I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars if I could

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes so I had high hopes for this one. And after situating myself in this world - totally forgot I've read book 2 in this series - my hopes were still pretty high.

Wes and Hailey are great characters! They're dynamic and strong and a little broken. I love their pasts and how much they still inform their futures. It's often one character who has to do all the heavy lifting so I appreciated that it wasn't all on Wes or all on Hailey here.

It's a very slow build. The first 40% of the book was a little boring but once it picked up, it moved at the perfect pace. Sure, it got a little repetitive at times - you'll never been confused about what Wes and Hailey's hang-ups are - but on the whole it was an enjoyable read.

I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a strong FMC and a sweet, uplifting romance.

When I’m picking up this kind of book, I know what I’m signing up for—a friends-to-lovers slow burn where you’re (mentally) yelling at the characters to just get together already because they would just be so much happier if they told each other how they felt. And this totally ended up fitting the bill. There were a few things that made it harder for me to connect with this particular set. of people, but that could be a me thing.

What didn’t work for me

The third-book effect: This is the third book in a series, and though it is supposed to be a standalone and the love story between the two main characters doesn’t require any previous knowledge, there is a lot of time spent with Wes’s brothers and their girlfriends—and they were the characters in the earlier two stories. It didn’t mean that it was hard to follow or anything, but I definitely felt like I was missing out on a lot of the secondary plotlines and the many, many references to those books.

Hailey: Honestly, there was just something about her I didn’t like or didn’t connect with. I found her to be so stuck on needing to. do everything by herself, as though she had something to prove, and I’m not sure there was enough in her backstory to tell me why she was like that. I felt like she was having the same thoughts and conversations over and over again (mostly when it came to her business) that I got over it fairly quickly. That being said, I didn’t dislike her relationship with Wes.

What I liked

The writing: Sophie Sullivan has a nice, relaxed style of writing that kept me in the story. Everything flowed nicely, and the many side characters were well-developed—I felt like I was part of the world she created.

The slow burn: It’s not a surprise that it takes a long time for Wes and Hailey to get together—and the pacing was very well thought out. You didn’t have to wait until the end of the book to finally get what you wanted from them, but you got that will they/won’t they magic that I love in stories like this. I was reading other reviews that said they didn’t see the chemistry between these two characters, and I have to disagree there; I knew why they were drawn to each other. It made sense to me.

The brothers: Though I didn’t read the other two books in the series, I love the relationship between Wes and his brothers. I like that you get snippets of them just hanging out together and that they support each other and drive each other nuts like brothers often do. I can agree that it’s a little too idealistic (like they can’t all be this perfect), but I just liked that Wes’s support here was them and not friends or some other dynamic.

3.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

The third and final Jansen brother gets his happily ever after. This is a sweet and sassy story. Wes is the oldest of the brothers and the one who least believes in love. He enjoys looking out for his family and friends and is a bit of a nerd. Hailey is fun loving and lighthearted. She is getting over a major break up and starting a new business. There is a wonderful cast of characters including the two other Jansen brothers and their girlfriends. The plot is interesting and moves at a great pace. What starts out as friendship between Wes and Hailey slowly grows into a strong and unbreakable bond.

For fans of breezy romance books, there is plenty to like in A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan. The opening hours of the story move along with likable characters and a plot that stretches the bounds of story logic without ever becoming ridiculous. Hailey Sharp owns a burgeoning salad eatery with great recipes and a not-so-great client base who crosses paths with tech-minded Wes Jansen— and the story goes from there. Both of the leads are likeable, but not treacly, and their surrounding cast of relatives and friends fill out the various rom-com roles well. The totemic When Harry Met Sally... is name-checked several times, and the inspiration for the story and characters is certainly apparent on the page.

Sophie Sullivan throws in the odd antagonist, but she doesn't force a main villain to add stakes to the story. Instead, the core conflict for Hailey is establishing herself in an unfamiliar world while encountering people who may have different ideas and plans than her. There's nothing wrong with a high-concept story that uses a quirky premise to sell the story, though Sullivan does a lot with her more grounded approach to human relationships, both romantic and platonic.

