Oh, how I loved this one. I did not originally realize it was the third in the series, but when I recognized certain characters, I realized I had also read the first two and loved them!

Wes was such a classically good guy and I adored his character. Hailey was a lot of fun as well - I liked that she owned a salad shop instead of a bakery like sooooo many RomCom heroines do (also kind of wished it really existed!). I felt like this tied up the Jansen brothers series well and was a lot of fun to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book was such a cute romance that contained great banter, a salad shop, and baristas who mess up names on coffee cups. What was great about this book was the tension and I appreciate how it could be read as a stand-alone or as part of the series. I loved all of the sweet moments between the large cast of characters, but especially those between Wes and Hailey. The descriptions of the salads were amazing and I wish “By The Cup” was a real store so I could visit and visualize all of the cute scenes that took place in the shop. Although I initially found the dialogue a little awkward, the plot soon swept me away. I look forward to reading any other books that Sophie Sullivan writes. In conclusion, I loved this book and I recommend it to anyone looking for a light, romantic read.

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

Absolutely loved this book. Hailey and Wes had the best banter through out the whole book which made me obsessed with their relationship.

I think Sophie Sullivan is becoming one of my favorite writers! This book was so good, especially Chapter 32, it was so well written I felt like I held my breath the whole time! I liked the growth of Hailey and Wes, I loved their friendship and their support systems! Just what a great book!

This book was cute. It was a little predictable but that made it no less enjoyable to read. The characters were interesting and had depth not always included in rom com books. It makes me want to read Sullivan’s other books. It was a nice and relatively quick read.

Rating : 3 out of 5
Blurbs :
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. 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. No distractions.

Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. With a string of lackluster first dates and the pain from his parents’ angry divorce following him around, he’d much rather find someone who he likes, but won’t love. 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.

What could possibly go wrong?

Thoughts : Everything goes wrong with this book. his is a friends-to-lovers romance book. This book is super safe because there're no graphic smut scene but the reader definitely know that there are smut scenes but the author just skip it. As a romance book, this book definitely slow. I really like the first chapter. It completely sucked me in. Sadly, this kind of romance book is not for me. The pacing is too slow and I don't really like and connect with the characters. They're great characters but to me, they're pretty bland. There's no funny moment (from what I remember) and it's slow and angsty that makes it even harder for me to finish. If you're a fan of clean and angsty romance book, then you'll probably enjoy this book. Unfortunately, I won't read the other books in Jansen Brother saga. The ending and the resolution for the conflicts are not good. It left me annoyed and dissatisfied. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. These opinions expressed are my own.

DNF @24%. This is not for me. I don’t love the writing style. It felt choppy and forced. I kept waiting for it to hook me and it didn’t.

Wes, the oldest Jansen brother, tried to shield his brothers from their parents' fighting as a child and still feels like he needs to protect them from their father's ire as an adult. His childhood caused him to feel that companionship, not love, is the recipe for a successful partnership aka marriage. When he meets Hailey, the owner of By the Cup, and she is desperately in need of business advice, he forms a friendship with her and starts to help with her shop. However, what he feels for Hailey feels a lot like attraction, which is not something Wes was expecting or wanting.

I absolutely loved being back with the Jansen brothers! I loved being able to see more of the brothers' interactions than we did in the prior two books, and I enjoyed seeing the happy couples and the continuation of their love stories. This is absolutely readable as a stand-alone, but I think it is richest when read alongside Sophie's other two books about the Jansen brothers.

I think I officially love the friends to lovers trope. I loved watching Hailey and Wes' friendship develop throughout the story. I also really enjoyed how Hailey's store By the Cup was centric to the story development. I enjoyed the new recipes, new employees, and increased foot traffic that we got to see, and I celebrated Hailey's successes. I think that Wes' involvement with her store allowed their relationship to have an organic and sweet growth since they always had something to talk about and a common focus.

Overall this was such a sweet book and I will absolutely read it again. I think rom com lovers will enjoy it a lot.

Thank you to St Martins Griffin for an e-arc. All thoughts are my own!

I am not a huge romance reader, but this book was great. I absolutely loved it, I loved the friends to lovers storyline, the family vibes, and the dual POVs from both Wes and Hailey. Sophie Sullivan fans are in for a treat with this book. I definitely recommend this book to others. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC.

