First of all--INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIP!!! I'm sooooo here for this! I have grown to love Denise Williams book so much as of late and listen when you get a hot divorce attorney and a fine stud together and make the sparks going I'M THERE!!! Omg I loved this book. These character were so complex. One deals in the aftermath of of love ending and the other literally had his heart broken. They are set up to fail but somehow come together. I love the steam!!! I just can't wait to have this on my shelf!

This book would be ideal for fans of books like The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams, The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang, Book Lovers by Emily Henry, Set On You by Amy Lea, and Thank You, Next by Andie J Christopher as well as fans of movies like The Wedding Planner. Some potential trigger warnings include off-page death of parent and absentee parent, recalled cheating and trauma surrounding infant paternity, and infant NICU stay.

I found the concept of this book, a divorce attorney/ wedding officiant with a wedding planner, to be unique and I was happy that there were some unexpected twists in the plot. Also, having previously read and enjoyed The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams, I was happily surprised that Britta and Wes (the main characters in The Fastest Way to Fall) made frequent appearances in Do You Take This Man.

Given the fact that RJ is a wedding officiant and Lear is a wedding planner, I anticipated that there would be a fair number of weddings in this book, but there was even more weddings (and pre-wedding events) present in this book than I was expecting. On the one hand, if you enjoy weddings and are a fan of movies like The Wedding Planner, this book will be right up your alley! But, if weddings aren’t really your thing, the abundance of weddings, rehearsal dinners, and wedding planning in this book may be a turnoff.

I personally found it hard to get into Do You Take This Man and I found the middle of this book to be quite repetitive (there seemed to be a constant cycle of weddings and secret hook-ups). Also, even though their relationship was steamy, RJ and Lear had a tendency of hooking-up after rehearsals in secluded areas of wedding venues, which I thought was rather cringy.

Overall, I thought that Do You Take This Man was steamy, romantic, and unique. If you are a wedding enthusiast and are a fan of Williams’ other romance novels, then I highly recommend picking up a copy of Do You Take This Man!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This is a fun and sexy enemies-to-lovers fun story by Denise Williams, who is a contemporary romance master. RJ is a divorce lawyer in North Carolina, who starts officiating weddings after a viral wedding of celebrities. Lear is helping his cousin with wedding planning while starting over after a traumatic break-up. They hate each other at first, but find themselves drawn together through working together at many different weddings. I thought the chemistry between RJ and Lear was great, and I enjoyed how their feelings for each other grew, along with their friendship. There were some parts in the beginning and the middle that were a little slow for me, but once this book found its rhythm with the steam, banter, friendships, and love story it was really cute, fun, and thoughtful. I always love a story with a woman who is perceived as angry, but is growing from trauma, and RJ is portrayed really well in this role. Overall, I recommend this book for fans of Denise Williams, contemporary romance, and enemies-to-lovers steamy stories.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To be completely fair in this review I have absolutely adored everything Williams has written up to this point. And Do You Take This Man is no exception to my Williams love. This book was full of character development, steam, banter, and an entertaining plot.

This is the second romance book I’ve read with a divorce lawyer FMC in the last month, and I’m not upset about it. I adore it. RJ is prickly and has her walls up high. I loved her transformation and growth in the book. The fact that she ordains weddings is the icing on the cake for me (hahaha). Her back story through her work relationships are beautiful and the way she is there for her friends is so great to read. I loved RJ but her life would be HECTIC to live.

Lear is one of those amazing MMCs that start off in one place but peeling back each of the layers creates an even better character. He starts as a bit of a prick, but as the story unfolds and you start to get more glimpses of him you understand why and end up fully in love with this sweet man.

While the book is fully centered around a character driven plot and their character arcs, there are enough secondary plots to continuously help propel the story forward while bringing out key elements of the characters. It’s incredibly done and you don’t realize how masterful it is until you’ve finished and sat with yourself a long time. Williams is an expert story crafter, and I don’t think myself or anyone else can properly sing her praises.

Do I recommend this book? Yes! 1000% yes I recommend picking up this book. The banter, wit, chemistry, and character development are all top notch in this book and I think it will appeal to almost every contemporary romance reader. Highly recommend for those who like Emily Henry, Olivia Dade, or Andie Christopher! An absolutely wonderful book (that I already preordered after reading this ARC because I NEED it in physical form).

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

RJ is a lawyer, but she went viral officiating a wedding spontaneously in the park. And now she she is officiating weddings in whatever spare time she can find. Lear is helping his cousin's wedding planning business, so RJ and Lear get thrown together a lot.

With alternating perspectives for different chapters, I often find myself wondering what the other person is thinking. But Denise Williams is a master at this. She goes back in time a bit for pivotal scenes, so we can fully understand where each character is coming from.

I loved getting to revisit Britta and Wes. All of the secondary characters added to the book. The plot was so well developed throughout.

Despite all these great aspects, this wasn't my favorite from Denise Williams. I was missing the emotional connection that I would have liked to see between RJ and Lear. I'm still super excited for her next book because I adore her writing so much. And if enemies-to-lovers is your favorite trope, then you may love this one most.

