I loved how this romance was more than a romance. There was so much more going on which I prefer. I loved Hailey and her salad shop and all the characters involved. Wes was such a likeable character even with his relationship issues. It was a slow burn and I caught myself being annoyed that they weren’t admitting to eachother that they liked one another. I also didn’t love how often Hailey brought up money issues but I understand why and it was explained later. I especially loved the conversation she has with the food truck guy. The thing I disliked about the format was that each chapter bounced between POV but it didn’t list the name. I would have liked if the chapter said “Hailey” or “Wes”. It was sometimes initially confusing on whose POV it was. That is my only major complaint. 3.5 stars

Will post a review on my book Instagram.

This book was enjoyable, a friends to lovers slow burn is something that I enjoy. I felt the dialogue could’ve used a little bit more, like it felt like it was missing something for me. But overall, I really enjoyed this book. Some parts didn’t seem quite realistic but it all rounded out at the end nicely.

If only all relationships could start out this way. I think there is something so healthy in just being friends before you start diving into anything romantic. It allows both parties to view the other in a light that sometimes is missed when dealing with a romance. Hailey is just such a strong independent character. I loved watching her try and overcome each challenge that she is faced with. I also loved watching her find her people. So many times, characters just fall into friendships easily and here Hailey was allowed to build up her friends not just within her interactions with Wes, but also through her cousin’s friends and their “book group”. I also enjoyed how Wes is the anti-romantic male, who secretly still wants romance, but he doesn’t know and would never admit it. I feel like allowing Wes and Hailey to be friends allowed Wes to truly invest in Hailey as a person. He did stumble at times but who doesn’t. This book just made me happy to read and I was so happy with the outcome.
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

🌿 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.

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 another great installment in the series but could definitely be read as a standalone as well. The storyline was sweet but a bit slow moving at times. I loved the side character Leo and would love a spinoff in the future for him! The back and forth of trust issues is definitely something many people can relate to.

Sometimes I truly enjoy a good slow burn romance but this one was just not it. I genuinely tried to get into this book and it was just not my cup of tea.

The initial “meet cute” was incredibly short lived for something that eventually would turn into a romance. 2 pages! That’s it! After meeting Wes and Hailey simply just did not have enough chemistry to become romantic. I’m not entirely sure how they even had enough chemistry to be friends. Their conversations were dry, but Piper and Hailey’s conversations were even dryer. I think what turned me off of this book immediately was a text conversation between Piper and Hailey early on where the Urban Dictionary definition of “Dork” was shared. I like a good, well placed penis joke but that simply was not a good or well placed penis joke.

Overall, the pacing of the book was a little erratic, the characters had no chemistry, and the writing style simply wasn’t for me. I can’t say that I’ll never try to read this again, but for now, it’s simply a no.

This is the 3rd book in the series and I hope that Sophie Sullivan figures out more characters to keep it going! This book is another sweet romance. I like the fact that the female leads in Sullivan's books have careers that aren't put aside for love. It's more common in this genre than it used to be, but still great to see.

I read this as an ARC from NetGalley. This is a slow burn strangers to friends to lovers. And when I say slow burn I mean SLOW. For me personally I didn't really feel a lot of chemistry between the two main characters. They both suffered from their own anxiety and it got in their way a lot. Hailey for me was a little to stubborn. It kind of ruined the magic of a romance novel for me. I also think that the title is a little misleading. While they mention the "guide" they are writing a few times I really think they could have done more with that in the story to make it a little more romcom. Overall the book was enjoyable but I won't be reading the others in the series.

We are back with the third installment of the Jansen Brother's and they are back and better than ever. Hailey is fresh off a devastating break up on the road to make her salad shop a success. Wes, has just moved closer to his brothers, focused on making their new business a success. Neither have time for a relationship, but could use a friend in their new city. Enter a Guide to Being Just Friends.

