Another great story from one of my favorite authors ( )

Welp, that'll teach me. I put this on my no-thank-you shelf for a reason.

Kristan Higgins generally writes cute, competent contemporary romances. She used to do them in 1st person and switched to 3rd sometime in the last couple of years. The switch makes them feel more like traditional romances and less like chick-lit but I think her voice was stronger in 1st. Whatever, none of this is really the point.

This particular book, the first set in upstate NY wine country, starts out fine. Charming, if a little saccharine, a small-town contemp that is neither garbage nor diamond. The lady protagonist, Faith, is kind of silly but that's fairly typical for Higgins. Faith was jilted on her wedding day when her fiancé comes out of the closet at the altar (basically). She is understandably a little bitter and runs away to San Francisco to lick her wounds. She builds a successful career and doesn't let her heartbreak get the best of her. Alright so far. The tone of the story is a little fluffy and verges on slapstick in some areas, which isn't awesome, but fine, whatever, I'll deal. Through most of the book, while there isn't any outright gay-bashing, I was getting a slight whiff of homophobia. Nothing I could put my finger on and I thought maybe I was being a little too sensitive. It happens. But still, there are some jokes that could be misconstrued. And then, boom! Transgender joke. As in, a person who is transgender is made the butt of a joke merely for the sake of the plot. This shit is not funny. NOT AT ALL. I should have put the book down and DNF'ed it, but I was already 80% through, goddamnit, if I'm going to be subjected to this kind of nonsense, I at least want to get the HEA.

And if that shit isn't enough, there is some serious slut-shaming going on here. Everyone is calling everyone a whore, and judging the ladies who like the sex outside of the bounds of matrimony, and there's a bit where this conversation takes place:

"My slutty roommate's with her boyfriend."
"I thought you liked her."
"She's a slut, Levi. So what's up?"

As if being a slut, however one defines the word, is diametrical to liking someone. That is motherfucking trifling bullshit, right there.

So anyway, this book would have been cute if not for all this bullshit. It was nothing special, although it had potential, since Faith has epilepsy and seems to be treated pretty well by the story (as in, she is not a speshul snowflake for "overcoming" her disability. There is a brief bit where it's implied that Levi must be The One because he never tiptoed around her, though). There were some genuinely funny bits (hemorrhoid as an exclamatory, frex) that weren't homo-or-trans-phobic. Faith's family seems pretty nice, Jeremy (the gay ex-fiancé) isn't a stereotype and he has a really great relationship with Levi, there's some poking fun at [b:Fifty Shades of Grey|10818853|Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1)|E.L. James|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1372516342s/10818853.jpg|15732562], but really, none of it is enough to make up for making someone's personhood the punchline. Especially a minor punchline.

I'm undecided about whether I'll keep reading Kristan Higgins' novels, but I will most certainly not be buying them. ( )

This was lovely and charming. The beginning took a bit to get into because I didn't find Faith very sympathetic. But she grew on me, and so did her weird and quirky family.

This book had flaws. I wasn't thrilled with how Higgins made a transgender woman the butt of a joke, for example. I also wanted to smack Faith at times. ( )

This book had it all. Romance. Humor. But also some touching, heart wrenching moments. Very enjoyable read. I look forward to more books by this author. ( )

Has anyone read any books by this author? All the funds from her preorders go to St. Judes', which is AMAZING, but none of my Goodreads friends have read any of her books! So idek if they're good or bad or somewhere in between

So there is some quality chick lit around!
This is so much better than [b:The Next Best Thing|6766430|The Next Best Thing|Kristan Higgins|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1387244422s/6766430.jpg|6965083].
Guilty pleasure. More good than bad, and somewhat swoon-y. ( )

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. ( )

Audio version is not impressive. Narrator speaks like a robot. ( )

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. ( )

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. ( )

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! ( )

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. ( )

3.5

The snark and the banter were great, but the romance - not so much. I just didn't feel it.

Loved all the insane people! Excellent characters. ( )

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. ( )

Got this from the HQN reader's mailing thing... Sent away for 2 free books and LOVED IT. So much that I think I'll keep my subsciption, instead of just canceling after getting my free books. Must immediately read more by Kristan Higgins.

Read this in one day, partially because it's an easy read and partially because I read it all in one big delicious gulp.

I fell pretty hard in love with Levi, and felt like I wanted to be Faith's friend. Sometimes it was a little confusing with all the characters going on (Faith has a large and boisterous family.) Loved some of the side characters, like Levi's sister and Faith's dog. :D

Went to the library and requested every book they had by Kristan Higgins. That's how much I liked this book. Definitely adding her to my (very short) list of favorite romance authors. This was a CUTE romance, with some feeling of hard muscles and nuzzling of soft flesh, then fade to black, or "No one got any sleep for a long time, except the dog." I like the innuendo and not the smut, so this was PERFECT for me. If you're into smut, this will probably be too fluffy for you. If smut free is the way to be (like me!) then this one should be great for you. :D ( )

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. ( )

This was a great read...not what I expected! ( )

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. ( )

Kristan Higgins is just a really fun author for modern romances. This one is Faith - who gets left at the altar when the best man (levi) gets the groom to admit he's gay. After several years of hiding in San Francisco - Faith comes back home to the Blue Heron winery and ends up falling for Levi after a number of funny mishaps. ( )

Kristan Higgins' books are full of laugh-out-loud hilarity and breathless romance! "Real" heroes and heroines and heartwarming family round out the mix.

A note to my Christian fiction followers: this is not Christian fiction. Read it accordingly. :) ( )

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 ( )

Tratandose de un chick-lit , No pensé que me iba a gustar para nada . Pero , al final , resultó siendo más un romance que CL y terminé sonriendo un par de veces , a pesar de un par de chistes medio ofensivos -como esos que salen en las comedias yanquis con Vince Vaughn . Por suerte fueron sólo un par , nada más.

Un romance super dulce y super-cute , con una heroína con el aspecto físico de Isla Fisher (y un toque de la gracia de esa pelirroja) y un muchachito mezcla del SR. Darcy y Heathcliff .

Para pasar el rato . ( )

loved it!! ( )

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. ( )

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 ( )