I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was well paced and engaging.

I am a sucker for best friends to estranged to second chance romance trope, so this one pulled me in hard. Add to that the fact that I share physical appearance and interests almost to a tee with one of the protagonists and I felt like I was in the damn book ha! The raw emotions almost had me in tears several times.

"I realize you weren't ever like Crow and me. We just wanted somewhere to BE. You aren't like your father either. He just wanted somewhere to GO. But you were always mine, and you're probably lost now. You were always looking for SOMEONE."

From the outset we are introduced to two strong protagonists with very clear voices, and despite both being deeply flawed, you just want their second chance to work out. I loved everything about this story, from the hometown return, to rediscovering what makes us happy, to all the messy drama that comes from fixing a relationship that has had a million and one miscommunications. Hell, I even enjoyed the stupid things these boys did that made me want to scream at them!

The supporting cast of characters, particularly Fin's mom and best friends are absolute stars in this story. I genuinely wished I could meet these characters.

If you like a book that really leans into character flaws and digs deep into the anxieties and fears that actually live in humans' heads while they find love, then this one's for you!

*I received this ARC from Netgalley and Bold Stroke publishers in exchange for an honest review.

SO SO GOOD. I am a sucker for best friends to estranged to second chance romance trope, so this one pulled me in hard. The raw emotions almost had me in tears several times. This beautifully written book tells the story of two men who find their way back to each other with a little help from family and friends.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an amazing plot, but I felt the characters were a bit hard to connect to.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

While I think many readers will enjoy this story, it unfortunately didn’t work for me. I didn’t connect with the main characters, wasn’t invested in their romance and was left slightly confused by many interactions with regards to the other characters (namely between Orion and his family).

A small town and what could have been. Even if you don't come from a small town the feelings of what could have been and getting a second chance are sure to resonate. Very cute.

I enjoyed reading this small town, second chance romance. There’s just something about getting reacquainted with an somebody who “could have been”.
The pacing was well done, sometimes the flashbacks stops me in my tracks but just for a moment.
Great read for those who enjoy MM romance books!

I absolutely loved this MM romance.

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend!

Readers are sure to fall in love with Orion and Fin’s story of love in a small hometown—and what happens when you both move away. Stepping into this book felt like stepping back into my own hometown, even though I never left. The Best of the Wrong Reasons is not just a love story but an exploration into the complicated past of two gay boys from the South. I had to eliminate a star because Orion and Fin’s fighting didn’t always make sense and their past was still confusing at the conclusion of the book. But overall, The Best of the Wrong Reasons feels like the story of LGBT+ romance fix your should dig into while off on a road trip or during a week out on the beach.
[I was provided a free e-ARC from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Inc. in exchange for my review but the opinions expressed in my review are all my own.]

I enjoyed this book *so* much! I cannot believe it's a first novel. I will definitely be reading everything from Sander Santiago from now on.

I usually do not like angst, but I may need to revise that to say, more correctly, that I do not like what feels like unnecessary or manufactured angst. There was quite a bit of angst here, but it was clear why. And the two main characters could not have done this differently. They just didn't know any better, and didn't have any other way.

Confident lovers - or would-be lovers - make me swoon. But I really have a soft spot in my heart for scared-as-heck lovers. I just had to root for these two scaredy-cats who are helped along in their maybe/maybe not relationship by several other almost-as-flawed secondary characters.

There were a couple flashbacks that weren't clear at first that they were flashbacks, but most were telegraphed very well, so they weren't disruptive to the story. The author's ability to flash back to explain things that had gone on, and his turn of phrase were just so lovely.

I was given a review copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher, and this is a voluntary (and gleeful!) review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the arc of Best of the Wrong Reasons by Sander Santiago. I received a copy of this arc in return for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. After several years of a reading slump and finally getting back into reading this year finding a book that I actually don't want to put down (or only want to put down so I can gleefully dance around) is rare and I read Best of the Wrong Reasons in one sitting.

Finn Ness is only in town because his mother is ill, he ends up at a funeral for one of his high school friend's mother. Orion Starr is only in town because his mother has died. The two have a history. Now that they are back in the same place and talking again the passion that has always been there comes roaring back. But with it so do insecurities, pain, and anger at how things went the last time around. Fin and Orion dance around each other and even after admitting to the passion romance is not smooth between them. Instead they need help from their friends, who make up a cast of characters that help bring the story some levity.


Al, a high school friend(for Fin)/bully(for Orion), is now Orion's appraiser for his mother's house and rather than making things more awkward between them Al apologizes, comes out as bisexual, and ends up becoming a close friend to both of our boys. Lin, another high school friend, knows Orion better than anyone around and helps read his emotions and navigate what exactly is happening. Rose, Fin's mother, is fighting skin cancer but that doesn't stop her from living her life and she doesn't want it to stop Fin either. With these friends Orion and Fin have a fighting chance of overcoming anxiety, self-hatred, anger, and a feeling of never knowing where you belong.

I appreciate the fact that Sanders knows he is writing a romance and some of the things that need to happen in a romance novel like this he takes shots at. Orion needs a reason to stay in town long enough to work things out with Fin so what else is going to happen but his mother's cremation is going to be delayed, more than once. "He told me my mother's cremation was now delayed because of a mechanic malfunction. It made me feel like I was living in a reality I didn't belong in." Sanders. With this, as well as blatantly, but poignantly, using the title of the book many times it gives into those clichés of a romance novel but doesn't frustrate the reader because you know it's not completely serious.

