Another brilliant Guillory book. Anna dn ben and their romance make for light hearted fun reading which is such a pleasant experience after this last year. Anna is a famous actress, Ben and ad exec, they meet when he has to step in to pitch for a series of ads in which she is the star. despite his initial attraction to her Ben feels she is out of his league but slowly they develop a friendship that turns into something else. when the ad campaign finishes Anna suggests that ben be her "boyfriend" for the press and here the inner machinations of Hollywood are revealed - are those "candid" shots really so random or is there a whole set of machinations behind them?? Inevitably real life feelings enter the equation...........
East read, fun. light, entertaining and perfect for the summer. A win all round

This is my first Jasmine Guillory book and I’ve heard good things about this author. However I found this book a bit meh. Might be because this is the sixth book in a series and I’ve not read any. The author’s writing style is good but nothing amazing, however the way she wrote about mental health is brilliant. Would still recommend as it’s a good romance novel.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

New to me author and series.

Why I haven’t read this series before I honestly don’t know. I loved every second of this story. 

I’m a huge fan of romance and celebrities and behind-the-scenes stories are always my go to jam. 

I loved the writing and how I just couldn’t stop reading page after page. The characters are so much more than I expected and all the difficulties of their fake relationship is so well done that my heart was full and I was grinning like an idiot in so many moments. 

I also loved the closure between the siblings and the support each one gets from their closed friends. 

And can we talk about the steamy scenes? Because those are pure fire and perfection. 

Perfect romance book for any bookworm. 

4.5 Hollywood stars

Arc review

4.5 stars

When I started While We Were Dating I went in pretty blank, because I didn’t really have any expectations. I’ve heard some great things about the other books in this series, so I was excited to try one myself. And I can tell you I am glad I read this book. Once I started reading I just couldn’t stop and I read it in just about one sitting. This book hit me in all the feels, but it did leave a big smile on my face.

Anna is a force to be reckoned with, but it’s clear she also has her flaws and I loved that. The fact that things weren’t always going well, but that she was fighting for herself to get control of her anxiety and to really go for everything she wanted was amazing to see. I loved how real she felt. Anna is becoming a confident woman who knows what she wants and she’s going to get it!

Ben is definitely on the book boyfriend list now. From what I understand he’s family of one of the characters in an earlier book. Ben was just amazing. I loved how hard he worked to get this right and at the very beginning when he finally gets his chance. There’s a lot more to him and he does know what he’s doing. He’s respectful, caring, protective and so much more, haha.

Okay, we can’t forget the romance. I loved the flirting, banter and how it built to everything happening. I have to say this book had more romantic steam than I was expecting! It was the perfect balance between, flirting, romance and just a little bit of “drama”. I loved them together and just needed them to be happy! I don’t want to get into too many details, because even though it’s a rom-com I think the reader should just experience it all for themselves.

Is While We Were Dating predictable? Yes! Does it matter? Not at all! This book is so much fun and I really think romance lovers could appreciate Anna and Ben’s story. I know I did! I have to say I wouldn’t mind more of these characters at all!

4.5 Stars

An irresistible contemporary tale that sparkles with wicked humour, witty banter, addictive emotional drama and heart-melting romance, Jasmine Guillory’s While We Were Dating is one of the summer’s must-reads.

Ben Stephens has always kept his personal and professional life separate, but when he lands a huge ad campaign starring the beautiful Anna Gardiner, Ben finds himself wondering whether he might just have to make an exception for her! Not only is Anna the most gorgeous woman he has ever clapped eyes on, but she is smart, funny, down to earth and somebody Ben simply cannot stop himself from thinking about. Ben intends to be professional at all times – even though he cannot help but wish that things could be different for him and Anna.

Anna Gardiner is on tenterhooks. She cannot wait to hear if she has managed to secure the role for a part she is absolutely desperate to play. Currently climbing the walls in anticipation, Anna hopes that her latest ad campaign will provide her with some much needed distraction. However, it soon transpires that Ben Stephens is an even bigger distraction! As the two of them find themselves getting closer with each passing day, Ben and Anna wonder whether they have the courage to take a leap of faith and act upon their feelings for one another…or whether they will let the obstacles standing in their way to come between them and dash any hope of a future together!

