Slow burn romance, but I love a good friends turn to lovers story. It's a warm and fuzzy story. First book I've read by Sophie Sullivan and I think I will definitely be reading more.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“You’re never really lonely if you have a book."


A Guide to Being Just Friends was pretty cute. Out of all three books, I'm not sure if I have a favorite brother or not. I will admit that the books kept getting better and better throughout the series.

In this, you will meet Hailey and Wes. She has her own salad shop, Get By the Cup, and has no time for dating. He hasn't had amazing first dates and feels like maybe it's not the right time for romance in his life. Together, they formed a pretty cute friendship.

It takes a while for crushes to form, but it was quite enjoyable when they still continued to date other people. Once they realized their true feelings for one another, it was obvious why nothing ever worked before. He helped her feel more confident and boosted her self-esteem. She helped him realize that money doesn't always matter. Sure, it helps every now and then, but she didn't care about his money. Oh, and also, family can be crazy chaotic, but it's your chaotic mess.

They took risks—romantically, of course, but maybe financially too. I like that they found each other and developed genuine feelings along the way. Friends becoming lovers can be sweet every now and then. It also doesn't hurt that I absolutely devoured this in one sitting (again).

In the end, I'm very happy that I found this series and got the opportunity to read each book as an ARC. I look forward to the next book, or series, that Sophie writes!

This is a charming and sweet friends to lovers romance. Hailey leaves LA where her actor ex stomped on her self esteem, so not interested in a relationship right now. When she meets Wes, she’s happy to be just friends. Wes is looking for a certain kind of woman, and as their friendship grows, he realizes that Hailey is the one. Can they overcome their past relationship fails?

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan is a delightful and emotional romantic comedy that is a perfect fit for readers who adore lighthearted, feel-good stories about strong-willed women and grumpy-sunshine men, and are looking for a heartwarming tale of friends-to-lovers romance with a dash of humor and wit.

Definitely needed more editing. The characters were really boring and didn't really stand out individually. Wes seemed to have an alpha male type of personality and was really rude. His brother Noah was obnoxious and impolite as well. The jokes that were thrown in were more offensive than funny. Also everyone talked about salad way too much. I get that it's Hailey's business but it seemed like that's all they ate or talked about. The whole story was just very anticlimactic and lackluster.

It was kind of cute, but very predictable. There wasn't much that happened or was that much of a plot other than first world complaints. But still good enough for 3 stars

At this time this book isn't for me. It just didn't catch my attention and I'm not sure why. The storyline had potential, but felt too cheesy. I don't get a strong connection from the two characters who are supposed to like one another.

The characters seemed ok. They each seem like a great group that have each other's best interest. The friends and brothers you want in your life. I realize that this is a series and I am not sure if I have missed important pieces from the previous books.

I do like that the story is dual POV. I may give this book another chance at some point.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

While I love a good friends-to-lovers story, this one didn’t really work for me, mainly because the lead characters lacked chemistry, and there was not much in the way of pining and build up to getting together.

Too slow and too poorly developed. I didn’t believe in the romance between the characters. I ultimately was speed reading just to finish. This one was not for me.

The writing made me feel told, not shown. I didn’t feel invested in the characters. Stopped at 10%. Our average readers are likely to give it 2-3 stars, 4 for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is a sweet and charming contemporary romance. Honestly didn’t realize this was part of the series, but this felt like a standalone. This series is surrounded around the handsome Jansen Brothers with this one being all about Wes. He’s upright, analytical and afraid of falling in love. Which he then becomes conflicted along the way as he meets a beautiful, fun and bubbly new to town Hailey. They meet during a fun meet cute moment and decide to continue as friends, but the more time spent with one another it’s harder to keep the friendship pact. I always do enjoy a friends to lovers, but this one was definitely a slow burn. This was fun and an easy read I would definitely consider going back and read the other 2 in the series. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am now craving salad! I really enjoyed the first half of this book. But Hailey and Wes both started grated on me. They had so many hang ups and weird feelings about things. I do not believe they would ever really be able to move past that without serious therapy.

I’m not a super fan of the “strangers to insta love” / “omg bffs” it’s a weird one for me and this was a cheesy cutesy just that sorta trope.

DNF at 22%. This is the second book by the author that I’ve DNF’d so I think her writing just isn’t for me.

For someone that didn’t read the first 2 books in this series (oops), I didn’t feel like I was missing out on much! Overall it was a cute read, a little quirky, but fun.

This book was one of the cutest romances I have read all year!I loved getting to know the characters and could truly feel the love that they had for one another. I would recommend this one to all my romance lovers who love slow burn and banter. You definitely have to pick this one up!!

Hailey Sharp wants nothing more than to get her sandwich shop off the ground and forget about her not so kind ex boyfriend with no distractions. Wes Jansen also has a one track mind and that is work, with no time for dates that don't meet the mark. When the two form a friendship (with lots of chemistry) they try their best to stick to a just friends attitude - but the universe might have something different in store!

I absolutely LOVED these characters and I know that it is the third out of the Jansen Brothers series and I am so happy I came across this read. I will definitely be adding the other two to my list.

The characters were all lovable and the plot very relatable as I feel that many people have been in a situation where they are trying to be friends and the universe has other plans. It's light and fun and I'm excited to read more from Sophie Sullivan!

It was okay. I only finished it because I’d received an eARC to review. I switched to the audiobook and it was a lot easier to swallow. A lot just seems absurd about the premise I guess. A salad shop named “By the Cup” sounds like a terrible premise for a business. Salad in a cup and no other menu offerings but it does well enough to expand into a food truck as well within a couple years 🥱

Wes and whatever-her-name-was were not an exciting couple to read or cheer for. I liked Wes. He was a decent lead character but whatshername was just blah for me. It felt like a young person writing about older people and it just didn’t come across well to me. I didn’t like it. But I finished it. Hailey? Maybe that was the girls name. I literally just finished the book and can’t remember. That’s how boring this book was to me I guess.

Would not recommend.

What a darling book! I love a good friends to lovers/strangers to lovers story! This was adorable, swoonworthy and funny!

I feel like I have to be mean when I say this. But this book is boring. I love Sophie. And I loved the first two. And a good friends to lovers have such promise I was just BORED. And I couldn't get behind the salad shop. And I just felt like we didn't see much of their friendship. I dunno. I would put it down and FORGET IWAS READINF IT. Bc I was so bored 😭