Clean romance fans, get ready for your next favorite read. This book had my emotions all over the place and it was clean enough for book club and reading at work. Still very enjoyable to read even if you do like spicy romance! 😉

Wes is the oldest of 3, and has always taken his brothers under his wing. He protected them from his parents volatile relationship and has supported them in their dreams since he was a kid. When they decided to move away from home and break out on their own in business, he decided to move with them.

Hailey just went through an awful breakup with a narcissist actor that treated her like complete garbage. She just started a new business as the owner and chef of a salad shop. She loves to cook and is passionate about making it work.

Hailey and Wes hit it off but are adamant about being "just friends". They shop for groceries together, play video games, and watch romantic comedies. Wes doesn't believe in love and Hailey doesn't want to jump into another relationship so soon after her break up. What happens when they let down their guard and are honest with themselves?

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC for my honest review.

i really liked this book! i enjoy sophie sullivans writing and the slow burn trope was done perfectly! also this book is making me LOVE friends to lovers, i didn’t realize it could be that good.
overall i really liked how this kinda completed the series by completing their little family (found family trope goddd always a serve)

This was one of the best friends to lovers that I’ve read! It was well paced and they were strictly friends for many months. I feel like most friends to lovers books are too rushed, but this was perfect! The salad business was so fun to read about! I haven’t read the other books in the series but I didn’t feel like I was missing any details! Overall such a fun read! This is the type of book that just makes your heart happy!

A Guide to Being Just Friends is an amazing romance novel that shows how sometimes love can come from friendship and the leap that sometimes needs to be taken to really find the one.

I absolutely adored Hailey and Wes! They are both driven and have a strong love for their work and the people in their lives. I enjoyed the conversations between these two so much and laughed out loud many times. This book features the friends to lovers trope which is my absolute favorite!

I hope that everyone picks up this book when it is released early next year! Also check out the first two books in the series!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a chance to read this book before it's release!

A Guide to Being Just Friends is great for romantics who love a romance trope that is a slow burn. I've loved being in this world with all these characters. The two books before this one were so lovely, and this one was just as fantastic. I adored her previous novels, and while this one could be a stand-alone, I truly think I appreciated it more, knowing the cast of characters. If you love friends to lovers, a good slow burn, and big happy chosen family vibes, A Guide to Being Just Friends is a must-read.

4.5 stars ⭐️. I really enjoyed this book. I thought that it was so cute and loved Hailey.

This book gave me very similar vibes to "The Cheat Sheet" by Sarah Adams. It had very similar themes and plot but with enough differences to make it its own different story. If you liked "The Cheat Sheet" I would definitely recommend this book to you.

Some of the tropes this book had was a rich love interest, strangers to friends to lovers, a possessive and protective guy, closed door, slow burn, and an emphasis on friendships and family throughout the story. Hailey was a very independent woman, who knows what she wants and how to get it. She owns her own salad shop and is very successful with it, some real girl boss energy. This book also had several references to Taylor Swift, which I always love.

The cutest thing ever was when she sent Wes a picture in a dress she loved but was too expensive and then it mysteriously showed up at her door before an event she needed to dress up for.

Overall this book was a super cute romance and I would definitely recommend it. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC. It comes out in January 2023!

Adorable and swoony.

Hailey Sharp moves to a brand new town in California and opens the sweetest salad shop to prove to herself that she could do it. She has sworn off men and is determined to make friends.

Wes Jansen just moved to California from New York to work with his brothers. He has everything planned and doesn’t believe in love.

After a disastrous meet cute, Wes wants to apologize to Hailey. In doing so, they declare themselves friends. However, in the mean time, both begin to realize how much they compliment each other.

I found the beginning of this story a bit repetitive, and slow. However, at the midway point, I was breezing through it.

Slow burn.
Fade to black.
Strangers to friends to lovers.

Sophie Sullivan has nailed it again with her newest novel, A Guide to Being Just Friends. I adored her previous novels and while this one could be a stand alone, I truly think I appreciated it more knowing the cast of characters. Wes, the oldest brother in a family of successful men, doesn’t seem to understand love and despite watching his two younger brothers find their partners. But when he keeps crossing paths with Hailey, a new in town entrepreneur, he can’t help but wonder if he’s had it wrong all along. A love story that definitely begins as friends, this slow burn romance was delightful. Sullivan creates a cast of characters that make me want to be friends with and a setting that seems believable and enchanting. All the stars for A Guide to Being Just Friends from one of Sophie Sullivan’s biggest fans.

