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Always The Best Man (2012)

by Fiona Harper(Favorite Author)

3.44 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0373178263 (ISBN13: 9780373178261)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Harlequin

review 1: I picked this up for free at the recent RoNA awards ceremony in London as it was one of the nominated books for the RoNa Rose award (as well as one of mine!). I read it practically in one sitting and absolutely adored it. It's full of Harper's fabulous wit especially in the opening sequence when we first meet Damien Stone – the habitual best man of the title – who is having to support his best friend Luke while he marries Sara, the woman of Damien's dreams. But as with all of Harper's books the witty writing is matched by the emotional depth of her characters and their conflict. Damian is a wonderfully complex character whose secret yearning for the 'idea of Sara' is both funny and quietly tragic, stemming as it does from the insecurities of his childhood. Unfortunatel... morey for Damien, he doesn't get much of a chance to lick his wounds thanks to the brash, abrasive and ultimately infuriating presence of the maid of honour Zoe. Loud, impulsive and reckless Zoe is the woman of Damian's nightmares, or so he thinks. However, an incendiary kiss at the reception is followed by a monumental mix-up which results in Damian and Zoe being forced to spend two weeks trapped on a yacht together. A case of sunburn and an impromptu dunking had me laughing out loud as they begin their journey, but after those sparkling comedy moments, the book morphs into a wonderfully heartfelt and evocative tale of how two opposites don't just attract but end up learning some invaluable lessons from each other about when - and when not - to stick to your plan. And if you've ever wondered what it might be like to take a yachting holiday around the Cornwall and Devon coasts you couldn't find a better description than in this book. I'm the sort of person to get seasick in a dinghy but even I wanted to jump on board this boat once it had set sail!
review 2: Very good book. The book opens with Damien watching his best friend marry the woman he is in love with. He has been very careful not to let even a hint of his feelings show to anyone, but he is understandably very tense at the wedding. Also at the wedding is the maid of honor, a woman that irritates Damien to no end. She is far too extreme a personality for him to be comfortable around. He is calm and always has a plan, and Zoe is impulsive and outspoken. When she starts pushing his buttons, he kisses her to shut her up and is stunned by their chemistry. The next day he finds her on his friend's sailboat - after he has already taken it out of port. They come to an agreement to share the boat for the next two weeks, and slowly find themselves learning more about each other. Not only learning, but actually liking each other. Damien learns how to let go of his control a little, after she makes him realize that it has been a reaction to his father's actions. Zoe has always been self-conscious about herself, due to her own family life and the actions taken by people around her. Damien teaches her that it is okay to be herself, and the first thing about getting other people to like her is to like herself. Pretty soon they realize that they are developing feelings for each other that they never expected, and honestly didn't see a future in. When Zoe finds out about Damien's feelings for her friend, she feels betrayed, and leaves for home. I loved the way that they ended up having to actually work at repairing their relationship, that it wasn't just fixed in a quick and easy way. Damien's proposal at the end was so wonderfully done that it was just perfect for them. less

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