Where A Guide to Being Just Friends runs into trouble is with its pacing and the specificity it tries to add to its characters. The early chapters move along nicely as the stakes are set, and Sullivan builds out her world, but as the story goes on, it starts to run into trouble. What feels like it should be the ending of the book arrives about three-quarters of the way through—which wouldn't have been an issue because the book isn't short by any means—but then it keeps going. There isn't some major twist or wrinkle added to open up Wes and Hailey's world; it simply feels like a few familiar issues from earlier in the book are revisited to fill out the page count. When the rest of the novel glides along so effortlessly, for the last quarter to become such a slog really stands out.

Second to my pacing issue is one that's more personal—which probably won't bother most readers. When an author has a character trait they want to highlight, whether it's owning a salad business or working in tech, I always go in with the hope that they either have done a lot of research into the interest or they come from that world themselves. It's always cool when you can learn about someone's niche or hobby through the work they create, and these little eccentricities make their characters more interesting than if they are another writer returning home to fall in love with an old flame. That's a story I've seen countless times before, and I appreciate it whenever a writer decides to mix it up. Where it runs into trouble is when that character quirk or hobby rings as false—which was sadly the problem with Wes and his dreams of being a game designer. I'll partly blame Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow for making Wes' interest in game design seem so hollow by comparison. The video games referenced, the ideas behind game design, and the work that goes into making a video game all felt poorly written in contrast to Hailey's world of salads and hospitality. Wes could have just been an app developer or an investor, and the novel would've functioned just as well, so the decision to try to cram in video games was puzzling and took me out of the story.

While A Guide to Being Just Friends sometimes lets its innovations and ambitions get in the way of the central story, the novel is a fun read to cozy up with for romance fans.

This was a cute friends-to-lover romance that has a fun meet cute - I enjoyed the relationship buildup, but I had hoped for a bit more chemistry. The friend group from the prior books in the series were incorporated a lot, which I also enjoyed. IDK, despite this being a cute and easy read, there just wasn't much that was memorable for me.

3.5 stars

A Guide to Being Just Friends is a wonderful conclusion to the Jansen Brothers series. I haven't decided who my favorite brother is...I think Noah, but Wes is great too. His tendency to want to fix everyone around him was both frustrating and very sweet! Hailey's insistence on doing everything on her own was equally frustrating but also admirable and understandable. The backstory with her parents is just so sad. I am a huge fan of friends to lovers romances and I found the friendship between Wes and Hailey to be completely believable and their slow burn journey to lovers entirely satisfying! Loved revisiting the characters from the earlier books, Everly, Chris, Noah, Grace, and especially Morty :) I'm sad to see this series end, but happy another book by Sullivan will be published in 2024!

This was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed reading about Hailey’s efforts to build up her salad business. And Wes was just adorable. He wants to protect and help her but he keeps coming up against her pride and desire to succeed on her own without any help from Wes’s millions. What’s a millionaire to do?

My one complaint is that the author makes Hailey’s ex-boyfriend so very obnoxious, selfish, and cruel. It’s hard to believe that a sweetheart like Hailey would have ever wasted her time with such a terrible guy? This is a constant trope in romances that either the hero, but usually the heroine has an ex who is arrogant and cruel. I wish that the exes could just be someone with whom the stars of the book just realized was not right from them instead of some sort of villain.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Great read! Such a sweet story! You really do need to be friends before lovers! The couple had the best chemistry and I couldn’t put the book down! 10 stars!

This is another series where my ratings are all over the place. I still think Ten Rules of Faking It was my favorite, but I did enjoy this one.

From the title, we know this is a friends to lovers. I thought maybe Wes and Hailey had been friends a while, but they meet at the beginning of the book and decide to only be friends since they aren't ready for a relationship rn. But also they had a meet cute (kinda.)