Sanders' writing made me laugh and cry (sometimes absolutely sobbing) within sentences and stuck the perfect balance of heart-wrenching sorrow, debilitating mental health issues, and plan romance and sweetness. I was rooting for Fin and Orion for the entire book and having the intertwining of heart-wrenching lyrics added to this intense need. Al and Lin added joy and love to the story in a different way and overall rounded out the book.

a happy ending that left you satisfied but also wanting more.</p>

It was a cute little second chance friend to lovers romance. Pacing was fine and I liked the story just fine, but I don't think I will remember it a few months from now.

I am a sucker for best friends to estranged to second chance romance trope, so this one pulled me in hard. Add to that the fact that I share physical appearance and interests almost to a tee with one of the protagonists and I felt like I was in the damn book ha! The raw emotions almost had me in tears several times.

<b> "I realize you weren't ever like Crow and me. We just wanted somewhere to BE. You aren't like your father either. He just wanted somewhere to GO. But you were always mine, and you're probably lost now. You were always looking for SOMEONE." </b>

From the outset we are introduced to two strong protagonists with very clear voices, and despite both being deeply flawed, you just want their second chance to work out. I loved everything about this story, from the hometown return, to rediscovering what makes us happy, to all the messy drama that comes from fixing a relationship that has had a million and one miscommunications. Hell, I even enjoyed the stupid things these boys did that made me want to scream at them!

The supporting cast of characters, particularly Fin's mom and best friends are absolute stars in this story. I genuinely wished I could meet these characters.

If you like a book that really leans into character flaws and digs deep into the anxieties and fears that actually live in humans' heads while they find love, then this one's for you!

*I received this ARC from Netgalley and Bold Stroke publishers in exchange for an honest review.

this book made me cry on more than one occasion. seeing orion's character development throughout the story was rewarding and heartwarming to the extreme. furthermore, the way sander santiago dealt with the grief orion felt in his present and the grief fin was holding onto from his past was very well done. i really, really enjoyed this book and the maturity with which each character approached the problems put before them.

Santiago presents a fine romance. The two lead characters each have their own journey presented, yet it's clear that these two will not settle for being "just" friends. The plot moves along at a steady pace and should keep fans of the genre satisfied. The book accomplishes its goals, yet there were no twists or turns that made it worthy of a repeat read.

Fin and Orion reconnect at Orion's mother's funeral. They have history, and haven't spoken to each other in years.

This is the story of two complicated characters. I really enjoyed getting to know them both. I was intrigued by their history from the very beginning, and their backstorys are teased and hinted at for quite a while, making me want to keep reading.

This story is about grief and lost. It contains a lot of pain and angst, and yet at the same time manages to be surprisingly soft. I really loved following both Fin and Orion's journeys and seeing their growth. I was rooting for them to deal with their problems the whole way, and I wasn't disappointed. There is so much love and hope in this story.

I really liked Orion's songwriting, and the little snapshots of lyrics in his chapters. I did get a bit confused at times by the way they both referred to their mothers by their first names, I don't know if that's a cultural thing or something unique to those characters.

This is a lovely book, that I really enjoyed reading.

Best of the Wrong reasons warmed my heart. I loved seeing Fin and O work through their feelings and get to know each other as adults. I loved how sensitive Fin made Orion, even though it wasn’t typically his way, it showed the true love he had for Fin. If this is Sander Santiago’s debut release, I cannot wait to see what other amazing books he puts out!

Flawed MCs, wonderful drama, and a phenomenal cast of secondary characters makes this a stand out romance novel. The love story of Fin and Orion encompasses years of guilt and hurt feelings, but when they reconnect at a funeral they rebuild and redefine their relationship.

This beautifully written book tells the story of two men who find their way back to each other with a little help from family and friends.

Content warning: homophobia, racism, terminal illness, parental illness, grief

I received a digital ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you netgalley for the e-arc

Pub date: April 13, 2021

I absolutely adored this book, I couldn’t put it down.

The best friends to strangers to rekindled lovers trope is one of my favorites, and Santiago did it so well. The wariness that Fin has about Orion leaving again felt so natural and right, but my heart ached as I watched this two try and find their way back to their soulmates. I never thought I would be rooting for a couple who’s first date in 6 years happened after one of their mothers funerals, but here I am.

This book will make you laugh and cry and feel so many emotions that it’s overwhelming at times. I adore romance books, but this is so much more than just a romance! (Not to discount the very heavy romance plot, which is amazingly done).

I would absolutely recommend this, and I would love to read this author again.

I have received an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. The Pub date of the book is April 13th. This review will be posted on my Goodreads, Facebook page and Instagram.
Well, about this book – thank you for making me cry my eyes out. Jesus.
And now my opinion…
I liked this book a lot. It was a beautiful reading but painful too. I felt a lot what the characters felt and all emotions about death and mothers and family – that’s why I cried while reading it because it made me think about this kind of situations.
The story itself was simple and kind of cute too. I liked that people forgave and talked about past and bad situations and that friendship born out of it. It showed a growth and maturity that pleased me. The author's writing is fluid and pleasant to follow. The way he created the main characters and how the relationship between them developed ... all of this was something that pleased me immensely. The issues of homophobia and racism, social inclusion, mental health - in a short story full of emotions.
Fin and Orion will not be forgotten. Neither their mothers nor friends.
I missed something in this story, but I don’t know who to put it, but it’s a well-deserved 4 stars – for me and it touched me too.