A huge thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and of course Sophie Sullivan for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

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 loved the character development on both sides and their sheer determination. I adore all the characters in this series, there's never a dull moment and you always root for even the side characters.

I adored watching the boys interact with the kids at the rec center and how determined they all were to do some good with their time and money. I loved watching Leo thrive at Hailey's store. So many little pieces fall into place and I loved every bit of it.

I will say, I have been craving salad since I started reading this and now I really want some brownies and a giant salad.

A realistic Rom-Com, As Hailey put her life together after a terrible breakup she has no intention of getting involved with anyone, but something weird happens when she gets a cup of coffee next door to her salad shop. She meets Wes, but at first Wes thinks she is there to be his date but she's not and they go their separate way think how strange that felt. And low and behold, they meet again but in better circumstances and its at that point they become only friends. But you and I both know they are going to get together, and they do.
I love that Hailey and Wes start off as friends because they are actually getting to know the whole person and not just a front that most people put out there when they are dating. I love that Hailey is an entrepreneur and that she slowly making good connections and growing her business. I like that Wes is really trying to help her in the only way he know how and he likes being with her. I also like that when he's wrong he admits it. I also liked it when he sided with Hailey over a incident where a client tried to belittle her. I love his brothers Noah and Chris because their a support and a comedy relief at the same time and they help construct how Wes was brought up. The same with Hailey's cousin Piper and her new friend Fiona, who lend support and speak the truth to Hailey's feelings and help her become what she is looking for. The only part I didn't like was that Hailey wanted Wes to accept her boundaries when it came to gifts but I don't know if Hailey was as understanding about why he thought those gifts were ok.

I definitely think there should be one more story for a few loose ends.

I want to thank St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for this rom-com that makes me go Ahh.

I received this as an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! This was my first Sophia Sullivan book, I had no idea there were other Jansen Brothers books, so I’ll definitely have to read those too!

Her writing style is so incredibly easy to read and you feel a real connection with the characters. I liked that it went back and forth between two different point of views. At one point I felt like there were A LOT of characters to remember but once I figured out who everyone was-I was good. I wanted to punch Wes from time to time but so did his brothers so I felt like I was in the right place. 😂

I found myself smiling at this book many times!! It was really cute and sweet - not much spice at all but more of a wholesome happy read.

Definitely would recommend!

3.5 stars rounded up

Hailey is trying her best to launch her salad shop, By the Cup, independently. After a much needed breakup from an awful boyfriend, she is insistent on relying only on herself.

Wes wants nothing more than to help he and his brothers succeed without the help
if their controlling father. He will do anything to protect his brothers

A meet-cute over a mistaken date & a friendship built on salads and brownies is a story after my own heart. Hailey and Wes throw their guards up as high as they’ll go. They tell themselves anything to keep their romantic feelings at bay because, no-no, seriously, they are JUST FRIENDS, okay?!

I loved this plot. I’m not usually one for a slow burn, but I felt that this was an honest telling of two people trying to hold onto to something good. Neither wanted to lose their special bond, they just were ignoring what could make it even better.

My only hang up was all the romantic monologuing to wrap up the loose ends. I felt like there needed to be a bit more of a conflict & much less “here is all of the soul searching I did in 3 days.” It was very heavy on unrealistic communication about feelings for two people who spent the whole book unable to address their feelings.

Overall, I would recommend this book! It’s a sweet story and I found the general theme to be heartwarming and realistic.

This was my first ever book from Sophie Sullivan and let me tell you, she did not disappoint. I really enjoyed Wes’ character development and I loved Hailey’s constant cheeriness and optimistic attitude. They were such an opposite, yet perfect, pair. And reading about their friendship turned relationship made me so so so happy.

The only reason why I didn’t rate this book five stars was because I believed that Wes could’ve done more groveling on his part.

Overall, this was a really amazing book and I will definitely be reading more from this author right after I satisfy my book-long craving for a salad (I’d seriously kill to have a salad from Hailey’s shop).

***Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the main characters, their back stories and chosen paths in life. I enjoyed all the secondary characters and what we got to know about their stories and goals. In this friends to lovers story I felt like it was a bit forced to stay friends with a few repetitive backwards steps before they became lovers. It didn't seem like a natural state to me which lead to it just being an okay story.

This was super cute! A Guide to Being Just Friend’s is about Hailey and Wes who are both starting new when it comes to dating and business. Wes doesn’t want to waste any more time dating and Haley wants to focus on her new business, By The Cup, which by the way is like something we need more of. Concepts were good, so was the writing, Though I will say I preferred the friendship Wes and Haley had opposed to when it progressed to more but overall I liked it, this book is slow-burn and a super fun light read!

