This was a cute rom-com, but it didn't seem to stand out very much to me. It felt like it was trying to be too much of other things. I enjoyed the chemistry and the friendship, it's a cute read.

This was a cute read. Wes and Hailey’s friendship turned relationship was fun and quirky. Wes is the planner while Hailey is pretty free spirited, so I enjoyed reading about them interacting with each other. I also liked Wes’ dynamic with his brothers, so now I need to go back and read the other 2 books!

Engaging from the first page to the last. Not necessarily a rom-com, but a feel-good romance that isn't too heavy on romance. Plus, it is not smutty! I quite enjoyed all the characters and their development :)

The story is way better than the cover art, just so you know

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

If you’re looking for a heartfelt romance, A Guide to Being Just Friends is sure to enchant you. Sullivan’s latest offering in the Jansen Brothers standalone series got me smiling until my jaw hurt and rooting for two outstanding characters who think or perhaps aren’t on the same wavelength. I’m a glutton for embarrassing first encounters that slowly lead to a friendship, and although the third-person narrative isn’t my cuppa, playful banter and emotional dialogue enriched their story.

Hailey is a newbie in town, trying to make a success of her salad bar. Excuse the pun, but she has a lot on her plate. Overcoming business challenges, getting to know her customers’ likes and dislikes, and picking up the pieces left behind, her enthusiasm to make it work is catching. I liked that she avoided being distracted, but if there were anyone who deserved to make new friends, it was her.

Love me a somewhat serious-minded entrepreneur, especially when he’s wary of taking the next step. But I was totally into his idea of having a friend of the opposite sex—in Wes’ case, no romantic strings attached which baffled me well into the read. Slowly, I would learn why he felt as he did. Even so, I appreciated his and Hailey’s effort to keep things in perspective but was eager to see if they’d eventually acknowledge their true feelings. And I enjoyed observing them support each other; however, it wasn’t plain sailing since former and current personal issues required addressing.

Frankly, Hailey and Wes annoyed me to such a degree it brought to mind how easy it is to look for an easy way out; having what makes life complete means trust. Would they be able to reach such a compromise? Okay, I love it when the author throws this kind of dilemma into a story, but as they say, it takes two to tango!

Being a gourmet lover, I relished what Hailey whipped up with what looked like the easiest finesse and the running of a similar firm I’ve had experience in felt genuine. Also, the importance Sullivan gave to the community was, for me, an added plus. The siblings’ dynamics play an essential part, but if you haven’t read each one’s previous books, don’t fret. The author will keep you in the loop. Yeap, anything family oriented is my thing, and the author drives home the brothers’ connection to a tee.

So, the best of the book. Sullivan takes her readers on Hailey and Wes’ journey of finding happiness with its ups and downs, coming to terms with bare truths and opening one’s heart with laughter, sorrow, and so much more. I’ll most certainly be keeping my eye on Sullivan’s new releases. Bravo!

Gratitude to St. Martin Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

** Thank you to NetGalley and Sophie Sullivan for my eArc of this book! **

I love a good friends-to-lovers romance, and this one is so sweet. Hailey and Wes are clearly made for each other and the slow burn of them resisting it for the sake of their friendship is worth the payoff. Both Hailey and Wes have their flaws (which honestly, comes down to stubbornness, mostly), and once they're able to face them, the relationship is perfection.
The supporting cast of characters are all quirky and lovable. I'm a sucker for found family, so I adored this for Hailey's character.
Overall, the writing is witty and compelling, and I really enjoyed this!
I didn't realize going into the book that this was the last book in a trilogy, and I'm undecided at the moment if I'll go back and snag the other two. Only because I'm easily distracted, and not for any other reason.

2.5 stars rounded up.

This book was fine, just not my cup of tea. I was hoping for more "When Harry Met Sally" vibes of friends to lovers and humor, but it fell flat. There was a lot of telling and not showing in the character's experiences to explain why they both have a fear of commitment, either from past romantic histories or family estrangement.

Hailey just opened a new salad shop in Southern California. She wanted to escape the fakeness of the L.A. scene and her toxic ex who told her she would never be good enough for him. She;s firecely independent and wants this business to succeed. She is also our sunshiney heroine.

She meets Wes at the bakery/coffee house next door to her salad shop. He's there to meet an online date, and the barista got Hailey's name wrong on her drink (which happened to be his date's name). He thinks Hailey is his date, she is all "Sir, I'm not." He thinks she is messing with him, because he has a history of bad luck with women. She tries to explain that she is not lying. They end their encounter in a huff, though achingly attracted to one another.

