Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the e-arc.
A quick, fun read. This is the third Jansen brothers' story and my favorite of the three, although if you didn't read the first ones, you won't be lost here. Definitely can be read as a stand-alone. Wes and Hailey are so cute together and their friends-to-lovers relationship is spot-on. No steam, if you're looking for it, but that doesn't detract from the story, in my opinion. Great side characters and strong main characters. I really enjoy this author's writing style.

What an great romcom! The two main characters seemed very original, I really enjoyed that I could ‘see’ Hailey and her little salad shop. It made me wish I had a By the Cup near me!! Wes was also a 10/10. A perfectly imperfect book boyfriend, his reactions and intentions seemed understandable and realistic. I would 100% have fallen for him. I even liked the side characters! The brothers Chris and Noah, hilarious. Very much enjoyed this book. There were only a couple moments I would have considered too cheesy but hey that’s what romcoms are all about, right?
Can’t wait to get my hands on a hard copy of this one so I can enjoy it all over again!

In an effort to make a new start and move on from her ex, Hailey takes on the challenge of opening her own salad shop in a new town. When she has a disastrous meet-cute moment with Wes, who is firmly determined not to fall in love, they decide to become just friends. Friends that click really really well, but are set on only being just friends (what could possibly go wrong?).

I loved this book so much and after finishing it, I wanted to go back and spend more time with Hailey and Wes. Sophie's writing made the book so enjoyable, as the characters had depth, relatable struggles, and growth throughout the whole story.

The entire book kept my interest, with dual-viewpoints and a sweet friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance. I didn't realize that this is the third in a series, but not having read the previous books did not take away from the story at all. I now want to go back and read the previous two so I can get to know the other characters better.

5/5 stars, I cried, and I'd recommend this to my friends.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eGalley copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars!

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This is the first book I’ve read by Sophie Sullivan. A Guide to Being Just Friends is a standalone contemporary romance but it looks like there are 2 previous books for Wes’s brothers. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything important to the story for not having read those.

This was a nice, light read. The writing was good and it was enjoyable enough I just wasn’t really sucked in or invested. The conflicts were predictable. It wasn’t until about halfway through the book for them to have any romantic feelings for each other. Might be a little realistic but it made the first half too slow paced.

Steam was about 1 out of 5. I prefer my books with a little more steam or at least chemistry/sexual tension if we’re going to get fade to black.

Overall, I liked this one and would recommend for a low angst clean book.

I love a good rom com, it’s probably my favorite genre! A Guide to Being Just Friends is an extremely cute and easy read. This was my first book by Sophie Sullivan and I really enjoyed her writing style! While the story was pretty straightforward, she was able to add a ton of charm and personality in along the way.

What I loved:
-The hilarious meet cute
-Friends to lovers
-Grumpy Wes x Sunshine Hailey. These two combined with the Salad business made me think of a Hallmark movie!
-Taylor Swift references and watching Hailey grow as a business owner

What didn’t work for me:
▪️This was a SLOW burn. If you’re here for the spice, just be aware that this is more of a fade to black.

*** Though it isn’t completely necessary, I highly recommend reading the first two books of this series before checking out this one. I didn’t realize this was the third book, but it can also read as a stand-alone.

All in all, I loved A Guide to Being Just Friends! If you love a rom-com friends to lovers, check this one out!

📖: A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan
Pub Date: 17 JAN 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Sullivan, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Hailey is focused on her new shop and new town. Wes is focused on his career options and is done with dating apps! Both are focused on not having a romantic relationship but they happily set Friend boundaries with each other. Think that’ll last?

Hailey and Wes are really appealing, endearing characters. Their relationship to friendship, obstacles, and eventually love seem so genuine. The story is a beautiful slow burn romance, ever so satisfying! No explicit sex for those who care about such things.

There are many parts to love (!) but my favorite little clip is a scene where an anxiety ridden Hailey mentions that opening and reading even a small bit of a good novel can calm her world. Been there, live there! And that’s not the only little bit to love.

It is the last in a trilogy, Ten Rules for Faking It and How to Love Your Neighbor, featuring a set of brothers. It can be read as a standalone but folks will probably want to read stories 1 and 2 after enjoying this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC in return for an honest review.

While this book is the last in a trilogy, each book has its own storyline. I loved getting to know all the characters but also seeing them each grow up. Seeing Wes believe in love and not seeing a relationship as a statistic is something that i think a lot of people might be afraid of and i loved that the author had him conquer his fear but admit that he is still scared of the future but wants it with hailey. Seeing hailey evolve as a boss ass business woman was amazing! And her helping Wes pry out of his comfort zone in the relationship was a great touch to the story. Also i really enjoyed seeing them build up their relationship from strangers to friends to lovers. However there was some parts where i just wanted to get them to admit their feelings because i was getting frustrated with the whole “he won’t say he likes her and she won’t say she likes him” but it played out well in the end. So grateful for NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of the book and can’t wait for it to come out January 17, 2023! Reading dates: August 3, 2022 - August 5, 2022.

