Hazel is the most eccentric person you'll meet. She's living life doing what she feels, disregarding anyone's feelings about being around her. She will not make excuses for herself, because as long as she's not harming anyone, and she never intentionally will, what's there to apologize for?

So she dresses however she feels is appropriate, she'll behave as freely as possible and is all around a charming piece of human sunshine.

Even in college, while dating different guys, she didn't try to fit into the "girlfriend" mold. Which is why she's basically come to terms that she's a unique woman and will probably never find someone to contain her special self. Josh Im is a good one. He's gorgeous, smart, well-liked, the RA everyone is looking to. He's perfect in Hazel's eyes. Also, he have never been able to truly understand Hazel Bradford. Only he's never been mean or made her feel bad.

Years after college Hazel is a pre-school teacher, and when she has a new job at a school where her friend works, she finds herself face-to-face with Josh Im again. At her best friend's house, of all places. Once the connection is established, Hazel decides Josh will become her new best friend.

The progression of this friendship is the cutest thing I've read, and hilariously, getting over a breakup, Hazel and Josh start a series of double blind-dates. These turn out to be the oddest scenes in the story, and the ones who make them both realize they are hopelessly in love with each other. But by the time they decide it's time to confess their feelings, a surprise is making things a bit more delicate.

The various relationships in this book are basically what make it so cool. The Korean family ties are beautiful to get to know, and how "strangers" are weaved into them is very special. The bond between Hazel and Emily, and Hazel and Josh is pretty much perfect, and the relationship I most enjoyed is the one between Hazel and her mother.

This story is a rollercoaster-giggle fest of cute, swoon, romance and some pretty hot sexy scenes.

In short, I loved it.

Josh and Hazel's guide to Not Dating is a quirky, fun, and laughter filled novel with some of the best characters I have met! This book is not only a ton of fun to read, but makes me feel giddy inside because I loved the banter and character interaction so much. This is definitely a winner for Christina Lauren, and probably one of my favorite books from them to date!

Loved this book so much! Hazel is fun and quirky. She's not at all afraid to be herself, but at the same time, thinks being herself means no one will ever want her. As someone socially awkward and a bit geeky, I identified SO HARD with Hazel. Her voice was very authentic, and I wish I knew Hazel so we could be friends.

Josh is utterly swoon-worthy, and he's got a distinct voice that I also loved. This was a great book, and I'm definitely going to check out other books by the author. Am so glad I got to read it.

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating is a fun chick lit read. The characters are fun and interesting with enough frustration for the reader to cheer for love. There is enough snickering to keep the reader moving as the characters grow..., great beach read.

This is a book that will keep you riveted with interest or completely turn you off if you fall in the bit of a prude category. It is tale told by both parties, in separate chapters, from their point of view. It goes from an accidental college encounter to becoming friends much later. He is straight laced and she is a very open and spouts forth what she's thinking, and acts, without considering the consequences. They become friends who try setting up each other on very bad double dates untill they become friends with benefits. But all is well that ends well.

I have rated this book 4 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

FINAL DECISION: Quirky and sweet contemporary romantic comedy. I read this one on a whim and ended up loving the story between two opposites. It was cute and fun and just perfect for a couple hour escape.

THE STORY: Hazel Bradford is a lot to handle. Chaos follows her everywhere, she doesn't have a filter and she has a habit of doing or saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. She met Josh Im in college when she vomited on him at a party. Ten years after college, the two meet again and Hazel is determined to be Josh's best friend. After a bad breakup, Hazel convinces Josh to agree to go on a blind date with Hazel. Well, they would each set the other up with someone and they would double date.  The two have no interest in one another, but somehow their dates don't work out and the attraction between Hazel and Josh keeps growing.

OPINION: Some books you just have to approach with an open mind and an open heart. Not that everyone would love this book if they did, but I know that I had to be open to this book to enjoy it.

Hazel is a lot to take in. She is a whirlwind -- chaotic, intemperate, brash. But she also is completely open to loving other people. She cares deeply. The chaos and her inability to censor herself would be something that might annoy me greatly -- until I saw how caring she is. She wants to love so much that she opens herself up and is hurt again and again. And yet she keeps caring for others. And that is what makes her who she is.

