Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

This book practically defines "friends to lovers trope" to the extreme! A slow burn that was full to brimming with an amazing friendship between two individuals that finally turned into love.

I liked this read. Both of the main characters, Hailey and Wes, have their own baggage to work through. While both seem to think they are handling their fresh starts in California well, it turns out that when friendship turns to love, some of that baggage can resurface.

Out January 17, 2023!

I really liked Sophie Sullivan's first 2 books - a LOT! This one? Not so much. Will I read her next ones!? Absofreakinglutely! I think it's the "friends-to-lovers" trope - just not my jam! I rolled my eyes every time one of the characters moaned about having feelings for the other but didn't want to ruin their friendship.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book!

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

This book was enjoyable - very cute and wholesome. It was a little more of a slow burn than I tend to enjoy but I love the friends to lovers trope. Despite the slow burn, I liked that the author built a strong foundation of friendship before Wes and Hailey explored a romantic relationship; I thought it was sweet to see their relationship evolve from spending time together doing simple things like going to the grocery store or playing video games. Beyond the romance, I also really loved the theme of friendship in this book in general, it had a feel similar to "found family" in a new town.

Going into this one I didn't realize it was the third book of a series. Although it can be read as a standalone, at times it felt like there were too many side characters to keep track of & some of the characters didn't feel fully developed. I think if I had read the first two prior, this may have impacted my opinion.

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not realize this was a standalone book within a series when I began reading. With references to When Harry Met Sally and 500 Days of Summer in the promotional materials, I went in with very high hopes. There were many plot points that felt incomplete like the conflict with their father and many aspects of the business. While I don’t think the book needed more business talk specifically, so many of those trains of thoughts were resolved without any issue or ignored when a new idea was presented. Overall, it was a fun read.

This was cute but Wes is so frustrating. He is so clearly in love with her but he doesn't notice it at all. It's endearing most of the time but occasionally it's really annoying.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This was just...*chef's kiss*.
I love Wes, he is such a sweet soul. Hailey was all kinds of perfect for him. Their friendship was brilliant and hilarious. I love their teasing banter, and their support of one another.
The brother's relationship was great to see.
I loved this series so much. Highly recommend.

This was way too slow of a burn. I had to stop halfway through when I realized not a single thing happened to further the plot. The editor should have helped the author do more showing and less telling. I don't need to know the toppings on each salad a person ordered. I do need to have some kind of propulsion of the plot. Library patrons who read the others in the series will probably want to read it, but good luck to them!

Spoilers ahead!!
A Guide to Being Just Friends is a slow burn friends-to-lovers that really explores what it means to be in love. Wes believes that being in love just isn't for him; he lives life practically so that his life can never be intertwined with someone else's. He refuses to be vulnerable in that way. Hailey owns a salad shop in town called By The Cup, and all she wants is for her store--her business--to be a success. She doesn't need a relationship, she's an extremely independent woman who doesn't need a man.
After an awkward first encounter, these two knuckleheads eventually land on friendship; something they both want that doesn't cross any of their boundaries. And so what if they get butterflies around each other or have these weird feelings (definitely not jealousy) at the thought of the other one going on a date, no matter that the date is a favor for a friend or a business dinner.
This book had everything going for it. I love a slow burn, and friends to lovers is a classic trope for a reason. That being said, when Wes and Hailey finally get together, I started liking their characters (especially Wes) a lot less. Wes became the worst version of himself, and it felt like he really did just forget who Hailey was and what she stood for. And yes, I see how that may have been the point, as Hailey herself points it out, but I just thought it was still an odd choice. It was like their months of friendship never happened. The two of them in a relationship just felt incredibly different than when they were just friends, in a way that I thought felt unrealistic. Though, I will say, their whole conflict at the end was very realistic given their personalities, but it still felt weird. Wes may have been wary of love throughout the whole book, but it was never really hinted that he would refuse to be in love or say I love you, so that part came out of nowhere. I also think his resistance to making video games was straight-up odd since he understood the whole time that this resistance came from his dad.
That being said, Hailey was almost a perfect character. I love her, and I kind of think she deserves better than Wes. Like if he slips up EVER, kick him to the curb girl.

Interesting premise but not the most I engaging execution. I as mostly bored with Hailey and Wes’ relationship and was not feeling the chemistry or desperately wanting the two leads to get together at the end. This is the third book in a series so there are a lot of references to and characters from the previous books. 2.75 stars rounded up.

This is the third book in Sophie Sullivan's series about the Jansen Brothers, who each leave their (extremely) wealthy father's business to venture out on their own. This one focuses on the eldest brother, Wes, who has emotional baggage from observing the implosion of his parents' marriage. Commitment (and love) is completely off the table for him. Hailey has been burned in the past but she is starting her entire life over and focusing on her new business. She is a self-made woman in the making. The two have a mistaken-identity "meet cute" and develop a 'strictly friends' relationship. They are destined for each other, right?
This book is on par with her others in the series. She has a good sense of humor and the conflict was reasonable.
Overall a sweet read, but a bit repetitive for my taste.
Thank you so much for the ARC!

Book Three of this series but can be a stand alone. Main character Hailey is starting over with a new business, a new town, and a new chance at a happy life. Coincidentally, so is Wes. Even though their first meeting is less than friendly, Hailey and Wes have an undeniable click and the two become fast friends. Friends because that’s what they both need, friends because that’s what works, and friends because that’s all that they can be. The writing is well done creating an exciting story with well developed characters. Love the friends to lovers trope - always comforting plus I enjoyed the dual perspective . If you love friends to lovers, a good slow burn, and big happy chosen family vibes, A Guide to Being Just Friends is sure to impress.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest reviews.

