Thank you to NetGalley and being able to listen to the audiobook as an ARC copy! It actually had me listen to the whole story and not try and speed read. I enjoyed it. <3

An accidental mishap at the coffee shop leads to their first meeting next to Haileys Shop - By the Cup next door. As awkward moments go this one is by the book, but the difference being Wes finds her to apologize. Then they realize that they enjoy each others company and have a guide to being just friends. They grocery shop together, hangout and find that they enjoy time with family and friends. Wes helps Hailey with her business a bit by getting a website ready for her.

Find out by reading the book! It comes out on January 17, 2023!

Hailey is the type of girl that wants to do things and succeed by herself and that she doesn't need help in order to do so. She also doesn't need to flaunt things she is happy with just what she has or what she can afford.

Wes is the nerdy one, punctual, to the point and oddly doesn't want a relationship because he saw what it did to his parents and he doesn't want to end up the same way. He and his brother buy real estate and invest in it. He also enjoys games and technology.

One thing that led me to read is that Wes reminds me a lot of my husband. Gamer, technology driven, has a podcast and very into computers.

Can they be just friends and nothing more? Do they keep their emotions to themselves and don't want the other to know? Do opposites attract? Does it get messy?

Talks about: grumpy to sunshine, friends to lovers, slow burn romance, sweet, a little messy, family and friends connection

Spicy Level: Low Level
Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was very much focused on the “friends” portion of the title. I’m not typically a friends to lovers guru unless it is done perfectly so this one already started out to not really be my cup of tea though I have been liking friends to lovers more and more.

I enjoyed the beginning and specifically how Wes and Hailey became friends. However, I felt like most of the book then ended up being a story about their friendship which was cute but I feel it took way too long to get to the romance portion of the romance. Because of that, I didn’t feel that the romantic part of their relationship was very well established.

I did like the family and friend group and how welcoming they were to Hailey. I also really want to eat at that little salad shop!

I did really love the audio though and I feel like the narrators did a fantastic job!

Spice: 🌶/5 (closed door but strong references)

Thank you MacMillian Audio for this audio copy of the book for review.

Read this if you like:
🥗 Craving a salad
🥗 The Friend Zone
🥗 A Supportive Family

A well written story. It has great character development. Although it is not a standalone and is part of a series I still think you can enjoy the book without having all the details on the family. After reading you will want to read the other books just to get the origin story.
This is a classic friends to lovers romance. I enjoy this type of story because the love is grown. I received an audiobook copy for an honest review. I think the narrators did a really good job. No background noise, tripping over words. They spoke clearly without any accents.
This book has all the makings of a great book. The “meetcute” the friends only pact, jealousy, obstacles, heartbreak, and happily ever after for some of the characters. This would be a good book club book or to read and discuss with your business minded friends

As a huge fan of Sophie Sullivan, I was really looking forward to this book and hoping it measured up to her previous novel's. Overall I did like both Wes and Hailey but found so many moments to be "cringe.'
Hailey always assuming the opposite of what Wes is so obviously meaning and vice versa. It feels like Sophie was really reaching for filler content in some conversations. I also found it frustrating Hailey was constantly punishing Wes, for doing even the simplest things for her. I felt like he could never do any thing right, in her eyes.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was fine. But I'm tired of fine.

I will admit that I don't love Friends to Lovers. Especially, if they are new friends like in this case.

I never bought their romance, I barely bought their friendship.

Things were incredibly repetitive and there was no follow-through on several of the subplots.

I enjoyed the side characters, especially Leo!

I did like narrator and would listen to this narrator again.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review of the book.

I'm at about 80% as I write this review, but I don't see the ending changing my opinion by much so I'm writing this now. I've been listening to the audiobook and reading the ebook back and forth as NetGalley and the publishers granted me both.

They're cute, just not super memorable for me. I like the MMC, the FMC not as much. It's a little *tooo* contemporary at points. Why are we talking about iPhones, TikTok, etc. The salad bar thing was a little funny too. And I do dislike the rich boy x poor girl where the girl is aggressively against any help or minor favors. It's hard to generalize my thought on it, but specifically here her business is just starting and she's barely getting by but refuses to let him pay for a single salad? "Money and business ruins friendships!" as he just wants to pay for his meal and she's the one refusing money because he's rich.

I didn't read the other books in the series but it didn't leave me confused, and honestly the mentions of previous couples are so minor I wouldn't say there's any spoilers at risk for reading the series out of order.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publishers, for the ebook and audiobook ARCs of this book.

A guide to being just friends
3.5 ⭐️


Very likable characters from the main characters to the friends & family all so supportive & I’m a sucker for friends to lovers. & yes yes yes I love a dual POV Wes & Hailey are so cute.