She is desperately aware that people are attracted to her, but that she becomes too much and people expect (or want) her eventually to tone down. But she doesn't. Although Hazel is confident in herself, she also doesn't believe that she has any chance with Josh.  She dubbed him "Perfect" as in the model for the perfect guy. Her caring for him makes her want to be close to him, but because she doesn't believe he can be for her, she instead wants to be his best friend.

Hazel and Josh begin a friendship that is funny and sweet at the same time. She brings color and imperfection into his life. Josh brings some order into Hazel's. Josh, however, is always completely accepting of Hazel. He may not understand how her mind works, but he doesn't criticize her or try to make her into someone else. Hazel is a force of nature and Josh is the calm in the storm.

The two end up on a series of terrible dates (with other people) which end up being an odd courtship between them. I loved the humor and the pure acceptance between these two.

This is the first Christina Lauren book I've actually read. I have a bunch on my TBR list and own a bunch, but I have always set those aside to read something else. Why did I decide on this one? Because the hero is Korean American. I thought the interracial romance was handled well.

My only complaint about the story was the ending and the epilogue. I'm not a fan of leaving obvious story points unfinished and them coming back in the epilogue to give answers. I love epilogues, but personally prefer that the story be complete without it and then have the epilogue as a bonus. But that is a quibble with what was a wonderful, light and fun romance.

WORTH MENTIONING: The story is told in alternating first person points of view.

CONNECTED BOOKS: JOSH + HAZEL'S GUIDE TO NOT DATING is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to help prepare this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

6 stars!!! My first Christina Lauren book but certainly not my last! Josh and Hazel were everything. Hazel was so quirky and fun and full of energy. Josh was the perfect counterpart. His willingness to accept Hazel for all her eccentricities was swoon worthy. I loved watching them stumble into love!

4.5 Stars

UMM..... THIS WAS SO GOOD!!

I told myself I wouldn't read anymore Christina Lauren because I thought <a href='https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2421837638?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1'>Roomies</a> was a bit bland and not up my alley, but this one just sounded cute so I broke my own rule and WOW I'M SO GLAD I DID THIS IS A NEW FAVORITE OF THE YEAR!

The main thing I love about this book is the main character. She's cute and quirky and fun without every trying too hard to be ~different~. She's authentically weird rather than being a manic pixie dream girl, and she's aware of it, AND she's proud of it. She reminded me of Jess from New Girl, which is my favorite show of all time because I love her character so much. That, combined with the fact that she also reminded me of Lucy from <a href='https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2099191444?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1'>The Hating Game</a> made me love her. Her dialogue was always so great--hilarious without EVER being cheesy. She was so refreshing and unlike any character I've read before. Hazel also really validated a small part of me that's insecure that I'll never find anyone because I'm too weird. I've never read a book like this before, like I was receiving a gentle pat on the back. Two thumbs up.

Josh was also SO sweet and mindful and generous and he's the perfect love interest. The dynamic of (sorta) enemies to friends to lovers was also a great slow burn. The pacing of this is exactly what I look for in romance and I would read every book Christina & Lauren write if they do it similar to this one.

As always, Christina & Lauren were really mindful of representation, feminism, and healthy relationships. The love interest and most prominent side character in this are Korean, and their culture was discussed at multiple points in the book (I'll link some ownvoices reviews discussing the rep if I see any once this comes out). However, there were a few times that Hazel would fetishize Koreans because she sexualized Josh's Korean name and the way he sounded when he spoke Korean, but there's only two occurrences of that at the beginning of the book. Lastly, there's a lot of candid talking about sex, including discussion about consent and bleeding and other good stuff. Also, there's a lot of fighting back against slut shaming and women being able to do what they want, which I think was great. I just love how the characters in Christina Lauren book will encounter a problem in the relationship or with sex and literally say, "Hey, let's talk about this" rather than avoid each other childishly. SO GOOD! (and yes, that's how low the bar is in romance books to be considered good, people.)

I was warned that the ending of this might be something I'm not into, and I gotta agree that this veered a sharp left at the end. I haven't decided if I liked it or not, but it was definitely *cough* a choice. I'd have to talk about it in a spoilery review. But if this would've ended differently, I probably would have given it 5 stars.

Definitely add this to your TBR if you're looking for some healthy romance that has equal parts cuteness and steaminess. I adored it thoroughly.

Josh and Hazel met ten years ago at a drunken college party, at which point Hazel promptly threw up on Josh's shoes.There's no coming back from an introduction like that... or is there?

