off. Not too fast, though not slowly, either.
What do you think about this review?
Comments
1 comment posted.
Re: When I'm in the mood for a charming, funny, and emotional romance, I know that Kristan Higgins never disappoints.
love this book. When ever I get a Kristan Higgins books, I
put whatever book I am reading down, so I can get into hers.
(Sharon Salituro 8:39am April 7, 2013)
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