When Anna’s agent suggests that her career could enjoy a much-needed boost from her relationship with Ben, she finds herself wondering whether their love story will have a Hollywood ending or whether her leading man will flip the script and leave her all alone under the glare of the spotlight…

Jasmine Guillory’s While We Were Dating is contemporary romance gold! Funny, flirty and deliciously feel-good, While We Were Dating will keep readers absolutely riveted to the page as they find themselves falling head over heels in love with Ben and Anna. Full of charm, humour, wit and sass, While We Were Dating will make readers laugh and cry and take them on an emotional and uplifting journey they will not forget in a hurry.

Jasmine Guillory’s While We Were Dating is a top-notch romantic tale readers will thoroughly enjoy!

While we were Dating is a fake dating fall in love book, this was well written by Jasmine Guillory and my first by her as an author. I was pleasantly surprised at the book, and it had my favourite thing, a little bit of smut or steamy chapters.

The book follows Hollywood Actress Anna Gardiner and Ad Executive Ben Stephens as they navigate their blossoming relationship after meeting at work. The tension and chemistry is there right from the start but both have some hang-ups and can’t move forward until they have both dealt with that.

I did enjoy this read, it was super cute and as I mentioned I do love a fake dating trope thrown in. Both Ben and Anna are great characters, they both had some hidden depths and you got to see that as the book progressed. You also got to see the family and friends of both of the main characters support them and I love this in a book. That they have their own cheerleaders.

The book had a little bit of spice which I do love in a romance read. Jasmine Guillory wasn’t afraid of it either and the two were in my opinion well written. It to me makes the romance between the two a little more real, and you know us normal folk also have sexual relations and we like to know that are characters do as well.

I liked that Ben the main character knew that he needed to sort himself out. It’s mentioned that he goes to therapy and tries to deal with his issues, that includes him being left by his dad when he was younger and worrying that he will turn out like him. He is not afraid to show his feelings and let Anna know it either, I have to admire him for that.

Anna, I adore Anna as well. She has gone through a lot over the past year. She has suffered from Mental Health issues in the form of Anxiety and had to take a step back and find herself again. I liked how Guillory dealt with this in the book. It wasn’t just thrown in there to tick a box it was well thought out and I felt that it was dealt with in style.

As I mentioned the chemistry between Ben and Anna is there straight from the start. I liked that they hit it off straight away and both were able to express this with one another straight off. It made the interactions between the two more believable and I liked that Ben was considerate of Anna throughout the book.

Overall it was a really enjoyable read, I liked the characters, storyline and the level of romance in the book. This is the first Jasmine Guillory book I have read but it won’t be the last.

I had so much fun reading While we were Dating this was just such a great romance for me it has my favourite buzz word, the fake Dating trope but add in sharing a room a road trip, two great main characters and strong sibling bonds that I absolutely adored and I'm here for it. ( note to self read Theo and Maddie's story The Wedding Party!) I love how Jasmine Guillory has created spin offs with characters from the previous books I even spotted Nik and Carlos ftom The Proposal in here, The Wedding Date is definitely still my favourite if the series but this definitely isn't far behind it.

While this book is a romance and has some perfectly steamy moments it also deals with anxiety, mental health and body positivity which I loved, seeing the characters work through things together and bonding was just super sweet and Ben was just a total gem in this and Anna was a Queen they made such a great duo. Another fantastic instalment in this romance series.

This was such a great quick romance read that will leave you wanting to read all the books that came before it if you haven't already! Highly recommend.

Thank you so much @headlineeternal for having me on the #blogtour and gifting me a copy of the book.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

“He hadn’t even realised he’d been falling in love with her. If he had known, could he have stopped himself?”

This had everything I could ever need in an adult romance; dual perspective, fake dating, family dynamics, the cutest side characters, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, and enough hilarious banter that made me literally laugh out loud at various different times. Jasmine Guillory has done it again, folks!

This book takes us on the journey of Anna Gardiner (a beautiful, successful, sexy movie star), and Ben Stephens (a confident, sneaker obsessed, incredibly handsome guy who works in the world of advertising) falling in love whilst fake dating to get Anna the movie role she has been desperate for, and as a person who loves reading about hot, famous people falling in love, this was a near perfect read for me! So many scenes stuck out to me including the infamous red dress scene (not to spoil anything here, but the CUTENESS that scene holds is worth buying the book alone!) and of course, the climax that we can all see coming but still made my heart feel full and had me smiling from ear to ear!

