Flirting with Forever was a fun, fake dating romance. Honestly, if you've ever put your foot in your mouth in a social situation and said something that sounded different in your head, this is a book for you. I could relate to John on that score even if I was as shocked as anyone about what he said. I can't count the times I've opened my mouth and inserted my foot in awkward situations. I really can't think of many that are more awkward than a blind date. Anyway, John and Mary make for a couple I wanted to root for once things got rolling. They're both likable and they complement each other very well. As I said, the story is fun and makes for a nice way to while away a few weekend hours.

Cara Bastone can do no wrong in my book. I really loved the journey from the hero telling the heroine she is too old to the process of them falling in love. I really can't wait to read what is next for Cara Bastone. She is an autobuy author.

Love this book and this author! Great story with great characters. Love the heat! Will def read more by this author.

Now I’ve come to the end of Bastone’s Forever Yours series and must say I’ll miss her world and the characters she creates. I hope to see more from Bastone: she’s a wonderful combination of familiar-contemporary-romance groove and something fresh, new, and, at times, subtly subversive. On the surface, one thinks typical contemporary rom-com, as the blurb suggests:

Mary Trace is bright, bubbly and back in the dating pool in her midthirties. All of her closest friends are in love, and she refuses to miss out on romance. So when a regular customer at her trendy Brooklyn boutique wants to set Mary up on a blind date with her son, she gives a hesitant yes. John Modesto-Whitford is gorgeous and well-groomed, so maybe dinner won’t be a total bust—until he drops a less-than-flattering comment about Mary’s age.
Desperate to be nothing like his snake of a politician father, public defender John Modesto-Whitford prides himself on his honesty and candor. But his social awkwardness and lack of filter just blew it with the most beautiful woman he’s ever dated. Luckily, Mom’s machinations keep Mary and John running into each other all summer long, and soon they resort to fake dating to get her to back off. When their pretense turns to real friendship—and some surprisingly hot chemistry—can these two stubborn individuals see past their rocky start to a rock-solid future together?

The blurb makes things way tamer than John’s comment and Mary’s reaction. He says, and it’s worth quoting: ” ‘I was expecting someone…younger’ Reality miffed out Mary’s candle.” OMG, as a lady of a certain age, I was APPALLED and, like Mary, thought “what an ass.” Ever since Pride and Prejudice, ghastly first impressions make for delightful reading. And Flirting With Forever was delightful, for the most part, until it kind of wasn’t. Except I loved Mary and John so much and Bastone is such a peach of a metaphor writer that I still ended up with a goofy smile on my face. John knows he committed a terrible faux-pas, but he’s awkward and grumpy enough not to know how to backtrack it. And to show you how truly clever Bastone’s metaphors are (and they’re delightfully peppered throughout), his guilt and shame is: “the twelve-year-old monitor that sat like a heavy, judgmental toad on his desk.” There’s only a teensy vindication when John is marched into Mary’s shop, “Estrella and a bitingly disdainful-looking John, his elbow firmly in his mother’s grip” for an apology. Which he, admittedly, executes beautifully and Mary can’t help but credit him for it.

In this dance from hate-at-first to grudging-respect to friendship-with-secret-love-and-hots to a full-fledged-hot-for-you-affair to love-avowals, Flirting with Forever is a courtship romance, just like Pride and Prejudice, with Mary as emotionally and socially savvy as Lizzy and John, like Darcy, not. Not much happens except the protagonists get to know each other, understand each other, see the qualities in each other, and admit to liking and then loving the other. Because of John’s original foot-in-mouth comment, because Mary is sensitive about being six years older, because they have interesting chips on their shoulders and because they’re of opposing temperaments, her sunshine to his grumpy scowls, their journey is long and fraught with hurt feelings and misunderstandings. But they’re so likeable, such good, decent, kind, funny people that I rooted for them throughout.

