![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Book Review
May. 10th, 2023 08:54 pmWhile We Were Dating
by Jasmine Guillory
In this romance novel, Ben Stephens meets actress Anna Gardiner while working on a shoot for an ad campaign. They hit it off and embark on a fling that morphs into (mostly) fake dating to generate publicity for Anna. Of course, the relationship doesn't stay fake and Anna and Ben have to act on the reality of their feelings for one another.
This was sweet if breezy romance. I really liked how Ben and Anna actually talk to each other about important things and they don't wait too long to do it. Tension and conflict are not generated or built through a reluctance to use their words. Thus, their relationship is very much grounded in really understanding and connecting with each other. Guillory handles mental health really well, too. Anna's anxiety disorder is treated as just a part of her life that she is already addressing rather than something Ben has to solve or become the caretaker of.
I would further like to note that an aspect of this and all Guillory's books that I've really enjoyed is they way the characters' careers are integrated into the story. Both halves of the couple often have demanding jobs that they really like. Taking their careers seriously and having ambition are never portrayed as flaws or barriers to having deep, health relationships.
by Jasmine Guillory
In this romance novel, Ben Stephens meets actress Anna Gardiner while working on a shoot for an ad campaign. They hit it off and embark on a fling that morphs into (mostly) fake dating to generate publicity for Anna. Of course, the relationship doesn't stay fake and Anna and Ben have to act on the reality of their feelings for one another.
This was sweet if breezy romance. I really liked how Ben and Anna actually talk to each other about important things and they don't wait too long to do it. Tension and conflict are not generated or built through a reluctance to use their words. Thus, their relationship is very much grounded in really understanding and connecting with each other. Guillory handles mental health really well, too. Anna's anxiety disorder is treated as just a part of her life that she is already addressing rather than something Ben has to solve or become the caretaker of.
I would further like to note that an aspect of this and all Guillory's books that I've really enjoyed is they way the characters' careers are integrated into the story. Both halves of the couple often have demanding jobs that they really like. Taking their careers seriously and having ambition are never portrayed as flaws or barriers to having deep, health relationships.
