Thanks so much to @berkleypub & @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner

I was so excited to read Jasmine Guillory’s first sapphic romance but I ultimately DNFd this book at 30%. The writing style feels disconnected from Guillory’s previous works, and due to the third-person, past-tense, dual POV it felt increasingly difficult to tell the narrative voices apart and it felt like the reader was distanced from what was going on.

The dialogue was stiff, the interactions unnatural in that people don’t tend to constantly laugh in lieu of replying when spoken to, and I wasn’t buying the stakes of how Avery and Lauren were to go from friends to lovers when they were basically strangers at the start. They’re also coded much older than the narrative claims they are, so it just didn’t work for me.

I think if you’re really into the trope of one character teaching another to relax and become more flexible and natural at flirting and dating until they accidentally fall in love, this might work for you! But if you’ve read Guillory in the past, this feels a long ways away from that and it has nothing to do with this being sapphic.

I really enjoyed this story so much. The pacing of the story was great, the love connection was pure and loving.

I liked the concept of this story of two women, one always in serial relationships and the other new to dating women, who begin a friendship when the one becomes the other's coach in flirting. However, at times it wasn't obvious which character was narrating the chapter, and the book was longer than needed. If I'm going to read something that is supposed to be fun and light, I don't want to work hard. This would have been more enjoyable with better editing.

I love a lessons premise and this didn’t disappoint!!! the tension between these two was through the roof. I loved the independent growing they also did while getting comfortable with each other. the found friendships and getting to know themselves made for such a dynamic and heart warming read.

Thank you so much Berkley romance and PRH audio for the arcs!

I've enjoyed all of Jasmine Guillory's books, so I was very excited for her latest. Taylor (who works for Margot from Drunk on Love) doesn't do relationships; everything's short-term with her, and she's left broken hearts around Napa Valley. Avery (Luke's friend from Drunk on Love) is recently single and wants to try dating women, something she hasn't done before. After having too much to drink at an event and deciding that she's sick of being boring, Avery winds up talking to Taylor, who decides to give Avery lessons on how to flirt.

It's a cute concept. Avery is quieter and too in her own head; she's organized and a planner and nervous about taking chances and putting herself out there. Taylor is brash and outgoing and fun. They go on a bunch of fun outings--salsa, trivia, burlesque shows, axe-throwing. Naturally, they start falling for each other. But will the relationship be anything more than a fun fling?

Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. Which is a bit weird, because individually I liked the characters; I could relate to Avery, and though Taylor annoyed me at times, I really appreciated her journey and growth throughout the book. Something about the writing itself bothered me. There's a lot of telling about feelings instead of showing--in long, repetitive blocks of text about how each woman is feeling. (And, more technically, at times it was hard to tell who, exactly, was speaking during conversations.) When they're together, Avery and Taylor's conversations tend to be about how physically attractive they find each other, and then there will be a section of "Avery just feels so comfortable around Taylor" in a way that feels a bit incongruous. I guess I just don't really feel like Taylor and Avery will make it long-term.

That said, their friendships are great (particularly about the difficulty of friendships as people experience different parts of life) and there's some actual good advice in here about how to meet people (and flirt!). I do wish, though, that we had met some gay men at the multiple queer events Taylor and Avery go to; they seemed to be all women.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an advanced copy of this book.

This book was such a fun romance, a great example of opposites attracts. There is humor, depth and a reminder that being true to who you are is always best. There is tension and chaos.

Bothe characters Avery and Taylor find they have underlying chemistry. Chemistry goes far beyond the initial physical attraction and delves deeper into the personal insecurities, growth and the difficulty of relationships.

The tension, emotion and banter are a refreshing take on a slow burn. Flirting Lessons is a heartwarming, playful, and sexy story about taking chances in love, learning to let go of fear, and discovering the joy in letting yourself be imperfect.

If slow-burn romances that offer humor, steamy tension, then this book will not disappoint. The side characters also lend a fun fresh aspect to this already fun and heartfelt story.

Jasmine has once again crafted a romance that is both fun and thoughtful, with characters that will leave you rooting for them every step of the way.

This was so disappointing because I had really high hopes for this. This book fell super flat for me. It was pretty boring and very repetitive, especially the inner dialogue and honestly same with the regular dialogue. It was exhausting to read and I felt myself forcing myself to keep going, so eventually I DNF’ed at 72%.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for a review copy of this book. All opinions my own!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the eARC via NetGalley and the gifted finished copy, and to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook! These are my honest thoughts.

I think this my second Jasmine Guillory book, and I really enjoyed myself this go-round. This is a story about Avery, a recently single and ready to mingle... she's been in straight relationships in the past, but she's interested in exploring her queer side a little bit more. The catch is, she's scared. She doesn't have the skills required to flirt. Enter her acquaintance, Taylor. Taylor is the biggest flirt, and her friend bets her that she can't stay single and not hook up with anyone all summer. She thinks she'll outsmart the system, by offering to give Avery flirting lessons.

