3.5 / 5 stars if we’re being technical. I love the concept but the chemistry of the two main characters fell flat at times, especially when marketed as When Harry Met Sally meets 500 Days of Summer. I really appreciated Wes and Haley as individual characters and their backstories, but wasn’t overly invested in their romantic relationship for a large portion of the book, especially when both of them seemed generally content as friends for the first 40% or so. Their banter and friendship is cute and enjoyable to read and translates well when they do (spoiler) end up being more than just friends.
Like many other readers didn’t realize this was the third in a series but I think those who have read the previous installments will enjoy seeing the happy endings of previous characters.
Overall, this is a cute, easy to read rom-com with enjoyable side characters that left me wanting a salad, but not fulfilling me urge to re-watch When Harry Met Sally.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I unfortunately did not enjoy this book. I stopped reading it at around 30 percent, I did not really have any issue with this book besides the fact that it was extremely boring and a huge snooze fest. There was basically no plot and nothing was happening at all. The characters had no personality either. I think overall its not a bad book and I probably could have finished it if i wanted to but I just wasnt in the mood and I have better books to read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an Advanced Reader Copy!

This book was my first official leap into the world of romance novels, and what a lovely little story to get started on! That being said, I have not read any other books in the Jansen Brothers trilogy, but that didn't stop me from truly enjoying this book. It can completely stand alone as its own book, and after enjoying this read, I'm definitely interested in checking out the books!

Now onto the book itself-- it's a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers story! Although I am not a huge fan of a slow burn (I'm just too eager and want to drive straight in!), the pacing of Hailey and Wes's friendship-to-relationship made sense and well worked out. The tense moments between the two wanting to initiate something were agonizing to read (in a good way!) which made them making things official feel even more rewarding. I really enjoyed the chapters of Hailey and Piper / Wes, Noah, and Chris talking about their respective feelings about each other! It was a nice break from Hailey and Wes's direct interactions with one another while moving the story forward.

Roughly the last third of the book is when things started falling flat for me. I felt like some of the world lost its dimensionality. Obviously I know this story is all about Hailey and Wes, but I was missing a lot of side characters and their interactions with the protagonists! I was also a little annoyed with relationship tension at the end. I thought both Hailey and Wes's hang-ups were jovial to the point where I was shouting, "Please sign up for some therapy!!!!" However, based on how they were characterized and their backstories, I could see where they were both coming from. So that's ultimately a good thing that the characters were well-fleshed out!

Overall, this was a cute, light-hearted read! The dual point-of-views made things entertaining and enjoyable to see everything come other in the end!

This book had a lot going for it.

- Friends to lover
_When Harry met Sally type story
- Great banter
- Awesome side characters.
- Slow butn

I did really enjoy a few parts of this book including Wes and his brothers, all the friendships formed in this book, and the banter. I think a lot of readers will enjoy this book and eat up all the sweetness and swoon.

But unfortunately, it did not hit the mark for me. I did not connect with the characters and found their chemistry lackluster. I was bored throughout the book and was not a fan of the drama and arguments had in this book. th characters needed a guide on how to communicate and talk.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan.

This was a cute friends to lovers romantic comedy. It was sweet and a quick read, but not really memorable.

I recieved this book as an ARC through NetGalley but these are the opinions I formed on my own by reading.

A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan takes us through the lives of Wes and Hailey. Hailey moves to Los Angeles to have a life. Wes is looking for something exciting and find his perfect woman.

Honestly, I thought I would enjoy this more than I did. I felt like there was little to no chemistry between the two MCs whatsoever(friendly or romantic). The pacing of the book was od. I did however enjoy the writing style and some of the plot points. The 'Dork' definition scene turned me off of the book a little, made me a bit uncomfy for some reason lol.

Friends to lovers is probably my favorite trope, so I went into this with slightly elevated expectations. I got a little annoyed at times with Hailey, one of the main characters, since she kept bringing up how she didn't want help growing her new business. It just got a bit old after a while. And while usually the 2 friends in friends to lovers make me swoon, I wasn't really feeling much for these 2? Not to say I didn't enjoy the book, but I can't say I really enjoyed or loved it.

However, the supporting cast of characters I loved! Other local shop owners, Hailey's friend group, Wes' brothers and their gals, the vibe was great! And I didn't realize this was the 3rd book in the Jansen brothers series, so I am definitely interested in reading the first 2!

I think at this point I've read so many friends to lovers stories that they can't all be winners, and that's okay!

