This is one of those books where I appreciate the story and the effort of the writer but I just didn't fall in love. There were a lot of weird time jumps that threw me off and then the flow of the story just wouldn't let me get super invested. I kept reading because there were enough moments when my heart swelled or I made ridiculous facial expressions based on things the characters said or did.

By now means is this an OMG amazing and groundbreaking book, but it’s a pleasant read and a good second o third round purchase for most libraries.

This book has been a favorite of the month!

I loved Book 2 of this series (I have yet to read book 1) and I couldn’t wait to read this one. I hope Sullivan finds a way to continue this series because I am not ready for it it end!

What I loved:
📝 I loved the realness and honestly in the relationship between Hailey and Wes. This book felt like a real relationship with the good, the bad, and the screw ups.
📝 I loved the closed door romance but didn’t leave me longing for more.
📝 I loved the independence Hailey had in this book and kept going back to. She was ready to empower herself!

I would recommend this books to all my light romance friends. Although this is part of a series, it could be read as a standalone. The other books in this series just makes you fall in love with the Jansen family a little bit more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Rating: 4.5/5 🌟

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Sophie Sullivan, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was SO cute! I haven’t read the other two books in the series, but that didn’t deter me from enjoying this one since it could be a standalone novel. I loved the banter, character development, and chemistry between Hailey and Wes ! Though it took a bit for me to get into the book initially, and I didn’t love Wes and Hailey’s meet-cute, the book got so much better as it progressed. This was a really slow-burn but it was well-worth it when they finally got together. I liked the dual-POVs and seeing how both characters saw the same situation. One thing I didn’t love was the timeline jumping, as it left some loose ends. The slow-burn helps realistically show the progression of how Wes and Hailey built a solid foundation being friends before becoming more. All of the characters in the novel were fun to read about and added to the story.

If you love slow-burns, friends-to-lovers, and a cute read, this one is great read!

I liked this but I didn’t love it, which is kind of a bummer because I expected to. It sounded so cute and the cover is equally cute, but I just took forever to get into it and once I did get into the story… I just had so many reservations about Wes. I did like the writing style and I loved the other Jansen brothers, plus all the other side characters. Time to go back to the first book and read from there!

This was a very fun book. I do enjoyed the friends to lovers storyline and I found this one did that very well. I enjoyed the business aspects of this book and found that they worked well with the rest of the story.
This was my first book in the series so I wasn't acquainted with the other side characters, but I didn't find it that hard to figure out what was going on with them.
I really enjoyed the love story between the characters and found it very believable. I was rooting for them from the beginning and really enjoyed this story.

Sophie Sullivan’s newest book, and the last book in The Jansen Brothers Series, comes out on January 17th and the title pretty much sums up what the book is about! A Guide To Being Just Friends showcases the epitome of the friends-to-lovers trope and how trust and friendship can lead to something more.

This book was a cute read and friends-to-lovers romances are always adorable if you ask me. That being said, I kind of felt like the romance got dragged out a bit too long (too many descriptions of salads maybe?) and the third act break up was a bit abrupt in my opinion. However, I still enjoyed this book. I just think I liked the previous one better!

Besides that, Hailey’s determination to be successful in her small business and Wes’s drive to be impactful in his community were both fun journeys to read about. I just wish they would’ve accepted their feelings for one another a little sooner!

If you liked closed door romances, then this is a good book to read, but it wasn’t my favorite of the series.

*I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

🦇 Book Review 🦇

"Sometimes we don't know who we are until we find the right person. The one that helps us see ourselves in a way we never did before."

After a bad breakup, Hailey Sharp throws all of her attention toward her new business, By the Cup. Her quaint salad bar is located on a strip alongside other booming businesses in San Verde, California, though it's not quite drawing a line of hungry customers yet. Next door is an already bustling coffee shop, Baked, where she bumps into Wes Jansen--an investor who assumes Hailey has arrived for a blind date, only for the two of them to initiate an awkward, tense meet-cute instead. Fate throws them back into one another's orbit yet again, and the two become fast friends. While Hailey is focused on growing her business, Wes works alongside his two younger brothers to help their community flourish, even extending his design skills and business acumen to aid By the Cup. Hailey, not wanting to depend on anyone for support, only accepts if she can help Wes in exchange, further driving their ever-growing friendship into something far more.

