Hailey is a salad shop owner who is trying so hard to drum up business to stay afloat when she has her meet (not-so-cute) at a nearby coffee shop with Wes. They go their separate ways but Fate has other plans for them.

This is a classic friends-to-lovers story and if you have read the other stories in this series about Wes’s brothers, I’m sure you are much more connected to the characters. I unfortunately hadn’t read them so I spent the first section of the book trying to connect with a pretty large cast of side characters. That said, the writing was good. I enjoyed the storyline until we got to the main problem which I found to be a little out of left field. Still, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it highly if you are a fan of Sophie Sullivan’s two other Jansen Brother novels.

3.5 stars
Closed door romance
Friends-to-lovers trope done well!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC that I received in exchange for my honest opinion on this title.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martian Griffin, and Sophie Sullivan for the EARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like most people who requested this book I didn’t know it was the third in the series u too I hopped on GoodReads to write the review. This book can truly read as a stand alone and I don’t think reading her previous books in the series would have changed my review.

Hailey opened a little cup salad shop and is in a new city. Wes is rich but still works hard and believes that “love is dead” same dude. Anyways, they were cute but not cute enough for me to rave about them.

If you live very slow burns with an instant spark this is for you.

Hailey opened a business with really no idea what she was doing. Her story was a little painful. She was kinda ditzy and very optimistic. I found her hard to connect too.

The book did multiple POV’s and sometimes it would take me a second to figure out who the chapter was about.

The book is an easy to read romcom, but I won’t be reading it again or the pervious books in the series.

i came into this thinking it was a standalone and it wasn't. apparently it's part of a series? if i knew that, i probably would have enjoyed it more. especially if i had read the previous books. i didn't connect to the characters as well as i would have liked to and maybe it's because they've already been developed in past books and that development just built on.

but anyways, not for me. i didn't connect to the characters or writing and i dnfed about 30% in due to both of these factors. but if you think you might like it, go ahead and pick it up!

This book took me a lot longer than normal books to finish. Just ready very slow. The writing made it difficult sometimes to decipher who was narrating it, as in which characters POV it was and then it would suddenly swap. The way the text messages were written were also difficult for me to initially follow along.

But it was a cute story and I still enjoyed it!

I didn’t like the focus so much on the salad shop and would’ve liked more Wes and Hailey! But but I liked the characters and always love a HEA. I would’ve loved more of Wes’ video games taking off in the epilogue.

3.5 stars

I want to start off by saying I didn’t read the first two books as I had no idea this was a third installment until after I requested it. I may have liked it more had I known the tertiary characters better.

This book wasn’t for me. I put it down about 50% of the way through and never picked it back up again. I wanted to love Wes and Hailey so much more than I did - but to me, they were just fine, nothing special. The romance was so incredibly slow, too slow for me to get into. Halfway through the book and there was barely an accidental brush against a hand.

I’m sure other people will find this read enjoyable, but I had a hard time connecting.

I really ended up enjoying this sweet story. The characters themselves were really fleshed out. I appreciated they way they reflected and maturely discussed the conflicts that were presented in this book. Although the romance is considered a slow burn, it felt like it progressed naturally so it didn’t feel like it dragged on so much. I will have to look into the other works by this author. The only thing that knocked down a point was that at times the dialogue between the characters confused me in the beginning. Unsure if that could also just be due to the formatting of the ebook within the NetGalley app.

I’m going to be completely honest, I had no idea that A Guide to Being Just Friends, Sophie Sullivan’s upcoming novel, was the third in a series! I had read Ten Rules for Faking It a few months ago and loved it, so I requested Sullivan’s latest right away. The third installment in the series follows Haley, the owner of an up and coming salad shop. Haley picked up this new business and new life in a new city, and while trying to get her footing, she meets Wes Jansen. Wes, the oldest and last of the Jansen brothers to embark on a (sort of) quest for love, is a right-brained businessman with a serious knack for technology. He is sure of himself, and sure of his desire to remain a bachelor, that is, until he meets Haley. With both of them freshly moved to California, they decide to be just friends, and you can imagine how that goes.

Sullivan’s newest rom-com is a fabulous friends to lovers. I haven’t read this trope in so long and I enjoyed every second. Every Jansen brother and their leading ladies are so different and it makes each read all the more fun. I also love how you do not have to read these novels in order to love them. Each can be a stand-alone but they get even better when you read each character’s individual stories. If you’re looking for a genuinely fun read, I highly recommend A Guide to Being Just Friends which will be released on January 17! (This also gives you plenty of time to read the first books in the series, I will be reading How to Love Your Neighbor ASAP)

Special thanks to Sophie Sullivan, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Griffin for this copy!