Absolutely fantastic! Could not put the book down. Going to recommend to everyone to check out this book!

This was a cute story. I liked the characters and the HEA was what I wanted. I didn't like, however, the way the male lead was a bit overbearing and the female a bit bitchy in her reactions. But, I never love the characters all the way, and this story caught my attention well. I did have a bit of a hard time with the writing. This author is a little too fond of commas and doesn't delineate well when the characters are texting each other. This made it a little difficult for me to read. Overall, though, it was a fun story. Worth the read.

The entire time I was reading this, I wanted to run to Chopt and buy a $16 salad.

I want whatever book I’m reading to make me <i>feel</i> something, but unfortunately, making me crave expensive salads was the most I felt from reading this book.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is not marketed as a series but is the third installment of the Jansen Brothers series. Characters from the previous books played a big role in this book, and while I didn’t need their background stories to fully get the story between Hailey and Wes, I felt like I was out of the loop on more than a few scenes.

Wes and Hailey meet in the beginning of the book and strike up a friendship after clearing up a misunderstanding. But the evolution of them going from strangers to best friends wasn’t very organic or believable.

I read this entire book and everything felt surface level. I didn’t particularly feel anything for any of the characters and nothing really set it apart from other contemporary romances.

I want to start by saying that the authors writing was good and I love the HEA romance genre! However this book just didn’t do it for me and I ended up skimming chapters. It felt generic- two people who don’t believe in love, have parent issues, and are not the “typical” male/female who try to just be friends. Some of the banter was funny but I didn’t feel connected to any characters! It was a well written book just not for me! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I LOVED this book! I didn't realize it was a series. Some of the names/storylines sounded familiar so I checked Goodreads and sure enough, I had read the first one! Unfortunately I missed the second but I added it to my cart before I even finished this one. This book was so cute! Like most rom coms, it was a bit predictable but I loved that, especially for a summer read-by-the-pool book. Thanks for the ARC!

Wow! I loved this even more than I can even put into words. This was the sweetest friends to lovers slow burn rom-com I’ve read in a while.

Hailey and Wes don’t get off to a great start. But Wes is a smart man and owns up to his mistakes. He’s a total grump and she’s definitely sunshine and happiness. I loved how different they are but still have so much in common. Hailey is no wimp either, she stands up for herself and doesn’t let life bring her down. I really admired that in her.

I loved the meaning of the title and how it was brought to life in the book. I can’t say enough good things about this. I highly recommend! (Especially if you’re a fan of Ali Hazelwood or Lucy Score.)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

When Wes mistakes Hailey as his date, the encounter is nothing short of a disaster. Who would have known they’d eventually become close friends and then something more?

I thought this book was super cute. It felt a little like fan fiction to me and I was a bit disappointed they were like no spice in it (it was a fade to black situation) but the story was cute and I enjoyed the characters.

I loved the concept of Hailey’s salad shop: it was unique and fun and her need to prove herself and do things on her own was well written and consistent throughout the story. In walks Wes, stubborn and socially awkward, who wants nothing more than to help Hailey and preserve their new friendship to the point where he doesn’t even realize he’s fallen for her. I liked how his character was written but not a fan of the whole “computer geek is socially awkward” stereotype. Their love story was cute, loved the friendship beforehand.

Overall, a good read!

Kinda like when Harry met Sally...Strangers that became best friends who are trying to stay just friends but instead lovers. This was a beautiful love story and I couldn't put the book down.

I am so honored this book is the first one I get to review from NetGalley. A Guide to Being Just Friends had everything anyone could ask for in a book... I mean who doesn't love a dark haired and blue eyed, grumpy love interest or a sunshines and rainbows, quirky main character. Hailey was one of the most relatable main characters I have ever read. She's gone through some hard times, not only in her love life but also in her day to day life, and showed how she came out stronger in the end. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and doesn't regret her feelings, especially when it comes Wes, in regards to their friendship or the possibility of more.

This book is apart of a series but I didn't feel out of the loop or confused at all while reading. I think the only benefit of reading the other two before this one is the little excitement of seeing the past characters show up here and there. I am usually not a huge fan of "miscommunication" in a story and tend to get frustrated if it is dragged out too long, but Sophie Sullivan did a fantastic job of making it realistic and enjoyable. There were times I found myself laughing out loud because of something Hailey teased Wes (or his brothers) about. The conversations between Wes and Hailey were my favorite part. The teasing, flirty banter and easiness that flowed between them had me wanting more and more. I can't wait to read the other books in this series and the other work written by Sophie Sullivan!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and review it!

