Another lovely book by Sophie Sullivan. This was a very sweet, almost Hallmark movie-esque romance novel. I loved the two main characters starting off as good friends and how their relationship naturally developed into more. It felt very realistic. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good friends to lovers book (or really loves salad).

Perfection! I love a good friends to lovers story with some sweet romance trickled in. It felt like a more modern/up to date Hallmark movie. Also - can we get a salad cook book with this? There has to be salad recipes in the back of the book because it would be PERFECT pairing for a book club meeting.

The is book three in the Jansen Bother's series and was a good close out to the series. I read book two, but haven't read book 1, and I did ok. It was nice to catch up with Grace and Noah and learn a little more about Everly and Chris as you delved into Hailey and Wes. I enjoyed how focused Hailey is about overcoming her breakup, and the trauma surrounding that relationship, learning to trust and lean on people all while getting her business up and running and a being a success. Wes is the grumpy, singleminded, does not deviate grump, so you know they have an encounter that turns into a friendship neither saw coming. I liked Hailey and Wes and their story felt pretty relatable and made for an easy, comfort type read. If you've read any of the Jansen Brothers series, you need to add A Guide to Being Just Friends to your TBR and pick it up in January 2023.

Super cute story with a great setting. I liked how self-sufficient the main character was, but also how she learned to let others help her when needed.

Overall I really liked this. The ending was not predictable. You thought they’d be happy ire ever after and they weren’t. Yet.

Too many characters. Besides the brothers and cousin and friend, there were so many side characters or mentioned. The book seemed to have some filler chapters that seemed like could’ve been left out.

Overall I did really enjoy it.

This book was so CUTE!! I loved the other Jansen Brother books and was so excited to finally read Wes' story! One of the kind of books I have been loving lately has been series that can be read as stand-alones, but apart of a bigger series that have connections between each other. I adored being able to catch up on the brother's relationships while also getting to know Wes and Hailey. I loved the drive that both of them have, it made me want to be more motivated to do more in my daily life lol! I love Sophie Sullivan's writing, she writes in such a fun good paced way that keeps me entertained. Definitely recommend to someone who loves a cute rom-com!

Cute premise in this one. Loved the idea of the salad shop. Wes and Hailey were really cute together, and I enjoyed that they became friends along the way before realizing they were each others’ one and only.

Ok, overall this was pretty cute. Hailey and Wes are the most adorable best friends you could possibly ask for after they’re super awkward meet-cute. This book made me smile and I was invested.

However. The editing could have been a bit more thorough. There were a couple turns of phrase that were just odd and threw me out of the experience. And my gosh the mutual pining lasted for what felt like a million years.

But hey, in the end it was pretty decent.

Hailey is an entrepreneur trying to get her salad shop off the ground when she meets Wes, who isn't interested in love if it might get him hurt.

I wasn't totally wowed by this book. It was an easy read and some bits were quite sweet, but I found both the main characters pretty boring and they just didn't feel very compatible! Not one I'll be rereading.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

If we’re being honest, the super cute cover is what pulled me in and ultimately sent me on a Sophie Sullivan binge reading fest. I didn’t realize this was the 3rd of the Jansen Brothers books but it was such a delightful realization!! This one is for: grumpy sunshine trope lovers, people who love the movie When Harry Met Sally, or a gooooood slow burn. So fun and kept a smile on my face.

Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous writing.

I didn’t read the first two in the series but they can be read as stand alone novels. The way these characters made me feel and tingly inside.

Did I live the fade to black?? ABSOLUTELY NOT. But there was a beauty to not getting any details at all. It felt more in line to their relationship and how private Wes is.

I loved it!!!!

Friends to lovers, slow burn, and all around so sweet! This is a cute and satisfying read. Warm, fuzzy, adorable vibes.

Our main characters were well developed, with personal growth happening for both along with a healthy serving of wit and depth.

At first I didn't realize this book was the third in a series. There were definitely some references throughout that made me realize I was missing information, but overall it didn't affect my enjoyment.

