Want a NOOK? Explore Now
What if the perfect match is a perfect surprise?
Honor Holland has just been unceremoniously rejected by her lifelong crush. And now—a mere three weeks later—Mr. Perfect is engaged to her best friend. But resilient, reliable Honor is going to pick herself up, dust herself off and get back out there or she would if dating in Manningsport, New York, population 715, wasn't easier said than done.
Charming, handsome British professor Tom Barlow just wants to do right by his unofficial stepson, Charlie, but his visa is about to expire. Now Tom must either get a green card or leave the States—and leave Charlie behind.
In a moment of impulsiveness, Honor agrees to help Tom with a marriage of convenience—and make her ex jealous in the process. But juggling a fiancé, hiding out from her former best friend and managing her job at the family vineyard isn't easy. And as sparks start to fly between Honor and Tom, they might discover that their pretend relationship is far too perfect to be anything but true love .
"Well-placed flashbacks; snarky, snappy dialogue; and conflict both tender and traumatic will shove you into love with a perfectly irresistible array of imperfect characters. You'll adore every bit of this story...Higgins' latest is sexy, screwy, funny and fulfilling - a simply radiant read."-USA TODAY on The Best Man
"The result is a deliriously funny story...The Best Man is Kristan Higgin's best book — and that's saying a lot."-Eloisa James
"A funny, poignant romance."
-Publishers Weekly starred review, on My One and Only
"Romance fans and lovers of women's fiction will devour this witty and tender novel. Highly recommended." -Library Journal starred review on Somebody to Love
"Both gut-wrenchingly emotional and hysterically funny at the same time...Kristan Higgins writes the books you don't want to end."-#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr
"Higgins specializes in the kind of prose that makes you laugh out loud...hilarious on the surface, but with a bittersweet subtext."-National Public Radio
"Higgins has a special talent for creating characters readers love."-Romantic Times, 4½ stars on All I Ever Wanted
"A heartwarming, multi-generational tale of lost love, broken hearts and second chances."
-BookPage on The Next Best Thing
For a guy who taught mechanical engineering at a fourth-rate college in the middle of nowhere, Tom Barlow was packing them in.
At the university where he'd last taught, there'd been an actual engineering school, and his students were genuinely interested in the subject matter. Here, though, at tiny Wickham College, four of the original six attendees had stumbled into class, having left registration until too late, only taking mechanical engineering because it still had open slots. Two had seemed genuinely interested, until one, the girl, transferred to Carnegie Mellon.
But then, by the end of the second week, he suddenly had thirty-six students jammed into the little classroom. Each one of these new students was female, ranging in age from eighteen to possibly fifty-five. Suddenly, an astonishing array of girls and women had decided that mechanical engineering (whatever that was) had become their new passion in life.
The clothes were a bit of a problem. Tight, trashy, low-cut, low-riding, inappropriate. Tom tended to teach to the wall in the back of the room, not wanting to make eye contact with the hungry gazes of seventy-eight percent of his class.
He tried not to leave time for questions, as the Barbarian Horde, as he thought of them, tended to be inappropriate. Are you single? How old are you? Where 'd you come from? Do you like foreign films/sushi/girls?
Then again, he needed this job. "Any questions?" he asked. Dozens of hands shot up. "Yes, Mr. Kearns," he said gratefully to the one student in the class who was there out of interest in the subject.
According to his file, Jacob Kearns had been kicked out of MIT for doing drugs. He seemed on the straight and narrow now, at least, but Wickham College was a hundred steps down academically. Then again, Tom knew all about shooting himself in the foot, career-wise.
"Dr. Barlow, with the hovercraft project, I was wondering how you'd calculate the escape velocity?"
"Good question. The escape velocity is the speed at which the kinetic energy of your object, along with its gravitational potential energy, is zero. Make sense?" The Barbarian Horde (those who were listening) looked confused.
"Definitely," Jacob said. "Thanks."
Thirty seconds to the bell. "Listen up," he said. "Your homework is to read chapters six and seven in your texts and answer all the study questions at the end of both as well as pass in your term project proposals. Those of you who flunked the hovercraft estimates have to do them again." Hopefully, he could break the Horde with a ridiculous workload. "Anything else?"
A hand went up. One of the Barbarians, of course. "Yes?" he said briskly.
"Are you British?" she asked, getting a ripple of giggles from a third of the class, whose mental age appeared to be twelve.
"I've answered that in a previous class. Any other questions that pertain to mechanical engineering, then? No? Great. Cheerio."
