This was such a sweet read! I enjoyed it BUT do have to admit that it wasn't one I 'couldn't' put down - maybe because of the super slow, super closed-door burn but maybe for the Friends to Lovers trope it was just right?

Hailey is stinging from a recent (ish) breakup and has just launched her new business, a salad shop, and Wes is the eldest of three money-making (and having) brothers who seem to meet over coffees/desserts or salad or beer and talk about real estate (must be nice!). It's the third in a trilogy (or at least three to date) but I don't think you need to read the others to get this one (I hadn't). It stands well on its own but I am VERY tempted to read the other two - especially since they're by new-to-me Cndn romance author Sophie Sullivan.

I like how Hailey conducts herself throughout the book, apart from not really 'seeing' Wes - he's a bit of a stumbler and we have a not often seen two time third act breakup so that was certainly a little surprise - but also kind of refreshing to not just have the leads rush back into one another's arms after one mending conversation.

It's closed door but sweet and the writing style is very comforting and straight-forward which I enjoyed.

I wouldn't say this book is full of surprises, it follows a fairly predictable pattern but it's also got its own ups and downs and mini twists that I think make it what it is.

Cute story of a Independent Woman moving to open up her own store after a toxic breakup. Hailey and Wes have an accident "meet Cute" moment at the bakery next door that lead to a misunderstanding into a friendship. They both decided that they didn't want to date and being friends would be best. Time goes on, new emotions emerge, and Wes and Hailey both have their own growth and journey to finding themselves and what its means to let love in. I would recommend if you are looking for a cute slow burn, friends to lovers story.

3.5 Stars. I read this and was quite a ways into it before I realized that I had read another book in this series. It does fine as a standalone, but I think the story would be enhanced if you've read other books in the series. It was a sweet, slow burn romance.

This is a friends to lovers romance, and the third in the Jansen brothers series. Surprisingly, I haven't read the first two books, but they were on my TBR prior to reading this and I will definitely be putting them on the top of my list now! They can be read as stand alone books, but since the characters from other books make an appearance, it probably makes for a better reading experience to read them all. This book follows Hailey, an entrepreneur, and Wes, a millionaire investor as they become close friends (neither is ready for a relationship right now 😉) but slowly fall in love and begin dating. I loved how the author navigated how finances affected their relationship, as well as the importance of friendship and community. Sometimes the dialogue was a bit repetitive, but I found Hailey's independence and Wes' fear of love to be so relatable it didn't matter. Definitely recommend picking this one up in a couple weeks when it comes out!

I have adored this series from Sophie Sullivan so was excited for Wes's story. It did not disappoint. Wes is the super serious Jansen brother. He's all business and has no interest in love or marriage. This works well for Hailey as she has just opened her salad restaurant and has no time for anything but friendship. After a disastrous meet-cute, the two agree on friendship and quickly become besties. I loved Wes and Hailey. She is the sunshine to his grump. She is independent and wants to prove she can be a successful businesswoman on her own. Wes loves taking care of friends and family. The two have to learn to find the balance there and it brings pages of tension, chemistry and character growth. I have read many series where you get to revisit characters from previous books, but Sullivan brings Wes's brothers and their girlfriends prominently into this one and the story is stronger for it. I enjoyed the way they all interacted. This book is a fantastic friends to lovers romance that is easy to read and light on the heart.

I've always thought I don't like friends to more romances, but the last few I've read start with the couple meeting, becoming friends and then falling for each other. We get to see the progression. That I do like.
This one is a friends to more, family packed, romantic, funny, fade to black romance that isn't to be missed. And! It's the 3rd in the Jansen brother series. I haven't read 1 or 2 but I am excited to now!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a cute read! I loved the premise of two people starting a friendship before they actually date.

The author gave both characters very distinct and developed personalities. Wes is a very sweet guy but he's also very analytical and cynical about relationships. He enjoys spending time with a partner but he doesn't want to commit to the promise of a future. He doesn't want to be in love because he's seen what happens when the person you care for the most goes away.

Hailey is an independent woman who is trying to restart her life and be successful without anyone's help. She's been hurt in a previous relationship before and is not looking for a partner. But despite that, she's open to letting Wes in her life and eventually gives in to the possibility of being in love with him.

Yes, this is a romcom, so we obviously we know the MCs will get together at the end but you still read because you enjoy the ride of finding out how they're gonna get there. That being said, I really did enjoy reading about Wes and Hailey's friends to lovers journey. They're so in tune, learning to be the support they need for each other, and building a truly magical relationship.

