Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC to review! Naya (like a Papaya) and Jake definitely did not fail at flirting in this rom com with a few twists and a little suspense. This was a quick read that left me wanting more. It was sweet and steamy and I fell for the supporting characters!

➽ Summary: Disastrous attempt to a one night stand leads to something more
➽ Trope: mix of forbidden love and friends w/ benefits
➽ Steam: Yes
➽ TW: physical/emotional abuse, infidelity

♡⁣ Hero: Jake is a nerdy but charming financial consultant. The master of punny jokes (swoon) which leads him to be a 11/10 book bf. But wait, he has a few surprises up his sleeves 😉 (aka drama)

♡ Heroine: Naya's life revolves around her career as a professor seeking tenure. Type A and claims to live a routine boring life. Damaged because of her past and struggles to open up to people.

➽ If we haven't spoken in a while...then you won't know how much I LOVED this one! It was probably my favorite read last year. It was funny, sweet, and pretty emotional. It was a trope I normally don't gravitate towards but boy was I surprised. It had everything I loved in a romance book. GRAB IT if you haven't already ❤️❤️

This was not the fluffy rom com I was expecting to read and I LOVED it! Professor Naya has been unlucky in love. Her friend convinces her to have a fling by finding someone in town for business. She meets and has a fling with Jake but feelings start to develop.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book! This was a really great romance between Naya, a college professor, and Jake, an owner of a consulting company. Naya has come out of an abusive relationship and is struggling to put herself out there until she meets Jake, who is in town for a wedding. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop and watching Naya learn how to heal from her past relationship. She also had to learn how to stand up for herself and trust other people again. Jake was a total sweetheart. This was a such a great story!

This book was laugh out loud adorable and way more emotional than I was expecting. I don't want to give too much away but there is a trigger warning for emotional and physical abuse.
Other than the lack of trigger warnings, I gave this book 5 stars.

I have been on such a romance kick again and loving it!

I went in with How To Fail at Flirting thinking it would be a cutesy romcom, but found it was much deeper and emotional than I thought. It features protagonist Naya, who has walked away from an abusive relationship and is now single and focusing on herself and her work as a Math Professor.

With her past relationship history, love has come at a cost, but Jake becomes the new guy for Naya and he’s just the protective guy she needs to move on.

How To Fail at Flirting was sweet, steamy and touched on raw emotions, making it an instant 5 star read for me.

*many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own

Do you ever read a book and think, “I would have loved this is I read it at a different time”? I think I would have loved this if I’d been more in the mood for it. This book was more intense than your typical romance - (possible spoiler ahead) the main character, Naya, is a survivor of an abusive relationship. There is no doubt in my mind that Naya’s story is important and should be told - I just wasn’t in the mood to read it. I originally thought it was the narrator, so I switched to my @NetGalley ARC on my #Kindle. It wasn’t the narrator; it was me. While I understand why she acted the way she did (abuse), I just couldn’t connect with Naya. I will say that Jake sounded perfect, and I loved the secondary characters (Felicia, Aaron, etc.) I wish I could go to a bar on a Tuesday and walk out with a Jake. He was the best part of the book for me!

This book was a quick read. It was kind of a love-at-first-sight story. I'd like to point out that there is some issue of abuse in the story, so go into this with caution. This story has got some steam and a good balance of the main character's story.

I enjoy reading romance books about high school and college-age people, but sometimes you need to read about mature adults. How to Fail at Flirting was that story. Was there angst and drama, yes, but there was good reason for it.
Both Naya and Jack had some serious baggage. I loved that despite this, they still opened up to each other. Naya had a past abusive relationship (trigger warning!), and Jack had his own past relationship problems. But these two together were just too cute. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I loved reading any scenes in which they were together. Between their silly jokes and mutual respect for one another, these two make me happy.
Jack is as pretty close to perfect as you can get. And while I completely understand Naya’s reservations, I was side-eyeing some of her decisions a couple of times. But even then, part of me understood. This book did not add drama for drama's sake, but rather everything made sense for the story.
I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a funny, cute and heartwarming story!

I was so excited for this book, but sadly I was disappointed. I thought the concept sounded fun, but I ended up being bored. The cover is cute though!

Newcomer Denise Williams debuts with HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING, a spectacularly rendered romance novel about a Type-A woman finding herself after a traumatizing breakup, while learning to accept and celebrate herself and her ability to love.

Naya Turner is a bit of an overachiever: she boasts a PhD, has published groundbreaking work on mathematics and education, and is now up for tenure at the university where she teaches. But it’s no secret that the institution that employs her is failing. Not only is she discouraged by bored and lazy students, her department’s funds have been dwindling and there are rumors that the university will be making cuts. Terrified at the thought of losing her career and office --- for which she has worked her entire life --- Naya turns to her friends for some cheering up...and gets a whole lot more.