After a slew of decent reads, this book just blew me away. I was addicted. I couldn't put the book down. The Slow Burn was so satisfying. I don't really enjoy slow burns but this one was done so well. The anticipation was palpable. I never thought I'd be invested in a salad shop either. I related to both Hailey and Wes. They were nice well rounded characters. We also got to see some of our favorite characters from previous book, but it was a nice balance between old and new characters.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

When I requested this book I had no idea it was the third in a series! Thankfully this book is written like a standalone and I will be returning to read the first two brothers books.

This story was very cute and had major When Harry Met Sally vibes (the movie is even mentioned hehe). I enjoyed reading this book, but it also felt similar to another I had read earlier this year. Nonetheless, I was gushing when they finally got together.

I love the relationship the three brothers have and I’m hoping when I read the first two I’ll get more background into their upbringing. It will be interesting to see how the younger two remember their parents marriage & divorce (this book focused on the eldest brother).

Read if you like:
When Harry Met Sally
Friends to lovers
Found family
Close brothers
Strong women

When I requested this book, I did not realize it was book 3 in a series, but each can be read as a standalone.

Overall this book was a flop for me. I thought it had a very cute cover and an interesting premise but it turned out to be wasted potential.

The writing itself was cringe and it was very choppy with the dialogue, robotic like. The plot itself? A barely friends to lovers trope plus a not great plot makes for a meh book. The characters themselves are shallow and not fleshed out.

This might not have been for me, but give it a shot.

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a sweet end to the Jansen brothers trilogy. The characters were interesting and plot interesting. I was invested. Some bits were a little frustrating- Hailey took a LONG time to figure out she was into Wes even when Wes knew he was into her and Wes refusing to admit it was love was a little contrived and a little annoying. But the sweetness of coming together was easily a romcom moment. I personally would have liked a lot more spice but this was great.

I requested this book from Net Galley unaware that it was part of a series. I quickly caught up on the second book of the series before I read this one. One chapter into this book and it seems exactly like the second book except for minor details. This book and the author's writing is just not for me I gave it an entire series and I'm just not going to finish it. I have way too many other books to discover to keep on with another that's going to take me another 5 days to finish when I normally finish a book in 2.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review as always all words are my own.

Where do I begin?! I absolutely, without a doubt, loved this book! Following Hailey and Wes through their journey of friendship was the sweetest even through the ups and downs. I really enjoyed how the chapters alternate between Hailey's point of view and Wes'. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good romance! Now I'm off to read Sophie Sullivan's other books, specifically the first two from this series!

4/5
I hadn't read the previous two Jansen Brothers books, but it wasn't necessary to read this one which is perfect for connected stand-alones. This was a very cute romcom rife with so much sexual tension that it mostly made up for the fact that it was closed-door. It made me fall in love again with the friends to lovers trope. The only part I wasn't a fan of was that the majority of the angst was gone with the first fight and the rest of the book wasn't quite as strong with tension so it felt like it climaxed too early. Otherwise, my heart was beating fast the entire time from loving these characters so much!

Thank you Net Galley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan is the third book in the popular Jansen Brothers series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone book. This slow-burn romance was engaging, romantic, and delightful.

Story Recap:
Hailey Sharp has just opened her Salad by the Cup restaurant and is busy making sure her dream is kept afloat. A terrible past relationship keeps her focused on her business as she knows she doesn’t have time for relationships and all their drama.

Wes Jansen doesn’t do relationships. His parents had an angry marriage and although he’s had a few first dates, nothing ever stuck.

After a misunderstanding the first time they meet, Wes decides he needs to apologize to Hailey, and they choose to remain friends. Both don’t want a relationship, but what happens when they both start to feel attraction?

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this friends-to-lovers story very much. It’s a slow-burn romance between a happy, sweet salad restaurant owner and a business-minded, geeky man. I loved how the author took her time, and let these characters get to know each other before they started to fall in love. Besides the main characters, the side characters are also a delightful addition to the story, especially because Hailey was such a lonely person before she meets Wes and his friend group. Wes’s friends immediately take to Hailey and pull her into their group, making her feel less lonely.

