I'm so disappointed. I loved the premise of "A Guide to Being Just Friends," but it was too predictable and was a slog to get through. Ultimately, it was a DNF for me.

3.5 rounded up

This is a cute contemporary romance between two hyper focused people intent on building their businesses, even to the detriment of their love lives. Hailey and her ex-boyfriend are over, but her dream of opening up a salad shop is not. Her launch is not what she thought it would be, but she's decided to do everything she can to make it a success. She's got good ideas, but limited experience in running a business.

Wes is a robot-like guy who is super focused on growing the business he owns with his brothers. He doesn't understand the fuss about relationships and is content to find someone he likes, but he refuses to fall in love. Wes bumps into Hailey in a small coffee shop and mistakes her for his blind date. The meeting doesn't go well, but he apologizes the next day. After the awkwardness dies down, the two realize they have the same goals of growing their business, and strike up a friendship. They decide that they will just be friends, despite their attraction to each other.

Hailey and Ken are very cute together and I loved seeing their friendship grow. But, this is a romance, so you know they will eventually fall for each other. Initially it happens slowly, and then all at once. It was very cute. My only criticism is that the story moved a bit too slowly for my taste. Otherwise, it's a fun rom-com to escape into for a few hours. I listened to the book and the narrator did a great job.

I received a complimentary e-copy and audio of this book from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. All opinions are my own.

I want to preface this by saying I went into this book without knowing it was a part of a series, and I still feel like I got the whole story without needing to read the other two books in the series, therefore this can definitely be read as a standalone. However, I did immediately rush to my local library to see if I could get the other two books in the series on hold!

This book was adorable, predictable, but adorable. I loved how firmly our FMC and MMC were set in their ways, and it took them so long to open up and let the other in, despite knowing deep down it was the right thing to do. I really liked Wes, I felt like I understood him and his need to fix everything and want to ensure the people he loves are cared for and aren't in any trouble for any reason - in any facet of life. I'm glad he learned himself and his boundaries and to respect the boundaries of others. Hailey also learned so much and it was so amazing to hear of how she got where she was. My heart swelled at her accomplishments, I felt like a longtime friend was achieving their dreams and it made me so happy. . All in all, I really enjoyed this one and would recommend.

I really enjoyed this one and the small business owner storyline. I loved the entire friend group that encompassed this story. What I wasn’t a fan of was the fact that one of these characters had to completely change what they wanted from life in order for this relationship to work. I understand there needed to be conflict and the character needed to do some personal exploration but it’s just not my personal favorite storyline that we all need to change our life goals to find happiness.

This review has been added to Goodreads, Literal and Storygraph, as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. This will be posted to my instagram (@manymerrybooks) within the week.

Thank you for allowing me to listen to this story!!

I want to like Sophie Sullivan's books, but I just can't seem to enjoy them. This book is part of a series. I didn't even get through the first book in the series. I trudged through the second book, and I did not even finish this one.

3/5 stars.

This was a sweet meet-cute-gone-wrong-turned-lovers romance. I definitely liked Hailey more, and I liked that the a portion of the book was focused on her taking charge with her business and following her dreams. That's the main plot point that's stuck with me actually; I can't remember much about the actual romance in the story. I haven't read the others in this series, and I wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if I had read those first. They're now on my TBR.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Men really do be needing therapy. Wes was almost infuriating to listen to and I'm not sure how Hailey had productive relationship conversations with him because I would have left.

This is a cute and sweet telling of. A classic live story. Boy meets girl - they don’t hit it off and then realize they have more in common they initially suspected. Cute but not earth shattering.

The narrators did a fantastic job with this book, while the storyline was just okay. I am glad I picked up the audio as I don't know if I would have finished the book.

The narrator of this audiobook was great. Having an audio book is the only reason I got through the story. I had an ebook copy as well and never wanted to pick it up. I was able to turn this on while driving and the narrator kept me just interested enough.

a guide to just being friends starts off with the perfect rom-com set up of mistaken identity in a coffee shop turning into a relationship of hostility and suspicion before morphing into a friendship with undertones of more. when a barista writes the wrong name on a coffee order, wes mistakes hailey for a blind date that doesn't come to fruition. the rocky start blooms into a supportive friendship and grows into much more.

what i enjoyed about the book was the supportive circle that surrounds both wes and hailey — whether in the form of friends or relatives, each of them have people in their lives that want the best for them and vice versa. it's that supportive group that helped endear me to both characters individually. wes and hailey grew closer over the course of the book, with the underlying heat and desire they had at the start only building in a slow burn that culminates at just the right time in the story.

what i wish i could have enjoyed more was hailey learning to toe the fine line of her own pride and healing from the hurt she endured from her past without placing it upon wes. given wes knew very little about her past relationship and had his own perceptions of what a healthy romance looked like, whenever he would attempt to show affection in the form of gifts, it was met with anger rather than understanding. whereas, hailey felt he should automatically understand without having any information or knowledge.

it almost became frustrating the longer it was used as a conflict between the pair, as it never felt as if they confronted it. those misunderstandings were later used in the third act, which made for more frustration as the reader. i also believe wes' issues concerning relationships was allowed to go on for too long and despite his honesty with hailey about such, was then used against him. though it eventually turns into a happily ever after, it became quite a hurdle by that point and rushed in terms in its solution.

a solid romance that had more fun than frustrations, i would still recommend as the supporting characters really made for a great story.

