Denise Williams debut novel is a delight! Naya is a sympathetic character trying to overcome trauma. The romance has surprising depth.

Dr. Naya Turner teaches math education at a university in Chicago. After three years as single-pringle, she has an adorably cheesy meet-cute at a bar. Enter Jake. At her friends' prodding, Naya throws three years of caution and self-protection into the wind, and she and Jake have a whirlwind of an evening of gin, ferris wheels, terrible jokes, ...and vomiting next to the super hot guy back in his hotel room. Naya makes her escape, but she can't get Jake out of her mind. And he can't get her out of his mind. The two start a long-distance relationship despite the fact that his company is consulting on Big Changes that are to happen at Naya's university and despite the fact that Naya has a secret 18-wheeler of baggage: her previous boyfriend emotionally and physically assaulted her and sometimes raped her. Is the fabulous sex worth it? Can these two who seem to just "click" survive despite these massive hurdles?

Before I begin sharing my opinion of this romance, let me say first and foremost that while I love romances, especially the current trend of contemporary romances, I am not the audience for this book. The relationship between Naya and Jake starts off of sex. I know that this happens, and it is quite common. And I applaud women who are sex positive and take control of their own sexual pleasure, but I am not an overly sexual person, so I had a very hard time stepping into Naya's shoes in this story. In fact, I almost DNF'ed it several times because I couldn't stand the one-stand-ness of it.

However, the positive portrayal of Naya's journey to healing from the trauma of her relationship with Davis is important. We need more stories-- especially in the romance genre-- that can act as windows and mirrors for the domestic abuse survivors and those who are currently experiencing domestic abuse so that receive the strength necessary to get out.

A small point of contention: Jake is too perfect. He's got the abs, the flat stomach, the money, the prestige, and a little bit of baggage with his separated-and-in-the-divorce-process-wife.

Diverse reads:
- Naya is Latina and African-American.

HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING by Denise Williams is the romance novel I didn’t know existed. Obstacles to love are real and not contrived by miscues or miscommunications that would be solved if people took two minutes to open their mouths and talk. The relationship between the heroine and her man feels genuinely compatible and the sex scenes are all the more fun and raunchy because both parties are comfortable with their bodies and communicate what they want. People are called on their BS and use actual therapists to work through issues that arise. The suHowToFailAtFlirting by Denise Williams is the romance novel I didn’t know existed. Obstacles to love are real and not contrived by miscues or miscommunications that would be solved if people took two minutes to open their mouths and talk. The relationship between the heroine and her man feels genuinely compatible and the sex scenes are all the more fun and raunchy because both parties are comfortable with their bodies and communicate what they want. People are called on their BS and use actual therapists to work through issues that arise. The supporting cast of characters is funny and warm and real. And the description of a past and predatory relationship is scary and appropriately recognized for the abuse it is.
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Denise Williams is a smart new voice in romance that has made me fall in love with this genre again after years of keeping my distance. I’m looking forward to reading more from her.

Realizing she's spent the last few years funneling all of her time and energy into her career, a career that is now under the microscope for looming cuts her her university, Dr. Naya Turner decides to give some harmless flirting a chance when she meets a cute stranger at a local bar. What is one night of testing her limits?

But this cute stranger turns out to be kind of her perfect match, but also someone who holds the fate of her department in his consultant company's hand.

As Jake and Naya flirt with becoming something more, at the risk of her career, Naya's abusive ex also threatens to upend any progress she made healing from her emotional and physical scars.

An emotional romance perfect for fans of Helen Hoang's The Bride Test or Farah Rochon's the Boyfriend Project, be prepared for all the feelings. I loved Naya and wanted to wrap her in clouds.

CW: domestic violence, in the past and present, gas lighting, physical assault, emotional abuse.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reading copy.

This book was the perfect combination between sweet romance and serious romance and I loved reading every second of it. The romance between our hero and heroine Naya and Jake was absolutely sweet to read and it was amazing to read the way they connected so well.

Both Naya Turner and Jake Shaw have to deal with the people in their past that had led them to be closed off so when Naya’s friends, Felicia and Aaron convince her to create a list of “To-Do’s”, Naya is pushed to check it off. The first one: having a one night stand. Naya is a professor and Jake is a consultant and both of them connect with their own nerdy creativity that shows the instead attraction toward each other.