What I described as their temperaments aren’t inherent to them, but the result of nurture, or lack of, and nature. This isn’t a melodramatic abandoned, or abused childhood romance. Their temperaments have much to do with their parents. Mary, for example, is especially sensitive about her age because her mother, a former beauty pageant queen, harps on her about being old, unmarried, and childless, without giving a thought to what Mary has endured the past six years: the loss of her best friend and beloved Aunt Tiff. Despite grief and obligation, Mary is a happy person, but, like John comes to realize, she works at happiness. John’s sensitivity has to do with his father: a slick, wealthy mayoral candidate and successful lawyer who abandoned John and his mother. His father now wants to make amends, but John staunchly rebuffs every attempt to allow his father to trust-fund his way into John’s good graces. As a public defender, John is poor, respectable but poor. He can’t afford what the successful business woman Mary can and that makes for an interesting subversive twist to their conflict. The heroine is the moneyed one, the heroine has the thread-count sheets, and the hero has to come to accept that this will ever be so, given his life’s work, “John just wanted to keep minors out of prison.” John has to come to terms with this, Mary is totally cool with it. How they navigate their misunderstanding and vulnerabilities makes for great romance.

The narrative, however, ebbs in intensity and interest once John and Mary consummate their relationship (though the love scenes aren’t extensive, they’re explicit, as they were in the first two books. I love that Bastone establishes the protagonists’ love-relationship before putting them between the sheets, one of her many strengths). It’s a problem when the hate-at-first and banter exchanges of what turn out to be two lovely people work things out. There’s not much to where you can take them. Bastone tries, but it leaves the last fifth of her narrative anti-climactic, no matter how many love scenes she squeezes in there. However, the terrific first four-fifths make up for this minor flaw. Miss Austen agrees with me that Flirting with Forever offers “real comfort,” Emma.

Cara Bastone’s Flirting With Forever is published by Harlequin Books. It was released in January 2021 and may be found at your preferred vendors. I received an e-galley from Harlequin Books, via Netgalley, for the purpose of writing this review.

I loved this book, I did; it was unexpected and had sweet moments that honestly took my breath away. It wasn’t perfect, much like the hero in this story, but it felt real. My one complaint was I needed more time with this couple after they admitted to one another that their complicated relationship was more than friendship. I love a slow burn romance they are a favorite of mine, but I also need to see the couple being a couple for more than a minute.



Mary Trace is a 37 year old single business owner in NYC, she has a good life. Her shop is successful, she has wonderful friends who have added partners to their friend group, her late best friend’s little boy, but she wants a partner, a lover, a family of her own. Spending a good deal of the last decade dealing with the loss of her best friend and her beloved aunt dating and romance weren’t a priority for her and while she wants to meet “the one” she hasn’t and her mother’s constant nagging about her biological clock is helping. Mary is described as sunny, always smiling and willing to go out of her way to help anyone and it is evident that she is a good and lovely woman, whom everyone adores upon sight, but we also see there are scars left from her mother’s constant harassment, her father’s lack of support, and her ex-boyfriend’s cheating.



John Modesto-Whitford is a public defender who decided at a young age that he wanted to defend those who weren’t always given a fair shake. Abandoned by his father almost from birth, his mother Estrella raised him on her own often working 2-3 jobs to support them. So finding out who his father was, that he was wealthy, and that he had a half brother barely a year younger left John with quite a bit of resentment toward his “father” mostly on his mother’s behalf. He refuses help or to take the trust offered and while he does okay he has a tight budget. John comes across as quite grumpy and almost rude, but it is also obvious that he is a dedicated public servant and works hard to help his clients get the justice they deserve. When his mother sets him up with a woman she sells her art to, he is so blown away by her he opens his mouth and inserts his foot and knows he’s just blown a good thing.



I appreciated the complexity of Mary and John’s relationship and the fact that they had to overcome their first disastrous meeting to eventually become friends and then more. I’m not kidding when I say this was a slooooooooow burn romance, it moved at a snail’s pace, but for these two it was needed. John needed time to come to terms with the fact that Mary had money and he didn’t was his problem and not hers. Mary needed time to trust that John wasn’t as judgmental as she first feared or that he was an uptight guy whose looks mattered more than anything else. She also had to move past the verbal/emotional abuse her mother heaped on her and learn not everyone felt the way she did.



I loved the way they fell into a friendship and how their relationship built over time, it was satisfying to watch them discover so much about one another and grow to appreciate each other’s unique personalities and traits. They shared a strong bond made only stronger by their growing feelings for one another.



I was blown away by the first book in this series and while the second book wasn’t quite my cup of tea, this third book was truly special. It is so refreshing to read a book about grown-ups who mess up and apologize, who don’t play games with each other, and took their time to really get to know one another.



Flirting with Forever and this series is filled with friendship, family, hope, and love making Cara Bastone a must read author for me.