Through various plot points, they wind up meeting again through mutual friends. There is a connection and they decide to firmly be friends, because relationships are messy and devastating. But, this is a romance, so good luck with that buddy.

I think the big thing missing for me in this book is there was no swoony moments or banter that made me root for these character. And at the 90% mark, Wes does something that made me channel my inner Liz Lemon and think, "Girl, that's a deal breaker."

This is the third book in the author's Jansen's brothers series. I have not read the first two (and the brothers and their significant others do pop up in this book), so perhaps that played a role in why this book wasn't for me.

Thank you for the ARC from St. Martin's Press and Netgally for my honest review.

A cute book!
I enjoyed the premise of this book a lot! I felt, however, something was missing from the book. It is a slow burn, but a cute friends to lovers! I enjoyed Wes and his brother's relationship; after reading the first two books, I was excited to see Wes. This book was personally not my favorite, but don't let my opinion sway you; I enjoyed it. It is an excellent book for anyone wanting a slow burn, friends to lovers, and closed-door romance!

“To family, new friends, and detours that take you exactly where you’re meant to be.”

Wes and Hailey (NOT Hayden) have a disaster of a mistaken identity meet-creep. Both chalk it up to a bad moment, not to be thought of again, until Hailey is making a delivery for her new salad shop to a meeting attended by none other than Wes.
Their repeat meetings and unexpected connections of friends/acquaintances lead to the start of a friendship. A friendship and nothing more, they’ve agreed, both being burnt out on past dating attempts. Even if they do get along, and share some superficial attraction to each other. He’s even been making a how to guide for how to stay just friends, not that they need it. Because that’s all either of them wants. Right? Right?!
(Spoiler alert - as they grown closer that is, in fact, not right.)

From meet-ugly to friends, then more. Slow burn and closed door.

This one was sweet, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if the burn wasn’t so frustratingly slow in coming. I wanted to yell at them both to open their eyes and take a chance a time or two. Maybe three. BUT waiting for their HEA to begin was totally worth it in the end!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC!

3.5 stars! it was a sweet ending to sophie sullivan’s jansen brothers novels!

though i liked the premise of the book, this one was a little too slow paced for me. the slow burn was just a little too slow and mixed in with some of the technical/financial things, i just wasn’t invested.

both hailey and wes were fun and oblivious characters (especially when we’re talking friend to lovers) but it did get a little frustrating towards the end. it kind of felt like all the problems were jam packed in the end. also wes clearly needs therapy bc how do you get over things like that so quickly? all the side characters you get to know along the way from the first novel is so fun and was so warm. it’s a sweet little community that sullivan built.

i’m interested in seeing what else sullivan will write in the future! thanks netgalley and the publisher for sending this arc in return for an honest review.

I have not read Sullivan's other books and while it is not necessary, I understand why this book was tied to the other two. It was really cute and a much needed, predictable romance that provided an escape from everyday worries. Sullivan is a talented writer, too, sharing a heartfelt story with enjoyable characters.

I think this was a cute friends to lovers, closed door romance. As a huge fan of that movie, I enjoyed Halley and Wes’ creation of their guide to being just friends and how they navigated through some very complex emotions throughout the book, finding emotional growth. And of course, I loved the group of brothers and friends as they made for a fun group and I loved seeing Hailey connect with them as someone who felt so alone and disconnected.

This gave me definite When Harry Met Sally vibes and a fun twist on a classic movie! Just be warned though this is part of a series and while this can be a stand alone book, I think it would be good to read the first two to fully get the backstories!

This one was CUTE. I really enjoyed this with all my heart.

Friends to lovers, witty banter, and found family friend groups… it really doesn’t get any better than that!

Wes and Hailey’s friendship tugged on my heart strings and made me want to be a part of it.

What an adorable happy ever after, and I wish it wasn’t over.

A big thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars from me, Bookish Bree

Sophie Sullivan is back with her latest, A Guide to Being Just Friends, which obviously leans hard into the friends-to-lovers trope. It felt like When Harry Met Sally for a new generation, and it really worked for me. It was a solid, swoony romance, and I enjoyed it.