I knew there was going to be a little twist at the end because you know, the romcom formula. But I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself reading 2 twists, I genuinely didn't see the second one coming. So that was nice and made the ending very sweet. The only thing to make this better was more romantic/passion angst between the characters while they knew in their heads they didn't want to ruin their friendship but couldn't deny their chemistry.

I recommend reading this book if you want a sweet, friends to lovers, sort of grumpy and sunshine trope.

I went into this blind (despite seeing all over bookstagram) and had no idea it was part of a series until I went to post my review on Net Galley. Excuse me while I go binge the other 2 (!) books.

The meet cute here is soooo good. This is for sure how I would meet someone! The snark is amazing.

Bouncing back from a bad relationship & regaining self confidence
Starting a small business
Being privileged but not being happy
Making new friends
Giving back to the community
Found family
Sloowwwww burn
Sweet, clean romance

Friends to more is always a little bit predictable but this is done so well and realistically.

A Guide To Being Friends by Sophie Sullivan

Hailey Sharp is starting over! After a very bad break up, she starts anew by venturing into her own new salad shop business; By The Cup. When she literally bumps into Wes Jansen, the handsome but robotic businessman she knows they can only be friends. Wes doesn’t believe in happily ever after and Hailey can’t afford to lose herself in another relationship. Can they successfully stay friends? Or are lines starting to get blurred?

This was such a sweet and cozy romance. Sullivan does a great job of creating a picturesque village for Hailey. Hailey was introduced to some wonderful friends and fellow shop owners which help her with her self-worth and confidence (much needed after a traumatic break-up). Wes and Hailey’s relationship felt honest and pure. The reader really understands why they start to fall for each other and it’s beyond just physical attraction! It’s hard not to root for these characters! I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope you do too.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I was ELATED to receive this one- Sophie's books always put me in such a good mood, and I'm finding a positive mindset to be critical in the holiday season.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the third in the Jansen Brothers series, and is easily read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the others. I gave Ten Rules for Faking It 4 stars, and How to Love Your Neighbor a full five!

This book plays with one of my personal favorite tropes- sunshine/grump with Wes and Hailey. Wes (Grump) is an uptight, nerdy, introvert with a heart of gold seeking companionship NOT love. Hailey is human sunshine. She's relentlessly optimistic, but her career is her sole focus and she's too damn independent for her own good.

This is a closed door, slow-burn, clean romance in the perfect for fans of When Harry Met Sally and 500 Days of Summer. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars for a couple reasons
1- the pacing was a very slooow burn.
2- there was really only a passing reference to the actual guide in the book. I would've like to see more of it.

Right away I liked the narrator for the FMC, which made a big difference as I alternated between the audiobook and ebook.

I didn’t realize this was book three in a series but it read as a standalone so I didn’t feel like I was missing context.

The characters and the plot were both likable enough. I did enjoy the way the friendship between them developed and eventually led to more. The story is slow burn and closed door with no steam. I wish there had been a little bit of it since we had such a slow burn with the relationship and there seemed to be an attempt at angst.

I didn’t fully understand why the MMC didn’t want a relationship so that seemed like an unnecessary complication.

Overall, a cute story!

I didn’t realize this was a part of a brothers series so there were some parts I felt like I was missing parts of the story but it was okay… it was a bit slow for me at times.

Full transparency here: I DNF’d this book at 28% because the friends to lovers trope (my least favorite) and slow pacing of this book were just not what I was hoping for when I applied for this ARC. I’m a bit of a picky little mood based reader sometimes, and I think this novel might have fallen victim to that. If you like friends to lovers tropes in your contemporary romance/romcom, please do give this a try.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the third and final book in Sophie Sullivan’s Jansen brothers trilogy, and it was the best of the three in my opinion. The awkward-first-meeting-to-friends-to-lovers was *perfect* and seeing everyone from all the previous books together and happy was truly satisfying. I enjoyed watching fiercely independent Hailey make a new start in life after leaving her narcissistic actor ex-boyfriend behind in Los Angeles, when she joins her cousin in San Verde to open her own cute little salad shop. But her self-confidence took a hit with her ex and she having a hard time attracting customers. When she has a run-in with Wes at the coffee shop next door to the salad shop, the pair walk away from each other with both feeling of attraction and annoyance. The next time they meet during a salad delivery, Hailey is drawn into his circle by new friends Everly, Stacey, Tara, and Grace who are connected with Wes’s brothers Chris and Noah. As Hailey and Wes become quick friends, their friendship deepens into unresolved mutual pining. But both have pasts that hold them back from taking the final step in their relationship - they’re forced to ask themselves if it’s worth the risk of jumping in head first or losing a chance at the real thing.