Sophie Sullivan excels at developing complex, driven, adorable characters that thrive off one another. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't aware that there were two books before this one (featuring Wes' younger brothers and their significant others). Even so, this book can stand beautifully on its own as it delves into Wes and Hailey's friendship. Wes learns how to creatively navigate Hailey's stubborn independence while Hailey encourages Wes to pursue his passions. The slow burn, friends-to-lovers tropes don't feel forced or cliche; you can see Wes and Hailey growing to rely on and trust one another in every passing scene. The secondary characters all have their own rich histories and motivations, and while those details are established in the series' previous books, you don't need to read them to feel the shared love, trust, and respect between the Jansen brothers or their significant others. Both Hailey and Wes rely on their friends and family members as much as they rely on each other, creating a "found family" dynamic that breathes off the page.

However, the transition from friends to more seems rushed. Wes is analytical, pragmatic, nerdy, and a little uptight. Hailey is funny, playful, hard-working, and optimistic. The "opposites attract" vibe that makes them a great match as friends doesn't translate well into their romantic relationship; in fact, it causes them to butt heads. Instead of hitting a moment when the tension between them bursts, the novel transitions into their romantic relationship as if they've always been there; no sweet first date, no payoff, no steam. While romantic comedies don't need steamy scenes, the silent, mutual pining they had as friends doesn't reflect in their newfound relationship. The slow burn as friends is dragged on for so long that their chemistry as a couple seems to flat line.

Overall, I enjoyed A Guide to Being Just Friends as a friends-to-lovers romance with a HEA. This book is a comforting, swoon-worthy, emotional romantic comedy that perfectly balances both sides of a budding relationship. If you're looking for a heartwarming read, this is the book for you!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to leave an honest review. This is the second book I have ever read by Sophie Sullivan and the second of the Jansen brothers themselves. This was a very cute rom-com/beach read. The story flows very well with no confusing timeline jumps.

The book follows Wes, the oldest brother who is a bit of a computer geek and is a bit OCD honestly. He likes his schedules and things to go according to plan. He isn't always the best at social interaction. Enter Hailey, a new shop owner who has been burned by her last relationship. She's just trying to make her new business work and is not looking for a relationship. When Wes and Hailey first meet, it's a bit of a misunderstanding between the two and they don't get off to a great start. When Wes goes to apologize, they decide to become friends and it becomes the most important relationship both have for a couple of months. But then feelings start to change for both and neither know how to handle it.

Definitely a fun read. I loved Wes and all his quirks plus the family bond between the brothers.

This is Book 3 in the Jansen Brothers series, you can read as a standalone, but the characters in the other books do appear often. I didn’t read the first two, but I do wish I did so I could understand the back story of the other brothers.

Overall, I thought that was an okay romance. There wasn’t much to it, and there wasn’t much making me want to finish it really. There was no depth to the main characters, so I didn’t see the connection. Also, the guide to being just friends was mention very briefly, and wasn’t really a part of the book at all.

I did not read the other books in this series. I might go back now and read them because I enjoyed this one so much, but it was not necessary to read the others to enjoy this one. The brothers are great friends, which made this story more fun to read.

I throughly enjoyed the pace of the relationship - it was slow - which was great because they did not know each other before the story started. I am not an insta-love fan, so this one suited me perfectly. They became friends and got to really know each other and like each other before the relationship got deeper.

As in most romances, there were a few twists and turns that come between the main characters before it all ends well. This one had a great journey before the end was how you expect it to be.

I went into this book not realizing that it was a part of a series, which left me with some questions. Nonetheless, it was a quick and easy read with a sweet romantic storyline.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is an opposites attract, friends to lovers, dual POV romance that is reminiscent of When Harry Met Sally. Let me start by saying that I have not yet read the first two books in the Jansen Brothers series, but this book read fine as a stand alone. I will definitely be reading books 1 & 2!

