Such a fun romance. If you enjoy friends to lovers, this is a great read. 2 people who don't want a relationship, but can't stay apart. Can they really remain just friends?

I did not realize just how much of a slow burn this would be and truth be told thats just not my jam. Like so slow that I didnt really feel the connection between the fmc and mmc. I also really had trouble connecting with the fmc and I know its nice to make the female character stubborn and hard headed but sometimes it backfires

While this book is part of a series, it certainly works as a standalone. I was excited for this book to come out as I had enjoyed the previous one in the series. Unfortunately, this story was just not for me.
I liked the initial idea of MC's Wes and Hailey working on becoming best friends, since neither were interested in a relationship, they were new to town, etc. I found their weekly grocery shopping trips and movie nights adorable. However, the fact that this was such a slooooooooooooow burn nearly killed me. And then the fact that it went completely fade to black??? No. I would have thrown the book if it hadn't been on my kindle.
Those things can be forgiven for great characters, though. But I struggled with how much the story focused on Hailey's new business. I'm sorry, I simply cannot get that excited about salads. I just can't. And good grief, can Wes please just go to therapy? How did he not have therapy after his parent's divorce? How had no one suggested that to him in his whole life? HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A MILLENNIAL AND WE ALL LOVE THERAPY! Anyways, the idea of the story was much cuter than what was written. I almost wish it could be redone to match the energy of book 2, which I liked a lot more.

When I started reading this book, I did not realize there was going to be a connection with previous books, but I was pleased when I realized that Wes’ brother Noah and his girlfriend Grace were the Grace and Noah from “How to Love Your Neighbor”, which was an enjoyable rom-com. It was nice to revisit old book friends (Grace, Noah, Morty, Tilly), so to speak.

Friends to lovers is a fairly common romance novel theme, but usually it involves people who have been friends for a long time realizing that there is something more between them. What I particularly liked about this book was that Hailey and Wes, once they got past the initial awkwardness of how they first met, set about forming a friendship with no intentions or expectations of more. And much of the story focuses on how that friendship developed and evolved, and the numerous positives for Hailey and Wes that the friendship brought about. I enjoyed the banter and teasing, and how they took the friendship seriously but also had fun with it, such as the creation of the Guide to Being Just Friends.

To be completely transparent, this book was not for me. I did appreciate the fact that the characters went from strangers to friends to lovers. I feel like a lot of the time, friends to lovers romances begin with a pre-established friendship before the book begins. so that was a nice change of pace. The pacing of the book just did not work for me personally. I had a really hard time getting into it because the beginning just seemed really slow to me. I am also not a fan of third-act breakups as it feels very overdone. As far as contemporary romance books go though, this could definitely be someone else’s cup of tea. It just wasn’t for me.

A Guide to be long Just Friends is a playful and fun read. I always love myself a romcom and usually it’s a go to if I feel like I’m in a reading rut. I felt like this book was cute while also emotional but it was just too slow for me. I usually like myself a slow burn but for some reason it did take me a bit before getting into it. I still enjoyed the read and I will still read this authors books in the future. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins press for the opportunity to read and review it honestly.

While I enjoyed the story, I didn’t feel the chemistry between Wes and Hailey. I did enjoy their friendship though. I almost stopped reading at the halfway point, but decided to keep going. The second half was better than the first half, though I would have been ok not finishing. While this one didn’t quite work for me, if you’re a fan of friends to lovers that is low on the drama, you might enjoy this one.

friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes so I had really high expectations for this one. Although I usually enjoy childhood friends to lovers more, I liked seeing the main characters Wes and Hailey become friends. One thing that I need for friends to lovers is the angst that comes with figuring out if they could ever be more and I wish there was more of that in this story. I did not enjoy the third act conflict although I realized for the miscommunication it was necessary it still felt easily resolved for the reason behind it. Other than those two things I think it was a quick light read and that cute moments and it was enjoyable seeing the characters from the other Jansen brothers books come together.

I enjoyed this book so much! I had a lot of fun getting to know Wes and Hailey but had no idea it was part of a series!
I love this slow burn, it was perfectly paced and yes a little frustrating at times but loved the characters, the plot and the overall development of the story. Felt like I could feel their feelings and got so excited whenever they got closer. The side characters also were amazingly written and I will definitely checking out the other books!

I’m so happy to have finished the Jansen Brothers series! I enjoyed these three brothers!

I’m not always a fan of friends to lovers, but this one was fun! The meet cute at the beginning was something different and led to a great friendship - even if they were both hiding their feelings for each other. I enjoyed how their story fell into place, however I think there were a few unanswered questions and I wanted more from Wes.

Read if you like:
🥗friends-to-lovers
🥗slow burn
🥗closed door romance

Check out Wes and Hailey now, and don’t forget to read Chris and Everly’s and Noah and Grace’s stories!

I did receive an advance copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

For all lovers of "When Harry Met Sally," this book is the perfect pick-up when you're craving your next rom-com read.

