Rule Number 1 of being a dating coach? Don’t fall for your client. It’s as simple as that—or is it?
I like rules. Rules make me happy. Rules keep me in control.
Most importantly, rules keep my heart safe.
But when I suddenly find myself out of a job and blackballed by my Wicked Ex-Boss, the rules of the game change—and now I’m opening shop as a dating coach.
Local coffee shop barista Josh Gregory agrees to be my guinea pig, and I jump at the chance to help him land the woman of his dreams.
But as Josh and I work together to “improve” his dating game, I start to wish that woman was … me.
Because I can’t help but be drawn to those mysterious blue eyes of his, his quiet wit, and the kindness and patience he offers me over and over again.
And fine, the way he looks without a shirt on isn’t bad either …
But I’ve got a job to do, a business to run. So I’m keeping things professional between us. Pro. Fes. Sion. Al.
Because … rules.
Or are some rules just begging to be broken?
Fans of Sarah Adams will love this closed-door romantic comedy with lots of sizzle and spice, but no on-page explicit content.
Kristin is a thirty-something wife and boy mom who functions best on peach tea and cookie dough ice cream. She writes closed-door romantic comedies with lots of sizzle and spice but no explicit on-page content. A desert dweller, she always has her eye on the next trip to a beach somewhere--and if she can't travel there in person, then you'd better believe she's going to write about it. Kristin is never fully satisfied with a movie, TV show, or book without a hefty dose of romance in it, and she's grateful to be living a true-life love story with her own crazy little family. Connect with her at KristinCanary.com/freebook.
Light and fluffy just like a good romcom should be. It may have too much steam for some readers. It’s not labeled Christian fiction but it’s clean and cute!
I’ve read about half of this series (Saving the Secret Prince, Belonging with Her Best Friend and Engaging the Office Enemy). But I need to read the rest! I have loved these friends and their love stories. I’m hoping to have more time to read Kristin Canary’s series soon.
I loved Kayla. The book starts out with her working as a lawyer in an office she hates. With a boss who is just awful. But at the end of the first chapter, Kayla is fired and she has to figure out just what she’s going to do to make money and fill up her time. She tries to find another job as a lawyer, but when that doesn’t work out, she decides to become a dating coach. I loved that Kayla was willing to just be wild and free and go with the new job.
Her first client is Josh. Kayla technically works for Josh as a barista at his coffee shop. I had to laugh at her working at the coffee shop. She wasn’t the best at it. But she did get the hang of it, eventually. I loved that Kayla finds herself falling for Josh. This leaves her wondering about the ethics of falling for her client. And leads to all kinds of funny circumstances for her.
I loved the growth that Kayla shows throughout the book. She needed to learn some lessons. And they weren’t easy ones to learn. But she was able to work on herself. And move on.
This is such a great book!
I was sent a copy of Desiring His Dating Coach as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.
Fun fact: I love Star Wars. I have seen every movie, new and old, so all the Star Wars references in this book gave me life. There was even cosplay.
But do you know what was even better than all the Star Wars humor? The sweet romance that blossomed between Josh and Kayla. They are the perfect example of how opposites can attract. Kayla has an outgoing and somewhat forceful personality, and Josh is unassuming but oh so sweet. What a pair. But they are so perfect for each other. They really do balance each other out beautifully. Kayla and Josh have known each other for years, but when Kayla becomes his dating coach, their relationship starts to become something more. I loved watching them get to know each other and connect on a deeper level. All the outings they went on as a part of Josh's coaching were so fun. And while Josh is the epitome of a sweet guy, he is also incredibly attractive. The chemistry between him and Kayla is palpable. So swoony. I also appreciated the deeper aspects of the plot, like forgiveness and not letting your fear of what could happen control you.
This book releases September 13th. Make sure to add this series to your TBR if you haven't already. These romances are quick and fun with important messages, and of course, a super swoony couple you can't help but love. This book made me so happy and I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
this was cute and just what i've been looking for. i love when i read books that feel like a movie.
after quitting her horrible job, the heroine decides to start a dating coach business, and her first client is the cute coffee shop owner. she starts to develop feelings for him, even though she thinks they're just too different to work, but with every 'dating session' the lines blur.
