I start this review saying that I read this book thanks to NetGalley and I didn’t know it was the third on a series even if I read it as a standalone but even if I haven’t read the other two I really love it.

This was a cute and so romantic friends to lovers, Hailey is new in town, opening a salad shop after a bad break up, she meet Wes and both fall into a easy friendship and nothing more, but things are not simple when feeling are involve.

I love Hailey, she’s smart, knows what she wants and work hard for her dreams. Wes is very practical and smart but very practical for my Taste xD even If i love him sometimes I want to scream at him lol.

His brothers are awesome and theirs girlfriends and the epilogue was sweet as hell. If you love slow burn this is the book for you.

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

A Guide To Being Just Friends is a fabulous contemporary romance by Sophie Sullivan. Ms. Sullivan has crafted a well-written book and filled it with a cast of characters that makes this book a fun read. Hailey and Wesley's first meeting was a case of mistaken identity. The hilarity just continued from there. Their story is packed with drama, laugh-out-loud humor and sizzle. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to my next book by Sophie Sullivan. This is a complete book, not a cliffhanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were likeable and aside from some minor plot holes and certain things that were mentioned but never panned out, I would highly recommend this book as a breezy read.
Pros:
Hailey and Wes were very likeable main characters. I liked that this book was dual POV since it would've been lacking without Wes' perspective to offset Hailey.
I like the friends-to-lovers trope and I thought it was done really well. Wes and Hailey's friendship was awesome and I think it grew and changed organically.
I liked the input from the brothers. I thought their relationships were super cute and I didn't realize they had their own books (according to Goodreads these books aren't part of a series).
I liked how much Wes wanted to support Hailey and how much she wanted to supported him. It was so nice to see them be so kind to one another.

Cons:
There were multiple things that were mentioned in this book and then never panned out. For example, Wes mentioned all these issues with his father and it seemed like a major part of the plot with the brothers but then it was never resolved by the time the book ended. There was another thing with Tara that was quickly mentioned at the beginning and I thought that would lead to some sort of rivalry and issue with Hailey and Tara but then it was never brought up again. It wasn't bad enough to make me strongly dislike the book, but it was enough that it seemed like the author kind of forgot she mentioned these things.
I thought Hailey's stubbornness to get help from anyone, including Wes, got a bit annoying. I understand the whole only child independence thing, but it was written that it was like a pathological thing with Hailey and it got old really fast. At a certain point when you are actively making things worse or harder for yourself then you can accept help from others.
I was not entirely clear even by the end of the book what exactly Wes and his brothers' company did. Were they venture capitalists?
I also felt like there was little resolution in terms of Wes not feeling like he could do anything fun professionally. He had such a strict view and outlook of how a professional life needs to be and it felt like there was barely any resolution there.

Overall, I really liked this book and I would recommend it. I would warn people that even though this is a romance it's a closed-door/fade-to-black romance and it does take a while before anything remotely romantic happens with the main characters. Despite this, I enjoyed this book and found it to be fun and lighthearted.

Sophie Sullivan is back with another tooth-achingly sweet romance book about two California newbies who become fast friends, but then find themselves wanting more. A Guide to Being Just Friends kicks off with perhaps the most awkward meet-no-so-cute of all time when Wes mistakes Hailey for his very late coffee shop date. Due to a barista mix-up and a low-quality dating profile, these two have a heated exchange before parting their ways. When they later reconnect, Wes uses his business-savvy skills to help Hailey develop her new salad shop and earns her trust and friendship. This book is fun and flirty, packed with lots of cameos from the first two books in the series, supportive best friends, and a belly laugh or two. If you are looking for a binge-able romance book that will leave you with a smile on your face be sure to check this one out. Perfect for fans of Sarah Adams or Carina Taylor! This book can be read as a stand-alone but it works better as part of the series in my opinion! Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you for the ARC of this book! A Guide to Being Just Friends was a light, funny, heartwarming story about finding yourself before finding a partner. I loved hearing Hailey’s journey, and while it felt redundant and a little painful at times, her story felt genuine and really believable. This was the perfect light hearted read I was looking for.

The story follows Hailey Sharp, who had just moved to start a new life opening a salad shop. One day she has an unpleasant meeting with Wes Jansen, when he mistakes her for someone else. Soon after that they get to know each other more and develop a friendship that later leads to something more complicated.

This book has one of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers so I was very excited to read it. When I first requested the book I didn't realize that it was set in the world with 2 other books by Sophie Sullivan, all following the Jansen brothers. I loved reading this book so much and I can't wait to read the others. This book doesn't have to be read with the others and it can act as a stand alone. But we do get some insight on the other brothers and their relationships so if you want the full experience I would read them all. I will!

