This is a fun, rom com. Wes and Hailey met under humiliating circumstances, but decide to try and be friends. Wes wants safe, not the scary kind of all encompassing love. They try to be friends, but that’s hard with the attraction they feel. Recommend this friends to lovers for a light, funny read.

Hailey and Wes are both new to San Verde. Hailey moved to start her own business and get away from the disaster of her last relationship, while Wes left New York to get away from his manipulating father and join his brothers in their business ventures. After an awkward meet cute, Wes and Hailey meet again by chance because of common acquaintances, and slowly realize they enjoy each other’s company. They start hanging out, emphasizing that they’ll stay “just friends” as both of them currently don’t want a relationship. Or do they?

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, but it is quite hard to pull off. For it to work, the characters’ history as friends need to be built up in a way that gives the inevitable romance depth and, let’s be real, delicious angst. It is kind of expected that it will be a slow burn, but there needs to be tension the whole time for it to retain my attention.

Sadly, this story didn’t quite hit the mark for me. There is definitely a slow burn, but it just felt long and I didn’t feel much tension for the first 60% of the book. There was a lot of telling and little showing; for example, we’re told Wes and Hailey start to enjoy spending time together and are fast becoming friends, but we don’t really see it happening. We get a couple scenes of them first hanging out but the chemistry isn’t all that obvious, apart from mentions of physical attraction here and there. Then there’s a weeks long ellipsis and they’re best friends. Slowing the pace of the story are a lot of scenes involving the development of the characters’ respective businesses. While interesting and a nice side of the story (love Hailey’s quest of independence and accomplishment!), the execution was not optimal as it felt repetitive and drawn out.

I enjoyed the second half of the book more when the characters started admitting their feelings for each other and working through the kinks caused by their respective bagage. The final, two-in-one conflict was quite well done and, in my opinion, the most engaging part of the story. However, it didn’t quite make up for the first 50%, at least in my opinion.

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for supplying an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

2.5 || So, I did not know that this was the third book in a romance series before requesting the ARC...oops.
That being said, I don't think it really matters when it comes to romance series; you don't HAVE to read the previous books because each follows its own story.

THE PLOT
Hailey has fled her life in LA and started her own salad shop in San Verde, California, where her cousin (that is practically her sister) lives with her husband and three kids. Hailey is leaving behind her toxic ex-boyfriend and his Hollywood crowd. Wes is the oldest of the Jansen brothers. They each have found themselves in California after growing up in NYC, leaving their controlling father and his career plans for the three of them behind. Wes loves getting to spend time with his brothers and their girlfriends (read the previous two books in this series to watch their love stories unfold), but love has never been in Wes' life plan. He watched his parents marriage crumble and doesn't want to ever go through something like that. Hailey is on a dating hiatus in order to heal from her breakup and focus on her business. Both Wes and Hailey aren't looking for a relationship, so when they meet and conclude that they enjoy each others company, their friendship blossoms. But, of course, Hailey and Wes soon realize that their feelings for each other go beyond friendship—they slowly start veering off into "I love you" territory. But before they can accept this, each must learn to let themselves be loved.

WHAT I APPRECIATED
Let's start on a positive note before I dig into what I didn't like.
I think this book has a lot of "good" things in it. Good friendships, good life lessons, and a good setup/plot. There's the classic rom-com's with Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock, and then there's the Hallmark movies—the one's you might turn to when you just want to watch a lot of good unfold. A Hallmark movie doesn't try to trick you; you welcome its predictability. This book was like that, therefore it accomplished what it set out to do.
I haven't read many friends-to-lovers romances (I find they are hard to come by), so it was nice to watch that specific trope unfold.

WHY IT'S MEDIOCRE
But, here's the thing, I don't like Hallmark movies. I can appreciate a book that accomplished what it set out to do, hence why this didn't get a lower rating from me. Now it just comes down to personal taste and my reading experience.

Everything was extremely spelled out it was actually nauseating. Rom-com's are already predictable and cheesy, but when the characters' dialogue and inner thoughts are so generic because it's what they "should" say/think, it makes everything seem so forced/unnatural.
This made the conversations between characters clunky, and I dreaded when there was a group scene with six or more people. The corny dialogue made certain characters feel one-dimensional. Also, humor is something I look forward to in rom-coms, and I am known to actually laugh out loud when the banter is deliciously witty, but I did not laugh a single time. Nothing that was said for comedic effect worked for me.

