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Trust & Tequila #1
I Almost Do
They say I married Clarissa Harcourt for her father's company. They're wrong.
When your mentor makes a dying wish that you'll marry his daughter... you do it. Especially when you're halfway in love with her already.
Unfortunately, this marriage of convenience is anything but convenient. Clarissa doesn't know about the tattoos I hide under bespoke suits or my more than skin deep scars. She's too vulnerable... and I'm too broken... for us to be more than married without benefits. When I told her I wouldn't touch her with these dirty hands, I meant it.
Now I'm stuck between the rock on her finger and a very hard place behind my zipper. Note to when your crush won't consummate your wedding night, don't drown your sorrows in tequila and serenade him with Elvis songs. And please lock the door so he doesn't come in to hold your hair for you later.
Everyone says James is ruthless. But I know the side of him that is gentle and kind. The side that will give me anything my heart desires. Except the one thing my heart desires.
I married my father's CFO hoping our "arrangement" would turn into something real. But as long as he controls my trust fund, he thinks he'd be taking advantage of me. He's wrong.
I want to be his partner, not his responsibility. And that starts with tempting him into a lot more than kissing his bride.
*This age gap marriage of convenience is the first in a series of sexy slow burn standalones. As always, I promise NO CHEATING and a very satisfying happily ever after. This book contains themes of grief, mental health issues, and more. Visit the author's website for full content notes.
When your mentor makes a dying wish that you'll marry his daughter... you do it. Especially when you're halfway in love with her already.
Unfortunately, this marriage of convenience is anything but convenient. Clarissa doesn't know about the tattoos I hide under bespoke suits or my more than skin deep scars. She's too vulnerable... and I'm too broken... for us to be more than married without benefits. When I told her I wouldn't touch her with these dirty hands, I meant it.
Now I'm stuck between the rock on her finger and a very hard place behind my zipper. Note to when your crush won't consummate your wedding night, don't drown your sorrows in tequila and serenade him with Elvis songs. And please lock the door so he doesn't come in to hold your hair for you later.
Everyone says James is ruthless. But I know the side of him that is gentle and kind. The side that will give me anything my heart desires. Except the one thing my heart desires.
I married my father's CFO hoping our "arrangement" would turn into something real. But as long as he controls my trust fund, he thinks he'd be taking advantage of me. He's wrong.
I want to be his partner, not his responsibility. And that starts with tempting him into a lot more than kissing his bride.
*This age gap marriage of convenience is the first in a series of sexy slow burn standalones. As always, I promise NO CHEATING and a very satisfying happily ever after. This book contains themes of grief, mental health issues, and more. Visit the author's website for full content notes.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2023
286 people are currently reading
2171 people want to read
About the author
Evangeline Williams
5 books60 followers#1 Amazon Bestselling Author Evangeline Williams writes sweet, spicy, feel-good romance with a dash of suspense. She likes her heroes loyal, her tea hot, and her TBR (To Be Read) endless. If she isn't reading or writing, you'll probably find her binge-watching K-dramas or traveling (and calling it research). Evangeline makes her home with her husband, children, and two sassy dogs in Western Pennsylvania. As a neurospicy and physically disabled writer, she loves the opportunity to bring a diverse mix of characters to life on the page.
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April 12, 2025This would've been more enjoyable if James had gotten his act together earlier, rather than at 94%. This would've been more enjoyable too if I'd seen these two spend time together as a real couple, free of any drama. But no, James' baggage was the focus of this story.
These two only resolved their issues two chapters before the epilogue. So, is that actually a resolution if it was rushed and condensed in two chapters??? I feel like I waited for nothing, and I'm honestly pissed and disappointed about that.
I guess, the good aspects are the fact that James (31) wasn't an asshole and Clarissa (22) has a patience of a freaking saint. Despite his hangups, James is actually a protective and faithful husband. As for Clarissa, she's incredibly understanding. I don't think I have that in me, in all honesty. She's so much better than me.
Anyway, this could've been a good one, the potential was there. But the push and pull stunts of James ruined the story for me.
Book info:
- Marriage of convenience
- Age gap (9)
- Father's best friend
- Loss of loved one (on page)
- Slooowburn
- No cheating, OM/OW
- Separations
- V FMC 😐, No V MMC (but not giving hoe vibes)
- HEA (25 yrs later, married with 2 kids)
- Safe
These two only resolved their issues two chapters before the epilogue. So, is that actually a resolution if it was rushed and condensed in two chapters??? I feel like I waited for nothing, and I'm honestly pissed and disappointed about that.
I guess, the good aspects are the fact that James (31) wasn't an asshole and Clarissa (22) has a patience of a freaking saint. Despite his hangups, James is actually a protective and faithful husband. As for Clarissa, she's incredibly understanding. I don't think I have that in me, in all honesty. She's so much better than me.
Anyway, this could've been a good one, the potential was there. But the push and pull stunts of James ruined the story for me.
Book info:
- Marriage of convenience
- Age gap (9)
- Father's best friend
- Loss of loved one (on page)
- Slooowburn
- No cheating, OM/OW
- Separations
- V FMC 😐, No V MMC (but not giving hoe vibes)
- HEA (25 yrs later, married with 2 kids)
- Safe
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2024
3.5⭐️
This was way too slow burn and the H pushed away far too long I was so frustrated🙄
I don’t know how the h stayed with him for so long! She was super sweet and PATIENT
Completely safe he only has eyes for the h🙌🏻
Mild OW drama with his assistant but he puts her in her place hard👏🏻
heroine is a v, no manho at all I get the impression he’s been celibate awhile
I’ll try to come back to leave a better review later….work is crazy and safety deets are the most important so…🥱
This was way too slow burn and the H pushed away far too long I was so frustrated🙄
I don’t know how the h stayed with him for so long! She was super sweet and PATIENT
Completely safe he only has eyes for the h🙌🏻
Mild OW drama with his assistant but he puts her in her place hard👏🏻
heroine is a v, no manho at all I get the impression he’s been celibate awhile
I’ll try to come back to leave a better review later….work is crazy and safety deets are the most important so…🥱
July 18, 2023
This was such a fun, sweet book! I genuinely enjoyed every minute of it and i went in with zero expectations to begin with. Sure some things gave me the ick but they weren't icky enough for me to dnf it or hate the book instantly. I think i'll add this to me re-read roster.
