I feel so bad. I wanted to love this one so much. But I just couldn’t finish it. I felt zero connection to RJ and Lear. Maybe it was just the timing but I couldn’t do it. I might give it another chance down the line. But it wasn’t for me right now.

It was the synopsis of Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams that prompted me to pick it up, as well as the author herself, of whom I’d heard good things but hadn’t yet had a chance to read. The set-up is quite a fun one – a female divorce lawyer who moonlights as a wedding officiant embarks on a mutually agreeable frenemies with benefits relationship with the male wedding planner with whom she butts heads. Based on these first impressions I had high hopes for this one, and it definitely met them.

Lear Campbell was an event planner for a California football team before a personal crisis redirected him across the country and into a new career as an assistant wedding planner for his cousin Penny. On his first day of work he collides with a woman in a hurry, a bruising encounter that leaves them both irritated and now late for their respective events, which, of course, happen to be in the same place and are in fact the same event, a wedding rehearsal.

RJ Brooks is a divorce attorney by trade, and a damn good one too. When her best friend Britta asked her to perform her upcoming wedding ceremony, RJ got her license but had no intentions of making it public. Yet that’s just what happens when she finds herself officiating a wedding between two movie superstars following a spontaneous wedding proposal in a park, one that gets filmed and posted online and suddenly she’s the one everyone wants as their officiant. It’s a lucrative side job, especially since her older divorce clients often have children who are looking to get married themselves. But it’s not going to divert her from her career goal. And it certainly isn’t because she believes in love. She can pretend as well as anyone, but having been abandoned by her father, ghosted by her best male friend in high school, and endured a recent breakup with a man who never appreciated her or saw beyond her cool outer shell, she’s got no illusions about romance.

It’s not just Penny that connects Lear and RJ. Lear also happens to be a friend of Gretchen, RJ’s mentor, at the law firm. Lear’s relationship with Gretchen makes things even worse as far as RJ is concerned, as pissing off Gretchen won’t bode well for her career aspirations. When Penny and her wife Kelly get a sudden call regarding a baby for adoption, Penny leaves Lear to handle some upcoming weddings on his own, with RJ as the officiant. They have different styles with people, they clash constantly, and yet somehow, there is a sizzle of attraction that just keeps getting stronger and stronger. It leads to the inevitable, a sizzling secret affair with no expectations on either side. Until real feelings start to come into play and RJ has to decide if she’s willing to let down her walls and let love in.

I enjoyed many aspects of this story. The uniqueness of having a male wedding planner was a nice change from the stereotypical female role, and I loved that RJ, despite seeing mostly the ugliness of divorce, isn’t completely able to turn off her romantic side, even if it’s hidden under a pretty thick shell. As Lear and RJ spend time together and get to know each other, the antagonism that defines the start of their relationship gets put behind them. Their personalities don’t change – as a Black woman, RJ has to do more to overcome obstacles and this has made her appear cold on the outside and she still sometimes retreats behind that shield. But with Lear, she can start to relax and open up, and he’s able to see the wonderful, thoughtful, loyal woman that she really is as she interacts with her friends and family. And Lear, coming off a painful breakup with some deep emotional scars, is able to own up to his mistakes with RJ, apologize for his missteps, and open up his own heart to caring again. I just loved seeing them take these tentative steps towards each other emotionally, even though they both pretend it’s all about the sex and the challenge of one-upping each other.

Additionally, the author is excellent at writing friendships and family relationships that resonate with the reader because they feel true to life. RJ’s best friends Britta and Kat know her inside and out and are excellent sounding boards as she tries to sort out her feelings. They aren’t afraid to point out (with love) her faults and gently push her to realize what she really wants to have with Lear. And Lear’s sister Caitlin is a positive influence on his life, as is his quiet uncle Harold, who in his own gentle way, is able to tease out Lear’s complicated feelings about RJ.

There are lots of funny moments, witty banter, and steamy love scenes to round out this contemporary romance which gives this wonderful couple their well deserved happy ending. I’m looking forward to catching up on Ms. William’s backlist!

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Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read a copy of this book. I started reading this one, but after having trouble getting into it, I decided to put it aside for the time being. The fact that a divorce attorney has a side gig as a wedding officiant is perfectly ironic and seems like it would be entertaining, but honestly, RJ and Lear both annoyed me. The way they acted towards each other wasn't professional at all, and I felt like they were both really immature. I was having a hard time becoming invested in the story, and up until the point that I read, the only thing I really enjoyed was a cameo by Britt, the protagonist in The Fastest Way to Fall. I have been reading a lot of romance books lately, so maybe I'm a little burned out on the genre, and will enjoy it more at a later date.

