The Best of All (The Best Men Book 2)

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 2,060 ratings

Price: 3.99

Last update: 08-01-2024


About this item

He’s commitment phobic. She believes in happy endings. The twist of fate that binds them is a surprise they never saw coming in a bittersweet romance about instant family—and not-so-instant love.

A decade-old animosity is the only thing Liam Davies and Zoe Valentine have in common. Until their mutual best friends pass away and they’re appointed co-guardians of the trusting couple’s precocious toddler, Mira.

Liam is committed only to professional football. Relationship-wise, he’s even better at defense. Still wrestling with a tough childhood, he’s not cut out to be a father. Why his late best buddy believed in him, Liam has no idea.

An optimistic romantic, Zoe has always dreamed of a fairy-tale life. But even though Liam’s biceps make her dizzy and she can’t stop thinking about his lips on hers, he’s not exactly Prince Charming. With or without that brooding Brit, she is determined to make good on her friends’ last wish.

Forced into a predicament they never expected, Zoe and Liam are discovering things about each other that could scorch through boundaries, warm hearts, and change minds. And best of all, with their shared love for a pint-size surprise like Mira, they might just turn a house into a home.


From the Publisher

On and off the field, they play for love.

Top reviews from the United States

Lys
5.0 out of 5 stars Oh my goodness, this book!!!
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2024
Oh my goodness, this book! Seriously, my heart was all over the place reading this one. I knew from the first book that this one would tug at the heartstrings and boy, did it!

Liam and Zoe are the godparents of this adorable little almost 3-year-old. Their best friends (Mira's parents) pass away in a terrible accident and with no family on either side, but with loving and trustworthy friendships with Liam and Zoe, they leave them in charge of raising their little girl.

Zoe is a romantic at heart and has always wanted a happily ever after and a family. But she's now divorced, grieving her best friend, and suddenly a single mom to a young girl who is still grappling with her parents being gone.

Liam, who is still dealing with demons from his childhood and other fears, is totally unprepared to co-parent Mira and really does not want to be involved. Especially with a woman he doesn't have the best relationship with (which is really his fault.) These two have had a difficult "acquaintance" since the moment they met, and however adamant they are that they won't be able to do this together, they do finally put aside their issues and learn to make it work.

I loved being on this journey with them. Moments of laughter and hilarious banter lighten the mood, as does sweet little Mira, all while the 3 of them learn to grieve and grow together. This unconventional little family was everything and I adored every minute of this book. Some moments had me kicking my feet from the sweetness and others had my eyes watery and my heart breaking. Liam and Zoe allowed themselves to be vulnerable and raw, but never let it get in the way of doing what was ultimately right by their friends and Mira.

Thank you to Karla and her team. Karla's books always seem to stick with me and I know this one will be no different!
jjdejong
5.0 out of 5 stars Fell hard for Liam
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2024
I mean just the blurb had me intrigued but what I wasn’t fully ready for was the massive rollercoaster Karla was going to take me on. This gave me all the happy feels and some very sad ones and not for the reasons you might think. Zoe and Liam have had mutual best friends in Charlie and Amie and when life takes a huge left turn, Zoe and Liam are not prepared for the new road they are on. Zoe has never understood the emotions coming from Liam from the moment that they met. In turn, Liam found it easier to push buttons than allow emotions to rule his mind. You see Zoe has always wanted the fairytale and Liam knew that fairytales didn’t exist.

What we get in this book is two people working through things the best they can. In doing so, they find that they have so much more for the other person than they realized. Yet, as those feelings come to the surface, so does everything else. Karla delivers in showcasing two people that have flaws and own them. They still work hard at their jobs and let’s be honest here, when Liam caves to those feelings, when the walls finally break down, we see this man for all that he is, and he is amazing. He has a romantic side he kept under lock and key. And Zoe, well this lady is the one to bring him to his knees and allow him to be who he is without asking for anything more than he is willing to share or give. They are the most perfect balance, and I loved every second of the story, even the tears.
Kristen
4.0 out of 5 stars Enemies to lovers
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2024
“All she had to do—all she’d ever had to do—was simply be there. Stand there. Look at me. Breathe. That’s all it took, and I was desperately, impossibly inflamed.”
Liam Davies, Zoe Valentine and Mira were such an adorable trio. We learned of Mira and her parents tragic passing in the first book, The Best Laid Plans. However this is where we got to know the adorable Mira and her new guardians Liam and Zoe.

Liam and Zoe have known each other for a decade but have never been friendly. Always bickering and never wanting to be near each other but now they have co-guardianship of their best friend’s daughter and have to navigate this new life together.
“I wanted to be close to her. Wanted to see her smile. And I wanted to push her as far away from me as humanly possible, because proximity to Zoe Valentine was dangerous.”

There was so much tension between the two but they were just perfect together. I loved the push and pull and as we got to know Liam better it all made sense as to why he was the grump that he was. This was such a great story and I am so happy that Mira has such great guardians in her life after such tragedy at a young age.
Thank you @karla_sorensen for the ARC!
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
????: “I could live off that sound, Valentine. Give me more.”
Nikenya's Bookshelf
5.0 out of 5 stars Slow Burn Deliciousness
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2024
This was an absolutely fantastic read. Talk about a slow burn of all slow burns!! I loved it!!

Zoe and Liam do not like each other or so it appears. They have best friends in common and they now have to raise their friends’ little girl Mira after a tragic accident. They agree to raise Mira together but they have to overcome their mutual dislike. Liam has layers that have to be peeled back to get to the wonderful man that he is but that he just doesn’t see. Little Mira and Zoe bring out the best in that man. He broke my heart a bit because he was just so hard on himself. His childhood trauma just scarred him. It was beautiful to witness him slowly open up and receive the love that his girls had waiting to give him. It was also beautiful when Zoe realized how wrong she was about Liam. This couple just couldn’t see what their friends apparently saw and that was how perfect they were for each other.

Reading this book gave me all the feels. I was extremely emotional reading it. I feel like I do not have adequate words to describe the beauty of this book. I give this book infinity stars!!! It was a true romantic masterpiece.

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