"Oh, my God, he said 'Cheerio,'" said a blonde dressed like a Cockney prostitute.
The bell rang, and the Barbarian Horde surged toward his desk. "Mr. Kearns, please stay a minute," Tom said.
Seven female students clustered around him. "So do you think I could, like, work for an architect or something?" one asked.
"I've no idea," he answered.
"I mean, after this class." She lowered her gaze to his mouth. Crikey. Made him want to shower.
"Pass the class first, then apply and see," he said.
"Do you want to hang out at the pub, Tom?" asked another of the BH. "I'd love to buy you a drink."
"That'd be inappropriate," he answered.
"I'm totally legal," she said with a leer.
"If you don't have any questions related to the lesson today, get out, please." He smiled to soften the words, and with a lot of pouty lips and hair tossing, the Barbarian Horde departed.
Tom waited till the other kids were out of earshot. "Jacob, would you be interested in interning for me?"
"Yeah! Sure! Um, doing what?"
"I customize airplanes here and there. Got a project coming up. It might be good on your CV."
"What's a CV?"
"A resume."
"Sure!" Jacob said again. "That'd be great."
"You can't be using, of course. Will that be a problem?"
The kid flushed. "No. I'm in NA and all that. Clean for thirteen months." He pushed his hands into his pockets. "I have to pee in a cup every month to come here. The health office has my records."
"Good. I'll give you a shout when I need you."
"Thanks, Dr. Barlow. Thanks a lot."
Tom nodded. The head of his department was standing in the doorway, frowning down the hallway, where a cacophony of giggles was coming from the twits. When Jacob left, the man came in and closed the door behind him.
This wouldn't be good news, Tom thought. Droog Dragul (not a shock that he was called Dracula, was it?) had the face of a medieval monk—tortured, pale and severe. He looked even more depressed than usual.
"Dee cheeldren of dis school," Droog said in his thick accent. He sighed. "Dey are so " Tom winced, fearing the next phrase would be well fed or iron-rich. "Dey are so unfocused." Phew.
"Most of them, anyway," Tom said. "I've got one or two good students."
"Yes." His boss sighed. "And you heff such a vay vith the ladies, Tom. Perhaps we can heff beer and you can give pointers."
"It's the accent, mate," Tom said.
"Mine does not seem to heff same effect, for some reason. Eh heh heh heh heh!"
Tom winced, then smiled. Droog was a good guy. Strange, but nice enough. In the month since Tom had been teaching here, they'd had dinner once, gone out for beer and pool twice, and if the experience had been odd, it seemed that Droog had a good heart.
His boss sighed and sat down, tapping his long fingers on the desk. "Tom, I am afraid I heff bad news. Vee von't be able to renew your vork visa."
Tom inhaled sharply. The only reason he'd taken this job was for the work visa. "That was a condition of my employment."
"I em aware. But dee budget it is too overtaxed for dee court fees."
"I thought you said it'd be no problem."
"I vas wrong. They heff reconsidered."
Tom felt his jaw locking. "I see."
"Vee value your teaching abilities and experience, Tom. Perhaps you vill find another way. Vee can give you till end of semester." He paused. "I em sorry. Very much so."
Tom nodded. "Thanks, mate." It wasn't Droog's fault. But shit.
Dr. Dragul left, and Tom sat at his desk another few minutes. Finding another job in February was unlikely. Wickham College had been the only place in western New York looking for an engineering professor, and Tom had been lucky to get the job as fast as he did. It wasn't a prestigious place, not by a long shot, but that wasn't really the point. This time around, it was all about location.
He couldn't keep his job without a work visa, though it wasn't like Immigration would be breathing down his neck; an employed professor was less of a concern than most of their cases. Still, the college wasn't going to keep him on illegally.
If he was going to stay, he needed a green card.
Fast.
But first to the rather shabby house he'd just rented, and then to the much better bar down the street. A drink was definitely required.
A few nights later, Tom sat in the kitchen of his great-aunt Candace's kitchen, drinking tea. Only Brits could make decent tea, and though Candace had lived in the States for at least six decades, she hadn't lost the touch.
"That Melissa," Aunt Candace said darkly. "She messed everything up, didn't she?"
"Well. Let's not speak ill of the dead."
"But I'll miss you! And what about Charlie? How old is he now? Twelve?"
"Fourteen." His unofficial stepson had been ten when Tom met him. Hard to reconcile that talkative, happy little boy with the sullen teenager who barely spoke these days.
