Book #120 - Tempting the Best Man (Gamble Brothers #1)

Tempting the Best Man (Gamble Brothers #1), J. Lynn
romance
172 pages (e-book only)
Started 11/2/12
Finished 11/2/12
3 STARS

Tempting the Best Man was satisfying and sexy and sweet... and completely cliche and cheesy. I enjoyed it for the 12 hours or so it took for me to read it from beginning to end. It's a good thing it was fairly short and a very easy read, because if it have been longer, I think I would've gotten annoyed by how predictable it was.

Madison has loved her brother's best friend Chase ever since she was a kid, but after she made a move and he rejected her, she has tried her hardest to avoid him at all cost. Out of sight out of mind, right? And, it would've been ok, had her brother not decided to get married and make her the maid of honor and Chase the best man. Now, Madison and Chase are not only forced to see each other, but they're forced to interact and play nice. And, that's going to be harder than either of them thought. Not because they dislike each other so much. But, because it appears they can't keep their hands off each other.

J. Lynn is the adult pen name for one of my favorite YA authors, Jennifer L. Armentrout. So, I had high hopes. And, the wit and snark that I've come to love in her writing was definitely there. No, the problems I had with Tempting the Best Man were definitely not rooted in the quality of the writing, but rather in the plot.

Chase and Madison were loveable characters, and you find yourself rooting for them from the outset. And, I don't really think I'm giving away any spoilers here when I say that yes, they do end up together in the end. But, how they get there was almost ridiculous at times. They are thrown together in the most classically corny way possible, and in the real world, it would've never happened like that. Color me crazy, but I do prefer a lot of realism in my contemporary romance books.

There were loose ends that didn't get tied up to my satisfaction. Toward the end, again in expected fashion, there's a huge misunderstanding between Madison and Chase that threatens to keep them apart. And, strangely, that misunderstanding was never addressed - it was never talked about or resolved in any way. I kept waiting and waiting for one of them to bring it up and get it all out in the open so they could have their group catharsis and hug it out. But, it never came, and I felt cheated because of it.

For all my complaining, I do need to mention that there were good parts of this book. I loved the writing and when Madison and Chase were together, I liked the chemistry and rapport they had with each other. The side characters (Chase's two brothers, Madison's assistant at work and her brother and new sister-in-law) were solidly fleshed out and a nice addition to the main couple's story. This book, although pretty short, was entertaining. Which, I guess, is the whole point, isn't it?