June 21, 2023
I want to start by saying I enjoyed this book. I think it had a fun take on a common trope. But this book fell into the basic problem that most dual POV books have: too much tell, not enough show. The book felt like it was 90% inner monologues and feelings, which were done well. But we missed out on the interactions that show us the story.
We went from 2 people who’s inner thoughts were all about the obsessions with each other but promising to not have feelings, then suddenly one day they’re saying “I love you” and it wasn’t a big deal. As the reader we knew it was coming, but the characters can’t read each others mind and I feel like that should’ve been a big moment. The same with them spending time apart and their negative interactions with others. We see the negative interactions (the gala, the dive bar) but we never see them share their feelings with one another (besides outbursts, but that’s not communication). Beyond making the book feel incomplete, it also robbed us of feeling any chemistry between the two.
This author has a lot of potential, I realized after reading that this was a debut novel! Excited to see what more comes from them - I’ll definitely be back for the next book.
We went from 2 people who’s inner thoughts were all about the obsessions with each other but promising to not have feelings, then suddenly one day they’re saying “I love you” and it wasn’t a big deal. As the reader we knew it was coming, but the characters can’t read each others mind and I feel like that should’ve been a big moment. The same with them spending time apart and their negative interactions with others. We see the negative interactions (the gala, the dive bar) but we never see them share their feelings with one another (besides outbursts, but that’s not communication). Beyond making the book feel incomplete, it also robbed us of feeling any chemistry between the two.
This author has a lot of potential, I realized after reading that this was a debut novel! Excited to see what more comes from them - I’ll definitely be back for the next book.
June 11, 2024
I love a slow burn when the tension rises, the feelings grow, and you can’t wait for them to get together.
This slow burn just frustrated me.
James and Clarissa get married as her father’s last dying wish, and he wants to take care of her. Both of them have feelings for each other but James won’t go there because she’s 9 years younger and sheltered and he controls her money until she’s 25, so he feels a power imbalance.
I respected that because it was true but then I just felt annoyed over time. I did feel like he treats her like a child sometimes. So then she goes away to college to gain independence but then their relationship loses steam for me because they’re apart. All of a sudden he’s like my love grew because we talk every day and I learned so much about her, but we don’t see that on page so I didn’t feel the connection as much as I wanted. More showing, less telling!
Also of course she’s a virgin, and he’s definitely not a manho - he hates being touched (from past trauma) but yet he has experience. I’ve seen that before in heroes where they can miraculously get over that just so they have some sexual past. 🙄 I guess I’ll take it as a romance hero win that at least he’s not a manho, and he’s always faithful to Clarissa. But he kept thinking about her innocence and virginity and that was a bit cringy at times for me.
Anyway. I think I just missed the part where they really got to know each other. James doesn’t tell her about his past or emotions for basically the entire book. She’s always the one chasing him, or pushing for more and he is alwayyyyss pulling back. She’s way more gracious to him than I would be! I wish all the stuff that happened in the last 15% occurred a little earlier.
For some positives, I like the female friendships portrayed. I liked how Clarissa did start to stand up for herself and not be so agreeable to everything. And the epilogue was cute!
So overall, it wasn’t my favorite and I didn’t feel their chemistry as much as I would’ve liked to, but it has some positives and maybe others would enjoy it!
This slow burn just frustrated me.
James and Clarissa get married as her father’s last dying wish, and he wants to take care of her. Both of them have feelings for each other but James won’t go there because she’s 9 years younger and sheltered and he controls her money until she’s 25, so he feels a power imbalance.
I respected that because it was true but then I just felt annoyed over time. I did feel like he treats her like a child sometimes. So then she goes away to college to gain independence but then their relationship loses steam for me because they’re apart. All of a sudden he’s like my love grew because we talk every day and I learned so much about her, but we don’t see that on page so I didn’t feel the connection as much as I wanted. More showing, less telling!
Also of course she’s a virgin, and he’s definitely not a manho - he hates being touched (from past trauma) but yet he has experience. I’ve seen that before in heroes where they can miraculously get over that just so they have some sexual past. 🙄 I guess I’ll take it as a romance hero win that at least he’s not a manho, and he’s always faithful to Clarissa. But he kept thinking about her innocence and virginity and that was a bit cringy at times for me.
Anyway. I think I just missed the part where they really got to know each other. James doesn’t tell her about his past or emotions for basically the entire book. She’s always the one chasing him, or pushing for more and he is alwayyyyss pulling back. She’s way more gracious to him than I would be! I wish all the stuff that happened in the last 15% occurred a little earlier.
For some positives, I like the female friendships portrayed. I liked how Clarissa did start to stand up for herself and not be so agreeable to everything. And the epilogue was cute!
So overall, it wasn’t my favorite and I didn’t feel their chemistry as much as I would’ve liked to, but it has some positives and maybe others would enjoy it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2023
Thanks so much to the author for sending me an ARC of this in exchange for my honest review!
It's no secret that all of the tropes in this are right up my alley. Age gap? Check. Marriage of convenience? Check. Grumpy/sunshine? Absolutely check. So it should come as no surprise that I loved this book and it's on track to becoming one of my favorite romance reads of the entire year.
James and Clarissa were such perfect main characters and their story was sweet, steamy, and incredibly satisfying (alliteration anyone?). It had none of the annoying tropes that I can't stand (looking at you, cheating and miscommunication), and it made this read so much more enjoyable.
Clarissa was a great female lead who knew what she wanted out of life and did what she had to do to make those things happen. James was the stoic grump but when his shell cracked, he showed how sweet and sensitive (and badass at times, IYKYK) and adorable he could really be (and we love solid mental health rep in our romances! I'll leave it at that).
