How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams

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One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever’s world upside down.

When her flailing department lands on the university's chopping block, Professor Naya Turner’s friends convince her to shed her frumpy cardigan for an evening on the town. For one night her focus will stray from her demanding job and she’ll tackle a new kind of to-do list. When she meets a charming stranger in town on business, he presents the perfect opportunity to check off the items on her list. Let the guy buy her a drink. Check. Try something new. Check. A no-strings-attached hookup. Check…almost.

Jake makes her laugh and challenges Naya to rebuild her confidence, which was left toppled by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Soon she’s flirting with the chance at a more serious romantic relationship—except nothing can be that easy. The complicated strings around her dating Jake might destroy her career.

Naya has two options. She can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she can flirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she's finally living again.

Source: ARC generously provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Returning to the dating pool is a scary prospect for Naya who's avoided it for years. Upon her two best friends' urging, she promises to shake things up and do things that she wouldn't ordinarily do. They make a plan for her first night out and wouldn't you believe it, her friends have to bail on her. But not everything goes bust because she meets Jake and he is that guy who's too good to be true. They hit it off and Naya finds herself experiencing lots of firsts with this unbelievably cool and hot looking guy by her side. 

This story features a lovely romance between two people who have been burned by past relationships so they're entering into this with a some hesitancy. Nay and Jake are very relatable, normal people you'd recognize in your own friend group. Naya's painful secret, though came as a bit of a surprise to me because its revelation kind of sneaks up on you. Her last relationship was unhealthy - her ex was abusive and would gaslight her at every turn. Williams remarkably shows Naya's fragility as she wrestles with her doubts and tries not cast Jake in the same light. But since her ex screwed with her confidence it's understandably tough to get that voice out of her head. And now that very man who hurt her is back working on the same campus as she is and is up to all his old tricks. She refuses to let Jake know what's going on, maintaining in her mind that she can handle herself.  I totally empathized with Naya wanting to be self-reliant and stronger, which is why she doesn't let anyone know the full depth of her fear. Then there's also an element of shame. She's this brilliant woman and a exemplary professor. She's supposed to be smart enough to not be a victim. Once again, I hand it to Williams for allowing her character to be all these conflicted and vulnerable emotions. The latter portion of the books follows Naya's struggle to maintain composure as she fights for the survival of her department and her new relationship, all while she also has to ward off the man who threatens her happiness and safety. All she has to do is trust Jake with the truth but trust is a commodity that's so precious and since it was broken before, she can't quite get there just yet. Trust is a strong running theme in this story.

How to Fail at Flirting was a quick and satisfying read for me. I was amazed by Denise Williams' ability to strike an impressive yet delicate balance between the jovial and steamy moments, and the serious undertone of partner violence. I do recommend this book but it might be tough for some readers due to some of the triggering content (listed below). Rest assured that Naya does end up stronger in the end and has her moment of triumph which frees her from her terror. That alone is the ultimate happily ever after!

~ Bel

Content warning/triggers:

Physical abuse (memories and on-page), racism (quick mention by passing character), gaslighting, unsolicited texts

About the Author:

Denise Williams wrote her first book in the 2nd grade. I Hate You and its sequel, I Still Hate You, featured a tough, funny heroine, a quirky hero, witty banter, and a dragon. Minus the dragons, these are still the books she likes to write. After penning those early works, she finished second grade and eventually earned a PhD in education, going on to work in higher education. After growing up a military brat around the world and across the country, Denise now lives in Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, son, and two ornery shih-tzus who think they own the house.

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