A sincere thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc of A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan
.
Pub date: Jan 17, 2023
Quick thoughts: loved it, would reread it, made me smile
.
This book follows Hailey and Wes and is the third in a companion series following the Jansen Brothers. This book just might be my favourite! Swipe to read the synopsis.
.
This one is so cute! Not only did I love meeting Hailey and Wes but I was so happy to revisit the characters from the other novels- this series has a great cast of characters who are fully rounded.
.
Here are a few of the things I loved:
-the awkward meet cute
-friends to more
-good communication and a conflict that was plausible and that it occurred at a good point in the novel
-mutual pining
-characters were called out in things that made me go hmmm
-some swoony romance
.
I definitely recommend for you to pick this series up!

4.5 stars. This was a cute, fun story with fun banter and slow burn, which I can never resist. The ending was so well done, too.

Hailey is relatively new to the area and determined to make her Salad shop business thrive.
Wes recently moved to California from New York for his family & just wants to partner with his brothers on investments. After a very bad “meet cute”, the two eventually become friends… and more…

Friends to Lovers trope can be one of my favorites because you get to see the relationship build. I absolutely adored the relationship between Hailey & Wes, both as friends and as lovers. I cried when they had their predictable break up (breakup was predictable, but what caused it was not) and I cried again when they got back together.

Definitely a 4 star read - I really enjoyed it and did not want to put it down.

Sophie Sullivan is a fantastic author, whose writing style hits me right in the feels. This is a third part to a series, but each book is a standalone. And doesn’t necessarily rely on the previous book. Just don’t read this one first. 😂

Now excuse me while I go read “How to Love Your Neighbor” so I can say that I’ve read the complete series. 😏

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC for my honest review!

After a less than pleasant meeting, Hailey Sharp and Wes Jensen really don't expect to run into each other again. When life keeps throwing them into each others paths, they realize they actually click really well and easily become close friends. These two are determined to only stay friends. Hailey is busy building up her new salad shop, and Wes has enough trauma to deter him from ever wanting to love. The closer they get, the harder it is to follow the guide they've made up for themselves, and can't deny the feelings that are there.

SOPHIE SULLIVAN DID IT AGAIN!! She captured everything I love in a friends to lovers book. The slow burn was done so well, and you barely felt it because the friendship developed was perfection. Sullivan also brought back our favourite characters from the first two books as big parts of Hailey and Wes' story. I highly recommend reading Sullivan's other two books first to get a full feel for how important these characters and their stories come together.

When it came to romance, Wes and Hailey had so much healing to do within themselves. My sweet sweet, protective, and scared Wes had to really go through it in this book. His heart is so big, and I fell in love with him right away. I loved Hailey and her headstrong attitude. Watching her not only thrive with her business, but find a family in a new city had me crying happy tears for her.

I did not realize this was the third book in a series when I picked it up, but I enjoyed this one so much that I will definitely be reading the first two. The entire friend group in the book was so much fun that I want to go read their stories as well.

Wes and Hailey were such sweet and likable main characters, both fiercely independent and more than a little stubborn. I loved the premise of them building a friendship and truly getting to know each other without immediately jumping into a romantic relationship. The slow burn definitely created some good tension but also gave them a realistic and solid base for any future relationship that may happen. The stubbornness of both MCs was a little too much for me at some points, but I think that has more to do with my personality than with the characters themselves.

Overall, this was a perfect, easy-to-read rom-com. Sophie Sullivan is an excellent writer and did a great job bringing all of the characters to life!

𝔸 𝔾𝕦𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝔹𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨

Have you read any of the other Jansen brothers books? This was my first!

It was not until I finished this eARC that I discovered that this is actually a book in a series! The book stood well on its own and I did not need the backstories to enjoy this book.

During an incredibly (awkward?) meet cute, Hailey and Wes think they will never run into one another again but what fun would that be?! It seems they are running into each other all over, so they put that awkwardness aside and become “just friends”

Wes starts to help Hailey with improvements on her new business, By the Cup, and as they spend more and more time together, they cannot ignore the feelings they are building.

This was a sloooooow burn (honestly a little too slow for me and I worried they were too far into the friend zone to make it work) but Sophie Sullivan was able to ease them into that friends to lovers niche.

I definitely want to read more of her books!

Thank you NetGally and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this eARC for my honest review.

This one publishes January 16, 2023 🥗
.
.
.
#jansenbrothers #aguidetobeingjustfriends #netgalley #honestreview #bookreview #earc #netgalleyreview #friendstolovers #

This was such a cute rom-com that had a semi-meet-cute 🥸, a slow-burn/friends-to-lovers scenario❤️‍🔥, and lots of characters from Sophie Sullivan’s other novels 📚

If you’ve been here since the start of my bookstagram you’ll remember that I’ve read her other novels about the Jansen brothers and LOVED them 😍

Wes and Hailey’s banter as best friends was so entertaining and adorable 😊🗣, I was rooting for them to get out of the ⚠️ friend zone ⚠️every step of the way.