All of that to say, I loved this book so much, I can't WAIT for Bronwyn and Dean's story in the next book, and obviously this gets five out of five stars from me.
It's no secret that all of the tropes in this are right up my alley. Age gap? Check. Marriage of convenience? Check. Grumpy/sunshine? Absolutely check. So it should come as no surprise that I loved this book and it's on track to becoming one of my favorite romance reads of the entire year.
James and Clarissa were such perfect main characters and their story was sweet, steamy, and incredibly satisfying (alliteration anyone?). It had none of the annoying tropes that I can't stand (looking at you, cheating and miscommunication), and it made this read so much more enjoyable.
Clarissa was a great female lead who knew what she wanted out of life and did what she had to do to make those things happen. James was the stoic grump but when his shell cracked, he showed how sweet and sensitive (and badass at times, IYKYK) and adorable he could really be (and we love solid mental health rep in our romances! I'll leave it at that).
All of that to say, I loved this book so much, I can't WAIT for Bronwyn and Dean's story in the next book, and obviously this gets five out of five stars from me.
July 30, 2023
Talk about a man who isn’t afraid to fight for what he wants while still being respectful 😍
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some speed bumps and cringey moments but the ride was amazing! The epilogues were so sweet and everything I could have wanted for them.
Thank you BookTok for the rec 😏
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some speed bumps and cringey moments but the ride was amazing! The epilogues were so sweet and everything I could have wanted for them.
Thank you BookTok for the rec 😏
June 5, 2023
For a debut book, I was pleasantly surprised.
This book was exactly what I needed. It was great, even. So much to say about this book.
Only downside, was that some parts of their relationship rushed, especially in the time skips, where they're trying to catch us up on the past few months.
And this book did what I absolutely hate. Sort the relationship issues out in the penultimate chapter. I wish we could have seen more of them, and their lives. Especially the in between of the big tim time jump.
I needed more.
Grammar and language wise. Nothing stuck out. Apart from time recap skips, which sometimes felt waffley. But overall great book.
This book was exactly what I needed. It was great, even. So much to say about this book.
Only downside, was that some parts of their relationship rushed, especially in the time skips, where they're trying to catch us up on the past few months.
And this book did what I absolutely hate. Sort the relationship issues out in the penultimate chapter. I wish we could have seen more of them, and their lives. Especially the in between of the big tim time jump.
I needed more.
Grammar and language wise. Nothing stuck out. Apart from time recap skips, which sometimes felt waffley. But overall great book.
February 8, 2024
I was hooked!
✨Tropes✨
🔘Marriage of convenience
🔘Slow burn
🔘Age gap
💍💍💍
I was completely hooked on the storyline. It was exactly what I needed to read, with everything I love. From the moment Clarissa's father made his dying request to James, the tension and emotions were palpable. I appreciated how the author portrayed the conflict between James' devotion to protecting Clarissa and their undeniable attraction.
The chemistry between Clarissa and James was electric, and I found myself rooting for them to overcome all obstacles. Their love story was beautifully written, and I couldn't help but get lost in their world.
What stood out to me the most was the author's ability to delve into James' inner demons. It added an extra layer of complexity to the story and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was genuinely worried that his past would come back to haunt him and potentially destroy their future.
Overall, this book was a delightful surprise. The author's writing style and the way she crafted the characters were absolutely fascinating. If you enjoy a marriage of convenience and complicated relationships with a touch of angst, then this is the book to read.
🎧The narration was excellent. JC Bloom never disappoints. I love the emotion she brings to each character. As for Aiden Snow, he can read to me anytime. His voice is what dreams are made of!
✨Tropes✨
🔘Marriage of convenience
🔘Slow burn
🔘Age gap
💍💍💍
I was completely hooked on the storyline. It was exactly what I needed to read, with everything I love. From the moment Clarissa's father made his dying request to James, the tension and emotions were palpable. I appreciated how the author portrayed the conflict between James' devotion to protecting Clarissa and their undeniable attraction.
The chemistry between Clarissa and James was electric, and I found myself rooting for them to overcome all obstacles. Their love story was beautifully written, and I couldn't help but get lost in their world.
What stood out to me the most was the author's ability to delve into James' inner demons. It added an extra layer of complexity to the story and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was genuinely worried that his past would come back to haunt him and potentially destroy their future.
Overall, this book was a delightful surprise. The author's writing style and the way she crafted the characters were absolutely fascinating. If you enjoy a marriage of convenience and complicated relationships with a touch of angst, then this is the book to read.
🎧The narration was excellent. JC Bloom never disappoints. I love the emotion she brings to each character. As for Aiden Snow, he can read to me anytime. His voice is what dreams are made of!
October 22, 2025
3.5 stars. a decent start with room to grow. The story is enjoyable, but the pacing felt uneven and the chapters started to sound similar. It needed just a little more...conflict maybe? Still, I'm curious to continue to book 2.
July 5, 2023
Why was this sooo good?
July 13, 2023
Très/trop cliché mais mims
On remercie booktok (ou pas) pour ses recommandations douteuses
On remercie booktok (ou pas) pour ses recommandations douteuses
August 22, 2023
what I loved about this book is that it showed you the important of communication and mental health in and out of a relationship. They kinda started off being together since the beginning of the book and I thought it was taking away from feeling the romance but I understood why. I loved loved how they showed how the relationship grew and how they both grew as people.
February 2, 2024
I actually really enjoyed this! I'm glad she saw how unhealthy his coping mechanisms were and encouraged him to go to therapy so they could actually be happy together.
November 25, 2025
Another couple I love! ❤️❤️❤️
June 20, 2023
Considering its her debut novel it was really good! There were some parts I wasn’t satisfied with. We didn’t get to see MC fully apologize to FC for the way he treated her like a child. I also wanted him to explain his trauma w her. AND HE NEVER DID 😭 I feel like they just had the same issue over and over but never got to the root of the problem. When they did it was very rushed and he unpacked it on his own 👎
Despite this slowburn was so GOOD. Even when i was mad the author somehow made it justifiable. Sometimes.
