You had me at friends to lovers. This was a slow burn, but like really slow burn. I didn't really connect to the characters that well. It was annoying that they both liked each other and nothing was really keeping them apart, but they still didn't get together until the very end.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

Friends to lovers is a favorite trope. I love reading them and they’re always so cute. This book lived up to the hype completely and is one of my favorite friends to lovers book.

After having her heart broken by her ex, Hailey isn’t quite ready to jump back into the dating scene. Ever practical Wes is against strong emotions in general, but especially judgement-clouding love. When the two unexpectedly become friends, they know that’s all they’ll be. Or is it??

I cannot accurately express how strongly I was routing for these two. The friends to lovers trope is a favorite of mine and A Guide to Being Just Friends does exceptionally well. Hailey and West’s story was so much fun to read. I just wish there had been a little more steam. 🙈

This is also the only book I’ve ever read that made me crave a salad. Be warned! 😂

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I went into this not having read the previous parts of the series but it stood on its own two feet as it’s own adorable friendship story. I enjoyed this book immensely. The cute banter, the friendship Wes and Hailey have, the female main character that does NOT need saving. All of it.

I will definitely be reading more Sophie Sullivan in the future.

This was a slow read until about 75% into the book. The characters literally like each other but force themselves to stay friends. They were idiots! But I loved it!

Stopping this painful ride at 16%. This is just - not good. In all ways. The writing is stiff, the "meet cute" was flat, the constant business talk is bordering on obnoxious, and I just do not care about these characters. Add in a hefty dose of diet culture shame speak ("oh no I ate chocolate cake, must hit the gym or I won't fit into my leggings anymore," "those 2 guys are wearing bicycle gear, they must eat salads!") and inner monologues about each other that are ridiculous (He seemed "scarred" she inferred after 2 short conversations with the man. UGH). This is 100% not my cup of tea.

**Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC**

This book was pretty good! It has a lot of different tropes going for it! There's a tiny moment of enemies to lovers which changes to friends to lovers throughout the book!
Friends to lovers isn't a favorite trope of mine BUT this was very well done!! It kind of started with the aspect of them being attracted to each other, instead of the usual "We've always been friends and are barely notice each other being attractive until one day.." trope. I would say this is a really cool twist on a friends to lovers which I really enjoy!!! If you're a little iffy on regular friends to lovers, then I definitely recommend this book! It shows the two main characters, Hailey and Wes, becoming friends and THEN being in love. I really really enjoy that compared to other friends to lovers books where the audience (us) doesn't get a lot of information on the couple as just friends of before being friends!!!
I will say that the beginning of this book is a little slow paced... both characters have some relationship trauma that they need to overcome and it can be a little depressing because you (as the audience reading) is just so if they will EVER overcome their issues!!! It definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat!!!

Oh dear. This book was a huge flop for me. Before I go on to list all the things I disliked, I will say that this book had some cute moments, and I liked the unique idea of a salad shop. The end.

As for the things I couldn't get behind:
- So incredibly boring. Almost all of it felt like day-to-day activities and business conversations that should have been left off page.
- Zero tension with the romance until about 80%. Seriously. They met, they became friends, and literally nothing was keeping them apart except for their idiocy.
- Both main characters annoyed me so much. Hailey felt so selfish and prideful to me when she refused all of Wes's gifts, saying he wasn't trying hard enough to "know" what kind of gifts she'd want instead. And Wes was just super vanilla and annoyingly resistant to anything more than friends with benefits.
- Way too many side characters, and too much focus on them. It felt like the author was trying to make this book into an epilogue for the characters from the previous two books.

Okay, this list is getting rather long, so I'm going to stop now. Suffice it to say, I did not enjoy this book.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 2
Plot/Movement: 2
Character Development: 2
Overall: 2

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Trigger/Content Warnings: fade to black, divorced parents

This book is such fun! A rich cast of characters to care about and root for. Ms. Sullivan portrays strong women and men who realize they have a lot to learn. It’s a great “curl up and read and get lost in a good book” book.

I really liked this but didn't necessarily love it. I'm a sucker for a slow burn but this might have been a tad too slow for me.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is definitely your definition of a slow burn rom-com. I somehow missed that it was part of a triology, or maybe even more at this point, but its luckily one of those series where you can catch on quickly and don't necessarily have to pick up the entire story.

I really liked that Hailey owned a salad shop instead of a bakery (do all aspiring romantics bake?) and I'm a big fan of dual POV books. The will they won't they and inevitable ending were cute, albeit entirely predictable. A light, fluffy read if you ever need one!

More like a 3.5!

This was my first book by Sophie Sullivan and it did not disappoint! The title of this book piqued my interest and then after reading the synopsis and getting friends-to-lovers vibes, I felt like it would be right up my alley, This book gave me so many warm & fuzzy feelings. while also depicting a real sense of what a relationship is actually like from the adorable moments to the angsty moments. I did not read the other books prior to this one and I definitely will be reading those asap!

**Special Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review**

This book was a sweet sweet romance that gave me the warm and fuzzies. The characters were lovable and the friends-to-lovers trope was well executed. It didn’t feel rushed and the slow burn was well worth the wait! 3.5 stars.