Alongside everything being so on the nose, the repetitive nature of this book didn't help. There are several points the author tried to make with this, and each one was repeated a bunch throughout the novel; this is something that never works for me. This kind of repetition takes away from the narrative, making it feel overly structured and systematic. I can appreciate a romance that tackles other issues beyond the main relationship, but it didn't flow and mesh for me in this one.

Lastly, and this one is always going to be very personal, Hailey and Wes made me roll my eyes one too many times. They had me sighing at their inner dialogue and the way they both hyper-fixated on everything. I didn't HATE them as mc's, but they were irritating and basic at the same time.

YOU SHOUDL READ THIS IF...
1. You have read the previous two books and you enjoyed them
2. Looking for a friends-to-lovers? Here ya go!
3. You like Hallmark movies (my parents love them and I totally get their appeal, so no hate whatsoever)
4. A rom-com with a big cast of characters

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my goodness. WES AND HAILEY. I absolutely ADORED them.

Y'all, I binged this basically in a day because I could not put it down. I could have read it in one sitting if it weren't for having adult responsibilities, haha. This is the second Sophie Sullivan book that I've read (the first being 10 Rules for Faking It) and not only is this one my favorite, but I cannot wait to read Noah's story.

This checked all of the boxes for me in regards to a good, solid romance. It had friends to lovers, double point of views, and a slow burn romance. Not to mention Wes and Hailey were all around such lovable, while flawed, characters. I need more of them. I need this book made into a hallmark movie stat.

One thing that really stood out to me (outside of Wes and Hailey's story) was the subtle nods to Chris and Everly from 10 Rules for Faking It. I absolutely loved how Everly's anxiety was subtly tied in. It really made these people feel real. I was so invested in their stories. I'm sure there were also nods to Noah and Grace, and I'm excited to read about them to find out. Noah is was also laugh out loud in both stories that I've read!

This was a solid 5 star read for me. I laughed, cried, and smiled from ear to ear which are all the markings of a great romance! Gosh, I just loved this story so much.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Sophie Sullivan for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I will be adding a physical copy to my library as soon as it's published.

Review will be posted to my instagram "bookstagram" account @readingwithtrey on Monday, October 17.

Such an adorable book! I had not read the previous books in the series, but still really enjoyed this story. The author gave enough detail about the characters from the previous books, so I did not feel like I was missing anything too important. I really enjoyed Hailey and Wes’s dynamic and their personalities.

I had no idea this was the third book in a trilogy. It was slightly apparent in the beginning which caused me to Google and figure that part out. They did a great job of looping and filling everything in so that you don’t feel like you have to stop and go back to the others. The first half of the book was a bit slow but it picked up and I really enjoyed it. I want to go back and read the first two now.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
This is the third in the Jansen brother series but the first I have read. I might have been pulled into the story faster had I already read the previous books as there is a lot of back story with the brothers, their father, and the company I was constantly trying to catch up on. I enjoyed Haliey right away but found with so many other characters, store owners, friends etc it felt a bit chaotic. Again, reading the first two books may have made this a smoother read?
What I did enjoy was the friendship between Hailey and Wes, although I feel like the word “Friend” is said a record amount of times throughout this story.
BUT the slow burn between Hailey and Wes was good. I actually got butterflies reading about their first kiss. I guess once the story went on I had more questions about why he had such commitment issues is all. He never seemed to have a good reason saying his parents divorce was the reason which didn’t sit right after awhile when he was playing with her emotions so badly. Hailey came from an abusive relationship and it was sad to read that this character was being strung along by someone she trusted again.
I also think had the story taken away some of the outside noise about so many business decisions and side characters and focused more on just an easy slow burn between these two I would have absolutely loved it. The author is definitely fantastic at writing a sweet and swoony love story.

When I requested this book, I didn't realize that it was the 3rd and final book of a series. Despite not reading the other two books, I didn't feel lost in this one. It made me want to go back and read the other books in the series. The series is about the Jansen brothers, and each book focuses on one of the brothers. In this book, the main male character is Wes Jansen. Wes has just moved from New York to California to work with his brothers . The Jansen brothers invest in businesses, and even though they come from money, they work to help their community and use their money to benefit others. I enjoyed the dynamic of the three brothers in this book. I will go back and read the other books so I can learn more about these characters.

