A Guide To Being Friends by Sophie Sullivan

Hailey Sharp is starting over! After a very bad break up, she starts anew by venturing into her own new salad shop business; By The Cup. When she literally bumps into Wes Jansen, the handsome but robotic businessman she knows they can only be friends. Wes doesn’t believe in happily ever after and Hailey can’t afford to lose herself in another relationship. Can they successfully stay friends? Or are lines starting to get blurred?

This was such a sweet and cozy romance. Sullivan does a great job of creating a picturesque village for Hailey. Hailey was introduced to some wonderful friends and fellow shop owners which help her with her self-worth and confidence (much needed after a traumatic break-up). Wes and Hailey’s relationship felt honest and pure. The reader really understands why they start to fall for each other and it’s beyond just physical attraction! It’s hard not to root for these characters! I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope you do too.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I was ELATED to receive this one- Sophie's books always put me in such a good mood, and I'm finding a positive mindset to be critical in the holiday season.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the third in the Jansen Brothers series, and is easily read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the others. I gave Ten Rules for Faking It 4 stars, and How to Love Your Neighbor a full five!

This book plays with one of my personal favorite tropes- sunshine/grump with Wes and Hailey. Wes (Grump) is an uptight, nerdy, introvert with a heart of gold seeking companionship NOT love. Hailey is human sunshine. She's relentlessly optimistic, but her career is her sole focus and she's too damn independent for her own good.

This is a closed door, slow-burn, clean romance in the perfect for fans of When Harry Met Sally and 500 Days of Summer. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars for a couple reasons
1- the pacing was a very slooow burn.
2- there was really only a passing reference to the actual guide in the book. I would've like to see more of it.

Right away I liked the narrator for the FMC, which made a big difference as I alternated between the audiobook and ebook.

I didn’t realize this was book three in a series but it read as a standalone so I didn’t feel like I was missing context.

The characters and the plot were both likable enough. I did enjoy the way the friendship between them developed and eventually led to more. The story is slow burn and closed door with no steam. I wish there had been a little bit of it since we had such a slow burn with the relationship and there seemed to be an attempt at angst.

I didn’t fully understand why the MMC didn’t want a relationship so that seemed like an unnecessary complication.

Overall, a cute story!

I didn’t realize this was a part of a brothers series so there were some parts I felt like I was missing parts of the story but it was okay… it was a bit slow for me at times.

Full transparency here: I DNF’d this book at 28% because the friends to lovers trope (my least favorite) and slow pacing of this book were just not what I was hoping for when I applied for this ARC. I’m a bit of a picky little mood based reader sometimes, and I think this novel might have fallen victim to that. If you like friends to lovers tropes in your contemporary romance/romcom, please do give this a try.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the third and final book in Sophie Sullivan’s Jansen brothers trilogy, and it was the best of the three in my opinion. The awkward-first-meeting-to-friends-to-lovers was *perfect* and seeing everyone from all the previous books together and happy was truly satisfying. I enjoyed watching fiercely independent Hailey make a new start in life after leaving her narcissistic actor ex-boyfriend behind in Los Angeles, when she joins her cousin in San Verde to open her own cute little salad shop. But her self-confidence took a hit with her ex and she having a hard time attracting customers. When she has a run-in with Wes at the coffee shop next door to the salad shop, the pair walk away from each other with both feeling of attraction and annoyance. The next time they meet during a salad delivery, Hailey is drawn into his circle by new friends Everly, Stacey, Tara, and Grace who are connected with Wes’s brothers Chris and Noah. As Hailey and Wes become quick friends, their friendship deepens into unresolved mutual pining. But both have pasts that hold them back from taking the final step in their relationship - they’re forced to ask themselves if it’s worth the risk of jumping in head first or losing a chance at the real thing.

This was so cute!!! This is the third book Jansen brothers trilogy but it can definitely be read as a standalone. I am a sucker for friends to lovers and I tried adore the connection between Wes and Hailey. They were so different but complimented each other so well, especially when they found comfort with each during their struggles.

This was absolutely adorable!

