Jasmine Guillory is slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite romance authors. This is my second read from her and she definitely outdid herself with this one.

While We Were Dating follows Anna Gardiner, a movie star and Ben Stephens, an advertising executive, as they indulge in a harmless flirtation. While Anna is on a mission to become a Hollywood star, her journey is interrupted. Before she knows it, she finds herself mixing business with pleasure, which she vowed to never do! This romantic comedy reminds us that love will find you no matter where you are.

My favorite character in this book was Ben. He was patient, he was charismatic, and most importantly he was genuine. It’s not often that you find someone who genuinely likes, supports, and values you. I consider myself and Anna lucky!

I liked Anna as well. She wasn’t your typical snobby movie star. She was funny, outgoing, and ambitious. I was able to relate to her throughout the entire book, especially the times she had her guard up against Ben. After getting my heart broken multiple times, I know how it feels to give up on love. Like Anna, I was afraid to give love another chance but I’m so glad I did. Love led me to the man of my dreams.

One challenge that Anna faced was deciding if she should choose her career over love. During our book club meeting we discussed this question: Can you evolve at your career and in your relationship simultaneously? In my opinion, yes. My Fiancé and I are living proof of a couple who are thriving together and separately. I do believe that you have to start building your foundation individually before you get involved with someone else. You don't have to have it all figured out but you do need to have a sense of self and a sense of direction. When you find a partner who cherishes companionship and their individuality as much as you do, growing together will be effortless.

A few other topics discussed in this book were mental health and body image. These topics led Anna and Ben to open up to one another more than expected. For the first time in their lives, they both felt like they could be themselves.

Overall I enjoyed While We Were Dating very much. I’m glad I decided to read it now because it was the perfect holiday read. If you're looking for a fun and exciting romance novel, you should definitely check it out because it was everything. I adored Ben and Anna so much. Jasmine did an amazing job developing those characters. I’m looking forward to getting to know Jasmine more and catching up on her previous novels. I already have The Proposal and The Wedding Party so I’ll be reading those soon!

To all the hopeless romantics out there, remember that you don’t have to search for love. It will find you when you least expect it.

Favorite quote

“Life is a constant work in progress.”

Here are some other questions from our book club discussion:

Have you ever mixed business with pleasure? How did it go?
Have you ever used a dating app before? Do you remember the party line?
Have you ever suffered from anxiety?
Would you ever get your body done?
What do you like most about Anna and Ben’s relationship?
Have you read While We Were Dating before? What were your thoughts? Let me know below!