Omg! This book was amazing from beginning to end. I loved it! Jasmine has definitely out done herself with this entire series. With the Wedding Date being my absolute favorite I think Ben and Anna is completely equal to that book. After meeting Ben in the Wedding Party I was definitely excited for him to get his own story. After all I loved his brother Theo. The instant attraction between him and Anna was seemless while he spearheaded the ad campaign in which stars Anna Gardiner. Along the way while cultivating a new friendship they agreed to a fake relationship in order to catapult Anna’s career. It just so happens in the grand scheme of things faking it was actually laying the foundation for their amazingly beautiful budding romance. Mental health is definitely an topic that many shy away from but Jasmine handle the subject matter with so much care but also brought some awareness to the illness especially as it regard people in the black community A+. This book was also very steamy compared to the others and I propose enjoyed that the most because it made the story more real and relatable. Definitely swoon worthy and I will have a book hangover. Five stars all the way. I would recommend this book to all my romance readers this is a good one.

I absolutely devoured this steamy romance novel. It was such a great fake to real relationship trope. I honestly found myself blushing during parts of this book. It reminded me a little of the Friends episode where Joey finds Rachels’s book she has hidden under her pillow.
The book was very fast paced and the characters are well developed!

Synopsis:

Ann Gardiner is the type of celebrity who goes after what she wants. She likes to control the narrative. When a tech company casts her for one of their advertisements she makes sure she gets a say in what advertising firm will land the account. She chooses the firm with the hot young executive named Ben. She liked his ideas and she sensed a spark between them.

This is Ben’s big break. The other people on his team are stuck in traffic so he gets to take the lead on this pitch. He doesn’t let Anna’s star power knock him off his game. When his firm is chosen it’s on the condition that Ben be the lead man on the project. Ben can’t complain not only does he get to prove his worth but he gets to work with Anna Gardiner, superstar celebrity.

Told from both perspectives the reader gets and inside look at the relationship from both sides. Sparks fly between them immediately. Not only is there a physical attraction but they both understand the other issues they are dealing with. It seems they bring out the best in each other. Anna’s trying to prove her star power to land a new movie. Her manager hatches a plan for her and Ben to have a fake relationship that will give her some buzz in the Hollywood press. Will this land Ann her dream part? Will she and Ben call it quits when the charade is up or do they have some unfinished business?

At times I felt both characters were a little shallow. Anna worrying too much about the press and her appearances to the public. Ben was at times too focused on sex. I enjoyed when their vulnerable sides were shown and they were authentic with one another. This is only the second Jasmine Guilroy book I’ve read in her Wedding Date series but I am definitely wanting to go back and read the rest.

I really enjoyed this story, and Jasmine Guillory has become such a reliable romance author. This is within the Wedding Date universe, so we get appearances from plenty of previous characters and their relationships, which is always fun. I loved the Hollywood behind-the-scenes stories in this one, and Anna's struggles with anxiety and the normalization of therapy in this book are really excellently done. Ben is also a great main character as he deals with his own history and complex feelings about relationships.

I enjoyed this book overall. I appreciate that the lead character had anxiety and the way that Guillory wrote about it, for me was very relatable. I have to admit though that I was not a huge fan of Anna and Ben’s relationship dynamic. I get that Anna was a beautiful celebrity that Ben was completely taken with, but it just did not feel like a relationship that in the normal world would have naturally progressed as it did. I know that sounds weird, because this is fiction, however, I was expecting a little more based on her previous books.

While We Were Dating is the sixth book into the Wedding Date series by Jasmine Guillory. This contemporary romance novel is a fast lighthearted read. This book features Ben Stephens, Theo’s younger brother, who meets Anna, a famous actress, and end up from secret dating to fake dating. Overall, this was decent read for me. One of of the strongest points in this book was mental health representation. I love the Bay Area and Palm Springs setting in this novel. I also liked that Theo and Maddie from The Wedding Party popped in the background and so did Nic and Carlos from The Proposal. The part that didn’t work for me was the conflict in this book which seemed trivial. There also a couple of California logistics that I was hung up on while reading. If you like the wedding date series, you may want to pick this up.

Love everything Jasmine touches, everytime she expands her rom-com world.. I am in. All the feels, black people in love brings me joy.

I received a gifted galley of WHILE WE WERE DATING by Jasmine Guillory for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

WHILE WE WERE DATING is book six in the author’s The Wedding Date series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone. Ben Stephens is a young man who hasn’t gone in for long term relationships. He’s also not the most reliable when it comes to timelines, but when a travel snafu has him making the big pitch for a new advertising campaign, he blows the star Anna Gardiner away.

Ben is instantly drawn to Anna, an true Hollywood star with big dreams of Oscar contention. The pair connect well and soon are enjoying a friendship and a lot more even though neither feels mixing business with pleasure is a great idea. Boundaries between friendship and romance get even more crossed when Anna’s manager suggests a bit of fake dating to get Anna into the papers.

overall enjoyed this read! I especially appreciated the mental heath representation it provides. Anna is dealing with anxiety that can be crippling at times and Ben also is in therapy. I love how normalizing this is!