I had no idea this was a series and tbh I couldn’t tell so it’s good to read even if you haven’t read the rest. I definitely want to read them now!
Wes is the last of the Jensen brothers to get a 📕

Adorable story definitely what I was looking for. I love rom-com’s slow-burn so worth it!
Beautiful, sweet and pace was good not any slow moments which is good kept time engaged the whole time.

I absolutely love the narrators she brought the book to life! Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan audio for the ALC!

Author: Sophie Sullivan
Pub day: Jan 17, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance

I read this last week and cannot really tell yo the plot of this book, aside from they were friends and kept telling themselves and each other they were not into each other when it was clear to everyone around them they were.

It was a cute read. But that's all I remember.

Ahhh my first romcom of the year and it was a legit HIT! I am so glad I was selected to review this one on Netgalley because it is so stinking cute!

This is obviously a friends to lovers situation, because how could it not be with a title like that! From the very first meeting between Hailey and Wes you will be cracking up, and by the third… you’ll be in literal tears (pretzel sticks, iykyk 🤣)

After that the banter between these two characters, their family and friends, and their very interesting jobs and lives will keep you entranced and excited to pick it up again and again!

The audio was wonderful and I loved having the voices of both Hailey and Wes in my head! This was a big part of my flight across the country as I listened to most of it on the plane and it made the flight go so much faster!

I wanted just a little more out of the ending but they may just be because I wasn’t ready for it to end. I’d highly recommend this to my romcom lovers out there, and it’s not spicy or open door so even my more conservative readers will enjoy this one (though there is some inuendo… and a little steam).

This is my second Sophie Sullivan novel and I think it's safe to say her writing isn't for me. Hailey Sharp is getting her salad business off the ground. That is her main focus after leaving her actor boyfriend and his Hollywood drama behind. Wes Jansen is running a successful business with his brothers, and is giving up on dating. He doesn't want to fall in love, doesn't want the rush of butterflies or the shakey ground it puts you on. Casual companionship is all he's on the hunt for.
After an awkward meet cute, Hailey and Wes decide to become friends - just friends.
I LOVE friends to lovers, but I can't even get to the lovers part because I'm sick of hearing about salads and Hailey and Wes are making their friendship so awkward. They don't even have any chemistry! Why are they so weird!

First off, I had zero clue that this was the third book in a series. I even went back after finding that out and from the description it isn’t clear.
That aside, it seemed like it would be a cute story but boy was I wrong. I kept waiting for it to get to the cute part but I was more interested in Hailey’s business than anything else. I was so checked out that I actually checked out at 58%.
Sweet story but it’s just not me.
The narrators, Stephanie Willing and Timothy Andres Pabon were the one highlight in the book. They were easy to listen to and I could easily understand them when I listened at 1.75.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Hailey Sharp has no time for anything but making her new salad shop a success. She’s focusing on nothing but her work and living her own life out of her ex’s shadow and has no time for distractions.

Wes Jansen has no interest in relationships after a few lousy first dates since he’s moved to California. As the oldest of four siblings, he remembers every detail of his parents’ nasty divorce and would much rather just find someone he likes and can enjoy spending time with but won’t love.

When Hailey and Wes meet in the oddest of ways, they strike up an awkward-at-first friendship that soon becomes very important to both of them. They just have to remember all the reasons why they can only ever be friends and nothing more.

This was a really cute romcom, but I definitely think it benefited from the fact that I mostly listened to it on audio. There was a bit of a tendency to get bogged down in mundane routine and some of the friend-zoning these two did to each other did get a bit repetitive at times. Hailey’s need to do absolutely everything for herself with zero help got annoying for me and it was quickly apparent that she had no idea how to be a friend. For me, she came off as incredibly judgmental and despite becoming good friends with Wes over a period of time, still didn’t seem to really know him on a very deep level. The just friends aspect of this story was definitely repeated a bit much, but I still couldn’t help but root for these two, despite my impatience for them to get together already. Beyond that, I was pretty disappointed by the way Wes was treated by Hailey and by his brothers. He’s always there for them and supporting their dreams and they don’t really do the same for him. I was glad to see him call them out on this, and I was likewise glad to see them call him out for being afraid of his feelings. There was quite a bit of emotional growth packed into the last few chapters of this book, but I think they made it worth the read as I liked seeing things work out with Wes and Hailey once they both learned to give a little.

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

Ah! Hailey and Wes are so stinking adorable!!! Their friendship, their care for each other, their communication… I loved this story!!

This is part of a series, apparently, and Wes is the last of the Jensen brothers to get a book. I didn’t read the other books (yet!) but it didn’t take away from the story.

Things I loved:

🥗 dual POV! Always loved this.
🥗 friends and family. I loved the friends and brothers in this book! They’re likeable, supportive, kind characters with all different personalities.
🥗 grumpy sunshine trope. Wes is a great grump, and she softens him so well.
🥗 guy learning to do smaller grand gestures. Love how he’s trying to learn her way of receiving love, even if he messes up.
🥗 closed door, 🧼 no spice, just kisses and closed door scenes.

