I wanted to enjoy this one, especially since it's the first of Guillory's to feature two women pursuing a romance, but my issues with it were mostly along the lines of what other reviewers have cited — underdeveloped characters, stilted writing, and difficulty discerning between their POVs, to the point where I hadn't worked out who Taylor vs. Avery was supposed to be until around 20% into the book. I wanted deeper introspection, especially from Taylor's side of things since she's intended to be somewhat relationship-phobic, but a lot of the biggest emotional moments fell short of being as satisfying as they could've been.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first sapphic romance and I enjoyed it very much! I love anything Jasmine writes and this was no exception. I loved watching Avery's awakening and her learning to trust herself and her choices after a break-up. I also loved watching Taylor lead her into being herself and trusting the beauty of who she is to attract people (and ultimately Taylor) into her life. There were some places in the story that dragged a bit and I would have enjoyed a little more conflict but ultimately the story was lovely. The characters were well-developed and the love scenes were perfectly steamy. I am glad I was able to read this advanced copy, I'm not sure I would have read it otherwise and its a great story that will stay with me!

I have really enjoyed Jasmine Guillory's books in the past, but found this one a little thin. I didn't feel like there was any conflict, like why can't they actually date? Fun, flirtatious Taylor is going to take uptight Avery under her wing to teach her how to flirt. They accomplish this by basically going on dates, but they're not dating. There's a low-stakes bet with Taylor's friend that Taylor can stay celibate for a while. It all seemed contrived.

A rare miss from Guillory.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley, opinions my own.

Jasmine Guillory’s Flirting Lessons explores love and self-discovery through Avery, newly single and exploring her attraction to women, and Taylor, a heartbreaker attempting a summer of celibacy. Set in the same universe as Drunk on Love, Guillory expands her world, reintroducing familiar faces and dynamics. I might have felt more connected to the characters if I’d read Drunk on Love first, but Avery, Taylor, and their relationship, needed more character development and depth for me.

As Guillory’s first queer romance, I was eager to fall in love with this book, but the sudden mid-page POV shifts caught me off guard and made the story feel disjointed. I often found myself confusing Avery and Taylor in the early chapters. Despite this, I appreciated the portrayal of female friendships in the book, particularly how they highlighted the challenges friends face and the ways they navigate them. My favorite subplot was Taylor’s evolving relationship with her best friend Erica, which beautifully captures the bittersweet reality of diverging life paths.

I have loved every book by Jasmine Guillory, starting with The Proposal! Flirting Lessons was a fun and cute read! I will always read anything Jasmine writes. Her romance novels are the best!

Jasmine Guillory once again proves that she is a master in writing characters who can both banter and also deeply care for another. Guillory is a staple in romance writing, and her first shot at writing queer romance was full of charm and character.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this novel. All opinions are honestly and my own.

I’ve been pretty vocal about my love for Jasmine Guillory books.

So, when I saw that she was coming out with a queer romance I was ECSTATIC.

Flirting Lessons takes place in the same world as Drunk on Love, but focuses on a new couple. You don’t NEED to read Drunk on Love to read Flirting Lessons, but I’d still recommend it.

Here’s the thing… I wanted to love this more than I did. I did LIKE it, but I didn’t LOVE it the way I anticipated. The story was a little slow for me, and while there was definitely attraction and the chemistry was fantastic, something felt missing. I don’t know if what we saw on the pages of the book convinced me that the couple was going to be in this for the long haul.

Overall, I’m glad I read it. I’d recommend it. And I’ll continue to read Jasmine Guillory books as fast as she’s able to produce them. it’s just not my favorite Guillory novel.

SUGGESTED SNACK PAIRING: zucchini bread

"Zucchini bread the perfect thing to make when you have a ton of zucchini and you want to learn how to bake. Plus, I have a great recipe. Come over to my place and we can snack and bake and debrief, which you know I've been dying to do for the past two hours."

Triggers: sexual content, miscarriage, pregnancy

This didn't entirely work for me, but the parts that I liked were very cute. I do love to see the author branching out into queer romance!

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory was such a fun, feel-good read! The story’s a mix of romance and self-discovery, and I loved how real the characters felt. The chemistry between the leads was on point, and their banter had me smiling the whole time. I especially appreciated how the book tackled themes like personal growth and navigating relationships in a way that felt fresh and relatable. It’s light, witty, and has that perfect balance of romance and humor. If you're in the mood for a sweet, breezy read, this one's a great pick!