Such a fantastic, heartfelt romance. It has everything I ever wanted in a romance: great characters, engaging plot and a sizzling romance.

Flirting with Forever by Cara Bastone is the third novel in her Forever Yours series. The novel follows the main characters—Mary and John from a blind date set up by his mother through a series of unfortunate events and misunderstandings to a satisfyingly wonderful happy ending. This novel will give readers a racing heart, joyful soul, and all of the feels. The characters are interesting and complex. The storyline will keep readers up reading way past their bedtime. Cara Bastone weaves a beautiful love story that will have readers coming back for more.

Honestly I kind of can’t believe that a mere month ago, I’d never read a Cara Bastone book?? After just ~shotgunning~ her backlist in about three days at the beginning of April, I think Cara has cemented herself as one of my favorite contemporary authors— I find her prose really beautiful, her characters ~deeply~ compelling, and the stories she tells feel really magical despite their contemporary setting

Flirting With Forever was just so swoony🥰 With all of her friends happily pared off, Mary is ready to find her person & agrees to go on a blind date with her favorite customer's son John. Things take an abrupt turn for the worst when John makes a comment about Mary’s age and the pair quickly realize that this would NEVER work. But after repeated run-ins around the neighborhood, Mary & John realize that NOTHING will stop John’s mother from matchmaking, and the reluctant allies decide to fake a relationship😏 And as they spend more & more time together, Mary & John (but mostly Mary) realize that first impressions aren’t everything, and they might need to revisit that whole “this would never work” thing…

I just loved everything about this book🙌🏻 The way Mary & John slowly build intimacy & trust is just devastating, an immaculate slow burn. And while I initially had some reservations, by the end of this book i was ~obsessed~ with John!! He was such a secret softie— what Mary initially saw as John being abrupt/rude was just him being an awkward, starstruck babe bc this man was GONE for her from day one😍 and RUTH!! omg he loves his cat so much it was amazing!!! The fact that there’s a rando dog on the cover is Ruth erasure and I’m a lil upset👀

This book is deeply romantic, utterly charming, and also pretty dang steamy (I’d say on the hotter end of a 3🔥 on my personal scale) If you’re looking for books with fake dating, caretaking scenes, “oops we woke up snuggling,” pets or sunshine & grumpy trope, this might be the book for you💛 big thanks to Netgalley for my review copy!!

What a wonderful love story. Flirting with Forever by Cara Bastone told a beautiful romance that started with a bad first impression,

Mary and John were the stars of the book. I found each of them relatable and lovable. I enjoyed that the characters had so many shared "experiences" in their life that they could relate and be vulnerable with each other. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I felt the relationship building went at a nice pace. The support they have is wonderful. Mary finds it in her friends, and John finds it in his mother and coworker.

It got a little steamy in parts for me, so some of those scenes I just skipped over, but overall, I loved this story and the characters and could not put it down. I felt this romance novel was different in the fact that it felt real. Not cookie cutter or too good to be true. Bastone created amazing lovable characters, and I cannot wait to read more by her.

I give this book 4.5 stars.

I received an eARC from Harlequin Romance (US & Canada) through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

This was a beautiful and steamy, enemies to lovers, romance where after a terrible first impression and some bumbling meetings, our leading characters were so burdened by their own insecurities that they almost sabotaged their chance at a happily ever after. Mary Trace is a 37 year old single, put together Cobble Hill show owner who owns her own apartment and has a tight knit friend circle. John Modesto-Whitford is 31 years old and a seemingly grumpy, rude, and aloof public defender who sticks his foot in his mouth every time he is in the same room as Mary. Although they have to dig out of their preconceived notions and self-doubt they are drawn to one another time and time again in spite of everything.

I enjoyed reading this story not only because their chemistry jumps off the page but also because of the amazing cast of characters that bolster the story from Mary's friends to John's mother and his co-workers. Everyone has something substantive to contribute to the main story and character make-up.

I was especially pleased to see that this story was set in New York City because although the city is a large bustling metropolis, the story stuck to certain neighborhoods that gave it a bit of a small town vibe which is entirely true of the real NYC.

This book had everything from laugh out loud highs to tear inducing lows as well as some epic steam. I high recommend this story and look forward to more from Cara Bastone!

