I am a huge fan of Jasmine Guillory, and I lucked out and scored a copy of this title during the pandemic--and during a really tough and anxiety inducing pregnancy. I related so closely to Ana's struggles, and it took me quite a while to be able to provide a candid review. While I wasn't triggered by anything in the text, it took me this long (so very long, sorry Berkley!) to approach the level of vulnerability needed to talk about my own connections with therapy and self care. I love seeing BIPOC characters being real about their health and care, and especially in a rom con format. Guillory once again gives us a love story that pushes us further down that Wedding Date path, and she does not disappoint. Hopefully there will be a book #7 on the horizon?

On the surface, Ben and Anna's relationship is sweet and cute and perfectly rom-com. The characters are dimensional and very much care for each other.

But if you look deeper down, this is a story about mental health and families and the struggles of real people, famous or not. As someone who struggles with anxiety, this felt very real to me.

I found myself laughing several times as the characters got into shenanigans and wild situations. Even though some parts were silly, they weren't so outlandish that it took me out of the story.


Keywords: Diverse read, Black romance, fat FMC, fake dating,

Love, love, love - Jasmine Guillory fan for life over here! Very fun, cute romance - highly highly highly recommend.

This book was adorable, warm and gave me all the feels. Classic for a novel by Jasmine Guillory. Characters have depth and feel relatable. The sorry is captivating. Loved this one!

Ben is perfect. He listens, cares, is thoughtful and kind, and is a real gentleman. Tough family background but he overcame fabulously. Goes to therapy on the regular. A real catch.

Anna is amazing. A starlet who is down to earth, talented, not a diva unless she has to be, thoughtful and kind. A family still intact who won’t accept her financial help now that she’s made it big. Dealing with her anxiety and pushing through. A real catch.

That was the first 15% of the book. I just wasn’t interested in reading further. Nothing grabbed me.

Should the writing continue the way it is, solid three to four stars. Appeals to the mass market as a beach read you don’t have to think about.

Okay well this was a lot of fun! Loved the communication, loved the chemistry, loved the dual perspective and loved the steam.

Our main characters are an actress and the lead for a marketing campaign featuring said actress. And although we got a little hint of those things the book mainly focused on their interactions outside of their fields. Very character driven. Some conversations on mental health which I really appreciated and just overall I really liked it. I will say some things were very convenient considering the circumstances but I didn't mind that.

Yeah, this one was really good.

Guillory did it again. Loved the switch up to involve a celebrity-normal relationship, and loved the connection between these two.

Really enjoyed this one! I love how Guillory weaves in so much about food throughout the storylines, and how real her characters are. I am a sucker for celebrity / normal people romances and this scratched that itch in the best way! I skipped over The Royal Holiday and Party of Two and it didn't impact my reading experience.

There is nothing so delightful as a good Jasmine Guillory book. I really enjoyed Anna and Ben's story! It was sweet and spicy. I also loved the cameos of the past main characters. That is always fun!

Ad-man Ben Stephens gets to lead on a pitch to a technology company because of a travel snafu--he's aware that he did most of the work on the presentation: and knows he will get the least amount of credit from his firm, being not only young but a person of color. He rises to the occasion in spite of being flustered when the talent--beautiful and bodacious actress Anna Gardiner--shows up; she and her smart manager wrote veto power into her contract. Ben gets the gig contingent on Anna's request that he be the lead producer on the phone commercial they're going to make.

To Anna's delight, Ben is a safe, respectful person for the cast and crew and sensitive to institutionalized misogyny in many small moments, in part from his brief stint as a back-up dancer. Ben and Anna share similar interests and sense of humor, and they hit it off. When Anna's father has a health scare and she can't get a flight home, Ben offers to drive her. Bonding happens during the road trip, filled with requisite tunes and snacks. They get to the hospital just as her dad is checking out, and Ben has to pretend to be her driver. Crisis averted, there is #JustOne!Bed at the hotel and she sleeps with him, NOT because she feels she owes him anything, but because they genuinely like and respect one another. Her manager thinks Ben might be the perfect foil to pose as her boyfriend until her most recent film premieres, Ben good naturedly agrees (he's not looking for anything long term and only his therapist seems to see a problem with his reluctance to commit), but then .... falls in love.

Subplots include Anna's management of her anxiety and how fame and celebrate strain mental health; Ben's discovery that his absentee father had a third child, a sister who found him through a DNA matching service--should he tell his older brother Theo? He wants Theo all to himself, and there might not be enough love to go around!) and the power struggles in the superficial film industry over race, color, size, gender and popularity. Each protagonist has a wonderful support network: a best friend to confide in, and family is really important: Ben is close to brother Theo, and his girlfriend Maddie, a stylist, saves the day. Anna, too, has a loving brother and parents who might not always understand her, but support her completely.

I didn't find this as compelling as Guillory's first novel, and am trying to pinpoint why. I struggled to get through this, didn't write a review right away, wanted to provide one to boost my NetGalley completion rate, couldn't remember a thing and had to re-read it... and slogged through it again. While We Were Dating has a lot going on, and the writing and characters felt simplistic. The author absolutely elevates important issues to the forefront for the romance readership without being didactic, using humor and empathy. The red carpet details were fun--and the publicist realities and paparazzi behaviors are abhorrent and terrifying. I like celebrity/regular person pairing but do find them very ... fanfiction-y.

I received a free advance reader's review copy of #WhileWeWereDating from #NetGalley.

