2.5 STARS ✮ BARBIE BOHRMAN ✮ THE BETTER MAN

THE BETTER MAN

Allen Brothers #2

Barbie Bohrman

✮✮✮ 2.5 STARS ✮✮✮

It's not often that I really struggle with a hero. Yeah, I'm Slutty McSluttisson and I find redeeming qualities in most male leads in books. So you could say I'm easy to please. Or easy. Both are probably true. But I digress. What we have here is an enemy-to-friends story and while Max-A-Million didn't remain Daphne's enemy he sure stayed on my shit list.

Max is really pissed off - Daphne rides his wave of semi-famous-ishness and copies his line of work - episodes of a tv-show that reviews bars and joints in New York and introduces them to a wider audience. Daphne even admits to it, only, she does it for free, on YouTube and for people with a budget. That they rub each other the wrong way is an understatement. But they also have this insane sexual attraction between them and they do everything they can to ignore it, because enemies.

Max' tv-show is popular with the women but the men think he's a douche (which, between us, he is). In order to raise the ratings of his show his boss tells him to get Daphne on the show or "begone!"

When Max tries to convince Daphne with him on the show she is already half on board. One major advantage would be not having to work two jobs to help her grandmother with medical bills and her wayward brother to get him into college. So it doesn't take long for her to accept the offer but she knows working with Max won't come without headache.

I really liked Daphne. She is one of those hard-working heroines who takes care of her family and doesn't trip over herself because Max graces her with his attention. She loves her little family and would do anything for them.

Max suffers from the foot-in-mouth syndrome throughout the whole story. The only thing he has going for him is his unshakable love and loyalty for his family. Let me tell you how we meet him: He hooks up with a woman at a bar, goes to the bathroom with her. She gives him a blowjob and...

“That was so sexy,” she said in a throaty whisper. “Is it my turn now?”
Trying my best not to laugh at the glob of cum that was coagulating by the second in her blonde tresses, I tucked myself back into my boxer briefs and zipped up my pants. “Maybe another time,” I lied. It seemed to do the trick though because her eyes lit up in excitement.

Yup, a keeper, that one.

Max is full of himself. He thinks he is God's gift to women and this is pretty much all I got from him throughout the story. He is inappropriate and selfish and patronizing. I really couldn't find anything that I liked about him other than his love for his family. He never grew on me but the worst he could do happened towards the end when tragedy struck. His reaction was completely out of line and horrible towards Daphne. All this happened at the 89% mark and the author had a whole two chapters to redeem him. Knowing my history with Max from the last 88% that didn't bode well for the rest of the book. When he finally came around he came up with this little nugget:

“You’re that Max fella, right?” one of the women asked. She seemed to be their leader because the other two were tight-lipped and kind of shy. I walked over to them, standing in front of the three of them. The leader of the pack asked, “Am I right?”
“That’s me, ladies,” I told them with a wink and a smile. Old women really loved me. It was something about the hair. They really dug the hair. “You broke my granddaughter’s heart,” the woman on the end suddenly said. “She’s been so sad not only for you but for the loss you and your family have suffered.”

Why Daphne forgave him is beyond me. I told her to run. She didn't listen. *sigh*.

Anyhoo...this story didn't work for me at all and I only blame Max for it. I'm sorry about that because I did like the first one in this series and was looking forward to meeting Max. I hope that this author will do Jack justice. I really loved the banter between the brothers and Jack's little girls and I did enjoy parts of the book. The writing is fabulous and the pacing is perfect.

As always the reminder that please do take my review with a grain of salt. You might have a completely different experience.