I have read two of the previous books in the series, but I really enjoy that the author makes these books interconnected, but in such a way that you don’t feel you’ve missed out if you haven’t read the prior books. I did recognize a couple characters, but there may also have been some I never knew where in another book.

I struggled a bit here or there with situations where the plot needed some setup that felt a bit forced to me. Ben’s entire team missed the meeting because someone with knowledge of California thought flying into eternally foggy San Francisco was a good idea? The idea of bringing a fake dating trope into an already somewhat dating relationship also felt a bit awkward to me. But those details aside, I did think it was a fun read.

I love this series, and Ben and Anna were a perfect addition! While I was so happy to see past couples, these two kept the spotlight on them. Ben is just pretty much perfect, but not quite, which is just what I want in a hero. Anna is so strong, brave, and wonderful and Inloved how her storyline was so relatable! A great love story, and great book!

Another solid entry in Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Party romance universe. This one features Ben Stephens, the brother of Theo from The Wedding Party. As always, there is good writing, great sex, and wonderful diversity.

However, I'd really like one of the many queer side characters to be the protagonist in the next book. Perhaps Penny and Nina will meet and sparks will fly...

I really enjoyed this contemporary romance featuring Anna who is an actress and Ben who works at an advertising agency. I liked their meet cute where Anna surprises Ben by showing up in the middle of his advertising pitch.

Anna and Ben have amazing chemistry and I loved the steamy scenes and fun banter.

This is the sixth book in the Wedding Date series, but I didn’t feel like I was missing out by not having read the entire series.

This was such a cute and easy contemporary romance. . . with actually a very intense and important undertone. It was also my first Jasmine Guillory!

We follow Ben, an ad campaign executive, and Anna, an upcoming and successful actress, in Hollywood when their paths cross during a high-profile, cell phone ad campaign. They hit it off pretty quickly and start finding more and more ways to be around each other as they fall in love (or do they?!) and live life in Hollywood. Told from both of their points of view, Guillory takes us on an unexpected journey of finding love, coping and dealing with anxiety, and ultimately, being true to yourself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read! I love that while the romance was fun, vibrant, and meaningful, it was also layered with important topics such as positive self-image, body positivity, anxiety awareness and therapy advocation, racial disparities, and more. I loved the strong familial ties, the constant validation of feelings among characters, and just the overall fun atmosphere and energy of the book! Anna and Ben together are just incredibly swoon-worthy, too!

This was a fantastic rom-com from Jasmine Guillory that peeks behind the Hollywood curtain. I love how nuanced her characters always are, and Ben and Anna are no exception. The chemistry between these two just flies off the page, but between shocking life curveballs and mental health woes, their relationship is anything but easy (even if it IS easy in the bedroom). I loved seeing both Ben and Anna working through their issues thoughtfully and realistically, and the moments between them are just oh-so-sweet.

A well done romance novel by Jasmine Guilory. I loved the characters of Anna and Ben and enjoyed watching their story unfold. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

Ben works in advertising and lands a HUGE career changing campaign featuring actress Anna Gardiner. There is an instant attraction between the two, but neither of them has any interest in dating anyone at all. But a little shameless flirting never hurt anyone, right? When Ben helps Anna with a family emergency, the two become closer and their flirting turns into something more. Eventually, they pretend to date to help Anna’s career, but what will happen when their deal is up?

Jasmine Guillory’s books make me SO happy and this was no exception. I love the strong female characters she creates. I love the cameos of characters from her previous books. And I LOVED that these characters openly discuss mental health issues and therapy from the beginning. As with all of Guillory’s books this one is very steamy, it has some laugh out loud moments (the suitcase scene anyone?), and the sweetest love story. What else can I say other than I loved this book!

Thank you to Berkley and Let’s Talk Books Promo for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

You can set your watch by Jasmine Guillory. Everything she writes is just solid. This book features Ben - brother to Theo from several earlier books - a former backup dancer turned marketing/advertising dude and Tinder hit it and quit it type and Anna, a movie star who ends up being the talent for a campaign that Ben lands. They flirt and eventually start hooking up with the idea that it will be a temporary fling. But Anna's manager decides that being seen with someone will be good for her career (she's been out of the public eye for a while due to some serious anxiety that she is still working through in this book), and he convinces her to string Ben along for a fake relationship. She genuinely likes Ben as a person, so she tells him what's up and he decides to play along. Of course, this is a contemporary romance novel, so things get complicated but then uncomplicated. The only minor issue I had with this was that it wrapped up way too quickly. Like, when the resolution started happening, my Kindle told me I had 8 minutes left in the book. I would have liked to see that drawn out a bit more to feel more realistic, but overall a great read.

While We Were Dating is the sixth book in The Wedding Date series. For some reason this is the only series that I've read out of order. I started with book #2, The Proposal and this was my second of the series.