4/5⭐️

although i was more interested in the businesses part of this book (especially reading about hailey's), i feel like it took up so much of the book despite it being a romance novel. i also wasn't that connected to the romance or the characters. some of the things they said just made me feel off, honestly.

it annoyed me the way hailey would act at times, constantly not accepting help or advice and how she would say it was sort of a pity thing (but also, in general, she and wes annoyed me occasionally) ?? and it just annoyed me to read her acting in that way when the advice she was given was so important to her business and had nothing to do with anyone pitying her.

the romance was so incredibly slow to get to. i also didn't know this was part of a series to begin with. yes, it can be read as a standalone, i guess, but i feel like i lacked a level of familiarity with wes and other characters that were present in the other books. i got sooo bored, especially once i got to around 40%. and no wayyy he said "thank god" when she said she just had let it slip when she said she loved him... honestly, i got so sick of their little arguments.

i will say, though, that i loved the little taylor swift references and mentioning of hailey loving books. it was really nice to see her relationship with her friends, especially fiona and her cousin, piper.

thank you to netgalley and st. martin's press for the ARC !!

3.75⭐️ This is a cute friends to lovers story. If you like a slow burn close door romance then this might be a good fit for you! I loved the characters and watching their friendship development and slowly grow into something more. I was mad at the characters a few times, but in the end was very happy. This book was honestly a super cute read!

Sophie Sullivan's latest novel, A Guide to Being Just Friends, is Sullivan's third and final Jansen brothers' story.
The three brothers are all wealthy, handsome and kind. That's why they make entertaining characters. This plot stands alone and is based in San Verde CA. Wesley Jansen is featured and he is an amazing business man and creative genius. Sparks fly when he meets Hailey Sharp, but the pair decides to forgo romance and become best friends. As Hailey's salad business grows so do her feelings for Wesley. Wesley has regretted his just friends decision from the start. Wesley's brothers and their girlfriends are great characters, along with Hailey's cousin and her family. There are multiple interesting story lines. Sullivan's great writing makes this novel difficult to put down,

A Guide to Just Being Friends is the third novel in the Jansen Brothers series, but it can be read as a standalone. Each novel in the series features one of the brothers and their stories. The first, Ten Rules for Faking It, followed Chris, How to Love Your Neighbor, followed Noah, and now it is Wes’s turn. While I did have the chance to experience the Noah’s story, I still need to read about Chris. The three brothers are together throughout the story along with the girlfriends, so there were moments where I felt I was missing out by not reading the first novel and others where I felt otherwise.

Hailey Sharp is new in town and has just opened her dream shop, a salad restaurant. After a messy break-up, she is not in the mood to date so when Wes mistakes her for his blind date at the café next door, the two do not get off on the right foot. The two end up on the way to agreeing to just be friends through Wes agreeing to help Hailey with her shop. As she is very reluctant to accept help and believes that she needs to do everything on her own to be successful, I feel I needed a lot more to understand this part of her character. The two spend time together and develop a genuine friendship that is a very slow-burn towards romance.

Each character has their own reasons for not wanting a romance due to past relationships and other feelings. I connected more towards Hailey’s side and wanted a little more exploration of Wes’s side and reasons. They are given in the story, but I wanted more exploration about the reasons since they did not seem enough, for me. Their transition to friends followed by lovers was expected, but I wish there was more build up to each transition as they seemed to happen quicker. While their friendship does last awhile before taking the next step, I did not feel that build up of romantic tension that leads to them admitting feelings for each other. They spend a lot of time around Hailey’s business, which I loved in a way as I felt the salad restaurant was unique and not something I usually read about; however, there were times it felt too involved in the business details that it took away from the characters and their relationship. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this story and its concept. Since I have not read the first in the series, I look forward to going back and experiencing how Chris finds romance!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read this novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

My Thoughts
Hailey Sharp wants no distractions that would derail her focus from making By the Cup salad shop a rousing success.

Oldest brother, and last one single, Wes Jansen is open to friendship but is leery of any kind of emotional relationship.

Funny thing is we all know about the best laid plans rule.

Despite this together they form a pact to keep their newfound connection firmly in the friend zone.

After all how hard can that be since both of them know from past experiences getting emotionally attached comes with a stiff price when things go wrong.

Three out of three times this author has given us a unique pairing and an interesting storyline for each of them as well.

