Hailey just moved to San Verde after splitting up with her movie star ex. We’re okay with that though because he seemed like a super jerk. However, that’s left Hailey pretty turned off of love and relationships. Wes has recently followed his brothers and their investment company to San Verde. He’s also jaded on happily ever afters due to the nasty marriage and divorce of his parents that he took all of the brunt of to protect his brothers. Together, Hailey and Wes confide in their feelings of not wanting to be in relationships or fall in love and decide they’re just going to be best friends. We all know how this ends!

I really liked this book! I will say, I knew going into it that it was the third in a series, but this can totally be read as a stand-alone. I haven’t read either of the previous two, but now I can’t wait to read them.

First off, the (not so) meet-cute at the coffee shop really threw me for a loop because it made me think Wes was going to just be some rando side character, so that was a nice surprise. The flow of the book was interesting because you go month to month and skip a lot of things I wouldn’t think to skip, but in retrospect I think it was a smart choice. I really loved all the characters and felt a connection to them. I’m obviously going to relate to anyone who loves sweets as much as me so that’s a win. I’m a sucker for the friends to lovers and found family tropes, and those are represented well here! There was some laugh out loud dialogue that I really enjoyed, most of which came from Noah (definitely can’t wait to read his story). I could go on and on, but honestly you might as well read the book instead ;)

Special thanks to NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest review!

This story was really cute and very slow burn, which had about 38 to 45% through was a bit of an issue for me. I was hoping that it would move a little bit faster, and that Hailey would show much more interest in Wes. I loved Wes so much. I thought that he was such a kind hearted. Gentleman. Hailey was great too, but at times it seemed as if she was more so focused on her own things. It is written very well in such a way where you love the characters in the book. If you love the trope friends to lovers, then this is the book for you.

dnf @ 5%

unfortunately I had to dnf this pretty early on for two reasons: (1) I found the writing style really difficult to read. The main character's internal monologue relied on a lot of info-dumping and cheesy lines that I didn't find as funny as I think they were meant to be. This was just annoying to read and made me very much not interested in continuing. (2) I didn't realize this was third in a series and while technically meant to be a standalone romance regardless, I don't tend to want to read books out of order. (the second is not a flaw of the author BUT if it started off strongly, I might have disregarded this and continued)

A Guide To Being Just Friends was just what I needed right now, such a sweet and funny slow burn romance. I love it!
Wes and Hailey have baggage that makes them both avoid relationships, but through the story we see how they become friends, and how that friendship gives way to deeper feelings, I love the way the author narrates the plot , and since friends to lovers/ slow burn is one of my favorite tropes, it has fulfilled all my expectations and more.

This book is a hilarious, sweet, angsty, cute, a clean romance, the perfect combination of laughter and sighs that will leave you wanting more. Highly recommended

This was a fun read, and although I hadn’t read the previous two books in this series, it didn’t take away at all from the story.
This was definitely a sloooooower than typical slow-burn/friends-to-lovers, but Hailey’s story
was engaging and fun as we followed her journey to a fresh start as a business owner in a totally new community. Great banter/dialogue, great cast of secondary characters.

This is book 3 in the Jansen Brothers series. Hailey recently opened a new salad shop and wanted to focus on getting By the Cup off the ground. After his parents angry divorce and some first dates that lead nowhere, Wes wanted someone who he could be friends with. Nothing to do with love. After an awkward first encounter, they happen to see each other again and hit it off as friends. Or so they say...

I enjoyed watching the friendship between Wes and Hailey blossom even before it turned into something more. It was obvious they belonged together. I loved their inner dialogue as they slowly developed feelings for each other but tried to convince themselves they're friends and nothing more. The build up to finally admitting their feelings was perfectly paced for me. There was one scene in particular between them that made me feel so much. I ended up reading it three times.

I was invested in the storyline involving Hailey's business. It was interesting following the growth of her business and the meaningful relationships she made along the way. It was so nice to watch Hailey find "her people." She fit right in with Wes' family and friends.

Because of some past experiences, Hailey had trouble relying on other people. She was used to leaning on herself. I wish she accepted help a bit sooner. This along with Wes' view on love both caused some conflicts to arise. Although I do enjoy some sort of conflict, I think there were too many. One was resolved but then another happened pretty quickly after which bugged me.

I enjoyed the sibling banter between Wes and his brothers. The characters really made this book. I recommend checking out the previous two books as many of the characters make frequent appearances in this one. I think I would have been too confused without reading them first.

This was a pretty cute friends to lovers romance with some sunshine/grump energy. While this is the third book in a series I think you could easily read it on its own as each book focuses on one of the Jansen brothers. Since Wes and Hailey start off firmly as just friends this is a super slow burn and it’s also closed door so if you’re thinking the wait may be worth it as far as heat goes it won’t 😂 I don’t mind no steam books occasionally though especially when they’re as sweet and quirky as this one. I loved that Hailey owned a salad shop and I’ve never wanted a salad more in my life after reading this. Found family has been one of my favorite things in books lately and I really enjoyed seeing Hailey create her own support system here. Recommended if you’re in the mood for a light and playful romance.

A sweet romance. It was delightful to see the female striving to make it on her own. She did not need or want a man to save her. In the love department both parties in the couple needed saving. Interesting how past experiences influence us. Whether it be for the good or bad. A terrific group of relatives and friends.