I continue to devour everything Jasmine Guillory writes. The woman is a force! This is another compulsively readable, delicious romance that you will just burn through. Extremely fun, with authentic characters.

DNFd. I genuinely did not like this book. The writing style felt almost childlike and I just could NOT stick with it. I have a close friend who thoroughly likes this author so I tried to give this book a chance and I just...disliked it so much. The characters lack depth, the book felt like a Hallmark movie in the WORST way.

I would equate this to like...an airport read.

Not for me, but if you like just fluff that doesn't require a ton of engagement on your end, this may be for you.

3.5/4 stars for me.

This is the first Jasmine Guillory book I've read, why I chose book 6 in this anthology to start with? Unsure. Overall, this was a fun romance filled with good tropes, spicy scenes, and some good discussions surrounding mental health.

Surface level, Ben and Anna are both good characters, but emphasis on *surface* level. I really wanted to know more about each individual character outside of this relationship. More about their jobs, future goals, etc. Ben was very much the "too good to be true" boyfriend, and there were times where I didn't buy into their relationship, or how committed to it Ben was, given some of the stunts Anna pulled. And I don't mean this negatively, do what you have to do for your career and to make you happy Anna.

Honestly, I'm pretty sure I started with this one because I heard this was fake doing trope, one of my faves. However, I started to question whether that was true or if I had made that up about 50% through the book because the trope had yet to surface and it wasn't clear to me that it would. It was a good subversion of it, but I think I would have liked to have spent more time within that section of the story. Additionally, with the subversion of the trope, you lose a lot of that tension that is typically existent in the "fake-dating" trope. The "will-they/wont-they" is more "they did but will it be forever". With an ending that definitely felt rushed and left me with even more questions of how their future would survive.

This has definitely made me want to go back and read some of the others, especially Maddie and Theo's story, so I will likely start going through the back catalogue when I'm looking for a more light-hearted read.

This book was adorable, as one has come to expect from Jasmine Guillory. She tells unbelievable stories while always mentioning a social cause or idea, which adds depth to her stories and her “worlds.”

A relationship of connivence turns steamy in Guillory's latest novel. There's a good mix of humor, emotion and steamy scenes.

Book Review || @berklypub {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: Fake Dating,
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 7.13.2021
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

“You dare to accuse me of not being a morning person? Just because I may not be able to speak a word to anyone else before I drink an entire cup of coffee does not mean I’m not a morning person! I love mornings! I just love to observe them from my bed, that’s all.”

☝🏼this quote is me. Please do not bother me in the mornings until I’ve had one cup of coffee and read for an hour.

In true @jasmineguillory style, she created such chemistry between Ben and Anna that she had me fanning myself during certain *ahem* scenes. I don’t recommend listening to this one on audiobook with your windows down.

I applaud all the nods to mental health and the importance of all genders seeking therapy when they aren’t feeling like their best selves. As someone who often struggles with anxiety, it was a breath of fresh air to read as Anna recounted how she struggled and overcame her anxiety. Guillory provided the perfect balance between the heavier topics, humor, and 🔥.

Oh, and one more thing, I can’t let this review conclude without giving the nod to Ben Stephens. After reading some particularly dreadful romances involving just meh men, he was a breath of fresh air. Men worldwide could stand to spend a few minutes learning from Ben and how you should treat the person you love.

🧠 Normalizing mental health
🥵 Steamy, Steamy, Steamy
😍 Character chemistry
🥰 Ben Stephens
🎬 Hollywood setting

If you enjoyed reading A lot Like Adios or Get a Life Chloe Brown, I recommend you read While We Dating.

Which romance trope do you prefer — enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, faking dating, or second chance?

Not my favorite of Jasmine Guillory's, but it was still a fun read. The two main characters (an ad exec and a movie star) begin working together. Eventually after their flirting begins, they get to know each other more, and their fake relationship to help each other out leads to something else.

Another winner from Jasmine Guillory! I enjoyed While We Were Dancing. Ben and Anna had such great chemistry. Pick up this book is you have the chance.

Ben Stephens has never bothered with serious relationships. He has plenty of casual dates to keep him busy, family drama he’s trying to ignore and his advertising job to focus on. When Ben lands a huge ad campaign featuring movie star, Anna Gardiner, however, it’s hard to keep it purely professional. Anna is not just gorgeous and sexy, she’s also down to earth and considerate, and he can’t help flirting a little…

Anna Gardiner is on a mission: to make herself a household name, and this ad campaign will be a great distraction while she waits to hear if she’s booked her next movie. However, she didn’t expect Ben Stephens to be her biggest distraction. She knows mixing business with pleasure never works out, but why not indulge in a harmless flirtation?

But their light-hearted banter takes a turn for the serious when Ben helps Anna in a family emergency, and they reveal truths about themselves to each other, truths they’ve barely shared with those closest to them.

When the opportunity comes to turn their real-life fling into something more for the Hollywood spotlight, will Ben be content to play the background role in Anna’s life and leave when the cameras stop rolling? Or could he be the leading man she needs to craft their own Hollywood ending?

This is was an easy read however I felt that it was lacking. The beginning had me hooked but when they actually started fake dating, the book lost its power. It's a pretty average book, not the best but not the worst.

Anna is a famous movie star and Ben happens to land an ad campaign featuring her. They have amazingly hilarious banter and get along decently for the job. But then, Anna has a family emergency that Ben helps her with and they are forced to admit that there may be more going on between them than just work. This was such a cute story and I always love a couple that knows just how to banter with each other. And once again, Jasmine Guillory can do no wrong!