I gave this book a five star rating for the way it showed that romance isn’t always all about the cheesy moments. However, while there were the adorable cheesy one-liners, it was nice to see the hard work they put into to really develop their relationship. They both weren’t looking for anything serious but the instant attraction the first time they met was amazing and the banter that they experienced that day made me fall in love with both Naya and Jake.

They were both really understanding toward each other’s past when they finally told each other and it wasn’t like the typical, “Your past is bad and I can’t like you anymore” but rather a “I will be by your side” moment between the two. Even though their work got in the way a few times they didn’t let that bother them too much and worked it out no matter the situation.

I love that when they were having difficult times, it was actually Naya that groveled to earn Jake’s love back and that instead of our hero groveling for the love of our heroine, it was our heroine groveling to our hero. I feel like it was well written when Naya was trying to win Jake back and how even when Jake was attempting to ignore Naya, he still came to her rescue when she was caught in a sad and tough situation. That was something that showed how much they loved each other and how much they believed and trusted each other.

I have absolutely fell in love with both Naya and Jake and I’m so happy to have been able to receive the ARC for this book.

3 years ago, Naya got out of an abusive relationship with a colleague. Since then she has exited the dating scene, and turned down her volume, much to the chagrin of her friends. When Naya meets Jake in a bar the attraction and chemistry is instant, the jokes are corny, and the action is steamy. Things aren't all good in Naya's life though, her abusive ex-starts texting her vague threats and consultants are being brought into work to determine what departments could be cut. When Naya realizes Jake is one of those consultants things get complicated.

This book (my first by Denise Williams) was good. Not great, but definitely good. But before I get into the nitty-gritty a warning:

This book deals with not only physical abuse but also mental and sexual. The synopsis does mention an abusive ex but it doesn't give a proper trigger warning that we, as readers, not only get graphic flashbacks but also present events. So, if you are someone who is sensitive to that topic, please be warned.

Okay, back to the review.

Like I said, this was good. The writing was for sure solid, but the problem I had was that the male character was a bit too perfect. It was like the antithesis of an alpha male and although I don't mind that, I couldn't really find flaws. To me, that's boring. I also didn't appreciate the insta-love/lust. I tend to have a strong negative reaction when I smell that trope coming and this one presented it right away. There was also a bit too much side drama that I think stole from the overall theme and could have gone without.

I will say that I enjoyed Naya's growth through the book where she goes from someone who doubts herself from past trauma to a strong woman. I think we need more stories like that and for once it wasn't solely because of her new male partner. That definitely came from within.

I will say that I enjoyed it enough to read further stories from this author.

As always, thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I was pleasantly surprised by some of the content of this novel! The story is about a college professor who was previously in an abusive relationship that has stunted her ability to trust again. It has been years since her last conquest and her best friend tries to push her out of her comfort zone to have a one night stand. There are a few erotic sections of the novel which was unexpected but well written; I'm glad the author didn't shy away from the description during those sections. The characters are relatable and you experience emotions along with the main them. There is a nice epilogue so you aren't left hanging or wondering much at the end of the novel but the epilogue leaves room for a sequel if the author chooses. I would definitely recommend this book and will be on my website review.

Ugh, y'all, the dad jokes in this book got me. Let's chat about it.

How to Fail at Flirting actually reminded me a lot of Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Date in terms of the pacing and the long-distance relationship, though Denise Williams' book dives into some much deeper themes, including domestic violence and the intersections of racism and sexism in higher education.

Despite not being the biggest fan of instant attraction or insta-love couples, I really enjoyed Naya and Jake's banter throughout this novel, particular their nerdy puns. I also really felt for Naya during the last part of the book when all of her issues came to a head. The pacing was a taaaad slow for my taste; it took almost one-third of the novel to get to the central conflict and then we didn't see much action on that front until the last quarter of the book. Nevertheless, it was a nuanced, sweet, and quite! steamy! romance.

Content warning: There are graphic depictions of intimate partner violence (including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse).

I was so excited to read this romance, and it did not disappoint!! Naya (like papaya) is such a compelling protagonist, and I found myself rooting for her to overcome her personal history and turn up her volume again.

Admittedly, I have a soft spot for nerdy love interests, and Jake was SWOONY to the max. The cast of supporting characters added wonderful depth to this already rich story. But my favorite part was the dialogue. Oh, the witty banter in this book! It was so fabulous, I couldn’t get enough. Eager to read Williams' next novel!