Fast forward to present day:Josh and Hazel unexpectedly reconnect, and Hazel latches onto him instantly. As a friend. Obviously. Hazel is cartoonishly zany and Josh is prim and proper. They would absolutely not be compatible as a couple, but what's to stop Hazel from taking her New Best Friend on a series of double dates to help him bounce back from his messy breakup?

Josh and Hazel make for a perfect friends to lovers, opposites attract love story. Hazel pushes Josh outside of his comfort zone to help him enjoy life, and Josh keeps Hazel tethered to earth and some semblance of normalcy. 

I loved Hazel's free-spirited independence. She knows she's "too much" for most guys, but she'd die before she'd dial down her personality to please somebody else. She is her mother's daughter in every respect. Her father found her mother's quirky personality embarrassing; having grown up seeing their unhappy marriage, Hazel is determined to find someone who loves every bit of her or to simply stick it out on her own. 

Josh's Korean heritage is not just a footnote in this story; his heritage is woven into the fabric of his identity, and family plays a big role in his life. This felt like surprisingly thoughtful and respectful representation for a book that was not primarily about race and identity. 

Overall, this was a cute friends to lovers story with some spice thrown in for good measure. If you're in the mood for a comfortably predictable feel-good book, pick up a copy today. 

(Review will be up at The Girly Book Club on or around the release date.)

I absolutely love the books I have read by Christina Lauren. The books are well written with fun plots that are out of the ordinary. This is true of Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating. Josh and Hazel are great, fun, complicated characters who do not see how perfect they are for each other because they are almost extreme opposites. They embark on a plan to find each other the perfect match but none of the blind double dates end up well and some are just hilarious. Some head knocking will have to happen if Josh and Hazel want to find the perfect match.

Delightful! The authors do an amazing job with characterization: you feel like they could walk off the page and be standing next to you. Also, Hazel is the person we all wish we could be-joyful and eccentric. Definitely recommended!

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. It's an entirely different brand of fantastic than, say, Love and Other Words or Beautiful Bastard, but it is fantastic nonetheless and I loved every single second. This story is adorably sweet, hilariously funny, achingly romantic, and it squeezed and tugged at my heart strings in that pleasurable, painful way I adore. I swear, this friends to lovers romance gets better and better and better as the story moves along. I never expected to feel all the things I was made to feel in this unconventional love story but with each turn of the page I grew more and more immersed. I don't know how they do it but Christina Lauren continues to blow my mind every single time.

This book gives off serious Will and Hannah vibes!! Hazel is awkward and adorable and she's self diagnosed as undatable. I actually cringed every time she spoke at first. I laughed aloud over what I initially thought was an unfortunate case of bad luck but later realized it was actually a refreshingly joyful case of Hazel being unapologetically herself. Josh, though, is a bit straight laced. He's the calm to Hazel's storm, and with the two being so obviously incompatible, they've placed each other firmly in their respective friend zones. The slow burn between these oblivious friends is such a sweet one, but it's rife with humor and sharp witty banter that had me laughing out loud as often as I swooned over their chemistry.

This has to be the single most refreshing friends to lovers romance I've read. It doesn't fit into a neatly packaged box of predictability and cliches, nor do the colorful characters within it. This is as much a story about love as it is about embracing your quirks, about never allowing anything to dim your sparkle, and finding the person that'll appreciate every part of you. This story made me laugh, it made me cringe, it stung my heart at times and, in the end, it left me smiling from ear to ear. Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating is SO MUCH FUN. It's light and sweet, SMOKING HOT and hilariously entertaining. Readers are going to just DIE over this couple. I can't even get over them myself. Christina Lauren is KILLING IT with romance in 2018 and Josh and Hazel are up there in my list of TOP FAVORITES.

I absolutely adore the writing duo of Christina Lauren. I've been a fan of their writing for quite some time now and could not wait to get my hands on their latest release. From the moment I heard about Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, I just knew that this book was going to be a ton of fun. And let me tell you, it does not disappoint.  Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating is absolutely one of the cutest stories I've read in quite some time. I thought the characters and the story was so refreshing and so unique. I couldn't help but fall in love with Hazel the moment I met her. I mean she was just such a hot mess. She was awkward and so quirky. She rambled when she got nervous and was just the cutest thing ever. I would love to have such a free spirited friend! And then there is Josh. Josh is Hazel's ideal man. The poster boy for perfection. He is without a doubt the most loyal guy and man can he ever make you swoon. Together these two should not have worked. I mean they were completely, totally, 100% opposites, but you know what they say, opposites attract. I loved watching these two fumble their way through friendship, awkward double dates and the potential for something more & amazing.

