Julie's Review: While We Were Dating

Author: Jasmine Guillory
Series: The Wedding Date #6
Publication Date:  July 13, 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 378
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: H.O.T.
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Summary: Ben Stephens has never bothered with serious relationships. He has plenty of casual dates to keep him busy, family drama he’s trying to ignore and his advertising job to focus on. When Ben lands a huge ad campaign featuring movie star, Anna Gardiner, however, it’s hard to keep it purely professional. Anna is not just gorgeous and sexy, she’s also down to earth and considerate, and he can’t help flirting a little…Anna Gardiner is on a mission: to make herself a household name, and this ad campaign will be a great distraction while she waits to hear if she’s booked her next movie. However, she didn’t expect Ben Stephens to be her biggest distraction. She knows mixing business with pleasure never works out, but why not indulge in a harmless flirtation? But their light-hearted banter takes a turn for the serious when Ben helps Anna in a family emergency, and they reveal truths about themselves to each other, truths they’ve barely shared with those closest to them. When the opportunity comes to turn their real-life fling into something more for the Hollywood spotlight, will Ben be content to play the background role in Anna’s life and leave when the cameras stop rolling? Or could he be the leading man she needs to craft their own Hollywood ending? ~amazon.com

Review: Another score for Jasmine Guillory with While We We’re Dating. Anna is an up n coming movie star trying to find the role that will launch her into the kind of stardom and pick of roles most actresses dream of. The last year hasn’t been easy for her personally so when she meets Ben during a commercial shoot, she’s ready for some fun. Anna hasn't had the best year personally and needs the next couple of movies to be big hits. 

Ben is the epitome of a ladies man and so he doesn’t doubt his confidence and allure even for someone of Anna’s stature. Except he isn’t as happy go lucky as he seems. He's got his own issues to work through but covers them up by always deflecting and seeming so happy.  

When they meet, they just instantly click and flirting starts. When Anna has a personal crisis, Ben jumps in immediately to help her. During this they learn things about each other but both are cautious to really open up. Of course then just as they are getting there, Anna's agent comes up with a scheme to have it look like Ben and Anna are dating. It's just the kind of publicity needed for her. Ben doesn't mind because he gets to hang out with Anna that much longer. Of course, you can't turn off your feelings after a month, so things go a little sideways for a bit. 

I’m not going to lie there are parts of this book that are H.O.T. I loved both Anna and Ben but the two of them together was fire. They seemed to be the two sides of the same coin.

Now that I’m done with this one, I have to wait for her next magnificent book!

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Julie's Review: Party of Two

Author: Jasmine Guillory
Series: Wedding Date #5
Publication Date: June 23, 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: I can't get enough of her novels
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Summary: Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe’s mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can’t resist—it is chocolate cake, after all.  Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble—not just some privileged white politician she assumed him to be. Because of Max’s high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestine dates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight? ~amazon.com 

Review: I adore Ms. Guillory's books and when they are released I devour them. Her heroine's are smart, spunky and independent. They don't need a man but they want a man but only if he's up to the challenge. A man is literally the last thing Olivia wants to deal with upon her move to LA; she's got bigger things going on than to worry about love. She's got to get her law firm up and running with her partner and that is her focus and takes up a lot of her energy. But Max, the cute guy from the hotel bar, isn't giving up.

Since Max is a high profile Junior Senator, they have to keep their relationship on the down low which means a lot of incognito dates which suits Olivia just fine because she's not looking for anything serious; she's too busy to be distracted. Or is she?

I love the back and forth of the banter between Max and Olivia but it's not all just that. They seem to relate to each other in a way no one else has in recent pasts. Both are driven and understand what it takes to get to where they are in their careers.

Of course things aren't always going to be smooth sailing and as soon as they go public, her past comes to light. Will Olivia decide to fight or flight this time? How will Max handle it?

What I love about her books is they are situations that you can see yourself dealing with in real life. Well maybe not dating a Senator but over coming different things that life throws in your way. What is your typical response? Fight or Flight? Plus the characters are just so fun and vibrant.

I can't wait for her next novel!



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Julie's Review: Royal Holiday

Author: Jasmine Guillory
Series: The Wedding Date #4
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 295
Obtained: library
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: A great escape
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Summary: Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality. Malcolm Hudson has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour—until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling. Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year’s Day. . .or are they? ~amazon.com 

Review: I swear that I could read a Jasmine Guillory book every week if only she could write that quick but alas I have to wait for 1 (maybe 2) a year. This one is a continution of basing books off the characters in her fantastic Wedding Date Series. In this book, Maddie (who we met in The Wedding Party) gets a rare opportunity to go and style the new Duchess she invites her mom, Vivian, to take a vacation with her. Vivian doesn't allow herself long vacations due to her job as a social worker but there are some shakeups going on at work and she allows herself to take the time off and spend the holidays in England with her daughter.  What she didn't expect was the delicious man, Malcolm, that would be her tour guide initially and then be her constant companion as she filled her days while Maddie worked. 