Hailey has recently moved to San Verde and opened By the Cup, a to-go salad shop, and every bit of her energy is going into getting it off the ground. Wes has also recently moved to town, joining his two brothers and their partners (books 1 & 2). The typical coffee shop meet cute takes unique twist in this book, but I'm not going to give any further details because it takes the fun out of it! Both are new in town and neither Hailey or Wes are interested in a romantic relationship. But they have friends in common, and eventually, enjoy each other's company. Being just friends, even best friends, is possible, right?

Like most books, each character has issues to overcome. Hailey was emotionally neglected by her parents; made to feel like she owed them for any attention she needed. So, while she has a big heart and is willing to help anyone, she struggles with accepting help in return. This ends up being a point of conflict with Wes. Wes has been molded by his father his whole life, his dreams and talents dismissed in favor of following in his father's footsteps. He doesn't believe true love exists and marriage is doomed to fail. Just look at the divorce rate!

The relationship between Hailey and Wes is definitely a slow burn as they gradually open up, their friendship grows, and they try to ignore their attraction. I love how Hailey nurtures and encourages Wes's art. His illustrated Guide to Being Just Friends was such a cute surprise (I wish that had been included in the book!). This is a sweet book, both characters make mistakes along the way, but ultimately get the HEA.

I received an advance e-book copy and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC.

I really wanted to like this book, but it felt pretty meh to me overall. The story was fine, and the backstory for why Hailey and Wes acted and reacted the way they did, but I felt like the way things shifted between them didn't really feel organic, and it wasn't helped by Hailey's stubbornness and Wes' complete lack of insight into himself.

This book is touted as a friends to lovers romance, but it doesn't capture that feel. Both Wes and Hailey are immediately attracted to each other, and even though they claim they are "just friends" it is very obvious they are not right from the beginning. I think it's admirable for them to get to know each other as friends before dating, but they never were "just friends." And you lose a lot of that inner turmoil that comes from a true friends to lovers romance.

I also didn't appreciate how stubborn Hailey was at times. I understand that she was trying to do things on her own, but she was so completely reticent to accept any kind of help from anyone to the point that it was kind of annoying. And Wes, for as smart as everyone proclaims him to be is incredibly idiotic at times.

Overall, it wasn't bad, but I wouldn't say its my favorite. Still thing Grace and Noah have the best story, but to each their own.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is Sophie Sullivan’s 3rd installment in her Jansen Brothers series. I read her 2nd book in the series last spring and really enjoyed it. This one was not as good in my opinion, but had the same lovable characters, with the representation of strong, stubborn women entrepreneurs.
Friends to lovers trope isn’t my favourite, but if you enjoy it, this book is for you. Also definitely classifies as a sloooooow burn. I absolutely loved the characters of Wes and Hailey, but got frustrated with both their stubbornness. It was extreme and repetitive. This book definitely could have been shorter. But I did love all the characters, both Hailey and Wes were well written (Wes is a dream book boyfriend!) And their family and friends were all great and entertaining as well. I just got bored and frustrated with the plot multiple times during the read.

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley and Sophie Sullivan for an ARC copy of this book to review! I unfortunately have had to stop at about the 60% mark in this book because I just am having a hard time getting through it. While there are some funny and cute aspects to the book, it just a very slow slow burn and is just lagging on and on for me.

I haven’t found myself able to connect with these characters, to me there’s such a minimal connection between Wes and Hailey that I am having a hard time caring about how their story ends.

I read to 34% and could not get into this. I wanted so much more chemistry for Hailey and Wes; every interaction just felt so boring. I’m sad because I really wanted this to work for me!

I didn't realized this was the end of a trilogy so I read it without reading the first two. You can totally read it as a standalone but I think it would've been funner if I'd already known his brothers' stories. I can't wait to go back and read them now!

I like that Hailey started her own business but wish she'd just accept some help already. I love friends to lovers and this was a slow slow burn but I still enjoyed it! I enjoyed all the side characters! This was fun, swoony, and sweet read!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the review copy!!

I had a hard time connecting with these characters. There were good parts, such as the flow of the book but I wanted to like the characters more.

First of all, I love the Jansen Brothers.

Hailey opens a salad shop and befriend, unbeknownst to her, some of the most successful and well connected brothers in San Verde. Wes Jansen had moved to known looking for a change and found a lot more than he bargained for. If you are a fan of the slow burn or friends to lovers story lines, this one is for you.