I loved this book! Jasmine Guillory is an amazing writer who captures characters and storylines so well it leaves me not wanting to set the book down. I instantly fell in love with Ben and his kind heartedness towards Anna. Anna sent him through several hoops to jump through, and he was always there for her. I definitely recommend this book to all of my romance reading friends!

Anna Gardiner isn’t looking for a relationship. Neither is Ben Stephens. But somehow, these two end up in a fake relationship. Or is it real? Even they don’t know.

While We Were Dating is Jasmine Guillory at her finest in the latest installment in her The Wedding Date series. Ben Stephens, the younger brother of Theo from The Wedding Party, finds himself in a fake relationship with Anna Gardiner, a famous actress working to get her career back on track. Ben and Anna go from harmless flirtation, to friends, to one night stand, to fake dating, to maybe real dating? This journey takes the readers on a fun and wild ride, creating tears from both laughing and crying.

One of Guillory’s skills is getting her audience to connect to her MCs. They are just so real and as a reader you just can’t helping feeling for them. I also appreciate that she tackles difficult conversations and topics amidst a rom-com story. This also makes her books feel real to the reader.

This series of Guillory’s is one of my favorite rom-coms series of all-time. Guillory will always be on my auto-read list. 4.5 stars.

I received a free digital ARC from NetGalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review.

While We Were Dating tells the love story of a Hollywood actress who only dates actors because they are “all as self-involved and devoid of real human emotion” as she is, and a playboy with deep commitment issues who finally meets the woman of his dreams only to discover she has the same problem.

Ben Stephens is only slightly late getting to work. But it’s a big deal because it’s a really big day. This afternoon his ad agency is doing a pitch for a tech giant, a campaign he has labored hard on, and he has no desire to be thrown off the team for missing the start time. The opposite happens. It turns out the senior executives, who had been out of town wooing another client while Ben stayed behind to do the actual work, are stuck at an airport. Ben and his assistant will have to fly solo on one of the most important presentations their company has ever done.

Anna Gardiner has just come off an incredibly difficult year, but as a Hollywood B-list actress hoping to make that near impossible transition to A-lister, she can’t take any more time to lick her wounds. While most performers do advertisements strictly for the paycheck, Anna has agreed to work on this particular product launch for the household recognition it will get her. She is deeply invested in having the promotions not just sell the device but also her talent, so she does something that rarely happens – Anna attends “pitch day”, where the lucky three firms who’ve made the final cut will offer their visions for how the merchandise should be branded to the public.

Ben impresses her from the start. He’s kind to his staff, conducts the meeting with respect towards both the product and the people selling it, and treats her like she has valuable insights to offer. He is also the only Black man any of the agencies have leading their presentations and Anna is delighted with the thought of working with another Person of Color. Anna lets the tech giant people know she wants Ben and his company and they in turn make it clear to Ben’s firm that they liked him and want him on the job.

Working with Ben is everything Anna hoped it would be. His set for the ads is both professional and comfortable, he understands how to light brown skin and frame Black bodies to get the best shots and ensures the advertisements sell Anna’s skills as an actress as much as they do the phone she’s holding. Everything is going perfectly until the call.

Anna’s dad had a heart attack a few years earlier, and she has been deeply worried about his health ever since. When her brother advises her that their father is back in the hospital, albeit only as a precaution, she drops everything to get to the airport. Ben is happy to offer her a ride there since her driver isn’t immediately available, but when the last flight is cancelled, Anna panicks. Thankfully, Ben is cool under pressure and offers to drive her to her destination since it is only six hours away. The road trip will take the light flirtation they’d been indulging in for the last several days to a whole new level.

Ben and Anna are deeply attracted to each other from the start, but I liked how the author doesn’t fall into an insta-lust equals insta-couple trap. The hours long car ride really lets them build a relationship based on confidences, sharing parts of their life history, and connecting over mutually loved foods and music. When they arrive at the hospital and find out Anna’s dad is fine, it seemed perfectly natural for them to allow their attraction and newly formed friendship to culminate in a night of passion.

