This book was so much fun. It was predictable, but cute and quirky. Even though I didn't love the inevitable last act conflict, it redeemed itself with the ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I really enjoyed the narration of this and I've never craved a salad more!

I didn't know that this was part of a series but it was a fine story. I wished the two main characters were too self-loathing for like 60% of the book which was kind of annoying. I did like the connection they made at the end. I wished they got together sooner though.

This book was super interesting, and I loved the characters and their conflicts. While it is a great character driven book, I felt it fall short in many places. The story didn't start very strong, and the diverse cast was a little difficult to grasp. The second act seemed to drag at multiple instances, but I loved the ending so much.

I can't begin to tell you how brilliant these characters were, and I must say, kudos to the author for such beautifully fleshing them out. The plot wasn't so impactful, so I feel in different external situations, this could have been much better. Nevertheless, reading and listening to this was a joyful experience as I rooted for Wes and Hailey's relatable, slow paced romance. The chemistry between all the characters was great to read, specifically Wes's brothers- Noah and Chris. The backstories for Wes and Hailey were bang on and I loved how it shaped their personalities and fears.

Speaking of the narrators, I enjoyed listening to Stephanie Willing, but didn't feel the same about Timothy Andrés Pabon. Stephanie, in my opinion, voiced the characters with ease and grace, and I found it easy to differentiate between characters. Timothy failed to do just that, and I found myself the narrators to switch between chapters. I attempted a mix of listening and reading, which made my experience more cherishing.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ALC in exchange for an honest review.

A Guide To Being Just Friends is an adorable meet cute novel sure to delight romantic comedy readers of all ages. It follows Hailey Sharp and Wes Jansen as they both decide that love isn’t in their immediate future. Hailey is just getting out of a bad relationship and starting a new business, while Wes has no interest in finding love and vows to be just friends. Through many twists and turns we see their relationship develop. This is truly a feel good book that so many readers will enjoy. It’s a bit predictable, but the journey is worth it. What a cute sweet read!

This is the third book in the Jansen Brothers series, but can be read as a standalone. I have not read the first two books in the series but this book was very enjoyable and it makes me want to read the first two books.

This is a cute, fluffy, slowburn friends to lovers romance with a HEA. I loved the fact that we got to see the progression of Wes and Hailey's friendship before they even got together over a long time period. The story was well developed and I enjoyed all the characters, especially the side characters Noah and Chris. Overall, this was a sweet friends to lovers romance and I am excited to read more books by Sophie Sullivan.

Also I think listening to this book has impacted my rating as the narrators made it very fun and entertaining which made me realize that I really enjoy the friends to lovers trope.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this audiobook arc!

I am a sucker for audiobooks. It’s like having a little movie in your ear. Even better when the audiobook is a fun, heartwarming romance told from two narrator points of view. “A Guide to Being Just Friends” is book #3 in the Jansen Brothers series by Sophie Sullivan. After I started listening to this book I realized I had previously read book #1 in this series. While I wasn’t a fan of the first book and had never read the second book, I decided to give this third book a chance. While this book can be read as a standalone, I prefer to read most series in order.

In this story we have the perky, sweets-loving, salad shop owner Hailey and introverted, wealthy, techie business-owner Wes. After their first awkward encounter, they decide to remain just friends. Both are new in the area and have negative past relationship experiences that made them not want to mess up a great friendship with romance. They set out to prove that, unlike in “When Harry Met Sally,” men and women CAN just be friends. But just like in the famous movie, these two protagonists slowly grow to recognize that they are, in fact, falling in love with their friend.

Some friends-to-lovers stories move too slowly or fail to give the audience enough evidence of their growing love. I felt like the author kept a decent pace in the timeline of their relationship where it did not leave us frustrated at a painfully slow pace nor shock us when they finally confessed their feelings to each other. Both Hailey and Wes come from childhoods where neither truly felt loved by their parents, so naturally they were both wary of damaging their friendship by falling in love. My main complaint about this story would be that Wes and Hailey had a few too many misunderstandings/fights/break ups/reconciliations that could turn off some readers. Personally. It could have moved a little faster to romance with a little more sizzle, but to each their own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced audio book copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love friends-to-lovers romances like this one. Sophie Sullivan made this reading experience perfectly heartwarming and sweet. After meeting in an unconventional but adorable way, Hailey and Wes find themselves becoming best friends. However, they can't help but fall for each other along the way.