Don’t get me wrong, although this novel is a light and fluffy romance, it does not stray away from speaking on very serious topics, such as how hard it is being a Black, plus sized woman in the industry and the hoops Anna has to go through compared to her white co-stars. It also touches on racism in places of care, which is a much bigger conversation, yet Jasmine Guillory writes it as almost a passing comment, just another thing that Black people have to deal with, it was extremely punching and thought provoking, which i appreciate from an adult romance. I like it when a book can make you extremely happy, but still make you think, and there was no pretence that everything is sunshine and roses for these characters all of the time.

It was also so refreshing to read about a man going to therapy and taking care of his mental health, while we live in a world where so many men are either too scared or feel “weak” when talking about their feelings, it was so lovely reading about Ben’s therapy sessions and Anna just being so accepting of his ways of coping with things, yet she still tried to get into his head and work out why he is the way that he is, just as ben completely accepted Anna’s anxiety. There is no stigma against mental health in this novel, and I for one, really, really appreciate that.

I enjoyed this book so much that I will now be ordering the rest of Guillory’s back catalogue that I have not read yet. While We Were Dating was such a perfect summer read and as we are now in a heatwave, I am way too excited to get my hands on more Jasmine Guillory and add her to my ever growing “favourite romance author” list! ♥️

Special thank you to @headlineeternal for gifting me a copy of this book for an honest review! I really appreciate it! ♥️

When I heard that Jasmine Guillory’s new book was coming out, I was pretty excited. I reviewed her last book on my blog and on Netgalley, and it’s heartwarming and cute and all the characters are like the friends you haven’t met yet. I hoped this one would be the same, so I was so pleased to be invited on this Blog Tour! Thank you to Headline for the invitation.

Ben is an ad exec hoping this pitch will win him big business, as a relative newcomer to the industry. It’s a mobile phone advert with a super hot actress called Anna Gardiner – who turns up at the pitch, much to Ben’s surprise. It’s a timeless meet cute, with a bit of a modern update in that he is whisked into a fairytale world, not her.

Ben and Anna hit it off and are soon exchanging numbers, keen to find out more about each other. I’m not going to go into too much detail as I don’t want to spoil it, but it was definitely as cute and funny as Party of Two – the perfect holiday read. I’m also aware that it’s not too common to have romance fiction centred around Black leads – as a white woman, I recognise I’ve never had to look for myself in that genre and I’m really pleased to see more diverse stories available.

There were a few things that stood out for me as different in the world of romance fiction – firstly, that the character we spent the most time with, was Ben. We meet him first, hang out with him in his head, wake up with him in his apartment. It was refreshing to have that point of view, and while we had some of Anna too, it was cool to get that other perspective. It also blew my tiny brain that when he ran out of milk, he used ice cream instead. HERO. Ben is basically the boyfriend/partner we all want. Considerate, thoughtful and honest; while recognising that he isn’t always honest with himself and those around him, he’s working on that. He is human, he has quirks and doubts, but the open dialogue between him and Anna is so mature and real, the narrative structure makes sense.

Jasmine’s writing is so relatable, and engaging, because she writes characters you want to be friends with. Although there might be tough situations, there is rarely a ‘villain’ whose sole purpose is to be mean or spiteful, or to ruin the fledgling relationship. I find that so soothing – there’re plenty of books to read if you do want some high drama, or thriller type situations, but these feel like sunshine in the garden, or a cup of hot chocolate on a chilly day. I realise this makes it sound saccharine, but one of the other things I love is that they’re smart, and funny.
One of the main set pieces in the book involves a person sized suitcase and a couple of giggle fits, which was so funny to read and imagine what that looked like.

This is part of a series, although it’s not at all necessary to read them all. I haven’t yet, and it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of this one. I am looking forward to reading them all though, and I’m likely to read through them again in order so I can pick up any references I missed the first time around. Ben’s brother and his girlfriend pop up in this one, and they have a story of their own which I can’t wait to read.

I’d recommend these to someone looking for a realistic romance, with relatable people in circumstances which might just be a slight elevation from normal life. Perfect for holiday, for in the bath and for book groups. If you like Emily Henry’s writing, you’ll like these.

Thanks so much to Headline and to Jasmine, for writing your wonderful books!