Of course, they agree over breakfast that it can never happen again and of course, they find themselves repeating the event often. I’ve read all of Ms. Guillory’s books and I found this one to have the highest heat factor. Anna’s arduous year included an equally long period of abstinence and she is delighted to be enjoying this aspect of life again. Ben has never been emotionally involved with a woman he is having sex with before and is thrilled by this aspect of his affair with Anna. Both of them know they have something special going on and plan to enjoy it for as long as they can. When their work partnership comes to an end it’s with some sorrow that they plan to make their good-byes.

They wind up not doing so for complicated reasons involving Anna’s career. I liked that this situation involves a challenge for their liaison, and that the result of them working through that challenge is for them to grow closer. One of the best things about their romance is that because they both want it, they quickly learn the skills, such as communication, they need to keep it going.

For fans of Ms. Guillory, it will be no surprise to hear that Ben is the brother of Theo, the hero of The Wedding Party. Theo and Maddie make perfect guest appearances in this story, showing up just enough to remind us how close the brothers are and to give us a peek at Madidie and Theo’s continuing relationship, without in any way taking over the storyline. Nic, from The Proposal, also makes a quick cameo along with her hero Carlos.

Ben is fantastic – sweet, humorous, smart, caring – I absolutely loved him. A lot of times when I read a player/rake character, I wonder what, outside their stellar looks, a woman could possibly see in them because they tend to be such jerks. Not Ben. I could easily see why women would be lining up for a fling – he’s just so fun and hot and wonderful.

Anna isn’t quite so great. The author’s depiction of her career is fabulous; the details of what she actually does, whom she works with and all the behind-the-scenes effort that goes into the making of a celebrity is terrific. But how calculating Anna has to be to get where she wants to be and how willing she is to do that makes her slightly less appealing. Her fragility, on top of that, rather than making her seem more human made her seem more needy. As a result, Anna comes across as kind of high maintenance. I liked her but when the book was finished, I felt she still had some growing to do before she became a perfect partner for Ben.

That’s a quibble, though, in an otherwise excellent novel. I think fans of the author’s will absolutely love While We Were Dating. New-to-the-author readers who enjoy contemporary romance will also find it amazing, but they might want to start with The Wedding Party or maybe even the first book in this series, The Wedding Date. Those tales add some background story which isn’t necessary but is nice to have – and they’re awesome books!

“Life is a constant work in progress, you know that. There’s no being ‘done’ with any of this stuff.”

Like most of the books in this universe, you don’t have to read it chronologically (I’ve only read 1-3) because each book is an off shoot of some minor character in the universe. I debated on waiting until I finished books 4 and 5, and I’m so glad I didn’t.

I read this book in one night and stayed up late to do so...that is how much I adored this book!

My love is because...

This book has a lot about mental health and it is done SO WELL. From talking about anxiety and anxiety/panic attacks, to normalizing the idea of males going to therapy on their own accord, while also talking about the stigma surrounding it? It was perfection for me, as a mental health professional and as someone who suffers from anxiety.

The flirting and banter starts right away, and I love when they get right to it.

Ben, the main man, is super charming and sweet.

Anna, the leading lady, is like most of Guillory’s leading ladies in the way that she has this undeniable strength and confidence (most of the time).

There is fat representation and body positivity.

There was more steam in this book than I think any of the others that I’ve read of hers, AND YOU ALL KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT STEAM.

Guillory continues to put sprinkles of/talk about subtle racism in places like the work place, medical setting, etc from the black perspective that I nodded my head to.

There are these reasons and so many more that I loved this book!

If you like books that have steam, have the fake dating trope (reminded me a bit of Dani Brown, but with the leading lady needing the press not the guy) and just need a happy and fun read? Definitely check this out

I adore the universe that Jasmine Guillory has created and #WhileWeWereDating was a perfect addition.
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Anna Gardiner graces the cover of magazines, she’s funny and an Oscar Nominated actress. She takes a job on an ad campaign and connects immediately with Ben, the lead on the campaign.
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From casual fun to something more I loved their relationship. I loved the normalcy of mental health, anxiety and how they really helped each other throughout. I loved how they each felt their truest selves with each other and I loved Ben’s Cinderella moment.
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Cinderella moments are typically when a woman gets a beautiful piece of jewelry, a gorgeous dress or a stunning pair of shoes. I loved that Ben got a pair of sneakers that weren’t coming out for weeks. As the wife and mom of sneaker heads I loved that addition to the story. I was invested and loved these characters and cannot wait for her next book!
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You can read this as a stand alone but I love every book in this series so why not read them all?! This comes out Tuesday! Thank you #NetGalley and @berkley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