Despite this slowburn was so GOOD. Even when i was mad the author somehow made it justifiable. Sometimes.
May 21, 2023
Clarissa and James have a truly unique relationship/marriage for certain in this story. While I enjoyed the deep level of love and concern they have one another, the “cat and mouse” play was a bit over the top for me. I could absolutely relate to Clarissa’s frustration at her husband’s overprotective antics but just really wanted her to become a more confident woman much faster. This entire book was worse than just a slow burn romance for me. It seemed extremely redundant with lots of repetitive statements and situations. I think my frustration with the snail-paced action was far more intense than Clarissa’s was with James. At one point I actually rolled my eyes and whispered, “ just get on with it would you!” So unfortunately I couldn’t bring myself to give this more than three stars. I’m all for a slow-burn romance but when I find myself feeling consistently impatient while reading it’s a sure sign that I need things to be moving a bit faster. All in all it’s a fair read if you don’t mind that slow pace action.
October 21, 2024
3-ish
Not good. Not bad. I found the story enjoyable, although the pacing of it left a lot to be desired. I felt disappointed at the amount of groweling the mmc did (or the lack thereof), and the scenes left to conclude the climax of the story at the end felt a bit too lackluster to me.
Also, I felt the chapter showcasing snippets of the mmc going to therapy and then suddenly being fixed the next chapter felt like a quick way to get to the end of the story and was lazy writing, in my opinion.
I'm a bit undecided on how I feel about this story and will leave it at the 3 stars mark as I do think it did a pretty good job at conveying the hurt feelings the characters (especially the fmc) were feeling.
I can also relate it to another book I've just read (The King of Greed by Ana Huang) as they both have similar storylines. Even though I'd say that The King of Greed was a better book with a better storyline overall, I have to acknowledge how in comparison to this book, the way the emotions were conveyed wasn't nearly as good.
All in all, this was a nice quick read to pass time with a somewhat interesting storyline.
Not good. Not bad. I found the story enjoyable, although the pacing of it left a lot to be desired. I felt disappointed at the amount of groweling the mmc did (or the lack thereof), and the scenes left to conclude the climax of the story at the end felt a bit too lackluster to me.
Also, I felt the chapter showcasing snippets of the mmc going to therapy and then suddenly being fixed the next chapter felt like a quick way to get to the end of the story and was lazy writing, in my opinion.
I'm a bit undecided on how I feel about this story and will leave it at the 3 stars mark as I do think it did a pretty good job at conveying the hurt feelings the characters (especially the fmc) were feeling.
I can also relate it to another book I've just read (The King of Greed by Ana Huang) as they both have similar storylines. Even though I'd say that The King of Greed was a better book with a better storyline overall, I have to acknowledge how in comparison to this book, the way the emotions were conveyed wasn't nearly as good.
All in all, this was a nice quick read to pass time with a somewhat interesting storyline.
June 27, 2023
meh
Idk it was just boring to me… the whole fucking ‘problem’ of this book is he didn’t want to bang her bc he has control of her money like broski it’s not really that big a problem especially because she has said she don’t care. There was no substance in this book at all, no heat or reason for me to care about the characters and root for them to be together. Also kind of weird that her dad hinted before he died they were meant to be together but Clarissa would’ve been like 13 when she met James for the first time. Ew.
Also why hint to all this dark and sad backstory with James, scars on his body, his dad and the disdain for sticky floors when it all leads to nothing???
Idk it was just boring to me… the whole fucking ‘problem’ of this book is he didn’t want to bang her bc he has control of her money like broski it’s not really that big a problem especially because she has said she don’t care. There was no substance in this book at all, no heat or reason for me to care about the characters and root for them to be together. Also kind of weird that her dad hinted before he died they were meant to be together but Clarissa would’ve been like 13 when she met James for the first time. Ew.
Also why hint to all this dark and sad backstory with James, scars on his body, his dad and the disdain for sticky floors when it all leads to nothing???
July 11, 2023
This book was ok. The way the characters were written felt childish and immature. I don't know why when these characters are in their 20s, but all their interactions were childish. The way they reacted. The way they spoke. Just all of it. It's not my favorite, and I don't really want to read more from this author with the way the characters were written.
May 12, 2023
Wow, this was truly a great book and I don't say that lightly. I am a picky reader! I enjoyed the storyline and how it was different than other books (not the same old, same old). I loved the slow burn, which is sometimes tough for authors to pull off well. This isn't the type of book that just has a bunch of fluffy every day stuff and then the characters finally get together at the end (as many slow burns do). Not at all. This book definitely gives you all the special feels and swoon-worthy moments along the way, which keeps you aching for more. In my opinion, that's what gives strength to a really good slow burn novel. Evangeline was able to write a story that I could still feel the strong tension and chemistry between the two main characters (James and Clarissa) throughout the entire book. Definitely a page turner for me and kept me up late at night, since I didn't want to put it down!
This story is based on an arranged marriage between a father's good friend/CFO of the company and the father's daughter. There is a slight age gap, but not significant - 9 yrs. However, the heroine (Clarissa) is highly sheltered and inexperienced in basically every way, which at times makes her appear and act younger than her age. Although the hero (James) is much more experienced in the world in basically every way, he is scarred and has weaknesses of his own that tend to get in the way of their marital relationship. He feels unworthy of Clarissa and feels it's his duty to continue protecting her, in honor of her father and his best friend/coworker. However, he took this strong sense of duty and obligation to such an extreme, that it prevents him from being able to consummate their marriage. In essence, he views himself more has Clarissa's guardian and Clarissa as his ward. Both James and Clarissa continue to remain faithful and loving towards one another, but the lack of full sexual intimacy is what eventually drives a wedge between them. Over time, Clarissa is the one who seems to become the more rational and mature one in the relationship. She is also the the one who finally stands up for herself and their marriage and does something about it.