Ben works in ad campaigns and Anna is an actress. They instantly have chemistry when Anna is to be the lead in a campaign Ben is pitching. An instant attraction tempts them to have a fling while working together. Will their fling turn into a publicity stunt to boost Anna's career or will it be happily ever after?

A few of my favorites things about this book were:
- The focus on mental health. Ben goes to therapy regularly and Anna has been working through panic attacks/anxiety over the last year or so. Ben talks about therapy really openly, there is never any judgement, and he's never afraid to ask the hard questions; whereas Anna is still living in a world where it's something to be embarrassed about. They way they connect, come to an understanding, and push each other relating to mental health is perfect!
- The relationships Ben and Anna have with their family. I loved Ben and Theo together, their closeness especially when they are very different personalities from one another. I also loved Anna and her pretty distant yet close relationship with her brother. The sibling relationships have different dynamics but are both super relatable.
- The call outs of how black, normal sized (non stick figure) women are mistreated and discriminated against in Hollywood. Ridiculous!

Jasmine Guillory has a way of bringing humor and heat to her books! I loved the added issues touched on in this one to go along with that steam and cute and fun banter. I'm excited to read the rest of the earlier books in this series!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Need a break from reality? May I present the newest Jasmine Guillory title–a Hollywood romance between a burgeoning star, an ad exec, and a great “fake dating” scheme that goes…exactly how it always does. Plus, there’s a character with anxiety, men who go to therapy, a looming sibling you never knew existed, and two men carrying an Oscar nominee in a jumbo suitcase. Why not, right?

Anna is a star on the rise–a plus size, gorgeous woman trying to recement her career after a previous Oscar nomination and then a sort of spiral into anxiety. She’s the newest face of an ad campaign that Ben, a former backup dancer, happens to be helping with. They hit it off immediately, sparks fly, and Ben ends up driving Anna to Palm Springs–a multi hour drive–to see her Dad when he falls ill, cementing him as a Good Guy. Of course, sparks fly, and things get ~complicated~ when Anna’s manager decides they should fake date to help Anna get some good press. We all know how fake dating goes..but in Hollywood? Oof.

I did enjoy this book well-enough while I was reading it. Like…it is what it is. It’s not going to win any awards. It’s not going to change your life.It’s an interesting romance with some sexy scenes and drama and wholesome heartwarming moments. But…the character of Ben felt a little underdeveloped. The secret sibling email thing made….no sense, plot wise, unless it’s just to give us the next character to follow in the series. But you know what..that’s fine. I don’t expect life changing work from Jasmine Guillory, just a good time. And this was a good time.

While We Were Dating is on sale everywhere July 13, 2021.

What happens when your secret fling with a movie star is thrust into the spotlight for media attention promoting her newest release? Emotions get all tangled up, that's what.
Ben meets movie star Anna Gardnier in the campaign he is running and there is an instant connection between the two of them. Of course Ben knows who Anna is, but what he doesn't expect is for her to be so down to earth. The minute they have a conversation, he is instantly drawn to her personalilty.
Anna has been suffering from anxiety for the last year. With her ailing father and her career, she just hasn't had time for opening up to anyone. One night after Ben helps Anna with a family emergency, she decides that it's time she rip the band aid off and get back out into the world. She starts a fling with Ben, but knows it can't be anything more because they are working together.
Her manager catches them together and thinks it will be just what they need to promote the new movie she has coming out. So Anna and Ben embark on a relationship for the public, but still keep up the fling on the side and definitely break it off after the premiere. They will absolutely not catch feelings, famous last words right?
I really enjoyed this light romance read. It had deeper plot lines but they didn't feel overly angsty and I loved the dynamic between these two characters that were so seemingly different, yet so similar.
Thank you to Berkely, Netgalley and Jasmine Guillory for an early copy of this book.

Ahhh, this was such a sweet book! I loved that it was semi-set in the advertising world (my world, ha). I also really love where Jasmine sets her books (location wise). I'm a sucker for faux dating so this was right up my alley. I was actually surprised when he was so up for being in that faux relationship, BUT then was upset that he had been masking his anger. I did love how therapy came into play and really, really enjoyed the Theo/Maddie cameos since I loved their book as well. Is this the last book in this series???

I will completely admit Jasmine Guillory did not start out as my favorite romance, but her recent books have proved that she is a romance queen and I am here for it!

While We Were Dating follows marketing guy Ben as she navigates a weird and thrilling situation with leading Hollywood star. Anna Gardiner. What starts out as innocent flirting on set quickly turns to both falling for each other after a scary turn of events.

I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. Sometimes it's nice to read a book where the plot just kinda unfolds quickly and in random areas and I think this did that justice. The steam came early, they established feelings early and it worked!

Also, representation matters and this book did it. A diverse cast of characters, mental illness awareness, family struggles...it had it all!

This book was refreshing and a perfect summer read!