Let me start this off by saying I was SO excited for this one. I love sapphic romance and I've heard good things about Jasmine Guillory. This was my first experience with her work and unfortunately I was disappointed. I think the premise of Flirting Lessons is really fun and I badly wanted to like it but I could not get over the writing style. It felt clunky and a bit juvenile and just took me right out of the story. I suspect if I was able to continue to push through that the plot would have been pretty solid, so I will give it points for that. I don't think it's a bad book by any means and I think a lot of people will really enjoy it and I hope they read it! I think it just isn't for me and that's okay. This experience won't stop me from giving Guillory's work another shot though, perhaps this just wasn't the one for me and I'd like one of her others more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for this advanced copy.

I am very familiar with Jasmine’s work. It was her Wedding Date series that helped me to rediscover the joy of reading during the Pandemic. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for this book. I felt the storyline moved a little too slowly & it was a bit repetitive (the self doubt talk). As hard as I tried to make a go of it, I put this book down around 31% into it. I truly wanted to like it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back to it one day.

As much as it pains me to say this, I don't think I was the demographic for this novel. I felt like there wasn't much chemistry when it came to the pairing, and once it did occur it was a pure explosion of things that didn't quite track for me. I felt that Taylor was a prototype to some characters that I often feel like I need to get away from, both fictional and in real life. And I felt that Avery would have blossomed so much more had she just decided to take some alone time rather than trying to learn how to flirt in a town where it seems every has or will sleep with each other. There were tropes I appreciated and others that I felt stigmatized an already established "fetish" that seems to be rolling around in the queer community. Though I didn't enjoy it, I'm sure this will resonate for someone else, it just wasn't me.

Thanks to @ for the blog tour invitation.
Guillory is one of my auto buy authors. This sapphic romance is a departure from her other romcoms, and I enjoyed it. She grabs your attention from the very beginning and keeps it throughout the book.
Avery is fresh out of a relationship and wants to date women, but she doesn’t have a lot of experience and feels awkward. Enter Taylor, whose friends joke that she’s dated every lesbian in Napa. She agrees to give Avery flirting lessons.
Taylor takes Avery on practice dates where she introduces her to her own friends. Avery catches on quickly and Taylor finds herself catching feelings.
Avery is falling for Taylor too, but she’s cautious because Taylor has a reputation of short relationships only.
The dates the two go on are very creative and sound like fun. I like the way their relationship unfolds, it feels very natural. I could have done without the details of the sex scenes, I found myself paging ahead. Otherwise, I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This queer romance has some fun scenes, as one character gives the others lessons on how to flirt, but the overall plot is a tad predictable, and I didn't really feel the chemistry between the characters.

One of my 2025 anticipated reads, read AND LOVED.

I can hardly believe it’s been 3 years without a Jasmine Guillory book at my fingertips. It was soooo good to go back to Napa Valley and see Black people be beautiful, drink wine, and fall in love.

I love Avery and Taylor so much! Both individually and for one another. While the “flirting lessons” may have been Avery’s queer debut around town, Taylor learned as much about herself as Avery did about opening up to a new life. I loved the adventure, the chemistry between the pair, and everything about their path to an HEA.

Unfortunately I DNFd this one at 23%. I love Jasmine Guillory and am so sad that I'm just not vibing with this book. It's her first foray into sapphic romance and I really wish it had been better. The writing is incredibly simplistic and I'm just not engaged with the characters. Hopefully her next book has all the things I love about her romances!

I loved this. I was a little wary for Jasmine's first sapphic romance, but she absolutely nailed it. Everything about the characters and their dynamics and emotional complexities felt so real and relatable. Just so sweet and delightful!

Happy Pub Day 🎉

Very cute and steamy Sappic contemporary Romance that follows Avery & Taylor. Avery is fresh out a heterosexual relationship & wants to explore her sexuality, while Avery is a player with the ladies.

Avery done started flirting lessons like real deal lessons with Taylor. That was so hilarious to me because GIRL. Of course they fall for each other. The banter was cute, the dates & activities were vibes. I mean it is set in Napa 😍They were also very honest with each other.

The side plots I didn’t really care for and the chapters are TOO LONG but that’s all the time in a Jasmine book. This is also Dual POV if you love that.

