Best Man cover art

Best Man

Close Proximity, Book 1

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Best Man

By: Lily Morton
Narrated by: Joel Leslie
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About this listen

Zeb Evans doesn’t do messy.

The product of a disorganized and chaotic childhood, Zeb likes order and control, and as the boss of his own employment agency he can give that to himself. Life runs along strict lines and he never mixes business with pleasure. Everything in his life lives in neat, alphabetized boxes. Until Jesse.

Jesse Reed is Zeb’s complete opposite. He’s chaos personified. A whirling cyclone of disorder. He’s also charming and funny and a very unwanted distraction. Which is why it comes as a complete surprise to Zeb to find himself asking Jesse to pose as his boyfriend for a few days in the country at a wedding.

Zeb doesn’t do impulsive, but as the time away progresses, he finds himself increasingly drawn to the merry and irreverent Jesse. But can he bring himself to break the hard-won lessons he’s learnt in life? And even if he can, how could Jesse be attracted to him anyway? He’s so much older than Jesse, not to mention being his boss.

From the best-selling author of the Mixed Messages and Finding Home series comes a warm and funny romance about one man’s fight for control and another man’s determination to circumvent it.

This is the first book in the Close Proximity series, but it can be listened to as a standalone.

©2019 Lily Morton (P)2021 Lily Morton
Contemporary Contemporary Romance Romance Funny Witty Feel-Good Heartfelt Boss

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All stars
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Listener received this title free

I love everything by lily. this books is the same loved the narration by Joel he makes its better.

really enjoyed this story.

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I love this. Jesse has got to be the funniest character I think I've listened to so far! Joel Leslie is an AMAZING narrator and this book was so well written!! I recommend this audiobook 100%

oh Jesse!!

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How refreshing, such a great listen of a great story read so brilliantly. The looks I received laughing out loud on the train to work! Utterly gripping and can’t wait to read/hear the rest of the series.

Couldn’t stop laughing/crying oh I don’t know… all the emotions possible!

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Best man is hilariously 😂 I didn’t know I needed this on a Sunday afternoon. A great listen, utterly amusing!

A great listen

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I was in love with this story and the characters, especially Jesse, from the prologue. Before reaching chapter one, I laughed out loud and loved the interaction between the two MC's, Jesse and Zeb.
Zeb owns a business that hires people out to those in need of company to events, DIY/gardening, shopping etc but caters to the LGBTQIA+ community. Jesse is Zeb's biggest surprise when interviewing for an open position and there's a current running between them right from the start. They are so different in personality and social abilities that they balance each other really well, especially when it comes to the fake partner aspect that Zeb asks Jesse to help him with when going to his ex boyfriend's wedding weekend.
I took an instant dislike to Patrick, the ex, and he hangs like a black cloud over Jesse and Zeb's blossoming relationship, even after they go back to their daily lives. There are several characters that are fully supportive and love our MC's and I cannot wait to read their own stories, little glimpses of possibilities hinted at in this one. We even get a cameo from Gideon and Eli from the Finding Home series.
Cannot recommend this new series from Lily Morton enough! There is fun, laughs and a bucket full of attraction but it's balanced with frustrations, misunderstandings and heartache. Definitely onto another winning group of characters for me and looking forward to book 2.
Joel Leslie brings out another fabulous performance. The personalities of the characters really shine through as does the emotions that carry them through the story. He makes it so easy to fall into the story and love the book.

Wonderful story with great narration

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Can I just say how much I love Lily Morton? Funny, sarcastic, caustic (but in a good way) and witty as I’ll get out. Brilliant. And Lily Morton narrated by Joel Leslie? Well, frankly, perfection.

I also love there are cameos and mentions of characters from Ms. Morton’s previous books. Nothing that will detract from those who haven’t read them, but a bonus to those of us who have. I’ve devoured every audiobook she has put out, and I love them all.

