Tempting the Best Man (The Gamble Brothers) [Kindle Edition]

J. Lynn (Author)

Book Description

Madison Daniels has worshipped her brother's best friend since they were kids. Everyone thinks she and Chase Gamble would make the perfect couple, but there are two major flaws in their logic. 1) Chase has sworn off relationships of any kind, and 2) after blurring the line between friends and lovers for one night four years ago, they can't stop bickering.

Forced together for her brother's wedding getaway, Chase and Madison decide to call a truce for the happy couple. Except all bets are off when they're forced to shack up in a tacky 70’s honeymoon suite and survive a multitude of "accidents" as the family tries to prove their "spark" can be used than for more than fighting. That is, if they don't strangle each other first…

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A laugh-out-loud, sizzling romance with sexy, stubborn leads. Prepare to [listen] in one sitting!" ---Natalie Anderson, USA Today bestselling author

About the Author

J. Lynn is a pseudonym for Jennifer L. Armentrout, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Wait for You, the Covenant series, and the Lux series. She lives in West Virginia. A native of Hawaii, Kaleo Griffith has been called "powerful, with the presence of a young Timothy Dalton" by the Hollywood Reporter. Kaleo graduated cum laude from Franklin Pierce University with a B.A. in theater, holds an M.F.A. in acting from Rutgers University, and is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He also studied classically in the U.K. through Roger Williams College. An AudioFile Earphones Award winner, Kaleo has performed in over fifty professional theatrical productions across the country, working with veterans like Richard Chamberlain, Jessica Walter, and Lois Nettleton. His various film and television credits include Oliver Stone's Talk Radio, Six Gun Savior, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, As the World Turns, One Life To Live, and All My Children, as well as hosting on HGTV. The English translation of Kaleo is "The Voice." He resides in Los Angeles, California.

Product Details

• File Size: 331 KB
• Print Length: 130 pages
• Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Brazen) (April 23, 2012)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007WY7T7Y
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,948 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hot, Hormonal Rollercoaster April 27, 2012

By Wendy Sparrow

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Or maybe that was just how I felt while reading it....

Normally, I don't like books that yank your emotions around like this where you just want to scream at them to get together and talk already and then you cry a bit when they don't. But the complexities of their personalities were so real and the angsty ride pulled you along it. The dialogue in this was perfect. It felt like people-watching the couple next to you in a restaurant who keep blowing hot and cold for each other.

I loved their history together. This plot trope has been done again and again--the girl crushing on her brother's best friend, but what I like about it is that it allows for a long history between them--of missed opportunities, of building feelings. That's what Chase and Madison have which makes their characters and the love story between them so much richer--a long history. And I loved all the shared remembrances between them. They had so much between them and it got you rooting for them to finally realize that.

I liked being in Chase's head. Some of his inner dialogue was hilarious. His narrative voice was so distinct for the book being in third person. She's an amazing writer. The characters were so real that I'm pretty sure they must exist somewhere, and I love when a story makes me feel like a people-watcher and a bit of a voyeur.

It was a really good book. I kept meaning to get up and do things... and I swore I would... after one more chapter... and then one more chapter.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I Know That Lots of People Will LOVE This Book, But . . . May 3, 2012

By Melissa

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I know that there will be a lot of people who love this book. A lot. And that's okay, and even understandable with J.Lynn's wonderful writing talent. But this one fell a bit flat for me. I downloaded this book right away as soon as I found out that Jennifer Armentrout was releasing this book under the name J. Lynn. I absolutely love Armentrout's young adult paranormal books. Her writing style pulls me in always, so I was eager to check out this move into an adult contemporary romance genre. What I found was a nice enough romance, but there was little in it to differentiate itself from any other token adult contemporary book found on the market today.

This is basically the story of Madison, who has been in love with her older brother's best friend Chase forever. However, she believes that he doesn't look at her as anything more than his friend's kid sister. At this point everyone is in their mid to late twenties, so they are all grown up and in successful careers, still great friends as they've always been . . . mostly. The book begins as Madison is heading to a remote resort to attend her brother's wedding. She is the maid of honor and Chase is the best man. The entirety of this book takes place during this wedding weekend as Madison and Chase come together, then run apart, then come together, then run apart, and on and on and on. You get the picture. Madison secretly pines for Chase. Chase secretly pines for Madison. As can be typical in these sorts of stories, no one bothers to come right out and say what they are feeling. Feelings get hurt. Apologies ensue. Rinse and repeat. Until the magical happily ever after, of course.

