Book 3 in the series was so good. Can’t believe the Jansen brothers story comes to an end. Wes and Hailey’s story was sweet and fun. They’re not so perfect meet cute led them to a friendship they both needed. Hailey was starting over after leaving her ex and Wes accidentally found a friend instead of a date. She’s ready to make it on her own and not rely on a man ever again, he just wants someone to enjoy his company with love out of the equation. What could possible go wrong? They set guidelines to stay in the friend zone but can they stick to them or will things get a little blurry along the way? If you’re a sucker for hallmark movies you have to read this.

This is friends to lovers done so, so well! ✨

This book felt like a warm hug—sweet and cozy. Wes and Hailey’s friendship came first, and it built such a strong foundation for them. It was so nice to see them falling for each other while also wanting to protect this friendship.

It was so fun being back with the gang again! I love, love, love series that continue to show the characters from previous books. It’s like an extended epilogue for the whole series.

Can’t wait to see what Sophie comes up with next!

It was fairly cute. Definitely a good read if you want a cute and slow-ish romance that you don't have to think too hard on. I enjoy a decent strangers to friends to lovers. A part of me really loved that they were friends first and slightly hoped they would stay friends and it would just be a wholesome story. It's perfectly okay that it wasn't, though. I liked it decently enough. That being said, the writing and dialogue is a bit hard to get past. There were things that were said that just didn't seem like any real person would ever actually say them, at least not in the way that they were written.

Hailey is a stubborn new business owner who wants to make her own way. Wes is well off, working in a business with his brothers, and he’s had a string of bad dates. But these two get along really well. They will prove that men and women can be just friends and have a blast doing it.

I confess to being lukewarm with the first two books in this series, but I am so happy that I stuck with this author. Hailey drove me a bit nuts at times. There’s stubborn, and then there’s Hailey, which resulted in unnecessary arguments. That doesn’t mean Wes isn’t without faults because he has made his own mistakes. His rule of not falling in love is as misguided as it sounds.

The best relationships are when the couple is friends first. It’s good to have that foundation to strengthen the relationship. But that’s not for everyone, which is understandable. I agree with other reviewers that there isn’t a huge spark between these two because they make such good friends. But overall, this is an enjoyable read.

Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this along.

When I first requested thIs book from NetGalley I had no idea it was part of a triology. What's sad about that is I already own the other books, I just haven't read them yet.

Now onto the book - I wish I had known going in that this book was a slow burn and I'm talking a REAL slow burn. I almost wish there was less "friendhsip" at the beginning and we got to the actual relationship a bit quicker. I mean their first kiss seemed like it would never come. Also, the fact that this book was fade-to-black did not bother me one bit. I think that kind of romance novel is underappreciated. As is the friends-to-lovers trope!

Wes and Hailey were great even if Hailey got on my nerves a time or two (Just let the man buy you gifts girl!!?!). And I really enjoyed Wes' brothers (and their girlfriends) being constants. I think it really added to the idea of family and friendship being enough to get you through tough times.

This book lost a star because I think it was just too slow in the first half. But overall I'm very excited to go back and read Noah & Chris' books!!

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for and ARC of this book! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book will be released on January 17th!!

I wasn’t aware that this was the third book in the Jansen Brothers series, and I’m a bit disappointed to have not read those first two stories, but I really enjoyed this one nonetheless. It took me a bit to become invested in the characters, which may have been prevented, had I been acquainted with them from Sullivan’s previous work, but I quickly fell in love with the MCs, Hailey and Wes, as well as the community around them.

Hailey and Wes are both starting over in California, and they become acquainted when their personal and professional circles intertwine. They have both sworn off dating for a while - Hailey, because she wants no distractions as she launches her business, and Wes, because he is carrying around the aftermath of his parents’ divorce. However, their chemistry and connection are undeniable and when feelings inevitably develop, remaining friends becomes tricky to maintain.

This was such a cute friends-to-lovers slow burn romance. Even though you know that they are eventually going to end up together and in love, Hailey and Wes spent a little too much time as friends for my liking. Thankfully this story is written with a dual POV, because these two MCs spent so much time denying their own feelings and misjudging the other’s that I’m not sure I’d have been convinced they would see their HEA - had I only been inside one of their heads. The denial did become a bit much for me at one point, but mostly because I was just eager for some action! I did really appreciate the growth that both of these characters faced though. I think they both exemplified the importance of personal evolution and improvement over pursuing love and relationships, which I do consider a really significant message - a message that is not always highlighted in romance stories.