I was so excited to read A Guide to Being Just Friends, as I have been over-consuming rom-coms this year. While the book was cute and heart warming, I found myself getting lost in the jumping around of characters and timelines. It felt like pieces of the story were missing at different points throughout the book.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Parts of the book had me confused. There were a lot of details at times, which seemed to have little follow up later on, and then other parts were sped through that could’ve used more details.

Overall, it’s a cute story. It’s an easy read. I really couldn’t put it down at times. Both main characters are so stubborn that it’ll have you screaming internally. I definitely recommend this book to anyone!

I had mixed feelings throughout certain parts of the book. At times the book was very slow for me and felt hard to get through. Then at other moments I loved the chemistry and was really into the book. The part that threw me off the most was when everything seemed to be going perfect but then it went to the bottom of the hill. Also I loved Wes throughout the book but then towards the end he seemed like a jerk to me which made me very confused.

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've never craved a salad more than I do now when finishing this book.

This book was a light and fun read with a cute story. There were a few things about it that I didn't love, one of the main characters wasn't a favorite, and some of the back and forth was a little much. That being said, the side characters were enjoyable and kept the story light and fun. I didn't know it was part of a series before I started, but I don't think it affected the story for me. It was a decent read, not a favorite, but didn't hate it either. The characters and story was fun enough, just not one I would hurry to grab another book in the series yet. This was between a 3 star and 3.5 star for me and I rounded down.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I felt this book had allot of potential
But ultimately it kind of fell flat for me. It took me a while to get into it. I loved Haileys character but i felt like everything was TOO detailed. It was definitely a slow burn rom com once they figured things out it was all warm and fuzzy but i felt like it was too slow.
I definitely liked all of the friends and other characters
They added a lot of life to the book.
Overall i felt it was just ok.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Closed door

✔️ strangers to friends to lovers
✔️ sloooooow burn

👉🏻 swipe for synopsis

This book just didn’t do much for me. It was fine but nothing spectacular. When I requested this on NetGalley, I didn’t realize it was third in a series so that didn’t help. It was hard for me to keep up with all the different characters.

Hailey and Wes are sweet together with their ‘friend dates’ but the conflict just kept making me roll my eyes. On the other hand I did like although they had some conflict, they did eventually talk it out and there wasn’t much miscommunication.

The burn is very slow on this one. I wish we could’ve seen more of the main couple as an actual couple but a decent read.

The Jansen brothers have been an absolute delight to fall in love with. I have loved this series so much, and Wes and Hailey were a lovely way to round it off.

A Guide to Being Just Friends was a sweet, slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance. I adored Wes and Hailey. Wes maybe edging out Hailey just a smidge - what can I say? I'm a sucker for a nerdy, quirky grump who is hiding that sublime soft underbelly. Hailey was perfect for him - I only quibble with how closed off she was and how long it took her to soften to Wes's blundering shows of love. Basically, here we have two clueless people cluelessly falling in love with each other - and honestly, it's just a recipe for adorableness.

The secondary characters added so much fun to this storyline - the brothers themselves being my favorites by a mile. The banter, the roasting, and the heartfelt love that these characters all had for each other was such a rewarding thing to read.

This was a light-hearted, sweet romance - perfect for a day at the beach (or, as was the case for me, curled up in a snowstorm). I enjoyed my time spent between these pages and definitely recommend!

This was a sweet, sloooow burn romance that had bits of humour, a nice setting but is pretty tame when it comes to spice.

I requested this book in the Amazon First Reads program but unbeknownst to me, it was the third book in the Jansen Brothers romance series which follows three brothers who, one by one, find their romantic partners. Readers don't have to have read the previous two books in the series but knowing the background of the other two brothers' relationships would add an extra layer.

The story started off strong and I loved the setting (a wee salad shop), but I never bought into the connection between Hailey and Wes and thought a few of the secondary characters had more personality, confidence, and funny banter than the main couple. Truth be told, there wasn't a lot going on - no big issue they had to face except for their overly contrived hang ups. For Hailey it was her obstinate refusal to ask for or accept help and Wes was overly concerned about losing Hailey's friendship.

The back and forth, 'will they, won't they' felt a bit tedious and the business aspect of the brothers' jobs was boring and took page time away from what could have been a sweet and more poignant read about strangers becoming friends becoming lovers. This is a cute idea for a romance, but it's not a story that will stay with me for long, although it did have me hankering for a salad.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Griffin for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Friends to lovers! Hailey has decided to focus all her energy on her new business- a salad shop- and on the friends she's made thanks to her cousin's book club. So when Wes turns up, she's determined that he'll be another part of her crew and not a romantic interest. Wes, for his part, is fine with that because he's got some things to deal with as one of the three Jansen brothers (I admit it- it helps to have read the first two books). Of course their resolve slowly falls away as they get to know one another better, Yes it's trope-y but there's a good heart here and some fun scenes. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read for a rainy day.

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.

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Marin's Press for the complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the close to Sophie Sullivan's Jansen brothers trilogy. Readers get an insight into Wes, the uptight brother who handled most of his dads verbal put downs and recently moved to live with his brothers. We also meet Hailey, a salad shop owner who wants to do things her own way. Both quickly become friends navigating the new city and going grocery shopping. But will they be able to stay just friends?

While I loved the friends to lovers relationship between Hailey and Wes, the would they/ won't dragged on. This story could have been cut shorter to make the flow better. I enjoyed listening to Timothy Andres Pabon narrate Wes's point of view.

Thank you Macmillan audio and St. Martin's Press Romance for my alc and arc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.