While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory
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Web ID: 16837029Good, but not for me; didn’t grab my interest
As much as I love the chemistry between the two main characters and the impromptu Palm Springs drive scene, the sex scenes were poorly written and made me cringe, and the male romance interest was a little too plain and saccharine sweet. I also agree w/ other reviewers that it was too slow a pace and the plot really didn’t go anywhere. I love that there’s talk about how awful Hollywood is, being a black actress and the hate they get, and the aspect on mental health, but I saw many things worded weirdly, I felt like it needed a 2nd proofread. Overall, it just didn’t grab my attention like an Ali Hazelwood novel would, but I would recommend to a VERY CASUAL or OLDER romance reader.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Enjoyed it!
I loved the characters on this one. You can feel the care and sense of community between them all, and as diverse characters, that felt special to read. Some of the character’s lines felt corny at times, but the entertaining story more than made up for it. It touched on so many different levels between mental health, family, career ambition, romance, therapy, growth, and accountability and so much more, it truly just felt great to continue reading it!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Not my favorite but still good!
Howdy! This week I read Jasmine Guillory’s newest in The Wedding Date series: While We Were Dating. The more Jasmine Guillory I read, the more disillusioned I become with its quality. I enjoyed While We Were Dating, but it didn’t blow others out of the water. Anna Gardiner is on a mission to get herself back to the Oscars. After a year facing anxiety and panic attacks, she’s getting back on the horse with an advertising campaign led by Ben Stephens, a sweet and funny flirt who also happily drives celebrities hundreds of miles in a family crisis. Their flirtation quickly blossoms into friendship and hookups. When her manager catches their chemistry, he suggests a plan to help Anna launch back into stardom: the two should fake date in the months leading up to a huge movie premiere that will heavily influence the future of her career. It’s just what Anna needs…and maybe Ben is, too. I have to say, I noticed last night that there were a lot of times where I genuinely laughed, like it was just too funny to keep inside, or how often I smiled at how sticky sweet the dialogue was. With the exception of Royal Holiday (review here, I’m sure you’ve all picked up how much I hate this one), this is what Guillory excels at: her characters are real, and feel real to the reader. Their emotions are accurate, not overstated. Their problems are legitimate. This book, in spite of being about celebrities, is genuine, grounded in reality, and lovely to read. Like I said, it just didn’t blow me away is all. It’s a fun story! I love the de-stigmatization of mental health issues, and the healthy relationship behavior displayed throughout this book, too: too often you read romance and there’s at least one really problematic element that just makes you cringe, but Guillory is so good at covering all her bases. Even when behavior is unhealthy, her characters call it out and change. Their growth throughout the book makes the romance stronger, and their story feel more real. I love it. It feels grounded in truth and actual experiences even when the story is fantastical and whimsical like this one; for example, Guillory writes Anna with anxiety in this book. Her panic attacks sound like real panic attacks to me, a haver of panic attacks, lol. Her responses to the way people treat her in regards to her mental health also sound like real responses. I have a whole other level of appreciation for romance books where the characters have lives outside of their loves lives, and Guillory nails that time and time again. Ben and Anna both have their own set of issues that they’re working through, but it’s clear throughout that they’re stronger together, and make better decisions when they have each other to reflect with. Even with that sticky sweet dialogue that made me smile as I cringed, I also must say that Anna and Ben’s chemistry was cute and didn’t feel forced. They have an easygoing friendship from the start, in part because of the way they both interact with other people. They’re both open and friendly, so there’s never any ice to break. They’re both very warm characters, and their dialogue was fun and humorous. I liked them both a lot (maybe not as much as Nik and Carlos, or Maddie and Theo, but quite a bit). The more I write, the more I realize I just don’t have anything bad to say. It’s not a bad book! It’s just not my favorite. I don’t know if I love Guillory’s books as much as I used to, but after reflecting on my reading experience I still couldn’t tell you exactly why that is. Any other readers who have been around since the beginning starting to feel that way, or is it just me? Nothing wrong with tastes changing, I just couldn’t tell you exactly what it is that changed for me. I still like and recommend Guillory’s works. But I’m not knocking down the library door to read them anymore. You know? So I feel comfortable giving While We Were Dating just 3.5 stars. Didn’t love it, definitely didn’t hate it. Would I recommend? Maybe. Depends on whether you’re a casual romance reader or if you’re like neck deep in all these new releases and new authors now like I am. I’ll let you make that call. Happy reading friends.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Not Great