The female main character is named Hailey, and she has also just moved to a new town in California. She is starting over after her boyfriend broke up with her. She starts a new business that makes specialty salads in to-go cups, and she is looking to make new friends and begin again. Her business gets off to a slow start, but she's determined to make it work. Hailey begins to make friends and connections to help her become a part of the community and increase her business. She meets Wes at a bakery, and he thinks that she is his date from an app. She doesn't know what he's talking about, and they meet up with each other again as she delivers salads to his workplace.

Despite an awkward first meeting, Wes and Hailey develop a friendship. They decide that they are just going to be friends, and they even begin to work on a guide to being just friends (just like the title of the book!). They do friend things like grocery shopping on a Saturday night, going to brunch, and watching movies together. As they spend more time together, each one begins to consider if their feelings are more than friend feelings for the other. The problem is that neither one wants to jeopardize their friendship.

This book is such a slow burn, but I really enjoyed that part of the book. Nothing felt rushed, and it felt very earned. I liked that both characters took time to grow on their own before they jumped into being more than friends. They spent time as a friends and they worked on themselves first.

I loved all of the side characters too. Sophie Sullivan did a great job of building the world around the characters. It made me want to be a part of the community and be friends with the characters! I would love to get a salad from Hailey's restaurant.

This was a very sweet story, and I could see it as a fun movie too. I would definitely recommend this book and all of the books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book.

Sophie Sullivan's book is an enjoyable, comforting romance about two friends who find their way into being more. I waffled back and forth on whether to give this 3 or 4 stars because the first half of this novel was a bit tough for me to get through. It took around a third of the book for the dialogue to stop feeling quite so stilted and unnatural to me. Only about halfway through did I really start to connect with Wes and Hailey and hope for certain things for their futures. I can say, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book. It's bright, sunny, fun--definitely everything that makes up a fun, refreshing read. I ended up invested the romance, too, but only at around the halfway mark. I was super charmed on the emphasis of Hailey and Wes being committed to their friendship above all, but at the same time, I felt like Wes' reasons for resisting love felt a bit unreasonable. Because the dialogue and Wes' emotional maturity both felt a bit unnatural and almost juvenile for a book about thirty-somethings, I felt a bit of a disconnect from this story. I can say, however, the last third of the book really made up for what I didn't love. It was super nice to read about characters that communicate (mostly) healthily, and I enjoyed that both Wes and Hailey did some solid reflection on where they each went wrong.
I guess my final assessment of this book would be that it just depends on what you're looking for as a reader. Is this fun, entertaining, and an easy escape?? Absolutely. It's a charming romance and it's a comforting and safe place to spend an afternoon. It's a story about people who learn to believe in love and their found family. On the other hand, I struggled to believe I was reading about actual adults because Wes and Hailey read more like teenagers to me, and it kind of turned me off. Ultimately, though, I finished the bulk of this in one day, had it capture my attention thoroughly, and ended it with a smile on my face.

A little disclaimer, I requested this book froon Netgalley, not aware this was the third book of a series. Knowing that, I believe my appreciation of this book would have been better had I read the books before, since I'd already have come to connect more with the characters.

Hailey has recently moved to a new town right after a hard break up and explore a lifelong dream : opening a to go salad shop. While trying to figure out how to attract more customers, she meets Wes, who was thinking she was the date who stood him up. After a rocky start, a friendship then started, both of them only looking for a platonic relationship. Things start changing as both characters develop feelings of their own for one another...

What I liked :
- Friends to lovers type.
- The emphasis on each having their business. The to go salad shop was what brought my attention to the story at first.
- The humour through the book made it very entertaining to read.
- The friendship between the characters.

What I disliked :
- There was too many characters, which made it hard to remember all the connections established between all of them.
- Some of Hailey's personnality traits were a bit annoying for me, especially when Wes was oly trying to help her.

Overall, this book is very sweet and deserves to be read. There is no steamy scenes and it is a slow burner evolution into lovers, but the writing is well done and if you enjoyed the first two books, you'd have a good chance of liking this one.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Okay, where to even start?! This book was so darn cute!! It had me feeling ✨all of the feels✨

I love a good RomCom and this book was great! I thoroughly enjoyed how mature the characters were throughout the book, all while still having great character growth!

For anyone that loves a slow burn, friends to lovers, romance with a splash of comedy, character growth & mature characters - this is a must read!!

Looking forward to reading more by Sullivan!

