How to Fail at Flirting: A Novel

Naya’s had a dry spell for a few years now. After getting out of an abusive relationship, she’s quietly putting the pieces of herself back together and clinging to her career as a college professor. Trouble starts when her college is undergoing an audit and Naya knows her entire department is in danger of being cut. Her best friends recommend that she get out there and live a little to help her get some perspective. 
The first night Naya loosens up and goes out, she meets Jake. Cute, charming, and full of cheesy jokes, he might be just what Naya needs.



First, the chemistry between Naya and Jake is just adorable. Once these two meet, the story just zipped along. The biggest surprise for this book, however, is that it’s not the feel-good rom-com the cover and blurb imply. A very large component of this book is Naya confronting her abusive ex and trying to recover from the scars of physical and emotional abuse. Those themes were much darker than expected, but they worked with the overall story. Naya isn’t the only character with a past, although Jake’s isn’t really delved into that much. He has a huge bombshell but the two of them don’t really discuss it. 


Overall, Denise Williams has put forth an engaging and well-written debut. As long as readers are aware of the abuse subplot, it’s worth a read.