A sweet romance with a modern, believable fake-dating story and a HFN. Does not have to be read in series order.

I enjoyed all the insider details about the ad and movie industries. Readers who like historical romances for the period detail will likely enjoy this for the immersive info.

The hero was a little too perfect for me, but what a great guy.

Recommended for contemporary romance and rom-com readers, and a good place to start with this author.

A fun, breezy read that will please fans of Jasmine Guillory's past offerings. A great summer book which offers some escapism for those keeping close to home.

Absolutely charming conclusion to the world that Jasmine Guillory has created. A plus sized movie star, reminiscent of a Queen Latifah falling for an ad exec, seemed like the perfect formula for some of the steamiest work that Guillory has done. I hate to see the "world" of Ben, Theo, Oliva, Alex and Maddie end, but it will be the new beginning for Guillory as she has shown she is the queen of rom-coms set in her beloved California.

Some of the pacing was slow but often Guillory gets into pockets of really slow pacing that throws off the reader. But overall, excellent.

Also, she makes me so hungry when I read her books. LOL I hope one day she comes out with a cookbook featuring all the foodie things from her novels.

I always enjoy books by Jasmine Guillory, and this one was no exception! It was a perfect vacation read! Ben and Anna had such a fun spark from the get go, and it was wonderful to watch their relationship evolve and develop. I also really appreciated how Guillory addressed the topics of mental health and therapy, and how people of color deal with racism and microaggressions in their careers and respective industries. And it was so fun to see Theo and Maddie again!

A spicy and nuanced romance with a dash of Hollywood flair, this book made me want to revisit all Guillory's novels!

Jasmine Guillory has done it again. I really enjoyed this book, and I loved how h*rny the couple were for each other. This is another one-seating read. It was refreshing to see the characters communicate and admit mistakes. Definitely recommend.

This was so good! Jasmine Guillory gets better with every book, I swear. There was a bit toward the end that felt unrealistic to me; but mostly I adored it. And it made me laugh out loud several times -- Ben is too funny.

Another great read from Jasmine Guillory. I love the way she interweaves real world issues with great banter and great chemistry. I also enjoy the way the books can really be read in any order, but that some old fan faves pop up as little Easter eggs. Can't wait to see where she goes next.

Ben works for an ad agency and is chosen to be the head of a campaign staring Anna Gardiner. Soon they find themselves sitting next to each other. Ben finds himself driving Anna to from San Francisco to Palm Springs when her dad ends up in the ER. The trip requires them to spend the night in a hotel only the hotel only has one bed which they end up falling into bed.

We also get glimpses of Theo and Maddie along with Carlos and Nik!

Jasmine Guillory's books are always stellar in terms of both their characters and the head-on way that they tackle real, relatable issues. 'While We Were Dating' is no exception, bringing in a new set of characters to Guillory's ever-expanding connected universe. This time, it's Ben (the brother of Theo from 'The Wedding Party') and Anna, a stylish, up-and-coming actress who's dealing with her own issues as she works on a new project.

Think 'Notting Hill' but circa 2021, with social media, mental health, and the racial biases of Hollywood all making appearances and tinging the characters' lives. Both Ben and Anna talk about their struggles with anxiety and other mental health issues - there are even scenes set in therapy. It's also refreshing that the media isn't presented as a monolithic villain; rather, the whole celebrity complex is what's criticized here.

And, of course, it's just a fun, light, bright love story. Ben and Anna have a wonderful chemistry, and they're super easy to root for the whole time. It's another reread-worthy romance for sure!

Jasmine Guillory does it again! Another fun book with great characters whose chemistry and wittiness does not disappoint. I can never read her books fast enough and then I'm always sad when I finish it. Loved this one and can't wait to read.more buy her.

I have enjoy reading Jasmine Guillory books from the very beginning and been charmed by the characters she creates.

While We Were Dating took me a while to get through. I could put it down. I started to get into this book toward the middle when Ben began expressing how he really felt about the fake boyfriend scheme. At this point I got a bit more invested into Ben and Anna’s relationship.

I liked the conversations about therapy and seeking help for mental health concerns. Sharing these experiences helps to take away the stigma surrounding accessing mental health services. I wished there was more time spend on Ben’s family issues which could have allowed more insight on how his therapy helped him.

In my opinion While We Were Dating is not Guillory’s best book but it is still well done.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to what has quickly become one of my favorite romance novels! I love that Jasmine gives these characters so much depth and normalizes mental health struggles, therapy, body positivity, and consent. Truly a delight to read.

This was SO GOOD. I really liked it a lot. Ben and Anna were both really great characters to get to know. I admit, it's been a while since I read the other books, so when I started reading it, I couldn't QUITE remember how Ben was connected to the world. (Sometimes I think all romance books should come with a relationship/book friendship/relationship/related to which character tree)... it came back to me though. It also made me want to reread The Wedding Party. I thought Anna's relationship with the paparazzi was very interesting. It's real, but it's fake. It's staged some of the time. I was also really interested in Ben. Once I remembered him, albeit through Theo's eyes, I thought it was interesting to see how he changed. The whole time I was reading it, I kept hoping that he would tell his brother about <spoiler> the email from their half sister </spoiler> and I was glad when he finally did. I also really liked how this book talked about therapy. You get to go with Ben to his therapist, and you hear how Anna worked with hers. I feel like it helps to normalize something we should all know and that is that mental health is health. I definitely recommend this one and I can't wait for more from Jasmine Guillory.

