The Worst Best Man

By: M.J. O'Shea

Narrated by: Dorian Bane

Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

It was her special day...but his worst nightmare.

A rekindled romance wasn't part of the plan.

Despite his American background, August O'Leary is the most sought-after wedding planner in London. Naturally, Libby and Edward come to him for a wedding the city will never forget. But Edward is an international businessman, so the details are left to Libby and her best friend - who happens to be the love of August's life and the one who broke his heart eight years ago: Christopher Burke.

How's August supposed to pull off the event of the year with Christopher distracting him and old feelings crashing the party uninvited?

Christopher has let money and status dictate his life, but no more. His failure to stand up to others' expectations cost him his future with August - one he hoped would include marriage. Now he has to face August's hurt and anger and prove he's still the best man to make August happy.

©2017 M.J. O'Shea (P)2017 Dreamspinner Press

Second chance romance

Any additional comments?

August O'Leary, originally from Massachusetts, went to college in England, fell deeply in love with Christopher Burke, spent three blissful years together, then got dumped - badly - because Christopher wouldn't stand up to his parents.

Eight years later, August works as a high-end event planner in London and the story begins when his newest client, Libby, walks in with her best friend - Christopher Burke, the man who shattered August's heart.

This is a second chance romance, and while I normally like the trope, for me, I have to believe that the party who "wronged" the other is actually sorry and makes a real effort to make amends. I did not find that to be the case here. Christopher makes all the same mistakes the second time around, and some new ones, and I felt like his "grand gesture" was just an easier way of continuing to not have to introduce August into his world and really make a stand.

I love Dorian Bane's deeper voice, and his narration was smooth for the most part, but I didn't enjoy most of his character accents. I liked his character voice for August (Dorian does a good job with the Boston accent and the dropping of the "r"), but his UK accents were hard for me to keep up with. I found myself having to replay some of the same conversations two or three times to understand what the characters were saying.

While not being able to follow along easily with much of the narration didn't help, my disappointment comes mainly by the fact that I was maddened by much of the story. While I liked August, and his friends, I really, really didn't like Christopher, and that pretty much ruined the whole romance for me. I spent most of my time wishing for someone else to come and sweep August off his feet so he could tell Christopher to go stuff it.

Overall this just didn't personally work for me.