I love how sweet Sophie's books are. I love getting a peak at the other couples. While I liked this one, I think Chris and everly are still my fave. Wes really needed to learn how to communicate /accept feelings. I don't usually read closed doors but I really enjoyed all the build up and how hailey makes a home for herself. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed with all the main conflict being in the final 20%, but overall a good book! Big thanks to NetGalley for the Audio ARC. it was good!

Posted to goodreads, amazon and bookbub

A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan
Narrated by Stephanie Willing and Timothy Andres Pabon

When I requested this audiobook from NetGalley, I didn’t realize that A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan was third in a series. It’s not classified as a series on Amazon, but it is, and I did feel like I missed out on some important background information about the hero Wes, since the previous two books were about his siblings.

That being said, it was still a cute listen. Hailey is new to town, starting her own business, By The Cup, which features some delicious, unique sounding salads in a cup. Much of the story is about her business which I enjoyed, but I think it may have been to the detriment of the romance.

After a disastrous meet-cute, Wes and Hailey became friends, in fact, she became friends with his entire friend group and I really liked that for her. Friends became something more, but I never really felt it. I felt like they never fully connected, or maybe it was me never fully connecting to any of the characters.

Likes:
•I love her salad shop. Some of the salads sound yummy!
•I liked the concept for the book. It had a good storyline.
•I enjoyed reading about the struggles of starting a business (been there, done that).
•Some good side characters, especially the ones who worked in her shop.
•I enjoyed the relationship between the brothers.

Dislikes:
•I never FELT in this book. Perhaps it was a lack of connection to the characters.
•The “Guide” mentioned in the title was mentioned like once or twice and then never fully fleshed out.
•She was ridiculously stubborn about accepting help. A good businessman knows to take what you can.
•Amazon should clearly label this as book 3, because I felt like I missed some important background information.
•This is a clean romance with some suggestive moments, but perhaps I needed passion to feel the connection more.

The Narration:
Stephanie Willing and Timothy Andrés Pabon are both new to me, and though they narrated just fine, I felt like there was something missing. The delivery was a bit dry, but that could have been because the story was as well. I think I would read this one instead of listen.

The Down & Dirty:
I liked A Guide to Being Just Friends. At no time did I think of DNFing, but I never quite connected with the book. I never felt the couple’s connection either. Part of this may be because I didn’t read the first two in the series, but since Hailey is new to town, that shouldn’t affect my connection with her, but I just never quite felt it. I really enjoyed reading about her salad business, but the romance was just kind of lackluster for me.

Rating: 3 Stars, 3.5 narration, 0 Heat

I was so so obsessed with this story. The unfortunate and awkward not so meet cute really set the tone for me and I found it so funny. The humor and genuine friendship between the two main characters made me really love them together. As someone who’s not the biggest fan of the friends to lovers trope, this book really ticked all the boxes for me and I really enjoyed the incorporation of the couples from the previous books in the series.

I love this author's writing style and appreciate the slow-burn trope. Wes and Hailey wanting to be "just friends" made me laugh from the start ... we all know where that will go, right? But the story didn't feel as predictable as I ... predicted. I really enjoyed the main characters and the journey they took, both together and separate!

A GUIDE TO BEING JUST FRIENDS was absolutely adorable! The third in the Jansen Brothers series, it could be read as a standalone, but I loved being reunited with some of the characters from the previous books.

I read as an audiobook and enjoyed the narrator choice, Stephanie Willing and Timothy Andrés Pabon. Alternating POVs and told in third person, this helped to differentiate between the two characters stories.

*many thanks to Macmillan Audio and netgalley for the gifted copy for review

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the third book in the Jansen Brothers series, but it can be read as a standalone. As you probably guessed from the title of the book, this romance plays on the friends to lovers trope and for the most part succeeds.
Hailey Sharp left Hollywood and a bad, unhealthy relationship to settle in the Southern California town of San Verde, where she opens a salad shop. She is determined to succeed and wants to it all on her own. I really liked Hailey as a character. She is completely down to earth and is a character that I found myself easily to root for.
Wesley Jansen is a wealthy businessman and New York City transplant who heads the intriguingly named Squishy Cat Industries with his two brothers. Being the eldest, Wesley has always sheltered his younger brothers from his parents ugly divorce. His parents rocky relationship has left him weary about making commitments in the romance realm.
After getting off on the wrong foot, Hailey and Wesley strike up a fast friendship since both are not ready for a full blown relationship. I loved watching them together and help support one another, though I often felt that Wesley tended to go overboard several times. They of course struggle unsuccessfully to fight their growing attraction, which leads to the rocky road of relationship. While I enjoyed the first part of the story which took its time in establishing a friendship, the actual relationship part of the story went too fast for me. I also wished there was more showing than telling about Hailey's terrible relationship before she met Wesley and Wesley's background. There were moments that felt a bit too repetitive and the pacing kind of dragged for me. There are, however, definitely some great moments that made smile and laugh out loud. I also liked some of the secondary characters too. This is a low steam romance where the physical moments were just limited to kissing. Overall this is a breezy, easy to read romance.