Hailey's salad shop was so much fun to read about. I often read stories that feature bookshops or bakeries, so a salad shop was quite refreshing and fun. I appreciated Hailey as a character––her resilience and determination to create a good and stable business––as well as Wes and his desire to do good and help people. I particularly enjoyed how both characters are surrounded by well-meaning, supportive, and helpful friends. Wes and Hailey’s slow burn romance might be the focal point of the book, but I think the connections between the protagonists and the supporting characters is where the book shines, personally; it has made me want to read the other books in this series, so I can learn how the other relationships came to be and how everyone truly connects!

Now onto the few things I wasn't entirely sold on. Hailey never wants to accept any help whatsoever, even if she truly needs it. Yet, she’s more than willing to spread herself and her own schedule thin and bend over backwards for other people; if someone were to do that (*cough* Wes *cough*) she would just end up mad or feeling like she has to defend herself because her pride is too strong. I understand the motivation behind making her character so strong-willed, but I wish she had been more willing to let people in and help her. Wes’ cynical view of relationships and his unwavering need to fix things can also get a bit tiresome too (I am often a cynic as well though, so I have to admit that I also appreciated it).

Additionally, how oblivious they are to their feelings for each other was starting to become boring. Wes and Hailey are so in their own minds that they constantly convince themselves they’re just friends and that is all they could ever be when clearly, reality was staring them dead in the face ever since they met in the bakery. I love slow burn romances (and this one is still no exception) but I wish the characters in these types of tropes and situations wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss an obviously strong connection for a large portion of the book. There was a lot of room for tension to be built and their walls to come down but in every instance like that, the situation got shut down so fast.

That being said, though, I think that these characters’ personalities really compliment each other. Where Wes is closed off and cynical, Hailey is sort of hopeful and slightly more open; where Hailey is more determined to find her own way of getting things done, Wes wants to help and be the problem solver. I really enjoyed this almost opposites attract thing.

Sullivan’s writing is very captivating and she fleshes out scenes and the motivations of the characters so well. I did really adore Hailey and Wes, and the entire book. I wish we had gotten more romance overall, but they had undeniable chemistry and banter from the start so I’m still very much content with their friends to lovers arc.

4.7
July was a horrible reading month for me and this book feels like a breath of fresh air, I absolutely adored it and can't wait for January so I can buy the paperback and fill it with annotations on my favorite parts.

This is my first time reading a book by this author and I am so thankful I did because I am in love with the way she writes.

Wes and Hailey made it into my top 5 friends to lovers, their friendship is so beautiful and the way they transition into being a couple is just perfect.

This book made me cry every five pages because of the way the "fights" they had were resolved so quickly because of how receptive the characters were to each other, how they validated each other's feelings and REALLY listened to each other's concerns, which showed a mature relationship!!! which sometimes is not so easy to find in books.

I loved the fact that there were no unnecessary problems that ruined the plot in this book.

The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because sometimes the divorce of Wes's parents and how he protected his siblings got a little repetitive.

And now I just NEED to read the stories of the other two brothers!!!

(Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review)

In the third installment of Sophie Sullivan’s series about the Jansen brothers we read about Wes, a closed off workaholic who is afraid of love. To counterbalance his cynicism, Sullivan writes our protagonist Hailey Sharp as a happy go lucky restaurant owner (a cutesy salad shop) fresh off a breakup.

After a meet cute gone awry, Wes and Hailey become friends. Best friends in fact, as Wes begins to help Hailey with her business and Hailey gets to know the rest of the Jansens (and their significant others if you’re missing out on Grace or Everly from Books #1 and #2). Unsurprisingly this turns into an unrequited friends to lovers setup and some largely predictable third act conflicts.

Without spoiling more, I’ll say I did really enjoy this! This third book ranked just above the first and just below the second and is probably a 3.5 star read if I think about it. I generally liked both Wes and Hailey and found they had really good chemistry. With that said I found myself having some of the same issues I had with Sullivan’s other books. First, I don’t trust very rich men - even if they are masquerading as “self made” entrepreneurs and fictional. The Jansen brothers wealth is a huge subplot of this book and I just found it irking me quite a bit.

I also had a similar qualm with this book as Sullivan’s others in that the conflict was just a bit too complex for its own good. Lots of side characters and side plots coming together to create conflict for Wes and Hailey, which reminded me of the divorce argument from Ten Rules for Faking It. I think these books would do better with tighter stronger conflicts and by placing more emphasis on the romance. That is why I pick these books up!

Lastly and though this not something everyone will take issue with, these books are fade to black romances. Which while not a problem in itself has made it challenging for me to really invest in the love story.

All this to say, I think this book is fun! I think it’s an easy read (I read it in 24 hours) and I think it’ll fill the void in some readers hearts as they await the next Bergman Brothers book or installment in the Well Met series.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was unaware that this book was part of a series before I received a copy. However, it was definitely enjoyable as a standalone for me. I liked Hailey and Wes' characters overall and always enjoy the friends to lovers trope in romcoms, especially when we get both perspectives within the book. Sophie Sullivan is an incredible writer, which is definitely also a bonus with the romance tropes. I'm going to go back and read the first books in this series now :)

Thank you for NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.