Taylor pushes Avery out of her comfort zone, and Avery shows Taylor what it's like to spend time with someone who just likes spending time with them... no agenda or need to perform or entertain, something Taylor struggles with. I loved watching Avery blossom in all of these flirting lessons, as well as all of the genuine connections she makes in these situations and the hobbies she gains from getting out of her comfort zone.

While this book didn't move mountains, I really enjoyed myself! I loved all of the representation, and I think a lot of women will benefit from seeing these welcoming, honest relationships on page! This one is out April 8th!

Flirting Lessons is a sweet and summery sapphic romance following Avery, a recently single event planner wanting to explore her bi-sexuality, and Taylor, her confident and playful new friend who signs on to teach her everything about flirting with women. This was such a fun romance, I loved the Napa setting and all the refreshing little dates and activities. Taylor and Avery were so cute together and I loved that their relationship was built around a friendship and so much banter and teasing. The two had amazing chemistry and I appreciated how open and honest they were with each other about everything. Their romance unfolded so naturally, and with the perfect mix of character growth, steam, and undeniable chemistry, this lighthearted book gave me everything I wanted!

Read if you like:
🌷Opposites Attract🌷
🌷Friends to Lovers🌷
🌷Dual POV🌷
🌷Queer Rom-Coms🌷
🌷Dating Lessons🌷
🌷Open Door Steam🌷

I enjoyed this new sapphic romance from Guillory! I loved the premise of Avery, who doesn't know how to flirt, and Taylor, who flirts a lot. This book was so fun to read and I loved it!

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory is a very sweet queer romcom stand-alone novel. We meet Avery Jensen, who just went through a breakup, and wants to try dating women, having been attracted to them, but never acted on this. Avery meets Taylor Cameron, at an event, who is a chronic flirt and heartbreaker, Taylor has no problem flirting and having earned her reputation.

Taylor takes Avery under her wing, promising to teach Avery some much needed flirting lessons. Both of them will go on a fantastic adventure together. Exploring their sexuality and identity while getting to know each other. Their journey is full of banter, flirting and hookups, as we get closer the last third of the book, their relationship changes since they were spending lots of time together. The chemistry between Taylor and Avery increased, as it was wonderful to see them get closer. When they started to actually date, it was pretty spicy.

I really enjoyed Taylor taking Avery to different places, including all of Taylor’s friends. Avery learned to get past her anxiety and pushed herself to meet others and befriend them. Taylor was happy to see Avery beginning to become grow more confident and happier. It was also nice to see Taylor and Erica’s friendship, and Taylor feeling hurt when her friends kept talking about how long before she dumps Avery. But it was nice to see all the friends and the importance of female friendship in their lives. It was really nice to see both Taylor and Avery finding love together.
Flirting Lessons was a wonderful, witty, fun story that turned out to be a sweet romance. Flirting Lessons was so very well written by Jasmine Guillory. This was a fun queer female story line. Well done by Guillory.

This is Jasmine Guillory’s first queer romance, it follows two women who are friends. Avery is an introvert and has recently gone through a breakup with a shitty dude. Looking for help getting out there and how to even flirt, she ends up getting the titular Flirting Lessons from Taylor, a well known flirt (and heartbreaker). Avery is also wanting to date women so Taylor is helpful there as well, introducing her to other queer people and spaces.

They build a really great friendship doing this and also of course… more. I think the set up really worked, they were fun and I had a good time reading it. The 3rd act conflict made sense for the characters and was resolved in a sweet way.

DNF. Received an ARC from Berkley Pub via NetGalley. I’ve read numerous books by this author before and enjoy the lighter romance stories. I was excited for this one - my first romance book with two female leads. It really didn’t capture my attention; I felt that one of the leads was constantly being slut-shamed and everything felt repetitive about 1/3 of the way through. I may come back to it later on but had to DNF for now. Not for me.

I have loved every Jasmmine Guillory book that I've read so far. I was excited to see her take a stab at a sapphic romance. As someone who could probably benefit from flirting lessons, I liked the idea of this concept. Partner with someone who is really good at dating or flirting or even just an extrovert to teach the introverts how to do the thing! However, this book fell a little flat for me. It felt a little repetitive and lacked a bit of depth in the storyline. I listened to this one, and I found it a little hard to differentiate between the two leads. I kind of wish I had read it instead because I think I would have liked it a little more. Towards the end, I even sped up my audiobook because I was ready for it to end.

Read if you like Sapphic, Friends to Lovers Romances that have a bit of the student and teacher vibes.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 4/8

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
From the moment I saw the cover for Jasmine Guillory’s latest, Flirting Lessons, I was dying to read it. It being sapphic, plus having a close relative of one of my favorite tropes (“intimacy lessons”) at the forefront made me sure I’d love it. And as predicted, I devoured it in a matter of hours.
The characters are absolutely charming, and may just be my favorite of Guillory’s couples to date. Avery is very relatable as someone with relatively limited dating experience, who is beginning to come to terms with her bisexuality. Taylor is an intriguing contrast, having dated around quite a bit, and is resolving to remain single for a while, at the behest of a friend, especially as she navigates issues with her own self-worth as her friends seem to be settling down while she hasn’t.
The bond between Avery and Taylor is very sweet, and I loved how caring Taylor was in helping Avery come out of her shell. While the lessons begin without the intention of them falling in love, I loved seeing them organically grow closer.
If there’s any weaknesses, it’s that the story lacked a ton of substance. But given the tough times I’ve had lately, both reading wise and in general, I can appreciate that this was a generally fluffy, uncomplicated read.
With that in mind, I recommend it to readers looking for fun, lighthearted sapphic romance centering Black characters.