I really liked the plot of the story. The chemistry between John and Mary was just right. They were similar because they both had pushy mothers, had insecurities about themselves, and often miscommunicated, but were open enough to talk about it. They had wonderful friends that helped them get through the rough times. Mary's friends were great cheerleaders and gave her an example of how loving and excepting a mother should be since her mother lacked those characteristics. There were quite a few steamy scenes that I skipped over, so be aware of that. If you enjoy a steamy romance, then this is the book for you!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin- Romance for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What can I saw about this book that I haven't already? Loved the ending to this series. I am eagerly anticipating to see what Cara Bastone writes next. I have been recommending this series to anyone and everyone I meet. Absolutely lovely!!

Mary Trace is bright, bubbly and back in the dating pool in her midthirties. All of her closest friends are in love, and she refuses to miss out on romance. So when a regular customer at her trendy Brooklyn boutique wants to set Mary up on a blind date with her son, she gives a hesitant yes. John Modesto-Whitford is gorgeous and well-groomed, so maybe dinner won’t be a total bust—until he drops a less-than-flattering comment about Mary’s age.

Desperate to be nothing like his snake of a politician father, public defender John Modesto-Whitford prides himself on his honesty and candor. But his social awkwardness and lack of filter just blew it with the most beautiful woman he’s ever dated.

Luckily, Mom’s machinations keep Mary and John running into each other all summer long, and soon they resort to fake dating to get her to back off. When their pretense turns to real friendship—and some surprisingly hot chemistry—can these two stubborn individuals see past their rocky start to a rock-solid future together?

About the book:
Mary Trace is a force - she's warm, she's bubbly, she's never met anyone she can't genuinely charm. She's also plunged back into the dating pool in her late thirties - so when she gets set up on a date with one of her dear friends' sons, she gives it a go. At first glance he seems cute and nice, if a little grumpy. But then he makes a completely unflattering comment about her age and she's out. John Modesto-Whitford is just a public defender trying his hardest to stay out of his smarmy politician father's shadow. After a long, hard day adds to his trademark social awkwardness, he manages to insult the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. But with his mother's finagling (not his idea, swears) he keeps running into Mary, until eventually the two are forced to pretend to date so she'll leave them alone. From a horrible first meeting to friends, with a stint of fake dating along the way doesn't usually lead to forever after, but will it for these two?

TL;DR:
- Content warnings: nothing major I can think of - will update if I remember!
- 4.5 stars
- A super butterfly inducing romance born out of a true, genuine friendship. This was hot and sweet and I LOVED it. I really didn't think I would - John managed to fuck up literally on the first page, but boy was I happy to be wrong. Worth reading if you're into low/no conflict, friends to lovers, SLOW burn romance.

Loved:
- I LOVED Mary, I loved how everyone loved her, I loved how sure she was that she had the most wonderful people surrounding her and that she loved them to death, but wasn't sure if she was worthy of them all the same. I think a lot of the best people, who are so good at loving others, are really bad at loving themselves! I enjoyed that the conflict in this novel was really more about her confronting her parents and their expectations of her than a romantic conflict.
- John was actually such a sweetheart, and was very hot. I am a little obsessed with him honestly. He rightfully seems like a completely fictional character. A public defender raised by a strong mother with a heart of gold and a smidge of social anxiety? Uh... lol. Sign me up. Also he was like, properly obsessed with Mary and thought she was super hot, which once again, sign me up.
- This is the second romance (in the span of a couple weeks) in my ENTIRE life where there's no conflict with the couple. There isn't even really a conflict with the public defender aspect of John's job (like a case going awry or something). I LIVE for that! Why develop an unnecessary conflict!! I can't believe I never knew that this was a possibility. Life changing. I think a lot of times inner conflict with characters is actually a lot for a couple to overcome anyway, so this felt really realistic.

Less into:
- Honestly not a whole lot. I feel like it took a smidge too long for John to explain why he was so insulting to Mary, which made me dislike him for a bit longer than necessary. But it's okay. All's well that ends well. And this did end well.

Overall I really loved this one. It was SO cute and SO hot. Like damn! The perfect combination. A must read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I'm smiling just thinking of Flirting with Forever!

This was such a cute and enjoyable romance set in Brooklyn, NYC. Mary owns a homegoods store in Cobble Hill while John is a public defender (living in a studio in Bed-Stuy). John's mom is an artisan whose work Mary often features in her shop, and she sets the two of them up on a blind date... that is over just about as it begins!

