While We Were Dating

February 1, 2021

In Bly's Lizzie & Dante, a Shakespearean scholar heads to Italy after an ugly breakup and an end-of-the-road health diagnosis and meets a handsome chef--but is this any time to start a relationship? In debuter Christie's The Rehearsals, Megan Givens and Tom Prescott plan to call off their wedding after a calamitous rehearsal dinner but wake up the next morning in a time loop, endlessly repeating the event until maybe they get it right (100,000-copy first printing). Clancy's Shoulder Season reveals what happens when shy young church organist Sherri Taylor switches paths after her parents' death to become a Playboy bunny (100,000-copy first printing). The New York Times best-selling Guillory's While We Were Dating features Ben Stephens, Theo's brother from The Wedding Party, who's trying to stay strictly professional while working with a famous actress. In Macomber's stand-alone It's Better This Way, Julia Jones has sold her business, moved into a condominium, and put her marital breakup behind her, but she isn't looking for love--until handsome resident Heath comes along. In Island Queen, romance writer Riley goes mainstream historical to reimagine the life of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, who rose from enslavement to become a rich and powerful landowner in the colonial West Indies (100,000-copy first printing). Pretty Little Liars author Shepard's Safe in My Arms stars three out-of-the-loop moms who try to discover why the principal of the children's elite California preschool was attacked. If you've got Nine Lives, take this journey with Steel from Chicago and Paris to London and Monaco. In Hugo/Bradbury/Eisner winner Straczynski's latest, an unsuccessful young writer pulls together a crew of equally disaffected folks, buys an old bus, and proclaims Together We Will Go--straight to California, where they will then drive off a cliff (100,000-copy first printing). In debuter Yoder's one-of-a-kind Nightbitch, a woman who's convinced that she is turning into a dog ferrets out answers in A Field Guide to Magical Women and links up with a group of mothers with their own secret persuasions. Optioned for film.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2021
A famous actress begins a harmless flirtation with an advertising executive, but their casual dates are likely to have serious consequences. When Ben Stephens leads the pitch presentation for a commercial slated to feature Oscar-nominated actress Anna Gardiner, he never imagines he'll impress her enough that she'll demand he lead the project. He also doesn't expect his casual on-set banter with Anna to lead anywhere. But when she has a family emergency and he offers to drive her hundreds of miles, they wind up learning about each other's pasts: While Ben resents his father for abandoning him as a child and assiduously avoids serious relationships, Anna is recovering from severe anxiety. As Black professionals, they've both had to confront deep-seated racial prejudice in their fields, and Anna is now desperately hoping it won't keep her from landing a film role she believes will be career-defining. Guillory infuses ample charm and wit in Ben and Anna's interactions as she deftly highlights the lack of public sensitivity to mental health issues and the prevalence of sizeism and racism in popular culture. While several characters introduced in Guillory's previous works make interesting and welcome appearances, Ben and Anna remain conspicuously one-note. He is endlessly considerate, she leans on him repeatedly, and their struggles, imperfections, and vulnerabilities are dealt with perfunctorily. But the camaraderie among Ben, Anna, and their respective families is always entertaining and often heartwarming. A light, frothy, and fun concoction.

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May 1, 2021

Ben Stephens is thrilled to be leading his first high-profile ad campaign. The fact that it involves working closely with the beautiful and charming Oscar-nominated actress Anna Gardiner doesn't hurt. Anna is hoping that this ad campaign, combined with her role in an upcoming superhero movie, will raise her profile enough to land a prestige role she has her heart set on; the harmless flirtation she and Ben engage in doesn't hurt either. Then a family emergency leads to an inpromptu road trip, and Anna and Ben act on their attraction, kicking off a full-fledged fling. To keep the good publicity coming, Anna suggests they pretend they're in a relationship after the shoot wraps, but as they spend more time together and share their concerns and insecurities, everything starts feeling a little too real. Guillory's latest "Wedding Date" series installment (after Party of Two) weaves serious issues, including mental health and parental abandonment, through a believable romance that features relatable, good-hearted protagonists. VERDICT Recommend to the author's many fans, and readers who enjoyed the film Notting Hill.--Stephanie Klose, Library Journal

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2021
Guillory continues to thrill with her sixth multicultural contemporary romance, following Party of Two (2020). Ambitious ad man Ben Stephens just landed a huge account after his presentation thoroughly impressed the client's talent, Academy Award-nominee Anna Gardiner. Their chemistry sizzles, but they maintain a professional working relationship. Ben's usual MO is to love 'em and leave 'em, but therapy is helping him deal with his commitment issues. Anna has sought therapy for the anxiety brought on by sudden, unexpected fame, but she's able to keep it in check by "controlling the narrative" and carefully planning where and when she's photographed. Luckily, Ben is willing to appear as her fake boyfriend, with the understanding that they'll part ways after the premiere of her new blockbuster movie. But when romantic snapshots appear in People magazine, friends and family clearly see that their love is not an act. Readers who enjoy tales of the rich and famous will swoon over red-carpet dress fittings and paparazzi-dodging hijinks. Tender love scenes and a believable romantic awakening that builds slowly while taking mental health issues seriously further demonstrate Guillory's storytelling star power.

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