*Disclaimer: When requesting this book through Net Galley, I was not aware that this book is apart of a series, so the fact that I haven't read the two previous books might affect my review!*

I really wanted to love this book, and although it did pick up about 3/4 of the way into the story, I can't give this higher than a 2 star review. I found both main characters to be frustrating and aggravating most of the time. There were a lot of arguments and issues that felt out of place and unnecessary. However, there were a few sweet moments sprinkled in. Something I really enjoyed about this book was the epilogue, I think it really pulled everything together.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read an early access copy of this book!

Talk about a slooooooooow burn friends to lovers. I almost put it down but kept reading. It was enjoyable but definitely not a favorite. I also didn’t realize it was part of a series so becoming connected to the other characters was what I needed.

*3.5 stars

Before requesting this book I didn't know it was a part of a series featuring the other characters mentioned in the book. You don't need to read the others to read this but I think if I had read them I may have liked this book a little more.

This book features the friends-to-lovers trope and while it seems simple enough to do, it's very rare when someone gets it right. I didn't feel the spark between these two that made me want to root for them and beg them to give each other a chance.

I think my favorite thing about the story itself may have been the friendships that the MC makes throughout the book. As someone who recently moved to a new town, I completely understand the need to start fresh and look for genuine connections. Hailey gave me hope for finding my own little group of friends too.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the eARc to read in exchange for an honest review!

The eldest Jansen brother finally gets his story told and it went pretty much how I expected. Nevertheless, "A Guide to Being Just Friends" was lovely to read.

Hailey is a salad shop owner who’s determined to make it on her own. Vibrant and friendly, Hailey’s always ready to help out but reluctant to ask for help/things. She’s never really had anyone in her corner who gives as much as she does and loves her.

Wes is a kind and caring tech wiz who co-owns a very successful company with his brothers. As the eldest, he spent most of his life protecting his siblings from their toxic father instead of nurturing his own interests. As a result, Wes is more reserved and private. He’s not quite the best at people-ing (i.e., socializing outside his brother’s beyond basic manners; relatable) and only seeks a likable companion sans romantic attachments.

Wes’ business savvy mind sometimes doesn’t have a filter when talking about anything business related, which early on I was worried about in his growing relationship with Hailey thinking he might overstep (though of course with good intentions). Comparably, Hailey’s only had mostly emotionally distant and one-sided close relationships. She wants an equal partnership (romantic or otherwise), so her friendship with Wes (and his wealth) make her cautious but all in.

Even though it’s super obvious to anyone looking that Hailey and Wes are into each other, I do like that they start out as mutual friends. They kind of get to go back to the basics and develop a relationship that’s just right for them and one in which they can really be themselves.

Something I felt was missing was a resolution to the brothers’ conflict with their father. Their father’s influence - toxic as it was - did affect them, especially Wes. It’s part of the driving force behind wanting to make their own way in life in each of their respective books. So while things as a whole wrapped up nicely enough, I feel this key part of who they were and what they are striving to become needed a conclusion of sorts.

Overall, this was a good read. I like that the story emphasizes the importance of finding your people, doing what you love, taking chances, and giving back to the community. The steady pacing nicely matches the temperament of the main characters, so it’s a more laid back romance you can cozy up for a time. An amiable, slow build of friends to lovers story indeed.

I’ll preface my review by saying that I didn’t remember when I requested this title that it was the third book in a series. However, I don’t feel like not having read the first two books took away from my reading experience. I enjoyed this as a standalone, while also being interested enough in the brothers to go back and read the first two books as well.

Ok, into the review. I will start with Hailey. I admired her spirit and desire to establish herself and her business independent from anyone else. It was a nice growth arc for her to learn how to accept help and accept that it didn’t mean people thought she was incapable, only that they cared enough to want to lighten her load. There were times when her stubbornness was frustrating, but it was usually followed by moments of self-reflection where she recognized that she was overreacting.

Wes. Bless his emotionally-stunted heart. The man lived comfortably in denial for a long time. I liked that he was very up front with women about his intentions or lack thereof, misguided and futile as they may have been where Hailey was concerned. He had some struggles, but his heart was good and he got there in the end. Some of the drama that came from his issues and Hailey’s issues felt somewhat forced for the sake of conflict, but the resolution was so sweet and fit the couple and their relationship.

Overall, a sweet read that has me wanting to go back to the beginning and enjoy the rest of the series. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC.

This is a sweet friends to lovers romance, and I really enjoyed the story!

Wes and Hailey’s relationship is so sweet, and they complement each other so well. I also loved all of the side characters in the story! I haven’t read any of the other books in the series (this is the third but they can be read as stand alone stories), but after seeing all of the other couples I want to pick up the first 2 books!

This story is a slow burn, and at times it did feel like the story was dragging. The ending definitely made up for it though, and I loved seeing Hailey and Wes finally get together!

If you like friends to lovers romance, you’ll enjoy this book!

Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Griffin, and Sophie Sullivan for an eARC of this book.

I liked the scene and the plot, it was cute. The flow wasn’t great, there were too many explanatory inner monologues that ended up also being repetitive. There were multiple instances where Wes was explaining to himself how he had protected his brothers from his pessimistic Father. If this is a series that makes it even more repetitive. Also some of the parts of the book abruptly changed scenes and it was sometimes a little confusing as to how we got to this particular situation that was unfolding. It wasn’t a horrible read but, I wouldn’t be interested in any more story about these characters.

I'm going to start this by saying I had no idea this was the third book in the series until this moment as I am writing the review and see (Jansen Brothers, #3) in the title. With that said, this knowledge does not change my review at all. All it changes is that I need to go back and read the first two books haha. I probably would have understood the background of some of the characters better, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything at all.