What I loved about the book is the "old fashioned" way that Malcolm and Vivian start to fall for each other and they way they continue to bond after Vivian returns to San Francisco. I also really appreciated that these 2 main romantic characters were in their 50s and still finding love and figuring it all out. There are complications when you are older to finding people and then given the "baggage" how to work around it and figure it out. Things aren't always smooth but worth it in the end. 

I will continue to read Jasmine's books for as long as she continues to write them. They are a great form of escape and dreamy-ness. 



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Julie's Review: The Wedding Party

Author: Jasmine Guillory
Series: None
Publication Date: July 16, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352
Obtained: library
Genre:  Romance
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: I can not get enough of Ms. Guillory's writing & chracters
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Summary: Maddie and Theo have two things in common: 1. Alexa is their best friend
2. They hate each other. After an “oops, we made a mistake” night together, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa's wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they're comfortable with. Underneath the sharp barbs they toss at each other is a simmering attraction that won't fade. It builds until they find themselves sneaking off together to release some tension when Alexa isn't looking, agreeing they would end it once the wedding is over. When it’s suddenly pushed up and they only have a few months left of secret rendezvouses, they find themselves regretting that the end is near. Two people this different can’t possibly have a connection other than the purely physical, right? But as with any engagement with a nemesis, there are unspoken rules that must be abided by. First and foremost, don't fall in love. ~amazon.com


Review: Here's the thing about Ms. Guillory's books, I devour them and then I'm sad because I have to wait for her next novel! These books are so much fun to read and enjoy. The characters are so well rounded an interesting plus there's always an undercurrent of more serious issues at hand.

Plus with this series you get to see what some of your favorites are up to and how they are all interconnected. The 2 characters we are focusing on this time appeared in The Wedding Date but now get their turn to shine. Maddie and Theo are both fiercly independent and driven people, they don't want any distractions to getting to their goals. Until one night they find themselves eagerly ripping each others clothes off which is weird because well they can't stand each other.

What starts off as a mistake and "we will never do it again" quickly turns into booty calls while keeping it all a secret from their mutual best friend Alexa. They don't want to admit it but they begin to become comfortable with each other and maybe don't quite hate each other like they thought. They become supportive of each other in their careers and other area of their lives. Their mutual attraction to all things each other.

Of course it's not like there aren't bumps along the way but it was so much fun to see them try to work it all out.

Julie's Review: The Wedding Date

Author: Jasmine Guillory
Series: None
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336
Obtained: library
Genre:  Romance
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Good fun! 
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Summary: Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist. On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend... After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other... They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want... ~amazon.com

Review: I don't typically read romance but what I'm finding these days is Romance = Rom-Com. I do love my Rom-Com movies. What I love about these books is they make you feel happy. The remind you what it's like fall in love and be vulnerable. It can also make you roll your eyes because well it is Rom-Com.

When I picked up The Proposal I didn't realize it was a series and then I thought The Wedding Date but I was wrong.  So yea I read the first 2 out of order but it really doesn’t matter.  What is great about Ms. Guillory's writing is that you instantly get caught up in the story and in the characters. She doesn't play around with a lot of building up to the story but just jumps right in.

Since I did read The Proposal first I have a vague idea of Drew and Alexa but I didn't know their story. I enjoyed reading about how they met, denied their feelings for each other and eventually admitted they did in fact fall for one another. I really liked Alexa and her being vulnerable about how she looked but being with Drew gave her a confidence she didn't know she had.

Ms. Guillory doesn't write stereotypes and this is refreshing since she is writing about minorities. She doesn't pigeonhole her characters into something they don't need to be.

I'm extremely excited for the next book in the series, The Wedding Party, to come out on July 16th.

Julie's Review: The Proposal

Author: Jasmine Guillory
Series: None
Publication Date: October 30, 2018
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 335
Obtained: library
Genre:  Romance
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Wonderful, quick read
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Summary: When someone asks you to spend your life with him, it shouldn't come as a surprise—or happen in front of 45,000 people. When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, his man bun, and his bros, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn't the hard part—they've only been dating for five months, and he can’t even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans... At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik’s rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He’s even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik’s social media blows up—in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can't be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes...

Review: Run, Run, Run to your library or bookstore to pick up The Proposal. It’s been a long time since I’ve had time to sit and read to finish a book in less that 24 hours but I did it. This was the perfect pool read.

When Nik is in a pickle because her actor boyfriend proposes marriage in from of a crowd at Dodger Stadium (let alone the tv audience) and she turns him down, Carlos and his sister Angela, come to her rescue. What ensues is some fun and delightful romps but there is also a developing friendship between Carlos and Nik.

While for the most part, this book is a romance read there are some other important subjects that are covered throughout the course of the book. It deals with independence, emotional and verbal abuse. It's about learning to love and let down your walls when you've spend years protecting yourself.

It was a totally fun read and I can’t wait to read more by Ms. Guillory!



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