Just because this is a slow burn and it takes a while to consummate their marriage, please don't assume this book is without any heat! That is far from the truth. This book still packs a lot of heat in many ways, and the hero and heroine eventually take on a teacher-student role in their experimentation/exploration with each other. All I can say is wow, James sure has impeccable self control, especially considering all the temptation he faced!
There are trigger warnings, which the author lists at the beginning of her book. If you open up the sample of this book on Amazon, you should be able to see the specific triggers.
I was impressed that this is the author's debut novel, which would be hard to figure out by reading the story alone, since it is that well developed and written. Thankfully, this book is also well edited, too! Which is such a relief to find these days. Let's just say this book stands above many of the rest, even books from well seasoned authors. I recommend giving Evangeline's book "I Almost Do" a try and supporting her journey as an up and coming author! I know I'm certainly looking forward to reading more books by her. Enjoy!
This story is based on an arranged marriage between a father's good friend/CFO of the company and the father's daughter. There is a slight age gap, but not significant - 9 yrs. However, the heroine (Clarissa) is highly sheltered and inexperienced in basically every way, which at times makes her appear and act younger than her age. Although the hero (James) is much more experienced in the world in basically every way, he is scarred and has weaknesses of his own that tend to get in the way of their marital relationship. He feels unworthy of Clarissa and feels it's his duty to continue protecting her, in honor of her father and his best friend/coworker. However, he took this strong sense of duty and obligation to such an extreme, that it prevents him from being able to consummate their marriage. In essence, he views himself more has Clarissa's guardian and Clarissa as his ward. Both James and Clarissa continue to remain faithful and loving towards one another, but the lack of full sexual intimacy is what eventually drives a wedge between them. Over time, Clarissa is the one who seems to become the more rational and mature one in the relationship. She is also the the one who finally stands up for herself and their marriage and does something about it.
Just because this is a slow burn and it takes a while to consummate their marriage, please don't assume this book is without any heat! That is far from the truth. This book still packs a lot of heat in many ways, and the hero and heroine eventually take on a teacher-student role in their experimentation/exploration with each other. All I can say is wow, James sure has impeccable self control, especially considering all the temptation he faced!
There are trigger warnings, which the author lists at the beginning of her book. If you open up the sample of this book on Amazon, you should be able to see the specific triggers.
I was impressed that this is the author's debut novel, which would be hard to figure out by reading the story alone, since it is that well developed and written. Thankfully, this book is also well edited, too! Which is such a relief to find these days. Let's just say this book stands above many of the rest, even books from well seasoned authors. I recommend giving Evangeline's book "I Almost Do" a try and supporting her journey as an up and coming author! I know I'm certainly looking forward to reading more books by her. Enjoy!
July 19, 2023
I have mostly stopped writing Goodreads reviews, however, I want this book to get some notice, so I am going to make the effort here.
The author posted a summary of I Almost Do on a FB group I belong to. I read a lot of romance, but lately it has been mostly fantasy. I'm also looking for books with older main characters because I am getting older myself (and by older, I mean older than 50!). With a female lead in her early 20s and the male lead just 9 years older, I wondered if I could related to them at all. However, the author's summary made the book sound intriguing and the cover was hot, so, I downloaded it and started reading.
I want to note that the author includes a lot of trigger warnings and I am not sure why as there were not a lot of things in this book that I have not seen in other adult romance novels. If this were a YA novel, sure, the f-bombs and the groping at the bar might have been worth a warning, but that is not her audience. There was a mention that a rape had occurred in the past, but it was not described.
After reading the book I have to say it does deserve FOUR STARS.
Evangeline Williams did a great job keeping the characters moving forward. Her dialogue was outstanding. The alternating first-person POV was done very well. I was immediately swept up in the emotional situation set off by Malcolm's illness, his obvious love for Clarissa blinding him to what he was doing by arranging this marriage.
The things I would like to have seen done a differently: Show us what was going on with Clarissa while she was at school--her classes, how she spent her weekends, who her friends were. We never saw that except one weekend when James visited her senior year. What was James doing while she was gone? And how did they go from their agreement of "don't catch feelings" to both of them admitting they had fallen in love--and yet still no sex?
Finally, a scene where James explains what was going on with him, why he had all the issues he had, and what his background was like as a child, would have gone a long way to making their relationship seem more equal. He knew all about her childhood, but she seemed to know nothing about his. As far as that goes, it might have been good to have Clarissa seek some therapy for her messed up childhood, too.
That being said, I was swept up in the story. I never had a moment where I wanted to slam my Kindle down in frustration wondering why either or both of them were behaving so stupidly (something that happens frequently in romance novels). There was never a "just talk to one another!" moment. They were talking--they just weren't on the same page.
If this is Evangeline Williams' debut novel, I can only look forward to what she puts out in the future.
The author posted a summary of I Almost Do on a FB group I belong to. I read a lot of romance, but lately it has been mostly fantasy. I'm also looking for books with older main characters because I am getting older myself (and by older, I mean older than 50!). With a female lead in her early 20s and the male lead just 9 years older, I wondered if I could related to them at all. However, the author's summary made the book sound intriguing and the cover was hot, so, I downloaded it and started reading.
I want to note that the author includes a lot of trigger warnings and I am not sure why as there were not a lot of things in this book that I have not seen in other adult romance novels. If this were a YA novel, sure, the f-bombs and the groping at the bar might have been worth a warning, but that is not her audience. There was a mention that a rape had occurred in the past, but it was not described.
After reading the book I have to say it does deserve FOUR STARS.
Evangeline Williams did a great job keeping the characters moving forward. Her dialogue was outstanding. The alternating first-person POV was done very well. I was immediately swept up in the emotional situation set off by Malcolm's illness, his obvious love for Clarissa blinding him to what he was doing by arranging this marriage.
The things I would like to have seen done a differently: Show us what was going on with Clarissa while she was at school--her classes, how she spent her weekends, who her friends were. We never saw that except one weekend when James visited her senior year. What was James doing while she was gone? And how did they go from their agreement of "don't catch feelings" to both of them admitting they had fallen in love--and yet still no sex?
