Review - How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams

 Ugh, this book gave me ALLL THE FEELS!!! I picked this up from my library's new releases shelf because I thought I had seen some people talking about it, but the blurb didn't really seem like something I'd be that interested in. Boy, was I wrong! I can't believe this is the first book that Denise Williams has published, it was so well done (not that debuts can't be, it just seemed like expert-level writing to me.) 

So, big content warning: Naya, the main character (first person POV) has been abused (physically, emotionally, sexually) by her ex. This is explored a lot, just a head's up, and it really shapes her new relationship and her life in general (as it would, let's be real). 

Naya is a professor who is almost to tenure. She loves her job, and after her abusive ex it is basically her whole life. One night her friends convince her to go out, then have to bail unexpectedly. A handsome stranger starts flirting, and what was supposed to be a one-night-stand turns into something more. However, when it comes to light that being in a relationship with Jake means she is putting her career in jeopardy Naya has to decide what she truly wants for her life.

This book is pretty steamy and also pretty angsty. The romance is pretty central, but I think you could also make the case for it being women's fiction, since the true heart of the story is Naya finding herself again and rebuilding after her ex's influence. Eh, I'd say it rides the line, probably a little of both. Jake is such a great love interest *sigh*. 

I definitely recommend How to Fail at Flirting (I couldn't put it down) and I can't wait to read Denise William's next book! 

Review - One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

 One to Watch is Kate Stayman-London's debut novel, and as such it's great! Bea Shumacher is a plus-size fashion blogger who has been in unrequited love with her best guy-friend for nearly ten years, but to him she's always been a friend. After a drunken blog rant goes viral, Bea is selected to become the next star of "Main Squeeze" - a Bachelor-like show. She is confronted with twenty-five suitors and has to try to find love, but will her past hang-ups stop her from finding anything real?

I enjoyed this book, but I have to say I was a little disappointed. I grabbed One to Watch from the library because it was classed as Romance, however I don't feel this book truly belongs in the romance genre. This is definitely more of a women's fiction book - the whole story is Bea's journey to accepting herself, and the romance and the television show is just a prop for that. There is no clear love interest, just different men that Bea interacts with who each teach her something different about who she is or what she wants. There's nothing wrong with this, and overall it's a great book, I just don't think it's right to try to shoehorn a book somewhere that it doesn't belong - the target audience won't see it, and the people who do will be disappointed. Personally I couldn't believe the "happy ending" or, really, any of the relationships Bea formed with the men, because we simply didn't have any time with them. This was Bea's book, through and through.

Overall this book was fantastic. Bea's journey is relatable to anyone who's ever had a negative thought about themselves, especially women who don't necessarily fit the typical idea of "beauty". Stayman-London told a lot of the story through different modes as well, which was fresh and interesting, and a great way to let the audience be privy to information that Bea was not. There were blog posts, Twitter threads, TMZ articles, chat-room logs, tons of other, more epistolary entries, which was a great idea.

I can't wait to see what Kate Stayman-London writes next!