Jasmine Guillory strikes again with another charmer! This novel is engaging and moving. Both leads are fun to spend time with and their foibles and hang-ups, together and apart, are familiar and believably worked through. I am very happy to have had this ARC for some quarantine escapism.

I am in love with Jasmine Guillory's books, and she never lets me down. I love the multiracial cast of characters, and how they're interwoven throughout each book in the series. They eat delicious food and drinks (sometimes debate about said food & drinks), flirt very skillfully with each other, and have awesome sex. In traditional rom-com fashion, there is always some misunderstanding that pushes the two leads away from each other, and their respective best buddies talk sense into them, leading to a satisfying happily ever after.

This fifth offering in the series is no different, but has a much closer focus on desserts and social justice than its predecessors. YUMMY!

Thank you #NetGalley & #BerkleyPublishing for an advanced copy of Party of Two in exchange for a review. Jasmine Guillory the Rom-Com Queen does it again! This is the perfect summer, quarantine read. Olivia and Max are the cutest yin & yang couple. Once again food plays a central role in the relationships of the characters, which for a foodie is great, so thank you Ms. Guillory. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did, I'm already looking forward to the next book.

Goodness knows I love a good tropey romance, but sometimes you don't want to read about enemies falling in love or people having a one night stand and then realizing that they slept with the new boss or whatever. Sometimes you just want to read about two people meeting and liking each other and falling in love and building a relationship, and this is the perfect book for that.

I really appreciated how the conflict was internal, foreshadowed, and not overblown - it was realistic and in a lot of ways mature instead of contrived and overdramatic - and managed an equally realistic HEA ending. I also liked how Max and Olivia were passionate people with shared interests and values as a basis for a relationship rather than pure chemistry.

Some of the dialogue felt a little stilted and awkward (and, in the latter half, a little heavy on the "I love you"s), and the secondary characters felt almost entirely written to focus on the relationship rather than having strong personalities of their own (surprising considering Guillory's use of great friend and family characters to springboard to new books). I also felt as if the relationship building was a little slow, and the plot didn't really get propelled forward until probably half/two-thirds of the way through.

(Also, this entirely doesn't bother me either way, but worth mentioning for the genre: there are a few sex scenes, all pretty quick and sweet and generally not overly descriptive.)

A definite recommend for those who've enjoyed Guillory's books in the past, those who are looking into diving into the growing world of more socially/politically conscious romances, or someone just looking for a solid love story.

What a wonderful, fun, and flirty romance. Jasmine Guillory expertly crafts charismatic and compatible characters whose chemistry leaps off the page. Even though you don't get much detail in the budding relationship, you get plenty of highlights, more than enough for you to cheer for this hopeful couple.

Olivia Monroe has finally left New York city to move back to her home state of California and start up her own law practice with her best friend Ellie Spencer. Her first night in LA, she's at her hotel's bar and meets a funny, gorgeous man who she enjoys flirting with. Even after going back to her hotel room she can't stop thinking about this man. Imagine her surprise when Olivia later realizes that he is actually Maxwell Stewart Powell III, the junior US Senator from California. Olivia is even more surprised when she runs into Max three weeks later at a fundraiser. Max is determined not to let Olivia get away from him this time so he makes his move by sending her a cake with a cute note attached and this begins their whirlwind romance.

As Olivia and Max spend more time together, they both are falling pretty hard but they have to keep their relationship on the down low because of Max's notoriety. Just when it looks like Olivia and Max are getting their perfect ending, many factors try to stop this from happening. It will take a lot of soul searching and changes in the way they both live their lives for these two to find their happy ever after.

I really enjoyed this sweet, fun romance. I loved seeing how a strong, vibrant, introverted black woman was paired with an easy going, white privileged, extrovert. They say opposites attract and these two proved that point. They complimented each other so well you just couldn't help but root for them to be together. I just adored Olivia. She was such a great, kick butt female. These two together reminded me somewhat of Olivia and Fritz from the TV show Scandal and I really enjoyed going on their journey to happiness.

Go to Author for rom coms, meet cutes and book boyfriends. Ive loved every book Guillory has written and Party of Two is no exception. With each story Jasmine has raised the bar. Perfect book to put in your beach bag and prep for a summer love!

I'll be reviewing this in conjunction with Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material for a feature on romance in the public eye for the July issue of BookPage. Here are my initial thoughts:

Party of Two is a sweet and gently funny interracial romance about an African American lawyer who unwittingly chats up a wealthy white liberal United States Senator and their struggle to get to know each other and have a normal romantic relationship on their own terms outside of the public scrutiny.

Strangely enough, given that the plot involves a famous person (not usually my cup of tea), I actually found this to be the most interesting and relatable of Jasmine Guillory's novels so far. I related to the conundrum of meeting the man of your dreams but finding that he comes with a lot of baggage and constraints that make being in a relationship with him far from ideal. That's the kind of thing that realistically could really be a dealbreaker no matter how dreamy the guy may seem.

Guillory also does a fair job of addressing how race exacerbates this issue of being in the public spotlight. I also liked how Olivia researched Max's political positions before agreeing to go out with him. That's certainly what i would do. His stance on Black Lives Matter for example was a deal breaker. That totally tracks for me. Their connection also worked well. Olivia is an attractive, idealistic, Harvard educated lawyer. She and Max have a lot in common in terms of values. But as a black woman, Olivia is subject to more critical scrutiny than she would be if she were white.

All of that said, Party of Two does this thing a lot of books seeming to be doing. Despite describing these political issues, it only alludes to Max's political party. It's obvious that he's a Democrat but for some reason Guillory avoids using the word. It's distracting and comes off as a bit cowardly, especially in the current political climate. The internal monologues these characters have going on can also be a bit awkward a times. Those issues aside, I was happy to spend time in this world, the issues and conflicts the couple have to navigate were relevant, and I thought it was the author's best book to date.