Finally, a scene where James explains what was going on with him, why he had all the issues he had, and what his background was like as a child, would have gone a long way to making their relationship seem more equal. He knew all about her childhood, but she seemed to know nothing about his. As far as that goes, it might have been good to have Clarissa seek some therapy for her messed up childhood, too.
That being said, I was swept up in the story. I never had a moment where I wanted to slam my Kindle down in frustration wondering why either or both of them were behaving so stupidly (something that happens frequently in romance novels). There was never a "just talk to one another!" moment. They were talking--they just weren't on the same page.
If this is Evangeline Williams' debut novel, I can only look forward to what she puts out in the future.
October 13, 2023
I Almost Do is the first book in the Trust & Tequila series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Clarissa Harcourt’s father owns a very successful company. When he realizes he’s dying, he arranges for her to marry his best friend, James Mellinger, who also happens to be the CFO. James is someone he trusts and knows that he can handle the money and pass it on to Clarissa in due time.
Clarrisa has had a crush on James since she was 14. Now at 20, she is marrying him. James is very respectful and does not want to cross any lines with her because he’s only marrying her to honor her father’s last wishes. So he refuses to sleep with her until she turns 25. But Clarissa continuously throws herself at him, trying to get him to break…until he does, a little.
James is very stoic and reserved. He doesn’t let his feelings show much, but he is extremely loyal and makes sure Clarissa knows it. He’s also very protective, which is usually great, but in this instance, it was kind of irritating.
The whole reason they got married was so James could control her money until she turned 25 – something her father wanted. Because of that, he refused to sleep with her. He thought if he had control over her money and thus control over her, then sleeping with her would be wrong. I guess it made sense, but there was just so much back and forth, back and forth. It just got extremely repetitive.
Also, this book had a lot of tell and not much show. The sentences read as very blunt and monotonous, and the story was mostly their inner monologues. It was quite boring, and I didn’t get that emotional connection. Oh, and these characters were supposed to be in their 20s, with James being closer to 30, yet they both acted extremely childish. Also, the number of times the characters said each other’s names was unnecessary.
This was a decent read with an okay storyline. There was some character growth, so that was good.
Clarissa Harcourt’s father owns a very successful company. When he realizes he’s dying, he arranges for her to marry his best friend, James Mellinger, who also happens to be the CFO. James is someone he trusts and knows that he can handle the money and pass it on to Clarissa in due time.
Clarrisa has had a crush on James since she was 14. Now at 20, she is marrying him. James is very respectful and does not want to cross any lines with her because he’s only marrying her to honor her father’s last wishes. So he refuses to sleep with her until she turns 25. But Clarissa continuously throws herself at him, trying to get him to break…until he does, a little.
James is very stoic and reserved. He doesn’t let his feelings show much, but he is extremely loyal and makes sure Clarissa knows it. He’s also very protective, which is usually great, but in this instance, it was kind of irritating.
The whole reason they got married was so James could control her money until she turned 25 – something her father wanted. Because of that, he refused to sleep with her. He thought if he had control over her money and thus control over her, then sleeping with her would be wrong. I guess it made sense, but there was just so much back and forth, back and forth. It just got extremely repetitive.
Also, this book had a lot of tell and not much show. The sentences read as very blunt and monotonous, and the story was mostly their inner monologues. It was quite boring, and I didn’t get that emotional connection. Oh, and these characters were supposed to be in their 20s, with James being closer to 30, yet they both acted extremely childish. Also, the number of times the characters said each other’s names was unnecessary.
This was a decent read with an okay storyline. There was some character growth, so that was good.
October 28, 2023
HEA
Standalone, interconnected characters
Trust and Tequila Book 1
Marriage of Convenience, SLOW burn, Father's best friend
Dual 1st person PoV
*over 18 readers only *
Trigger warnings
Kidnapping of child (off page)
Codependency
Mental health issues
Emesis (vomiting)
Cancer death
DV
Child abuse
Murder of parent by parent (mmc)
PTSD
SA
Violence
Medical Emergency
Clarissa (23, mfc)
James (mmc)
Bronwyn (best friend of mfc)
Marcus (father of mfc)
Dean (driver and bodyguard of mfc)
Clarissa's book starts with her being married for a little over 2 years and surprising her husband with papers from a lawyer. Her and her husband are not close. Then the book jumps back 2½ years, and you get the story going forward from there. Her father never let her go anywhere or do anything because she was kidnapped for 3 hours by her nanny while her mother was dying of cancer. Clarissa has had a crush on James for around 6 years, but he has already rejected her. Gently, of course. She's 20, his friend's daughter, and way too young for him. At 29, he is the company's youngest CFO because he caught the attention of Marcus, the owner. Now, with Marcus dying of cancer, he wants James to marry Clarissa. Marcus has it all figured out; they just need to fall in line. James thinks that as long as he controls Clarissa's finances, he must keep his hands to himself. He plans to wait until she is 25 and gains control of her trust fund. Keeping his hands off her becomes easier when they don't live together anymore. She leaves for college, hours away, with one of her friends. Will they ever go forward with this and make it a real marriage or will she get tired of waiting and leave him?
The relationship between the two is odd but well written. I think if I had realized the book would jump back in time and stay there to come forward, I would have been in a different mindset. That's a me issue. Waiting for a book to get to the point is hard for me, but especially when it talks 93%.
