Book Review: I Do (Not) by Anni Lee

I Do (Not) by Anni Lee is a contemporary romance that had me guessing throughout the entire read. Jacob Conner is never getting married. Not now, not “someday,” and certainly not when he’s black-out drunk at his sister’s wedding in Las Vegas. The whole “waking up in an unfamiliar hotel room with a ring on his finger” thing was probably just a coincidence. Definitely. He doesn’t have much time to dwell on it anyway, as Aaron Craig, his boss, assigns him to be the glorified baby sitter for his older brother for the week. Trevor Craig is as obnoxious as he is handsome, immediately pushing all of Jacob’s buttons and all of his boundaries. With one brother trying his patience, and the other acting unusually friendly, Jacob’s starting to wonder if he’s going to survive his work life long enough to find who put that ring on his finger.

I Do (Not) is a romance that broke many molds. I have read quite a few marriage mistake romances, but this one is very different because of the more complicated aspects about who Jake marries- and who he might want to be with. The story is just as much about these three guys figuring out what they want from life and how to get there as it is finding their happy ever after. I thought all three have dynamic personalities and interactions that were realistic and occasionally troubling. I ended up feeling bad for all parties during the read, and sad for the situations and misunderstandings that had become rooted in their relationships. I was completely engaged in the read as I got to know three very different characters, and while some of the read was very emotional and painful to read, I found it satisfying and very well done. 

I Do (Not) is a bit different from most of the romances that I have been reading lately, on several levels. This is not a bad thing, in fact the fact that it struck such a different chord is why I found it so engaging.