Firstly, thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sophie Sullivan for this book. This book is a slow burn, friends to lover situation. Hailey and Wes had a very awkward introduction to one another that developed over the course of the book. It might be because it was such a slow burn that the dynamic between the characters seem stiff. Also, the characters were kind of flat, so it made it harder to enjoy. The MCs weren't great, but the side characters in Hailey's shop were pretty funny, so I did enjoy that. Overall, it's a cute, clean read with a wholesome storyline. I did enjoy it even though it was a bit slow.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc!

First of all, I didn’t realize this was part of a companionship with two other books so I read this without knowing anything from those, which may have altered my feelings for this one. I’m not going to lie, it took me a while to get through this. While I’m all for a slow, slow burn, the build up of this relationship was better than the actual conclusion in my opinion. I loved the tension and pining when they were just friends, but their relationship felt flat when it turned romantic. I thought the things they were arguing about were just annoying to be honest. There was a huge side plot all about their business things that I just wasn’t interested in. Maybe if I had read the other two books I would’ve felt something more for these characters, but like I said I wasn’t aware of them before reading. Thank you again, Netgalley, for this arc!

As a lover of rom coms, especially those where our MCs go from friends to lovers, I was super excited for A Guide to Being Just Friends. I mean, the blurb freaking references When Harry Met Sally AND 500 Days of Summer. How could that not be my jam???

Well...

What I liked about the book:

1. Of course, the idea was cute to me.

2. My favorite characters were the side characters who worked in Hailey’s shop. They probably had the most personality in my opinion and I wanted more for them.

What could have been better:

1. This whole story just felt really stiff and I didn’t really feel a connection to anyone. There were hints to backstories, but no real depth to the characters, which was a big miss in my mind.

When I requested this book, I had no clue this was book 3 in the series (though can be read as a standalone). So perhaps I’m missing a lot of the background for Wes in books 1 and 2, but I know I’m not missing anything for Hailey, so there is no excuse there for poor characterization.

2. These characters were too boring to have this much drama! I was legit pissed how many times the “big fight” happened between our MCs. It was like as soon as it was solved, there was something else. Between Hailey never being able to accept help and Wes being a total idiot when it came to wanting her for the rest of his life, but not, like, loving her, this whole story was a test of my patience.

3. This was too suggestive to be clean, but too clean to be anything other than YA-level dirty. Just pick a lane, don’t tease us.

4. This “guide” was mentioned, but never really flushed out. I wanted a freaking contract like in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Not a passing nod reference to the title of the book….

Final Thoughts:
I’m sure this would be great for some, but just wasn’t for me. It was too cookie-cutter, clean romance with characters that just didn’t appeal to me.

Final Rating: 2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sophie Sullivan for this book in exchange for my honest review!

Enjoyed the book
I really enjoyed reading the first two books in the Jensen brothers’ series and anticipated reading this one. In it, we meet Wes Jensen, the oldest brother, who has decided to join his 2 brothers by moving to the West Coast from New York. But where Chris and Noah have a good outlook on life, Wes’ is more pragmatic and because of this he doesn’t believe in relationships and love. Our second main character is Hailey Sharp who is open to new experiences even though she just went through a bad breakup. She doesn’t want to rebound back into a serious relationship, so when she meets Wes, who tells her clearly that he only wants to be friends, she agrees to being his friend. After this start, the books seemed to take a long time in telling us the readers that they were fine as being just friends, but in their minds that they might want more. Finally, by the end of the book, Sophie Sullivan allows us to see how the two friends truly feel. This is a well-written book, with fully developed characters. It’s also book 3, and the author does allow characters from the first two books to be part of this book, but if you’ve read the first two, they are welcome additions to this book. Question is will Sophie Sullivan give us the story of the 4th sibling, a sister who is still in New York? This book can be read as a standalone, but for the best experience, read Ten Rules for Faking It and How to Love Your Neighbor: A Novel first. I was given an ARC of the book through NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is a cute romance of friends to lovers. It’s definitely a slow burn, maybe a little too slow at points, so definitely pack some patience. One thing it was missing for me was the tension or yearning, but eventually you get the pay off that you desire. I definitely enjoyed this book, and liked seeing the characters from the book I read in the series. Hailey and Wes are very lovable, and I liked their dynamic and seeing their relationship develop.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. Highly recommend to all rom com movie and look lovers. It is a quick and lighthearted read that made me smile so much. Loved it!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I have such mixed feelings on this one. I love Wes and Hailey has individuals, but UGH, I didn't really feel a connection between the two. The chemistry was just not there for me, but their friendship and other characters (from the first two books) really pulled it together for me.

All that being said, I definitely related to so many things in this book: Hailey's yearning for success while doing things on her own and wanting to find her own community in a new place, the feeling Wes feels that he was meant for something more - something that is his own, the value on family and friends.

Hailey is new in town. She is starting over after a terrible breakup. In walks the handsome, understatedly wealthy, computer geek, Wes. The two strike up a friendship that each of them are longing for. Wes and Hailey’s relationship is the quintessential slow-burn friends-to-lovers relationship (minus the spice, but 100% sweet).