Hailey has just opened her own business—a little salad shop—and she’s desperate for it to succeed. She’s also freshly out of a really bad relationship, and she isn’t looking to jump into a new one. Wes has never seen the point of love. As the oldest kid, he got a front-row seat to his parents’ disastrous marriage, and that is NOT for him. When Wes and Hailey first meet, it does NOT go well, but when he comes back with an apology, a friendship springs up between them—and they decide that’s all it’ll be. They even write a guide, complete with silly illustrations. But what they don’t expect is to fall for their best friend.

Sophie Sullivan writes mostly closed-door romances, but she proves the door doesn’t have to be open to deliver the swoon. Wes and Hailey are perfect for each other, and I’m glad they finally pulled their heads out of the sand and figured it out. I also loved that we got glimpses of her characters from previous books—cameos are my favorite!

This was a cute, light, romantic read. The story follows Wes and Hailey, who meet by accident and decide to just be friends (and we all know how that works out).

I thought Wes and Hailey were likeable enough, although some of their hang-ups got to be a bit repetitive and seem to just fill a few extra pages. There were also a few too many characters for me, and although this is the third in a series of books with overlapping characters, side characters sometimes featured so prominently that it took away from the focus on the MCs.

This book also has no spice (maybe that is standard for the author, though this is my first book written by her), so don't pick it up if that's what you're looking for.

3.5 stars

This is a super fun rom-com! Friends to lovers is a classic for a reason. I also appreciated the arc of Hailey and Wes - from disastrous first meeting to friends to more. It felt both funny and plausible (in a rom-com way). Sullivan has a way of writing stories that are just a pleasure to read and this one was no different.

A fun read, the story of Hailey and Wes. I liked how Hailey is adopted as a new friend by the women from the previous books in this series.

This is a light, easy to read friends-to-lovers, sort of slow burn romance. Wes and Hailey are both new to town and, after an awkward meet cute, they quickly become friends. Both have baggage that makes them intent on NOT finding love, to the extent that they make a "guide" to being just friends (hence the title).

The book is well paced (if you like a slow burn) and does a good job of weaving in other characters (although like many others, I had no idea this was part of a series). It did frustrate me that most of the conflict stemmed from Hailey's inability to accept help, some of which made no sense; and it wasn't the type of slow burn that I die for because the pining and "burn" part of it really wasn't as well developed, romantic or angsty as I would have liked.

Overall, it's an enjoyable, fluffy read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I like Sophie Sullivan's writing, but this one missed the mark for me. I do not know if I just was not in the right place for it, but I did not care about the characters or the story. It just didn't do it for me. I do look forward to her next books, though.

I have really enjoyed the world of the Jansen brothers and I am sad it’s over!
Hailey and Wes begin as just friends. Watching their story unfold and become love was so heart warming.
I love getting to read more about Chris and Noah. The brother’s relationship with each other is so nice to read. I love strong friendships in books.
I also enjoy all the strong female characters and their friendships.

Okay first things first, I LOVE that Hailey is a bookworm & carries her kindle in her purse & turns to books to take the "edge off". I also love that she served the customer that essentially ordered a cup of Doritos (by omitting all the vegetables & other ingredients) at her salad shop.

I loved that there was an entire grocery shopping scene. A couple of months ago, I came across something on the internet that talked about the intimacy of the mundane & it resonated with me so much. I shared it on multiple platforms & sent links & screenshots to multiple friends. I love the concept of sharing a day with someone, doing the everyday mundane chores, like grocery shopping or laundry & just being peaceful in each other's space. The idea of running errands being a form of bonding is absolutely true & I like that Sophie Sullivan included this in her book. I appreciated that she spent time writing & recognizing that this gave Hailey a chance to get to know Wes, from the fact that she now knows he buys spaghetti for pasta, likes cereal, to how he has a very organized grocery shopping method & goes to the store on Saturday evenings. It's a different kind of closeness & a way of learning the little things about the other person. I truly believe the "mundane" is a key part of intimacy. It's about knowledge, details, mutual understanding, being exposed & vulnerable but safe & comfortable. The revelations of a person that are known only through these seemingly ordinary & mundane moments. Many people don't really understand why I want to do the ordinary every day things with them but I’m so glad I’m not alone in thinking this concept has relationship building potential, thank you Sophie Sullivan.

I'm so glad this book lived up to the hype of the previous two in the series. I thought the 2nd book was my favourite, but having read this, I think this book might be my favourite (and all my favourite characters from the previous books are still in this book). The book releases in January & is the perfect way to start your year. Thank you @netgalley @smpromance and @authorsophiesullivan for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.