This was a light, fun and fluffy read that not only provides the HEA fuzzy feels for the mains, Hailey and Wes, but also for Grace and Noah and Everly and Chris from the other two books in the Jansen Brothers series, which was fun!

The character development was well done and is probably the reason why I liked the book as much as I did because some of the plot points felt a bit awkward and contrived. I really liked both Hailey and Wes and was definitely rooting for them, but then I am a sucker for the independent woman and protective/supportive male combo!

I also loved Hailey and Wes together, and their relationship...when they got there because this was a slow burn...was really cute. It was refreshing that, for the most part, they had a functional line of communication and were able to see from each other's points of view (in other words, no annoying miscommunication trope, WOO!).

Overall, a welcome light and fun read to get lost in for a while.

This slow burn romance was so cute! The suspense for Wes and Hailey to finally admit their feelings almost killed me. No spice, and a few slow parts, but overall cute! I loved the idea of the salad shop - it’s such a unique take.

I did not realize this book is the last of a series, but it’s a standalone book (although I do think knowing the other characters beforehand would have only made it better)! I will definitely be reading the first and second now that I’ve finished this.

I enjoyed both of the main characters, although each of them had a few annoying traits (Wes’ take on love, and Hailey’s inability to let ANYONE even remotely help her).

Shoutout to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC!

Okay, I should probably read descriptions every now and then because I didn’t know this was the third book in the series. I didn’t feel lost though because this story was about the oldest brother and I immediately checked out the first two books to get to know the rest of the characters a bit better.

This was a cute romance. Slow-burn and friends to lovers trope. I did appreciate that they both had to learn how to navigate this relationship while also dealing with past experiences that, at times, made it hard for their relationship to grow. Did the characters frustrate me sometimes? Yup. I wanted to shake some sense into them multiple times.

Also, if you’re looking for a romance book with no steamy scenes then read this one!

Got an eArc on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Leading lady is incredibly ditzy. Tries to open a restaurant with no staffing, a website, business cards, not even a business launch, and then acts all worried at low customer numbers. No way she would have stayed in business past the first month.

Pretty helpless in general, gushy about "gosh, people can be friends" and "love can't be real because I had a bad relationship". Spends every chapter bewildered that people might like her. I don’t mind a flawed main character, but they need to have some gumption and not be completely insecure man-reliant bimbos.

This was a cute book. I had not read any of the previous Jansen Brother books, but was able to follow this one as a standalone, even though it was the last in the series. Hailey was an endearing character to read about, and you really rooted for her success from the start - she has a hard work ethic, and while I had a few questions about her business plan (or lack thereof), I wanted her to succeed with her salad shop.

Wes' character really cares about those he holds close to him and he will do anything to make sure that they aren't put in any compromising conditions. I enjoyed reading about his routines, and seeing how Hailey's influence made them more fulfilling for him.

I do wish there was more romance within this one - it was a very slow burn that never fully lit for me. But overall I enjoyed this story and was happy to have had the chance to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advance reader copy.

This was my favorite of the series yet. I really enjoyed the friends to lovers aspect of this. I think Wes is my favorite of the Jansen brothers, and I liked how his character developed. I think Hailey and Wes were cute together, and their relationship felt believable because of how much effort they put into their friendship. It is slow to get into the romance, and I did want to see a little more from it. However, if you’re looking for a feel good love story, that is exactly what this is.

I really really wanted to love this one but it just wasn’t my favorite. I have just not had very good luck with romance books lately which is sad.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 ⭐

I had no idea that this was the third book of a trilogy when I first came across it and decided to request it from NetGalley. After my enjoyable experience with this one, I am planning on picking up the other two books. Although I hadn't read the first two books, it was completely fine. This book stands strong on its own and does a great job incorporating the previous characters into the narrative.

This story follows the oldest Jansen brother Wes Jansen and a new shop owner Hailey Sharp. Hailey is just starting to her store open and its been a slow start up. Wes and Hailey have a meet cute moment in a coffee shop after a misidentification by Wes. They both thought this was a one off moment, but they run into eachother again after Hailey's company is hired to provide salads for a meeting that Wes is at. Things progress and the two fall in to a comfortable friendship, neither wanting more due to experiences from past relationships. With all books like this that never lasts and things progress into more.

