While We Were Dating: The sparkling fake-date rom-com from the ‘queen of contemporary romance' (Oprah Mag)

4.5 StarsAn 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!I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and 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.