When you’re 15% in and all you’ve done is cringe and highlight quotes that made you say, “What??” this might not be the book for you. Every time I picked up this book, my brain screamed, “Please don’t make me do this again.” I had to finally stop about 25% in. I don’t like to DNF NetGalley books or rate books I haven’t finished but I just can’t imagine a world in which this gets more than 2 stars.

I don’t know what was worse- the dialogue or the fact that these characters seemed more like junior high school kids than adults. I also really struggle with books that make the female completely clueless and the male has to fix everything for her. Hailey has a business degree- why doesn’t she know the very basics of running a business? This isn’t even the first business she’s run- she had a food truck before her salad shop.

But the dialogue! I’m very surprised that this isn’t Sophie Sullivan’s first book. Not only did the dialogue not flow, it often didn’t even sound like real human conversation. I made several notes that said, “Who talks like this?” Even the characters’ internal dialogue was strange.

I was so excited to get approved for this book- friends to lovers is my favorite trope- but based on what I’ve read and based on some of the reviews I just took a look at, it’s not going to get better for me. Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I tried. This is my first time DNFing. I spent the past month trying to get through this book and only made it 45%... and that was with me really pushing myself to finish.

At times it was cute... but for the most part it was boring and repetitive.

I didn't connect with the characters and didn't care enough to see if they made it out of the friendzone to continue with the book.

Thank you Netgallery and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book. It’s a slow burn, found family, friends to lovers masterpiece.

Hailey moves to a new town and opens a to go salad shop in hopes that her business will take off. She lives near her cousin and recently went through a breakup. Over time she starts developing friends and meets Wes.

Wes is a very smart techy, artistic guy who sounds dreamy. He has a hard time trusting people and doesn’t understand that point of a relationship or a future with anyone, that is until he meets Hailey..

I’m normally not a slow burn romance kind of girl but this book really did it for me. Wes and Haileys story was really special to me. I loved seeing Wes put his walls down and really start to trust Hailey. It’s so hard to do that so it hit home for me. I like seeing the characters develop and the found family. I’d recommend this book to anyone. It was very cute and the perfect rom com that I needed.

I’m not a big fan of slow-burn romance but I do love friends to lovers so when I got approved for this I was looking forward to reading it. This is the last book in the Jansen Brothers series. I haven’t read the previous book but after reading this I’m so curious about these characters. This was fun but there were times when I felt the writing fell flat.

The oldest Jansen brother Wes is supposed to be on a date at a coffee shop but he mistakes Hailey, the salad shop owner, as his date. A terribly gone meet cute that creates a beautiful friendship. I loved Hailey because she was so strong. I think one of the things I liked about her was her strength. It must be hard to start over but she preserved.

Wes comes with a lot of emotional damage from his parent's marriage and protecting his siblings from all the drama. He is nothing like Hailey and their different personalities clash quite a bunch but they also work well. Wes is a complicated character but his growth is vital to his relationship with Hailey.

I loved the dynamic between the brothers. They were so funny together and I hope I see that in the previous books as well. I haven’t read any book by Sullivans so I was not used to her writing. I’m so looking forward to reading the series.

Thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the chance to review this book.

I didn't realize it was the third in a series from the cover or the description - so I do feel like maybe I am missing a lot of context. I do not think it works particularly well as a standalone. There are some family dynamics and characterizations that the author seems to be relying on the reader already knowing when going into this book. My review is, unfortunately, not positive.

This is a "slow burn" romance but there was zero burn for me - leaving me just with "slow". Nothing really happens. The dialogue seems really forced, the interactions and development are stilted and don't always make sense, and I don't really understand the core relationship appeal at all. I didn't find it cute and didn't connect with the characters. DNF at about halfway in, unfortunately - just couldn't connect. Not the book for me.

A bit of a pet peeve but - the lead female character is running a salad restaurant on her own with no staff - but does zero prep work, seems to have free evenings and weekends, isn't busy with supply chain issues or sourcing ingredients, and doesn't seem to do any cooking. A bit of realism couldn't hurt, is all I'm saying.

This is more of a 4-star read, but I found the friends-to-lovers and slow-burn romance to be absolutely adorable. I love how hard-headed the MCs are until they finally admit their attraction to one another. The push and pull of their relationship just made for witty banter and a fiasco of emotions, which was what made the book enjoyable. I loved that Hailey and Wes both had ambitions, which drove them throughout the book. Their end goal was a successful career. I loved that they stayed clear on their goals and that the romance and chemistry were sprinkled in.

I thought it was a cute book, and I was excited to read about Wes Jansen, the nerdy, business-oriented perfectionist, and big brother. The reason it gets a low rating is that I just found it to be too predictable in the pacing, and the overall plot was just "meh". Everyone's taste is different, and many of us are mood readers. Maybe this wasn't the right time to read "A Guide to Being Just Friends." Overall, this was a cute book, and I loved the friendships that blossomed in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC.

