Fun premise and continuation of the series. The description of playful and emotional is a good fit. Original and unique meet cute that leads to quite the story.

One blurb said this book was like When Harry met Sally...I was thinking oh my...

Well I am so glad that I read this book. I love how their relationship as friends stated, you know hanging out with friends, helping them with things that they need to get done. Just building a solid friendship.

You knew it was coming...THE KISS...that always messes things up when you are friends. Geez

I am so happy for Wes and Hailey, that they were able to set things aside and move 9n to the next steps

Bonus written by a Canadian Author. Love this

I will start with that I did not know this was part of a series and I wish I had read the others first. I will definitely go back and read the others. The friendship that was show is so important and often overlooked in today's time when dating so I loved seeing that blossom into something more. Wes' feelings of families using love as a playing piece is often correct as well. Overall, I loved the story and seeing how Wes' brothers and their girlfriends loved and accepted Hailey too. That is such a special bond.

Hailey has just got her business, By the Cup, started and is focused on that. She recently had a bad breakup and is looking for a fresh start. Wes is tired of using apps to date and when he mistakingly thinks Hailey is a girl, Hayden, that he is supposed to meet who ended up standing him up, he realized he doesn't like dating. He wants to find someone to be friends with but, he does not want to fall in love. He has seen that it has been used as a pawn in his family. We tracks Hailey down to apologize for accusing her of being the girl who was standing him up, he realizes that he really likes her as a friends. They both know they don't want distractions or to fall in love, but they enjoy each others times.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is a great finale to the Jansen brothers stories! Each brother is unique and I love that their stories were so different from one another. One thing they all have in common is how hard they fall when they fall in love.

Wes and Hailey start off protecting themselves from love by choosing to be friends, even though they both could see potential for more. I love how organically their friendship builds as the story progresses. They have a sweet push and pull as they learn to communicate with one another and to trust each other. There were a few times in the story that felt like a little too much internal monologue for me, but overall it was a great read! The end leaves you with warm fuzzies for all three brothers love stories. Which is a definite bonus!

2.5 I didn't realized that this was part of a series when I requested it. It was confusing at times with all the other characters, but I guess that's because I haven't read the other books. I think I would read the other two books in this series if it wasn't for the writing. I didn't really enjoyed this one, I wasn't connecting with the main character's relationship and there wasn't anything special about it.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Sophie Sullivan, and NetGalley for this book in exchange for my honest review!


Friends to lovers??? Yall know this is my favorite trope!
The blurb references both When Harry Met Sally & 500 Days of Summer??? so obviously I was excited as hell,

I liked the side characters that worked at the shop so much, they felt like I knew them and that they were my friends. I also loved the relationship between wes and his brothers.

Hailey moves to San Verde, and coincidentally so does Wes and even though they dont know each other they have the opposite of a meet cute. Wes mistakes her for his date at a cafe, and they become fast friends. Hailey is recovering from a bad breakup and Wes is taking a break from dating and so the two agree to be just friends and not cross that line from friends to something more.

Though I felt there was a great friendship, I didnt feel like that translated into their romantic relationship. The amount of fighting felt a little forced, and there is no steamy scenes.

But this was enjoyable, This is the third is a series and even though it can be read as a standalone I think I wouldve enjoyed it more if I read the first two.

This is also a slow burn, so if that is not your thing I would skip this one because when i say slow burn. I mean it.

I think what threw me off for a few minutes was that this is a series and I had yet to read the other books. That being said I think I’ll read the others first and re read this after to see if I'm feeling the same however, I do feel like their relationship was a bit fake.

I had no idea that this story was part of a trilogy when I first started it, but I do plan on reading the other two since I enjoyed this one so much. It stands strongly on its own, and I don't feel that I lost too much of the experience by not having read the other two. A Guide to Being Just Friends follows Wes Jansen and Hailey Sharp. After several chance run-ins, they develop a comfortable friendship, with neither character wanting any more from the other due to some negative past experiences. These feelings don't last of course, and Wes and Hailey develop feelings for each other. I felt that this was a slow burn, but overall enjoyed the book. I'm really looking forward to reading more by Sophie Sullivan!

2.5 stars / I'm not quite sure how to describe this, other than it just felt fake. I felt like the connection between Wes and Hailey was kinda forced, and I felt like they just worked together better as friends. Meh, pretty average imo.

I enjoyed this. An easy to read and sweet romance. Friends to lovers isn't my favorite trope, but it is one I certainly enjoy and this author did a great job with the slow burn & tension.
3.5/5 ⭐

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. I did not realize this was part of a series and just happened to buy the two other books at a friend’s urging.

Hailey and Wes were cute. Very, very slow burn. So slow (but adorable) that I found Wes a bit clueless and almost gave up. I’m glad I stuck with it snd am looking forward to owning the series and reading the prior books.

Three and a half (rounded to four) stars bc I am craving salad and chocolate cake. Thanks Hailey.

This books was such a sweet way to wrap up the series of characters.
Hailey and Wes are the main characters of this story who have both hesitant to have any real relationship with someone else from either past relationship or from family trauma from growing up. If you’ve read the other stories you know about Wes’a family history.
It’s so great to watch two characters evolve. I love reading about how they have to figure out if their friendship more important than taking it to the next level.
If you like sweet romantic comedies, not super steamy, and good friendship turn to more you’ll love this book!
Thanks #netgallery for ARC!

Not my favorite of the series, but still super cute and really enjoyed.

I requested to review this book and didn't realize it was part of a series. I looked at the first two books in the series and realized I had reviewed the first one before it came out. I said in that review that I'd likely forget the book and I did completely forget it.