Standalone, interconnected characters
Trust and Tequila Book 1
Marriage of Convenience, SLOW burn, Father's best friend
Dual 1st person PoV
*over 18 readers only *
Trigger warnings
Kidnapping of child (off page)
Codependency
Mental health issues
Emesis (vomiting)
Cancer death
DV
Child abuse
Murder of parent by parent (mmc)
PTSD
SA
Violence
Medical Emergency
Clarissa (23, mfc)
James (mmc)
Bronwyn (best friend of mfc)
Marcus (father of mfc)
Dean (driver and bodyguard of mfc)
Clarissa's book starts with her being married for a little over 2 years and surprising her husband with papers from a lawyer. Her and her husband are not close. Then the book jumps back 2½ years, and you get the story going forward from there. Her father never let her go anywhere or do anything because she was kidnapped for 3 hours by her nanny while her mother was dying of cancer. Clarissa has had a crush on James for around 6 years, but he has already rejected her. Gently, of course. She's 20, his friend's daughter, and way too young for him. At 29, he is the company's youngest CFO because he caught the attention of Marcus, the owner. Now, with Marcus dying of cancer, he wants James to marry Clarissa. Marcus has it all figured out; they just need to fall in line. James thinks that as long as he controls Clarissa's finances, he must keep his hands to himself. He plans to wait until she is 25 and gains control of her trust fund. Keeping his hands off her becomes easier when they don't live together anymore. She leaves for college, hours away, with one of her friends. Will they ever go forward with this and make it a real marriage or will she get tired of waiting and leave him?
The relationship between the two is odd but well written. I think if I had realized the book would jump back in time and stay there to come forward, I would have been in a different mindset. That's a me issue. Waiting for a book to get to the point is hard for me, but especially when it talks 93%.
May 18, 2023
You know a book is going to be interesting when it has multiple tropes. But what turns it into a good, or even great read, is when they're blended so well it leaves you with a sh!t-eating grin at the end. I Almost Do, did that for me.
I won't mention all the tropes, they've been well-documented. But what I will make a comment on is the narrative. It deserves every one of those 5 stars.
1 - A man with trauma. This was a biggie for me.
So often in romance, we see men who are 'perfect' or don't have to work through what ales them in order to be part of that HEA it's either missing, assumed, or noted. If there are two in the relationship, both have baggage (just like in real life) and as such, spending your life with someone requires adjustments. James has the kind of trauma that creates a divide, it is discussed on page, which I found refreshing. If he wants Clarrisa he has to do the work.
2 - Real and relatable dialogue. I'm a sucker for good convos.
Adulting is hard, sometimes a 1 star. You see this play out several times in the story. The conversations don't always go as the characters hoped or planned, but they are very well done for the stage of the relationship. They Aptly reflect the frustrations and emotions that go with the unorthodox situation thrust upon them. What Evangeline Willams did well was show growth not only in their experiences and emotions but how they dealt with each other.
3 - The HEA.
This is more of a personal satisfaction in that the author used my little well-known country as the destination in the epilogue, it just sweetened the whole thing for me.
I won't mention all the tropes, they've been well-documented. But what I will make a comment on is the narrative. It deserves every one of those 5 stars.
1 - A man with trauma. This was a biggie for me.
So often in romance, we see men who are 'perfect' or don't have to work through what ales them in order to be part of that HEA it's either missing, assumed, or noted. If there are two in the relationship, both have baggage (just like in real life) and as such, spending your life with someone requires adjustments. James has the kind of trauma that creates a divide, it is discussed on page, which I found refreshing. If he wants Clarrisa he has to do the work.
2 - Real and relatable dialogue. I'm a sucker for good convos.
Adulting is hard, sometimes a 1 star. You see this play out several times in the story. The conversations don't always go as the characters hoped or planned, but they are very well done for the stage of the relationship. They Aptly reflect the frustrations and emotions that go with the unorthodox situation thrust upon them. What Evangeline Willams did well was show growth not only in their experiences and emotions but how they dealt with each other.
3 - The HEA.
This is more of a personal satisfaction in that the author used my little well-known country as the destination in the epilogue, it just sweetened the whole thing for me.
July 6, 2023
The book was really good. Except i don’t think it was truly a slow burn. The main characters already had strong feelings for each other and were already together from the get go. They weren’t shy about their feelings for each other or showing affection and getting intimate with each. We get about one character if not half a character at most of them “not together” at the beginning of the book while they set up who’s who and all that. I want to say it was more of a marriage of convenience but he was already on his way to take over her dads company and the dad just wanted someone to watch over his daughter. so maybe? i’m not sure.
This book in my opinion shows more of the development of James ALLOWING himself to love her freely without fear or guilt. And Clarissa becoming her own person and doing the things she loves after losing her dad who sheltered her beyond belief.
I’m glad this book focuses on James trauma and roots it as something deeper than simply guilt. I’m glad we get to see his development and his time in therapy. Though it doesn’t make the “3rd breakup” act any less painful
This author also included the interconnected chapters, like a segment of a later chapter or a chapter that we’ll see in a different POV late in the book which i absolutely LOVE. that first chapter did me extremely dirty, i was scrolling to find that connecting chapter to make sure I was reading about a HEA but i was very happy to find out what was hinted in the first chapter was not the case when we see it again at the end of the book.
This book in my opinion shows more of the development of James ALLOWING himself to love her freely without fear or guilt. And Clarissa becoming her own person and doing the things she loves after losing her dad who sheltered her beyond belief.
I’m glad this book focuses on James trauma and roots it as something deeper than simply guilt. I’m glad we get to see his development and his time in therapy. Though it doesn’t make the “3rd breakup” act any less painful
This author also included the interconnected chapters, like a segment of a later chapter or a chapter that we’ll see in a different POV late in the book which i absolutely LOVE. that first chapter did me extremely dirty, i was scrolling to find that connecting chapter to make sure I was reading about a HEA but i was very happy to find out what was hinted in the first chapter was not the case when we see it again at the end of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2023
Heart Sweeping Romance
What can I say? James and Clare are a toral roller-coaster. I loved how they were able to grow up together and be each other's impulse to grow their wings. The fact that James never doubted his love for Clare, and how Clare was smart enough to take advantage of their situation to develop herself. I connect a lot with Clare. We were both totally sheltered from a young age, our wings bound by the uncertainty of our parents. I was able to see myself in her in many ways, and it was inspiring to see how she handled her life, how she strived to better herself, not only for her but for her marriage and future with the man she loved. I was not a fan of how the story was written, I'll admit. I was hoping to see more of them interacting, there were too many black spots and timeframes apart for my taste. I prefer it where we get to experience the emotions and attachment building from scratch. But I understand the purpose the author was trying to portray. Even though I prefer a more continous and steady story line I did enjoy their story and how they both found comfort in each other's love. If you're looking for a very very slow burn with tame smut then I would definitely recommend.