RJ and Lear do everything in their power to keep us from enjoying their HEA.

While RJ is an attorney by profession, she has been officiating weddings since she went viral on youtube for officiating an impromptu wedding in the park. Now she is often called in to officiate and is working with a local wedding planner. Lear just quit his job as an event planner for a football team and has joined his cousin’s wedding event company until he decides what he wants to do next.

When they meet, Lear and RJ literally run into each other. Lear still recovering from always being a “good guy” decides to leave RJ sprawled on the ground, which is just awful. Obviously, this leads to a portion of the story being about how much RJ and Lear dislike each other and working with each other. Lear does apologize and eventually they being to respect each other, to the point where they decide to give in to their mutual attraction and become co-workers with benefits. Is that a thing?

But can two wounded people risk their hearts again or will the only marriage in their future be the ones they plan for other people?

THOUGHTS:
The beginning of the story was just unpleasant to read since we knew that both RJ and Lear were acting out of character and treating each other badly. I was actually uncomfortable with their interactions because they were so rude to each other. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to finish the book.

Once we got past that, the story picked up.

Both RJ and Lear just got out of long-term relationships that left them both mentally wounded. This is also why they sabotaged any attempts to enjoy their story. They could be an amazing couple. Once they stopped being aggressively hurtful to each other, they had great chemistry. This is especially true once they began sleeping together…okay, it was more quickies in a back closet, so we have that desperation to their hook ups. That need to someplace now! In fact, Lear would scout each venue for that place they could sneak off to.

The problem is that any moment of closeness which came after the climax was brought down by the fact that both were too afraid to take a leap of faith that someone else wouldn’t hurt them again. Mostly this came from RJ but some came from Lear as well. So if one of them took that risk, that leap of faith, of making themselves vulnerable and asking for more from the relationship, they were shot down by the other party. To watch someone who has been so badly hurt, take that chance and be harshly turned down, ruined all the good moments that came before, and to watch it happen again and again made this a hard story to enjoy.

While I had a hard time enjoying RJ and Lear’s story, they were well-written characters. There were some great moments in the story. I also really enjoyed Britta and Wes’s story. I also appreciate that although we once again have a mixed race couple, skin color is only a character descriptor here. It doesn’t define the characters or their actions or interactions. I will definitely grab the next Denise Williams story.

This isn’t noted as sequel to The Fastest Way to Fall but the characters are connected as RJ was a friend of Britta’s and goes to Britta and Wes’s wedding. I don’t know why it isn’t noted as part of a series but this would be the third story with interacting characters.

A wedding planner and a divorce attorney. (Is there any better set-up for an enemies-to-lovers romance?)

Denise Williams is an auto-buy author for me. She has a knack for creating imperfect characters and writing about them with such love and gentleness. RJ and Lear are both a bit grumpy and afraid of commitment. When they first meet they hate each other, and yet, they also can't resist the magnetic pull between them. I love a book where a sharp female character is accepted and loved because of her prickliness rather than in spite of it. RJ and Lear have that dynamic and it is a delight to read. Denise Williams does it again!

Thanks to the publisher for an early copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I couldn’t go to sleep last night until I’d finished DO YOU TAKE THIS MAN by Denise Williams and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since then. Denise Williams has such a gift for writing romance books that perfectly balance serious, meaningful topics with swoon, heat, and humor. Lear and RJ are characters who both feel deeply and have been hurt in major ways. And they’re both trying to protect themselves from being hurt again. But their no-strings arrangement doesn’t stay that way for long, and both RJ and Lear have to decide if they’re willing to make themselves vulnerable again for a chance at their own happy ending.

I have loved every one of Denise's books I've read so-far, and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

I love books by Denise Williams and her writing style. In this book we have RJ, a grumpy divorce lawyer who also officiates weddings, and Lear, an event planner. After working a few weddings together they start a friends with benefits situation. I do always love a strong female lead but RJ just wasn’t very likable to me and remained so guarded throughout. Overall this wasn’t my favorite but will still read anything Denise publishes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

Roasting your significant other is my love language, and this book is a perfect example of why.

RJ and Lear start off on the wrong foot, but they quickly realize that the spark between the two of them is more than just animosity, but rather an exciting battle of wills between two extremely Type A people. They were so much fun to read about, and watching their relationship explode on the page was a real treat. The banter was fantastic, and I loved how both RJ and Lear gave as good as they got, never once backing down.