This one was adorable. I loved Jesse. His enthusiasm, his boundless energy, his desire to help people…and his penchant for letting his mouth get away from him. Bit of a filter problem between his brain to mouth but nothing too bad. Or at least he’s survived most of the scrapes he’s gotten into. His job is to help LGBTQ people. Whether with gardening (those poor ferns) or being a fake date (the funeral), he’s always happy to help. His boss, Zeb, keeps Jesse on the books because when Jesse is on, he’s brilliant and when he’s not…well, it’s probably worth a laugh. Jesse has principles and will always stands up for the little guy.

Zeb has a problem. Under duress, he’s agreed to be best man at his ex’s wedding. Talk about a tricky situation. Zeb’s lovely assistant convinces him to hire Jesse to be his fake date. Classic set-up. But, of course, nothing goes as planned – for any of them. Especially because Jesse and Zeb are really attracted to each other. Despite the age difference. Despite the huge differences in temperaments. Despite the different career paths. That attraction leads to all kinds of hijinks. Broom closet, anyone?

In the end, the age gap doesn’t matter. The different upbringing doesn’t matter. That they find each other despite the obstacles speaks to their true affection for each other. And I got my HEA. Kind of swoon-worthy and I loved the list.

So, run out and get the audio. Laugh out loud. Enjoy something sweet, spicy, and snarky. Just the antidote to all that ails you. (and it’s the first in the series so try to guess who the other couples will be…)

Laugh out loud fun

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Lily Morton has a winning formula with her romantic comedy fully of witty banter and sarcasm, team her up with Joel Leslie as narrator and magic happens.
Jesse and Zeb are lovable main characters and I can’t wait to hear Charlie ‘Sunshine’s’ story.
Lily’s books are definitely on my list of books I will relisten to many times over.

Lily and Joel Magic!

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Lily Morton builds such terrrifc chemistry between her characters, and I loved Zeb and Jesse together. Nice twists with the plotting ex-boyfriend, the week long house party, and the physical-romance-free dating. All the humor, British wit, sultry lovemaking, and happily ever afters that make a Lily Morton romanc so wonderful.

Lovely performance by Joel Leslie, he really was born to read this author.

Adorable Romance, Wonderful Performance by Leslie

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I really loved revisiting this story by way of listening to the audiobook with Joel Leslie at the narration wheel and his incredible talent and charisma that enhances these stories even more!

Zeb is Jesse's boss and 20 years his senior. They have quite the hurdles to overcome with the main one being the age-gap between them that Zeb used to squash any romantic feelings he had towards Jesse. Jesse shakes up Zeb's monotonous and organized life and Zeb brings stability and equilibrium to Jesse that is a non-stop whirlwind.

Funny, emotional and with the right touch of angst this was a refreshing listen with Joel being on point as ever when he narrates contemporary works (his fantasy ones are a hit or miss with me).

I received a code for this audio book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

Funny, emotional with the right touch of angst

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Listener received this title free

Although this is the first book in the Close Proximity series, I actually listened to it after I read the second and third books in the series. Some of the characters were familiar to me from the other books but reading them out of order wasn’t a problem as they all standalone quite well.

Joel Leslie is the perfect audio performer for this series. His interpretation of Lily Morton’s words made me laugh out loud and also brought more than a few tears to my eyes.

Best Man is a great age-gap story with 20 years separating Zeb and Jesse. It’s also a great fake boyfriend story because Zeb asks Jesse to accompany him to his ex’s wedding where he is to be the best man. Jesse has been in love with Zeb for a while but Zeb had a boyfriend and Jesse is surprised when he learns that they have split up.

Things get pretty angsty when certain things happen at the wedding. But the events finally force Zeb to acknowledge what he feels for Jesse. I loved the conversation between Zeb and Jesse’s father but I can’t say why because it would be too spoiler-y.

I’m really glad I was offered the opportunity to listen to a complimentary copy of this book. It was provided to me at my request but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.

Another very touching story with LOL moments.

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