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. Got me smiling. It was just so, so cute.

First of all, I adored the Taylor Swift references. They got me every time. We love a Swiftie, Sophie Sullivan.

Next, Leo. I loved him. I want a book about Leo. I do wish he was a bit more fleshed out and we got to see more of him, but I did enjoy what we got.

I also really, really liked the dynamic the brothers had with each other. I haven't read the other books, but there is a strong likelihood of me going back to read them just because I really liked what we got of their relationship.

Okay, now for what I did NOT like.

Squishy Cat Industries. What kind of name is that?! Honestly, feel like we could have done 100x better than this. It just made me angry every time it came up in the story.

Hailey. I know, she's the main character. Most of the time she was likable. But she just kept pushing Wes away when he was being so sweet and caring and it just made me mad. I did like Wes though and he made up for it.

Overall, twas a great time.

When I requested this novel, I had no idea that it was part of a series. I haven’t read any of Sophie Sullivan’s other books, and only realized it while reading it. That being said: I was lucky enough to read this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Early reviews are important for a books success, so I decided to read it anyways, and think that the book was a good stand alone. I’m sure there were Easter eggs to the other books that would have made more sense. Overall it was still easy to follow.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is an easy read. It’s cute, and swoony. Slow burn, friends to lovers trope, and a tale of finding yourself. Getting over past trauma and hurt, and ultimately finding yourself in love.

It’s a cute book, and I’m interested to read about Wes’s brothers now as well. I probably would start with those novels, but it’s not going to stop you from understanding the book.

SOPHIE SULLIVAN DID IT AGAIN!! I’ve loved her last two books and this was no different. 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 perfect. Sullivan also brought back our favorite characters from the first two books as big parts of Hailey and Wes' story. I would definitely recommend reading Sullivan's other two books first to get a full feel for how important these characters and their stories come together. I love Wes. 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 love this book and can’t recommend it enough!

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A GUIDE TO BEING JUST FRIENDS
By Sophie Sullivan
3/5

There were a lot of things I loved about this book. I was rooting for Hailey to get her happily ever after from the start. I thought her character was so lovely and I really appreciated her drive and motivation as a small business owner fighting to make her way. I *love* when food serves as a plot point in books. There were lots of food descriptions that left me hungry, literally. The found family trope is one that always leaves me feeling those happy-gushy feelings for the characters.

I didn’t love Wes as a character. I really wanted to but I just wasn’t vibing with him. Because of that, the dual pov (which I typically love) just didn’t do it either. I wanted more of Hailey. I also felt like there were just a few too many characters looped in. However, I read this as a stand-alone so I didn’t have the same level of buy-in I would had I read the other two books in the series. Note: I don’t believe you have to read them first, as they all follow different characters.

All in, I thought this book was super great and entertaining. Three stars is still a really great read in my book. 💗

Read this if you love:
♥️ slow burn
♥️ friends to lovers
♥️ found family
♥️ dual pov

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review will be posted on @booklovingtaylor in August 2022 and Goodreads on July 20, 2022.

This book was super cute and I could not put it down. I adored this story- and I loved the main characters. I enjoyed their friends and family characters in this novel. I thought that the author did a great job of balancing the romance portion with the small business that the female main character was developing. The one thing that I was missing was that I wish that the author leaned more into the guide that the characters were developing; it was mentioned only a few times.

A GUIDE TO BEING JUST FRIENDS is a simmering romance about a couple interested only in being friends. Each have soured on love and commitment after painful results with exes. Plus, Wes' parents fought a lot, are divorced and it emotionally affected him. He is the oldest of two younger brothers. He protected his brothers from their dad, receiving the brunt of his dad's wrath. Wes recently relocates to San Verde, California to connect with his brothers and dodge his dad's demands. He joins his brothers in their new business.

Hailey is also new in town, having recently escaped a difficult relationship. She is getting her new business, By The Cup salad shop, up and running. At the bakery next door, she meets Wes in a mix-up blind date that wasn't even supposed to happen. Wes has foot-in-mouth disease, they part upset, hoping never to meet again. Only fate has other plans!

Hailey doesn't want any distractions, focusing on her business. Same goes for Wes. He is solely invested in his brother's business. Neither wants anything to do with love and are happy being friends. Only, Hailey makes heart eyes whenever Wes is around. Wes is glued to Hailey's side when she's near. It's obvious to everyone but them how perfect they are together. Will these two obstinate love birds ever get together?