A fleeting pain lanced through his chest. Charlie wouldn't miss him, that seemed certain. One of those situations where Tom wasn't sure if he was doing any good whatsoever, or if, in fact, his presence made things worse. Melissa, Charlie's mother, was dead, and her brief engagement to Tom qualified him as nothing in the boy's life today, even though Charlie had been just a few months away from becoming Tom's stepson.
Whatever the case, Tom didn't have much choice about whether or not he was staying in the States. He'd emailed his old department head in England, who wrote right back saying they'd take Tom back in a heartbeat. There weren't any other colleges in western New York looking for someone with his credentials. And teaching was what he loved (when the students were actually interested in the subject matter, that was).
And so, Tom had decided to drive to Pennsylvania, visit the only relative he had in this country and start the goodbye process. He'd been in the States for four years now, and Aunt Candace had been good to him. Not to mention delirious with joy when he called after his last class to see if she was free for dinner. He even took her to the mall so she could buy a coat, proving a fact Tom firmly believed—he was a bloody saint.
"Here. Have more pie, darling." She pushed the dish across the table toward him, and Tom helped himself.
"Thanks," he said.
"Lovely town, Manningsport," she said. "I lived near there as a child, did you know that?"
"So you told me," Tom said. His lovely old aunt could bake, that was certain.
"Finish that pie, you might as well. I'm prediabetic or some such nonsense. Then again, I'm also eighty-two years old. Life without dessert is too horrible to contemplate. I'll just overdose on caramel corn and die with a smile on my face. What was I saying again?"
"You used to live near Manningsport."
"Yes, that's right! Just for a few years. My mother was a widow, you see. My father died of pneumonia, and so she packed my brother and me up and came to America. Elsbeth, your grandmother, was already married, so she stayed in Manchester with her husband, of course. Your grandfather. But I remember the crossing, seeing the Statue of Liberty. I was seven years old. Oh, it was thrilling!" She smiled and took a sip of tea.
"So that's how you became a Yank?" Tom asked.
She nodded. "We lived in Corning, and she met my stepfather, and he adopted Peter and me."
"I never knew that," Tom said.
"He was a lovely man. A farmer. Sometimes I'd go with him to deliver milk." Candace smiled. "Anyway, we moved after my brother died in the war. I was fifteen then. But I still have a friend there. More of a pen pal, do you know what that is?" Tom smiled. "I do."
"A pity you have to leave. It's beautiful there." Candy's gaze suddenly sharpened. "Tom, dear if you really want to stay in the States, you can always marry an American."
"That's illegal, Auntie."
"Oh, pooh."
He laughed. "I can't see myself going that far," he said. "It might be different if—well. It's not an option."
It might be if Charlie actually wanted him to stay. Needed him. If Tom were anything but a thorn in Charlie's side, he might give it a whirl.
He had two thin job prospects with manufacturing firms, both requiring experience he didn't have. If those didn't work out (and he was almost positive they wouldn't), he'd be heading back to jolly old England, which wouldn't be awful. He'd be near his dad. Probably meet some nice girl someday. Charlie would barely remember him.
The pie suddenly tasted like ash. He pushed back his plate. "I'd better be off," he said. "Thanks for the visit."
She stood up and hugged him, her cheek soft against his. "Thank you for coming to see an old lady," she said. "I'm going to brag about this for days. My grand-nephew adores me."
"You're right. Ta, Auntie. I'll call you and let you know what's happening."
"If I happen to know someone who might be interested, can I give her your number, dear?"
"Interested in what, Auntie?"
"In marrying you."
Tom laughed. The old lady's face was so hopeful, though. "Sure," he said, giving her another kiss on the cheek. Let the old bird feel useful, and that way, maybe she wouldn't feel so bad when he went back to England.
There was that pain in his chest again.
It took four hours to drive back to Manningsport. Four hours of wretched, icy rain and windshield wipers that smeared, rather than cleared. The weather thickened as he approached the Finger Lakes. Perhaps he wouldn't get in too late to grab a bite (and a whiskey) at the pub he was becoming too fond of. Chat up the pretty bartender and try not to think about the future.
JezzaBelle
Posted Tue Oct 29 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin, and Kristan Higgins for offering an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Story...
When Brogan and Dana suddenly get engaged, Honor Holland loses not only the love of her life, but
also her best friend. When her doctor reminds her that when it comes to her eggs "the years are
precious" and a barroom cat fight causes her family to redistribute her duties with the family wine
business, calm, reliable Honor suddenly finds herself panicking.