I had such high hopes to absolutely love this friends to lovers book however had an impossible time connecting with the characters.

I hadn’t read the first two books in the series and felt at a disadvantage, wishing I had known more about the brothers!

Read if vou like:
- slow burn
- friends to lovers
- a closer door romance

Hailey is a small business owner of her new shop, By the Cup. It's all about getting that business off the ground for her. She doesn't want distractions. Wes Jansen has never understood the big deal about relationships. The pain from his parents' angry divorce lingers around him, and he'd rather have companionship, not passion. When Hailey and Wes meet, it's a disastrous meet cute that was never intended for them. When he tracks her down to apologize, they become friends. Just friends, because that's all it can be. After all, Hailey doesn't want distractions, and Wes doesn't want to fall in love.

This took me a lot longer to read than it normally would've because of a lack of free time, but it was enjoyable. I struggled a bit getting into it in the beginning because of how slow the slow burn was. However, once I felt connected to the characters, I flew through the rest. I'm completely sure that I wouldn't have had such a hard time reading if I had read the other two books about the other brothers first. This would have given me at least a tiny connection to Wes. It was very slow and there was a lot of miscommunication between them which makes it hard for me to want to see how it ends.

With that being said, once the ball gets rolling, this is such a cute story! Sullivan writes beautifully, and there are so many different characters that everyone can relate to. Big thanks to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

*Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for an e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This is the second Sophie Sullivan book I have been offered an early copy of to review and I can say that I have pleasantly enjoyed both books.

In this book our main character, Hailey, owns a newly opened salad shop that she is trying to get off the ground. A big part of this story is her fighting to build her brand as a salad shop owner and reading about that was one of my favorite aspects of this book. I found it so fun to hear the fun things that happened to help her build her business. I also really enjoyed that this was a strangers to friends to lovers trope. The fact that their friendship took up a bulk of the story and was really nice. I do think he said a lot of stupid things right towards the end, but the resolution happened fairly quickly. I am giving this book 4 stars.

There is still one book in this companion series following the Jansen brothers that I will be reading, so that I can have the full complete story of each brother.

I liked this book however I dont think it was really for me I think for anyone else they would of loved it the writing was excellent just wasn't for me

A charming, feel-good romance that leaves you wanting more! I thoroughly enjoyed A Guide to Being Just Friends! The novel is very smartly written and gave me the warm and fuzzies like the best Hallmark movie. I finished the book wanting more - and feeling fully vested in Hailey and Wes's relationship. The only thing that bothered me is I hadn't yet read the stories of the other Jansen brothers' path to love - I've been missing out! :) Have ordered Sophie Sullivan's other books and will be no doubt devouring them!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC! This book was a quick read for me but unfortunately hit the mark. I love a good friends to lovers trope but was expecting more of a childhood friends to lovers trope from the title.

“All these years, I've been trying to figure myself out. Turns out I should have just taken a Cosmo quiz.”

I always find myself chuckling when it comes to Sophie Sullivans writing. I think she writes characters that are witty, and definitely unique. I also enjoyed the fact that this wasnt the normal friends to lovers in the sense that they have been friends since childhood, but rather they both developed their friendship and eventually relationship as adults. I wasnt the biggest fan of the conflict in the third act, but also I can see why they needed it in order to strengthen their relationship in the end.

Massive gratitude to the author, published, and NetGalley for the advanced read. These are my honest opinions.

Wes and Hailey are now one of my new favorite literary couples, an unlikely pairing, but one that just happens to work. Wes is your stereotypical tech geek, that views everything in his life, including his relationships from a technical and analytical lens. Then there is Hailey, the quirky salad shop owner, that is wears her heart on her sleeve and despite a former toxic relationship, still believes in a happily ever after.

After a less than ideal first encounter, these two end up forming a close friendship. And to preserve that friendship, they concoct a guide to help them. But, admittedly, though sometimes mentioned, as a reader, I actually forgot there was even a guide to begin with. This is something the author could have fleshed out further, however, it does not take away from the storyline.

The novel follows the gradual evolution of this friendship into a romance. And to my delight, the story did not end with a huge confess of love and that being it. It also delved into navigating the path from friends to lovers. And how it is not as simple as either character believed it would be.

It's a slow-burn, fade-to-black, cozy rom-com that is perfect for a weekend read.

My only qualm was actually with the ending. *spoiler incoming*

Wes had massive hesitations with marriage and children due to his father being a serial cheater. And he makes this known to Hailey when she confesses her love for him, which leads to their break-up. Once they do get back together, Wes does state how though he does want marriage and children, it would take a while to get their relationship there, from my understanding. Once the story wraps, in the epilogue, which is about a year later, the couple is engaged. Their engagement was a bit unexpected, considering Wes' previous hesitations. If the author had included snippets of conversations or events that encouraged Wes to make this leap, it would have made the engagement make more sense.

Other than that qualm, this is one of my favorite reads of 2023. Highly recommend.

So wonderful! It gave me all the fuzzies. I love friends-to-lovers and this one didn't diasppoint me!