Wedding Date, Book 6
From the publisher:
An instant New York Times bestseller!
Two people realize that it’s no longer an act when they veer off-script in this sizzling romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory.
Ben Stephens has never bothered with serious relationships. He has plenty of casual dates to keep him busy, family drama he’s trying to ignore and his advertising job to focus on. When Ben lands a huge ad campaign featuring movie star, Anna Gardiner, however, it’s hard to keep it purely professional. Anna is not just gorgeous and sexy, she’s also down to earth and considerate, and he can’t help flirting a little…
Anna Gardiner is on a mission: to make herself a household name, and this ad campaign will be a great distraction while she waits to hear if she’s booked her next movie. However, she didn’t expect Ben Stephens to be her biggest distraction. She knows mixing business with pleasure never works out, but why not indulge in a harmless flirtation?
But their light-hearted banter takes a turn for the serious when Ben helps Anna in a family emergency, and they reveal truths about themselves to each other, truths they’ve barely shared with those closest to them.
When the opportunity comes to turn their real-life fling into something more for the Hollywood spotlight, will Ben be content to play the background role in Anna’s life and leave when the cameras stop rolling? Or could he be the leading man she needs to craft their own Hollywood ending?
I love this series and this book reminded me why! I must admit I couldn’t tell you what the last book was about, so this definitely reads like a stand alone to me, so I don’t think this series needs to be read in order. If you want to try this one, it’s as good a place to start as any. Then if you love it as much as I did, you can go back and read the rest of the books in the series.
It’s the characters that make this story. Anna is a plus size Black actress who is hoping this commercial is going to give her more exposure. She’s an Oscar-nominated actress who is hoping for a new role that she thinks will get her the win. But the studio isn’t sure about her, they want a bigger, whiter, name.
Ben is hard working but doesn’t always get the opportunities some of his co-workers get. So when the rest of his team is late for a pitch meeting, he gets to take lead. He is surprised that the star of the commercial is there, but they quickly achieve a rapport that is going to move his career forward in a big way when Anna announces she wants him to run the shoot. The star always gets what she wants in these situations, and reluctantly Ben’s boss allows it.
Ben and Anna have a little fling during the shoot, and she decides it would be good publicity if he could hang out with her for a while, and the fake relationship is born. He agrees and they have an end date when all the fun and games will be over. But of course the fake relationship turns real.
This was a good love story with engaging characters and an interesting plotline, making this a one night read for me. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
WHILE WE WERE DATING by Jasmine Guillory. Berkley (July 13, 2021). ISBN: 978-0593100851. 384 pages.
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