After Kayla quits her unfulfilling job as a lawyer, her awful boss blacklists her from all firms in her area and she needs to find a job doing something else or move cities. Having had success setting up couples as a hobby, her friends convince her to start her own dating coach business and her barista, Josh, agrees to be her next guinea pig. Kayla has been getting her usual coffee from Josh for the last few years and he is clearly interested in her, but Kayla has built a pretty solid wall to keep out genuine romantic connection (if you don’t let anyone in they can’t hurt you, am I right? Let’s just say our girl has daddy issues and I related. Hard). Kayla starts to realise that Josh is pretty darn amazing but doesn’t want to screw up her budding business by fooling around with her first client. Uh oh.
The sexual tension is THICK. I had butterflies throughout this book. The scene with their first kiss? Perfection.
I think it was love first sight (read) for me with Josh. His pining was perfection and Kayla’s cluelessness was perfectly frustrating. He’s patient and so understanding, he knows she’s guarded and he doesn’t push her too hard. He’s also the perfect balance of confident/insecure. All he wants is a HEA, with a long marriage and babies, like his grandparents.
Kayla has some hang ups. She doesn’t see HEA for herself because that would mean she would have to trust someone to not leave her. She hasn’t had the best role models. As I said, I related to Kayla. A lot. Scarily. I was not expecting this book to make me cry, and unless you have the special brand of daddy issues that Kayla and I share, you’ll probably be fine. It hit me, deep in my soul. I get why Kayla is the way she is, I so do, and I hope that she inspires me next time I have the opportunity for romance. Love is scary, but the risk is worth it (if I keep telling myself that, I’ll believe it, yeah?).
For such a short book, it felt very complete. I can’t think of anything bad to say. I really enjoyed it, despite feeling personally attacked by the author. I haven’t read the first in this standalone series but I’m adding it to my TBR and look forward to the next one.
I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to the author and to Booksprout for the ARC!
Desiring His Dating Coach is just as much fun as the first book. I recommend reading the books in order as each one of them follows a group of friends. They are fine to be read as standalone, but why would you?!
Kayla and Josh have known each other for years. She is a lawyer and he is the coffee barista. Everything changes quickly and Kayla is floundering and trying to figure out her life. While the story is pretty light and fluffy, it deals with some harder topics too. I could relate to Kayla and her relationship with her parents, and her trust issues.
Josh is the perfect match for Kayla. He is so sweet and sees her for who she is, not the mask she wears. Their chemistry is perfection and their first kiss is swoon-worthy.
The narration can be grating at times. Kayla talks directly to the reader a lot so it's like like the story is happening in front of us and more like Kayla is texting us updates at the time, with all her little editorializations. So many pop culture references (that Kayla feels the need to explain to the reader like they're stupid) are shoehorned in that it becomes a charicature of a geek/nerd rather than an authentic representation. If you're worried some readers won't get it, put a glossary at the back they can choose to check. Save the in-story words count for actually using on the progression of the story.
Josh seems like he would be an compelling love interest if given the chance, but we honestly see so little of him he just falls flat for me.
Kayla seems like she's proud of who she is until she literally changes everything about herself be because she found the "right man". I am all for healing and growing, but I am so sick of the trope that women will decide they actually do want marriage and babies when the "right man" comes along. It didn't feel like a genuine change for her because she suddenly realized she wanted these things rather than having any kind of gradual change in her opinions. Wish we had actually seen her growth rather than just hearing her tell us about it (the missing confrontation with her mom?!)
Author does not appear to understand what an epilogue is, instead the epilogue is written from the perspective of the main character of the next book in the series and is about them rather than being about the main couple from this book. Just call it a preview.
This book has cemented for me that I'm not going to read the rest of this series. I have the author 2 books for me to get into it, and there are just other books out there is rather read. I see so much potential in these stories, but they feel like they are only explored so superficially that I have not been able to care. I'm OK with predictability in my rom-coms, but that doesn't mean they have to be boring.