I really enjoyed this enemies to friends with benefits to lovers. It had a little of everything I enjoy in a novel, starting with some steamy romance, laugh out loud moments, sexy banter, and a whole lot of fun. Not only was the romance and chemistry amazing, but the characters were very raw & relatable. The dual pov was very enjoyable, as you get to see what the other person is thinking etc. & I definitely love that with an enemies to lovers trope! I also loved the premise about a wedding planner (hero) & and a divorce attorney (heroine) that cross paths in the most unexpected way. Not only do they have the cutest meet cute, but they bump heads from the start. Which made the push & pull between these two quite fun !

You can expect:

* Enemies to Lovers
* Sexy + Fun Banter
* Laugh Out Loud Romcom
* Divorce Attorney/ Wedding Officiant
* Ex-Football Player Wedding Planner
* Strong + Prickly Female Lead
* Forced Proximity
* Steamy Romance
* Dual POV
* Friends With Benefits Romance

I had read "The Fastest Way to Fall' by Denise Williams, and enjoyed it, so was happy to read another of her books. There were some things I liked about "Do You Take This Man,' but overall it wasn't a win for me as a reader.

I enjoyed that RJ was a high-powered divorce attorney and Lear was the wedding planner -- somewhat of a role reversal compared to what we usually (stereo)typically see for men's & women's careers in rom-coms. It was also a great twist that RJ, who makes her living facilitating divorce, sort of fell into this gig of officiating at weddings -- I think more could have been made of this.

But, overall, the relationship just never clicked or gelled or whatever it needed to do to form a believable build up & romance. I found the initial stages of RJ & Lear's relationship juddered too quickly from barely knowing each other to hate/attraction - and then back to stilted interaction. The dialog and action also grew repetitive -- meet at a wedding that Lear is organizing and RJ officiating, feign hatred toward each other, actually lust after each other, repeat. I just never really felt the romance was believable; it didn't take off.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book (much like Lear and RJ have with each other). On one hand, I really loved both of these characters and their prickly natures, hard exteriors, and resistance to vulnerability. But also, I’m a lot like them, so it’s hard to read and enjoy a book you relate to so hard, while it isn’t really showing you in the best light. Did I say you? I mean the characters. Ha.

The dedication says “For the ones who think they’re hard to love,” and that is exactly what this book is… a love letter to those of us that feel like we can be hard to love because we are snarky and have a hard time trusting others and letting people in to care for us the same way we want to care for them. For those of us who hold back because we have been burned before.

RJ and Lear have both been vulnerable and burned by that and both are reeling from recent experiences with trust being betrayed. They have been left behind and feel used and the both promise to not let it happen again. So when they are forced to work with each other over and over and they keep butting heads, they decide that being enemies-with-benefits is the way to go.

AND THEY HAVE STEAM. SO MUCH STEAM. LIKE MY KINDLE SCREEN KEPT FOGGING UP KIND OF STEAM.

But they both start to catch feels and both sabotage the relationship before it can even become one. This story really was so incredible to read because we rarely get two grumps making it work. At times you want to shake them both. And other times you feel so burned by how hurtful they can be because they want to protect theirselves. But you will equally feel so much passions and care because often, those of us who love the least love the hardest.

I highly recommend this one and I cannot wait to help curate this book for the September Authentic Book box!

I enjoyed this enemies to lovers romance.

I liked RJ and Lear. How they progressed from enemies with benefits to more by slowly opening up to each other about their pasts.

There was something that was missing for me in this story, but I cannot quite put my finger on it. Perhaps it’s more of a right book but not quite the right time.

Overall, still an enjoyable book (3.5)

I loved Denise Williams's first book in this series and was excited to read more about RJ. RJ is the classic strong black woman and she's made herself like this to save herself hurt within her workplace and life.

I loved that this showcased a different kind of black woman - the one that is hard on the outside but soft on the inside - these women need love too and I feel like they are misunderstood a lot

Lear has been burned being the nice guy - he no longer wants to be taken advantage of. The shift in personality types was refreshing and more realistic.

The sex scene was just the amount of spicy we all needed.

The give and take between Lear and RJ was fun and a joy to be a part of. I read this book so fast - I will be adding the hardcopy to my collection

This ARC did NOT disappoint. It was cute, it was steamy, and it was so fun.
We have a strong fmc, a feminist love interest, and a brilliant love story. Lear has taken over his cousin's wedding planning service while she is *otherwise occupied* but RJ is surrounded by the broken lives of her clients. RJ doesn't believe in love any more. RJ has seen what happens to love in the long term, and she doesn't want that to happen to her...
After reading this, I really want to read the books previously published by this author!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Divorce attorney and famous officiant RJ stumbles (literally) upon the one man who infuriates her, riles her up, but also turns her on—Lear, the taking-a break-from-being-the-nice-guy wedding planner. When the two have to work on upcoming weddings together, will the forced proximity ignite their attraction to each other? Or, will they remain focused at the tasks at hand and let the tension fizzle out?