Thank You to Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC

Very steamy sapphic romance which was entertaining enough, but the main characters lacked depth to the point that I couldn't understand why they were so interested in each other. They are obviously highly attracted to each other, as most of their interactions in the second half of the book involve sex or talking about sex. It became redundant. Not my favorite Guillory, but will try again.

Thanks so much to Berkley Romance for the free book! Vague spoilers for the friendship subplot are below.

This was a very sweet sapphic romance and a perfect vacation read. I loved uptight, insecure Avery, and free-spirited Taylor was a great “opposites attract” foil. I would have liked to see Avery want to explore her newfound confidence a bit more—like, maybe she could have actually wanted to go on a date with the woman whose number she got and who was never mentioned again lol—rather than for the central conflict to turn on Avery and Taylor denying their growing feelings for each other. I’m also not sure I fully bought their attraction beyond the physical chemistry, especially for the long term. But a “happy for now” ending is just as valid for a romance as “happily ever after,” so I’ll suspend my disbelief just a little.

Unexpectedly, I found the subplot about Taylor’s strained relationship with her best friend Erica to be almost more compelling than the romantic plot. The jealousy and resentment they each felt toward the other, and the heartfelt and vulnerable conversation they had to have to clear the air, were well written and relatable. I’m glad there was a happy ending on the friendship side, because I was STRESSED!

All in all, this wasn’t my favorite Guillory book, but it was a sweet, light, fun read. I think anyone who has enjoyed any of her other work will like this one too.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review and its opinions are mine.

This is a standalone romance book that’s connected to Drunk on Love by this author. Avery and Taylor were featured in this book and Margot and Luke from that book are in this one.

It’s told in the third person from both point of views.

This book started off fast to me, with the main characters meeting within the first few pages, but followed with moments of lulls. There’s a certain conversation that rubbed me the wrong way in the beginning of the book that came full circle in the end, only there were no conversations that those comments that were made were being challenged in any way as the book went on.

I didn’t like Taylor’s friend group, made up of her previous situations. I found Taylor, in general, to be a little immature and lack self-awareness in some ways.

I also didn’t like some of the dialogue. There’s a lot of rambling, and the different side characters kind of blend together.

I did like Avery and the journey she went on. Seeing her confidence increase and her grow in this new era of her life was the story for me. Her point of view kept me going.

I also liked some of their lessons and their outings together, I just wanted more of it.

Tropes include

💃🏾 Lesbian FMC x Bi FMC

💃🏾 Opposites Attract

💃🏾 Celibacy Bet

💃🏾 Reformed Player

OVERALL

Overall, there are parts of it that I enjoyed and parts of it that really annoyed me. They balance each other out so I’m giving this a 3 out of 5 stars. Still love this author!

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory is a queer romance following two women, Avery and Taylor, who begins to spend more time with each other after Taylor agrees to give Avery flirting lessons.

***

A couple of years ago, Jasmine Guillory wrote one of my favorite books of all time (Party of Two). Because of this, I was so excited to read her first queer romance. And I have to say, I was definitely not disappointed. I read this in less than 24 hours, because it was so good.

Flirting Lessons is cute, lighthearted, and romantic. It’s a bit funny. It’s authentic. Reading Avery’s journey of self discovery, for example, felt so real and wholehearted.

It also has adorable characters I couldn’t help but root for, as well as side characters I wouldn’t mind having their own books. The two main women, Avery and Taylor in particular, felt so authentic and relatable rather than dramatized characters. They truly felt like a perfect pair—bouncing off each other—and I loved reading their romance of sparks and wholesomeness.

The only thing preventing me from giving this five stars is the POV chosen. With the subject matter and story, I would have preferred first person to get more in the nitty gritty of their thoughts and feelings.

Other than that, I loved it. It’s fast paced, spicy, and feels good. As the romance unfolded, I felt warm and tingly.

Rating: 3.5/5
This review will also be published on my Instagram on publication day.

