One of my favorite series of books is the Wedding Date series by @jasminepics and I’m so thankful to have been able to read an advanced copy of her 6th book, While We Were Dating!

I love that all of the characters are related in somewhat to each other so this novel follows Ben and Anna. Ben is the brother of Theo from the Wedding Party. Ben is working for very large advertising agency when he meets movie star, Anna Gardiner. He is immediately taken by her beauty and brains. Anna is waiting to hear about a new role that could be her attempt for an Oscar nomination, but she’s distracted by Ben. They have instant chemistry and he helps her during a family emergency. They get close quickly and she convinces him to lose as her boyfriend for just a short while, hoping to stir up some publicity for the new role she wants. This book gets very steamy and you do know how it’s going to end, but it was very enjoyable and a perfect summer read.

I love that all of the books contain humor and good food references. The characters in the author’s novels eat! And throughout all of Jasmine’s books, she focuses on body positivity both from the male and female perspectives. It’s incredibly heartwarming to see all types of bodies finding love! 💕 I also love that all of her female characters are fashionistas regardless of their size. Anyone can be chic with a little effort!

While this wasn’t my favorite in the series, this was still a solid novel and I really enjoyed it. I love celebrity gossip and movie premieres so this was very up my alley. I can’t wait to see what couple is next!

While We Were Dating is about Ben (Theo from the Wedding Party’s younger brother) and movie star, Anna. When Ben lands a huge ad campaign featuring movie star, Anna, they two begin flirting. They’re both dealing with work stress and family drama, so what harm will a little fling do?

I loved the Notting Hill vibes this had, and I loved Ben and Anna’s banter. While We Were Dating is classic Jasmine Guillory! (Can it be classic if it is only her sixth book? I say yes!) I loved it just as much as her others, and I think you will too. While We Were Dating is out today! (For the record: I preordered this in May, so my copy doesn’t count in my “No Buy July” challenge.)

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my ARC!

While We Were Dating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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 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 to be her biggest distraction. She knows mixing business with pleasure never works out, but why not indulge in a harmless flirtation? 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?

*thank you @berkleypub & @netgalley for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review*

I absolutely LOVED the next Jasmine Guillory book in this series, and each book is always better than the last. Anna and Ben have the sweetest relationship. They both develop thoroughly throughout the book with the best intertwined story lines. I love that mental health and anxiety was included pretty significantly in this plot, as it’s an aspect that wasn’t touched on as much in the other books.

This book was an easy read, that went pretty fast, but put a big smile on my face. I got sucked in and did not want to stop reading! I loved the family love in this one, as well as the cameos from recurring characters. This was also, quite steamy in comparison to the other books, which I absolutely loved!

I also love that each book is interconnected in this series, but can be read as a stand-alone. Guillory has created her own universe for these characters thats addicting for readers. She writes the best feel-good swoon-worthy romances that also have some frank discussions about issues people face.

If this book isn’t on your wishlist, add it and add her others. While We Were Dating comes out today!

rating: 4.5/5 (rounded up)

Jasmine Guillory just keeps getting better. This may be my favorite of hers so far! I love that she writes such strong female characters; women that are independent and successful, but are not perfect and still feel relatable on the page.

This is the latest in Guillory's standalone series, The Wedding Date. While you don't have to read the previous books in the series before picking this one up, why would you not??! Also, I love the easter eggs from previous characters, and how interconnected all the stories are over time.

Ben and Anna’s chemistry is off the charts, and I love when two deserving, kind people fall in love. I also work in advertising, so it was fun to see pieces of Ben’s job throughout the story. And, as in every book by Guillory, there is great food, great 🔥, and that HEA we all love so much 🥰

AT A GLANCE…
steam: 🔥🔥🔥/5
genre: contemporary romance

Jasmine Guillory. I now know I'm in for a treat with her books, and Ben and Anna's story did not disappoint! Ben cracked me up in Theo's book, and I was really looking forward to reading about him and his playboy ways. I knew there was something more to the player facade, and Anna helped to bring out his softer side. I always appreciate it when authors clearly lovingly craft characters who have experienced mental health issues, especially anxiety, and Anna's experiences with the paps would certainly be anxiety-inducing. I LOVED the impromptu road trip and the trip in the suitcase. I do wish that Ben's secret sister storyline had been beefed out a bit, especially in regard to Theo's involvement, because it could have added a little more depth. However, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip back to Guillory-land.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkeley for the ARC in exchange for my opinion.