A GUIDE TO BEING JUST FRIENDS is a rule book on how to be friends with the one you love. Wes and Hailey are best friends. Neither wants anything more, convinced commitment leads to disaster. As they grow closer, it becomes harder to stay in the friend territory when they obviously want to kiss! This is a charming slow-burn romance. Ms. Sullivan does an excellent job leaving the reader to wonder if they ever become lovers. This is the last book in her series and I loved it! I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the brothers' lives as well. A GUIDE TO BEING JUST FRIENDS is swoony with just enough sauce. Delightful!

Rom-com written for a younger adult audience. Not a bad books but not a big fan
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own

Hailey is a small salad shop owner; Wes is a wealthy tech guru. In their meet cute, Wes mistakes Hailey for his blind date, but ultimately befriends Hailey. Hailey has just suffered a bad breakup and Wes’s parents divorce still haunts him. They decide it’s best to be “just friends” as neither wants to be romantically involved.

They schedule “dates” with each other, but keep everything at a friendship level. Grocery shopping together, playing video games, and dinner and movie nights. Trying their best not to mix business and pleasure. Will they fall in love?

This book was really hard for me to get into. The story felt more like a YA book and was very predictable. I grew tired of hearing about Haileys horrible ex and about Wes’s parents failed relationship and toxic father.

The “dates” over the holidays were cute. I enjoyed the detailed scenes at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Overall the book pulled through, with an ending classic of a rom com.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Where to begin with Wes Jansen? The oldest brother, but the final love story. We first meet Wes in Ten Rules for Faking It, where he helps his hapless youngest brother, Chris win over Everly by first coming up with a Bachelorette style dating app. Then we see Wes again in How To Love Your Neighbor as the constant, far-away voice of reason for his middle brother, Noah. Now, Wes has made the move to California to be closer to his brothers and unknowingly find his own happily ever after.

Being the oldest child of divorce, and business-minded at heart, Wes has no plans to fall for Hailey Sharp, the girl he first mistakenly thinks is a blind date standing him up from the world of dating apps. Realizing she is in-fact NOT the elusive Hayden days later, Wes sets out to make amends and ends up becoming friends with. Hailey is in no mood to find love again after a bad long-term relationship ended with her vapid, actor ex, Dorian. She's content making new friends in a new town and building her empire of salads with her shop By The Cup. With the help of Wes, and Chris, and Noah, and Everly, and Grace, and Tara, and Stacey, and Rob, Hailey finds more than friendship and business success in San Verde. But can Wes and Hailey put their own barriers down long enough to realize they're MFEO?

I fell in love with Sophie Sullivan's world of the Jansen brothers on page one of Ten Rules for Faking It. Seeing Chris, Noah, and Wes evolve through these books has been a pure pleasure - and a pleasure I didn't have to wait as long for thanks to the ARC I received. Sophie has a natural talent for creating laugh-out-loud awkward moments turn into hand-slapping-your-chest-catching-your-breath sweet moments turn into WHAT-ARE-YOU-DOING moments all within the span of two pages. The love stories in these books are what Hallmark movies are made of. Fans of slow burn, closed door romance books will find no greater read than a Sophie Sullivan Jansen brother book. My only wish is that they had cousins so Fiona and Tara could get their Jansen HEAs too.

Super cute rom-com with a decent amount of drama that kept me reading. Hailey and Wes were a great couple and I loved that they started as best friends. I loved Hailey as a character, especially her independence. Wes was a little hard to take at some points in the story, but I liked him overall.

The writing was excellent and I will definitely be adding this book to my shelf when it is released. 4.5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hailey Sharp has moved to a new city and started her own Salad shop in hopes for a fresh start. Wealthy Wes Jansen has also recently moved to town to help his brothers grow their business.
After a disastrous meet-cute the two realize they need a friend, so that is what they become, friends. After being there for one another through highs and lows, the two start to realize maybe there are more feelings involved in this friendship.

This was a closed-door, slow-burn rom-com that was filled with many cute moments. I loved the way Hailey and Wes really did find value within their friendship and they wanted to make sure by following their feeling they kept that relationship protected. This was a fun read with many sweet and funny moments, definitely recommend picking this one up!