And we’re back with the third Jansen brother book! My journey with Sophie Sullivan and the Jansen brothers began when I picked up Ten Rules for Faking it from the library on a whim and fell head over heels in love with Everly and Chris! I followed immediately with book 2, Grace and Noah’s book, and knew I had to pick up book 3!

A Guide to Being Just Friends centers on Hailey and Wes, the last (and more reserved) of the Jansen brothers. After moving to San Verde and opening up her small business, Hailey Sharp is looking for a fresh start. She has no time for relationships while she’s focused on her current goal: turn her salad shop into a successful business. Wes Jansen, also new to San Verde, has jumped head first into his business venture with his brothers: Squishy Cat Industries. After unsuccessful attempts with dating apps, and still reeling many years later from his parent’s nasty divorce, Wes has also sworn off relationships. After a chance encounter due to a mistaken identity, Hailey and Wes are thrust into each other’s orbits. While Wes helps Hailey get her business off the ground, the two grow closer. But only as friends. Because they shouldn’t be anything more…right?

For me, Sophie Sullivan books are like the ultimate Hallmark movie - wholesome, emotional, and beautifully written. Sullivan’s books are very slow burn (be warned if that’s not your cup of tea), but the character development and emotional growth is so satisfying. Every time I finish one of her books, my soul feels so happy, this book included. Plus the epilogue??? Be still my heart.

I definitely plan to pick up a finished copy so that I can reread all over again!

Many, many thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for a advanced e-copy of the book!

First of all - this is book three in a series, which is made clear by the way the other two Jansen brothers and their relationships are written as if you should inherently understand the dynamic, but I wasn't aware of that when I requested the ARC. It still reads as a standalone, but I do think I would've enjoyed it more having read the other two first because I'm just a series girlie.

Overall, this book was cute! It's friends to lovers MCs told in a way that actually felt relatable, because they have so. many. fights. So many. And basically all of them could've been solved by one or both being less stubborn or more vulnerable, which hello - feels real. Unfortunately though, it makes the reading experience a little less fun, because when they finally get to what should be the big ending conflict, you're like well, we've seen this before so *shrug*. I liked them and I enjoyed the story, but it's also not one I'm going to be thinking about a few months from now.

This was really cute! Even though I had not previously read the first 2 books in the series, this story was really easy to follow and I think it does great as a stand-alone. The chemistry between Hailey and Wes was good, and I really felt the "friends that want to be lovers but are going to stay friends in fear of ruining their friendship" vibes. The banter was cute, the friend group that was created was a group that I want to be a part of, and I also really want one of Hailey's salads. The storyline moved along well, but it did feel a little bit slow until I got about 50% of the way through the book. Other than that really small thing, I really enjoyed this! Would recommend and overall give this a 4/5 stars.

This is a sweet friends-to-lovers story that the publisher compares to When Harry Met Sally. There were some enjoyable moments and sweet romantic gestures, but overall I had trouble with the characters... it was almost too slow of a burn. I didn't feel the intensity or spark and there were so many fights that it got irritating after awhile. Overall it is an easy read if you need something sweet and fun, and it is the third book of a series so perhaps read the other two first!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Fate is about to throw Wes Jansen for a loop and of course, I'm talking about his awkward meet cute with the new eatery owner in town when he mildly accuses her of standing him up on their date. Ha! Guess what Wes? Wrong person.

Fresh off of heartache, Hailey is determined to make her business succeed on her own. She doesn't need love or dating. What she needs is a friend, and a barista who can spell her name correctly. After the misunderstanding, Hailey and Wes slowly re-discover what it's like to be just friends with someone.

A slow but simmering friends to lovers' story, A Guide to Being Just Friends is truly a sweet read for those in the mood for a slow burn.

I did a little dance when this book hit my hands because I really enjoyed the first two Jansen Brother stories. I will admit (to me) it felt a tad slow at about mid story but that may have been because I normally expect a little more spice by that time in the story. Overall, a good light read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book had a lot of promise. The concept was cute and the characters’ meet cute was great. However, it fell apart quickly for me. I found Wes to be unlikable and contradictory a lot of the time. Hailey was very one note and got hung up on things that she shouldn’t. I wanted to root for them, but just couldn’t. It also lacked the humor of a good romcom.
The writing itself was very good and approachable. And I did like the setting of the business street. But all in all, just wasn’t for me.

If you love a slow-burn, sweet, friends to lovers romance then I would high recommend reading A Guide To Being Just Friends.

Hailey and Wes are both very independent with pasts neither are too fond of and when their paths cross they agree to a friendship to essentially restore some faith into each other.

Seeing their friendship unfold draws you in and I loved how well they just fit together. I definitely found myself wishing they would just realize they’re perfect for each other. I tend have a love-hate relationship with slow-burns because I’m impatient, but it’s always so worth it in the end. I absolutely adored Hailey and Wes as a couple.

This was my first read from Sophie Sullivan and it definitely did not disappoint. Her ability to write romance is honestly out of this world, she definitely knows how to convey love in the perfect way and has you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside as you read her words.

I did find myself wishing it was a bit more fast paced, but overall it was an enjoyable read at 3.5/5 stars.

Special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute and sweet and very easy to read. I think the pacing was generally quite slow, even knowing it is a slow burn romance. Wes was an absolute cheese-puff and I think his character stood out to me more so than Hailey's. Grocery shopping dates get me every time and I love their part in this book.

Would recommend for an easy read, but may have enjoyed it more had I met the other characters in this book beforehand.

A Guide to Being Just Friends
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

My review of A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan will be posted on my Instagram @chronicledbycait on Tuesday, January 10th!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan!

This is the third book of the Jansen Brother’s series and while I think reading them in order is a good idea, this was my first book I’ve read by Sophie Sullivan and I didn’t feel like I needed additional context from the other books!