I loved Hailey and Wes together. Wes understood Hailey so well despite coming from drastically different backgrounds. He is so compassionate and a true gentleman, it is no wonder Hailey inevitably developed feelings. Every love story has its ups and downs and it wouldn't feel right if they didn't go through some kind of trouble. Although I was a bit upset when they did, I am happy they came out stronger on the other end.

I would definitely be open to reading more of this author's books--especially the other books from this series. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for letting me listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Wes and Hailey's story. She's new to the area, starting over, and restoring her independence, while he's also new to the area but there to support his brothers. Both have seen the worst part of what a relationship-gone-wrong can do to a person, so neither are quick to want anyone new in their lives. But they both realize you can never have too many friends. So, they decide simply to be friends.

But the more time they spend together, the more they each wonder if they haven't made a mistake. After all, how do you get out of the friend zone that you willingly chose to be in, and is it really worth the risk?

This was a truly enjoyable story, and I was sad to reach the end of it. Well done, Sophie Sullivan!

Thank you to the author, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

🌿 REVIEW 🌿

A Guide to Being Just Friends
By Sophie Sullivan

This was a very cute closed door, friends-to-lovers, slow burn rom com! I really liked Sullivan's writing and the whole concept of the book was fun and fresh! And making one of the MCs a salad shop owner!? I didn't even know salad shops were a thing!!! And their oopsies meet cute was so fun!☺️

Full disclosure... I read along with the audiobook -- which was SO well-narrated by the talented Stephanie Willing and Timothy Andrés Pabon -- that I think it REALLY impacted my experience (in a good way)! This is a book that is ENHANCED by the audiobook, for sure!!!

I have read countless reviews for this and many of the criticisms are a matter of preference, while others are actually solid critiques of the book itself. Like the "guide" not being full fleshed out (even though it's the ehhhhmmm TITLE of the book), for example. But I don't often change my rating / review based on others' opinions, so I'm going with my initial reaction here!❤️ I thought this was cute as all get out, and my experience listening along with the audiobook was so enjoyable that I completely glossed over some of the "issues" that prevented this from being a winner for some other readers. Had I read this myself without the audiobook, my rating may have been lower. But as it stands, my experience was a good one! I was smiling all throughout reading/ listening to this! ☺️

I loved both Hailey and Wes! I thought they were well-crafted characters and the overall book was very well written. It was one that pulled me in from the first page and made me want to keep reading/listening to see what happened next! I was fully invested and cared about their outcome, and as a fan of slow burns, I really enjoyed the build up.

This gave me major Sarah Adams vibes and I think her fans would enjoy this one! I do wish I'd read the first two books in the series for more background on Wes and some of the other characters, but it read fine as a standalone. ☺️

Thank you NetGalley, SMP, and Macmillan Audio for my gifted eARC and ALCs in exchange for my honest review ❤️

P.S. the cover designer KILLED IT. This is one of the cutest rom com covers ever! 🙌🏼

This was so cute!! I loved both MCs and the journey they go on. I really appreciated the male MC and his differences and the learning he does through this book, even if I wanted to shake him sometimes. I didn’t know this was technically a third book but I will for sure be reading the second. This is a cute friends to lovers with a bit of a rich guy bit too!

Thank you NetGalley for the audio!

I wasn't the biggest fan of this one. The mutual pining between them as the build up I very much enjoyed, and I was slightly interested in the stories of the Jansen brothers, but other than that nothing really wowed me. There were a lot of moments that both characters /really/ frustrated me and it felt like they were trying really hard to be quirky, which made me cringe. I just wasn't invested in their story, so by the time the third act conflict came around, I was just really angry at them both.

This was such a sweet, cozy slow burn. I love how Sullivan took her time to build both the friendship between the two main characters, and the other relationships in their lives. The romance was closed door and satisfying!