I read this series backwards! I have not read any others in the series but this one sounded interesting! I was a light hearted and fun read and got me excited to back track and read the others! I ended up finishing reading this book with my physical arc, over the audio-version.

Sweet story, kind of gives Hallmark movie vibes. Not spicy at all, so safe to listen to the audiobook pretty much anywhere.

Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan
Comes out January 16th, 2023

This is the 3rd book in the Jansen Brothers series. However I did not know that when I requested and I felt it could be read as a stand alone just find because that’s what I did.

This is my first book by this author!
Wes and Hailey were very cute and I’m glad that I read this book! This was a light and easy read and I really liked it! While it slows a bit toward the end it didn’t make me want to stop reading.

Tropes:
Meet-cute
Strangers to friends to lovers
Slow burn romance
Found family
Closed door romance
Opposites attract
Grumpy/sunshine
Multiple POVs
Feel-Good Story
Ambitious MC
Foodie Inspired

Triggers:
Strained family relationships
Divorce

Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the third book in the Jansen Brothers series by Sophie Sullivan, although it’s not necessary to read the previous books prior to reading this one. This is a delightfully cute and charming friends to lovers romance. I adored the salad shop setting, the glimpses of the neighborhood, the friendship amongst the female characters and sisterly bond between the main character, Hailey and her supportive sis. I also was moved by the charitable acts and relationships formed in an effort to mentor others and make a difference in their lives.

Hailey, the main character in the novel, was someone easy to admire. She gained wise lessons from past experiences and allowed them to forge her into a better, not bitter person. I respected her entrepreneurial spirit, her creativity and ambition, and her dedication to holding out for what’s best for herself and what she wanted from her own life. She was also just kind and good, but also humanly flawed.

Personally, I was not a fan of the couple jumping into bed so quickly, early into their relationship, or the sexual content, though it was rather closed door. I also had a hard time with Wes. He was so unreasonably stubborn and swung from affectionate, smitten and doting one minute, to cold and distant the next. Hailey trusted him far more quickly than I would have after so many false starts.

A Guide to Being Just Friends has a sweet and satisfying resolution and and a nicely wrapped up HEA. It’s a cute story with endearing characters. It’s a quick and easy read with some depth and humor that make it a cozy and enjoyable story.

Stephanie Willing and Timothy Andres Pabon narrated this rom-com and I really enjoyed their voices for the characters. They seemed to encapsulate the respective personalities and added feeling and emotional impact to the novel.

This was a cute and sweet rom com. The premise was interesting and I liked the slow burn. This has little to no spice, and was a light and pleasant read. I would definitely recommend it.

The following is my review for the book in the print variation, but I loved it so much I had to request the audiobook. LOVED THE AUDIOBOOKS TO BITS.

"How was this so easy? His whole life, he'd assumed this level of intimacy would be hard to achieve or would feel draining. Instead, it lifted him like a double shot of espresso. He felt like she was made for him. The transition from friends to lovers felt like it was a path they'd been meant to take."

After an awkward encounter in a coffee shop, the last thing Hailey Sharp expected was for Wes Jansen to become such a pivotal part of her life. A cardinal rule of their friendship from the start is to stay friends. JUST. FRIENDS. As months pass, the pair find a comfort and ease with each other, but are they willing to risk that comfort and ease for something more?

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. It's everything I love to see in a friends-to-lovers back that had me rooting for Hailey and Wes from beginning to end. If you're into found family, sibling banter, Saturday night grocery trips, and amazing character building, pick up this book!!!

Hailey and Wes had a lot of growing to do. To read their character arcs from beginning to end was SO SATISFYING. Them battling their underlying issues in order to become the versions of each other that they deserved was the sweetest and I ADORE THEM. I was crying on and off for the last 20% of this book and I already can't wait to read it all over again. 😭

I've loved being in this world with the all these characters. The two books prior to this one were so special to me and this one was just as fantastic. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS WAS THE LAST BOOK OF THIS SERIES. I'm gonna miss ALL of these characters so dearly. I SOBBED DURING THE EPILOGUE. If you haven't read the other two books, I highly recommend reading them before reading this one!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and Sophie Sullivan for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 5 out of 5 ♥️🥹

I thought this one was absolutely adorable. Characters were easy to fall in love with. I’d read more from this author.

Sophie Sullivan's <i>A Guide to Being Just Friends</i> feels like a page out of a Hallmark Channel holiday movie -- well, minus the snow and season's greetings.

Following a bad break-up, Hailey has put out her shingle in the business world under the banner of a new, made-to-order salad restaurant. Wes has gone into business with his brothers, trying to escape their domineering father and memories of a bitter divorce between his parents.