I will always read anything that Denise Williams writes. I had a bit of trouble in the beginning with this one, partly because I couldn’t wrap my head around the names (lol, silly I know), but I got to know Lear and RJ, and I loved their head butting turned romance. The whole wedding season made it fun, too—the gas station wedding was totally creative. Anyway, enjoyable and fun, DO YOU TAKE THIS MAN was a good mix of a hate-to-love romance and opening oneself up to love.

Denise Williams is a superstar to me and I will continue to read and shout about her books from the mountain top. I am squealing with delight waiting for readers to get their hands on this one and while they wait I will be telling them to read Seven Days in June.

And Event Planner and a divorce attorney? Perfect set up for an enemies to FWB situation. I love Denise Williams and her work. This one with dual POV was great. RJ was such a well formed female character that you just wanted to root for her.

I have really enjoyed continuing this romance series. I loved that RJ was a strong career woman and that even at the end of the book this didn't change. She is passionate about her job, and even her side job as a wedding officiate. I also loved that we had Lear who was a wedding planner which isn't a typical job for a male MC in a book. I loved that Denise kept them in these jobs/roles because it was refreshing. I didn't feel like I connected to Lear very well, his back story just left me wanted to know more about him and his family. RJ's story seemed more fleshed out to me. I loved how RJ is this tough worker, but she lets her walls down (eventually) and she and Lear learn how to lean on each other together and how communication is key to their different personalities. This was a slower burn for me, and it took me a little bit to get into compared to her last book with britta and wes, but overall I loved this installment and I am curious if another story will rise up from this world.

RJ is an unlikely wedding officiant, Lear is an unlikely wedding planner. After a disastrous first meeting, sparks fly. An enemies to enemies with benefits storyline. Lear's backstory was well-done. RJ's work life is well-written and realistic.

RJ is a divorced attorney who happened to be in the right place at the right time to perform a famous couples wedding ceremony. After going viral, everyone wants RJ to perform their ceremony. She is committed through the summer but then she is giving it up. When she literally runs into Lear on the job, the two immediately hate each other. having to work together to pull off the clients weddings though is bringing them closer. RJ doesn’t do serious relationships though, just sex.

Do I adore @nicwillwrites? Yes, yes I really do. After loving her first two books, plus her recent novellas, I was so excited to read this book! Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I recently saw this quote: “Being overly independent is a defense mechanism from constantly being let down.” This quote felt just perfect for RJ. I absolutely loved both RJ and Lear, and their banter was just perfection. Lovable characters, fantastic writing, and a wonderful story. I never expect anything less from Williams and this one was no different!

Do You Take This Man…yes..yes I do!

Attorney/wedding officiant RJ and newly minted wedding planning Lear are steamy enemies with benefits.

Of course they move on from enemies and see the challenge of each other as the real attraction. The usual – he wants more but is afraid to ask, then she wants more but gets shut down then finally (!) both wanting more with clever, funny and biting banter.

Denise Williams created characters that I really came to care for. Their backstories and past heartbreak seemed real. The interventions of family and friends rang true.

After Do You Take This Man you may never look at perfunctory wedding rehearsals the same way again.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

No one would ever describe divorce attorney RJ as being a soft-hearted romantic. She prides herself on being tough as nails and never letting anything ruffle her. But after a video of RJ officiating an impromptu wedding in the park goes viral, she suddenly becomes the most sought-after person when someone's looking to get hitched. RJ will never admit it, but she loves overseeing the "I do's" until she meets the new wedding planner she's forced to work with. Lear went from managing football events to working for his cousin's wedding business after his girlfriend ripped his world apart. He's focused on throwing all his attention into executing perfect events, but he'll have RJ to contend with. The pair instantly butt heads and refuse to compromise, but neither can deny the burning physical attraction they feel toward one another. Lear refuses to get hurt again, and RJ refuses to let her guard down, so they decide to engage in a little enemies with benefits deal. But will spending all their time surrounded by loving couples make them want to change their tunes?

I feel like Williams is a bit hit or miss for me. I've read a few of her books that I loved and others that I thought were okay. This leaned a little more towards the latter half for me. I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, but there were times I felt RJ and Lear were a little too mean to one another. They were both very passionate people, maybe a bit combative at times, and while that led to very steamy scenes between them, I couldn't help but feel like it was too much. I did enjoy all the banter, and once they finally started opening up to one another. Overall, I liked it, but it didn't blow me away, and I would still recommend it if you're looking for a new hate-to-love book to pick up.

Following a disastrous first encounter on an Ashville, NC sidewalk, two total strangers discover they actually have something in common. They’re both working the same weddings, where Lear is the event planner and RJ is the officiant. Lear Campbell is a sociable people-person who likes things to go smoothly and efficiently. RJ Brooks, whose day job is divorce attorney (ironic, right?), is a regimented control freak who just likes things done her way. So here they are, at the height of wedding season, exasperated, fascinated, and maybe a little infatuated, trying to keep it professional. Williams’ smooth writing style is a pleasure to read. Her characters bring plenty of drama to keep the reader engaged, and their clever banter and inner monologue are laugh-out-loud funny. Easily the best rom-com I’ve read in a long time.