This was so cute!!! This is the third book Jansen brothers trilogy but it can definitely be read as a standalone. I am a sucker for friends to lovers and I tried adore the connection between Wes and Hailey. They were so different but complimented each other so well, especially when they found comfort with each during their struggles.

This was absolutely adorable!

4/5⭐️

although i was more interested in the businesses part of this book (especially reading about hailey's), i feel like it took up so much of the book despite it being a romance novel. i also wasn't that connected to the romance or the characters. some of the things they said just made me feel off, honestly.

it annoyed me the way hailey would act at times, constantly not accepting help or advice and how she would say it was sort of a pity thing (but also, in general, she and wes annoyed me occasionally) ?? and it just annoyed me to read her acting in that way when the advice she was given was so important to her business and had nothing to do with anyone pitying her.

the romance was so incredibly slow to get to. i also didn't know this was part of a series to begin with. yes, it can be read as a standalone, i guess, but i feel like i lacked a level of familiarity with wes and other characters that were present in the other books. i got sooo bored, especially once i got to around 40%. and no wayyy he said "thank god" when she said she just had let it slip when she said she loved him... honestly, i got so sick of their little arguments.

i will say, though, that i loved the little taylor swift references and mentioning of hailey loving books. it was really nice to see her relationship with her friends, especially fiona and her cousin, piper.

thank you to netgalley and st. martin's press for the ARC !!

3.75⭐️ This is a cute friends to lovers story. If you like a slow burn close door romance then this might be a good fit for you! I loved the characters and watching their friendship development and slowly grow into something more. I was mad at the characters a few times, but in the end was very happy. This book was honestly a super cute read!

Sophie Sullivan's latest novel, A Guide to Being Just Friends, is Sullivan's third and final Jansen brothers' story.
The three brothers are all wealthy, handsome and kind. That's why they make entertaining characters. This plot stands alone and is based in San Verde CA. Wesley Jansen is featured and he is an amazing business man and creative genius. Sparks fly when he meets Hailey Sharp, but the pair decides to forgo romance and become best friends. As Hailey's salad business grows so do her feelings for Wesley. Wesley has regretted his just friends decision from the start. Wesley's brothers and their girlfriends are great characters, along with Hailey's cousin and her family. There are multiple interesting story lines. Sullivan's great writing makes this novel difficult to put down,

A Guide to Just Being Friends is the third novel in the Jansen Brothers series, but it can be read as a standalone. Each novel in the series features one of the brothers and their stories. The first, Ten Rules for Faking It, followed Chris, How to Love Your Neighbor, followed Noah, and now it is Wes’s turn. While I did have the chance to experience the Noah’s story, I still need to read about Chris. The three brothers are together throughout the story along with the girlfriends, so there were moments where I felt I was missing out by not reading the first novel and others where I felt otherwise.

Hailey Sharp is new in town and has just opened her dream shop, a salad restaurant. After a messy break-up, she is not in the mood to date so when Wes mistakes her for his blind date at the café next door, the two do not get off on the right foot. The two end up on the way to agreeing to just be friends through Wes agreeing to help Hailey with her shop. As she is very reluctant to accept help and believes that she needs to do everything on her own to be successful, I feel I needed a lot more to understand this part of her character. The two spend time together and develop a genuine friendship that is a very slow-burn towards romance.

Each character has their own reasons for not wanting a romance due to past relationships and other feelings. I connected more towards Hailey’s side and wanted a little more exploration of Wes’s side and reasons. They are given in the story, but I wanted more exploration about the reasons since they did not seem enough, for me. Their transition to friends followed by lovers was expected, but I wish there was more build up to each transition as they seemed to happen quicker. While their friendship does last awhile before taking the next step, I did not feel that build up of romantic tension that leads to them admitting feelings for each other. They spend a lot of time around Hailey’s business, which I loved in a way as I felt the salad restaurant was unique and not something I usually read about; however, there were times it felt too involved in the business details that it took away from the characters and their relationship. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this story and its concept. Since I have not read the first in the series, I look forward to going back and experiencing how Chris finds romance!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read this novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

My Thoughts
Hailey Sharp wants no distractions that would derail her focus from making By the Cup salad shop a rousing success.

Oldest brother, and last one single, Wes Jansen is open to friendship but is leery of any kind of emotional relationship.

Funny thing is we all know about the best laid plans rule.

Despite this together they form a pact to keep their newfound connection firmly in the friend zone.

After all how hard can that be since both of them know from past experiences getting emotionally attached comes with a stiff price when things go wrong.

Three out of three times this author has given us a unique pairing and an interesting storyline for each of them as well.

EArc from Netgalley

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.