I was so surprised that I loved this book as much as I do! I was expecting a cute, silly Rom. Com. but, there was an element to the book that hit home with me and many other women. I will say that there are trigger warnings that should be disclosed to readers when thinking of reading this book! I am going to put it on my list to get for my library, for sure! Loved it!

It finally happened. I feel as though I have reached a new tier in my experience as a book blogger: Berkley finally approved me for an ARC of one of their romances, and the one they deigned to let me read early was an absolute delight!

How to Fail at Flirting is aptly titled, with a main character who really isn't all that great at the task. Years after a really bad relationship, Naya is persuaded by her friends to "turn the volume back up" on herself and have a one-night stand. Alone in a bar, she meets Jake. He's in Chicago for a wedding and the two hit it off immediately. And things are going great as they get to his hotel room, only for Naya to throw up on him. Well, near him. But what follows is a sweet, long-distant relationship that has a few big hiccups.

With terrible dad jokes that should not have had me cackling and their instant chemistry, it was very easy to warm to Naya and Jake. Naya is hella smart with a PhD, a couple of months to go before getting tenure at the university where she works, and a rewarding focus of study that helps teaching kids, particularly those where English isn't their first language. She is truly someone to admire and I could only root for her. Much of this story was about her reclaiming her sexual life, her confidence, and her overall mental health. I thought it was done really well and touched on some important themes. Jake, on the other hand, is disgustingly nice. Like dream guy nice that should just be the norm. He is comfortable in his flaws, puts Naya first without question, and is not afraid to say what he finds sexy about her. He loves how bossy she is when it came to certain settings, and it's refreshing to see that on paper.

I'm actually rating this 4.5 stars, rounding it up for convenience sake. It was so close to five stars, but fell just short due to personal preference. As a reader, I am partial to more slow burn romances, and this kicked off fast. I didn't get that delicious, angsty feeling of begging two characters, who are so obviously into each other, to finally kiss, only for them to not. That's usually what keeps me reading, and while I really enjoyed this, the magic was cheapened when a major steamy scene that normally happens in the last half of the book was already done by the first quarter. Yes, it was still steamy after, but it felt like it peaked too soon.

Trigger warning for domestic violence. A lot of Naya's personal journey revolves around moving on from and ignoring the return of an ex who is physically, mentally and emotionally abusive, and extremely manipulative. While I liked how the author handled it, it was quite nauseating at some points, because he is a highly dislikable character, and there is a more graphic scene toward the end that had me getting nervous.

Things I like about How to Fail at Flirting: both romantic leads have amazing professional careers, both leads have fun groups of friends, the sex scenes are pretty well written

Things I don't like about How to Fail at Flirting: a huge emphasis on a previous/current partner abuse situation which I wasn't expecting and it was really damn hard to read, some of the relationships could be developed better, the ending could be happier

Overall, a pretty solid contemp romance but readers should beware beforehand of the heavy focus on Naya's abusive relationship (scenes depicting emotional & physical abuse) bc they are extremely upsetting and maybe not expected when picking this one up!

What a pleasant surprise! This book was a little hard at first to get into, but I kept on reading and hit that sweet spot. I loved Naya, and the strength she exuded. She had a horrible abusive past relationship, and you could really see how it shaped her into who she was presently. I loved this story. I love the hero Jake, and the chemistry they shared. They had hurdles and things to work through that I won’t spoil from the work aspect, but that’s the goodness of an hea..you know where it’s headed. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Naya, our very conservative, work-focused main character, takes a checklist of things that are outside of her norm, made by her friends, and somewhat by chance meets a stranger in bar and sees her opportunity to starting ticking off items. What starts off as as an intended one-night stand doesn't end so well...but that doesn't stop a relationship from blossoming between Naya and her bar stranger, Jake. But work conflicts and past relationships threaten to shatter this new relationship before it's truly begun.

This book was a joy to read and I had trouble putting it down. One of my favorite elements of the book was the fact that the romance involves two adults (estimated to be in their thirties) who both have baggage from previous relationships. The characters are mature, meaning they are past the adolescent kind of romance that can make younger individuals do petty, silly, or irrational things, and they have careers and life goals. Naya and Jake have great back-and-forth banter, and conversations between them and other seem organic, not forced, and are often witty. From the very beginning it is clear Naya is still struggling after leaving an unhealthy, controlling, and abusive relationship, and the story shows her struggle in what I thought was a very realistic way, having been in an abusive relationship myself when I was younger. One of the best romances I've read this year, and if the author's future works are anything like this, I feel that we may have the next Jasmine Guillory on our hands.