I didn't really get into this story. The characters didn't feel like real people, or as if they had fully developed personalities I as a reader could invest in. The dialogue consisted of mainly buzzwords and even with so much written down, I felt the character development (and the establishment!!) wasn't getting anywhere -- even the side characters felt a little bit like hollow shells I do appreciate making the main character a strong female lead and the characters being POC, but again, it kind of felt like this book was forced. There are other books that have these factors that do a much better job of carrying out the plot and doing characters justice. The plot doesn't actually develop, and I got halfway through the book before anything really substantial happened and (even then it was a letdown). Overall, it was boring. It's disappointing, too, as I was excited to read this after hearing good things about it. On paper, this seems like the story could go well, but it just wasn't executed in a way to hold my attention.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Lacked chemistry
This is book 6 of the Wedding Date series, though only the third I’ve read. Each stands strong on its own, so you really can jump in anywhere. Anna is a fresh-faced, rising star in Hollywood. Now what she really needs is to create a buzz around herself to land the next “big part.” What better way than with a steamy, scandalous romance. Only she doesn’t have a boyfriend. Well…not exactly. Ben is heading up an advertising campaign featuring Anna. She’s certainly caught his eye. And not just as an up-and-coming actress. But Ben has serious doubts whether a star-like Anna could ever be truly interested in a regular guy like him. Well, the attraction is there in spades! So, what’s to lose? Why not use this unique opportunity to “create a relationship” and let the world know the two are in love! Ben is all in! But what happens when they don’t need to pretend for the public eye anymore? Will they continue on together or go their separate ways? I’m a bit hit and miss with this series. This one missed the mark just a bit. I wanted more from Anna and didn’t quite feel the chemistry develop between the two characters. Jasmine Guillory touches on some serious topics to this read, including the mental health of our leading lady as she battles anxiety issues. I thought that aspect was handled very well. A buddy read with Susanne. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Multicultural Romance and so much more!
Ben Stephens is stoked! His boss told him he's the lead on a major ad campaign featuring beautiful, alluring actress Anna Gardiner. Anna is stoked, too! She loves Ben's presentation and insists he be the lead during filming. Ben can't believe his luck! Flirting becomes the name of the game between these two. Ben didn't expect to be so attracted to Anna. Anna didn't expect to be so distracted by Ben. It's a good thing both believe it wise to keep it professional and mixing business with pleasure isn't always the best choice. Right!? Ben has never been interested in a serious relationship and Anna's main focus is building her exposure as an actress. Ben has plenty of family drama and an advertising career to focus on. Anna has an Oscar in mind, for goodness sake! Ben knows Anna is gorgeous but soon discovers she's kind and down to earth. Anna knows Ben is handsome but it takes her by surprise when he doesn't hesitate to help her through a family crisis. They begin telling each other secrets they've never told anyone. Ben's & Anna's relationship develops quickly and sparks begin to fly. Fireworks, baby! What starts as an attraction suddenly morphs into something very different. A commitment neither one of them expected. Will these two be happy with how it all plays out? This book focuses primarily on the two main characters. Yes, there are side stories but the bulk of this story concerns Ben & Anna and I love that! It's hot and sizzling! Oh yeah! It's very steamy multiple times in this book! There is so much more to this book that appeals to me. When you read a Romance, don't you want some tooth to it? Some socially relevant topics? Well, this book has that. Discussions about mental health issues specific to anxiety. Encouragement of counseling and benefits of therapy. A curvaceous woman who learns to love her body in spite of pressures to be something different. Love of family! Both Ben and Anna have strong family connections that sustain them! All important stuff, folks! Two benefits of this series: - There are reoccurring characters popping up intermittently in this series. - All books are stand-alone so you can read this series in any order you like. How great is that? Jasmine Guillory simply makes reading her books a fun experience. Now I know why this author has such a committed following! I'll be reading all of them. Yes, this was my first book and it won't be my last! I highly recommend this book to readers who love Romance and especially those who appreciate important topics within the story! Thank you to Elisha at Berkley for a widget of this ARC through NetGalley. It has been my pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
What a cute story!
Thank you @prhaudio for the complimentary audiobook in exchange of my honest opinion. This was my first Jasmine Guillory’s book and oh boy! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Two people falling for each other, pretending not to, with hot chemistry and sweet banter, what’s not to love about this gem! After listening to the audiobook, I learned that it’s part of wedding date series but it can totally be read as a stand alone without loosing or missing out on any fun! Narrator Janina Edwards voice was very crisp, easy to understand and clear. She kept the story interesting. If you want to be swept up in dreamy romance feel good book, do not look any further. This is your perfect summer read that releases on July 13!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Fake boyfriend to real love
While We Were Dating is a great page turner of a book. Anna and Ben's story begins with a very unexpected meeting and the story then has many unexpected twists and turns. I liked how they dealt with stress, anxiety, and unexpected things happening in their lives.. I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy watching two people fall in love who don't realize what is happening to them. The book also introduces us to the wonderful people who are in Ben and Anna's orbit.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com