This book really took me by surprise and grabbed me with all the serious issues it tackles (including domestic abuse), but at the same time, still being a fun, laugh out loud read. Naya is so relatable that I found myself nodding and saying, oh, yeah, been there, done that awkward thing. I was rooting for her and Jake the whole way through. But what took me by surprise was what a master Denise Williams is at writing jack-assery. I felt such an intense amount of hatred for the character Davis that my husband found me yelling at the book, and I wanted to do bodily harm to Davis (I'll spare you the details :). But it shows how much this book grabbed me and kept me there and I give it a 100 stars!

4 crazy what a story stars
This book was nothing what I was expecting. Professor Naya Turner is refreshing lead character for many reasons. One is because she is awkward and real.

The story was unique. This one was. a real page turner!

A hilarious, sweet, and fun book that helped me forget about all of my stress! I can’t decide what I loved more: the humor or the overall dynamics between the characters. I’m so excited to read anything Williams writes next!

Naya and Jake have a meet-cute in a bar after Naya gets setup by her friends to let her hair loose and live a little. After making a list of things that will help her accomplish, she manages to check off things with the help of Jake. It starts out hilarious with a pre-sex vomit scene which every girl loves to have (NOT!). But Jake and Naya stick it out through more awkwardness like Jake being brought into her job to evaluate her school’s budget, eek! There’s break ups and make ups but in the end, Naya and Jake find their happily ever after. WARNING: Abuse.

HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING is a love story full of hope and raw emotion. The depth of vivid detail creates a cinematic picture of what’s happening on the page. More than anything, you want to root for Naya and Jake, even when they are unsure of how they feel or what is happening around them. The relationship complexities are palpable and left me breathless at times, mostly because Naya’s experience is so relatable. Be prepared for flirting that will make you laugh and maybe cringe (but in a good way) and steamy scenes that sizzle with electric chemistry.

Arc received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Naya Turner is a workaholic. She's spent the last few years with her volume "turned down" so she can slip under the radar. When her close friends joking make her a checklist to get her out of her shell, no one expects her to do anything on the list, least of all Naya. Naya meets Jake at a bar and what starts as a one-night-stand gone wrong could be the best thing that's ever happened to either of them. Naya is still struggling with issues caused by her abusive ex, and it doesn't help that she keeps seeing him around and he starts contacting her again. The question is, can Naya overcome her past and trust Jake?

This is by far the best contemporary romance I've read in a long time. The characters are so multi-dimensional, and the plot is flawless. This book tackles a LOT of issues that I wasn't expecting, and it does them all justice. I don't have a single criticism of this book, and I can't wait to see what else Denise Williams writes.

My heart broke for Naya, even as I admired her for the strength she didn’t know she had. Jake was pretty much the perfect hero. They needed each other, despite the obstacles that were thrown their way, and I was rooting for them from the beginning! A great debut!

Professor Naya Turner's friends challenge her type A personality by creating a list of things to do like let a man buy her a drink and have a no-strings hookup to get her out of her shell, as a way to dip her toe back in the dating world. Badly shaken by a previous, abusive relationship, Naya has good reason to be wary of trusting another man. She meets Jake in a bar waiting for her friend to arrive and things don't quite go to plan.

This book is quite simply the best contemporary romance I've read in a long, long time! Naya is totally relatable to any woman who has ever feel awkard on a date. The moments between Naya and Jake are equal parts swoony, steam, and LOL-worthy. I can't recommend this book highly enough!!

How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams follows Professor Naya Turner as she is challenged by her friends to check activities off of a to-do list in an effort to go outside of her comfort zone after she is feeling tense about possibly losing her job just before tenure and an abusive ex-boyfriend. On Naya's first night out to tackle her new bucket list, she meets Jake who is eager to help Naya check things off her list and push them both outside of their comfort zones. As Jake and Nana spend more time together and discover new things about one another, their relationship becomes more complicated.

This book was so much fun and made me squeal aloud several times. The chemistry between the two leads is fun and had me thoroughly engaged throughout the book. I also like how this book follows a person after leaving an an abusive relationship and how there are still lingering feelings from the abuse that influence all aspects of the main character's life and feel it was handled in a respectful way.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Goodness I loved and adored this book.
The romance was so well done, steamy and equally adorable.
I also really enjoyed how it touched on domestic abuse and how Naya dealt with the aftermath of it.
Adored this book and can’t wait for everyone to read it in December!