This book is part of a series but can be read stand alone. I didn't read the rest of the series (yet) so it was a bit difficult to remember side characters. Other than that, this was such a great read! It was easy to get into the story, I love the grumpy/sunshine trope and friends to more trope, and it was relatable. It felt like this is how my platonic friendships are! So many scenes and parts stay with you, and you can't put it down! I finished in 2 days. I can't wait to read more from this author!

This was a cute, friends to lovers romance, I enjoyed the banter and jokes between characters, I liked some of the side stories about the community center (although I wanted even more of that), and I liked the slow burn aspect as well.

But overall, it did fall a little flat for me. I wasn’t as invested in the two main characters, Wes and Hailey, as I wanted to be. I loved their friendship but for me, their individual quirks/reservations just made them less likable. I understood their points of view but felt it just went too far and caused unnecessary conflict between them; this ultimately made it hard for me to want to fight for them.

Still a solid and sweet rom-com style read!

I didn’t realize that when I requested an ARC, that this was the third install,ent in the series. This definitely was okay as stand-alone and was cute. I love a friends to lover book.

We meet Hailey. Starting fresh after a bad breakup and trying the start her own business. Wes comes to town from NYC, joining his brothers in business leaving the family business and their toxic dad.

The not so meet cute has the character meeting under false pretenses. Mainly on Wes, as he has mistaken Hailey as his online date. They eventually sort it out and eventually become friends because that’s all each want. She doesn’t want to date again and he doesn’t want to be in love. It was lovely to watch their relationship slowly turn into something more and experience the characters confusion as it happens. I felt tingles in my heart and shooting down my hands reading to progression of their relationship. Could she overcome her insecurities and can he move past his family’s history? Is it worth crossing that line and point of no return?

I really enjoyed this book however there was one thing bothering me. The book mentions the character birthdays but totally skips past those dates like it was nothing of note. That really confused me. Wes’ birthday was mentioned twice it was strange that since the book went month to month it bypassed those dates.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. I am now going to go back and read the other books as I really liked hearing about them in this book. It will be good for those who have read the other 2 to revisit those characters

This was a sweet, slow burn, friends to lovers. Both the main characters, Hailey & Wes have an authentic friendship, and actually communicate like adults. In fact, all the characters in this books act like adults, and not teens with adult ages. Loved that! I loved that the conflicts were handled in a way that felt real.

Even tho Wes is a millionaire (because of course he is), Hailey has a real job (yay!). I’m so sick of women in romance novels being like “I paint flowers for greeting cards yet I still have my own apartment & designer clothes.” Like yes, romances are somewhat of a fantasy, but I’m not looking for fairy tales.

Overall, this book kept me reading & made me happy. And isn’t that the point? Never felt like I had to put it down & roll my eyes.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: Just kisses

A huge thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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This is the third book in the Jansen brothers series, though it could absolutely be read as a standalone. I never actually read the first book, and this one really made me want to go back and give it a shot more than the second one did. Wes and Hailey are both new in town and quickly find themselves as the best of friends. If you looked up “slow-burn romance” in the dictionary it would probably have a picture of this cover. It takes forever for them to decide to try to be more than friends, and I was beginning to wonder if the spark was really there, but eventually it is clear how much they are meant to be together.
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I wanted to hit each of them over the head a few times, as they continued to get in their own way to finding happiness. Neither is willing to compromise who they are at their core, and I really enjoyed them figuring out how to find a balance between who they are and how to be a good partner. The side characters were a ton of fun, and absolutely have inspired me to find the first book in the trilogy to get the full backstory on Everly and Chris.

I LOVED THIS BOOK
In “A Guide to Being Just Friends”, the lead couples starts with a friend relationship that leads to a lovers relationship ( one of my favorite tropes). It was great to see both partners fall for each other organically as friends and then later as lovers. It kept me on my toes waiting for them to confess, but all in all a great read! 4.5/5

This was a great book for those who love a friends to lovers slowburn. Wes and Hailey were great characters who showed realistic aspects of a relationship. It was a cute, fun, and easy read. As this is the third instalment of the series, there are characters and some plot details that are in the previous books but, it can be easily read as a standalone without any confusion as to what is happening!

When you’re 15% in and all you’ve done is cringe and highlight quotes that made you say, “What??” this might not be the book for you. Every time I picked up this book, my brain screamed, “Please don’t make me do this again.” I had to finally stop about 25% in. I don’t like to DNF NetGalley books or rate books I haven’t finished but I just can’t imagine a world in which this gets more than 2 stars.

I don’t know what was worse- the dialogue or the fact that these characters seemed more like junior high school kids than adults. I also really struggle with books that make the female completely clueless and the male has to fix everything for her. Hailey has a business degree- why doesn’t she know the very basics of running a business? This isn’t even the first business she’s run- she had a food truck before her salad shop.