Books like this are really so important. The representation of anxiety, depression and even just not being totally ok in this book was brilliant.
As someone who suffers with anxiety, it was so refreshing to see a character who hides their anxiety well and comes across outgoing and loud like Anna. I feel like I come across quite extroverted but really I’m an introverted anxious mess who’s learnt to play off my anxiety well. Certain things that make me anxious only make me anxious in CERTAIN situations and people are always quick to judge on that like “oh, you’re having a panic attack? But you were fine last time!” And I love that this side of anxiety was shown, that something that makes you anxious and brings you panic attacks doesn’t always do so under different circumstances.
I would like to have known a bit more about “old Anna” and what really happened there because I feel like I don’t entirely understand.
A+ for smut and romance and everything else😍

It’s no secret that I’m a romance fan. I am particularly fond of a romance that tackles important topics and has some steamy scenes too, so this book ticked all the boxes ☑️

Essentially, sexy advertising guy, Ben and movie star, Anna come together (😉) while working on an ad campaign and taking a late-night road trip for a family emergency. Then along comes a romance trope fave - fake dating!

Of course I’m being flippant, there’s more to it. Anna is bigger than your usual movie star leading lady, she is dealing with anxiety attacks and the way one’s world flips when a parent is unwell.
Ben is also in therapy (I love when therapy is an accepted ‘norm’) and was abandoned by a parent. If you like to collect book boyfriends, you’ll appreciate Ben!

If you can’t tell, I really enjoyed this book. But if you don’t care about my opinion, Oprah gave it her seal of approval.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

While We Were Dating is a fun, easy to read romance that is the ideal summer read - once again Guillory has written a heartwarming book that cannot fail to make you smile. If you enjoy great characters, plenty of banter, a generous helping of steam and some genuinely laugh out loud moments then I recommend you pick this one up immediately. This is the sixth book in Guillory’s Wedding Date series but Guillory’s clever writing means that whilst each book is a standalone, recurring characters appear intermittently throughout the series and it always fun to rediscover old friends. As someone who has read some but not all of the series I can guarantee not having read the others won’t affect your enjoyment of this one - but it may lead you to rush and buy the other five.

Ben Stephens works in advertising and when he produces an advert featuring well-known actress Anna Gardiner sparks fly between them, While both of them are reluctant to start anything while they are working together, their clear chemistry gets the better of them. What starts as a bit of a fling becomes somewhat more complicated when Anna’s manager suggests they fake a relationship in order to generate publicity and help her win a role she is desperate to play. They both have their own issues - Anna suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, Ben struggles to come to terms with the fact that his father has not been in his life since he was child and has a fear of commitment - and yet together they seem to work. But what will happen when their “fake relationship” has served its purpose?

Whilst this is on the surface a fun, steamy romance, Guillory cleverly weaves some deeper issues into the book without ever making them feel laboured, in particular mental health and anxiety and body image. The importance of family also comes through throughout the book, with family issues for both main characters featuring throughout. All this simply adds some depth to the story and made me love the book and its characters even more.

Jasmine Guillory does not miss when it comes to romance. While We Were Dating is a fun, easy, fast-paced contemporary romance that had everything we love: fake dating, celebrities and the one-bed (kinda) trope!
Anna and Ben are both regular therapy-goers and I think the conversations around anxiety and mental health were really well explored. It felt authentic and properly fleshed out throughout the story. It was also refreshing to have the male POV which we usually don't see in romance novels.
Guillory's writing style is direct and simple, which really contributed to making this one of those books you just have to read in one sitting!
Overall, a brilliant read that got me out of a massive reading slump.

A call from his bosses to say that they are stick at LAX means that Ben will be leading their ad campaign pitch for a mobile tech brand. Which has him both excited and nervous at the prospect, even more so when Anna Gardiner joins the meeting unexpectantly, the actress who is the talent within the proposed ads. Warming to Ben's easy, relaxed, fun nature Anna requests that his agency get the deal and that he is the lead.

Working together during the filming Anna and Ben flirt with each other during a crew night out but don't cross any lines. However, when Anna gets a call one evening on the way back to her hotel to say that her dad is ill. She ends up taking a seven-hour road trip with Ben driving her to Palm Springs. Where they end up crossing many lines with each other. But it was just a one night/morning thing - right? But it appears that they are drawn together, with Anna telling Ben all about her anxiety and him confessing he has a half sister.

Her manager views their connection as a great way to increase interest in her and possibly land her the starring role she is after. But Anna is unable to trick Ben into a fake relationship and confesses - however, he agrees to help her and they spend more time together over the next month - but this has an expiry date, something they agreed upon, so love is off the table - right?

The story of Ben and Anna, who meet through work and end up having a fling, but can it turn in to more?

A great read, and nice to see other characters from the previous books included - although it doesn't matter if you haven't read the toher books, you should do because they are great too!