This is a cute friends to lovers romance that is book 3 in a series. I didn't realize it and while it worked fine as a standalone I think I would've enjoyed already knowing the stories of the other characters. I will go back and read them now. I enjoyed the audiobook and the pacing in the story. The character growth was fun to see and I'm looking forward to meeting the other Jansen's.

This book solidified the fact that this author is not for me. I've read one other of her books and it was fine, but I was hoping this one would be better.

It was worse.

Haley is the most insufferable character ever. Wes isn't much better, but I like him more. Haley will constantly berate Wes each time he gives her an expensive gift because he doesn't "understand" her and I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Then the whole I love you scene with Wes walking out...not it.

This is also a fade to black romances, so my spicy romance lovers...this isn't for you.

I thought this was a cute little basic rom com. It made me hungry for salad, which is better than junk food at least.
I would’ve preferred having more diverse characters.

A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan is book 3 of the Jansen Brothers series and it was truly charming. Hailey has decided to start fresh- leaving her prior catering job and toxic boyfriend behind, she launches a new salad business where Wes and his brothers frequent. Wes is not about to jump into a relationship based on his parent’s bad divorce. As time goes on, he wants to help her improve/ streamline parts of her business. This slow burn rom com was just what I needed and the grocery store scene was just too cute. I listened to it as if it was a standalone and did not feel lost. Thank you @authorsophiesullivan @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for my gifted copy of this book.

I love how sweet Sophie's books are. I love getting a peak at the other couples. While I liked this one, I think Chris and everly are still my fave. Wes really needed to learn how to communicate /accept feelings. I don't usually read closed doors but I really enjoyed all the build up and how hailey makes a home for herself. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed with all the main conflict being in the final 20%, but overall a good book! Big thanks to NetGalley for the Audio ARC. it was good!

Posted to goodreads, amazon and bookbub

A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan
Narrated by Stephanie Willing and Timothy Andres Pabon

When I requested this audiobook from NetGalley, I didn’t realize that A Guide to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan was third in a series. It’s not classified as a series on Amazon, but it is, and I did feel like I missed out on some important background information about the hero Wes, since the previous two books were about his siblings.

That being said, it was still a cute listen. Hailey is new to town, starting her own business, By The Cup, which features some delicious, unique sounding salads in a cup. Much of the story is about her business which I enjoyed, but I think it may have been to the detriment of the romance.

After a disastrous meet-cute, Wes and Hailey became friends, in fact, she became friends with his entire friend group and I really liked that for her. Friends became something more, but I never really felt it. I felt like they never fully connected, or maybe it was me never fully connecting to any of the characters.

Likes:
•I love her salad shop. Some of the salads sound yummy!
•I liked the concept for the book. It had a good storyline.
•I enjoyed reading about the struggles of starting a business (been there, done that).
•Some good side characters, especially the ones who worked in her shop.
•I enjoyed the relationship between the brothers.

Dislikes:
•I never FELT in this book. Perhaps it was a lack of connection to the characters.
•The “Guide” mentioned in the title was mentioned like once or twice and then never fully fleshed out.
•She was ridiculously stubborn about accepting help. A good businessman knows to take what you can.
•Amazon should clearly label this as book 3, because I felt like I missed some important background information.
•This is a clean romance with some suggestive moments, but perhaps I needed passion to feel the connection more.

The Narration:
Stephanie Willing and Timothy Andrés Pabon are both new to me, and though they narrated just fine, I felt like there was something missing. The delivery was a bit dry, but that could have been because the story was as well. I think I would read this one instead of listen.

The Down & Dirty:
I liked A Guide to Being Just Friends. At no time did I think of DNFing, but I never quite connected with the book. I never felt the couple’s connection either. Part of this may be because I didn’t read the first two in the series, but since Hailey is new to town, that shouldn’t affect my connection with her, but I just never quite felt it. I really enjoyed reading about her salad business, but the romance was just kind of lackluster for me.

Rating: 3 Stars, 3.5 narration, 0 Heat

I was so so obsessed with this story. The unfortunate and awkward not so meet cute really set the tone for me and I found it so funny. The humor and genuine friendship between the two main characters made me really love them together. As someone who’s not the biggest fan of the friends to lovers trope, this book really ticked all the boxes for me and I really enjoyed the incorporation of the couples from the previous books in the series.

I love this author's writing style and appreciate the slow-burn trope. Wes and Hailey wanting to be "just friends" made me laugh from the start ... we all know where that will go, right? But the story didn't feel as predictable as I ... predicted. I really enjoyed the main characters and the journey they took, both together and separate!

A GUIDE TO BEING JUST FRIENDS was absolutely adorable! The third in the Jansen Brothers series, it could be read as a standalone, but I loved being reunited with some of the characters from the previous books.

I read as an audiobook and enjoyed the narrator choice, Stephanie Willing and Timothy Andrés Pabon. Alternating POVs and told in third person, this helped to differentiate between the two characters stories.

*many thanks to Macmillan Audio and netgalley for the gifted copy for review