e-Audio, 12:33:01
Narrated by: Heidi Franklin
Release Date: April 8, 2025
Published by: Books on Tape (Berkley)
Read from: April 7-9, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: PRH Audio (I received a free e-ALC from the publisher and their app. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Sexual Content, Emotional Abuse, Miscarriage, Grief, Domestic Abuse, Infertility, Toxic Relationship
For Readers Interested In: Contemporary Romance, 2sLGBTQ+, Friends to Lovers, Adult, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Black), Realistic FictionThe exciting new contemporary romance—and her first to feature a queer romance—by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory
Avery Jensen is almost thirty, fresh off a breakup, and she’s tired of always being so uptight and well-behaved. She wants to get a hobby, date around (especially other women), flirt with everyone she sees, all the fun stuff normal people do in their twenties. One Avery doesn’t know how to do any of that. She doesn’t have a lot of dating experience, with men or women, and despite being self-assured at work, she doesn’t have a lot of confidence when it comes to romance.
Enter Taylor Cameron, Napa Valley’s biggest flirt and champion heartbreaker. Taylor just broke up with her most recent girlfriend, and her best friend bet her that she can’t make it until Labor Day without sleeping with someone. (Two whole months? Without sex? Taylor?!?!) So, she offers to give Avery flirting lessons. It will keep her busy, stop her from texting people she shouldn’t. And it might distract her from how inadequate she feels compared to her friends, who all seem much more settled and adult than Taylor.
At first, Avery is stiff and nervous, but Taylor is patient and encouraging, and soon, Avery looks forward to their weekly lessons. She tells herself it’s because the lessons are fun, not because she kind of might have a little bit of a crush on Taylor. Taylor doesn’t even try to deny that she’s intrigued by Avery, but she’s still got a bet to win. With Taylor’s help, Avery is finally doing what she wants to flirting with lots of women, making friends, having fun! But after a while, it becomes impossible for Avery and Taylor to ignore their attraction to one another, despite them both insisting to themselves and everyone else that it isn’t serious. When Taylor is forced to confront her feelings for Avery, she doesn’t know what to do, how to deal with it, and most importantly, if she’s already ruined the best thing she’s ever had.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This wasn’t my favorite Guillory, but it was still ok. It just felt really repetitive. And I was sad because Friends to Lovers is my favorite trope. But this one just didn’t hit exactly the way I did.
Ok so the plot dragged. All it was about was her giving Avery flirting lessons. And you would think it would have something more to help guide it on, but it just….. Wasn’t? Idk how to explain it. But I do know that as it went on, it felt repetitive. It was the same excuses and the same responses. Even when she actually could tell she liked her it was the same. Idk it was a bit annoying lol
The romance itself was cute tho. For this to be Guillory’s first wlw couple I did like it. She didn’t go too much into specifcs so to me it did seem like appreciation. But take this as a grain of salt as I am a straight person and haven’t seen any reviews negating this yet. But they were cute together and I think their progression to get together was cute, albeit slow. And y’all know how I am about slow burns, so yeahhhhh But they were cute.
Otherwise everything was pretty close to all Jasmine Guillory novels. She has the same type characters and the same writing style. I think the only one that was different was the Beauty and the Beast one. But (and I’m being really honest here) I really need to know what Taylor was thinking? Or Avery for that matter. Did they REALLY think they wouldn’t ed up where they were? Likeeeee BFFR lol
I don’t really have much other than that. It just was? I don’t know how else to explain it. It wasn’t great, but it also wasn’t bad? It was cute, but not my favorite. I do wish there was some more dancing lessons tho. At least that part was hot lol
Overall, I give this
