Ok, overall this was pretty cute. Hailey and Wes are the most adorable best friends you could possibly ask for after they’re super awkward meet-cute. This book made me smile and I was invested.

However. The editing could have been a bit more thorough. There were a couple turns of phrase that were just odd and threw me out of the experience. And my gosh the mutual pining lasted for what felt like a million years.

But hey, in the end it was pretty decent.

Hailey is an entrepreneur trying to get her salad shop off the ground when she meets Wes, who isn't interested in love if it might get him hurt.

I wasn't totally wowed by this book. It was an easy read and some bits were quite sweet, but I found both the main characters pretty boring and they just didn't feel very compatible! Not one I'll be rereading.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

If we’re being honest, the super cute cover is what pulled me in and ultimately sent me on a Sophie Sullivan binge reading fest. I didn’t realize this was the 3rd of the Jansen Brothers books but it was such a delightful realization!! This one is for: grumpy sunshine trope lovers, people who love the movie When Harry Met Sally, or a gooooood slow burn. So fun and kept a smile on my face.

Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous writing.

I didn’t read the first two in the series but they can be read as stand alone novels. The way these characters made me feel and tingly inside.

Did I live the fade to black?? ABSOLUTELY NOT. But there was a beauty to not getting any details at all. It felt more in line to their relationship and how private Wes is.

I loved it!!!!

Friends to lovers, slow burn, and all around so sweet! This is a cute and satisfying read. Warm, fuzzy, adorable vibes.

Our main characters were well developed, with personal growth happening for both along with a healthy serving of wit and depth.

At first I didn't realize this book was the third in a series. There were definitely some references throughout that made me realize I was missing information, but overall it didn't affect my enjoyment.

I loved the side characters and the personality they added to the story. Would totally read some spin-offs following them! Keep writing please!

Hailey recently broke up with her boyfriend and started a new life + new business in a new town. Her sole focus is making sure her salad shop is successful. She doesn’t have time for another bad relationship and she doesn’t need anyone taking her time away from her business.

Wes is also new to town and trying to find his place both professionally and personally. He would like to date someone who he enjoys spending time with, but he doesn’t want to fall in love. He’s seen what that did to his family, and he has no time for messy complications.

When Wes and Hailey meet, there’s an instant attraction. But since neither are looking for love, they decide to become friends. JUST friends….

This closed door romance is the third and final book in the Jansen brothers series. It can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading the others first because they’re all good! I loved both Wes and Hailey’s characters and I also loved seeing familiar characters from the previous books. Chris, Noah, and Wes have such a great rapport and I laughed out loud a few times at their conversations. If you’re looking for a romance with more swoon than spice, you’ll love this one!

*thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t for me. I had a few problems with the MC’s, Wes and Hailey, and did not sense their romantic chemistry at all. The pacing was a little off for me and the book seemed to drag. The third act breakup/conflict was the deal breaker for me. I really wanted to love this one, but ultimately it ended up being a book that just isn’t for me.

This was so so cute!! Slow-burn, found family, friends to lovers... this book really had all the best tropes known to mankind. Ms. Sullivan did NOT come to play with this one!

I loved this book! The characters were so well developed and it was a treat to read such a good and refreshing book! I’m looking forward to reading more by this author, I loved the writing style!!

I love the grumpy guy sunshiney girl romance trope!

Not only it was so fun to see Wes’s stoic and reserved exterior crumble over time but I also enjoyed that Hailey was able to take on some of Wes’s good traits like being more organized. A truly equal relationship!

I realized that while I was reading this book I feel exactly like Hailey, i don’t like “owing” people or when people do me a “favor”. However, like Hailey realized, i think i need to separate strangers from friends. Friends do nice things for each other without the idea that there is a scoreboard. It’s okay to ask for help and rely on people. Definitely something to work on.

Another thing that stuck with me is that this book made me want to go on grocery store dates with someone. Putting that on my dating requirements list. 😅 That and the video game that Wes made for Hailey were my two favorite parts of the book!


My only con for this book is that when there was texting dialogue it was hard to distinguish it from the rest of the text. I wish the author added italics or bold letters for these parts. It threw me off at first but as the book went on I was able to figure it out.

4.25/5

Friends to lovers is one my favourite trope and Ms. Sullivan seems to know how to just serve it righty. Hailey and Wes were so perfect and swooning that one can’t help but fan their face and say; God when?