🎧 I listened to the audiobook, and am happy to report that both narrators were great. The male voice was a little flat in the first couple of chapters, but improved to amazing. The female voice was great from the beginning. They’re both great with emoting and conveying other characters’ voices. Loved it!

📚 I’ll be picking up the other books in this series, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style.

Wes and Hailey are well-developed and engaging characters. They captured my attention from the start and kept it until the end. I enjoyed going on this journey with them. I don’t know how to explain it, but there is something special about this story and these characters that is special and enduring.

The writing is easy to read and the grand gesture – is awesome and fits the characters. Wes is my new book boyfriend.

I listened to this book on audio and enjoyed the narrators. Both are good and I was able to understand them regardless of the speed at which I listened.

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

I absolutely loved the narrators! They brought this book to life. I am a sucker for friends to lovers and this book checked off all the boxes for me. Sullivan did an excellent job is slowly building their romance. The pace was perfect and the plot was interesting enough to keep me engaged.

I want to start off this review by saying I had no idea that this was the third book in the Jansen Brothers series.

Though you could probably read this series out of order, I probably wouldn't. (Yes, I know that rom-coms are predictable, but the endings of the stories were ruined from the same characters being in this book.) That is on me, not the author, obviously.

Overall, the book was typical rom-com, friends-to-lovers. Hailey moves to a new town and opens up a salad shop, that isn't super successful, when she befriends a radio host that comes into the shop and loves it. From here, Hailey in introduced to Wes. Wes is an investor, with his brothers, who doesn't believe in love. Hailey and Wes decide to become friends and hangout. They both have hidden crushes on the other, but continue to tell the other to go on dates. The story was somewhat repetitive, so it felt like it dragged on towards the middle, but it had a cute ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for the ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book physically angered me. Let me explain why:

- The main characters are just wow. Hailey just left her Hollywood boyfriend and decided with zero business experience to go and open a salad shop. What the hell. Also she has sworn off men. Wes is a tech millionaire and wants to fix all of Hailey’s problems and be friends but wants to have zero commitment or relationship long term, aka marriage.

- There was miscommunication or misunderstanding galore in this book and honestly if you’re gonna be in a relationship learn to communicate.

This wasn’t fake dating and it wasn’t friends to lovers because they met at the beginning of the book and the book spanned one year. So I honestly don’t know what to label it as.

Someone will like this but it’s not for me. Also stop calling the last chapter an epilogue. That is all.

As per usual, I started this book without realizing it was part of a series, but it totally worked as a standalone novel, which I thought was great, and has made me want to go back to visit the other couples which I am assuming the first two books were centered around!

This was an adorable story that had really great moments. I’m usually not a fan of the slow burn, but I thought it was successful here because you really got to see the progression of them becoming real friends first and how that transitioned into dating instead of becoming an instant couple in love with each other. The realistic aspect to this relationship really drew me in more than I was expecting. Each character had their flaws but they found a way to make it work together.

My 2023 goal was to start listening to more audiobooks, as I usually stick more to physical reads, so this was my first audiobook of 2023 and it did not disappoint. One of my biggest pet peeves for audiobooks is when the story told from different POVs and you have the same narrator, or even the same narrator who tries to do two different voices. I was so thankful for the 2 different narrators here and how their voices really suited each character.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review! The publish date for this book is January 17th, 2023, so make sure to look out for it!

I am a SUCKER for a grumpy/sunshine trope & this one did not disappoint. Wes is a investor who does not believe in love and marriage, he grew up seeing people fight and not teach him what love truly was so he believes it will not be worth his time and energy. Haley is a salad cup shop owner who is finally putting herself first!

I was given the digital ARC for this book and i couldn’t get into it, it started off super slow and it took until about 30% in for me to say i was truly enjoying the characters and the story. I was then given the audio ARC and restarted the book from the beginning via audio and i really enjoyed the entire story!

I read this as a stand alone, and will definitely be going back to read about the other couples mentioned! While i do feel that you can read these as standalones, I feel like there were aspects i was missing by not knowing more of the relationship of the brothers and their father!

It’s giving:
-Grumpy/Sunshine
-Slow burn Romance

Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for supplying digital and audiobook ARCs in exchange for honest reviews.

A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan is the third book in the Jansen Brothers series. While I did not read the first book, I did read the second. I was hoping that I liked this one more than the second but it was about the same. An easy palette cleanser in between the heavier books I read which I appreciate from rom-coms.

A Guide to Being Just Friends did have a lot of mentions of the backstory so I would suggest reading this one after the first two.

Dual narration which I usually enjoy. I was able to listen to Stephanie Willing at 2.0-2.5 speed but Timothy Andrés Pabon I had to listen to at a slower speed. I also felt like he was bored and I could not connect with Wes because of his narration.

There were some funny parts that actually bad me chuckle so I will give it a higher rating for that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.