What I loved most about this book is the sense of community it exudes. The bond between the Jansen brothers is one not commonly depicted between adult males, and I was all for it! I am curious to know if their history is explained a bit more in depth in the first two novels because, while reading, I got the feeling that I should be privy to more background information than I had. I also really loved the secondary family that they built, including their partners and friends. This group of characters was honestly great, and as a reader, you still learn so much about even the secondary characters that they all felt imperative to the story.

This was a middle of the road rom-com for me. It is a SLOW burn, meaning the characters do not have any true romantic interactions until pretty far into the book, which made it a bit difficult to connect with the characters and their relationship.

The meet cute however? Super adorable. And there were enough of those adorable, give you butterflies in your stomach feelings that kept me going until the end.

I have not read the previous books in the series, but I think I would have better connected with the full cast of characters so I would definitely recommend starting from the beginning!

I didn’t know this book was part of a series when I got it, but it was definitely a good read as a stand-alone for me anyways. I plan on reading the first 2 books soon.

Wes and Hailey start out as friends in this slow-burn friends-to-lovers story. Their characters are well written and their relationship is so sweet so I enjoyed reading them realize their feelings for each other throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a quick and breezy read within the friends-to-lovers trope of romance novels. I do prefer a specific type of friends-to-lovers plot line (where they've been friends for years) and this is not that - the reader gets to see the friendship form and then blossom into something more within the timelines of the novel. I haven't read any other books of this series or by Sophie Sullivan so I would say that you do not need to have read the others to understand the characters (main and supporting) and the plot. Although I did not really support the rationale for the behaviour and actions of the main characters despite the author's attempt at explanation, I rooted for the characters but obviously not as strongly as my favourite novels which is why I would rate this as being in the middle of the pack.

A Guide to Being Just Friends gives the readers another Jansen brother to love. By Sophie Sullivan with her signature style: sweet but angst, slow building but true romance and wonderful characters that you might not put together but fit perfectly. Two opposites, Hailey Sharp and Wes Jansen meet in an unique but awkward way which leads to a friendship. Neither are looking to invest in love. Neither one has had positive experiences when it comes to the love department. Hailey is focusing on her new Get By the Cup salad shop while Wes would just like someone to do things with, a friend.

Somethings life gives you more so much more as in the case of Hailey and Wes. Maybe it is a struggle to see, and grab hold of when you do. Hence Hailey and Wes’ story. One enjoyable swoony read, that is romance perfect.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, this is my least favorite of the Jansen brothers which is so strange because of out of the brothers I liked Wes the most going into this.

Loved this sweet, friends-to-lovers romance. Hailey is new to town and opening a salad eatery and through some connections, meets entrepreneur Wes. They form a beautiful friendship that eventually turns into a beautiful romance and everyone gets their happy end (one of the reasons I love a good romance novel!).

I had not read either of the other two books in the Jansen Brother series, but plan to now so I can get to know them better. This book had really loveable characters that I got totally invested in. Spice level of this book is .5 a 🌶️ out of 5. Nothing graphic at all, only a few tame makeout scenes.

3/5 🥗

I saw this on a romance to look out for in 2023 list and requested the ARC without realizing that it’s actually the third in a series. I could and did read it as a standalone but I think I missed character development that must have been in the other books.

Hailey is starting over in a new town with her own salad shop after a bad breakup. Wes and his hunky brothers (who fell in love in the previous books I did not read) are entrepreneurs with heart. Wes is the black and white, goal oriented, no time for love brother. He meets Hailey and given their both busy lives and goals, they decide to be just friends. Except they think the other is super hot and love spending time together. This is a very very slow burn. Maybe too slow? And also still didn’t feel the chemistry? I also wished with such a slow burn where I didn’t see them spend the time together to grow that love, that it had at least been open door, seeing the chemistry in the bedroom would have helped! Or maybe I just love an open door 😂 It was a sweet friends to lover slow burn if you are looking for one. Low stakes and the relationship between the brothers was really fun.