While We Were Dating is the sixth book in Jasmine Guillory’s popular contemporary romance series, The Wedding Date. I’m a big fan of this series so I’m thrilled to report that Guillory’s latest is just as delightfully sexy and swoony as its five predecessors. One of the things I love about this series is that even though the books are loosely interconnected and characters sometimes make appearances in later books in the series, each book still works quite well as a standalone. While We Were Dating follows Hollywood actress Anna Gardiner and Ben Stephens, an up and coming executive at an ad agency. For those familiar with the series, Ben is the younger brother of Theo Stephens who appears in The Wedding Party. Theo and his girlfriend Maddie also make an appearance in this story.

Guillory always does a wonderful job of crafting main characters that are likeable, relatable, and that have undeniable chemistry between them and Anna and Ben are no exception here. Anna has been struggling with anxiety recently and so has had to put her acting career on the backburner. She feels ready to take on the world again and is determined to take control of both her career and her personal life and mount a comeback. I loved Anna right away because while she may be ultra-famous, she’s not a diva at all. While she’s clearly aware of how talented she is, there’s never a time when she tries to act like she’s more entitled than anyone else. I loved how down-to-earth she is. She’s also funny, sexy, sassy, and smart, so there’s plenty about her to love.

Anna meets Ben when the ad agency he works for decides to make a pitch for a campaign that is going to feature Anna. Ben usually takes a backseat when it comes to pitching big campaigns like this one, but when his colleagues are delayed in getting to the pitch meeting, it’s finally Ben’s turn to shine in the spotlight. And shine he does! Ben is charming, sexy, funny, and he’s also very good at his job. The chemistry between Anna and Ben becomes immediately apparent during the meeting. In fact, Anna is so impressed by Ben that she tells the campaign heads that she wants Ben’s agency but only if Ben runs the show.

I loved watching Anna and Ben grow closer and especially enjoyed that their relationship wasn’t just all about the sex. Sure, there were plenty of swoony sexy scenes between them sprinkled throughout, but there are also many heartfelt discussions as they discuss their families as well as their own mental health struggles. Both Anna and Ben regularly see therapists and they have some very healthy discussions about why they do. In addition to the sexy and the heartfelt moments, there are also some downright comical moments that involve road trips, fake dating, as well as shenanigans to avoid the paparazzi.

I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m going to stop now, but as with all of the other books in this series, I just had a lot of fun reading While We Were Dating. It’s one of those stories that just has something for everyone and it just left me feeling so content when I reached the last page.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book. I love this series and was excited to read Ben’s story. I thought Ben was the perfect book boyfriend! He was so attentive to details and so caring to her. Every scene made me love him more. Anna and Ben’s connection was amazing. I was frustrated with Anna from the get go since she was so self centered and only cared about her career. I am not a big fan of miscommunication as the main plot, so this one wasn’t a favorite of mine in the series but overall still enjoyed it.

Anna wants to expose herself to the world, bringing her name into the limelight and honing her acting craft until she wins an Oscar. Being between major projects, she gets started with an ad campaign to push her into the next echelon of prominence, and she puts her faith in Ben to make it a roaring success. Ben is a competent advertiser who is happy being single, and is also thrilled to land Anna's big-time campaign. At first, he sees her ravishing good looks and her money as an opportunity for his own career, but as they begin establishing a working relationship, he learns that Anna also has a personality to match her looks, and that is when they begin to flirt. When Anna has a family emergency and Ben steps in to help her, they grow closer, and they soon have an opportunity to turn their flirtation into more than an ad-soaked fling. That is, if Ben can be the man that Anna needs as she acts her way to the top.

Who doesn't love a good fake-relationship story that has the opportunity to turn into something a lot more real? Anna is a powerful woman who is chasing the stars in her dream to land an Oscar-winning role, and she knows she has the chops to make it happen. When she meets Ben, she's just trying to take another step on that path to greatness, and yet internally she has her own doubts and anxiety. Ben is really sweet to her, and goes out of his way for her to be there for her even when he doesn't need to. After all, he's just creating an advertising campaign for her, but he can't help but want to do more than that.