2.5 stars rounded up.

I didn't realize this was the 3rd in a standalone series, and it wasn't until after I read this that I realized I've read #2 in the series. Both of these books had the same issues for me in that they were just repetitive. I understand the characters had issues to work through, but it just felt like the same stuff over and over again. Regardless, it's a cute slow burn and I enjoyed some of the characters. Overall, it's an entertaining read.

This was a cute and fluffy novel. I loved the atmosphere and setting of the book and the writing was spot-on for the rom-com it was intended for.

I definitely felt the chemistry between the two main characters and loved getting both of their point of views. I wasn’t in love or obsessed with them, but I didn’t dislike them either.

I think the only main thing I wasn’t connecting with was the conflicts near the end of the novel. The issues felt a little forced and excessive, but other than that the book was a breeze and I had a good time reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this read!

Release date: January 17, 2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Spice level: 🔥/5

⭐️: 2.5/5

Hailey’s priority is getting her new salad shop up and running with no distractions. Wes is desperate for companionship but doesn’t believe in love after watching his parents go through a messy divorce. When Hailey and Wes meet, they form a friendship that they’re both determined to keep as just a friendship…or are they?

First off, this is the third book in a series that details the love stories of each of the three Jansen brothers. Wes is the oldest, and also the last story published. I didn’t read the first two, so initially, the characters were hard to keep straight without the help of the first two books in the series. Due to this, I added a half a star to what I would have rated this book for the enjoyment that I potentially could have gotten out of catching up with the characters I may have grown attached to in previous books.

That being said…I doubt I would have gotten attached to them. I was just so bored reading this book. The long winded descriptions of the minutiae of how every character is feeling inside was just so tedious, and the dialogue was offputtingly and overly formal. I definitely skimmed a lot of the pages, because they were just repetitive descriptions of how the characters were hurt before and damaged for all their future partners, and I don’t feel like I missed anything important. I was so bored, that I wasn’t even invested enough in Hailey and Wes to be annoyed with the fade-to-black romance scenes in this very very closed door romance. Every time the characters talked, or thought, or reflected on their feelings (which was like, 80% of the prose) it just read like “I’ve been hurt before, I’m scared to be hurt again, [repetitive deep dive into what happened in the past], oh and have I mentioned I’ve been hurt before and also have daddy/mommy issues??” Unfortunately, in the end, this book just fell really flat for me.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Hailey opens up a salad shop and is working toward building a clientele and expanding. She is a bubbly ball of energy that makes you instantly like her. Wesley is financial advisor who invests in businesses. They two have a rough first impression, but quickly become friends. Just friends.

But if they are just friends.... Why are there so many feelings .

I was very excited to start a guide to be home just friends. I love friends to lovers. I'm all about a slow burn, however this book felt too slow... It really dragged on for me and fell flat. I didn't feel the chemistry I was hoping to feel. I wish I had read the first two books in the series ass well so I had some more background.

Thank you St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram bh Sunday, December 11.

This was such a fun end to the Jansen brothers series. I really enjoyed meeting Wes and Hailey - seeing their relationship move from friends to more. I also loved seeing the scenes with everyone and getting a glimpse of the other Jansen brothers and their pairs.

There were times when I felt frustrated in Wes for doing things on his own and not talking to anyone about it. He was such a fixer which isn’t always needed.

I was glad to see that Wes and Hailey were able to maturely talk through their challenges.

Overall a really enjoyable book.

I went in to this really excited but unfortunately it fell flat. The characters were on the boring side and I didn’t see their connection that much. The writing itself was well done but the actual story line was just boring for me. I do want to try other books by this author because I did like Sophie’s writing.

If you’re a fan of slow burn? This the one 😮‍💨 I had trouble getting into this book because it took a while for them to find their footing. Hailey and Wes embody the friends to lovers trope. The conflicts seemed genuine and they made sense based on the characters backgrounds.
I enjoyed the writing style and flow of the novel. You get dual perspectives over several months and it was easy to follow the time jumps.

Review posted to GoodReads, Books-a-Million, and Barnes & Noble.

One of the best friends to lovers I've seen in a while. It's definitely a slow burn and I mean slow. But once they start seeing other people the tension between them finally explodes! The friends and support system made the book even better. I almost wish it was a graphic novel so I could see Wes' video game. It was too adorable I cannot handle it!

When Hailey moves to San Verde following her split from her ex-boyfriend in order to pursue her goal of opening her own By The Cup Salad shop, she bumps into Wes, a rich business-oriented guy, in the coffee shop next door in an awkward first encounter. However, when they meet again, the two end up striking up a friendship, developing a "guide for being just friends" because they both don't want to date. As their friendship grows and their circles combine, their feelings become hard to ignore though...

I thought this book was a cute read! I enjoyed seeing the couples from the first two books connected in this series and I liked how independent and strong willed Hailey was, determined to make her business work and all on her own terms. Their friendship was so wholesome, but I wish their relationship had progressed faster. It felt kind of slow at times and frustrated me when they ignored their feelings for each other - they had some individual problems that needed to be worked out first but kept coming in the way.

I wish there hadn't been quite as many conflicts towards the end because I just wanted them to finally get together! I also thought that the writing could have showed their interactions more because sometimes I felt like I was just being told what they did after the fact when it could have been such a cute scene.

Overall this was a cute, light read though that I think someone could enjoy if they like closed-door, friends-to-lovers stories :)