This was a great slow burn friends to lovers that is adorable! The book starts with a very, very awkward meeting between the main characters, Hailey and Wes. When Hailey sees Wes again, she dreads talking to him, but she does, and somehow, they become friends. Then somewhere along the way, Hailey realizes that she might be developing feelings for him, but, as the title implies, they have to remain just friends.

I greatly enjoyed the dynamic between Wes and Hailey. Their character development (both individually and their relationship) was exception and had me rooting for them the whole time. Plus their witty banter! I also loved that you got to experience both POV's which definitely helped with the character development.

Overall, this was a light and fun read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the slowest of slow burn friends to lovers romance stories. It was so slow burn that it made me feel disconnected from the main characters. For the first half of the book I felt almost nothing. It was almost as if our yo MCs didn’t like each other in the “more than friends” way. To do a friends to lovers well and capture the reader, the MCs either gave to be the best of friends while they finish each others sentences and order menu items and instantly take food from each others plates because you know their preferences where the reader can visualize the chemistry or we have to have a sizzling angst filled friendship where each encounter of the MCs leave fireworks.

This story fell flat of that. We got sparks at around 50% and then the relationship felt flat.

This read reminded me too much of reality. Big meets girl. They become friends. They decide to date. They talk about business. The end.

The story didn’t jive with me

This book was good! I really enjoyed getting to know Wes and Hailey, and the way their friends and families were involved in the books. I loved how Wes and Hailey's relationship developed, and how their dynamic continued to evolve as they got to know each other better. I also really liked the side plot with Hailey's business! This book is a solid, light, fluffy, easy read.

A Guide to Just Being Friends by Sophie Sullivan gets 4.5 stars from me! It’s a quick read; cute and clean romance. I love Hailey’s personality and appreciate a main character who knows what she wants and doesn’t let anything stop her. Wes is adorable in the successful (career-wise) but clueless way and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing their relationship play out. I haven’t read the other two books in the Jansen Brothers series but have added them to my TBR list now.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed the first two books of this series (specifically the second one) and this third installment was a fun, quick read. Although I did enjoy the book, I wasn't so impressed with the writing. This felt like more of a debut, with the author telling everything instead of showing the reader what was happening. It was surface level and left me not connecting with the characters. Overall, this was an enjoyable story, but the writing didn't live up to my expectations.

This was a perfectly likeable, friends-to-lovers, closed door romance. Also, the third and final installment of the Jansen Brothers. I’d previously read the second book, so I was familiar with most of the players. Wes and Hailey are the main characters. I always enjoy an independent female lead and grumpy male love interest. What I don’t really love is when the male lead falls into the “I’ll never fall in love, marry or have kids” situation.

I loved the interaction between the brothers and with Hailey and her cousin. The slow burn was good, not a lot of spice here, folks. All in all, it kept me reading and I really enjoyed it. I rated this book 3.5/5 Stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

I tried to get into this book time and time again and I just couldn't. I don't think its an author issue. I honestly think its a me thing. everyone else seemed to love it. but i just couldn't get into it

A Guide to Being Just Friends is great for Romcom fans who like a fade to black type romantic vibe.

Hailey has moved to a new place to rebuild her life after a disaster relationship and meets tech wiz Wes in an awkward exchange. This wasn’t a meetcute experience but an awkward and uncomfortable first impression. I loved it so much.

I adored Wes and the way he cares for and protects the people he’s closest to. I loved how their friendship evolved and how it built up to something more. I’m usually not a friends to lovers fan but this book might have changed my mindset on that.

2.5/5
Hmm. Here is the thing. I love it absolutely when we get both characters' perspectives because I can visualize the story with much more clarity. However, in this case, there was no need for visualization on my part because... everything was simply stated. There was no show and complete tell. This ruined the experience of reading what otherwise was a cute book for me largely.

such a fun read. I instantly fell in love with the main characters. I wasn't sure about Wes at first, but I did end up loving him so much! This was such a great slow burn love story that started out with them firmly as friends and I loved watching it grow and develop.

I absolutely loved this end to the Jansen brothers' story! Wes and Hailey are such incredible, complicated and interesting characters that I loved getting to learn about throughout this story. I really enjoy Sophie Sullivan's writing style and she makes it easy to feel engaged. I also feel like a lot of her writing is mature and her tone matches her story and characters well. I really liked how Hailey is such an independent and strong character. I really enjoyed seeing her relationship with Wes progress, and appreciated how their connection felt so natural and realistic. I also enjoyed seeing how much both of them grew throughout the story individually while also growing together. I love the literal and chosen family that both Wes and Hailey had in this book and the supporting characters definitely made this story so much better. I did find that the book was a bit long and took me a bit longer to get through, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. My favorite part of the book was the part with the black dress. It's such a perfect example of how despite not being a steamy book, this book is so incredibly romantic and wholesome. The ending was also incredibly satisfying and I think people who enjoyed reading the Jansen brothers will be really happy with this book.

This book was cute. As someone who hadn't read any of the other books in the series I was pleasantly surprised by how everything came together. It all fit even though I was starting with the last piece of the puzzle. The book itself was everything I love it a romcom, cute, well-paced, and ultimately makes me want to find true love. It got me our of my current reading slump as I just had to see when being "just friends" would stop being enough for them. I don't even usually like friends-to-lovers style romance, but this one was really, really, cute. It's a book that you can just pick up anywhere and fall into. It was comfortable, fulfilling, and left me happier than when I started it. It's like a nice hot chocolate. It wasn't an all consuming romance but a really quiet and sweet one.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me the arc of this book.

I’m going to miss these Jansen boys! What a fun series. It’s a closed door romance, but still somehow felt steamy at times. I’m so glad Wes and Hailey got out of their own ways and let go of some baggage to find their HEA.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.