Although the author took her time to get these friends together, she kept the pace up and I never felt like the book bogged down. The friendship Hailey and Wes formed was adorable, and I loved the way they complimented each other.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend A Guide to Being Just Friends to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the third book in Sophie Sullivan’s Jansen Brothers trilogy – a fact I did not realize when I requested it from NetGalley. Each book is about the love life of a different brother – a theme I normally love (think Nora Roberts’ Boonsboro trilogy or Bride quartet). While the plot was easy enough to follow even without having read the first two books, I did feel that I was missing some background information on the various characters and unfortunately it just fell flat for me.

Overall, the book felt a little sparse on details, but also long at the same time. For example, I didn’t learn much about the brothers’ history and their clearly contentious relationship with their father – maybe there’s more of this in the first two books. Hailey kept referencing and dropping hints about her terrible relationship with her ex-boyfriend but she never fully describes it. I wanted to know exactly what happened and what finally made her leave.

Also, not to be nitpicky, but while I generally love the theme of female entrepreneurship, what kind of name is By The Cup for a salad place? I would have assumed that it would be a soup restaurant. What kind of salad comes in a cup? How big are these cups? I have so many questions. Although some of the salads did sound pretty good.

There are some things I did enjoy. I loved how Hailey built herself a community of friends and colleagues and Wes’ relationship with his brothers. I liked reading about Hailey’s restaurant developing and I even liked Hailey and Wes together which is why I was so annoyed it took so long for them to get together.

Overall, I think you would enjoy this more if you’ve read the first two books and had more of the background.

Best quote: “Life without cookies is just dumb.” Fully agree.

Publication Date: January 17, 2023

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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.

This book was just painfully average to me. Nothing that made me swoon. I actually hated the love interest because of how rude and weird he came off as in the first meeting. The main character felt kind of “self insert” because she was a reader and it’s almost like the author relied on this book being read by readers.
I was so excited to get behind a woman who was running her own business but she was just running it into the ground with the lack of thought into establishing a business model. I will forget this book in about two days.

“You’re enough. You’re so much more than enough.”

A Guide To Just Being Friends was a sweet, emotional read about two people who are determined to focus on their careers and believe they don’t have the time nor inclination for love so they vow to just be friends. Wes and Hailey have a fun meet cute and then they slowly develop a strong friendship that turns into something more.

“This tether she was weaving with Wes felt strong, sturdy. Like something she could count on even if it was stretched.”

Hailey is such a sweetheart. She’s desperately trying to find her way in life after a failed relationship and feelings of always being shoved to the background. She always wants to help everyone, but she refuses to allow anyone to help her.

I might not have the romantic hero down but I know what makes you smile, I know who you are and who I am when I’m with you.”

Wes has uprooted his life so he can be close to his brothers and be more involved in the business they run together. He’s a fixer and always wants to shield those he cares about from some harsh realities. He’s a bit stilted emotionally even though his heart is huge.

“I feel like I’ve found a secret code that unlocks a different world that only I’m allowed to be part of, that only I know how to navigate. Even the hurdles feel more manageable with her there. It feels like everything fits perfectly into place even when it doesn’t all make sense.”

The friendship that these two develop is so emotional. They support and uplift one another and have honest, open communication. There is definitely a slow build to them realizing that they have romantic feelings for each other and both are in denial for a long time about their attraction. It takes a lot of self-reflection and personal growth for them to realize what truly will make them happy in life.

“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.”

Wes and Hailey were great, realistic characters that grow up a lot throughout the story and I felt like I really got to know them. Full of heartwarming moments, lighthearted banter and with strong likeable characters and a fantastic supporting cast, I enjoyed this beautiful and adorable friends to lovers story.