Both had their hang ups and should probably go to therapy. We know the Jansen dad is awful and as the oldest, Wes took the brunt of it, wanting to hide it from his younger brothers. He saw the nasty divorce between his parents and doesn't trust love to ever be enough.

Hailey had a bad break up that she lost herself in and pretty absent parents so trust was not easy for her. The friendship between her and Wes before they got together, was probably healthy for both.

There were a lot of conflicts going on. It was almost too much at some points tbh.

One of the fav parts of the book was seeing the couples from the past books. I wonder if there will be a book for Ari?

3.5 stars. This was a cute read with lovely characters but it was a bit slow for me and took me awhile to read it.

I enjoy a good friends to lovers story, especially when written well. This author did a good job keeping my interest as I went through this book. This was my first read by this author and I look forward to reading more by her in the future.

If you like friends to lovers, I’d say this one will bring a smile to your face.

This is book 3 of a series of books so I’ll have to go back and read the other 2.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me this eARC.

I am generally not a friends-to-lovers trope fan, but occasionally one will catch my attention and thus was one of them and it was worth it! It had some cute mom, some dark moments and I really liked the relationship with the support characters. I had no idea when I requested it that it was book 3 in a series but I read it with no issues so it clearly can be read as a stand-alone.
Hailey and Wes have both moved to San Verde for a fresh start. Hailey has opened a salad shop and Wes and his brothers have broken off from their father’s businesses and are going on their own. Neither are looking for a relationship because they’re both very career focused and they both have been burned in the past and are having a hard time moving past it. After a super awkward meeting, they bond super quickly and form a fun and flirty friendship. They are both super supportive of each other and each other’s dreams. Being that neither want to be in a relationship, they decide to be just friends so they set up some rules or a “Guide” and what they can and can’t do. Of course they don’t see what everyone around them sees-they are clearly head over heels in love with each other. Eventually they figure it out and start dating but that leads to a big breakup scene which feels out of place with the story. Other than that, it was enjoyable. The narrator was fab and fun!
Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.

Thank you netgalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because the synopsis caught my interest. However, as I started diving into the book, I was overwhelmed with the whole story. I couldn't keep up with the pacing of the story and I felt that there is no chemistry between the leading characters. I just felt that the whole setting and the characters of the story is not developed.

I am completely and totally obsessed with this book. Wes and Hailey’s meet cute is so adorable, and I loved how they formed a healthy, relatable friendship. And since this is a romance, they both started catching feelings. The romance between the two was great and really well written. I could put the book down, but I found myself thinking about the characters even when I wasn’t reading.

I adored seeing Leo again, and props to Hailey for hiring him because we really just get to see Leo blossom throughout the series and it’s just so nice to see everyone taking him under their wings. Also, By the Cup NEEDS to be a real place.

I really enjoyed reading this book. This is only my second or third friends to lovers romance, and it is just making me want to read more! This was such a well done slow burn too, which I love. The tension in the first half of the book was just amazing and I couldn't get enough.

I also loved the characters, they complimented each other so well. There were a few times at the end that I got a little annoyed with Hailey's character, but it got better and I really liked her in the end. Wes was just so dreamy and sweet that I wanted him all for myself. I also just loved seeing their relationship grow throughout the book.

I loved this book and was really happy with how it ended. I am so happy I got to read this before it came out because I probably wouldn't have picked it up to read in a long time. Now I just want to go get her other books to read. Overall, a great book and I definitely recommend!

When I started this book, I was completely unaware it was the third book in a series involving three brothers. As a result, there were times I felt at a bit of a disadvantage in not know the backstory between the brothers and their estranged father. It is still possible to read this as a standalone, but keep in mind, you’ll struggle a bit with who’s who and what their history is.