I think Kayla is one of my favorite characters in this series now! I love her balance between super Star Wars nerd and the illustrious Elle Woods, and her courage to take her career into her own hands, even with so many unknowns, was inspiring. I enjoyed watching her develop her dating coach business from the ground up and take on Josh as a client.
Josh was incredibly adorable! Such a precious little nerdy barista with an absolute heart of gold, and the way he cared so deeply for Kayla from afar was too cute. He and Kayla made such a cute little nerdy couple, and seeing them explore the nerdy side of their relationship more was tons of fun.
Watching them work together as client and dating coach was sweet, and it was nice seeing him "practice" his moves on Kayla, all the while wanting to use these moves to win her over.
Two elements at the end dropped the star rating on this one for me, but they didn't ruin the overall story and build up. If you're a fan of clean romcoms with the boy falls first trope, Legally Blonde, Star Wars, nerd love, trendy coffee shops, and client/coach dating, this one's for you!
I don't think I have a valid reason not to give it a 5 star?? I absolutely loved it as much as the first book in the series.
Josh, baby, you deserve everything <3<3 how 'adorable' was he?? How Kayla didn't pick up on his subtle hints was beyond me. It's literally the I've liked you this whole time and you had no idea trope which I'm a sucker for
I love the fact that Josh volunteered himself for her dating coach business and she's suppose to be helping him get someone else by increasing his confidence etc yet feels totally jealous. This is a great light, fast-paced romcom!
If you haven't read a Kristin Canary book yet, you are seriously missing out. Her humor is always spot-on, and there's depth to these romcoms, too. This book is no different.
I love great flirty banter in a book (I mean seriously, who doesn't?), but when you add in friends, coworkers, shy MMC, and Star Wars? You have yourself a winner!
But then, you always have a winner with a Kristin Canary book.
I loved getting to read Josh & Kayla's story! The flirty banter as they started to get to know each other as well as the deep truths and situations they faced as they navigated past hurts and fears. I love how Kristin Canary's stories have the lighthearted feel while also going deep in situations and truths. I also love that her books are closed door but still have all the slow burn romance that is so fun to read! The friendships between the women is something else I love about this series! Josh's character was one of my favorites and I loved his and Kayla's nicknames for each other and shared movie fandom! I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.
“Rule Number 1 of being a dating coach? Don't fall for your client.”
This was so much fun! Kayla was a relatable character. Josh was the sweetest I loved him!! Fake dating is such a popular trope but her teaching him how to date was such a cool spin on that and really enjoyed it. The end was super cute!
It's a cute story, but I'm irked by 2 things. 1. Why was NSYNC spelled wrong twice????????? 2. Why bother talking about Mr. Darcy proposal and then say you never watched the movie or read the book. It seemed like lazy writing. If I am wrong and the character was the one to think it, it wasn't clear, and as the writer should have had her friend explain it to her. Again, my irk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was a sweet story about a strong, alpha-type female and a shy barista who are opposites that really seem to bring out the best in each other. I enjoy the writing style, and it had a few laugh out loud moments, which I always appreciate.
I really enjoyed this book. Her writing from the first book to the second has improved a lot. I loved the characters a lot. There is a lot of great kissing scenes. I highly recommend this novel.
"We stay and we fight and we do whatever it takes to make this work.”
Kayla is confident, driven and focused, or at least that's what she shows the world. She is so much more than she allows others to see. But considering her past, it's not hard to understand why she lives behind a mask. That is until she becomes Josh's dating coach.
Josh is a quiet barista chasing a simple life. He wants a wife and a house full of kids. But his troubled past keeps him more reserved.
I love that Kayla let's her walls down with Josh. While she's had lots of struggles in her life, Josh has had his fair share too. They helped each other mend the past so they can move forward with the future (even of unintentional).
I laughed and cried (in a good way, I promise!!!).