What can I say? James and Clare are a toral roller-coaster. I loved how they were able to grow up together and be each other's impulse to grow their wings. The fact that James never doubted his love for Clare, and how Clare was smart enough to take advantage of their situation to develop herself. I connect a lot with Clare. We were both totally sheltered from a young age, our wings bound by the uncertainty of our parents. I was able to see myself in her in many ways, and it was inspiring to see how she handled her life, how she strived to better herself, not only for her but for her marriage and future with the man she loved. I was not a fan of how the story was written, I'll admit. I was hoping to see more of them interacting, there were too many black spots and timeframes apart for my taste. I prefer it where we get to experience the emotions and attachment building from scratch. But I understand the purpose the author was trying to portray. Even though I prefer a more continous and steady story line I did enjoy their story and how they both found comfort in each other's love. If you're looking for a very very slow burn with tame smut then I would definitely recommend.
January 26, 2026
I could not put this book down!
from the second I opened it to finishing it! I absolutely loved James and Clarissas story.
usually i find books say slowburn, but the characters are together by 50% off the way through the story. this book however was different.
Clarissa and James felt real. They had issues, they weren't perfect and they had a whole bunch of setbacks. Usually I despise a third act breakup, but in this book it actually added to the plot in a way I barely even noticed that's what it was!
I also love the mental health representation within James' character. I don't want to say too much in case i give too much away but his growth throughout the book was amazing!
And Clarissa. She went from being a girl who was scared to upset people to someone who believed in herself and stood up for herself and I love it!
This book definitely had me in my emotions 😂 I spent a lot of it crying, especially with the chapter names being songs! listening to the song whilst reading the chapter really added to the experience and I absolutely love that idea! i wish more authors would do something similar.
The epilogue too and their kids names 🥲 I loved this book so much and would highly reccomend it!
from the second I opened it to finishing it! I absolutely loved James and Clarissas story.
usually i find books say slowburn, but the characters are together by 50% off the way through the story. this book however was different.
Clarissa and James felt real. They had issues, they weren't perfect and they had a whole bunch of setbacks. Usually I despise a third act breakup, but in this book it actually added to the plot in a way I barely even noticed that's what it was!
I also love the mental health representation within James' character. I don't want to say too much in case i give too much away but his growth throughout the book was amazing!
And Clarissa. She went from being a girl who was scared to upset people to someone who believed in herself and stood up for herself and I love it!
This book definitely had me in my emotions 😂 I spent a lot of it crying, especially with the chapter names being songs! listening to the song whilst reading the chapter really added to the experience and I absolutely love that idea! i wish more authors would do something similar.
The epilogue too and their kids names 🥲 I loved this book so much and would highly reccomend it!
June 12, 2024
She just calls me her grump and says she’ll be my sunshine—whatever the hell that means.
I was really eager to read the book after I saw the blurb and while I had some expectations, I kept them low because this was a new author for me but surprisingly, I liked this book! Clarissa was a good girl, I liked how her character development took place and how she stood her ground and eventually became independent. James was such a green flag and I loved how he did not control her despite getting lots of opportunities to do so. It showed that he really loved Clarissa so much. But I just wished that they did not spend so much time apart (although they were faithful, it still bugged me). Also, when they were finally together for good, the book ended right there which was a bummer because I wanted to see more of them together. Still, I enjoyed reading this one, the epilogue also was very heartwarming. It was better than I was expecting. And I'm definitely interested in reading the next book because Bronwyn & Dean seem like such a fun duo! Can't wait for it to release!
I was really eager to read the book after I saw the blurb and while I had some expectations, I kept them low because this was a new author for me but surprisingly, I liked this book! Clarissa was a good girl, I liked how her character development took place and how she stood her ground and eventually became independent. James was such a green flag and I loved how he did not control her despite getting lots of opportunities to do so. It showed that he really loved Clarissa so much. But I just wished that they did not spend so much time apart (although they were faithful, it still bugged me). Also, when they were finally together for good, the book ended right there which was a bummer because I wanted to see more of them together. Still, I enjoyed reading this one, the epilogue also was very heartwarming. It was better than I was expecting. And I'm definitely interested in reading the next book because Bronwyn & Dean seem like such a fun duo! Can't wait for it to release!
May 7, 2023
Emotional, Angsty and Spicy.
- Marriage of Convenience
- Age Gap
- Forced Proximity
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Slow Burn
- Dual POV
I read I Almost Do in one sitting and really really enjoyed it. I was hooked from chapter one and needed to know more and understand James and Clarissa's dynamic.
I especially liked how James and Clarissa complemented each other so well. I loved how James pushed her out of her comfort zone and encouraged her to do what she wanted to do, after living an extremely sheltered life for years due to her father's fears and worries. In turn, Clarissa gave James the push he needed to finally face his past and his trauma and finally overcome his fears and his self-sabotaging hang-ups.
The story has a few quite emotional moments...Clarissa and James' relationship is quite complicated, but so so worth it! I feel like the end was a little rushed, but apart from that, the story was a very good read that I totally recommend.
***I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily***
- Marriage of Convenience
- Age Gap
- Forced Proximity
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Slow Burn
- Dual POV
I read I Almost Do in one sitting and really really enjoyed it. I was hooked from chapter one and needed to know more and understand James and Clarissa's dynamic.
I especially liked how James and Clarissa complemented each other so well. I loved how James pushed her out of her comfort zone and encouraged her to do what she wanted to do, after living an extremely sheltered life for years due to her father's fears and worries. In turn, Clarissa gave James the push he needed to finally face his past and his trauma and finally overcome his fears and his self-sabotaging hang-ups.
The story has a few quite emotional moments...Clarissa and James' relationship is quite complicated, but so so worth it! I feel like the end was a little rushed, but apart from that, the story was a very good read that I totally recommend.
***I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily***
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