I was living out my Y/N celebrity romance dreams with this book 😏

Jasmine Guillory knew what she was doing when she wrote this book. Honestly, her books tend to be hit or meh with me. Luckily, this book was a hit. In middle school I went through a major fanfiction phase, and I mean maladaptive daydreaming scenarios with me and Harry Styles in my bedroom kinda phase. This book was giving me all the celebrity romance goodness I needed. (Though don't go in thinking this is a book about a regular girl and a super hot celebrity, that's just my fantasy 😂 . This story doesn't have a shy, "how could you possibility want to be with plain old me, Y/N?" kind of character. And thank god, because I have definitely grown out of that phase 😂)

Summary:
Ben Stephens, who’s strictly against serious relationships, lands a huge ad campaign for the gorgeous, down-to-earth Anna. They start having frisky fun together, if you catch my drift 😏 When their flings catches the public’s eye, they must keep up appearances for the press. Soon, their fake relationship starts to seem too real.

Tropes:
Fake dating-ish
Banter
Secretly cinnamon roll hero
Celebrity heroine

While this was not my favorite in the series. I did enjoy this book. It had a fun, casual take on the fake-dating trope. This isn't the best fake dating book I have read, I will say that. If you are looking for a clear cut fake-dating book, this one may not be for you. That aspect of the book was pretty loose, and honestly a little confusing to me. But, what I didn’t get in fake dating clarity, I got in fantastic chemistry and great romance. I always love those kind of couple who need no one else but each other stay entertained and be happy. Ben and Anna had great banter and some adorable moments together. Normally, when I read books I highlight or tab quotes and moments that I want to remember. I can safely say, I highlighted so many wonderful moments. (Don't worry I didn't highlight a physical copy, it was on my ereader haha)

I know rom-coms are hit or miss for some people, but the humor was very well written and definitely had me giggling. It was't immature or trying to hard in any way. The humor was well integrated with the story and helped move it forward.

Ben defiantly had me swooning multiple times. He was caring, kind, sexy, vulnerable, and secretly a cinnamon roll. All things I love in a hero. He was so understanding and patient when it came to Anna and her struggles. I was floored. The moments he got vulnerable with her had me melting. Nothing makes me go soft quicker than a hero who thinks he won't find love and then slowly opens himself up to realize that he can find it 😍

I can be very apprehensive when it comes to celeb romances. Celebrity romances can get real annoying, real quick for me. Especially when they start dealing with the cliche "the paps are ruining my life" or "I don't really fit the kind of person everyone wants to see you with" or "you're a celebrity, this will never work. let's break up," tropes. Thank god this book did not fall into that pit! Anna's celebrity-ness, if you would say, was written very well and none of the plot devices in the book felt cliche or annoying. I was very happy to see that.

Guillory’s books always make it a point to hit some important topic. This book helped normalized therapy, dealing with anxiety, body image, etc. It is wonderful when authors use their platform to discuss such topics, don’t you agree?

Overall, I am really glad I picked up this book. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a quick, chemistry filled, unique-without-being-crazy kinda read. This book comes out today! Go pick it up and let me know what you think!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars | 🌶🌶.5/ 5 steam

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Romance, and Jasmine Guillory for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jasmine Guillory does it again with a sweet, deeply felt story of two people thrown together by happenstance. The story follows movie star Anna and ad exec Ben (brother to Theo, if you're a Guillory faithful) and a fauxmance that'll make you smile.

This was such a fun and sweet RomCom! This is the 6th instalment in the best selling The Wedding Date series but reads as a standalone! While this was only my second that I’ve read in the series, the Wedding Date is one of my fav ChickLit reads and I couldn’t wait to dive into this one!

Guillory is such a fantastic writer and I absolutely love how she’s able to create such dynamic and mesmerizing characters! I also relish in her abilities to perfectly balance a book that leaves you with all the feels while still providing a copious amount of steam and sizzle!

I also applaud her seamless talent of addressing some prominent topics of racism, body image and mental health!

I can’t wait to continue reading more from the series as Guillory is cementing herself as an auto-buy author for me!

Before I begin my review, I need to specify that this is the third book of a series, and while I’ve read a few in the series, I haven’t read the entire series. That being said, it completely stands alone and I was not lost while reading this whatsoever.

Now, when it comes to this book, despite having not read all of Guillory’s masterful creations, I strongly believe this is her best one yet. With Black main characters and representation, healthy conversations about body positivity and mental health, and realistic relationship struggles, this book hit home in every way possible. Plus, it took on refreshing conversations about sex in a way that developed confidence and pleasure, rather than something to be ashamed about or purely focused on steam.

