ARC Review: ‘The Accidental Dating Experiment’ by Lauren Blakely
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The Accidental Dating Experiment
by Lauren BlakelySeries: How to Date #4
Published by Self-Published on June 6, 2024
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Format: eArc
Pages: 289
Source: the author
Audience: 18+/Adult
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I’ve spent the better part of eight years resisting my best friend’s little sister. What’s one more week? The hardest week ever when it includes a proposition to be her dating coach.
Eight years ago I fell into a secret summer fling with the bright, big-hearted Juliet before our lives went in different directions.
Now, I’m the grumpy to her sunshine on a popular dating podcast we host, and when a wealthy fan gives us a charming coastal cottage as the biggest thank you ever, we head to the town where I grew up to give it a makeover.
And find the house has only one bed.
Located under a mirrored ceiling.
To make matters even harder, the woman I’ve been pining for tells me she wants to try to find the one and would I please be her dating coach for the week?
Like hell I’ll let her date other men. I’ll coach her on three dates with me.
But the second I take her out, I don’t feel like her teacher. I feel like she’s mine, especially when the first night ends with us tangled up together in that bed.
Each night we grow closer, but this dating experiment forces me to face my greatest fear – whether a man like me is worthy of her love.
Even though I’m already head over heels for her.
I’ve been reading Lauren Blakely’s books for a while, and every time I want a fun, steamy read, I pick up one of her books. That is precisely what I got from her latest, The Accidental Dating Experiment. I loved that Lauren Blakely wrote a small-town romance this time around because she gave me all the feels of a sweet romance story with so many side characters that played a part in the story just as much as the main characters.
The Accidental Dating Experiment is a steamy second-chance story that delves deep into the emotional journey of two people who were always meant to be together but ended up going in different directions eight years ago. Now, all it takes is being gifted a house from a fan from their podcast for them to rekindle what they possibly had years ago. The issue this time is the MMC; Monroe doesn’t feel he’ll ever be the right person for Juliet because he doesn’t do well in relationships, even when he’s known to help others with their relationships. He’s even volunteered to help Juliet with her dating dilemmas by being her dating coach and acting like the guys she picks out.
This was another enjoyable read from Lauren Blakely, and I loved the storyline. The way Monroe handled the fake dates for Juliet and got into character for her was educative for both in different ways. Lauren touched on the reason why Monroe didn’t do relationships and also explained why Juliet was having trouble finding a date. I loved Monroe and Juliet whenever they were in the gifted house (it had a unique name to it that made it even more special) fixing it up because it was apparent being forced together how much they liked each other. The best part of the book was how Juliet’s brother, Sawyer, handled finding out about the two. I also love how Lauren has the previous couples from the series show up and play a part, too.
Overall, this is another great read from Lauren Blakely, filled with a perfect balance of steamy, humorous moments and even some heartwarming emotional moments, too. She’s the author I go to when I want fluffy, steamy, fun, emotionally driven books after I’ve read some dark, gritty romance/thriller books. It also helps when she writes characters that feel like family and you love reading them finding their HEA. If you haven’t picked up a Lauren Blakely book, then you are missing out. I definitely recommend starting with her How to Date series, in which each book is a standalone, and you get to meet some fantastic characters.
Trope(s)/Element(s):
✓Small Town Romance
✓Friends to Lovers
✓Second Chance at Love
✓Grumpy/Sunshine
✓Workplace Romance
✓Brother’s Best Friend/Best Friend’s Little Sister
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About Lauren Blakely
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s cute but spicy. Lauren likes dogs, cake, and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner party.
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My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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