I feel indifferent about this. I love a good salad but the amount of description that goes into it just seemed forced to me. I didn't fall in love with the characters the way I wanted to either.

I loved this book! The chemistry between Wes and Hailey is incredible and I enjoyed their journey from friends to lovers. I would definitely recommend?

A great conclusion to the Jansen Brothers series (although I’d campaign for a Jansen Sister book!)

Wes is so complicated, and I’m glad this book allowed the reader to explore him as a person. He was solidly my least favorite character in the previous books, but now that I understand him I’m looking forward to rereading the series. I think it will add a new layer, especially to Book 2. Hailey was such a unique MC. I really enjoyed her redemption and arc, it was one I don’t think we see enough in romance.

I also enjoyed the pacing and the timeline - the story is set over a year but the author spends enough time in each season that I can see myself enjoying the read on the beach just as much as I did under my coziest blanket during a snowstorm.

I want to start by saying when I requested this book I wasn’t aware it was third in a series. I do wish I would have known and could have read the other two first. There were times it would have helped to know all the background and relationships. It was fine as a stand-alone I just would have preferred to read in order!

The story was a very cute! I always love a good friends to lovers story. This was a little bit angsty and a slow burn for sure. I did struggle enjoying the FMC Hailey. Wes and all of their friends and family definitely made up for it. Very cute and would recommend!

A friend of mine recommended this novel and I was intrigued. Before I started it, I realized it was part of a series. So I made sure to go back and read the first two books in the series. This is an interesting experience for me. I did not enjoy the first novel personally and ordinarily might have stopped, but because I had this book waiting for me I persevered through to the second novel. It was delightful! Then I read this third book in the series and thought it was the best of the bunch. It's a really unique experience to watch an author grow in their writing style through a series of books. I'm grateful I had the chance to do so with this series.

This is the third in the series, but I am not sure if it's the last one or not.

I have to say, I was looking forward to this book since I loved the first two so much but it was a bit of a disappointment. It was still a good read, but I think my expectations were higher due to the others. That being said, this is a fun book and I think it could stand on its own quite well. The story is nothing new, but it's still intriguing enough to make you want to continue reading, and the characters are enjoyable as well. I would recommend this as a light afternoon read.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I had trouble connecting with the characters, and I didn’t find it very interesting. I would still recommend reading it though. It just wasn’t to my taste.

UGH, SLOW BURNS/FRIENDS TO LOVERS DONE RIGHT!
Something I loved about this book was how much I grew to love these two characters as they progressed with what they needed at the time: friendship before they fell in love. Like they were both scorned and looking for their own support, and when the friendship occurred, it wasn't a, oh, I will settle for this until we date. It genuinely was a friendship, sharing platonic moments and more. It was just lucky to grow into love!

Won't say I liked that rushed third-act breakup, I felt it was unreasonable and hated how it was handled, so it lost half a star. The other half was lost because it took a little for the characters to connect with me AND in their own story - in my opinion.

But I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and how they grew, and all three brothers became happy ever afters. Great way to end a series!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

I wish I had read the previous two books in this series before diving into A Guide to Being Just Friends. I love friends to lovers and this was well written, but something felt missing. I can't be certain, but I think reading this series in sequence may have changed that.

Wes and Hailey's slow burn was fun. The setting was fun. I love a FMC that is also an entrepreneur.

Overall, I enjoyed this read, but I think knowing more about other character's back stories may have sucked me into this world more successfully!

This book delivers on a solid friends-to-lovers story, but I felt it was missing something special. While I liked both characters, I didn't feel very connected to either of them. This is an easy read to pass the time though!

This one was cute! I loved Hailey's character. I think my mistake was not reading the first two books.

This book was cute. A very easy read with a very predictable story line. If you’re looking for a fluffy romance, this would be a good choice.

💭Thoughts:
This is the third book in the Jansen Brothers series. I haven’t read the first two yet, though it probably would have been helpful to know some of the backstory. It can be read as a stand alone.

The story started out with promise. I enjoyed Hailey and her cute salad shop. She’s got a lot of baggage, but she was working through it throughout the story. Wes on the other hand was terrible. His internal dialogue was cringy and some of his actions were off putting. I just couldn’t see them as more than friends. The relationship was slow, but it never felt like their chemistry or compatibility was real. There really was very little romance in this book. I wanted more from them, wanted more of a reason to root for them. In the end I was more interested in Wes’s brothers than I was in him.

Overall, it’s an okay book if you like slow burn and closed door romances.