Neither Hailey nor Wes were looking for love when they first encountered one another. They soon develop an awkward friendship while also trying to keep their distance from one another.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is a fun, opposites-attract romcom. It is the third book in the Jansen Brothers series but can be read as a stand-alone. I have not yet read the other two books but I had no problem understanding the characters’ backgrounds and context.

I adore the MCs in this! While they seem like opposites, they’re similar in that they’ve both been put off of dating. They’re both career driven but also make time for those they care about. The chemistry sparks from their first meeting, as disastrous as it is, and just continues to grow throughout the storyline. Due to the type of romance, this one is a bit of a slow burn but well with it.

If you enjoy a sweet, friend to lovers romance, this is a great choice. This is the first book that I have read from author Sophie Sullivan but I plan to remedy that soon, starting with the other two books in this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!

I’m usually not a huge lover of the friends to lovers trope but here I am. This was wonderful. Main characters Hailey and Wes just compliment each other so thoroughly and I loved the slow burn of this.
I also continually wanted to eat salad during this book IYKYK
Now with all of that said, I went into this not realizing that it was book 3 in a series. It did read fine as a standalone but now I want to read the first 2 books so I know the characters better!
Overall, this is a really adorable book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Sophie Sullivan is an auto buy for me, and A Guide to Being Just Friends was no exception!

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Griffin Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Hailey and Wes *deep sigh* 🥹 I loved them so much. I am a sucker for friends to lovers and this hit all the marks. Their chemistry was undeniable, but I loved that it developed over time to form into something bigger and greater. I also loved seeing the other Jansen brothers and their significant others play a role.

I think I fell in love with this book because I related to Hailey on such a bigger level. I struggle with letting people help me, and it was nice to read about a protagonist who learns to accept this as I have been working towards all of my life. This book is definitely going into my comfort read column.

A friends-to-lovers romance set in sunny California with a quirky leading man, and a friendly sunshine-esque leading lady. A really fun, light romance read!

What I liked:

- I liked all the references to side characters and the updates on their lives. Although I didn’t read the other two books in this series, I liked that the other characters made so many appearances. I am sure readers who have followed along from day one will be pleased to get updates on their faves!

- I liked that Hailey stood her ground with Wes and set clear ground rules (I.e. the necklace, her business). I liked that she didn’t want or need to be “saved”

- I liked that Wes wealth was mentioned, joked about and then we moved on. It was a piece of his persona, not his whole personality like in some books

What I didn’t like:

- I found Wes kind of bland. I felt like he didn’t emote very much, and it was sort of flat for me.

- I found the intro a little long and was ready for things to start moooving.

- I would have liked a little more spice 🤏

You know, I'm glad I'm not the only person who picked this up from NetGalley not realizing that it was the third in a series. Also the recommendations/comps for this were amazing. Harry Met Sally? 500 Days of Summer? Of course I was hooked.

I proceeded to spend the rest of the story looking for how in the world they matched those comps beyond "they started as friends."

Look, I'm down for a sweet story with a fun friends to lovers romance. It's not my favorite, but I'm down. This was... weird. The fights they had felt so left field. The characters were a bit bland. The situation was also a bit bland - I saw a few mentions about how people got tired of the Shop Talk and tbh that was the most interesting part of the book!

This was a fade to black romance which is fine, but also like, goodness. I don't know! I spent quite a few days reading this and I retained very little. The characters were fine - though there were a lot (maybe if I read the rest of the series I would've known about them?)? The romance was... fine. The problems were... fine.

Overall, this book was fine. Cute, quick read if you're looking for that.

Thanks to St Martin and Netgally for a chance to read and review.

This is a perfect beach read rom-com! This is a first read for me by Sophie Sullivan and she hooked me... I loved it so much. The cutest characters, Wes and Hailey, with real life flaws & laugh out loud banter moments. A Guide to Being Just Friends is a story of two people who become best “friends” only to realize that it is turning into something more. All of the characters are so believable and such good friends, I didn’t want the book to end. Such a fun read. I loved Wes’s brothers, whom are all in business together and their brotherly banters. Can't wait to read more of Sophie's books!

I did not realize until i reviewed this that it was part of a series! I dont read romance often, but i had a nice time with this book! Its very comfy and cute,

This was cute and predictable but not outstanding. I just did not connect well to the characters. This could be due to reading book 3 before the others in the series.

I was so happy to see this 3rd book. I went back to read the first two so I could get some insight and know the characters. I love that Wes finally realized the women in front of him, was the best one for hi,.