A review by zabeishumanish
How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

TW: this book deals heavily with the aftermath of intimate partner violence, domestic abuse, blackmail (revenge porn), workplace sexual harassment, and attempted sexual assault.  All of these issues are handled with tact and care and the book is focused on healing and moving forward.

my interest in sex had been non-existent for a long time. After my last relationship, I'd felt disconnected from my body, and I didn't trust anything that felt good. (12)

If men didn't see me, they couldn't hurt me. (22)

Naya and Jake are awesome together. Their combined nerdiness, the cheesy jokes, and the pure joy of their relationship were a delight to read. Naya is undeniably fragile and healing from start to finish of this book, but I appreciate that at no point did that diminish her capacity for joy and how much and if she chose to express it.

A unique aspect of this romance was how the characters chose to embark on a long-distance relationship. I think this is the first romance I've read where the couple needs at least one flight to see each other regularly. I've never been in a long-distance relationship so I can't say for certain how realistic the depiction of the relationship is, but all of the milestones in Naya and Jake's relationship felt extremely realistic to me.
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