When the two cross paths in a meet-cute moment (he assumes she's the woman he's been chatting with online at the coffee shop next to Hailey's salad shop), Wes realizes he owes Hailey an apology. And then, the dance begins as the two decide their lives are just too hectic to date, but they can be just friends.

Except there are things simmering here that could come to a full boil.

Sullivan crafts two protagonists you can easily root for in this romantic comedy. Along the way, there are speed bumps and, given the alternating viewpoints of both our potential romantic partners, this does lead to some frustration in later chapters when the (inevitable) conflict arises.

However, that's not to say there isn't a lot here to enjoy. There is, but there were moments I grew frustrated with the story and characters.

The audio version of this works well, though the Timothy Andrés Pabon's narration as Wes tends to come across a bit faster than Stephanie Willing's does as Hailey. This makes the transitions from one narrator to the other a bit jarring a first, but you will easily settle into the rhythms and voice of each person telling his or her side of the story.

In all, this is a fairly fun diversion and one that I'd recommend if you want a Hallmark Channel style rom-com.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the first book I have read that was written by Sophie Sullivan. I didn’t realize when I read it that it was the third book in the Jansen Brothers Series. It is safe to say that I will be checking out the first two books as soon as possible. I adored this super cute friends-to-lovers romance. I really enjoyed the story development. It felt natural and not rushed. While I enjoy the instant-love trope, this slow progression from strangers to friends to lovers was fun and perfectly written. It was a refreshing change. I will definitely be recommending this book to all of my romcom friends!

I listened to A Guide to Being Just Friends and it was such a fun book. This book is the third installment of the Jansen Brothers series, but it reads well as a stand alone. After listening to this one I will absolutely be going back to read the previous two books. A Guide to Being Just Friends is my kind of cute romance book. The main characters Wes and Hailey felt like they were real and a good fit for each other. Both stubborn in their own way with likable personalities. The narrators did a wonderful job of encapsulating who the characters really were.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for my advanced audio of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I think the storyline was an okay/average enjoyable read...I think the narrators did a great job with this audiobook!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Cute and fun! Not my favorite and it’s not something I’ll remember for a long time but I enjoyed it. The characters were fun but I wish there had been more time spent delving into their pasts and how it molded them. We got glimpses of it but not enough for it to feel realistic

Unfortunately this one wasn't for me. I wish I'd knows it was part of a trilogy, as maybe then I'd have enjoyed it more. I'm seeing a new trend with publishers implying that sequels can be read as standalones, and I think it's u fair to both the reader and the author. There are too many characters to keep up with (all I had was the audiobook which made it more difficult to keep up with the large cast than had I been eyeball reading) and even though the narrator was fantastic, it was still a bit confusing to me. With that said, I did enjoy her writing and I will for sure read something written by her in the future. I may go back and read the first two in the series, then give this one another shot.

A Guide to Being Just Friends
Jansen Brothers #3
Sophie Sullivan


Sophie Sullivan’s third in her Jansen brothers trilogy is a hoot, a laugh-out loud one minute emotionally draining the next minute rom-com that will keep listeners interest from page one until the very last word. Not only does the audience get catch-ups on the two younger sibs Noah and Chris and their love interests but get Wes and Hailey’s journey to find their own HEAs. Wes is an enigma, he’s so smart but is too cerebral to understand emotions. Hailey on the other hand wears her heart on her sleeve and even though she’s lost at love before has the courage to at least acknowledge the chance that love may make another appearance. It’s a sweet storyline with a flowing narrative, great California settings and wonderful costarring characters. If you like rom-coms the writing of Kristan Higgins or Susan Elizabeth Phillips you will love this fantastic novel.

Narration:
The voices of Stephanie Willing and Timothy Andres Pabon were great choices for Wes and Hailey and all the other characters too. They did an exceptional job of executing Wes’s cluelessness and Hailey’s unsinkable attitude giving listeners an advantage over readers.

After a disastrous breakup Hailey Sharp needed to get out of LA and make a new start and thought what better place than where her beloved cousin Piper lives in San Verde CA and courageously follows her dream of opening her own salad shop. Her vow of no men is easy to follow since she’s busy making new friends and earning customers. That is until she meets a Hollywood gorgeous numbers guy who turns her head, but who is luckily on the same page as her and decide that being just friends is the way to go. She’ll just have to ignore the way he makes her blood heat up.

Wes is the oldest of the three Jansen brothers and spent his early years protecting his brothers from the toxicity of their parent’s marriage and subsequent divorce. Now the three brothers are all grown up, have a successful investment company and the two younger brothers Noah and Chris are in love. Now Wes doesn’t believe in Happy Ever After but does wish he had some female companionship but after his disastrous dating app failure deicides to call it quits. Then he meets a spunky, beautiful, cake loving, salad shop owner that makes his heart beat faster and decides being besties is the way to have his cake and eat it too. What could go wrong?