Flirting Lessons was a sweet romance with plenty of charm and chemistry. The story started off a little slow but it really picked up and I found the MCs communication so healthy and refreshing. Overall a good pick if you appreciate a good friends to lovers romance.

Jasmine Guillory's romance novels are always a charming good time. The premise of a baby bisexual being taken under the wing of the biggest flirt in the Napa Valley is a fun one, especially when the banter and chemistry between Taylor and Avery is so strong. I hadn't read the first book in this new connected series but loved the work and friendship dynamics between everyone. I recommend this book for fans of Guillory. While it isn't my favorite of her works, I enjoyed Guillory's first LGBTQ+ romance and hope she writes and publishes more!

I am such a fan of Jasmine Guillory and was so excited to hear she was writing a queer romance. Having read it, I know this is not going to be one of my favorites of hers. The whole thing felt a little flimsy. The setting doesn’t do much to prop up the story and the setup to the titular “flirting lessons” didn’t have much charm for me. The chemistry was there between Avery and Taylor was there and I enjoyed their friendship as it turned romantic quite a bit. A quick and fun read but overall not super memorable.

While not my favorite Jasmine Guillory, this was a lovely bit of escapism! Folks who read Drunk in Love will find the beginning more engaging, but for a standalone, this book includes a lot of references to previous characters (mostly just at the start--some readers will love this, some may find it confusing). This will be released just in time to be featured on summer romance booklists for libraries, and included on displays with its clear, but also demure, cover.

I have loved Jasmine Guillory's previous books, but this one was not my favorite. I did read this one and have listened to her previous books, so perhaps that had something to do with it. Book seemed to light on plot for me. Would be a good purchase ofr libraries needing more lgbtq+ titles in their collection.

Since Jasmine Guillory published her debut novel, "The Wedding Date," in 2018, she has become a top seller in the romance genre, with girl-meets-boy books like "The Proposal" and "Drunk on Love" hitting the best-seller lists. So I was initially surprised when I realized that "Flirting Lessons" was a girl-meets-girl book. It's rare, but not unheard of, to see a romance author known for her straight love stories venturing into LGBTQ+ territory.

"Flirting Lessons" brings back Avery, love interest Luke's best friend in 2022's "Drunk on Love." Avery has recently broken up with her boyfriend, and decides she wants to try dating women; she's long felt attracted to them, but has never acted on her desires. Enter Taylor Cameron, who plays the part of the rake; she's a heartbreaker who is known for her short-term, no-strings relationships. Taylor takes Avery under her wing, promising to teach the shy and awkward woman to become a championship flirt. It seems like the perfect distraction for Taylor, who has made a bet with her friend Erica that she can remain celibate all summer long.

It's obvious that Avery and Taylor will eventually fall for each other, but I wasn't sure how it would happen; since Avery is a baby bisexual, would she sow her wild oats a bit first? The fact that she never does makes me worry a little bit about the future of her relationship with Taylor (this is Jasmine Guillory, you know going in that you'll get an HEA). Cat, the woman Avery flirts with at a pottery painting workshop, seemed nice! I did enjoy the chemistry of the two leads, though, as well as Taylor's somewhat fraught friendship with Erica, who is pregnant and has settled down with her wife. That leads to some conflict with Taylor, who secretly has a lot of self-doubt, covered up with charisma and bravado.

It'll be interesting to see how longtime Guillory fans react to her pivot to LGBTQ+ fiction, and whether or not the author will go back to male/female pairings next time around. Personally, I very much enjoyed this as a Guillory book, with all of the banter, sex and emotion I always expect from her novels.

A queer romance from my favorite romance author? Sign me up! Great story. Great spice level. Great characters.

Thank you for the early access. JASMINE GULLIROY forever! Keep me in wine country with sexy women going after what makes them happy. Come for the wine, stay for the delicious tension. SWOON.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f contemporary romance
-flirting lessons
-queer rep
-this is just a hookup

A lot of fun and it was so reat to revisit the winery again.

Another amazing read from Jasmine Guillory, with all her trademark wit and sweetness. Lots of laugh out loud moments and really detailed descriptions of setting, food, and spice.

I’ve loved all of Jasmine Guiory’s Napa valley world and this one was no exception. Avery is ready and willing to start saying women and lucky for her she gets lessons from Taylor. We ALL know how dating lessons go by now folks?! It’s a lovely combo of Avery making Taylor feel like she can be herself and Avery feeling more and more confident. The banter and chemistry is amazing as always!