A Guide to Being Just Friends – Sophie Sullivan
This was my first Sophie Sullivan read, and I am all in. I did not realize that this book is part of a series, but luckily for me, that doesn't matter. I have the amazing ability to read\watch things out of order. I have added the series' first two books to my TBR list and cannot wait to dive into them.
Hailey is brave. Braver than I could ever hope to be. After a breakup, she moves away and restarts her life by following her dream of opening her own salad shop. How the "By the Cup" salad shop is described and how fun Hailey is, left me wishing my town had a similar spot to hang.
Wes, oh, Wes. He is the heartthrob of this story and a no-nonsense type of character. He knows what he wants and isn't willing to settle. Except in his case, he doesn't want love.
I laughed out loud, literally at the way Wes and Hailey met. I pictured the scene and remembered my own embarrassing first impression I left on my (now) husband.
Friends to lovers … what could be better?

Absolutely LOVED this!! Hailey and Wes are adorable! I have been falling harder and harder for friends to lovers. Their friendship is the sweetest thing I’ve read. I couldn’t read this story fast enough! So much growth! I want to read over and over! Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen in exchange for a review!

I love Sophie Sullivan’s books. Her characters have so much personality and they’re fun to be around. Plus, the banter that comes through the pages is fantastic.

This book took a slightly different approach than the others in the series (although it can be read as a standalone). Instead of enemies to lovers, this book is rooted in a strong friendship and a need to stay *just* friends. Granted, their first encounter leads into a bit of enemies… but for the most part, they vow to be friends. Until other feelings start to climb forward and everyone around them forces them to face what they’re truly feeling.

Honestly, I loved Hailey and Wes’ friendship. I loved how they bonded and set into a routine. I loved them together too, when that eventually happened, but I found their friendship incredibly refreshing. That said, maybe it’s just because I relate to their friendship!

Tropes
💫 Friends to Lovers
💫 Independent entrepreneur FMC
💫 Billionaire romance

I had to DNF at 30%. I really struggled with the writing and the story line. I wasn’t expecting this to be so immediate attraction, but it was. I also don’t love how much this book is about food. It’s a personal preference but for some reason it really irked me. I love friends to lovers books but not like this.

I loved this book. The characters and story were great and it had me giggling throughout the entire book. Wes and Hailey were so cute together. I didn’t realize this was the third book in a companion series, but I didn’t feel like it affected my enjoyment at all… just made me want to read the first two books.
I read via audiobook and both narrators were great.
Spice level 🌶️ and closed door segsy times. Highly recommend.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is available now in Paperback, eBook, and Audiobook
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐⭐️ Book Review

Meet the Author: Sophie Sullivan is a Canadian author who enjoys cookies, Diet Pepsi, and Disney. She enjoys reading and writing romance in almost equal measure. She writes around her day job as a teacher and spends her spare time with her sweet family watching reruns of Friends.

Synopsis: Hailey is the owner of the newest business on the strip, By the Cup, which is a salad shop. Carrying baggage, she attempts to leave the bad in the past and move forward with every goal to succeed on her own, without the help of others. Wes, a successful, wealthy man of his word, works alongside his brothers while also attempting to leave his past where it belongs, in the past. The two are very independent and can’t help but become the best of friends following a very awkward first impression. Will the two of them be able to put their feelings aside and stay just friends? Or will they both have to overcome their fears of what the future holds?

Reader’s Thoughts: A Guide to Being Just Friends is the third novel featuring the Jansen Brothers. I did not realize when I picked up this book that it was the third in a series. While reading, I would have never guessed that I had missed the first two. It does reference the other brothers but it can be read easily as a stand alone. I do recommend reading the others, especially if they are half as good as this one.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is a hilarious, friends to lovers, slow burn romance. Hailey was very stubborn in many ways but would not let down her guard. She knew what she wanted in life and she would do everything in her power to succeed at her own expense. I loved that she was very self-sufficient, treated Wes with respect, but let him know she didn’t need a wealthy man to make her successful. As for Wes, I loved how quickly he learned that he couldn’t win Hailey over with his fancy gifts. He was so sweet and his “free gifts” would have any girl swooning over him. I did want to smack some sense into him a few times in the end, but he came around! Now that I know this is a series, I can’t wait to get my hands on the first two books to read the stories of Wes’ brothers. I loved the delicacy of this novel. It was pure and not over the top with steam.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. In no way has that influenced my voluntary review.

3.5 stars rounded up.
This is a cute, light-hearted read that made me crave salad! I liked the friends to lovers aspect and thought it was adorable that they grocery shopped together. At times the business aspect of running the salad shop led me to zone out a bit, but otherwise this was an enjoyable audiobook.

I started out reading this book, not knowing that it was the 3rd book in a series.... And now I need to go get the other books. This was a quick easy read, perfect if you want a great HEA, strong, hardworking, determined FMC and a hunky, brilliant, friendly/likable billionaire MMC. Hailey, a new shop owner and transplant to San Verde, after a bad break up- and with tons of baggage she dives headfirst into business ownership. She is fierce, stubborn and so lovable... And the way her and Wes met had me giggling and asking, "Who does that!!!" The only thing that really bothered me about Hailey's character was that she was extremely stubborn when it came to Wes' wealth. The bit about giving gifts, it annoyed me at first, but Hailey made really great points.

Wes, who was born into money and not into love, is a self-made millionaire, closet nerd and unbeliever of love. Wes at first seemed a bit grumpy, but not for long he ended up being really friendly but a bit negative or maybe cynical.... The author did a wonderful job of making sure Hailey didn't outshine but supported Wes' character, they really played well together, and it was part of what made this story work so well for me. The chemistry was undeniable.