For three years, Naya has not been herself. Following an explosive breakup, her light sense of humor and interest in fun have all but disappeared. Her friends Felicia and Aaron have noticed the change in her personality, and they have decided it is time for a change. Enter the checklist. Both lighthearted and direct, the checklist is created to help Naya shed her librarian clothes, let her hair down and re-enter the world of dating. She starts slow by letting a man buy her a drink at a bar, but little does she know that she picked the worst one-night-stand-worthy man available: Jake has major boyfriend potential. Agreeing to avoid the “personal stuff” and just have fun, Naya and Jake give in to the spontaneity of the moment and just be themselves.

Following a night of incredible, witty banter (and some terrifically bad cheese puns), Naya and Jake seem set on the path to a real, true-love romance. But there are a few obstacles in their way, the least of which is Naya’s abrupt and vomit-fueled ending to their sexy evening. She is still reeling from the effects of her last relationship with Davis, a fellow professor who maintains strong and influential ties to her school’s new president. Davis was an outwardly charming feminist who often bragged about taking young women under his wing and helping them reach the levels of academia often barred to them. He was also an undermining, sarcastic and abusive boyfriend who threatened Naya’s entire career. Now that her department is facing the chopping block, she knows she must be on her best behavior, lest his ugly threats become reality. So when Naya finds out that Jake is a partner at the consulting firm that her university has hired to evaluate their budgets and employee performances, it spells big trouble for her reputation and her love life.

As Williams demonstrates, navigating the beginnings of any relationship can be tricky, but when your guard has been building itself stronger and stronger over three years, it is nearly impossible. Naya is very much the heroine of her own story, but Williams’ careful handling of trauma and defense mechanisms adds some complex layers to this already inspiring and well-developed character. When we first meet Naya, some of her more surface-level changes --- such as her baggy wardrobe and fear of being noticed --- can be easily tied to the abuse she faced at Davis’ hands, but Williams does not stop there. Employing a keen sense of emotional wisdom and a clear understanding of the psychology of abuse, she paints a full and heavily layered portrait of abuse, without ever putting Naya’s abuser in the spotlight. Emotional abuse can be hard to quantify, but without showing it to us in a voyeuristic way, she is able to perfectly tabulate its effects on Naya and her relationships.

As Naya’s romance with Jake develops, readers are treated to scenes that are as funny as they are emotional, as sexy as they are sensual. Jake is the perfect love interest: a “nice guy” but imperfect, sexy but believable. Once he starts to understand Naya’s romantic background, he changes course swiftly and easily, always stopping to ask “Is this okay?” and reminding Naya that she is beautiful, sexy and worth any wait.

What makes HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING so successful is not only the swoony, steamy romance, but seeing how Naya learns to fall in love with herself and demand to be treated the way she deserves. This is a cathartic, knockout hit that will remind readers everywhere that consent, autonomy and equality are some of the sexiest parts of any romance, and that gouda cheese puns are always useful in queso emergency.

Naya Turner is a survivor of an abusive relationship, and has been burying herself in her work. When her friends challenge her to create a bucket list to get out of her shell, at first she resists the idea. But when following the list causes her to have an incredible encounter with a sexy stranger, it doesn't seem like such a bad idea after all. Will she be brave enough to continue the relationship with Jake, or will she retreat right back into her comfort zone at the first sign of trouble?

How to Fail at Flirting deals with some heavy topics - domestic violence, women experiencing workplace harassment - but it still manages to be a fun and sexy romance. It's impossible not to root for Naya to overcome her insecurities and let herself love again, and it's refreshing to bask in Jake's respectfulness and decency towards her. I look forward to reading more from Denise Williams in the future!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I went back and forth over whether to rate HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING. Not rating seems like an easy-out. But in this case, I think it really is a case of “it’s me not you.” And I don’t want to penalize the author for that.

My biggest complaint was the sense of impending doom that pervaded the novel. I totally get that plenty of romance readers show up for the angst. Sometimes I’m one of them. But in this horrendous year of 2020, I just could not deal with another Sword of Damocles hanging over my head. And that’s exactly what reading HOW TO felt like.

So while I did finish HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING, I’m going to refrain from rating it. Here’s hoping 2021 is all sunshine and roses so I can be glad of a little angst in my fiction again.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book.

If you're looking for a read that combines romance with serious topics, this one's for you. While I often find that most romance-based novels gloss over real issues, this one doesn't shy away. It had me experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, just like Naya herself.

The only reason I opted for four stars as opposed to five, is because I would have loved to dive more into the world of Naya when you stripped back the layers of love and work. I do, however, get that that's hard for Naya herself to do... hence this book in the first place. I guess, in the end, I just wanted to learn more about her.