That being said, I think this was a cute friends to lovers, closed door romance with major When Harry Met Sally vibes. As a huge fan of that movie, I loved seeing this fun twist on it. I enjoyed Halley and Wes’ creation of their guide to being just friends and how they navigated through some very complex emotions throughout the book finally finding resolution and huge emotional growth. And of course, the found family trope, like the one presented in this novel, will always have my heart. The group of brothers, their significant others and friends made for quite a fun and boisterous gang and I loved seeing Hailey connect with them as someone who felt so alone and disconnected.

All in all, this is a pretty standard romance but with a fun twist on a classic and one I think a lot of people will enjoy, especially those who prefer closed door/kissing only romance. I plan to continue reading this series, starting with book one and am excited to see what Sullivan writes next.

Read if you like:
•friends to lovers
•slow burn
•closed door romance
•found family
•when harry met sally

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

i think this just came down to how annoying i found wes (and at some times hailey) by the end of this. despite the contrived (non-)meet cute, hailey and wes were able to develop a good friendship before the romance followed. however, the attraction didn't seem all that gradual as the attraction was there from the start to an extent. the miscommunications that followed to get there and stay there hurt what was gearing up to be a strong final act.

i personally find miscommunications based off of not listening to a partner a huge dealbreaker and a guide to being just friends settles on that and holds on tightly.

“A Guide to Being Just Friends” by Sophie Sullivan is a cute, easy rom com for readers who enjoy a meet cute, a slow burn and a warm and fuzzy romance 🥰

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤/5

Hailey has just gone through a messy breakup where her ex called all the shots. She decides to pursue her own dreams and moves to open her very own salad shop in California.

On an off chance she meets Wes, who has been stood up by his date. They soon form a platonic friendship: they both need someone they LIKE rather then love. However, as feelings start to form they both begin to wonder if they are able to stay being just friends …

This was a cute love story, especially if you enjoy a friends to lovers trope. I found it to be rather slow and contained a lot of filler which sometimes broke my engagement while reading.

Thank you kindly to Sophie Sullivan @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases January 17, 2023 and is book 3 in a series. You can totally read it stand-alone, but I think if I knew beforehand then I would have read the series in order.

Read this if you enjoyed:
♥️How Harry Met Sally
♥️How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
♥️10 Things I Hate About You

This was a good, standard rate rom-com. I liked it more than the second book, but I still think I liked the first one the best. I liked both main characters and their chemistry together, although I wondered about a quarter of the way through if the pacing was going to make sense, or if it would drag. In the end, the pacing was fine. The two main characters had the typical traumas they had to overcome to be happy together, but I didn’t mind that. Their issues were pretty realistic, although they could both probably benefit from some therapy. One thing that needs to be corrected is later on in the story, the phrase “bury the lead” is used, but the correct phrase is actually “bury the lede”.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

wow!!!

Hailey is new in town after going through a tough breakup. She fulfills her dream of opening a salad shop after moving to a new town. Wes, a grumpy (good-looking), businessman who has some pain from his parents’ unsuccessful marriage. They do the opposite of a meet-cute, but still managed to find each other. They strike a friendship, one that neither of them wants to lead into love. Who can guess what will happen?

This was a fun and enjoyable romcom! I really enjoyed seeing how Wes and Hailey’s friendship forms and how they truly do try and bring out the best in each other. It’s a standalone book that is part of a series (I wasn’t aware of this and now I’m thinking of picking the other two up).

It was definitely a slow burn, and it felt slow for me. I was waiting for that tension to build up and once they finally got together, I wish we saw more of their honeymoon stage rather than just multiple conflicts popping up towards the end.

There were some cute moments that kept me going. Hailey being a strong-minded, determined and focussed businesswoman was also great to see! They both had really great support systems to lift them up and help them out, and that definitely aided in making the conflicts more digestible. If you’re looking for an easy, closed-door friends to lovers, definitely give it a try!

Thank you to Netgalley + St. Martin's Press for providing me with this ARC!

👥 friends to lovers
🧲 opposites attract
🐌 slow burb
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 found family
❤️‍🩹 overcoming tough past relationships
🌶 closed door