The only thing that I would suggest, was to actually be able to read about Hailey's dates with Seth. I really wanted to experience her going on the dates and seeing her realize how she actually started to care about Wes a lot more. I feel like the plot of the story follows Hailey more, but the romance aspect of the story seems to follow Wes a lot more.

This was a great read and I will be reading the other books!!! I would recommend this to anyone that might want to read a friends to lovers trope

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan is a beautiful friends-lovers-romance. It’s the story of Hailey and Wes.
 
Hailey recently experienced a break-up and now just wants to focus on herself and slow down. Therefore, she moves to the small town of San Verde and opens a salad shop called By the Cup.  I loved to see a female entrepreneur and everything that comes with owning and running a business. Hailey is such a kind- and good-hearted person and I adore her.
 
Wes works in the field of computer science, and he is very successful. He also works together with his brothers, and I loved to see them again as I also really liked the author’s previous books. Relationship wise Wes likes practical and non-complicated ones and love isn’t that important for him.
 
Hailey and Wes’s first meeting was not a meet cute, but from then on it gets a lot better and they form a true connection. I loved to see them building a friendship and to see them falling in love later was everything. This romance is just so cute, comforting, and heartfelt and that’s exactly how I love friends-to-lovers stories.
 
Overall, A Guide to Being Just Friends is my new favorite Sophie Sullivan novel and it’s friends-to-lovers perfection. 4,5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

This book has: a slow-burn, strangers to friends to lovers, and an adorable blushing hero.

Wes and Hailey have the opposite of a meet cute when he mistakes her for his date at a cafe. Hailey has recently moved to town to start a salad business and Wes is a successful businessman who runs a company with his two brothers. Hailey is recovering from a bad breakup and Wes is taking a break from dating and so the two agree to be just friends and not cross that line with one another.

I really enjoyed seeing the genuine friendship blossom between the two main characters. Wes and Hailey fit into each others worlds so well and I loved their weekly grocery shopping dates. I did find the pacing of this book to be a little slow. The leads didn’t get together until around halfway through the book and all of the subsequent problems happened in the last 40%. I found the conflicts tedious at times but the open communication and vulnerability displayed during the resolutions made up for it.

Overall, this is a cute, low angst rom com that is perfect for fans on the strangers to friends to lovers trope.

3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Sullivan has done the damn thing again with another great book.
A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie is a well written, beautifull, enjoyable read.
This was a book that I just had to finish as soon as I started it, and it doesn't disappoint either.
I loved her previous book, so I had very high expectations. This novel exceeded them plus more.
A fantastic contemporary romance by Sophie Sullivan. She has created a well-written book and brought it to life with a warm, enjoyable, lovable cast of characters who stole my heat and had me rooting for them throughout the whole thing.
Hailey and Wes, you are going to love their characters!
The character development throughout the story is wonderful, and thought-provoking.
No one can do it quite like Sophie. She is a master at storytelling and I will read anything this girl writes.
Once you start reading, you won’t be able to put it down! The perfect romance story.
Another 5 star book for Ms. Sullivan! It's just what my heart needed!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

St. Martin Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
Seriously I can't thank you enough!

🌟🌟🌟

A cute little RomCom that’s a quick read and super light!!

I was in the mood for something super light, funny, & quick to get me out of a reading funk and this did exactly that!!

If you’re looking for a super complex, deep, and perplexing plot, then this isn’t the one for you. But if a RomCom is what you’re in the mood for, then this is great!!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4885691371

This was a sweet one. If you’re a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope and a unique meet cute followed by a slow burn, you’ll be obsessed with Hailey and Wes. This book is also heavy on “found family” themes, which brings me to my next point.

Learn from my mistake! I hadn’t read Sophie Sullivan’s other books. This book is part of a series. It’s not reflected as so on Goodreads or NetGalley, so I had no idea. While it’s possible to read them standalone, I feel like I could’ve appreciated this one more if I had read the others in the series. A lot of focus is placed on these other characters, so maybe read their stories first if you decide to pick this one up.

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

#aguidetobeingjustfriends #sophiesullivan
I really had high hopes for this book, it started out great. i think the problem that I had with it was Wes, he just couldn't make his mind, couldn't quite commit and was so wishy washy. It was a little too slow for me and then had a fast turn around at the end that didn't feel genuine. So, I wanted to like it but couldn't love it.

I really liked the main character in this book, Hailey. After a tough breakup, she moves and starts her life over by opening a fast casual salad shop. I loved her story and the group of friends she makes in her new town. I haven’t read the first two books in the series and that may be why during the first half of the book the conversations between the love interest, Wes, and his two brothers fell a little flat for me. Their constant declarations of love seemed a little unrealistic. I do think the second half picked up considerably. I would definitely read another book by this author.

I tried my best to get into this book but it just didn't click eith me every time I picked it up. I might have been me, but it seemed like everything always jumped to the 2 main characters being together and it doesn't allow them to develop their own development. I may try to reread it again, but as of right now I am a week in and not able to finish it.