Looking for a fresh start, Hailey Sharp moves to San Verde, CA and opens By the Cup - a restaurant focused on salads, to go!

Wes Jansen has sworn off of dating, believing love to be a waste of time. So when he and Hailey start a friendship the expectations are clear: they are just friends.

But as their friendship grew, so did feelings that both Hailey and Wes had trouble admitting to.

When faced with the opportunity to become lovers, will they be willing to sacrifice their friendship?

This was such a cute rom-com with total Harry Met Sally vibes! I wanted to give it more stars, but I struggled with the pacing of Wes and Hailey’s relationship as it felt like it was rushed towards the end. I loved their friendship though and appreciated the strong foundation they built.

I did feel that both of them were a little immature and didn’t show any personal growth until the very end though which was a little frustrating!

But overall and adorable friends to lovers story that’s definitely worth the read! Preorder your copy today!

This book was like a warm smile. I found myself grinning at the interactions between the two main characters, Hailey and Wes. While I'm not normally a fan of slow burn romances, the way this was written made sense. The slow burn really helped Hailey and Wes develop a deep connection and know each other better than most romances allow.
Both Wes and Hailey were coming from bad romantic situations, Hailey from a bad relationship, Wes as a child of a nasty divorce. The characters have to navigate their own feeling while breaking previous cycles. The book may have been slightly optimistic, however it worked and allows the reader to get lost in a story with altruistic characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in the very sweet Jansen Brothers rom-com series by Sophie Sullivan (Ten Rules for Faking it and How to Love Your Neighbor).

A Guide to Being Just Friends follows the eldest Jansen brother, Wes, as he reluctantly falls in love with the new business owner in town, Hailey. They have both been burned by love in the past, and decide it’s better to just be friends…we all know how that goes!

This is a slow-burn, friends to lovers story with closed door romance. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a cute, fade-to-black romance that makes you smile. 3.5 stars.

This is a very cute Rom-Com about a struggling restaurant owner and wealthy investor who begin as friends and plan to stay that way for their own personal reasons. I loved the main characters and the side characters in this novel. Especially the male lead and his brothers. I love when brothers have a great relationship and fun banter and these characters checked that box! Sweet romance. I enjoyed this one.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked the story of Hailey needing to rebuild herself in a new, smaller city. She opens a salad shop and is bound and determined to succeed on her own. She meets Wes unexpectedly and they create an odd friendship. This is a HEA, so you can assume what happens early on in the book, but getting to know Haily, Wes and their friends and family is very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sophie Sullivan for allowing me to read this book in advance.

I want to start this off by saying I had no clue this was part of a series, or I definitely would not have requested it. I wish that was made clear. I also don’t love most books written in third person, and this really was no exception. The main characters felt very immature. Way too many side characters. Just overall didn’t care for this one, I really wished I did!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

*The book description didn’t mention that this was #3 in a series. I can’t just jump into the middle of a series so I looked at the reviews for all three books. I particularly noticed the reviews for this book and I can’t handle friends to lovers books where they fight and miscommunicate as soon as they start seeing each other romantically. So, I’m going to pass on reading and reviewing because I can already tell it will be a 2 star review (max).

Really cute romcom, from the meet cute to the HEA,, I enjoyed this story. It is nice to see all three brothers happy, but a few loose ends remained with their father and Wes’s video game design. I would like to have seen both those issues resolved too.

Beautiful cover for a fantastic book. Thank you for this book and these characters. I can’t wait to read another.

Jansen brother number 3 is here! Wes is the level-headed, analytical, slightly broody of the three, and he's in town to help grow the Jansen brother business. When he shows up for an arranged first date with a girl online, he mistakes Hailey to be the woman he's waiting for. Rather, he was stood up. Wes swears off dating, but his brothers ordered salads from Hailey's new salad shop, and the two cross paths again. Wes can't help himself but to offer advice to help Hailey's new business, and the two of them strike an unlikely friendship. However, neither know that the other is developing feelings for one another. Will they get in their own ways or give love a shot?
**
This classic Harry Meets Sally friends-to-lovers is a light, cute, and sweet romance.

I liked both Wes and Hailey as individuals. Wes slowly works through his own lingering trauma from working under his dad, and Hailey is coping from a bad previous relationship. I also appreciated how realistic Hailey's business is described. She doesn't go from "new business owner" to "booming success" overnight. With some help from Wes, she creates a smarter business model and is successful enough to sustain herself and even hire some employees.

Wes and Hailey are great friends. And therein lies my qualm with the story. I didn't feel the burn! It's set up to be a very slow burn, but I never truly felt the urge to yell at them to get together! I just wasn't getting the chemistry I hoped to feel in a friends-to-lovers.

Anyone, however, looking for a quick, light, sweet read will devour this instantly.

Who doesn’t love a good friends to lovers story??? If you do, then this one is right up your alley! I will say that I didn’t discover till the end of the book that this was a series about the Jansen brothers. I haven’t read the others one and didn’t feel like I was missing any information. Back to A Guide to Being Just Friends now…Wes and Hailey are ultimate friend goals but very obviously begin to develop feelings for each other. Due to their own reasons, they decide that just remaining friends would be best but clearly that doesn’t stay true for long. I really enjoyed this book. The lead up to them getting together was a little long. Also just fade to black scenes. I would have preferred more spice. If you’re looking for a cute, sweet read, this is an excellent choice!

I did not realize that A Guide to Just Being Friends was a part of a series about three brothers. I had thought so many time while reading it that I would have liked to known more about the other brothers love stories. Good thing I now can do that!

This book was very cute. I really admired Hailey and thought she had such a great growth throughout the book. I was always really rooting for her and I am happy about how her story plays out!