It’s hard to believe Jasmine Guillory published her first novel in 2018. The lawyer-turned-author writes the kind of love stories romance enthusiasts devour, proudly perch on their bookshelves, and pick up again (perhaps a few times) on a rainy, cozy evening. Achieving what I’d call cult-classic status is no easy feat for someone who’s been at it for less than 10 years. 

But as an avid fan of Guillory’s work, I declare that her literature is timeless. She offers readers refreshing narratives, where the characters and their dynamics feel very much rooted in reality  without losing the elements of escapism we all love about reading. Her storylines feel aspirational yet attainable—they teach us about the kind of slow-burning, growth-oriented love we all deserve to have. 

Her latest novel, Flirting Lessons, stays true to this winning formula, but it also breaks new ground. It’s Guillory’s first book that centers a romance between two women—and Taylor and Avery deliver everything we’ve come to crave about a Guillory novel. There’s a meet-cute that leaves us wanting more, an electric slow-burn chemistry, sprinkles of tense but necessary conflict, and two characters learning to grow for—and with—each other.

Off the heels of Flirting Lessons’ release (and in great anticipation of Guillory’s next big project), I’m reflecting on five reasons Guillory’s craft deserves to be celebrated.  

She Takes Her Time Developing Real Characters You Root For

Guillory is very committed to writing characters that feel like actual people, and that means they sometimes require breathing room to develop and often don’t materialize right away. Take Taylor, for example, who took years to carve out. Guillory was in a car with two writer friends on her way to a retreat, when her two friends started chatting about a person they know who “breaks a lot of hearts.” 

Guillory immediately thought that would be a good persona for a future character. “I didn’t have an idea for the rest of it, or who that character would be, or what would happen, I just jotted that idea down and moved on,” she recalls. Years later, when Taylor appeared as a side character in Drunk on Love, Guillory had a moment of clarity: “She’s the one. She’s the one who breaks a lot of hearts.”

She Centers Black Women Who Are Beautifully Layered

Guillory writes her heroines as layered, dynamic beings, the way Black women in literature should be depicted. In Flirting Lessons, Avery is a structured, spreadsheet-loving introvert (yes, she’s a Capricorn) who forces herself to try new things—even when they terrify her. “She is scared to do new things, but she makes herself do them anyway,” says Guillory. “I think that takes so much courage.”

Taylor is a confident and socially magnetic Leo. “She makes other people feel comfortable,” Guillory adds. “People relax when they talk to her.” 

Together, Avery and Taylor’s dynamic, as is the case in all of Guillory’s books, isn’t about conflict for conflict’s sake—it’s about mutual expansion. “I fall in love with them as a unit,” says Guillory. “Once I get there, I’m thinking about them all the time.” Us too, sis.

She Writes With A Lawyer’s Precision

I’d argue that Guillory’s past experience as an attorney has strengthened her penmanship. When it comes to her novels, she starts with an outline, but she also allows the characters to surprise her. And she’s constantly checking in to make sure as the story progresses, accuracy and cohesion remain intact. “There’s always a point midway through the outline where I think, “Oh, they would never do that,”’ she says. “By then, I know them well, and I’m fixing the story for them.”

Guillory is also deeply intentional about emotional nuance. One of the hardest scenes for her to write in Flirting Lessons was when Taylor overhears her friends talking about her. Guillory wanted readers to understand the various perspectives in that moment—not just Taylor’s. “The hardest scenes are when I want people to sympathize with everyone,” she says. “Because in real life, that’s usually how it is.”

Her Settings Are Characters, Too

If you haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Napa, the setting of Flirting Lessons, you’ll likely want to after reading. If you have, you’ll probably feel inclined to schedule a return. I told Guillory reading both Flirting Lessons and its predecessor Drunk On Love made me feel like I was back in wine country in a way that didn’t distract from the storyline but actually amplified it. The familiar, accurately depicted backdrop makes me feel like I could be there, witnessing Taylor and Avery’s love story play out in real time.

“I know Napa relatively well,” says Guillory, who resides in the Bay Area. “But it’s not the same as living there. So there were certain things that I asked locals because I wanted to make sure I got some of those details right about what it’s like to actually live in a place that a lot of people visit.”

She Builds Community On And Off The Page

It’s beautiful to witness Guillory be part of a sisterhood of other Black novelists who are loud about supporting each other—among them are Tia Williams and Kennedy Ryan, who are also brilliant at what they do. “Having writer friends is so key… to share the good things and the bad things,” says Guillory. “As a marginalized author, that feeling of community makes such a big difference.”

Her readers feel that, too. On this most recent book tour, Guillory had people tell her that her books helped them return to reading. “That hits me so hard,” she says. “To have books that bring people joy again? That makes me feel wonderful.”