⭐️ My favorite part of this novel was exploring how Wes and Hailey both came from homes that had their fair share of dysfunction growing up 💔 and seeing how they met each challenge as they figured out their Guide to Being Just Friends ❤️‍🩹 It was such a fun and heart-wrenching experience 🥹

📖: This book officially publishes on January 17, 2023! I can’t wait to hear what you all think of it 💕💕

Tropes:
✔️Slow Burn
✔️Strangers to Friends to Lovers

Hailey Sharp finds herself in a very awkward meet cute with Wes Jansen. Wes thinks Hailey is purposely ignoring him when in reality, she was just there on her break! Disastrous & embarrassing first impressions? YES! Wes later finds out that he was actually wrong, so he goes to Hailey to apologize for his behavior and ends up leaving with a new friend. Can their friendship turn to more? Possibly but Hailey doesn't want the distractions from her new business venture and Wes.. well, he just doesn't believe in love. Nothing can possibly go wrong. :)

First & Foremost let's start with the pros..

Pros:
I LOVED the friendships here. The girlies taking Hailey in and instantly becoming besties is something that we all wished happened in real life. #GirlsSupportingGirls!
Hella boss babes and look, I'm here for it and FULLY stan.

Do it for THE BANTER!
ok, the banter between the 3 brothers is just freaking cute. The way they got on each other is just hilarious but the way they were there, for one another other, is what I loved to see. Noah & Chris telling Wes to "wake the F up", is what siblings and family is all about, some tough love to see perspective.

Independent Woman!
Hailey's independence is something that I admired fully. It's still tricky trying to succeed without anyones help but it's harder acknowledging that help doesn't mean we've failed, it just means our support system wants to see us excel in whatever journey we choose to take.

Wes: "It isn't because you weren't enough, Hailey. It's because I'm terrified you could become everything."
(SWOON EMOJI HERE!)

Look, this is where things get a little tricky ok? I did NOT know that this was a part of a series, so let me first clear that up. This is the 3rd book in a series of 3 brothers. I did not know this until after the fact, and maybe I should've researched that before requesting this book BUT the cover and blurb got me so I requested it.
With that being said, this is some of my cons

Cons:
There was a jumble of characters that was hard to remember who was with who.
IT WAS A SLOW BURN....... ok, moving on.
The Guide. The premise of this book, was only mentioned a couple of times. 3 tops? It could've mentioned their rules in some form, or what they added to it as their friendship blossomed into a relationship.

Maybe I'd enjoy some other books from this author but this was not it for me. But you never know, you may love this.

*I was sent this copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The first 10% of the book was so promising. Awkward meet-cute. Promise of an adorable circle of friends. Hardworking MCs with an eccentric friendship. This was everything I had been looking for in a palate cleanser from my normal fantasy genre... Until it wasn't. It was so slow, I oftentimes found myself just skimming for the whitty banter I was promised in the first few pages. I found the "slow-burn" took on a new definition and was excruciatingly painful at best. I was really disappointed, as this was one of my newly anticipated reads.

When the book did center around the two MCs, it was great! Everything I hoped and dreamed! So for that, it gets 3⭐ but boy, was it a struggle to get there.

Thank you Netgalley!
I Loved. This. Book!
So many thoughts!
Wes-I think he’s my favorite brother! He’s nerdy and smart and a little awkward and totally blows their first meet. How could I not love him??
Hailey-I like how strong she is, yet vulnerable … and okay with that.

Their relationship is probably one of the the BEST friends to more tropes that I’ve read. Their love really was based on friendship and they were REAL friends, knowing each other’s not so great qualities and being friends anyway. It made it more believable and oh so much sweeter when they finally admitted how they felt.
Speaking of…that scene got me, when feelings were said aloud…
I’ll definitely be rereading this and the rest of the series. ☺️

This book was really sweet. I felt like the beginning was a little rough, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The characters were lovable, and the friendship turned romance is always a favorite trope of mine. This definitely makes me wish I had read the other books in the series, so it looks like I’ve got some reading to do!

this book is so cute and sweet it has me squealing and tearing up. i love everything about this. i love the slow burn, the friendship, the built up. it's everything that i want in a book.

the only criticism i have is sometimes the sentences in the paragraphs are not connected. some can be cut into two and some can be edited to flow better. but that's it.

i recommend this to anyone who wants a cute romcom book