What I really liked about these two is how they weren't afraid to be vulnerable with each other, and how that brought them (much!) closer together. Things get steamy later on, and the pretense of their fake relationship helps them to let their guard down. The candid exploration of anxiety and being supportive about that was important and appreciated. While We Were Dating is the sixth story in Jasmine Guillory's Wedding Date series, and there are a number of recurring characters from other stories in the series. In particular, Ben's brother Theo featured in a couple other stories, which fans of the series will enjoy. That said, these stories may be read in any order, so if you're new to the series, feel free to begin with While We Were Dating. Recommended for readers who are fans of the series, who enjoy romantic stories with some food for thought to them, and stories about powerful women who have the opportunity to find what they need and love as they shoot for the moon.

Jasmine Guillory has done it again! The Wedding Date series has always been a comfort read for me and this one was no exception. One thing I really love about these books is how Guillory flawlessly weaves in the characters from her previous books.

Another thing that draws me to these books is the fact that they are always more that just a rom com. There is a deeper discussion that is delved into and this time around it was mental health. I have and will always be an advocate for therapy and seeking help and this book did a great job portraying the positives of taking care of one's mental health.

This book is out on July 13th so do yourself a favor and pick it up from your local bookstore on Tuesday!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 Stars

Overall this was a very enjoyable and quick read. What I loved was the representation this author was able to incorporate into the book including some mental health rep. It was refreshing because it isn't often present in books. I was not a fan of the miscommunication trope and the way it was used in this book. I feel like all issues could have been solved with one conversation.

I think it’s safe to say Jasmine Guillory is one of the authors that started my love for Romance. She’s definitely an auto buy, so I was over joyed to receive an ARC of this one. I absolutely LOVED it! This was pretty much one of those “Insta-loves” I hear people speak of, but I was hear for it; bring it on!

Ben is in advertising and seems to have a boss who likes to use Ben’s ideas, but never puts him in the forefront to present them. Well, his boss is late to the meeting, so Ben starts without him and in walks famous actress Anna Gardner (cue the fireworks). Anna is a famous actress who is set to star in this ad campaign. She wants to hear what Ben has to say and wants him to present. She agrees to do the campaign but only if Ben is the lead!

So, that’s where is all begins, but oh it doesn’t end there…

Ben and Anna start working together and Ben comes in for the save when Anna has a family emergency. They find themselves in his car for hours where Ben learns more about Anna, her acting career, and her mental Illness. This soon draws them even closer together. So close that a crazy idea is formed where the two of them showcase a fake relationship to boost Anna’s career. Now let the games begin! Feelings are form, people get hurt, love is found, and we have STEAM 🔥!

All I can say is I was not disappointed! I had my cheesy grin on all through the book and flew through it! I definitely didn’t want to put it down. I would say this one is up there with my other favorite from Jasmine, The Wedding party!

While not my favorite Jasmine Guillory novel, this one did have all the elements I love in a romance story and I enjoyed reading it. If you like celebrity romance, you'll love the story of Ben, an advertising professional, and Anna, a smoking hot celebrity actress that hires him to help with her ad campaign. Sparks fly instantly between sweet, attentive Ben, and saucy, gorgeous Anna. They know they shouldn't mix business with pleasure, but the chance to spend more time together is more enticing than either of them can resist. Great romance and wonderful characters in this story.

While We Were Dating tells the love story of a Hollywood actress who only dates actors because they are “all as self-involved and devoid of real human emotion” as she is, and a playboy with deep commitment issues who finally meets the woman of his dreams only to discover she has the same problem.

Ben Stephens is only slightly late getting to work. But it’s a big deal because it’s a really big day. This afternoon his ad agency is doing a pitch for a tech giant, a campaign he has labored hard on, and he has no desire to be thrown off the team for missing the start time. The opposite happens. It turns out the senior executives, who had been out of town wooing another client while Ben stayed behind to do the actual work, are stuck at an airport. Ben and his assistant will have to fly solo on one of the most important presentations their company has ever done.