I'm not sure about you but I love a slow-burn romance with the friends-to-lovers trope and this had both! Wes an analytical business and cybersecurity guy isn't ready to open his heart and never plans to marry. All that changes when he meets Hailey an equally-minded woman with her walls up is on a mission to bring to-go salads to San Verde and make her dreams come true. Agreeing to make A Guide to Being Just Friends these two set off into a grocery shopping routine and video game nights that can only lead to one thing...

The last 50% of this book had me up until 3 am with a need to finish as the beginning was slow. The supporting characters added to the story and I look forward to reading the other brother's books! I personally connected with Wes but how the heck did he have the time to run multiple non-related businesses without any assistants and code/create an entire video game?? There were a lot of push-pull issues at the end but the resolution was just as you expect and a perfect ending.

Overall a cute no-spice romcom, my rating: 3.5 ⭐'s

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advance copy! Get your hands on this book on January 17, 2023!

This one was just ok. I liked the story, but it felt a bit drawn out and predictable. Wes drove me a little crazy at times.

This book was hard to read.
It was so bland at times, but then it would have wonderful moments that just got me hooked, but then it would drag again.
There were way too many characters that it got too confusing. There was also too much details on the business aspects , it made no sense. The friend ship was awesome, the “love story first sight but I’m In denial“ situation got annoying real quick . Overall, I just really want a salad now.

If you're looking for a sweet, best friend's to lovers romance, I'd totally recommend this for you! The characters are fleshed out and you can't help but love them all. It's got such a nice sense community as the female lead opens up her very own salad shop which was extremely enjoyable to watch her succeed in. The book ends in a satisfying way and leaves you feeling warm-hearted.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the third installment of the Jansen Brothers series by Sophie Sullivan. While I did not read the first book and only having read the second one, I found this book to be incredibly enjoyable. The SLOW-BURN was truly *chefs kiss* and the characters were just so fun and adorable with each other. Would highly recommend picking this one up.

When I first stumbled across this title I was intrigued! Then I found out it was the third of a series which meant of course I had to read the other two first. I am glad I did. I thought the first two were adorable, in that sit down on a Friday night with your friends and watch a good rom-com with a bottle of wine, type of way. I was excited to check out this third book. Sophie Sullivan has a way of bringing some relatable characters into her books. A Guid to Being Just Friends is no different.

Hailey, our main character, finds herself starting over in a new town. Deciding to settle and start her own business in the only town she has any resemblance of family. Her parents are about as uninvolved as you can imagine and her cousin embraces her into her family. Hailey isn't perfect. She wants to do things on her own and can be stubborn about it. "Can't we all relate to that?"

It can be a bit cheesy and predictable at times, but not in a terrible way.

Hailey, meets Wes in a bizarre way when he mistakes her for his dating app date he's meeting in the cafe next to her shop. Eventually they run into each other again and start a friendship. How many of us can relate to friendships like these? Someone or both people will catch feelings and it can go either south or be such a beautiful relationship. We are taken on this journey with Hailey and Wes to see if they can become more than friends or if they both really just needed this type of friendship in their lives. It's such a great story of growth and digging into life and feelings and the pressures of everything.

I would definitely recommend this book (and series) to anyone who is a sucker for a good rom-com book or movie. This is for you! Spice level is pretty PG and the story is adorable!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Sullivan, and St. Martin’s Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the third book of the series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone. I was really looking forward to reading this book after reading the first two books in the series. I had high expectations going into this book after reading the first two and reading the summary for this one. I was not let down. I really enjoyed this book. It was a cute, laugh out loud, heartwarming story. It falls into the friends to lovers trope. The story also reminds you that love is messy, but always worth it in the end.

This review will be posted to my Goodreads and Amazon accounts immediately and to my instagram account (@ginganinja333), and to my newly created bookstagram (@paulas.book.nook) closer to the publication date on January 17, 2023.

Fun and engaging! You are rooting for both main characters throughout the story as it unfolds event by event.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to four. This is my first book by Sullivan and I enjoyed this book immensely. This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. We follow Wes and Hailey as they try to navigate their friendship and what could go wrong?

There were parts of Wes and Hailey that I enjoyed and didn't enjoy. I loved that Hailey is a book lover plus some of her inner comments were spot on leading to me chuckling. However, she doesn't seem to grow as a character throughout the book which led to some frustration on my part. Wes is a pretty closed off individual but I enjoyed watching him open up slowly to Hailey.

The big thing that didn't make this a four star read was that some scenes of the story seemed to drag for me. I'm not sure if they are meant to add depth to the characters but I found it too drawn out.

This book would be perfect to cozy up with now that the weather is turning!