Review
I loved this book I love all Jasmine Guillory Book one of my favourite Author. I love her writing style and this one is one of the best it like friend to lovers a work based romance with twists it is brilliant story and the characters together were amazing I loved Ben he was sweet focus on with trying to have a beautiful romance.
Anna has great chemistry in this book worked focus and wants the same has Ben Anna has a strong female lead character where work comes first romance after. Such a brilliant romance I enjoyed it And there so much laughter in this book it make you smile I think everyone going to like this booK.

A compelling plot with loveable characters, this book was the whole package for me! It’s cliché to say but once I started I couldn’t put it down. I loved how the book wasn’t just from the perspective of the female as often romance novels are, giving a refreshing insight into life from Ben’s perspective too!

When Ben meets Hollywood actress Anna Gardiner at a work pitch, he can't believe he gets to work closely with her. As the get closer, will Ben and Anna live happily ever after?

I have read all the books in this series and was thrilled to read an advanced copy of While We Were Dating and I LOVED it. I read it in one sitting and couldn't put it down. It was so thrilling and the sexual tension between Ben and Anna was obvious from the start. I was desperately waiting for them to get together! I will certainly be recommending this to everyone.

I loved so many things about this book I'm not too sure where to start! Jasmine has an incredible ability with her writing to suck me in within the first couple of pages. I read this book fully in one sitting as I was gripped. I like to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible so I can't tell you some of my favourite scenes but there is one scene that had me laughing out loud and if you are a long time Taylor Swift fan, this scene will be even funnier to you if you understand what I'm referencing!

Anna is one of my favourite main characters I have read this year, I loved everything about her. I really appreciated the anxiety representation and it was so well done. I also liked how she was going after what she wanted so passionately and with confidence. I also loved that Ben goes to therapy and how open he is about it with Anna. Anna and Ben both show each other their vulnerable sides as they start to trust each other and it was honestly beautiful. There is a side plot involving Ben and his family which hit very close to home with me but again, like with the anxiety representation I really liked how it was handled. Especially his outburst about the situation as it was real and raw.

Anna and Ben have an instant connection from their first meeting but it didn't feel like insta-love at all which I loved. This book has quite a few of my favourite tropes which made it such fun read. This book has the perfect balance of light and fun moments with a swoony and steamy romance with some deeper yet important elements.

This is the sixth book in the series but you can read all of them as standalones without any issues but I would recommend the whole series. This book should definitely be on your TBR this summer if you ask me!

REVIEW: While we were dating by Jasmine Guillory

⭐️ rating: 4.5
📖 genre: contemporary romance
#️⃣ pages: 416
🍾 pub date: July 13, 2021
Read this if you like: Jo Watson, Zara Stoneley, Notting Hill movie, Hollywood glitz & glam

THE QUOTE:
“He felt like he could be like this forever, close to her, laughing with her, with their public face and inside jokes. And that’s when he realized it. He was in love with her.”

THE STORY:
Ben Stephens (Theo’s brother) lands an ad campaign featuring movie star Anna Gardiner. Both Ben and Anna are huge flirts and like to have fun, and soon, innocent flirting turns into sleeping together. When Anna suddenly needs a temporary boyfriend to gain some publicity for an upcoming movie, who better than Ben to fill the role? It’s all fun and games… until feelings are involved.

WHAT I LOVED:
The way the main characters interact with each other. That’s so very “Jasmine Guillory,” that the MCs establish a connection by talking to each other and that’s at the core of their relationship. Granted, both MC have some growing up to do, but they will over the course of the book (even though Anna got me frustrated quite a bit).

A big part of the book focuses on being black in Hollywood, and generally on black underrepresentation in the industry, the stress, the struggles with body and image, and I really appreciated the discussion on that. I also loved that both MCs are dealing with issues requiring therapy, and there’s positive talk of all the benefits of counselling. Mental health is such a difficult topic to get right in a book, and Ms Guillory did it thoughtfully, like the talented writer she is.

This might seem weird, but I also absolutely love that Jasmine Guillory’s characters EAT. Have you noticed that romance books characters never eat? Why is that? I love that there’s always some food involved with Jasmine Guillory and there’s an appreciation for/legitimization of eating that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

IN A NUTSHELL:
I could go on listing what I loved, but the point is:
- It’s FABULOUS
- it’s EVERYTHING you might want in a rom-com
- it WILL fill your heart with joy
SO you need to go buy it right now and then we can gush about it together!