For a book called How to Fail at Flirting, Denise Williams knows how to write flirting! The banter and steady attraction pull the relationship forward from the moment Naya and Jake meet to the final HEA. It's funny and sharp and such fun to read. There's so much to enjoy in this book. Lovable characters, relatable struggles, wit, and tons of warmth. It's also set in Chicago and I have a soft spot for books that take me back through familiar streets in a city I called home for many years. Williams keeps the romance pretty idyllic but she balances it with serious issues in the other parts of Naya's life. Politics and power dynamics at work, self-doubt, and an abusive relationship that continues to have ripple effects in profound ways. In a swirl of very real challenges, the romance becomes the joyous island to retreat to and one I found myself rooting for--not just for Naya, but for every woman who's come to think she doesn't deserve a healthy and passionate relationship. It's the braiding of these two strains (meeting a perfect guy and battling through an imperfect world) that makes the joy resonate so strongly. I think a lot of readers will see themselves in Naya, in the way she learns to reach for what she wants, fight for what she needs, and move forward through the kinds of challenges that don't go away with a wish. I suspect this one will fly off shelves and I can't wait to see what Williams follows it up with.

One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever’s world upside down.

When her flailing department lands on the university's chopping block, Professor Naya Turner’s friends convince her to shed her frumpy cardigan for an evening on the town. For one night her focus will stray from her demanding job and she’ll tackle a new kind of to-do list. When she meets a charming stranger in town on business, he presents the perfect opportunity to check off the items on her list. Let the guy buy her a drink. Check. Try something new. Check. A no-strings-attached hookup. Check…almost.

Jake makes her laugh and challenges Naya to rebuild her confidence, which was left toppled by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Soon she’s flirting with the chance at a more serious romantic relationship—except nothing can be that easy. The complicated strings around her dating Jake might destroy her career.

Naya has two options. She can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she can flirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she's finally living again.

Thank you to @berkleypub for gifting me How To Fail At Flirting by Denise Williams [OUT DEC 1]! ⁣
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𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: ⁣
Romance is seriously an underrated genre. The ease of the stories, the intimacy, the simple things that keep me smiling. All the qualities that 𝐇𝐎𝗪 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐀𝐓 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 had! ⁣
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I really enjoyed Naya and Jakes love affair. They meet in a bar (cause duh), sweep each other off their feet with instant attraction, stumble across some serious roadblocks (career/conflict of interest, broken marriage and a psychopath/stalker ex) but boy do they more than make up for it. ⁣
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This book was just what I needed and I quickly flew through it. Once you start, you have to keep going. I rooted for their relationship to succeed so hard. I knew before Naya did that Jake was the one despite her original plan to go wild and just “hookup”! Does it ever go as planned? NEVER! Also, Jake is my new book boyfriend for sure. I couldn’t help by adore his charming and thoughtful nature. This book was sexy, involves an interracial couple and overall just an all around great romance read!! ⁣

Naya Turner is in a rut according to her friends, and it doesn’t help that her department is not performing. Her last relationship was with a verbally and physically abusive jerk & she’s still trying to cope with the effects from it. Trying to boost her confidence, her friends invite her for a night out on the town, but the universe has other plans. Naya is now stuck at a bar alone...or is she? Enter Jake, a hot out-of-towner in for a wedding. Can Naya be spontaneous and seize the moment? Strike up a conversation with Jake?

This was such a great read! I really enjoyed Naya’s character and found her relatable on many different levels! The steam 🔥 in this one was fab & y’all know I’m here for steam!! I felt the storyline for this one was really great and I felt invested in what happened to the characters easily. All in all a great romance! This one gets 4.4 stars!

I absolutely, without a single doubt in my mind, loved this book. I loved Jake and I loved Naya - it’s rare that I like both characters equally. It was such a steamy read I had to put it down a couple of times because it was making me blush! The chemistry between Jake and Naya was apparent from the very beginning. Obviously in a romance novel we know generally we’re getting a HEA but the road these two traveled to get there was really special. I thought I’d get instalove with this but it’s so much more than that, these characters built an actual adult relationship before even admitting to each other what they were. Most romances are full of couples going back and forth with each other - will they won’t they - so it’s refreshing to read two characters who (typically) know how to communicate.