Unfortunately, A Guide to Being Just Friends is just as forgettable as the first book in the series. I think this series and Sophie Sullivan as an author just aren't for me. The characters were boring and Hailey's actions annoyed me throughout the book. I didn't connect with main character's relationship and found it uninteresting. This is another book that I'm sure I'll forget and this series can be skipped in my opinion. These books are very generic romance novels and there isn't anything special about them.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an e ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book! I’m not usually into cliche storylines but this one kept me reading. The main characters were so lovable and relatable. Haley is such a strong character and I felt so connected with her as a woman and a business owner! The Jansen brothers are amazing, I haven’t read the other two books yet but I’m going to because I need more of them!!
The only thing I didn’t like was sometimes I had to take a moment to figure out whose point of view I was reading. Not a huge deal but it was very jumpy in terms of point of view.
Overall a great HEA read and I will be telling my friends to read it as well!

At the beginning I thought oh, what a cute, fun story! But then it got even better! Hailey & Wes’s friend to lovers relationship is heartwarming with just enough ups & downs to keep your interest. But poor Wes-so clueless. This is a perfect escape read and I definitely recommend it! This is the 3rd book in the series but can be read as a stand alone. The other two books are just as good as this one though so I would recommend all of them.

A slow burn/friends to lovers romance that’s the third in the Jansen Brothers series by Sophie Sullivan. Hailey is trying to make her salad shop, By the Cup, a success, and Wes, who unlike his successfully attached siblings, just wants someone to hang out with who will mutually like him and his interests. He wants “the ‘like’ without the downfall of ‘love’”. There’s a lot of “liking” and expected tension, but it is really a slow, slow burn (almost up to the end — in fact, a magazine quiz is crucial to moving them along). It is a warm and fuzzy story, but I felt it needed more after they realize they are in love. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Fans of the previous two Jansen brothers books, “Ten Rules for Faking It” and “How to Hate Love Your Neighbor” will enjoy the final book in the series (none of the siblings is apparently capable of falling in love at first sight).

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Wes has dark blue and Hailey’s ex has dark angry eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Wes is overly concerned about bringing (or not bringing) bouquets to girls.

In this final Jensen Brother story (yes, you read that right), author Sophie Sullivan brings the oldest Jensen brother, Wes, to San Verde, CA. After breaking business ties with his father, Wes is looking forward to a fresh start both in business and in life. He has spent the majority of his life under his father's control in order to protect his younger siblings. Unfortunately, this has made Wes very skeptical of love and marriage. Enter Hailey, also new to San Verde, hopes to stand on her own feet in a brand new salad shop. Hailey recently left an awful relationship and is not looking for love but a coffee mishap has her bumping into Wes. Wes and Hailey embark on a platonic friendship, thus creating a guide on how to be friends. Then one day things change....

You will not be disappointed in reading in this final installment of this amazing series written by Sophie Sullivan. I loved every minute of it!

When Harry Met Sally meets 500 Days of Summer in this cute rom com about two people who are perfect for each other but decide to start a guide to being just friends... for now. Hailey Sharp is ready to get a fresh start, after ending her last horrible relationship she is set on getting a whole new life- first, by getting her new business By the Cup, a salad shop, off the ground and second by making new friends and maybe try dating again! She’s determined to never rely on anyone again and she’s going to give the shop her everything. But then something happens that absolutely throws her off... imagine the worst meet cute ever- i.e. you get mistaken for someone’s date and then they think you are lying and standing them up all while you are just trying to get your coffee order. Cue Wes Jansen. Wes doesn’t believe in love, in fact he has gone out of his way to stay very much out of the emotional zone of feelings and relationships. Yet he goes on these lackluster dates to find someone who he likes but won’t love. He’s focused on his business and still reeling from the damage of his parents’ angry divorce... yet when he accidentally comes off as a jerk to Hailey he is determined to make it up to her and apologize for his behavior. What starts off as an apology slowly turns into friendship and soon both Hailey and Wes are spending time going on weekly grocery shopping “platonic dates”, cooking together, spending time with each other’s family, watching movies at each other places, and so much more... and yet... Wes is afraid to cross the line and Hailey does not want to be in another relationship in which the person doesn’t see her or love her for who she is. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love and is determined to stay just friends but can he really live with seeing the one girl he is falling for go on dates with other people? Hailey doesn’t want any distractions, especially now that her business is kicking off and she finally has friends and a support system, yet can she finally trust someone with her heart? Both of them want friendship but they can’t help falling for each other. This was such a cute read and you get cameos of the other couples from the author’s previous books ( which was so cute). I loved Hailey so much, she was so sweet and strong, and yes I completely got where she was coming from with not wanting to depend on someone else and being independent, but she always knew when she was taking it too far and she was good at setting boundaries. Wes was an idiot ( affectionately) and I loved getting to see him realize that and realize what he really wanted. Their romance was cute and their friendship was even cuter. I would definitely recommend this book!

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

cute (not the cringe cute but like perfect amount of cute). the pacing is a bit slow so if you like slow-burn stories then this is for you but if not, then I would not really recommendddd

Hailey and Wes-swoon. These two gave me butterflies! I loved Hailey so much. She was the sweetest character and was so relatable as she tried to keep her eye off men and on the prize-her company she’s trying to get off the ground. Enter Wes with the chip on his shoulder and his total aversion for relationships. Then WAM! Wes meets Hailey and his stance on friendship only not love and her business only no men rule is suddenly not so firm. A perfect read for fans of not-so meet cutes!