This time, the groom?

Hometown golden girl Emily Whitaker couldn’t have left Crimson in her rearview mirror fast enough . . . until life threw her some curveballs and she’s back—divorced and with a young son. Her brother’s wedding should have been a welcome reprieve, but Jase Crenshaw is the best man to her maid of honor. She’d steered clear of him when they were kids, but now Jase has become one highly irresistible man.

Jase always harbored a crush on his best friend’s sister. Back then, she was too good for the kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Now she thinks the upstanding town lawyer and mayoral candidate is too good for her. Can Jase convince the girl of his dreams that they’re both actually perfect… for each other?

Titles in the Crimson, Colorado series include: A Kiss on Crimson Ranch ~ A Second Chance at Crimson Ranch ~ Suddenly a Father ~ A Very Crimson Christmas ~ A Baby and A Betrothal ~ Always the Best Man ~ Christmas on Crimson Mountain ~ Romancing the Wallflower ~ Sleigh Bells in Crimson ~ Coming Home to Crimson ~ Anything for His Baby ~ Love at First Bark ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Always the Best Man
Series:  Crimson, Colorado #6
Author:  Michelle Major
Published:  July 19, 2016 (Original), March 3, 2023 (Reissue)
Publisher:  Harlequin Special Edition
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Always the Best Man is the sixth title in the Crimson, Colorado series, and brings Emily back to Crimson, the hometown she’d done everything to escape.  Now, divorced with a young son, she’s come home, truly believing that love was out of the picture for her, except for her love and devotion to her son.  Davey has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.  She fought with her ex-husband to seek help for Davey, but his father, a man with political plans, refused to acknowledge there was anything beyond willfulness in his son’s behavior.  Thankfully, Emily left that piece of work behind in Boston, but unfortunately, his actions continue to touch their lives.

Jase, who is Emily’s brother’s best friend, never left his hometown for long.  He’s taken over the interim term as mayor with plans to run for the elected office.  Yet, Jase has always allowed his family’s, his father’s reputation to define him, pushing him to prove over and over by his actions that he is not like his father in any way imaginable.  He thought he was running for office uncontested, but fate couldn’t be that kind, as a nasty piece of work from his family’s past is also making a run for office, and for ruining any good thing that Jase has worked for… including his love for Emily.

Jase is a good man.  Perhaps too good, for he takes the weight of things beyond his control onto his shoulders.  Watching him talk with Davey, build Lego sets with him, and share his puppy’s antics with him simply touched my heart.  Emily and Jase (and Davey) fit together so well that the adults just have to set aside their preconceived ideas of what “perfect” is and just be themselves while taking the risk of finding love where they didn’t expect it to be.

If you love a romance that is not only emotional and well-written, but gently touches aspects of life that not everyone experiences with dignity and grace, then you’d enjoy Always the Best Man by Michelle Major.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

If you love this author’s work, please visit our Michelle Major page for other titles that you may have missed over time.

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)