But with an apology, an invitation to a block party, and some further awkward set-ups, these two are back in each other's lives: as friends. They each have insecurities to work through; she, that she's been told she's "too old," and he, that he doesn't make much money.

I really enjoyed watching these two get to know each other and become closer, and the ways in which they showed up for the other. She's sunshine, he's a grump, and he's completely over the moon for her - pretty much from the beginning. It's a slow burn but when you get there, ahhhh yeah, it's an open door, steamy romance alright!

I gather this is the last in a series, but it read fine as a stand-alone. I'm honestly left wanting a sequel featuring more of John and Mary though!

Thank you, Harlequin for our gifted review copy.

The next time someone says romance books are not believable, I am going to solve this wonderful series by Cara Bastone in their face!

I've read all three books and love each of them in their own way. It is so nice to get to know Mary in Flirting with Forever. She is a fantastic friend, a badass businesswoman and she deserves a happily ever after.

I will say I wasn't in love with John. After an awful first date, I was kind of hoping Mary would move on. Yet, Cara finds a way to have me rooting for this couple. This book is about characters, working through their own insecurities, their own issues and coming out the better for it.

While each of these can be read as a standalone, do me a favor and start with Just a Heartbeat Away. Get to know these characters, champion them, fall in love with them and enjoy this wonderful series

Wow. This book was heartwarming. John and Mary reminded me of Carl and Ellie from the Pixar movie Up!. This story felt like their story if they met as adults rather than as children. John awkward and unsure and Mary looking for the positive. Sometimes first impressions can be deceiving and for these two the first impression made a lasting impression but not enough of one to stop them from discovering that maybe they made mistake on their assumptions. The characters have great character development although there were some that needed it but as their character stayed true for the whole book, it is understandable that there was none for those characters. Some people change and some people stay the same and this author gets its. I highly recommend this book.

I have read this entire series and really enjoyed it and each book easily stands alone. But it always takes so long for the romance to finally hit. For me that was frustrating. But it is so well written that in every book I am so impressed with how the author builds the story and the characters. They are not one dimensional but have many many many layers.

What I did not like about the book is the cover on it. It looks all pretty but there is a cat in the book but no dog. It also takes place in NYC and they really are not the picnic kind of people. In addition Mary is 37 to John's 31 and its a huge stumbling block for this couple. They also never fake date each other but rather his mom pretends to set her up with awful guys hoping her son will finally make a move.

They start off very badly and John says horrible things to her and about her about her being too old for him. Once on the date, and then he gives the waitress a flirty look. But he says it later again after he has even apologized and then he does it again when her friends question him. I would have dumped him and never spoke to him again but Mary forgives him a lot and sees that he is not into her.

Now you are probably thinking this books theme is about age but its not at all. What its about is perceptions and thats really why John is such a jerk. What he really sees in Mary is a rich princess who is older and single. But when Mary looks at him she sees that he is judgemental and a jerk who never smiles.

The truth is that he thinks she would never go for him and she thinks exactly the same.Inside both of them are very lonely people who become friends and pine for each other while thinking the other is not interested. At some point it just toook TOO long for them to be honest with each other. But I also really liked both characters.

I received a free ARC copy of this book from NETGALLERY prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Do you ever want to tell a book, "It's not you, it's me?" I don't know for sure if it was my fault or Flirting for Forever's but I didn't really enjoy my time spent with Cara Bastone's latest novel. I know it can happen from time to time but, man, do I ever get frustrated when a book lets me down.