Once again Jasmine Guillory delivers a fun, entertaining contemporary romance novel with two well-developed characters. Olivia and Max have busy, fulfilling careers and complicated lives, and they need to find a way to fit into each other's future plans. Their chemistry is not in question, but can two very different people who think and act differently find a place to come together? Recommended.

Another delightful installment in the Wedding Date series. This book is the romance of Olivia (Alexa’s sister) and Max a U.S Senator. Their attraction was instant and the banter game was strong. Max’s high profile job which meant constant public scrutiny of their relationship was the main obstacle in the book. Olivia wanted Max the person but had to make up her mind about Max the senator.

As with Guillory’s other novels there was plenty of steaminess to enjoy! Also, there was so much delicious food being consumed constantly. I now need an amazing local bakery that delivers.

Great little romance, loved the female empowerment feel!! If you liked the wedding date & the proposal you will definitely like this one! A fun, quick, feel good book!!

Olivia is a lawyer who just moved to L.A. to start her own firm. Max is a hotshot junior senator getting a lot of media attention. But when they meet at a hotel bar, they don't know anything about each other's careers. They only know they've got chemistry. Is that chemistry enough to make things work as they both pursue their own professional goals - and once the media gets involved?

I love love love Jasmine Guillory. Her characters are so smart and driven and lovable, and the way she writes about food is even better than the romance! I really like Olivia and Max's dynamic in this book, but I wish we'd gotten a little more of a meet-cute or more drama early on to give it a little tension. There wasn't really much standing in the way of Max and Olivia's relationship for most of the book, which made it a very pleasant read in a stressful world, but it could have done with a little more conflict. But I'll follow Jasmine Guillory anywhere!

I always enjoy Jasmine Guillory’s books because I know I'll be treated to fun story with diverse, complicated characters paired with sweet, chemistry-laden romance. I inhaled this book in a day- PARTY OF TWO could possibly be my favorite book of hers so far. (But don't make me choose.)

WHAT I LOVED:
- A romance with adults who actually talk to each other. What a concept.
- It wasn't a question of "would they won't they" but more of how they could embrace their careers and vastly different personalities to make their relationship work.
-Max is a junior Senator and he is genuine and so sweet. It was refreshing to see a politician portrayed as a good guy.
-Plus- he was so adorable wooing Olivia. Thoughtful and intentional. I loved that.
-All the baked goods. Cakes, pies . . . plus burgers, fries. I love how food brought them together.

I seriously love Guillory's books. With that being said, I requested this book as soon as it was available so I could read it, but once it was accepted I couldn't get myself to read it until now. Why? Because I don't want to have to wait for the next one!\

I love that we got to meet Olivia. Olivia is sisters with Alexa from Guillory's first novel "The Wedding Date".

After moving from New York to LA, Olivia is sitting at a hotel bar when a man starts talking to her. She thinks he's pretty cute but is pretty sure he's an actor and she wants nothing to do with that. After a friendly and flirty conversation and a shared elevator ride Olivia suddenly finds herself wanting to get stuck in the elevator with him. Once she gets back to her room with the "actor" she turns on the TV to find Senator Max Powell, the same man from the bar.

This sweet story follows a compromise with two people with a coming of age story even though the main characters are in their 30s.

Newly arrived in LA, lawyer Olivia seems to have found the perfect man, until she realizes he's a US Senator. Although they have a wonderful time dating in secret, can they survive the media scrutiny after they take their relationship public? In Party of Two, Guillory had plenty of opportunities to take the plot deeper but decided to stick with surface-level problems instead. If you are looking for a bubblegum story with some steam, you'll be fine with this book. However, if you some substance, then I'd skip this one.

I don't know if I have ever related more to a couple in a book before this one. Not in their jobs, but in their internal motivations and how they go about their lives. This made an already cute story even better.

Olivia is a lawyer who just moved to LA to start her own firm. Max is a senator (the HOT senator) who always speaks his mind and is always on the go. A chance meeting in a hotel bar turns into a relationship, but when they go public and the media starts to become involved, Olivia wonders if it is really worth it at all?

Jasmine Guillory always seems to write such realistic and true characters which makes it so easy to fall in love and get sucked into the book. I was truly rooting for Olivia and Max the whole time and love how they both grew and changed throughout the book. I also love the focus on food and how that was a way that they showed their love for each other.

Overall this was fun, cute, sexy, and a book that I loved being a part of.

If Jasmine Guillory writes it, I am going to read it - twice and then pass it along to my best reading friends. Then I am going to buy it for our library collection and then I am going to recommend it to patrons! I have followed this recipe for reading perfection with every book Guillory has written and will do it again with *Party of Two*. It's a delight.

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory was an absolutely delightful romance read! I have read all of Guillory's books, and this was one of my favorites. It was so fun to get to know Olivia and Max, and watch how their relationship developed and grew. I can only imagine who's story Guillory will tell next. I can't wait!

Party of Two is Jasmine Guillory's best work since her debut The Wedding Date. The chemistry between the hero and heroine was delightful. I especially enjoyed reading a romance in which the heroine is being pursued and isn't herself desperate for marriage or a relationship. Each conflict developed naturally out of their flaws and didn't feel shoehorned in for the sake of it. This book was a real relief during a stressful time!

I have read all of Jasmine's books and this might be my favorite one so far. I was so excited for Olivia to be central to the story and I was not disappointed. She is strong and funny and sweet. From the start, the way she and Max interact makes you root for both of them to make their relationship work.

Bonus point for some of the secondary characters who are also great. Wes, Ellie and Jasmina are fabulous and round out a really good cast. This is exactly what I had hoped for from a Jasmine Guillory book and I loved every second of it.