Anna Gardiner has just come off an incredibly difficult year, but as a Hollywood B-list actress hoping to make that near impossible transition to A-lister, she can’t take any more time to lick her wounds. While most performers do advertisements strictly for the paycheck, Anna has agreed to work on this particular product launch for the household recognition it will get her. She is deeply invested in having the promotions not just sell the device but also her talent, so she does something that rarely happens – Anna attends “pitch day”, where the lucky three firms who’ve made the final cut will offer their visions for how the merchandise should be branded to the public.

Ben impresses her from the start. He’s kind to his staff, conducts the meeting with respect towards both the product and the people selling it, and treats her like she has valuable insights to offer. He is also the only Black man any of the agencies have leading their presentations and Anna is delighted with the thought of working with another Person of Color.  Anna lets the tech giant people know she wants Ben and his company and they in turn make it clear to Ben’s firm that they liked him and want him on the job.

Working with Ben is everything Anna hoped it would be. His set for the ads is both professional and comfortable, he understands how to light brown skin and frame Black bodies to get the best shots and ensures the advertisements sell Anna’s skills as an actress as much as they do the phone she’s holding. Everything is going perfectly until the call.

Anna’s dad had a heart attack a few years earlier, and she has been deeply worried about his health ever since. When her brother advises her that their father is back in the hospital, albeit only as a precaution, she drops everything to get to the airport. Ben is happy to offer her a ride there since her driver isn’t immediately available, but when the last flight is cancelled, Anna panicks. Thankfully, Ben is cool under pressure and offers to drive her to her destination since it is only six hours away. The road trip will take the light flirtation they’d been indulging in for the last several days to a whole new level.

Ben and Anna are deeply attracted to each other from the start, but I liked how the author doesn’t fall into an insta-lust equals insta-couple trap.  The hours long car ride really lets them build a relationship based on confidences, sharing parts of their life history, and connecting over mutually loved foods and music. When they arrive at the hospital and find out Anna’s dad is fine, it seemed perfectly natural for them to allow their attraction and newly formed friendship to culminate in a night of passion.

Of course, they agree over breakfast that it can never happen again and of course, they find themselves repeating the event often. I’ve read all of Ms. Guillory’s books and I found this one to have the highest heat factor. Anna’s arduous year included an equally long period of abstinence and she is delighted to be enjoying this aspect of life again. Ben has never been emotionally involved with a woman he is having sex with before and is thrilled by this aspect of his affair with Anna. Both of them know they have something special going on and plan to enjoy it for as long as they can. When their work partnership comes to an end it’s with some sorrow that they plan to make their good-byes.

They wind up not doing so for complicated reasons involving Anna’s career.  I liked that this situation involves a challenge for their liaison, and that the result of them working through that challenge is for them to grow closer. One of the best things about their romance is that because they both want it, they quickly learn the skills, such as communication, they need to keep it going.

For fans of Ms. Guillory, it will be no surprise to hear that Ben is the brother of Theo, the hero of The Wedding Party. Theo and Maddie make perfect guest appearances in this story, showing up just enough to remind us how close the brothers are and to give us a peek at Madidie and Theo’s continuing relationship, without in any way taking over the storyline. Nic, from The Proposal, also makes a quick cameo along with her hero Carlos.

Ben is fantastic – sweet, humorous, smart, caring – I absolutely loved him. A lot of times when I read a player/rake character, I wonder what, outside their stellar looks, a woman could possibly see in them because they tend to be such jerks. Not Ben. I could easily see why women would be lining up for a fling – he’s just so fun and hot and wonderful.

Anna isn’t quite so great. The author’s depiction of her career is fabulous; the details of what she actually does, whom she works with and all the behind-the-scenes effort that goes into the making of a celebrity is terrific. But how calculating Anna has to be to get where she wants to be and how willing she is to do that makes her slightly less appealing.  Her fragility, on top of that, rather than making her seem more human made her seem more needy. As a result, Anna comes across as kind of high maintenance. I liked her but when the book was finished, I felt she still had some growing to do before she became a perfect partner for Ben.

That’s a quibble, though, in an otherwise excellent novel. I think fans of the author’s will absolutely love While We Were Dating. New-to-the-author readers who enjoy contemporary romance will also find it amazing, but they might want to start with The Wedding Party or maybe even the first book in this series, The Wedding Date.  Those tales add some background story which isn’t necessary but is nice to have - and they’re awesome books!