Here's the synopsis:
Sometimes you get a second chance at a first impression
Mary Trace is bright, bubbly and back in the dating pool in her midthirties. All of her closest friends are in love, and she refuses to miss out on romance. So when a regular customer at her trendy Brooklyn boutique wants to set Mary up on a blind date with her son, she gives a hesitant yes. John Modesto-Whitford is gorgeous and well-groomed, so maybe dinner won’t be a total bust—until he drops a less-than-flattering comment about Mary’s age.
Desperate to be nothing like his snake of a politician father, public defender John Modesto-Whitford prides himself on his honesty and candor. But his social awkwardness and lack of filter just blew it with the most beautiful woman he’s ever dated.
Luckily, Mom’s machinations keep Mary and John running into each other all summer long, and soon they resort to fake dating to get her to back off. When their pretense turns to real friendship—and some surprisingly hot chemistry—can these two stubborn individuals see past their rocky start to a rock-solid future together?
I know I sound like a broken record but I have got to stop reading romance novels that are part of a series. I don't care if they're supposed to be standalones. Too many of them aren't done well enough to actually stand alone. With Flirting with Forever I felt like I was being bombarded with SO many characters and backstories that I didn't feel like I was actually getting to know the main couple. There was too much and it was the first thing to drive me bonkers with this story. I was too busy trying to figure out how Mary was connected to her friends Sebastian and Tyler who were clearly loved up and had been the focus of the previous two books. But even with that, I didn't get a real friendship from them. Oh, sure, they guys were there for her with their girlfriends when Mary had something bad happen (outside of the romance and I don't want to give it away) and you could tell they cared and there was history but...I guess I was being told that they cared and had history instead of it being shown to me. Oh and that dog on the cover? Not their dog. He belongs to one of the previous couples. John, in fact, has a cat.

I didn't particularly care about Mary and John. They were nice enough people but I would have been happy to have been told, "Oh, they worked out their issues and now they're living Happily Ever After. The end." Though, John had to work just as hard to win me over as he did Mary. He was a total dick to her on their first date and repeatedly discusses with friends that he is, in fact, a dick. Except...he's not. He's an incredibly kind and giving person who may have a few issues with social niceties especially when faced with a woman he's immediately, overwhelmingly attracted to. His behaviour just really didn't make sense and as a hero he wasn't a standout. He was also super hung up on how Mary had lots of money (how did she have so much money?) and he didn't. It's hard to judge in that sort of situation but he was so focused on it and it bothered me. Poor John. He didn't have a shot with me.

I also have to take issue with the book description. The first thing is going to come across as ridiculous and possibly age-ist but here we have it: Mary's 37. Not quite what I'd call mid-thirties. I'm turning 34 this year and I would consider myself in my mid-thirties. 37 is late thirties. But, I guess that doesn't sell as well? Second issue: John and Mary don't actually fake date. It's a convoluted storyline where Mary says she'll date someone else that John's mom is trying to get her to date but she's only doing that so John and Mary end up going home together. But that, my friends, is not fake dating as we know and love the trope. Finally, it talks about their hot chemistry. Um. Nope. Their chemistry is not not hot but it's a super slow build and then they give into it but would we call a drunken make out session hot? Meh. Not so much. It might be a bit much to be so frustrated with a description but I was expecting a different kind of character and a different kind of story so, yeah, I was frustrated.

I think contemporary romances are, for some reason, not for me right now. Normally I adore romances in all forms but I'm having a really hard time getting into the sweet and fun stories. Maybe Flirting with Forever would be a winner for another reader but Cara Bastone's latest novel really disappointed me.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Thank you to @netgalley and @hqnbooks for a copy of this book. I loved how this book starts out with a blind date gone wrong with John and Mary. I love the combination of a meddling mom, a grumpy paired with sunshine love interest. The slow burn journey of John and Mary was so fun to read. I also enjoyed seeing the strong friendships which we saw in the other book in this series. I always love seeing old friends again. ⁣
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This is a perfect example of how a terrible first impression can be undone by kindness, generosity and honest apology. Having loved the first in this series (it made my top ten list of 2020) and enjoyed the second, I knew that I would be in for a treat reading this one. The author does a great job of making you dislike the main character John from the get-go with his bluntness on his and Mary's first/blind date (set up by John's mother who is one of Mary's friends and vendors in her flower shop). Yet eventually we find out the reason for that bluntness and that deep down, even though John appears rude and standoffish to outsiders, he's got a really sweet nature and a kind heart. Beta hero lovers rejoice! Here's an example of one, a man who is instantly attracted to his date but trips over his own feet in trying to show it, and who over the course of the book shows his true nature.

This is a slow burn romance with a couple close in age (though Mary is a few years older), with Mary having had a disastrous last relationship and John having had little experience with women. They eventually form a friendship that slowly blossoms into a romance (helped along by pretending to be in a fake relationship to appease others) and leads the way to their very real happy ever after. I would place this author in the same category as Jill Shalvis, Kate Clayborn and Lucy Parker, to name a few - the type of authors who can mix emotional situations with likable characters, laughs, friendships and true romance. Just delightful!