Guillory wrote at the very end that this book was hard to write during a pandemic, and I can wholeheartedly see why. Writing about mental health and the power of human connection and touch during a time when so many of us were deprived of this is heartbreaking. But for this reason, it’s all the more important to read as we attempt to acclimate back into society (for those who are now able to do so).

I loved this book. I read it in a single day. I didn’t want to put it down, but I actually put it down for about five minutes (I couldn’t last much longer than that) before the final chapter because I didn’t want it to end. I loved these characters, I loved their story, and I loved their imperfections. I know I’ll be buying a copy of this one to have on my shelf, and I’ve already bought a copy to gift a friend. I cannot recommend it enough.

Trigger warnings: anxiety, panic attacks

Ben Stephens (brother of Theo from book #3 in the series, The Wedding Party) is working at an ad agency when he helps land a campaign starring up-and-coming Hollywood actress Anna Gardiner. His attraction to Anna is immediate, but he tries to stay professional.

When Anna has an emergency and needs to go home, Ben offers to drive her to the airport. They won't make it in time for Anna to catch the last flight, so Ben offers to drive her all the way to her destination. This sets the stage for the beginning of their casual sexual relationship.

Anna's manager is drumming up ideas for good press before Anna tries out for her dream role, and he recommends using Ben as a fake boyfriend. Ben agrees to participate in the scheme, but if he isn't careful he might catch feelings.

Recommended for all romance readers and readers of women's fiction who are willing to try a contemporary romance.

This was a cute story that had some hard-hitting topics. I really enjoyed the lighter moments mixed with the serious ones. It really made this a great book!

What I love:
💖 Sizzling chemistry between Ben and Anna! Steamy steamy steamy!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
💖 Ben’s candidness about needing therapy and encouraging people to talk about their feelings — uhm, hello?!?! Sexiness galore!!!
💖 Anna’s willingness to be public with her anxiety and panic attacks— perfect role model, especially as she’s an influential public figure and can definitely help in removing stigma against mental health issues
💖 Recurring characters - I love the author for including lovable past characters in her books. No worries even if you haven’t read any of her previous books. It won’t affect the story.
💖 Who doesn’t like to have a glimpse of BTS of Hollywood life?!?! Wardrobe fittings, red carpets and papparazzi, love love love!!!
💖 No preventable conflict between the lovers. My pet peeve in romcoms are those conflicts resulting from miscommunication from pride or stupidness. 😂
💖 Inclusion of positive body image. ‘Nuf said!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

What I didn’t like:
🤔 The part about Ben’s half-sister — for me it was not a necessary storyline and can be omitted, or at least built up. Unless, it’s a segue for the next book???

Overall, this was a nice and steamy romantic novel. I’ve only read this and Royal Holiday so I’m thinking of reading the other books to complete the series.

While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory is a fun, interesting and touching story about a talented but underrecognized advertising executive and a Hollywood star. It's definitely a fun book to read.

Ben and Anna are realistic. Anna may be a big star but she's not too full of herself. She works hard and is proud of her success. She's also comfortable with her sexuality which is nice to see in a novel. Ben's cool. Yep that's the best word. He's often too likely to avoid conflict at all costs but it makes him easy to be with. He's also not intimidated by Anna which is refreshing for her no doubt.

I enjoyed the interactions. They were fun flirting. Of course, it's frustrating to watch them pretend they aren't madly in love. I also like that they worked through issues with therapists' and each other's help. That Guillory touched on social issues with persons of color added to the depth of the book. The story deals nicely with so many real, human issues and emotions.

I recommend the book to a variety of romance readers.

Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

When you pick up a Jasmine Guillory book, you know you're in for a feel good, bingeworthy read and While We Were Dating was no exception. ⁣
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There were so many aspects of this book that I enjoyed: ⁣
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🤎 mental health representation⁣
🤎 body positivity⁣
🤎 diverse characters⁣
🤎 celebration of family⁣
🤎 banter & chemistry⁣
🤎 Ben's character growth ⁣
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#WhileWeWereDating is based on the fake dating trope, however the approach here is less traditional and I felt that as a result the tension build-up that I love in a fauxmance was missing somewhat. ⁣
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Both characters had a vulnerable side and had some growing to do, though I felt that Anna did a couple of questionable things that was wrapped up far too quickly for my liking. ⁣
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The chemistry between Anna & Ben was fantastic and Ben was such an understanding guy. The steamy scenes are a bit more descriptive than previous books that I've read in the series, so this is something to note if steam isn't your jam. ⁣
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Overall I enjoyed While We Were Dating, it's my favourite Jasmine Guillory book so far. Definitely pick it up if you are looking for something light & fun. ⁣
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Huge thanks @berkleyromance for this gifted e-ARC.