Sophie Sullivan writes a charming romantic comedy about two people looking for nothing deeper than friendship. Told from two perspectives of Hailey, the new owner of a to-go salad shop, and Wes, the eldest brother of a notable enterprise, a story of found family, new beginnings, and the risks of falling in love unfold. Readers will enjoy following Hailey & Wes as they construct their guide to just being friends and whether or not they can stick to it.

While there were some unnatural pieces of dialogue and repetitive musings, and a steady low-stakes plot line, Sullivan brings to life an extravagant family with so much heart you can't help falling in love with them. Besides Hailey's warm and bright personality, in this small town with big personalities, "A Guide to Just Being Friends" is a friends to lovers romance readers will cheer on.

And we’re back with the third Jansen brother book! My journey with Sophie Sullivan and the Jansen brothers began when I picked up Ten Rules for Faking it from the library on a whim and fell head over heels in love with Everly and Chris! I followed immediately with book 2, Grace and Noah’s book, and knew I had to pick up book 3!

A Guide to Being Just Friends centers on Hailey and Wes, the last (and more reserved) of the Jansen brothers. After moving to San Verde and opening up her small business, Hailey Sharp is looking for a fresh start. She has no time for relationships while she’s focused on her current goal: turn her salad shop into a successful business. Wes Jansen, also new to San Verde, has jumped head first into his business venture with his brothers: Squishy Cat Industries. After unsuccessful attempts with dating apps, and still reeling many years later from his parent’s nasty divorce, Wes has also sworn off relationships. After a chance encounter due to a mistaken identity, Hailey and Wes are thrust into each other’s orbits. While Wes helps Hailey get her business off the ground, the two grow closer. But only as friends. Because they shouldn’t be anything more…right?

For me, Sophie Sullivan books are like the ultimate Hallmark movie - wholesome, emotional, and beautifully written. Sullivan’s books are very slow burn (be warned if that’s not your cup of tea), but the character development and emotional growth is so satisfying. Every time I finish one of her books, my soul feels so happy, this book included. Plus the epilogue??? Be still my heart.

I definitely plan to pick up a finished copy so that I can reread all over again!

Many, many thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for a advanced e-copy of the book!

First of all - this is book three in a series, which is made clear by the way the other two Jansen brothers and their relationships are written as if you should inherently understand the dynamic, but I wasn't aware of that when I requested the ARC. It still reads as a standalone, but I do think I would've enjoyed it more having read the other two first because I'm just a series girlie.

Overall, this book was cute! It's friends to lovers MCs told in a way that actually felt relatable, because they have so. many. fights. So many. And basically all of them could've been solved by one or both being less stubborn or more vulnerable, which hello - feels real. Unfortunately though, it makes the reading experience a little less fun, because when they finally get to what should be the big ending conflict, you're like well, we've seen this before so *shrug*. I liked them and I enjoyed the story, but it's also not one I'm going to be thinking about a few months from now.

This was really cute! Even though I had not previously read the first 2 books in the series, this story was really easy to follow and I think it does great as a stand-alone. The chemistry between Hailey and Wes was good, and I really felt the "friends that want to be lovers but are going to stay friends in fear of ruining their friendship" vibes. The banter was cute, the friend group that was created was a group that I want to be a part of, and I also really want one of Hailey's salads. The storyline moved along well, but it did feel a little bit slow until I got about 50% of the way through the book. Other than that really small thing, I really enjoyed this! Would recommend and overall give this a 4/5 stars.

This is a sweet friends-to-lovers story that the publisher compares to When Harry Met Sally. There were some enjoyable moments and sweet romantic gestures, but overall I had trouble with the characters... it was almost too slow of a burn. I didn't feel the intensity or spark and there were so many fights that it got irritating after awhile. Overall it is an easy read if you need something sweet and fun, and it is the third book of a series so perhaps read the other two first!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Fate is about to throw Wes Jansen for a loop and of course, I'm talking about his awkward meet cute with the new eatery owner in town when he mildly accuses her of standing him up on their date. Ha! Guess what Wes? Wrong person.

Fresh off of heartache, Hailey is determined to make her business succeed on her own. She doesn't need love or dating. What she needs is a friend, and a barista who can spell her name correctly. After the misunderstanding, Hailey and Wes slowly re-discover what it's like to be just friends with someone.