****This review has been edited and is now published on social media accounts.****

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory offers a charming and lighthearted premise that immediately draws the reader in. We meet Avery, fresh off a breakup and facing the stark realization that her life outside of her non existent relationships. With no hobbies and a distinct lack of flirting prowess, she enlists the help of her polar opposite, Taylor. Taylor, known for her confident flirting and successful relationships, agrees to take Avery under her wing, promising lessons in the art of the flirt and the world of casual hookups.
The inevitable romantic spark between Avery and Taylor is a delightful slow burn. The transition from flirting lessons to a friends-with-benefits situation feels natural, and the development of their feelings is genuinely sweet. Flirting lessons ultimately proved to be a nice and quick read. It's a perfect choice for someone looking for a light and fluffy romance with an engaging premise and undeniably cute main characters.
4 stars and would recommend
Thank you to Netgalley via Berkeley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own

DNF, the audio was hopelessly dull and boring. The premise was okay and I loved the LGBTQ representation in her book but the characters just had nothing going for them

𝓕𝓵𝓲𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓛𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓼

Thoughts: Jasmine Guillory delivers a fresh, flirty sapphic romance in Flirting Lesson, with charm, wit, and heart. Set once again in Napa, this book reintroduces a familiar backdrop and even offers glimpses of beloved characters. This story was equal parts sweet, spicy, and (my favorite) filled with banter. ✨

✨𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 you for the e-book.

This was such an unfortunate miss for me. I have read every book by this author and loved them all. Unfortunately this one just didn't work for me.
The writing style was very stilted with short sentences that felt juvenile. The two main characters felt underdeveloped and lacked a unique voice. Since the story switched POV, I found it difficult to keep the main characters straight because they sounded very similar. The main characters also lacked depth and seemed very superficial so it was difficult to connect with them. I also felt that the romance was lacking and the main characters only connected on a physical level. Overall, this felt like like a young adult novel with simple characters, plot, and writing. If you are interested in this book, skip it and read any of Gullory's other books!

Flirting Lessons is a cozy romance that takes its time building up, making it a true slow burn. This one delivery’s on themes like personal growth, strong friendship foundations, and blossoming love with lots of chemistry. The friendships were a highlight for me, they felt genuine and added to the story for me. I also enjoyed the banter throughout. When banter and “Flirting Lessons” turn real and the 2 realize what they have and what they really want.

For romance fans, if you love slow, steady relationship development, charming banter, and relatable characters, this one might be right up your alley. It’s not a whirlwind kind of romance, but a patient kind of HEA as the connections unfold naturally. I believe that I would have liked this one a bit more if I had read this one solely with my eyes. If you are a Jasmine Guillory fan like me, I would suggest reading the physical copy. I felt like the audiobook made the book feel more YA (aside for the spicy bits) This one does have its fair share of spice!

This was my first Jasmine Guillory book and it definitely won’t be my last. I have heard such great things about her books and I own most of them, so this was a great introduction to her writing, especially with it being her first queer romance book. I did enjoy this story. I wished that I loved it more than I did, but unfortunately the romance fell a bit flat to me.

Avery and Taylor were characters that I really did enjoy individually. I enjoyed Avery the most. Her mind is wonderful. I love reading about her thought process, and organization, and her business. I really feel like I connected with her because of how she thinks and it was honestly so refreshing. I enjoyed her character so much. I also loved the garden scenes. As someone who loves plants, this was such a cute part to the story. As for Taylor, I liked her character, but overall I felt pretty indifferent to her as a whole. I enjoyed how outgoing she was. It was refreshing, especially because I do relate to Avery more. As for them together, I thought they brought out the best parts of eachother and I do really enjoy the communication that they had with each other. Something with them did fall a bit flat to me. I’m not sure if it was the overall plot of their relationship, or what, but I just was not fully engaged in their story.

I will say my favorite part of this book was the friendships that were both new and existing. I really loved the dynamics and seeing these women support each other and love each other. Taylor and Erica’s friendship was the most interesting to read about. Watching their story unfold made me feel so much. It was really hard seeing Taylor try to resonate with how her friend’s speak about her and those instances were the times I appreciated her and Avery’s relationship the most.

Overall, there were parts of this book that I really liked, and other parts that did fall a little flat. I will definitely still pick up another Jasmine Guillory book in the future. Thanks Berkley and Netgalley for an earc of Flirting Lessons. All opinions are my own.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Taylor Cameron’s only goal is to have fun and stay single to win a bet when she meets Avery who opens up to admit she needs to learn how to flirt. Obviously Taylor is going to help Avery with her game. It was great to see Margot and Luke from Drunk on Love and hear how they’ve been doing.