3.75 stars

Even though I am a Jasmine Guillory fan, I was a bit apprehensive about While We Were Dating because I wasn’t such a fan of Theo’s story (Ben’s older brother). That being said, I ended up thoroughly enjoying this story and was surprised at the added layer of depth by focusing on mental health and counseling.

The beginning of the story was a bit repetitive since Ben constantly would remark on Anna being "Anna freaking Gardiner" since Anna is a well known actress. However, once Ben and Anna settled into a groove, he stopped saying this every other page, which I was grateful for.

The physical attraction between Ben and Anna was palpable from the beginning, but what won me over was the deep moments where they would confide in each other about how they both were struggling with their respective mental health issues (anxiety and panic attacks for Anna and abandonment and avoidance for Ben), and the steps that they were taking in order to make progress since these things don’t go away. At no point did either one insinuate that they could be cured or that there was a quick fix. Both leaned into therapy, which was refreshing.

I also loved that Anna is not your stereotypical skinny blonde actress. Anna is a sexy and confident Black woman who is plus sized by industry standards and is completely unapologetic about it. I enjoyed the insight into Anna struggles in Hollywood and how she was able to overcome them in order to succeed in an industry where women don’t look like her.

Okay, while The Wedding Party is still my least favorite Guillory book since I wasn’t really sold on Theo and Maddie, their chemistry and interactions flow so much better in this book. There are few times when Theo and Maddie must come to the rescue, and the shenanigans that ensue were hilarious.

Overall, this is another fantastic addition to Guillory’s Wedding Date series.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio and Berkley Books for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

While We Were Dating is the sixth book in the "Wedding Date" series by Jasmine Guillory. I enjoyed this story of Anna (the Hollywood actress) and Ben (the ad executive we met as the brother of Theo from The Wedding Party). This book has a medium level of steam and was a really enjoyable read. I like how Jasmine integrates the characters from the other books in the series, but you aren't spoiled by anything if you haven't read them. Definitely check this series out.

another cute, fun romance from JG! thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy.

i LOVED Ben (the main male character) in this one. i also loved the themes of mental health and normalizing therapy and talking about anxiety - especially after the year we all just had! my only issue was the main female character, Anna. i felt like she was very selfish and all about herself and tbh, that she didn't deserve Ben. he was AWESOME!

regardless, the plot was really fun and kept me reading for more to find out how it would end up. loving this series so much - hope it never ends!!!

I discovered Jasmine Guillory’s Wedding Date series last year, and since then have read every single book. While We Were Dating is the sixth in the series, but each book is standalone. While reading the others is not required to enjoy this latest installment, I highly recommend doing so.

Ben Stephens is hoping to land a new client for his ad agency, with A-list actress Anna Gardiner as the talent in the ads. When Anna shows up unexpectedly to the pitch meeting, there’s instant attraction between the two of them.

It isn’t long before they act on that attraction, but Anna is also focused on her career – how big will her part be in the action flick she just wrapped on? Will she get the role in an upcoming film that could take her career to the next level? So when her manager meets Ben, he suggests the two of them pretend to date until the action flick’s premier, to improve her visibility to the press and the movie studios.

Pretending to date is fun, but when those pesky things called feelings get in the way, how will Ben and Anna handle their fake relationship?

I really enjoyed this latest book in the series. It follows the same format as the others but also tackles mental health and normalizes seeing a therapist. The characters in all of the books are involved in their community or charity in some way. They’re also all body positive, with women who have curves and aren’t afraid to show them.

For those who have read the other books, Ben is Theo’s brother, and Theo and Maddie make several appearances in the story. It was also fun to have a cameo from Nik and Carlos of book 2.

Content Note: Like the other books in the series, While We Were Dating is very much a closed door romance.

Jasmine Guillory does such a lovely job giving us a peek into the lives of her characters that seem real and living the lives we'd love to lead all at the same time. This is a perfect escape.

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for an ARC of While We We’re Dating in exchange for an honest review!
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I really enjoyed this book! I liked both Anna and Ben. I really enjoyed seeing their characters develop separately and then together within their friendship and relationship. This novel also sensitively describes anxiety and panic attacks and normalizes and discusses the importance of therapy and mental health challenges.
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I also love seeing cameos of characters from past Guillory novels! I enjoy Guillory’s writing and always look forward to reading more from her! While We We’re Dating publishes July 13!
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CW: anxiety, panic attacks, hospital visit ( not mental health related)