This is a very quick read. For the most part it is a fairly enjoyable read. It seems like the perfect book to grab for a day at the beach. So I would definitely recommend it for that sort of outing. The writing is the kind that I expect from Armentrout with characters who are fairly likeable and a story that keeps me reading in order to make sure that the main couple find their happy ending. However, there were some serious problems that I encountered as I read that kept me from loving this book. First of all I didn't care for the way that the relationship between Maddie and Chase was written. I felt like there needed to be a lot more tension. I kept reading about how the two of them had always been great friends, even though Maddie had mostly filled the hang-along little sister role for most of those years. But there was never any real indication of this attachment at all through the actual dialogue of the book. I wanted better conversation between these two. I don't mind bickering and stuff like that, but I needed to see more of a real connection between Chase and Maddie so that I could pull for them as a couple. Instead I was given scene after scene after scene of the explicit daydreams that Chase had about Maddie and Maddie pining for Chase silently. It seemed as if the only time that the two of them ever had moments that seemed real and authentic, where I could feel the bond between them, conversation went out the window. They never talked. They just kissed a lot. A lot. So I know there will be tons of people that love that about this book. I just needed a lot more emotional bonding as well so that I could be invested in this relationship. Otherwise as a reader it seemed to be a purely superficial relationship.

The pacing of the book felt a little off for me as well. There was no real build up in tension between Chase and Maddie. Of course, Maddie was desperately hoping that Chase would see her as more than just a friend. I understood that she wanted to have a real romantic relationship with Chase. But because Chase and Maddie couldn't keep their hands off one another whenever they found themselves alone in close proximity to one another I never felt the tension that can make books like this exciting. A bit existed, but not enough to make this book one that kept me hooked. And then toward the end there is a big misunderstanding (of course) that drives the two of them apart. First of all, I have a huge problem with big misunderstandings that occur because two adults who are supposedly supposed to be made for each other can't take two minutes out of their day to talk to each other and express their irritations. Just talk to each other! But this is a very common plot device in romance novels, so I find myself reading things like this all the time. Most of the time I just grit my teeth and power through that part of the book, knowing things would work out in the end. In this one however, I was so angry with Maddie's actions and Chase's reaction to it that it almost derailed my experience while reading. Having said that, I know that that is simply my personal feelings about these sorts of situations, so many other readers will not react as strongly against it as I did. But with a big misunderstanding such as that I knew that a resolution bringing Chase and Maddie back together for good was in the works. What happened just fell flat for me. It didn't come across as romantic as I hoped for. Again, others might not agree with me about this. It could just be that I was still feeling some anger about the entire reason that the two of them were separated in the first place at that point. I don't know. I just hoped for a lot more romance between these two characters.

So this first adult contemporary romance by Jennifer Armentrout, written under the name J. Lynn, didn't work for me. However, I still rate her as one of my absolute favorite writers. It was just this particular book that didn't move me the way I expect when I read her books. I expect that others will find it enjoyable though. It is a quick and engaging book in many ways. I just needed more conversation and romantic buildup. Three stars.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Made the Grade: Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn May 18, 2012

By Jess @ From Me to You ... Book Reviews

Format:Kindle Edition

3 out of 5 stars, this novel proves that old crushes are hard to overcome especially when it's someone who has grown up around you. A fast-paced, entertaining, and fiery novel leaves you wishing for more!

The characters were all engaging in their own ways. Maddie is very opinionated, but I didn't like how she went back and forth between being a strong heroine and a weak one. Chase had his own "player swagger" but when it comes to Maddie, he's willing to drop everything to make sure she's okay and nothing bad happens to her no matter the cost. The only problem is what Chase believes to be good choices a first don't always turn out to be the right choices during his follow-thru.

And---OMG---Chase's older brothers Chandler and Chad made this novel funny! I couldn't wait to see what would come out of their mouths next! I hope there'll be other books with them as the main characters to find out what happens to them as well as seeing where Chase and Maddie go off too! I really think Maddie's best friend and co-worker, Bridget, needs to be the one to tame one of Chase's brothers!! =0)

I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance novels!

Review By: From Me to You ... Book Reviews
(read more of this review and two teasers on my blog)

More About the Author

J. Lynn (also known as Jennifer L. Armentrout) is the # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING author of WAIT FOR YOU and the Young Adult LUX and COVENANT series, among other books. She writes steamy and fun New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. She is published with Entangled Teen and Brazen, SHP, Disney/Hyperion, and Harlequin Teen. You can find her Twitter @JLArmentrout or at her website www.jenniferarmentrout.com