Steam: 0.5/5 🌶️
Other: closed door, m/f, contemporary
Trope: friends to lovers, grumpy sunshine, rich guy

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is out January 17, 2023.

How many third act breakups do we neeeed 🥲. It was a cute enough book but nothing to write home about. Plus closed door?! Booo

This book fell flat for me.
I liked the small town romance and the appearances from book 1 & 2 characters. But other than that, I found it difficult to finish and honestly a little boring.
I struggled to find any chemistry between the 2 main characters. The plot felt like it was dragging. And even though the main characters are supposed to be in their 30’s, they read immature.

The friendship to love trope is not one I prefer to read, but I thought the synopsis sounded interesting so I chose to read it. It was enjoyable to read Hailey's salad shop and meet all the characters there. However, I was frustrated by her not wanting help from Wes despite understanding that she wanted to do things on her own.

Besides Hailey's culinary interests and job, that's where my connection ended. There was nothing solid about Wes. He was just another rich man, unable to decide whether he was willing to ruin their friendship by being in love or not, and I could not stand it. Both characters were boring to me. Between Wes's brothers, Hailey's family and other friends. It was just too much. You might enjoy this book if I love the friend to romance trope, but not me.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, for this book in exchange for my honest review!
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Overall, this book was just okay. I switched between the audio and the physical copy of the book, and for the first 60% of the book, it was just like sitting in and observing the day-to-day moments between Hailey & Wes. Their friendship was believable, and then out of nowhere… feelings?? I would have liked to have seen more development of those feelings in the “slow burn” of this friends-to-lovers arc. I hadn’t read the other two books in the series, which may have been helpful to understand the relationship dynamics of the side characters. I also felt there were some tiny, unneccessary plot points introduced that didn’t really get developed/resolved.

I will say that the narration of the audiobook was very good and kept me interested in this otherwise slow story. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC, as well as Macmillan Audio for the ALC, in exchange for an honest review.

This one featured a lot of talk about... salads. Don't get me wrong, this girl loves her veggies but salad isn't exactly the sexiest food... Now onto the actual story. Hailey and Wes have a meet cute involving a barista who can't spell (they do this on purpose right?) and vow to venture into *JUST* a friendship where they are both super attracted to the other. Yeah like that works. There are light When Harry Met Sally vibes going on here.

Apparently, this is the third book in a series (which I did not know; How to Love Thy Neighbor and 10 Rules For Faking It) but can be read as a standalone.

This book would have benefitted from some editing (could have been less than 300 pages and packed the same punch) and it had A LOT of characters to keep track of, which may have been easier for readers of the first 2 books. Overall, I did like Hailey & Wes' slow-burn love story, but there were a lot of parts I ended up skimming to get there. The third act breakup felt very forced.

Not one that I will remember in a few months. 3.5 stars rated down to a 3.

This is perfect for people who are looking for a quick and cute romance novel for a nice little boost of serotonin.

It's a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers between two people who are not particularly looking for love. It's about healing, setting boundaries, and growing as a person. I did relate to both characters on different levels (it scared me a bit, not gonna lie).

The only downfall is that I think it might have dragged a little in the middle (and Wes was frustrating. Just call it what it is!)

What to expect:
•Friends to lovers
•Slow burn
•Closed door romance
•Strong & Independent FMC


This is the 3rd book in the Jansen Brothers series. When I requested this on Netgalley, I did not realize it was part of a series (oops lol). I debated trying to quickly read the first two books before starting, because I do have the 2nd book on my kindle already. I ended up not reading the first two first, but I absolutely will be going back and reading them! You can read this as a stand-alone, but I did find it hard to keep up with some of the other characters mentioned. Because I assuming they make appearances in the other books, but that is 100% on me for not reading the first books first.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and found it to be super cute and fun. It was an easy and light read as well. I loved how strong and independent Hailey was! I really liked Wes as well. I loved the relationship he had with his brothers, and what they were working to achieve. The friendship between these two was adorable and goals. I do wish we got to explore more of Hailey’s background with her parents, I thought there would be more to that storyline. Also, I really wanted to know what happened with the brothers and their dad. Like what ended up happening, I need answers lol! Lastly, the final conflict that happens between Hailey and Wes and what he said about his future. I think what he said was pretty major and I don’t think it got fully addressed and I wish it had.