I liked how the book picked up immediately, I was able to get into the book immediately. I liked Wes’ character at first I thought it was so cute. Although I felt the book also felt a bit rushed, like the way they became friends and just generally how they got into each other’s lives. I also felt like nothing was really happening, it all felt very steady

I thought it was a quick easy read but I dont think it was my cup of tea necessarily. I do however remember enjoying Ten Rules of Faking It so I thought I’d really enjoy this book.

Hailey, after experiencing a terrible breakup, has moved to San Verde for a fresh start. Wes has also moved to San Verde to join his brothers after leaving NYC and his oppressive father. Hailey and Wes are not looking for love when they meet and decide they will be the best of friends. But can these two be friends and manage to not fall for each other or will they break their self imposed rules and cross the line from friends to lovers?

This book is a slow burn friends to lovers story. The story is told through the POV of both Hailey and Wes. It’s a cute story and I love a friends to lovers moment but I felt the characters were so stubborn in their “I’m fine on my own” mindset. Hailey was stubborn and so resistant to help and was so hung up on Wes being wealthy. Wes was weird in his hang ups of love is bad and only causes pain.

I felt like the story spent too much time showing how much each of these characters didn’t want to fall in love that when they finally did, I was underwhelmed. 80% of the story was a lead in to the MCs falling in love and the last 20% was of the two of them being together, fighting, breaking up, fighting, and breaking up again until the final grand gesture. Overall, the story was ok but it’s not one I would rush to recommend to others.

This is where my flaw of not looking into books at all comes in, I did not know this was a series LOL. They can be read stand alone but each brother has a story it seems.

Anyway - this was such a cute book. If you’re not a fan of slow burns you will hate this 😅 hahaha I love slow burns and even this was hard for me. But I love that Wes and Hailey took to time to create an actual friendship.

The navigation of starting your life over after a relationship and feeling like everyone around you has their shit together was comforting to read.

In A Guide to Being Just Friends, the last Jansen brother standing Wes is a cybersecurity nerd who wants to be friends with Hailey, but the longer they are friends, the more he wants her. This closed door romance is the third and final installment in Sophie Sullivan's Jansen Brothers series. I found this friends to lovers story to be a nice, slow burn read, and a great way to wrap up the series.

While I thought the story was solid, it did drag in parts, and I felt that the part about having an uncaring dad was unresolved in the story, it was still a solid read.

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

I selected this book in NetGalley because it looked like a cute, fun story. And that it was. And apparently it’s the “last” of a series?! Guess I’ll be heading to the bookstore later.

The whole, “we’re just friends” plot has been done in romance/rom-com before, but this book had a few twists that I wasn’t expecting. The characters of Hailey and Wes are fabulously loveable. I’ll admit to getting a little confused with the cast of side characters, but let’s be real, I was reading so quickly I wasn’t committing all of the friends, brothers, neighbors, etc. to memory.

So many of the romances I read do the him/her perspective. This was refreshing point of view for me, allowing us to dig into motivations and background for both characters. I was happy the certain plot twists didn’t go into a trite or predictable path.

Great, fun, quick and enjoyable read!

A Guide To Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press, The Author, Sophie Sullivan, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of A Guide To Being Just Friends
I love friends to lover’s troupes. Let me tell you that this one did not miss. Wes and Hailey's characters are so well written, and the development was well done as well. I’m sure this is probably the reason why I liked the book as much as I did. I had no idea at the time when I requested this from NetGalley, that this was the third book of a series.
This story follows Wes Jansen and a new shop owner Hailey Sharp. Hailey is starting to open her new shop, and it’s been challenging to say the least. Wes and Hailey have a cute moment in a coffee shop after a misidentification by Wes. They both thought this was a once encountered moment, but they run into each other again after Hailey's company is hired to provide salads for a meeting that Wes is at. Things progress and their friendship grows, neither wanting more due to experiences from past relationships.
Hailey and Wes together, and their relationship...when they got there because this was a slow burn...but very cute. It was refreshing that, for the most part, they had a functional line of communication and were able to see from each other's points of view. Hailey with her strong independent mind set and Wes with only wanting to help Hailey succeed and protect her. I enjoyed Hailey and Wes’s characters and was rooting for them, but I am always a sucker for the independent woman and protective/supportive male relationship!
After my enjoyable experience with this one, I am planning on picking up the other two books. Although I hadn't read the first two books, it was completely fine. This book stands strong on its own and does a great job incorporating the previous characters into the narrative. You have time to read the first two books in the prior this one being released!! (Jansen Brothers Series)
Book #1 Ten Rules For Faking It (2020), #2 How To Love Your Neighbor (2022) #3 A Guide To Being Just Friends (Jan. 17, 2023)

🥗Book Review🥗

A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan

Rating: 3.5/5

“Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. Get By the Cup salad shop off the ground. Do literally everything possible to make it a success. Repeat. With a head full of entrepreneurial ideas and a bad ex in her rearview, her one and only focus is living life the way she wants to. No distractions.

Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. With a string of lackluster first dates and the pain from his parents’ angry divorce following him around, he’d much rather find someone who he likes, but won’t love. Companionship, not passion, is the name of the game.

