July 4, 2022
Opposites attract when an unlikely wedding officiant meets an easygoing wedding planner in this sizzling enemies-to-lovers rom-com from Williams (The Fastest Way to Fall). Divorce attorney RJ Brooks’s romantic side is at constant war with her ingrained cynicism, so the irony’s not lost on her when—after stepping in at a friend’s wedding—she becomes a sought after officiant for marriage ceremonies. Former football player Lear Campbell joins his cousin’s wedding planning business as her assistant, but ends up forced to take the lead when Penny’s adopted preemie winds up in the NICU—putting him on a collision course with RJ. The pair get off on the wrong foot, but their physical attraction is undeniable and they agree to an “enemies with benefits” arrangement. RJ’s cynicism comes from witnessing her parents’ failed marriage, and Lear was burned by his cheating ex-fiancée, but as they get closer, they may just restore each other’s faith in love. Their bickering adds a spicy undercurrent to even the sweetest moments, but RJ’s attempts to keep Lear at arm’s length verge on cruelty, making her difficult to root for. Still, Lear’s a swoonworthy hero and the pair earn their happy ending. Williams’s fans will not be disappointed. Agent: Sharon Pelletier, DG&B.
September 1, 2022
Williams (The Fastest Way to Fall, 2021) has crafted a fun enemies-to-lovers tale set in Asheville, North Carolina, featuring a no-nonsense divorce attorney who moonlights as a wedding officiant and a wedding planner who used to be a pro-football events manager. Both are detail-oriented and take-charge, but Lear Campbell likes to charm people to do his bidding, whereas RJ Brooks likes to use logic and expertise to bend people to her will. RJ's competitive nature has her winning high-profile cases for her law firm. Lear lost the love of his life and his dream job in Los Angeles in one fell swoop. His girlfriend's betrayal with another man cut deep into his confidence. At a young age, RJ learned that people are rarely worth trusting. She is not interested in a committed relationship with Lear. Despite knowing this, he cannot help falling in love, leaving his heart vulnerable to being broken yet again. Is she willing to risk being hurt while trusting in Lear's love? Is he willing to trust his feelings to accommodate RJ's sharp corners?
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September 15, 2022
An accidental wedding planner and an even more accidental officiant must learn to purposefully stride toward love and commitment. After RJ Brooks officiated at an impromptu celebrity wedding in a public park, she's become a walking paradox--a divorce attorney who is also a very popular wedding officiant. Although her side gig draws the side-eye from Gretchen, a senior lawyer she desperately hopes will mentor her, RJ is able to efficiently juggle her career as a lawyer with her interest in marrying couples until she's knocked off balance--literally and figuratively--by Lear Campbell, a cousin of RJ's favorite wedding planner, Penny. Lear, once a pro-football events manager, is substituting for Penny while she's on leave. Lear has never had trouble charming people, especially because he tries very hard to be nice. But RJ is a challenge: She appears to be immune to his appeal, and recent events have caused Lear to reevaluate his proclivity for niceness. RJ decides not to work with Lear, but when he turns out to be a close friend of Gretchen's, she finds that she cannot refuse him. Forced to spend several hours in close proximity while romance is in the air, Lear and RJ find themselves attracted to one another, but RJ's personal demons and Lear's past prevent them from acknowledging any mutual feelings beyond lust. RJ and Lear are instantly likable: Each has a lovely sense of humor, and their personal struggles ring true and demand empathy. RJ's interactions with her friends and Lear's with his family are entertaining and heartbreaking in equal measure. Although their unwillingness to lower their defenses is understandable, RJ and Lear go around in circles one time too many. But Williams has a talent for weaving moments of genuine warmth and tenderness with sizzling sexual chemistry in ways that are consistently engaging. A sweet romance with appealing hints of heat and angst.
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