How To Fail At Flirting had a big content warning. Professor Naya Turner’s last relationship was abusive and the author does not shy away from describing some of it as well as the lasting affects it has. Jake was supposed to be a no strings hook up to help her get back into the dating pool, but instead they find themselves falling hard for each other. One problem, dating him might ruin her hard fought for academic career.

I liked this one. I was surprised about how much the past abuse was described as I thought this was a rom com but once I settled into this adorable couple, I appreciated knowing Naya and her past a bit more and how it affects her choices. Jake is just as complicated but also just adorable and fights for her. Less open door sec scenes but we definitely get enough to know how into each other these two are!

It's been a while since I've read a book that deals with the dark issues that this book has. It begins as a cute romance, but the more you learn about the characters, the further you dive into past abuse.

TW: This book does deal with mental abuse, domestic abuse, and rape.

A compulsively readable one-night stand romance that is ridiculously romantic. I couldn’t put this one down! I was cheering for this couple and furiously turning the pages, hoping for a happily ever after. A must read that deals with physical and verbal abuse and the aftermath of a bad relationship. Sweet, swooney, and instantly addictive!

Naya has worked for years to try and make ten year, so when she stumbles into a relationship that could jeopardizes everything she’s worked so hard for she can’t decide if Jake is worth the risk.

This book! It was so dang good! Jake is one of the most lovable and adorable nerds I have had the privilege of meeting this year. We have Naya, a sassy doctor dealing with PTSD and the almost divorced Jake, who is as smart as he is passionate and sexy. There is also a villainous ex that I really wanted to punch! This is an instant five star for me with so much heart and depth!

How to fail at flirting was an extremely well done rom-com. This book had well flushed out characters with past and histories that intertwined for interesting and important reveals throughout the story. I really liked the dynamic between Naya and Jake and was definitely stressed for them at times. A great read and I look forward to reading more by Denise Williams.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

This book was a little bit more serious than I originally expected, but still very cute.

Naya is a professor at a university in Chicago. She got out of an abusive relationship 3 years ago and has been in a bit of a rut ever since. Her best friends decide to make her a list of challenges to get her out of her shell and back to the person she used to be. On her first night out, her friends end up canceling but she’s already at the bar. As she’s getting ready to leave, Jake starts to talk to her and, because of the list, she talks back.

I like that Naya and Jake both went into the relationship without expectations but knowing that they had a strong connection. Their communication was pretty open which I also really appreciated. Not much of the poor communication trope in this book. I also loved their relationship in general.

What I didn’t expect was the abusive storyline. Naya mentions pretty early on how bad her previous relationship was and how much it had damaged her, so it’s not a surprise when he shows back up. There were certain parts in the last quarter of the book that definitely were a bit more serious than I expected and I’m still not sure how I feel about them, but it didn’t hurt the story.

I feel like this is one of the most realistic relationships I’ve read about in a while. Not to say that I’ve ever known a relationship like this, but there are a lot of aspects I found to be relatable. I loved Jake because he was open and honest and didn’t hide how he felt about Naya which I don’t feel is as realistic, but a girl can dream.

There also were a few moments where Naya’s nationality was mentioned and where they come up in conflict, but not much. It was definitely a bit of an after thought and I’m not sure if it was thrown in there in case the author needed to use it or just as a reminder that these kinds of behaviors are common in every day life and don’t always amount to something big.

This book also is a debut which I found to be surprising. The writing was strong and flowed seamlessly. While not faultless, I think it is a very strong debut and I would gladly read more by Williams in the future.

This was a very cute and light read with a bit of a balance with the serious storylines. I got through it quickly and enjoyed Naya, Jake and all of the side characters. It also didn’t hurt that it was mostly set in Chicago. If you are needing something light towards the end of 2020, I highly recommend checking this one out.

✦Review: HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING by Denise Williams https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-bEa
Publication Date: December 1, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 4.5 Stars

I genuinely enjoyed this debut novel by Denise Williams. I must note that it was not exactly as I expected from the blurb. Yes, it mentions that she had an abusive ex, but it made it seem more like a romantic comedy about someone with a dark past. So, I must warn the readers that her ex comes back into her life, and it isn’t good. There are threats, intimidation, gaslighting, and attempted rape. That ultimately gave this fun romance a depth of character, enhancing the joy of Naya finding her HEA.

Naya is someone I could relate to immediately, so I was pleased when she met Jake and I found I liked him as well. Neither are perfect, but they are real. Their banter was fun and fast-paced…some of the puns and jokes made me groan, but that was who they were. The easy camaraderie was present with Naya and Jake’ friends as well. I love when the side characters are as much part of the story’s vibe, as the lead characters. It makes you wish you were a part of it all.

The underlying tension in the story kept be riveted. The romance itself was a joy to read. Fun, romantic, and sexy. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Williams gives us next.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

Kindle https://amzn.to/3miWJL6