I really didnt enjoy this whatsoever. The main characters were unsufferable and not at all likable. I dont know if they had any redeeming qualities. I winced at everything they said or did. Definitely not for me. Or anyone

Confession: I didn’t read the first two books in the series. I got this as a NetGalley ARC. I love it so much that I’m buying the other two and reading them even though I have a fat stack of TBR books glaring at me for doing so. I loved it. I totally vibe with characters who’ve been badly hurt but still believe in love. Both characters appealed to me— Hailey for her work ethic and refusal to quit chasing her dreams and Wes for his hard outer shell meant to protest an unhealed heart. This is a beautiful friends to lovers story that made me laugh more than cry and was an absolute joy to read.

What a wonderful sweet story.
Loved Hailey for wanting to do everything on her own, loved her friends.
Wes mistook Hailey for his date, then he was rude and then he had to go and apologize. This bring them wonderful friendship, and love, none of them wanted.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Key Details: New Town, Independent Business Owner, Trust Issues, Rocky Pasts, Friendship

Short summary: Hailey is done feeling bad about herself and is through trying to make others love her. She moves to a new town, starts her own business, and is determined to find happiness in her work. Wes is a computer wizard, a successful business man, has a huge heart, but major commitment issues. Hailey and Wes happen to meet, not on the best terms. A few encounters later, and they decide a friendship is exactly what they both need. They can be there for each other without any added pressure of a relationship. Soon, they couldn’t imagine life without the other person — even though they’re “just friends.”

Thoughts: I don’t always love protective characters, but I couldn’t help but enjoy Wes’ idiotic way of trying to be helpful. I also had to root for Hailey’s independence, while also wanting her take accept help from others. This is such a cute book, with the perfect amount of added drama. It’s also apparently a part of a 3 books series! I didn’t learn this until after finishing the book, which can totally be read as a stand alone, but I will definitely be reading more of Sophie Sullivan’s books!

This book was SO cute! Hailey is new to town and meets Wes. They are both attracted to each other but decide neither of them are in the place to date, so they decide to be just friends. They end up spending all of their time together and end up becoming the very best of friends until they cannot hold their feelings in any longer. I thought this was so so cute! Wes is a character with a lot of money and Hailey is a business owner, but Hailey does not want his help. I think the chemistry they had was so cute but I also think that building a relationship built on a really strong friendship is really important. It's how my own personal relationship started and I think it makes us stronger in the long run. I really enjoyed seeing their friendship play out over time to something that grew into more.

A GUIDE TO BEING JUST FRIENDS is a delightful romantic romp. Haley Sharp flees to California after a disastrous breakup. She meets Harry Styles in an awkward encounter in a coffee shop. Later, they meet again,, and decide to have a strictly platonic friendship. As they become best friends, they realize they could have deeper feelings. Will they overcome their previous hurts, and try at love again? Grab a cup of tea and enjoy this lovely read.

This book was phenomenal. I was obsessed with this book from the moment I read the first page. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light and funny story. I can't wait to see what else this author has to offer!!

This is the third book in the Jansen Brothers series.

I am a sucker for a good meet cute. Hailey and wes meet unconventionally and later agree to be friends since they are both reinventing their lives. Their friendship turns into a slow burn love as they both pursue their dreams. It could have used a few steamy scenes but overall i enjoyed this book, and was rooting for the main characters to end up together.




Thank you Netgalley and St Martins press for this Arc!

Hailey is ready to start fresh in a new town, putting all her effort into her small restaurant. Wes has laser vision on growing the family business, securing investments, and trying to become a better person than his father. After the two stumble into a meet-cute turned sour.. Wes and Hailey pursue a mutually beneficial friendship.

Easily falling into each other’s lives, Wes and Hailey find themselves at a crossroads: Keep everything status quo or risk losing it all by gaining something more.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

First off, I wasn’t aware this was the third book in a series. Yes, it works as a standalone, but I’m sure that reading the other books would have filled in some blanks and added depth to many of the characters.

So let’s get right down to it: the friends to lovers trope is one thing, then there’s the slow slow slooow burn that is this book. We all know where it’s going, but it takes forever to get there. The good side of this is that it gives the reader plenty of time to catch butterflies as the characters unknowingly fall in love; the bad side is that it can feel like the story is dragging on and the reader can get bored. Unfortunately, I often felt myself wanting to yada yada yada through chapters to get to something finally happening. I feel like the story could have been condensed a bit in order to keep the reader engaged and the heat could have been kicked up several notches.

Overall it is a cute read, but I did not feel invested. I do think I would have cared more had I read the other two books prior to this one, however NetGalley made no mention of this being part of a series. Hopefully it is marketed more as a series so readers can benefit from having more background and appreciation for the characters.

This was a really cute romcom with a likeable couple. I thought Hailey was a great lead as she starts over in a new town while trying to get her small business--a salad cafe--on its feet. After she meets Wes in a hilarious meet-cute (more like a meet-ugly) they resolve to remain just friends. This paves the way for a really great friends-to-lovers dynamic as each of them works through their very realistic baggage on the way to becoming better people and better partners. I liked watching them build on their friendship first--a nice change to diving into dating immediately--and the fact that they grew as people outside a romantic relationship. I especially loved the other platonic relationships in the book, both friends and family. It's lovely to see love in all its forms and gives me the warm-fuzzies to watch as these (admittedly, made up) people receive support from others. All in all, a really enjoyable, comforting read.

Such a sweet romance! I can't believe I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but I certainly will go back and read them now. This book is well-written and easy to read-a must for romantic comedy lovers!