*Disclaimer: When requesting this book through Net Galley, I was not aware that this book is apart of a series, so the fact that I haven't read the two previous books might affect my review!*

I really wanted to love this book, and although it did pick up about 3/4 of the way into the story, I can't give this higher than a 2 star review. I found both main characters to be frustrating and aggravating most of the time. There were a lot of arguments and issues that felt out of place and unnecessary. However, there were a few sweet moments sprinkled in. Something I really enjoyed about this book was the epilogue, I think it really pulled everything together.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read an early access copy of this book!

Talk about a slooooooooow burn friends to lovers. I almost put it down but kept reading. It was enjoyable but definitely not a favorite. I also didn’t realize it was part of a series so becoming connected to the other characters was what I needed.

*3.5 stars

Before requesting this book I didn't know it was a part of a series featuring the other characters mentioned in the book. You don't need to read the others to read this but I think if I had read them I may have liked this book a little more.

This book features the friends-to-lovers trope and while it seems simple enough to do, it's very rare when someone gets it right. I didn't feel the spark between these two that made me want to root for them and beg them to give each other a chance.

I think my favorite thing about the story itself may have been the friendships that the MC makes throughout the book. As someone who recently moved to a new town, I completely understand the need to start fresh and look for genuine connections. Hailey gave me hope for finding my own little group of friends too.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the eARc to read in exchange for an honest review!

The eldest Jansen brother finally gets his story told and it went pretty much how I expected. Nevertheless, "A Guide to Being Just Friends" was lovely to read.

Hailey is a salad shop owner who’s determined to make it on her own. Vibrant and friendly, Hailey’s always ready to help out but reluctant to ask for help/things. She’s never really had anyone in her corner who gives as much as she does and loves her.

Wes is a kind and caring tech wiz who co-owns a very successful company with his brothers. As the eldest, he spent most of his life protecting his siblings from their toxic father instead of nurturing his own interests. As a result, Wes is more reserved and private. He’s not quite the best at people-ing (i.e., socializing outside his brother’s beyond basic manners; relatable) and only seeks a likable companion sans romantic attachments.

Wes’ business savvy mind sometimes doesn’t have a filter when talking about anything business related, which early on I was worried about in his growing relationship with Hailey thinking he might overstep (though of course with good intentions). Comparably, Hailey’s only had mostly emotionally distant and one-sided close relationships. She wants an equal partnership (romantic or otherwise), so her friendship with Wes (and his wealth) make her cautious but all in.

Even though it’s super obvious to anyone looking that Hailey and Wes are into each other, I do like that they start out as mutual friends. They kind of get to go back to the basics and develop a relationship that’s just right for them and one in which they can really be themselves.

Something I felt was missing was a resolution to the brothers’ conflict with their father. Their father’s influence - toxic as it was - did affect them, especially Wes. It’s part of the driving force behind wanting to make their own way in life in each of their respective books. So while things as a whole wrapped up nicely enough, I feel this key part of who they were and what they are striving to become needed a conclusion of sorts.

Overall, this was a good read. I like that the story emphasizes the importance of finding your people, doing what you love, taking chances, and giving back to the community. The steady pacing nicely matches the temperament of the main characters, so it’s a more laid back romance you can cozy up for a time. An amiable, slow build of friends to lovers story indeed.

I’ll preface my review by saying that I didn’t remember when I requested this title that it was the third book in a series. However, I don’t feel like not having read the first two books took away from my reading experience. I enjoyed this as a standalone, while also being interested enough in the brothers to go back and read the first two books as well.

Ok, into the review. I will start with Hailey. I admired her spirit and desire to establish herself and her business independent from anyone else. It was a nice growth arc for her to learn how to accept help and accept that it didn’t mean people thought she was incapable, only that they cared enough to want to lighten her load. There were times when her stubbornness was frustrating, but it was usually followed by moments of self-reflection where she recognized that she was overreacting.

Wes. Bless his emotionally-stunted heart. The man lived comfortably in denial for a long time. I liked that he was very up front with women about his intentions or lack thereof, misguided and futile as they may have been where Hailey was concerned. He had some struggles, but his heart was good and he got there in the end. Some of the drama that came from his issues and Hailey’s issues felt somewhat forced for the sake of conflict, but the resolution was so sweet and fit the couple and their relationship.

Overall, a sweet read that has me wanting to go back to the beginning and enjoy the rest of the series. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC.

This is a sweet friends to lovers romance, and I really enjoyed the story!

Wes and Hailey’s relationship is so sweet, and they complement each other so well. I also loved all of the side characters in the story! I haven’t read any of the other books in the series (this is the third but they can be read as stand alone stories), but after seeing all of the other couples I want to pick up the first 2 books!

This story is a slow burn, and at times it did feel like the story was dragging. The ending definitely made up for it though, and I loved seeing Hailey and Wes finally get together!

If you like friends to lovers romance, you’ll enjoy this book!

Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Griffin, and Sophie Sullivan for an eARC of this book.

I liked the scene and the plot, it was cute. The flow wasn’t great, there were too many explanatory inner monologues that ended up also being repetitive. There were multiple instances where Wes was explaining to himself how he had protected his brothers from his pessimistic Father. If this is a series that makes it even more repetitive. Also some of the parts of the book abruptly changed scenes and it was sometimes a little confusing as to how we got to this particular situation that was unfolding. It wasn’t a horrible read but, I wouldn’t be interested in any more story about these characters.