I loved the side characters and the personality they added to the story. Would totally read some spin-offs following them! Keep writing please!

Hailey recently broke up with her boyfriend and started a new life + new business in a new town. Her sole focus is making sure her salad shop is successful. She doesn’t have time for another bad relationship and she doesn’t need anyone taking her time away from her business.

Wes is also new to town and trying to find his place both professionally and personally. He would like to date someone who he enjoys spending time with, but he doesn’t want to fall in love. He’s seen what that did to his family, and he has no time for messy complications.

When Wes and Hailey meet, there’s an instant attraction. But since neither are looking for love, they decide to become friends. JUST friends….

This closed door romance is the third and final book in the Jansen brothers series. It can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading the others first because they’re all good! I loved both Wes and Hailey’s characters and I also loved seeing familiar characters from the previous books. Chris, Noah, and Wes have such a great rapport and I laughed out loud a few times at their conversations. If you’re looking for a romance with more swoon than spice, you’ll love this one!

*thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t for me. I had a few problems with the MC’s, Wes and Hailey, and did not sense their romantic chemistry at all. The pacing was a little off for me and the book seemed to drag. The third act breakup/conflict was the deal breaker for me. I really wanted to love this one, but ultimately it ended up being a book that just isn’t for me.

This was so so cute!! Slow-burn, found family, friends to lovers... this book really had all the best tropes known to mankind. Ms. Sullivan did NOT come to play with this one!

I loved this book! The characters were so well developed and it was a treat to read such a good and refreshing book! I’m looking forward to reading more by this author, I loved the writing style!!

I love the grumpy guy sunshiney girl romance trope!

Not only it was so fun to see Wes’s stoic and reserved exterior crumble over time but I also enjoyed that Hailey was able to take on some of Wes’s good traits like being more organized. A truly equal relationship!

I realized that while I was reading this book I feel exactly like Hailey, i don’t like “owing” people or when people do me a “favor”. However, like Hailey realized, i think i need to separate strangers from friends. Friends do nice things for each other without the idea that there is a scoreboard. It’s okay to ask for help and rely on people. Definitely something to work on.

Another thing that stuck with me is that this book made me want to go on grocery store dates with someone. Putting that on my dating requirements list. 😅 That and the video game that Wes made for Hailey were my two favorite parts of the book!


My only con for this book is that when there was texting dialogue it was hard to distinguish it from the rest of the text. I wish the author added italics or bold letters for these parts. It threw me off at first but as the book went on I was able to figure it out.

4.25/5

Friends to lovers is one my favourite trope and Ms. Sullivan seems to know how to just serve it righty. Hailey and Wes were so perfect and swooning that one can’t help but fan their face and say; God when?

Neither Hailey nor Wes were looking for love when they first encountered one another. They soon develop an awkward friendship while also trying to keep their distance from one another.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is a fun, opposites-attract romcom. It is the third book in the Jansen Brothers series but can be read as a stand-alone. I have not yet read the other two books but I had no problem understanding the characters’ backgrounds and context.

I adore the MCs in this! While they seem like opposites, they’re similar in that they’ve both been put off of dating. They’re both career driven but also make time for those they care about. The chemistry sparks from their first meeting, as disastrous as it is, and just continues to grow throughout the storyline. Due to the type of romance, this one is a bit of a slow burn but well with it.

If you enjoy a sweet, friend to lovers romance, this is a great choice. This is the first book that I have read from author Sophie Sullivan but I plan to remedy that soon, starting with the other two books in this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!

I’m usually not a huge lover of the friends to lovers trope but here I am. This was wonderful. Main characters Hailey and Wes just compliment each other so thoroughly and I loved the slow burn of this.
I also continually wanted to eat salad during this book IYKYK
Now with all of that said, I went into this not realizing that it was book 3 in a series. It did read fine as a standalone but now I want to read the first 2 books so I know the characters better!
Overall, this is a really adorable book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC eBook in exchange for my honest review.