I enjoyed reading about Hailey getting her business started and making friends in a new place, but I otherwise found both Hailey and Wes a bit flat. I wish their "guide to being just friends" featured more since it's the title of the book, but I didn't really feel there was that much tension about them being "just friends."

While I thought Hailey's salad was fun, I also struggled a bit between "good" and "bad" food and weight talk. For example, characters having a slice of cake and needing to "hit the gym" or only being able to fit into yoga pants.

In regards to format, the text messages could be better distinguished from the rest of the text.

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

Overall, this was a cute friends-to-lovers rom-com. The third installment in the Jansen brothers trilogy (although each book can technically be read as a standalone!), this book follows the story of recently heartbroken and new-to-town Hailey and the adorkably shy tech cyber-nerd with an aversion to all things love/commitment Wes Jansen. The pair strike up an easy and strong friendship that is super fun to read. The friendship between Wes and Hailey is probably my favorite part of the entire bark. Wes is shy and sweet; he cares deeply for those around him. Hailey has been through the ringer with her ex and wants to prove herself; she has so much ambition and drive which I love, and she also supports Wes and his passions.

However, there were several things that drive me crazy. The dialogue seemed unnatural at times and didn’t really flow with the characters, almost juvenile really. A conflict would arise and the tension would pick up, only to suddenly deflate and be resolved instantly with no real substance. Hailey’s continued comparing of Wes to other rich people and making him feel bad about being rich became annoying after a while. Being upset with him for not listening is one thing and wanting to accomplish things on your own is understandable, but her continued fits about his money and insecurities about his money when she knew his economic worth became redundant when he never showed any inclination that he was the type of person that used his money/valued it in a wrong that (like her ex did). Also, it felt like that was really just thrown in for extra drama before the big fight over his feelings about love, so we could have a mini fight, a quick reconciliation, and another fight. Wes seemed to be having some character development about his feelings of love as well, which were suddenly all thrown out the window randomly when Hailey said “I love you” and it just all seemed immature. And we had all this build up about how impacted Wes was by his father and mothers divorce and how he had protected his siblings from it, but then when his siblings confronted him about it and asked Wes what was going on, Wes didn’t even share why he felt that way. Wes only mentions “statistics”. And then they call him an idiot and suddenly he is ready to go get Hailey back? To me, it just felt unresolved and like no real issues had been confronted. At least Hailey acknowledged that she had some trust issues and played a part of the problem as well with the money thing.

I loved the friendship aspect and the found family aspect. Wes creating Hailey a video game and volunteering at a rec center, those parts of the book were perfect! The epilogue was also really sweet. But the over-played drama and the lack of communication really bothered me in this book.

I requested an eARC of this book not realizing it was a part of a series. While the story can be read standalone, I realized about five chapters in that I was supposed to already have some emotional attachment to the side characters (all 1000 of them.) If Wes said, some version of “I am SO happy that my brothers have found women they love. I want that, BUT I’m scared.” ONCE, then he said it a million times.

Not to be dramatic, but to compare this book to When Harry Met Sally is an insult. The *friendship* portrayed is just them saying “we are friends” over and over again—regardless of the fact both characters had butterflies/noted being attracted to the other on the FIRST MEETING.

Anyhoo, I’m sure if I had more background/read the other books and was in the mood for a mindless, Hallmark romance, this would’ve scratched my itch. Unfortunately, today was not that day. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my painfully honest review.

Another awesome job by Sophie Sullivan! She is quickly becoming one of my one-click romcom authors. This book made my heart happy.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the 3rd book in a series but I read it as a stand-alone and didn’t feel I was missing anything. There are 3 brothers and each book follows one of their love stories.

In A Guide to Being Just Friends we follow Hailey and Wes. Hailey is determined, strong, makes everyone feel loved, and independent to a fault. Wes is a protector, fiercely loyal to his friends and family, and terrified of love due to his parents.

This book was a bit slow to start but I ended up really being sucked in. It is a friends to lovers story and we get the perspective of both main characters. In this story the man struggles more with many aspects of the relationship and I enjoyed that part of the story.

Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. Get By the Cup salad shop off the ground. Do literally everything possible to make it a success. Repeat.
Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships.
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.

What could possibly go wrong?

It’s been a good long while since I read a fade-to-black romance novel where the characters don’t even kiss until about 70% into the book but I found Wes and Hailey’s story delightfully sweet - like Hailey’s addiction to chocolate! Both Wes and Hailey have hang ups from their past and work both together and separately to understand and overcome them. Both are well developed, believable characters with understandable issues holding them back. Watching them learn and grow was a delight that will lead be to Sophie Sullivan’s backlist when I need another sweet treat.