But the dialogue! I’m very surprised that this isn’t Sophie Sullivan’s first book. Not only did the dialogue not flow, it often didn’t even sound like real human conversation. I made several notes that said, “Who talks like this?” Even the characters’ internal dialogue was strange.

I was so excited to get approved for this book- friends to lovers is my favorite trope- but based on what I’ve read and based on some of the reviews I just took a look at, it’s not going to get better for me. Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I tried. This is my first time DNFing. I spent the past month trying to get through this book and only made it 45%... and that was with me really pushing myself to finish.

At times it was cute... but for the most part it was boring and repetitive.

I didn't connect with the characters and didn't care enough to see if they made it out of the friendzone to continue with the book.

Thank you Netgallery and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book. It’s a slow burn, found family, friends to lovers masterpiece.

Hailey moves to a new town and opens a to go salad shop in hopes that her business will take off. She lives near her cousin and recently went through a breakup. Over time she starts developing friends and meets Wes.

Wes is a very smart techy, artistic guy who sounds dreamy. He has a hard time trusting people and doesn’t understand that point of a relationship or a future with anyone, that is until he meets Hailey..

I’m normally not a slow burn romance kind of girl but this book really did it for me. Wes and Haileys story was really special to me. I loved seeing Wes put his walls down and really start to trust Hailey. It’s so hard to do that so it hit home for me. I like seeing the characters develop and the found family. I’d recommend this book to anyone. It was very cute and the perfect rom com that I needed.

I’m not a big fan of slow-burn romance but I do love friends to lovers so when I got approved for this I was looking forward to reading it. This is the last book in the Jansen Brothers series. I haven’t read the previous book but after reading this I’m so curious about these characters. This was fun but there were times when I felt the writing fell flat.

The oldest Jansen brother Wes is supposed to be on a date at a coffee shop but he mistakes Hailey, the salad shop owner, as his date. A terribly gone meet cute that creates a beautiful friendship. I loved Hailey because she was so strong. I think one of the things I liked about her was her strength. It must be hard to start over but she preserved.

Wes comes with a lot of emotional damage from his parent's marriage and protecting his siblings from all the drama. He is nothing like Hailey and their different personalities clash quite a bunch but they also work well. Wes is a complicated character but his growth is vital to his relationship with Hailey.

I loved the dynamic between the brothers. They were so funny together and I hope I see that in the previous books as well. I haven’t read any book by Sullivans so I was not used to her writing. I’m so looking forward to reading the series.

Thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the chance to review this book.

I didn't realize it was the third in a series from the cover or the description - so I do feel like maybe I am missing a lot of context. I do not think it works particularly well as a standalone. There are some family dynamics and characterizations that the author seems to be relying on the reader already knowing when going into this book. My review is, unfortunately, not positive.

This is a "slow burn" romance but there was zero burn for me - leaving me just with "slow". Nothing really happens. The dialogue seems really forced, the interactions and development are stilted and don't always make sense, and I don't really understand the core relationship appeal at all. I didn't find it cute and didn't connect with the characters. DNF at about halfway in, unfortunately - just couldn't connect. Not the book for me.

A bit of a pet peeve but - the lead female character is running a salad restaurant on her own with no staff - but does zero prep work, seems to have free evenings and weekends, isn't busy with supply chain issues or sourcing ingredients, and doesn't seem to do any cooking. A bit of realism couldn't hurt, is all I'm saying.

This is more of a 4-star read, but I found the friends-to-lovers and slow-burn romance to be absolutely adorable. I love how hard-headed the MCs are until they finally admit their attraction to one another. The push and pull of their relationship just made for witty banter and a fiasco of emotions, which was what made the book enjoyable. I loved that Hailey and Wes both had ambitions, which drove them throughout the book. Their end goal was a successful career. I loved that they stayed clear on their goals and that the romance and chemistry were sprinkled in.

I thought it was a cute book, and I was excited to read about Wes Jansen, the nerdy, business-oriented perfectionist, and big brother. The reason it gets a low rating is that I just found it to be too predictable in the pacing, and the overall plot was just "meh". Everyone's taste is different, and many of us are mood readers. Maybe this wasn't the right time to read "A Guide to Being Just Friends." Overall, this was a cute book, and I loved the friendships that blossomed in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC.

I liked how the book picked up immediately, I was able to get into the book immediately. I liked Wes’ character at first I thought it was so cute. Although I felt the book also felt a bit rushed, like the way they became friends and just generally how they got into each other’s lives. I also felt like nothing was really happening, it all felt very steady

I thought it was a quick easy read but I dont think it was my cup of tea necessarily. I do however remember enjoying Ten Rules of Faking It so I thought I’d really enjoy this book.

Hailey, after experiencing a terrible breakup, has moved to San Verde for a fresh start. Wes has also moved to San Verde to join his brothers after leaving NYC and his oppressive father. Hailey and Wes are not looking for love when they meet and decide they will be the best of friends. But can these two be friends and manage to not fall for each other or will they break their self imposed rules and cross the line from friends to lovers?