After being informed that the university will not be renewing his work visa, British professor Tom
Barlow begins to look at other, quicker means of staying in the United States. His unofficial stepson
may not be speaking to him, but Tom feels that it is necessary to stay in Manningsport to be near in
case Charlie needs him.
Honor's grandmother and Tom's great-aunt attempt to set them up, but on their first meeting, Tom let
his nerves and the whiskey get the better of him.
"Your hair's quite different, isn't it? Looks better. That sister-wife thing was a bit off-putting. Also, there's less for people to grab if you get into another fight. Very practical of you. So, shall we get married?"
But as Goggy, Honor's grandmother, says,
"You want to be married, or you want to be happy?"
Honor agrees to marry Tom and moves in with him. Actually making plans and taking the necessary
steps toward the wedding seems a lot harder to manage. The spark and attraction that pushed them
together when they first met has suddenly left the building. Can Honor and Tom find what is missing?
Can they fool the government agent who has come to investigate their relationship? Can they survive
when Honor's lifelong crush decides that he wants her after all?
What Worked...
There's a Brit. And he boxes. Shirtless. What's not to love? Plus he says things like,
"Are you drunk?" Honor asked.
"Please," he said. "I'm British. The proper word is pissed."
Honor and Tom's relationship is real. The miscommunications and missed opportunities are such a
part of married life, it's like they are already married.
The Holland family is an amazing group of characters. They are unique and often odd, but they love
each other and that makes the story stronger and more authentic.
My favorite relationship in this story had to be between Tom and Honor's dog, Spike.
The rat peeked out of the bag and bared its teeth. Ah. It was a dog, he was almost positive.
What Didn't...
Honor's aging eggs had a habit of talking to her, which was cute at first but soon had me considering
finding a padded cell for Honor.
I love the wit and comfort of reading Kristan Higgins' stories. She connects to something deep within
me and never fails to make me smile and stay up late trying to read just one more chapter.
Four out of Five Stars.
4 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is the second in the Blue Heron series but can be read stand-alone. I came late to Ms. Higgins and have been devouring everything of hers I can find. She just keeps getting better and better. She writes sweet romance with some steamy fade to black love scenes. But she tells a great story and I adore her characters.
I loved seeing under Honor’s perfect façade. She was so strong and perfect in The Best Man (Blue Heron #1) but you just knew there was something going on that was going to make her crack. I LOVE Tom flaws and all. It is so nice to see a positive male role model. This book left me with a smile on my face and a glow in my heart.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Nov 02 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I laughed out loud during parts of the book, and cried during others. Touching and entertaining.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Awesome book!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Kristan Higgins can't write a bad thing! The book is just as sweet and lovable as her others, and I love that you get to see glimpses of Levi and Faith in this book. I'm hoping that Kristan will write a book about Jack, I would to see more into his life :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I am a HUGE Kristan Higgins fan and THE BEST MAN (Blue Heron #1) is one of my all-time favorite books, so when I had the chance to read this one, I jumped on it.
What I Loved: A colorful cover with obvious romantic flare. Tom is British. The accent alone should entice you to read this book. Did I mention that he boxes, too? With Levi, from THE BEST MAN. Excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor, and wipe the drool off my chin.
One of the things I enjoy about Kristan Higgins' writing, is that I never fail to connect with at least one of the characters. Regardless of whether it's the uptight slightly intimidating Honor, or a smooth talking British professor like Tom who finds solace in a glass. There is always something to identify with and pull me further into the story.
Like all of Higgins' books, this one has a strong family focus and centers around the Holland family which is made up of a colorful cast of characters. But she also sheds a positive light on Tom's relationship with Charlie which is born of love and not blood.
The romance that develops between Honor and Tom is not an easy one and begins out of convenience on both their parts. However, it quickly (and hilariously at times) evolves into something honest, strong and ultimately helps them both overcome some of the issues they struggle with.
What Left Me Wanting More: I am always a little sad to see a Kristan Higgins' book end.
Final Verdict: Humorous and heartwarming addition to the Blue Heron Series. I'm excited for the next installment!
Favorite Quote(s): "One! One beeg mistake! Two! Two bad knees!" (Think, The Count, from Sesame Street.)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Nov 03 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I laughed and cried and laughed some more. The characters were loveable and I can't wait to read about them again!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Kimmerk65
Posted Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Kristan Higgins continues to make me laugh and cry. I really liked The Perfect Match. It kept me entertained and that is what I'm looking. I love the back characters also!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins
This book in the series is dedicated to Honor with appearances from her sisters: Faith and Patience and Hope.