I really love how romance writers now have moved away from writing jerks. Now they’re just writing men that I have a hard time leaving once the story is over. I wanted so much of Jake even though we got to know him so well. He was kind but not fake and attentive without being overbearing. He was secure with himself and honest about his past. Most importantly (and maybe half of my highlights) were just how he made Naya feel. Wanted, safe, secure, admired. Reading Naya’s internal dialogue after he does even the smallest thing, seeing how highly he speaks of her to his friends, how willing he is to protect her without making her feel incapable of handling herself. Jake is exactly the kind of man I like to read and would love to meet, I guess I’d just have to make my own list - head to a bar - and hope a handsome stranger falls madly in love with me too.

#howtofailatflirting #netgalley #berkleyromance

A fun, light romance with an insight into the perils and pitfalls of academia. Funny and enjoyable.

I have been reading a lot of romances lately because I can't handle the state of the world right now. Their happy endings are soothing to the soul. How to Fail at Flirting did a great job or distracting me from real life and I sunk into the story. I would recommend this to my library's patrons.

Wow. This book was fantastic and so unexpected! Because it started very light and funny, I expected a lighthearted rom-com about a woman who makes a pact with her friends to let loose a little more, but then it morphed into much deeper territory. This was not a bad thing at all, just unexpected. The development of Naya and Jake's relationship and the disclosure of Naya's past was done SO well and with perfect pacing. There were moments where my jaw was clenched in stress wishing Naya would stick up for herself against a horrible villain from her past who was threatening her present/future, but she finally did and it was worth the wait! I absolutely adored Naya's friends, Felicia and Aaron and Jake's friends, Eric and Tyson. Felicia was hilarious and the best friend everyone needs! I recommend this book to everyone!

Naya has gotten boring in her dating and social life, so her best friends have given her a to-do list for getting out of her shell. What she doesn’t realize is how hard dating is!
When she meets sexy Jake at a bar when her friend cancels on her- it turns into the best thing that’s happened since her worst relationship of her life. But...can she get out of her mind that all men can be scum? And find out How NOT to Fail at Flirting?

I had high hopes for this book based on the synopsis, however, it ended up being comprised of many elements I do not enjoy. Insta love, cheating, abuse, and overly visual bedroom scenes, to name a few.

This is another case where the cute illustrated cover makes you think it is going to be a rom com, but it isn't.

The driving force of the first few chapters of Naya wanting to stop hiding herself and to live her life by following a check list was too similar to "Get A Life Chloe Brown" for me. While this novel went in a different direction eventually, it left me comparing the two books as it was too alike.

I ended up skipping around the book at the 50% mark because it was no longer enjoyable.

I appreciated that the main character was a college professor and valued her career. I did not appreciate that she continued along like everything was fine when she discovered a fairly big omission from Jake.

I was so excited for this book but WOW, based on the plot description I did not expect to encounter so much sensitive content so early. I'll stay tuned for more from Denise Williams but found this incredibly difficult to read.

A cute, funny, sexy romcom with well-drawn characters and a page-turning romp of a plot. Really fun read!

I loved this book! How to Fail at Flirting is a rare find: a Romance that's thought-provoking, hilarious, sexy and sweet all at the same time! I loved the main character, Naya, and was rooting for her the whole way through. This book has so much to love: the one-liners, the minority rep, the conflicted and whip smart main character, the adorable love interest, the banter...I could go on!
5 enthusiastic stars. I can't wait to read what this author writes next!

Naya, a straight-laced professor, meets a charismatic Jake out at a bar. He might check off one of Naya's boundary pushing to do list items. If only he wasn't possibly in charge of defunding her department at the university. How can they balance a relationship and professional career?

The “To-Do-List” trope triumphs again! Professor Naya Turner, is trying to come back from a disastrous abusive relationship by tackling a to do list including: Let a man buy you a drink. Many drinks later she’s made a connection with (and puked on) a very appealing new man. Enter numerous complications—from her ex, to his history, to a huge professional complication for both of them. The story tackles heavy topics including domestic abuse, PTSD, and therapy—but in a way that fits the fun and steamy relationship core. Fans of Talia Hibbert, Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory shoe check this out.