We also get an update on Evie and Connor which I'm still swooning over😍♥️
I am LOVING this series ya'll 🙌🏼 Forced proximity. Opposites attract. Guy falls first. Shy, cinnamon roll love interest. Kayla puts on a mask for everyone and slowly Josh helps her be her true self. Josh *sigh* love him. He's adorable. 🥰 That is all. 😆 This story is sweet, hilarious, nerdy, and has clean romance. It's absolutely wonderful. If you like Hitch and Star Wars references you'll love it!
💕RCRS: 3 (heavier kissing)
🗨Some Quotes: A tiny thrill runs through me, not just at his words (which I pretend mean nothing to my cold, dead heart),
Dude looks like he might seriously toss his cookies. (Where did that phrase come from, anyway? Why must cookies be demeaned in such a way, forever to be associated with barfing?)
I’ve got to find a way to forget that kiss ever happened. From now on, I’m giving Rational Kayla permission to hog-tie Emotional Kayla if she must. Because if I don’t, I’m going to lose everything. Including my heart.
“Because I love you. And even when love has made a huge mistake, it always returns. Love keeps going, keeps trying. It never fails, not in the end.
I thought it a fun read with some heartfelt and sweet moments. Good for a lighter fair but don't want cheesy or stereotypical Hallmarky. I enjoyed the romantic tension and build up of the first kiss. The h had some work cut out for her in the growth department & self sabotage. As the story unfolded and you learn about her parents you see why. I liked the help from her friends with some thoughtful insight. This story did feel to me had some more physical description in regards to their hot bodies. This is a definite your mileage may vary opinion. The h does have a date with a character that felt a bit cliché of rich shallow guy. However, I'd say that's a small part of the story. This is overall a fun story. I will read book 3. The author is good at writing and holding the reader's attention.
I enjoyed reading this fun romance. I really liked both Josh and Kayla's characters, though I do wish we would have also had Josh's POV. Kayla was a fun character with control issues. I like how Josh helped her realize that you make your own destiny and to embrace the journey. The humor and chemistry were great. I enjoyed all the fun Star Wars references. The content is PG 13 with it being mostly a clean romance, some passionate kissing with mild references to tongue, but no language and nothing further than making out.
I've been working my way through this series and have read these out of order, which is totally ok to do. While this one wasn't my favorite in the series, it's still good and I enjoyed it as an audiobook. Main character Kayla is working through sorting out her life and her past, giving her a relatable, multi-dimensional feel. Josh is adorable and a cute, shy hero to the story. The storyline wasn't terribly exciting but I did have a few good chuckles and liked the fact that the book was sweet, and clean with no profanity or smut.
If you like sweet and clean romance books, this is perfect for you! Kayla is so funny and relatable and was my favorite character from the first book and I’m glad I got to read her story! I do think the ending with Josh and her parents was a little rushed but overall I really enjoyed this book! I can’t wait for the next one!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was so sweet. I loved that there wasn’t all that extra stuff that’s so unneeded. I loved sweet, shy Josh and loud, but nerdy Kayla. Their little Star Wars references and pet names kept me going. I just loved them together and I loved that Josh had such high expectations for his future. I almost felt like the proposal was fast, but honestly, I didn’t mind.
Cute but I was annoyed that she gave up a career, an expensive career, to become a dating coach. How is she getting clients and considered successful? We don't hear about any of that. She didn't have a single success story. Josh was bland, a little boring. Also things moved extremely fast between them. They only dated for 3 weeks....
So I am loving this series. I’m listening to the audio and she does a great job. The Star Wars quotes get me to the core, but I’m as geeky as the characters and those were screaming swoony every time. Great fun!
This was cute. I liked the Star Wars banter and the strong female friendships but they are on a break longer than they are together then they are getting married? A little too insta love for me. 2023 nursery rhyme reading challenge-his
This started off well then the fizzle kind of died. I also didn’t care for the copious Star Wars references and the fact that the epilogue was not about the MCs. I hate that.
The only thing that bugged me a bit was how obviously Kayla picked a fight and ran off. I knew it was coming, but I did not love that. Good book though!