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating is the highlight of this girls reading week. It was fun. It was entertaining. It was well written. It made me swoon. It made me fall in love. And it kept me with a ridiculous smile on my face the entire time. Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating is the kind of story that will melt all your troubles away. You can't help but fall for these characters and their story. You won't be able to put their story down and can't help but devour all the pages. Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating gave me all the feels and kept me begging for more. I loved getting lost in Hazel and Josh's story.

This is one of the best romances I've read in a very long time. Hazel's wackiness could have worn out the reader, but it didn't. There was just enough common sense to save her. The chemistry between Hazel and Josh is obvious... to everyone but them! The situations are hilarious, and I kept wanting to read more, only stopping when it got to late to keep my eyes open. I'm looking forward to more books from this writer!

I loved this book more than I can even say. The last few books from Christina Lauren have been so heartfelt and amazing I just want to covet the words and keep them forever. I have always loved these authors but GAH I can't even with this one. Josh and Hazel were perfection for me. The awkwardness of Hazel and the straight laced buttoned up presence of Josh together was reading gold. The way Josh in all his perfectness enjoyed the absolute chaos of Hazel. Not just allowing her to be all that she is, but expecting nothing different. Friendship, love and blind dates had me from page one. I never knew what Hazel would do or say, but I always knew she would have her blueprint of perfection Josh Im in her corner. LOVED THIS BOOK!!

Hazel feels that she will never find the perfect man for her.
She believes herself to be to much for any man. That is until Josh.

This is the first book I've read in over a month! Which is the longest book funk I've ever had. Buts a nice break to cleanse my palette. I'm back to loving to read again, yay!

I loved this book so much--absolutely adorable! The quirky, eccentric heroine had me on the first page. The friends-to-lovers trope is my favorite. And the way the Josh, our hero, fell for Hazel was so charming and captivating. These two definitely complimented one another.

I loved the story and the buildup to the romance that turned into an all-consuming love. I read this book almost in one sitting. You don't want to miss this one.

Enjoyable read! This book was a lot of fun. Hazel's quirky nature and Josh's calm, sweetness were a great match. It's pretty low conflict and there's a tropey twist near the end, but a fast, entertaining read overall.

On Monday I saw Christina Lauren post about this book on Instagram and asked if there were ARCs. That same day I requested it on Netgally, got the eARC, and then proceeded to stay up until 6 a.m. reading it. Yeah, it was that good. And I have a problem, but that’s neither here nor there.

Anyway, this novel is told in the dual POVs of Josh and Hazel, and I love them both but I might love Hazel just a tiny bit more. She was hilarious. I literally laugh out loud at so many points because of the things she did and said. I also shook my head a few times and said, “Oh Hazel,” but with the same kind of fondness Josh had for her. Hazel’s just the best.

Then we have Josh and my God he definitely tops the book boyfriend list. As Hazel likes to say he’s “the blueprint for Perfect.” First of all, I love that he’s Korean and that his culture was explored in this book. We got to see his Umma (mom) who was constantly cooking food for Josh and his sister, Emily, and then of course also Hazel, who’s also Emily’s best friend. (Side note: All the food descriptions made me hungry and want Korean BBQ) Christina Lauren did a good job exploring Josh’s culture and traditions and I loved getting to see that in this book.

Now, Josh and Hazel together. They were so cute and funny, and I loved that they spent the majority of this book setting each other up on pretty awful double blind dates. The number of times I wanted to jump into the book and yell at them, “Why are you wasting your time? The love of your life is right there!” was a lot. That said, I love a good slow burn and this book totally gave me that and while I always expect a happy ending from Christina Lauren this book still managed to surprise me.

Thus, I must highly recommend this book and I’m truly mad you have to wait until September to read it because ALL I WANT TO DO IS TALK ABOUT IT. Alas, that’s just how this goes. But preorder it so you can get it immediately and we can gush about Josh and Hazel as soon as the book comes out. K, thanks!

I LOVED this book! I love anything Christina Lauren writes. I laughed, I cried, my glasses steamed up! I would recommend this to friends, family and everyone else. I am such a Hazel!