A slow but simmering friends to lovers' story, A Guide to Being Just Friends is truly a sweet read for those in the mood for a slow burn.

I did a little dance when this book hit my hands because I really enjoyed the first two Jansen Brother stories. I will admit (to me) it felt a tad slow at about mid story but that may have been because I normally expect a little more spice by that time in the story. Overall, a good light read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book had a lot of promise. The concept was cute and the characters’ meet cute was great. However, it fell apart quickly for me. I found Wes to be unlikable and contradictory a lot of the time. Hailey was very one note and got hung up on things that she shouldn’t. I wanted to root for them, but just couldn’t. It also lacked the humor of a good romcom.
The writing itself was very good and approachable. And I did like the setting of the business street. But all in all, just wasn’t for me.

If you love a slow-burn, sweet, friends to lovers romance then I would high recommend reading A Guide To Being Just Friends.

Hailey and Wes are both very independent with pasts neither are too fond of and when their paths cross they agree to a friendship to essentially restore some faith into each other.

Seeing their friendship unfold draws you in and I loved how well they just fit together. I definitely found myself wishing they would just realize they’re perfect for each other. I tend have a love-hate relationship with slow-burns because I’m impatient, but it’s always so worth it in the end. I absolutely adored Hailey and Wes as a couple.

This was my first read from Sophie Sullivan and it definitely did not disappoint. Her ability to write romance is honestly out of this world, she definitely knows how to convey love in the perfect way and has you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside as you read her words.

I did find myself wishing it was a bit more fast paced, but overall it was an enjoyable read at 3.5/5 stars.

Special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute and sweet and very easy to read. I think the pacing was generally quite slow, even knowing it is a slow burn romance. Wes was an absolute cheese-puff and I think his character stood out to me more so than Hailey's. Grocery shopping dates get me every time and I love their part in this book.

Would recommend for an easy read, but may have enjoyed it more had I met the other characters in this book beforehand.

A Guide to Being Just Friends
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

My review of A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan will be posted on my Instagram @chronicledbycait on Tuesday, January 10th!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan!

This is the third book of the Jansen Brother’s series and while I think reading them in order is a good idea, this was my first book I’ve read by Sophie Sullivan and I didn’t feel like I needed additional context from the other books!

Looking for a fresh start, Hailey Sharp moves to San Verde, CA and opens By the Cup - a restaurant focused on salads, to go!

Wes Jansen has sworn off of dating, believing love to be a waste of time. So when he and Hailey start a friendship the expectations are clear: they are just friends.

But as their friendship grew, so did feelings that both Hailey and Wes had trouble admitting to.

When faced with the opportunity to become lovers, will they be willing to sacrifice their friendship?

This was such a cute rom-com with total Harry Met Sally vibes! I wanted to give it more stars, but I struggled with the pacing of Wes and Hailey’s relationship as it felt like it was rushed towards the end. I loved their friendship though and appreciated the strong foundation they built.

I did feel that both of them were a little immature and didn’t show any personal growth until the very end though which was a little frustrating!

But overall and adorable friends to lovers story that’s definitely worth the read! Preorder your copy today!

This book was like a warm smile. I found myself grinning at the interactions between the two main characters, Hailey and Wes. While I'm not normally a fan of slow burn romances, the way this was written made sense. The slow burn really helped Hailey and Wes develop a deep connection and know each other better than most romances allow.
Both Wes and Hailey were coming from bad romantic situations, Hailey from a bad relationship, Wes as a child of a nasty divorce. The characters have to navigate their own feeling while breaking previous cycles. The book may have been slightly optimistic, however it worked and allows the reader to get lost in a story with altruistic characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in the very sweet Jansen Brothers rom-com series by Sophie Sullivan (Ten Rules for Faking it and How to Love Your Neighbor).

A Guide to Being Just Friends follows the eldest Jansen brother, Wes, as he reluctantly falls in love with the new business owner in town, Hailey. They have both been burned by love in the past, and decide it’s better to just be friends…we all know how that goes!

This is a slow-burn, friends to lovers story with closed door romance. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a cute, fade-to-black romance that makes you smile. 3.5 stars.

This is a very cute Rom-Com about a struggling restaurant owner and wealthy investor who begin as friends and plan to stay that way for their own personal reasons. I loved the main characters and the side characters in this novel. Especially the male lead and his brothers. I love when brothers have a great relationship and fun banter and these characters checked that box! Sweet romance. I enjoyed this one.