I can't believe I just started this series! I was in a mega book slump and got this audiobook ARC and was immediately hooked. I loved every single character (def started this book on the third in the series but now I'm going to read the first two because I love the Jensen brothers)
This was an amazing slow burn romance and I couldn't decide who I liked more! Arguably both characters had their annoying moments but those issues were solved relatively quickly. Both of the characters were so strong and I enjoyed the switching back and forth of their point-of-views.
My favorite part about this book is that it didn't get boring once they got together! I completely didn't expect the last two issues and they kept me guessing and wanting to know what is next. Unlike other books where you get bored once the main characters finally get together.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is a story about two friends Hailey and Wes. Hailey and Wes become friends and decide they both need to stay friends. Throughout the story they start to have feelings for each other and start to doubt their pact to be just friends.

I did not dislike the story but it was just very generic. There was nothing in this book that makes it stand out in a crowded market of romantic comedies. The characters and story are all passable but they just don’t blossom into anything truly memorable.

As for the narration, Stephanie Willing does a great job at bringing Hailey to life. Her performance was the best part of the book. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for Timothy Andres Pabon as Wes. A good narrator doesn’t just read to you, they perform for you. Pabon will only just read to you, with very little emotion.

If you like romantic comedies then you should check out A Guide to Being Just Friends, but if you are looking for a memorable story then you may need to keep looking.

I don’t know if my opinion on this book was impacted from listening to it versus reading it, but I thought it was better than most of the ratings it’s getting.

Definitely deserving a four stars!

Hailey is sweet and optimistic. This is in spite of past traumas and terrible relationships. Wes is a sweet and likable character, however, it is because of past relationships in his life that he is more of a cynic.

They both learn from each other and develop a strong friendship. Haley hast to learn it’s OK to lean on other people and Wes needs to learn how to have faith in other people.

Absolutely adorable, and listening to it was even better! Fantastic narrators!!!

Thank you NetGalley play the amazing ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

These brothers and their stories are the best. While we’ve fallen for the two younger brothers in their books, Wes will definitely have you falling for him. He definitely is the most loyal and caring brother and wants nothing for happiness for them BUT doesn't think he deserves or can have that same happiness for himself.

Hailey also didn’t have the most warm and loving childhood. Past relationships have lead to a lot of self doubt as well. So between both Wes and Hailey’s pasts they are both quite wary of love. Rather than risk losing each other they decide to being just friends forever.

Join these two on their path to becoming best friends and nothing more.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book early in exchange for a review.

I was really loving this book until about 3/4 of the way through. The characters are charming and I love their banter and friendship. However friends to lovers tropes are hit or miss and this one was a miss. Marriage and babies aren't for everyone and the fact that this hero does a complete 180 on what he wants is very unrealistic and slightly problematic. While his reasons for not wanting to get married are based on life experience, that's a huge hurdle and trauma to overcome that would take far longer than this book allows. The heroine also has some major traumas to deal with and neither of those are really addressed. Also, I don't mind a slow burn romance, but I need a good payoff and this fade to black encounter was not satisfactory in the slightest. Again, I really did enjoy the characters and the development of their relationship, but the outcome was less than pleasing.

So, what happens when you can practically write a book about how to be best friends? Hailey and Wes are so precious, and their slow burn love story was a nice, easy read. Far more sweet than sexy, and the supporting cast of characters had cute love stories as well. This seemed to run just slightly long, but the narrator was wonderful!

Hailey opens up a salad shop and is working toward building a clientele and expanding. She is a bubbly ball of energy that makes you instantly like her. Wesley is financial advisor who invests in businesses. They two have a rough first impression, but quickly become friends. Just friends.
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But if they are just friends.... Why are there so many feelings .
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I was very excited to start a guide to be home just friends. I love friends to lovers. I'm all about a slow burn, however this book felt too slow... It really dragged on for me and fell flat. I didn't feel the chemistry I was hoping to feel. I wish I had read the first two books in the series ass well so I had some more background.
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Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book that comes out in January!

This book reminded me of when harry met sally. I loved how both MC’s created the guide to just being friends and the title says. Friends to lovers, and slow burn are the tropes if that’s your thing. I liked the book. AWESOME narration! Shoutout to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this book.

4 stars!