When Hailey and Wes find each other in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, they embarrassingly go their separate ways. But when Wes finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, they strike a friendship. Because that’s all this can be. Hailey doesn’t want any distractions. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love.

What could possibly go wrong?”

I enjoy a slow burn but didn’t feel a whole lot of chemistry between Hailey and Wes. There was plenty of good banter and extremely likable side characters. This was a solid, cozy read.

Publish date: January 17, 2023

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress and the author for the ARC!

Thank you to netgalley and St. Martins press for the advanced copy of this book. I read the second in the series , still need to read book one, and when I heard Wes was getting a story I was excited .

Hailey is a charismatic character that you can’t help but fall in love with in the beginning. She’s energetic, bubbly and easily excitable . She is learning to trust herself and learn to accept help without feeling like she’s failing. She spends most of her time fighting her own feelings about Wes until she can’t anymore. Her past relationships


Wes struggled the most with fighting feelings . He felt that letting someone all the way in would cause him to lose everything he’s built up. From the beginning, you saw how much he felt but was so scared to actually let himself completely
Go. He’s such a sweetheart at the core but his defenses often get in the way of him being free. Hailey helped him to let go and be more open and honest. He is protective at the core and he always means well. With Hailey , he learned that love doesn’t have to be as scary as he thought it would be.

While I appreciated this book, I felt that some of the friends to lovers storyline was a tad dragged out . It felt that their denying their feelings was a tad too much but it still makes sense for their storyline. This was more of a specific preference of mine , but I really enjoyed the story I rated it 4 stars .

Overall, I thought this story was cute, lighthearted, and enjoyable. Even the aspects that I did not find to be the strongest were not dealbreakers, in my opinion.

The main drawback is the depth of the characters. The characters in this story fell a little flat in some areas. It felt like there was a lot of explaining, which took away from the flow of the story. One moment I thought exemplified that was when Wes looked at Hailey’s computer near the beginning. He commented she had a lot of tabs open, and then there was a paragraph explaining that Hailey had a lot going on in her mind and liked being busy. I didn’t feel like the reader needed that extra explanation, as they could have gathered that characterization from just the story element, and those repetitive-feeling filler paragraphs appeared often.

One more small critique is that I disliked the repeated jokes about going to the gym, eating less cake, and the types of people that like salads. I know that Hailey owned a salad shop and that was very important to her character, but I’m just not a huge fan of those types of comments and I think it’ll scare away some readers, especially when they’re placed near the beginning of the book.

This is my own fault I suppose, but I didn’t realize this was multiple installments deep into a series. I think this took away from my experience in the beginning because I was a little lost, but I still felt like the book was readable on its own! Reading the plot descriptions of the other two books, I found myself drawn to the one about Everly, especially because I found her to be such a compelling side character - maybe I’ll read that one at some point!

If you’re looking for fiends to lovers and slow burn this one just might work for you. Wes Jansen and Hailey Sharp meet through funny circumstances. Both trying to make it on their own and wanting nothing to do with a relationship, they agree to be just friends. They have fun together and enjoy each other’s company. The problem is they are in their heads too much. I don’t know who they were trying to convince, but the constant repeat of friends only drove me mad. Hailey especially could be infuriating with her “I don’t need any help” stance. At the halfway mark, I was questioning whether or not this was even a romance. It’s definitely slow burn. The story picked up slightly in the last 25%. I was excited to see them finally come together, but I knew it wouldn’t last long. I think my biggest complaint is the story dragged on far too long with too many details that just didn’t seem to matter to me.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I haven’t read an ARC in a while, so shout-out to this book for being the first one in months. This is my first book from Sophie Sullivan, but I definitely have some of her others on my TBR!

This one… oh man. It took me a WHILE to get through. Even 55-70% of the way through, I felt like there wasn’t much happening. No big issue, no big conflict, no big resolution… I liked the characters, but I didn’t feel super connected to any of them. I picked it up solely because I was reading it with some friends and was really behind and didn’t want to let them down by DNFing it lol, but I wasn’t motivated at all to finish it! It was a slow slow burn, and I’m quickly realizing that slow burns are not for me. I just wish more happened!

But… despite all that, it was a cute story. Look for this book on shelves near you on January 17, 2023!

I loved this light and easy read, for the most part. I think the boom could have been about half the size. It see.ed to go on and on with nothing major happening.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel before its publication date. My review that follows is honest.

I have avoided books heavy on romance for most of my life. Lately, I have found a few that have made me rethink my genre choices. I really enjoyed this book. Yes, there is the frustration of the whole "will they or won't they" troupe that at times feels a bit forced, but overall I enjoyed following the path of Hailey and Wes.

A Guide to Being Just Friends follows Wes and Hailey as the overcome their personal differences and insecurities to become friends, and then something more… while I usually enjoy reading about characters overcoming personal struggle, I personally found it frustrating that they kept making the same mistakes over and over again. They also were clearly in love and it took them just too long to realize it. Did not really enjoy.