EArc from Netgalley

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

This was such a sweet, fun romantic story. A misunderstanding leads to a great friendship between Wes and Hailey. As each tries to find their footing in their careers, Wes in the family business and Hailey opening her own salad shop, they lean on one another for support. Of course, this connection begins to turn romantic but neither one wants to risk what they have as friends. The connection between the two is so nice and the hurdle they encounter in the relationship seemed very realistic. I also loved their family and friends as side characters. This was a great read and I will definitely look out for Sophie Sullivan's next work. Thanks to Sophie Sullivan, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Maybe this is me being a little picky, but I totally couldn't get over the cringe of the first few pages and had to stop reading midway through, I think there could potentially be a fun story here but the writing was terrible and the storytelling was clunky.

When they meet, neither Wes Jansen nor Hailey Sharp is looking for love. Wes has had a string of unsuccessful dates with app matches and doesn’t want romantic love anyway; he has a criteria checklist for what would make a good mate. Hailey is recently out of a bad relationship and is putting her all into making her salad shop a success. Naturally, they decide to be just friends, and they fall into a pattern of spending time together and helping each other. It should be easy to stay just friends, right?

Oh, feelings, they can be quite pesky and difficult to control after all.

This is a sweet friends-to-lovers story with an uptight MMC and sunshine FMC. I enjoyed watching their friendship grow and seeing how they support each other, seeing the family and found family aspects come together, and viewing the ingenuity in their gifts for each other. There is a fun supporting cast of characters, too.

This book is closed door / fade-to-black, but it doesn’t feel like the door is slammed in your face. You still feel the attraction and sizzle between Wes and Hailey. It would make a cute PG-13 romcom film.

For me, the book was perfectly pleasant but stretched a little long.

I received an advance copy of the book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

While I loved the premise of the book and the similarities to when Harry Met Sally, this book did not have a lot of memorable moments for me. It was a very slow burn, taking well over half the book to build up to the characters finally realizing they should be more than friends. A quick third act breakup occurs, they get back together and boom the book has ended. I was quite disappointed with how abrupt the ending was, and in a sense I found the fight to be quite ridiculous and unnecessary. The story just didn't feel fluid. I really enjoyed the other two books in this series, but this one just didn't make the cut for me.

After a case of mistaken identity, two entrepreneurial new comers befriend one another other with the express interest of friendship over anything romantic. Together, they learn how to navigate post break up feelings, and owning their businesses. Hailey Sharp, fresh out of a relationship, tosses herself into her new salad business when her path crosses with Wesley Jansen. After several failed attempts at dating, Wesley is focused on his business ventures with his brothers.
This book tries to be a modern day, When Harry Met Sally. . ., without the connection of the characters. I found myself increasingly frustrated with the protagonists intentions not being made clear, the lack of communication, and the absence of growth from either character. Instead of confronting their emotions, they invest their sexual energy in creating a guide to just being friends.
I felt very little connection with the main characters.
TW: Parental mental abuse, domestic mental abuse

Thank you to NetGalley and Saint Martin's Press for this early arc in exchange for an honest review
. This was a fun and cute romcom it did start of a bit slow but it was definitely worth finishing even though the ending seemed a bit rushed. I’ll look forward to reading the authors other books!

2.5⭐️

This book was a slow-burn, friends to lovers romcom, following business owner Hailey Sharp and oldest Jansen brother Wesley, as they navigate (and struggle to maintain) their friendship.

I do enjoy friends to lovers, and Hailey and Jensen had decent chemistry! The evolution from their friendship into something more made sense, and it did give some of those warm feelings. While it was a cute story with a good idea, the execution unfortunately fell short for me.

The writing was a bit awkward, and there were some issues with the grammar that continuously distracted me away from the story. Hopefully this is cleaned up in the final version, but asides from that, I found a lot of the dialogue to be unrealistic and the monologues to drone on sometimes.

While I haven't read the first two books in the series, I did enjoy most of the side characters! The friendships Hailey made throughout the novel were endearing, and I wish I could have found out more about some of the characters.

Hailey was a strong and likeable main character, and Wes was deluded when it came to love, but still charming nevertheless. If you are into friends to lovers, slow burn, found family, and don't mind fade to black (the novel is suggestive but clean), then this is a cute and easy romance to pick up!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review:)

loved this book so much! I requested it not knowing it was part of a series but you definitely can read this as a stand-alone. Wes was such a cute character and I thought Hailey was really fun and an energetic character to read about. Overall loved this book and will definitely be reading the rest of the Jansen brothers series