My only complaint was that I felt that some of the reveals happened too late in the book, that RJ was a little too closed off until the very end, and that Lear didn't really do enough to give her a safe space to be vulnerable. But that being said, the ending focused more on them healing through their respective traumas, and communication with each other first and foremost, which is a really fantastic and realistic way to show how a relationship could break down and ultimately be built back up again.

Overall, a fantastic book, and I plan on reading more from Ms. Williams in the future.

🔊Song Pairing: Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough

💭What I thought would happen:

Denise Williams is queen and I love everything she writes 😅

🗯Thoughts:

Okkkkkayyy this was a disappointment. I didn’t love the characters, their banter was petty and pointless. The MC was such a hard-ass. I don’t love all men but she truly seems to detest all men. It felt like beating down a cement wall to get her to lighten up even a smidge.

It is a bad sign when I turn the audiobook up to full speed and just pray my brain doesn’t turn to porridge.

Will I continue to read Denise? Absolutely. Maybe others will enjoy this more than I did. Perhaps I was just in a mood. Regardless won’t be re-reading this one. I’d sooner forget and move on.

Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams. Lear and RJ are force to work together and after a rocky first meeting they only way these two are willing to work together is if they sneak off every once in to destress.

This book had me kicking, giggling and blushing. I was hesitant with Lear. But I soon realize he was just a man who had been heavily hurt and hurt people lose themselves for a bit. And then there is independent, tough as nails RJ who doesn’t like letting people in. I think RJ had me crying the most. She’s someone who is careful around people, constantly wearing a mask, only showing people the versions of herself she thinks they’d be comfortable with. A slap in the face to me.

I really enjoyed this book but then again I always enjoy Denise’s books. They tap into parts of me I like to hide away.

Divorce attorney RJ is my favorite type of romance heroine; she's kind of mean, she takes no shit, and she cannot fathom why she's so attracted to Lear and she's so irritated by it. Especially since Lear is one of those guys who is universally likeable, and he can't deal with the fact maybe RJ does not, in fact, like him.

These hate to want stories I eat them up! I especially loved all the details of the weddings RJ and Lear were forced to be at together, and that RJ is so great at officiating them despite being a divorce attorney. She's also secretly a little squishy on the inside.

So much fun to read.

This is my first book by Denise Williams and the idea of a divorce attorney having a side gig as a wedding officiant is kind of hilarious. However, I did not connect with Rj and Lear as a couple. It felt like their chemistry was forced and that if we are honest, it’s a couple that would break up. I know the theme of the book is “I love you just the way you are,” but Rj seemed rude rather than assertive. And Lear would just take it, that is not a healthy relationship.

After the halfway mark, the story seemed to be going in a circle and not much of the plot was really developing. Adult miscommunication is my least favorite thing in a book, this had lots of that. If you are not mature to be open and honest, then you are not ready for a relation even in fictitious characters. Again, this might just be me not connecting with the characters.
**Teddy as a narrator is swoon worthy, I refuse to look him up.

RJ is a divorce lawyer and doesn’t see herself as a romantic woman. As she rushes to a wedding she officiates, she bumps into someone. When Lear bumps into her, RJ is expecting an apology, but all she gets is a nonchalant response.

Lear leaves her and walks away—his past has taught him not to be friendly, and he wasn’t starting now. He’s in town to help his cousin Penny plan weddings, and that’s all he’ll do. But then, he finds out that the officiating minister the bride-to-be wants is RJ. After all, she’s the woman who married the coolest couple in Hollywood. When he asks for her to officiate a wedding he’s planning, she refuses, but not until she finds out that he’s friends with her boss—now she can’t say no.

They both try to work together, but it isn’t easy. Lear seizes an opportunity to apologize for being difficult and asks RJ to start over. RJ and Lear have to decide if their scorching sexual needs are worth more than their feud.

This was a romance about a divorce attorney/wedding officiant and her enemies-to-FOB romance with an event planner who gets under her skin at every turn. It had all of the ingredients that I look for in a contemporary romance, but in the end, it was just way too long and drawn out to keep my attention.

Read if you like
❤️Diverse Characters
❤️ Romances
❤️ Strong female characters

I was so excited for my next read from Denise Williams and this one did not disappoint at all and she is now an auto-read author for me.

This one definitely has opposites attract with divorce attorney who married couples in her spare time being paired with her opposite who dared to tell her to smile more.