When Ben’s advertising company lands a huge cell phone gig, they employ the beautiful actress, Anna Gardiner, to be their spokesperson. After the pitch Ben presents, Anna decides that she’ll only do the ad if Ben leads the project. When Anna experiences a family emergency and Ben drives her to her family, they bond effortlessly in the car. What occurs after is a fake-dating trope where Anna uses Ben to boost her fame, but will they be okay after their relationship is over?
Written with wit and great comedic timing, Guillory has brought back some of our favorite characters for another story. Fans will fall for this couple quickly.

We follow Ben and Anna as they begin as colleagues and end as lovers in this sweet and steamy romance by Jasmine Guillory. Anna Gardiner is an up and coming actress trying to make a name for herself, and when Ben swoops in to help her in a family emergency, they become close quickly. But as with anything in Hollywood, will their romance last?

While We Were Dating is book 6 in Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date series. Reading this contemporary romance is like being cuddled in a cashmere robe while eating something decadent and chocolatey. It’s soft, warm, and comforting while also feeling indulgent.

Ben, Theo’s younger brother from earlier books, is trying to make a name for himself at an ad agency. He gets his chance at a meeting with a client for a commercial featuring rising Hollywood star, Anna Gardiner. Anna takes a shine to Ben during the meeting and insists that he be in charge during the commercial shoot.

Ben’s footloose and fancy-free, concentrating on his career. Anna’s got a detailed plan to get the plum role in a movie that she knows will get her an Oscar nom. Circumstances throw them together and undeniable chemistry does the rest.

Anna asks Ben to be her fake BF for the next few weeks so she can keep her name in the news and show the studio that she has the name recognition and star power to get that plum role. Ben agrees because who wouldn’t want to be pampered like a Hollywood star’s arm candy?

I loved the fauxmance to romance setup, the redeemed player storyline. This is a sweet but steamy contemporary romance with a thoroughly likable cast. Anna is a strong, talented Black woman determined to make it in an industry that favors white women. Ben is a charming cinnamon roll of a man, sexy, teasing and supportive. And the witty banter between Anna and Ben was sexy and sweet.

I enjoyed the cameos with characters from earlier books. I loved seeing a couple with such strong support from family and friends. That suitcase scene had me gigglesnorting!

Both Ben and Anna talk about therapy. A big ole YES to mental health issues and seeking help for them being normalized. Kudos, Jasmine Guillory! And for acknowledging that it’s a journey, not a one and done thing.
This book is so charming, steamy, upbeat, engaging, sexy and fun! I was incredibly sorry when I got to the last page – I wanted the story to keep going!
Perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert and Farrah Rochon.

When I was approved for this book on NetGalley, I was absolutely thrilled! Believe it or not, this is my first Jasmine Guillory book and I LOVED IT. I didn't feel like I was missing any details from the other books that came before this, but I am not more excited to read those books too! Can't wait to see this book be published in July!

I LOVE Jasmine Guillory's books. If you are looking for a wonderful, socially engaged romance, look no further! While all of Guillory's books are a delight, While We Were Dating, kicks it up a notch and hits all of my favorite romantic elements. Anna and Ben hooked me immediately and quickly became one of my favorite couples in Guillory's series (tied with Theo and Maddie from The Wedding Party!). While We Were Dating, like all of Guillory's novels, centers around two unique and complex characters. Anna is a Hollywood starlet recovering from a mental health crisis while trying to secure her place as a leading lady amidst a chorus of nay sayers doubting her main stream appeal (ie. her skin tone and body type). Ben is a marketer at a local advertising firm hired to work with Anna on a new cell phone campaign. From the moment they meet, to the end of the novel, Anna and Ben's chemistry sizzles on the page as they go from crushing on one another, to having a secret fling, to being in a public (albeit fake) relationship. While We Were Dating is a thoughtfully engaged romance novel that provides a nuanced depiction of what it means to deal with anxiety and depression as a part of everyday relationships, while celebrating many of the tropes romance readers love!

This is the 6th book in this series and like the first 5 books, this is a fun, sweet, palate cleanser. Each book features a couple/couple to be with guest appearances by others in previous books. I like that the author loosely ties these books together but they do not need to be read in order nor do any have to be read before reading the latest book.

These books feature characters doing all kinds of different things/jobs and I've enjoyed learning more about some of those things. Also, since the characters are African American, I've learned a lot about that culture (I'm white) and I see many stereotypes that I've heard about before that I now realize are just that, stereotypes. It's refreshing to see people of a different culture portrayed with the same kinds of problems that we all have.

This book was fun, interesting (characters came from completely different worlds) and brought back two of my favorite characters from a prior book. All the books in this series are formulaic but that is what makes them so good and successful. They are all about strong women, women wanting a successful career and wanting to love and be loved and not lose themselves in the process. I don't know if there are more coming in this series but I will definitely read every one that this author writes.