Her father is seeing Mrs. J and the girls think she's too young for him. She had gotten into a bar fight with Brogan's new girl and now she knows they are getting married and Dana is pregnant.
Her sisters set up an account online for her with the dating sites and she's met a few men, been out for drinks with them and they didn't click. When she's in a jam Tom helps her out with a kiss at the bar so Brogan thinks she's on a date.
It doesn't stop there though and the book describes a hot steamy sex scene.
The book also is following Charlie and others in town. Tom also explains about how he has a stepson that isn't really a stepson at all.... He's very English and I like the translation of some words used.
Tom has now lost his teaching job at the college and the only way he could keep Charlie would be to get a green card by getting married. Honor needs to have a baby as her eggs are not going to be very futile soon because of her age.
Love the tour of the facilities and the process of how to make the wine and talk of the fruit.
Situations occur that lead to everybody doing a turn about...
More tragedy occurs bringing people together...
I received this book from Net Galley via Harlequin HQN in exchange for my honest review.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.pkgeihs54
Posted Fri Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Kristan Higgins writes believable characters who have you laughing one minute and reaching for a hanky the next! I look forward to each of her new books and usually preorder them to make sure I get them as soon as they are released. Can't go wrong with this lady!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Oct 04 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Never can go wrong with Higgins.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Cute
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Wed May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I love kristin higgins and her books of finding love at a little it older age. Eventhough 30 isn't "old" that's generally the age of the main characters but they still find love :)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Thu May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Second in the series and just as good as first. Not dependent on the first but a nice compliment. Love the characters, wit, and story.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Hott Synopsis:
Honor Holland has been in love for twenty years with the same man. He just sees her as a friend with benefits though and hammers it through when he proposes to Holland’s best friend, and they ask her to be a bride’s maid. As if Holland was ever going to do that!
Desperately listening to the ticking of her biological clock Holland allows herself to be set-up on a date with a man who’s perfect for her. He just needs to get married for a green card.
Tom Barlow can’t believe he’s been reduced to this position! Marrying to stay near his almost step-son, Tom isn’t sure he can allow Holland’s life to be reduced to this. She deserves better! Not that Tom will give it to her!
Hott Review:
What I liked: I adored every second of this book! Kristin Higgin’s writing always enthralls me and this was no exception. I fell in love with Holland and even when I wanted to smack Tom for being a jerk I wanted to have him come for dinner. This is a must read!
What I didn’t like: Well, I wanted hubby to start boxing before I was finished ;)
More…
Author: Kristan Higgins
Source: Harlequin HQN via Netgalley
Grade: A+
Steam: Adult – Very sexy but not overly graphic
Setting: Manningsport, New York
Series: Blue Heron #2
Poutounk
Posted Thu May 08 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I just love this type of book! The characters are great, the environment, both family & nature are great AND the love story is great!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KrittersRamblings
Posted Tue Apr 22 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Honor is in the middle of the family and has always been the core of the family. She has always taken on the brunt of the family by doing a lot of work at the vineyard and for the family, but her personal life may have taken a hit due to all of the things she took on.
I think I liked this one even more than the first. I knew the characters and was able to get into the story from the first page. Honor had more ups and downs and her story felt so real - trying to balance her full time professional life and large extended family while also making time to find love. I loved that Honor had a love story that started out like her, very business, but eventually she found the heart in it.
Anonymous
Posted Tue Apr 22 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Night babe she falls asleep
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Awaits. (Is this going t be a greasy, sweatty sex thing?)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Sheilag2367
Posted Mon Apr 07 00:00:00 EDT 2014
This review is from: The Perfect Match (The Blue Heron Series) (Kindle Edition)
I loved Honor, hated Dana, wanted to wring Brogan and Charlie's neck and found Tom to be totally irresistible! This story was so engrossing and I was so emotionally invested that I couldn't put it down until I knew the conclusion! Terrific entertainment with Honor's father, sisters, adorable grandparents, brother and "ratty" all adding to the delightful "soup" of characters! I can't wait to pick up the additional Blue Heron Series!
Overview
What if the perfect match is a perfect surprise?
Honor Holland has just been unceremoniously rejected by her lifelong crush. And now—a mere three weeks later—Mr. Perfect is engaged to her best friend. But resilient, reliable Honor is going to pick herself up, dust herself off and get back out there or she would if dating in Manningsport, New York, population 715, wasn't easier said than done.
Charming, handsome British professor Tom Barlow just...