This one definitely gives great enemies to lovers vibes with how these two were brought together. I loved the hot and cold and push and pull of their relationship and definitely was something I enjoyed with this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this free ARC! I am a big fan of Denise Williams and her latest did not disappoint. It's definitely even steamier, which I was very happy with. RJ is such a strong character who I loved, even if she says she's hard to love. Lear I wasn't so sure about, but he definitely proved himself to be a "good guy," despite trying to not be anymore. I'm a big enemies to lovers fan and who knew that Enemies with Benefits might be my new favorite trope!

"I know what skills I want to show you." (...) "Because I think you'll kiss like you want to win, and I haven't been able to get that out of my head."

"Do You Take This Man": 4 ⭐

Denise Williams has a very fluid, very easy to read writing. She brings us newness with characters who we fall in love instantly and a plot with so much mixture, such as attorneys and the law and wedding planners and wedding officiants.

RJ (Ruthie) is a successful attorney. She finally got her mentor, Gretchen, to accept her proposal to guide her. She is fierce, a powerful woman who's not afraid of showing it.

Lear was a coach for a football team, it was his dream job but with some things happening in his life, he changed courses and became a wedding planner with his sister.

When these two meet, we can only expect catastrophe but, the truth is, when two stars collide, after they burst into flames, a whole new world blasts around them. Lear and RJ make such an amazing couple. From their banter to their BANGING (no pun intended, or maybe it was👀) sex scenes, we see two friends with benefits who grow up so much in each other's presence. It's wonderful and unique and I absolutely loved every bit of it!

I will always love reading any of Denise Williams romance books. She has a talent for writing head-stronged females who ultimately fall in love with the most understanding male (never want to change them). And Do You Take This Man is no different.

Some may have mixed feelings regarding this book, but I absolutely fell in love with it. I may have had a few problems, just a few. Mostly, I loved this romance book.

Do You Take This Man introduces RJ, who is the literal definition of a grump but a female. She is a divorce attorney who is very cynical about life, especially dating. And it comes as a surprise when she officially couples ever since she got vital across social media. It’s pretty funny when you think about it. You literally have a female who doesn’t believe in love, and yet she is officially your marriage in her spare time.

RJ may have her time filled up with officially marriages, so it comes as no surprise when she clashes with Lear, the new event planner (sunshine male). Lear has always been a happy carefree person, but things have changed lately. He is a bit stuck in his life and he is tired of being taken advantage of. He wants no drama or baggage. He definitely doesn’t have time for RJ personality. They definitely clash with each other, but they have to work with each other (forced proximity).

They definitely don’t make sense together since they are totally opposite. But yet RJ and Lear make the most sense since they get to know each other in so many ways. Yes, they may have different personalities, but they never judge each other. The only thing I had problems with would be their lack of communication toward the end. RJ should have not rushed Lear when she has always been clear about their arrangements. It takes a bit of time to adjust when you change the rules, especially when they have their own problems to go through. RJ needs to be more understanding than judging so rashly.

A divorce attorney who officiates weddings, yet doesn't believe in romantic love? What a fun premise for a book. RJ meets Lear in an ill-fated meet cute and after the close proximity of the pair working weddings together, they decide to just hook up with no strings attached. RJ never faltered from being direct, specific with her needs and honest to a fault. I appreciated that out of her character. I wasn't the biggest fan of Lear after his cringe-worthy first encounter with RJ, but he slowly wormed his way into my heart with his total sweetness toward RJ and how hard he pushes her to realize what they have together.

Unfortunately, the book did fall flat for me. I was hoping for more character development from the pair. Outside of interacting at weddings and then for hook ups, the two didn't really see each other and I felt like the relationship didn't have a ton of real sustenance. I felt sorry for Lear, who tried relentlessly with RJ, but she was completely guarded and had so many guidelines for their interactions that I found myself frustrated with her character. The chapters were short and digestible, but I found the POV chapter switching within the same scene distractible. How many times can you use the word "fine" in a book? The answer is 56.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group, the author, and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have always been a massive fan of Denise Williams's romance books. Do You Take This Man is an enemy to lovers' steamy romance but I think the best part of the book is the steam cause truly the plot is not much. The romance was a cute story but super predictable and at times the characters were just annoying.

I always love a strong independent woman main character but felt like her role in the weddings was super random and just didn’t get the connection.

I recommend it if you love Denise Williams's other books, and enjoy lighthearted funny enemies-to-lovers romance, with lots of STEAM.