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Jasmine Guillory has become a go-to author. Whenever she has a new book out, I know that it will be one that takes me away for just a little while. I especially loved her references to the importance of mental health in this one and how the main characters aren’t perfect. They are flawed and need a little help along the way just like the rest of us.

I've been a big fan of Jasmine Guillory since I received The Proposal as my first advanced reader copy.

I've read all of the Wedding Date series except for Royal Holiday and I think Anna and Ben are my favorite couple so far!

I loved their easy and instant chemistry. I enjoyed the friendship they created before they started fake dating. I was so excited to see the fake dating trope. It was clear throughout the story that both Anna and Ben were much more than fake boyfriend and girlfriend. They challenged each other and supported the other through life's challenging moments. As in all of Guillory's books there were many laugh out moments throughout the story. I think this was steamier than I remember her previous books, but it seemed to suit Anna and Ben and their relationship. I really appreciated the discussion about anxiety and the importance of therapy.

I absolutely adored When We Were Dating.. I'm so glad I pre-ordered it and will have a physical copy for my shelf!

Thank you Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I will update with the link when I share on my bookstagram account.

Jasmine Guillory's newest book, While We Were Dating, is a fun yet weighty rom-com and another installment in this great world Guillory has built.⁣

⁣ Ben (whose brother Theo was a main character in The Wedding Party) is an ambitious ad executive. When he gets to present his firm’s idea for a major ad campaign featuring famous actress Anna Gardiner, he’s excited to get his break, especially when Anna shows up at the pitch meeting. (And it doesn’t hurt that Anna is beautiful, too.)⁣

⁣ After one Oscar nomination, Anna is ready for the next step in her career. She’s hoping this ad campaign helps put her in the public eye at the right time. She’s impressed with Ben—he’s smart, kind, funny, and sexy as hell—and it’s great to have a Black man in charge. The two build up a flirtatious relationship but both know moving beyond that would be disastrous.⁣

⁣ When an emergency occurs in Anna’s family, Ben comes to her rescue, and the two start to let their guard down with one another. Both reveal secrets about themselves, and that vulnerability leads to passion and intimacy, even though they know it must be fleeting.⁣

⁣ But when it’s suggested that a relationship (even a fake one) might help keep Anna in the public eye at the time she’s being considered for her dream role, Ben agrees to play along. Making it look like he has feelings for her is easy. Keeping it casual? Not so much.⁣

⁣ Of course, this is a rom-com, so you know where things are headed. But along the way we get some frank discussions about anxiety and mental health, family loyalty, and the pressures of fame. As always, Guillory’s writing is so charming, accessible and appealing, and she gives you characters to root for. (Plus, I love the interconnectedness of her books.)⁣

⁣ NetGalley and Berkley provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

While We Were Dating publishes 7/13.

I had really high hopes for this one, but it's a 3⭐️ for me!

The premise is what originally drew me to this book- famous actress meets savvy businessman and because of work, they fall in love. Paired with Jasmine Guillory as an author, and you've got me sold!

After meeting our main characters though, I just didn't vibe with the romance and how the two interacted with one another. I think the writing was fine, the story had so much potential, setting was fun, but overall the guy was waaaaay too nice for me and that's what took me out of the story because it didn't seem believable.

I expected witty banter, and playfulness to match the steamy love scenes that seemed to run wild throughout this book- but to me all that potential Guillory had to have this witty banter between the two leads fell short. Instead, we got many cut scenes. Then, on the other side, many scenes were paragraph explanations, or chapters filled with repeated information, which made the story drag just a bit.

Overall, there was great potential here, but the story ended up being somewhat entertaining, but nothing out of this world amazing for a romance.

xx
-Christine

Jasmine Guillory’s books are reliably romantic, intimate, and full of unusual characters, and While We Were Dating is no exception.

Our two main characters are Ben, an up-and-coming advertising executive (who, BTW, used to be a backup dancer — hot!), and Anna, an Oscar-nominated actress who needs her next movie to be the big breakthrough that will take her back to the Oscars and send her home with the prize.

When Anna agrees to star in the ad campaign Ben is leading, they’re immediately drawn to one another and develop an easy rapport. But it’s not until Ben offers to drive her all night to reach her family at a Southern California emergency room that they truly connect, spending the long car ride sharing secrets and dreams. Their intimacy becomes physical, and they’re both wildly attracted to one another — but neither imagines that this can be anything but a fling.