ARC/ALC BOOK REVIEW

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory

Thank you, Berkley, for the free finished copy and eARC of this book and another thank you to PRHA for the #ree audiobook! #berkleypartner #PRHAudioPartner

SYNOPSIS: “Avery Jensen is almost thirty, fresh off a breakup, and she’s tired of always being so uptight and well-behaved. She wants to get a hobby, date around (especially other women), flirt with everyone she sees, all the fun stuff normal people do in their twenties. One Avery doesn't know how to do any of that. She doesn't have a lot of dating experience, with men or women, and despite being self-assured at work, she doesn't have a lot of confidence when it comes to romance.

Enter Taylor Cameron, Napa Valley's biggest flirt and champion heartbreaker. Taylor just broke up with her most recent girlfriend, and her best friend bet her that she can't make it until Labor Day without sleeping with someone. (Two whole months? Without sex? Taylor?!?!) So, she offers to give Avery flirting lessons.

At first, Avery is stiff and nervous, but Taylor is patient and encouraging, and soon, Avery looks forward to their weekly lessons. She tells herself it's because the lessons are fun, not because she kind of might have a little bit of a crush on Taylor. Taylor doesn't even try to deny that she's intrigued by Avery, but she's still got a bet to win. When Taylor is forced to confront her feelings for Avery, she doesn't know what to do, how to deal with it, and most importantly, if she's already ruined the best thing she's ever had.”

REVIEW: Jasmine Guillory is the reason I read romance. She is the queen of the contemporary romance IMHO, so I was so excited to have the opportunity to read and review this book early.

In turn Guillory fashion, the characters are engaging, both with their friend circles and with each other. Because of that, the dual POV works, because we get to see both Avery and Taylor as whole people/characters. The dating coach trope works really well with this one, since we see so much of the characters separately (and then together on their “dates”.)

I also love that this is a proudly sapphic romance and the characters interact with the Nappa queer community repeatedly. Brava for Guillory’s first lesbian romance! I’m so here for it.

The only downside for me was the pacing of the plot. While I can’t point to where it lost me exactly, I found myself wondering a bit while reading.

In short, if you love Jasmine Guillory like I do, read this book!

Publisher: Berkley, Berkley Romance, PRH Audio
Pub date: 4/8/25

2.5 stars rounded up

This was the first book I've read from this author. I was really excited about this book because I love this cover, I love Sapphic books, and the premise sounded like a lot of fun. Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me and now I'm sad.

This writing style wasn't my favorite, so I struggled to get into it. I'm not sure if this is the author's normal style or not since I haven't read anything else by her. It is written in 3rd person, but it's also dual POV and the way the POV would change was unclear and somewhat jarring while reading. It made it had to differentiate these characters and remember who is who.

I also found that these two characters were lacking chemistry. The premise of this book is a woman who gets flirting lessons from another woman (think the movie Hitch), so I was expecting a lot of tension and it just wasn't there. The relationship ended up feeling very surface level to me. It was clear that these women both found the other physically attractive, but their relationship didn't go past that attraction in my opinion.

This book wasn't all bad. I felt like I related to Avery and her journey, but I also feel like maybe Taylor just isn't her person. I did enjoy seeing how Avery progressed throughout this novel.

I also feel like this book was just too long. At the beginning I was struggling because I felt like I had read a lot and was shocked I was only 5% through. I checked the page count and I personally feel like there was no reason for this book to be over 400 pages. This book was dragging from the start and I feel like that wouldn't have happened if this book would have been 50-100 pages shorter.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Flirting Lessons
Jasmine Guillory
Pub: 4/8/25
4☆

I adore Guillory and her books. Flirting Lessons was a fun, cute, and quick read. I enjoyed both Avery and Taylor and had fun watching them grow both as individuals and as their relationship went from friends to lovers. The flirting lessons were fun/adventurous and I really enjoyed the strong focus on the friendships made outside of the romance. Especially with Beth. As someone who loves to garden I totally shared in their excitement of watching things transform and grow.

All in all I enjoyed Guillory’s new venture into queer romance and look forward to more.

What I enjoyed;
🍷 Queer Romance
🍷 Friends to Lovers
🍷 Napa Valley Setting
🍷 Friendships

Thank you Berkley Romance for the free book. Thank you PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook.

An entertaining and well plotted romance that kept me hooked and rooting for the characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A sapphic opposites attract/friends to lovers rom com from Guillory! Avery wants to change her life and loves so she enlists her friend Taylor to teach her how to flirt. Taylor is relationship averse but she's darn good at the flirting. And then things turn serious. No real surprises here but the dialogue is snappy and the plot zippy. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A fun read.