This book is a slow burn friends to lovers story. The story is told through the POV of both Hailey and Wes. It’s a cute story and I love a friends to lovers moment but I felt the characters were so stubborn in their “I’m fine on my own” mindset. Hailey was stubborn and so resistant to help and was so hung up on Wes being wealthy. Wes was weird in his hang ups of love is bad and only causes pain.

I felt like the story spent too much time showing how much each of these characters didn’t want to fall in love that when they finally did, I was underwhelmed. 80% of the story was a lead in to the MCs falling in love and the last 20% was of the two of them being together, fighting, breaking up, fighting, and breaking up again until the final grand gesture. Overall, the story was ok but it’s not one I would rush to recommend to others.

This is where my flaw of not looking into books at all comes in, I did not know this was a series LOL. They can be read stand alone but each brother has a story it seems.

Anyway - this was such a cute book. If you’re not a fan of slow burns you will hate this 😅 hahaha I love slow burns and even this was hard for me. But I love that Wes and Hailey took to time to create an actual friendship.

The navigation of starting your life over after a relationship and feeling like everyone around you has their shit together was comforting to read.

In A Guide to Being Just Friends, the last Jansen brother standing Wes is a cybersecurity nerd who wants to be friends with Hailey, but the longer they are friends, the more he wants her. This closed door romance is the third and final installment in Sophie Sullivan's Jansen Brothers series. I found this friends to lovers story to be a nice, slow burn read, and a great way to wrap up the series.

While I thought the story was solid, it did drag in parts, and I felt that the part about having an uncaring dad was unresolved in the story, it was still a solid read.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I selected this book in NetGalley because it looked like a cute, fun story. And that it was. And apparently it’s the “last” of a series?! Guess I’ll be heading to the bookstore later.

The whole, “we’re just friends” plot has been done in romance/rom-com before, but this book had a few twists that I wasn’t expecting. The characters of Hailey and Wes are fabulously loveable. I’ll admit to getting a little confused with the cast of side characters, but let’s be real, I was reading so quickly I wasn’t committing all of the friends, brothers, neighbors, etc. to memory.

So many of the romances I read do the him/her perspective. This was refreshing point of view for me, allowing us to dig into motivations and background for both characters. I was happy the certain plot twists didn’t go into a trite or predictable path.

Great, fun, quick and enjoyable read!

A Guide To Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press, The Author, Sophie Sullivan, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of A Guide To Being Just Friends
I love friends to lover’s troupes. Let me tell you that this one did not miss. Wes and Hailey's characters are so well written, and the development was well done as well. I’m sure this is probably the reason why I liked the book as much as I did. I had no idea at the time when I requested this from NetGalley, that this was the third book of a series.
This story follows Wes Jansen and a new shop owner Hailey Sharp. Hailey is starting to open her new shop, and it’s been challenging to say the least. Wes and Hailey have a cute moment in a coffee shop after a misidentification by Wes. They both thought this was a once encountered moment, but they run into each other again after Hailey's company is hired to provide salads for a meeting that Wes is at. Things progress and their friendship grows, neither wanting more due to experiences from past relationships.
Hailey and Wes together, and their relationship...when they got there because this was a slow burn...but very cute. It was refreshing that, for the most part, they had a functional line of communication and were able to see from each other's points of view. Hailey with her strong independent mind set and Wes with only wanting to help Hailey succeed and protect her. I enjoyed Hailey and Wes’s characters and was rooting for them, but I am always a sucker for the independent woman and protective/supportive male relationship!
After my enjoyable experience with this one, I am planning on picking up the other two books. Although I hadn't read the first two books, it was completely fine. This book stands strong on its own and does a great job incorporating the previous characters into the narrative. You have time to read the first two books in the prior this one being released!! (Jansen Brothers Series)
Book #1 Ten Rules For Faking It (2020), #2 How To Love Your Neighbor (2022) #3 A Guide To Being Just Friends (Jan. 17, 2023)

🥗Book Review🥗

A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan

Rating: 3.5/5

“Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. Get By the Cup salad shop off the ground. Do literally everything possible to make it a success. Repeat. With a head full of entrepreneurial ideas and a bad ex in her rearview, her one and only focus is living life the way she wants to. No distractions.

Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. With a string of lackluster first dates and the pain from his parents’ angry divorce following him around, he’d much rather find someone who he likes, but won’t love. Companionship, not passion, is the name of the game.

When Hailey and Wes find each other in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, they embarrassingly go their separate ways. But when Wes finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, they strike a friendship. Because that’s all this can be. Hailey doesn’t want any distractions. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love.

What could possibly go wrong?”

I enjoy a slow burn but didn’t feel a whole lot of chemistry between Hailey and Wes. There was plenty of good banter and extremely likable side characters. This was a solid, cozy read.

Publish date: January 17, 2023

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress and the author for the ARC!