The slow burn in this book was so beautifully done! I didn't even mind them being friends, but then we all caught the feels, and I needed things to HAPPEN! Speaking of things happening, this is not a spicy book. All closed-door scenes, which personally I prefer a little bit of spice, but I didn't really miss it here. So, Kudos to the author for that!

The secondary characters were all the perfect accomplices to Hailey and Wes and their story. The only ones I didn't like were Hailey's parents. I get why they needed to be in the book, for context and backstory, but I also feel like her ex-Dorian was enough of a piece of work that Hailey's parents and their issues weren't really even necessary, it could have been built on his issues alone!

This book is for anyone who loves: Contemporary romance, A satisfying happily-ever-after, Nerdy guys, slow burn, Friends to Lovers, Opposites Attract and Multiple POV.

I really enjoyed the audiobook, for this book. Love the narrator for Hailey so much, she brings so much life to her. Wes's narrator was smooth and easy to listen to.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute read/listen! It had me hooked right off the bat, and I loved the whole dynamic of their relationship.

This book was super cute, a predictable meet cute turned friends turned lovers but with a fun enough story that kept me engaged. Hailey and Wes had fun banter and their relationship was sweet. I do wish the idea of a friendship guide had actually been played out more but, overall this was a fun, light story. I wish By the Cup actually existed because those salads sound amazing!

This one is such a cute romcom, continuing a series of brothers and the ones they fall for!

I liked:
🥗The setting of a little salad shop was so endearing!
🧍‍♂️Brother dynamic was cute
✌️Dual POV worked well
📱Incorporation of the struggle with online dating was REAL
🚪 closed door! Very little steam if at all
👩‍❤️‍👨friends to lovers

What I disliked:
🔚The HEA ending was just too much cringe for me
🤷‍♀️🤷🤷‍♂️every other side character & these little incomplete details were too much
📞miscommunication trope called & i always want to ignore!!
💨speed at which the romance came & went & came again … the pacing was wild!

Hailey is new in town and looking for a fresh start in the form of a small salad shop. Wes has sworn off love and has worked with his brothers for months trying to establish himself without his father's money or influence. After a terrible first encounter at a coffee shop, Hailey and Wes become fast friends. It isn't long before they're spending all of their time together and they have to decide if it's worth it to risk their friendship. This book is the third in the series and the side characters all have their own backstories that bring them to life.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is, as the title suggests, a friends to lovers, slow burn romance. I knew I'd love the FMC as soon as they mentioned she is a chocoholic who needs to keep busy and has countless browser tabs open (hello, it's me!) I've since learned this is part of a series and will absolutely go back to read the others, though this can definitely be read as a standalone. The audiobook version of this story was enjoyable and the narrration was fantastic. If you're looking for a clean, swoony and enjoyable romance, this should be your next read/listen!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

"But there was more to loving someone than just “fixing” things."

Tropes-
3rd person dual POV,slow burn, friends to lovers

I had absolutely no idea this was the 3rd book of the series when I requested it. I love a good friends to lovers and this book definitely falls in the category. The narration was great.

I absolutely loved Hailey & Wes❤️

"Life rarely followed a straight path but the curves and unexpected detours had a way of leading to the exact right place."

The epilogue was cute & lovely.

A little case of mistaken identity.. all the miscommunication at first.. in between and til the end.. the inevitable becoming friends, wondering if they’ve landed in the friend zone, maybe more?
All of the feels, the confusion, the realization.. oh and the humor, the cringe moments.. the swoon worthy moments.. and everything in between.
A slow burn that will get your heart racing, and your ‘awwww’s in action. 🥺
100% recommend to all my romance readers, friends to lovers, well lovers, and to anyone that loves a feel good overall romance.

Duel narrators and well performed. The book itself was pretty good, but the male protagonist had a quirky character twist that didn’t feel set up and the conflict between him and his father wasn’t fully explained, which I found odd.

When Harry Met Sally is my all time favorite movie and I get all the Harry and Sally vibes from Hailey and Wes 💕

Hailey is focused on making her small business a success after a rough break up and starting over with her life. Wes doesn’t see the point in long term love after witnessing his parents’ divorce and living with the impact of their disastrous falling out. When Wes and Hailey find themselves together more and more, they decide to be just friends. Can Hailey focus on building her business and Wes avoid love? Or will they realize that they really are better together?

I loved Hailey and Wes from their super awkward meet cute through they chemistry filled friendship. This book worked for me from start to finish! I loved Hailey and Wes, their families and friends, they way they all supported and cared for one another. I really liked the way that Wes wanted to swoop in and save the day and Hayley wouldn’t let him.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley for the audiobook

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A cute friends to lovers story. I liked how their relationship progressed throughout the story and culminated with a happy ending.

loved this book so much!! As many of you know Ten Rules for Faking It (the first in this series) is one of my fave books ever and this new installment in the series totally gives me the same vibes!! I love the references to Chris and Everly!!!

This is the perfect friends to lovers romance. Hailey is a super driven business owner who has her own things going and doesn’t need a new relationship right now. In comes Wes who befriends her through her work and helps her with the marketing side of her business. Wes doesn’t think relationships or commitment is for him and tries his best to keep his friendship with Hailey purely platonic but the attraction grows.

These two have great chemistry and it’s fun to see all three brothers interact throughout this book which we didn’t see as much in the first two books.

As always I adore Sophie Sullivan’s writing style and can whole heartedly recommend this book to you!!

Thank you Netgalley for my advance copy of A Guide to Being Just Friends.
I'm giving this a solid 3. The story was cute but super predictable. I haven't read the first 2 books in the series but will definitely give them a shot.