Later, Anna’s manager comes up with a plan: In order for the studios to see Anna as a big enough box-office draw to land that next crucial movie contract, she needs to be more in the public eye. He convinces her to go public in a fake relationship with Ben, making sure the paparazzi are on hand to capture their every private-but-public flirtation. Soon, they’re featured in People magazine and are walking the red carpet together, but Ben knows that once the premieres have ended, so will this relationship.

I enjoyed a lot about While We Were Dating. Anna and Ben are both well-developed, flawed people. Sure, they’re super hot, but they’re also vulnerable, each dealing with his or her memories and past painful experiences, cautious about who they trust and who they allow into their lives. They have an easy chemistry together, and their banter is adorable and flirtatious and very down-to-earth.

This author also tends to go outside the societal norms of beauty when it comes to her heroines, and Anna is depicted as both stunningly gorgeous and plus-sized. And honestly, I love that about her.

I’m not a huge fan of “Stars! They’re Just Like Us!” kind of stories, so the Hollywood magic is, if anything, a minus for me when it comes to books featuring glamorous stars and their love lives. Here, though, we see Anna’s family and her roots, her struggle to adjust to her new reality, the invasiveness of the paparazzi, the need to always be “on”, and it makes her feel relatable, even if the day-to-day of her life — with stylists and gowns and borrowed jewels — feels like something from another world.

The books in The Wedding Date series are all loosely connected, but don’t worry if you haven’t read the others. Familiar characters show up, and you’ll be happy to see them if you know who they are, but it’s not at all crucial to know their backstories in order to enjoy While We Were Dating (or any of the other book in the series.) Each book focuses on a new romantic pairing and can stand on its own just fine.

If you’re a fan of Jasmine Guillory’s books, you’ll definitely want to read this one as well. Even if you’re new to this author, this would make a great pick for beach or poolside reading.

Yay I love books set in the Bay Area. I lived in SF, currently live in the East Bay and grew up in the North Bay. I totally related to all the lingo lol esp when he jumped on the muni in the beginning, I'm like is he in SF?

This book was so what I needed this week! And I have been collecting Jasmine's books but like all of us buy books and put them on my shelf and take pictures. I need to read all of them if they are little treasures of stories like this was.

The representation of mental health and how normal anxiety, therapy, just needing someone to help process overwhelming things in our life is wonderful. And the insight that you are never "cured" you learn coping and processing but you don't have to be perfect. There is such a stigma but it should be normal and not be something people judge.

I loved that they both eventually noticed eachothers weaknesses and what they thought was their own weakness the other thought was a strength.

And wow the steam🔥🔥 they just could not get enough of eachother!!! So so steamy! Loved it! 🔥🔥

What started as a casual relationship, then a fake relationship, can it become more?

I just loved so much about this story!

Thank you berkley romance and net galley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

I'm a huge Jasmine Guillory fan--I've been reading her books since The Wedding Date was first released and own the complete collection. After two or three books, they began to get a little redundant and then, BAM, Party of Two blew me away and became my favorite of the set, reinvigorating the series. Unfortunately, While We Were Dating does not bring the same freshness that its predecessor did, and instead feels like a redux of previous novels with a celebrity element tossed in.

I think also contributing to my meh feeling about this book is my distaste for the hero. He's pretty much an admitted player who out of luck ends up with a hot, rich, famous actress. Like OF COURSE she's the one he finally learns to commit for. Just doesn't seem fair. And while would definitely happen in real life, I don't read romance to be grounded in reality. I think this book would have been more fun with a slightly more awkward hero. More hot professor and less charming playboy, you know?

It's still a good read, and feels extremely ~Jasmine Guillory~. She has an unmistakable voice that's easy to pick from a crowd, and it's entertaining and well-done. Just not her best work.

I should also note that, imo, this book was *significantly* steamier than her previous books. For some readers, this might be a positive, for others, a negative, but for me it just felt like it replaced plot. You know the saying about people swearing because they can't think of better ways to express themselves? Well... yeah... got those vibes here. And that is part of the plot in a way; our hero has some emotional baggage and deflects with intimacy. But it just read lazy on paper.

CW/TW: fatshaming, anxiety, long-lost sibling

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 6/10