I really enjoyed both Hailey and Wes' characters. I thought they were both cute. It was sort of grumpy sunshine, but Wes overrall was a really good nice guy and not really that grumpy. just a cynic to love. Hailey though was bubbly and overall happy character. Wanting to stand on her own and didn't want to take handouts. This was definitely a slow burn romance, but Sophie Sullivan did a nice job building their friendship and including the side characters/interaction. My one criticism was their friendship to best friends was pretty instantaneous to me. It didn't really seem to build up why they were friends to begin with.

The side characters, the two brothers/girlfriends (which I now realize are main characters in the other two books) were really fun to read. I loved the brothers relationship and how they interacted with eachother. I loved how they called Wes out on his S&*t and were fair to call him an idiot at times. However it never felt mean or cruel, they did it out of love to try to get Wes to open his eyes.

One thing I didn't love was Wes' whole outlook on love and marriage. I didn't seem like a strong case to create the conflict needed for this story. It had its cute moments and progressed the story, but I was kind of meh to it. Hailey also was a bit annoying at times when she was so hard set on not accepting help. I get it, she doesn't want hand outs from a rich friend, but there was some smaller things he wanted to help with that she was so stubborn to not let him do.

Overall I thought this was a cute story and I will be reading more stories from Sophie Sullivan. I felt like she did a great job writing a cute friends to lovers story. I look forward to reading the other two Jansen Brother books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advance reader copy. My review of this story is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review on my Instagram the.floofs.booknook close to publication date.

This book was a great read on a cozy fall afternoon. I had previously read Sophie Sullivan's other two books and enjoyed them, so I was excited to gain access to this ARC! It was a beautiful slow burn romance between Hailey and Wes, and I thought Sullivan did a great job building a foundation for their friendship and romance. I love the "found family" trope in books, and this one did not disappoint!
The only point of contention I have, is that for me, the beginning was a little long and I initially had a hard time getting over the 30% mark, but it picked up almost immediately after 50%!

Thanks so much NetGalley, Sophie Sullivan, and St. Martins Press for this e-ARC!

Sophie Sullivan succeeds at writing a light-hearted slow burn story of friends to soul mates. Wes and Hailey have a realistic and well-told tale of how two people might fall in love as friends before admitting their romantic feelings for each other. Neither of them is a bad person in any significant way and both do grow throughout the book regardless.

There are a lot of side characters in this book and it does get confusing trying to follow who is related to who and who actually matters. The female friends could probably have been cut down quite a bit. Some story lines also get dropped and never brought up again.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

3.5/5 Stars

Let’s start with what this book has going for it. I love a strong main character with family issues who strikes out on their own. Love a good cast of side characters and found family that help them cultivate themselves into the best version of themselves and I felt like the main character (Hayley) had a ton of potential.

Where the book lost me was two fold
1. It throws everything at you immediately. There’s basically no ramp up and it feels like you’re drinking from a fire hose of Hayley’s stream of consciousness.
2. This book does a lot of telling - “Hayley’s anxiety was at an all time high” or “His love for his family and friends was …” and I find the combination of these two just made me feel the book was a bit immature… I think there’s a ton of potential and I’ll definitely read others by the author in the future but felt this lacked a bit

So after I received this book from Netgalley I realized there were 2 in the series before it. You can definitely read this book on its own but I think it would’ve helped to get to know the characters better.

This was a cute but very slow moving romance (with like very little to no steam in it lol). Definitely had some frustration with Hailey- put your pride down and accept the help lady! People care about you and want to help, let them! The ending did seem very predictable but nonetheless a cutesy romance.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Guide to Being Just Friends
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 1/17/23
Author: Sophie Sullivan
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 336
GR: 3.77

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. With a head full of entrepreneurial ideas and a bad ex in her rearview, her one and only focus is living life the way she wants to. Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. Companionship, not passion, is the name of the game. When Hailey and Wes find each other in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, they embarrassingly go their separate ways. But when Wes finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, they strike a friendship. Because that’s all this can be. Hailey doesn’t want any distractions. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love.

My Thoughts: This is book No. 3 in the Jansen Brother Series, I did not read the first two books. This could be read as a standalone. This was a slow burn romance. The trope is friends to lovers, which is always a classic and makes for a wonderful romantic read. The chemistry was a bit delayed, but when it hit, it exploded. The story is narrated in a dual POV, which I prefer, as you get to hear both sides of the story for a more complete picture. The characters were developed phenomenally with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and just work so well with this book. The characters had such tremendous growth that you become immersed with them. The author’s writing style was complex, brilliant, swoon-excellence, and kept me engaged. This would be considered a close romance novel, which is okay by me. It just made me feel good, a real heartwarming novel that hits all of the notes. This releases in January and I would recommend preordering!