About the Book:

Title: A Guide to Being Just Friends 

Author: Sophie Sullivan

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin 

Release Date: January 17, 2023

Pages: 336

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance 

Synopsis:

A playful and emotional romantic comedy from the author of Ten Rules for Faking It

Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. Get By the Cup salad shop off the ground. Do literally everything possible to make it a success. Repeat. With a head full of entrepreneurial ideas and a bad ex in her rearview, her one and only focus is living life the way she wants to. No distractions.

Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. With a string of lackluster first dates and the pain from his parents’ angry divorce following him around, he’d much rather find someone who he likes, but won’t love. Companionship, not passion, is the name of the game.

When Hailey and Wes find each other in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, they embarrassingly go their separate ways. But when Wes finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, they strike a friendship. Because that’s all this can be. Hailey doesn’t want any distractions. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love.

What could possibly go wrong?

 

Review:

*I received an e-arc via Netgalley and the publisher for review. All thoughts are my own*

This was such a cute book! I enjoyed reading How to Love Your Neighbor last year, and I’m so glad that I got to read and review another Sophie Sullivan book. I now have to go back and read book one for sure! These can be read as standalones, but each book is about one of three brothers. I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy contemporary romance, friends to lovers, and a slow burn!

Hailey Sharp has been on her own for a while. Her parents are never around for her, and she and her boyfriend broke up a while ago. She moved to be closer to her cousin Piper, her husband Nick, and their kids who are her closest family. She has opened her own business called “By the Cup” where her specialty is salads, and she’s doing everything she can to get it off the ground and make it a success. With her head full of ideas about her business, and her ex now in her rearview mirror, she is living life the way she wants to. She wants no distractions.

Wes Jansen never understood all the hubbub with relationships. He’s had a string of first dates that never went anywhere, and he still deals with the pain of his parent’s angry divorce. He’d like to find someone that he likes and gets along with, but not anymore than that. He’d just like some companionship really.

Hailey and Wes find themselves in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, and embarrassed they go their separate ways. Wes later finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, and they wind up striking up a friendship. Of course, that’s all that it can be, as neither of them wants a relationship beyond platonic. What could possibly go wrong?

I loved how Hailey was such a determined, hardworking character. She was so invested in her restaurant. It was fun to see her relationship with Piper and her family. She also makes some other friends along the way, including not only Wes, but the funny Fiona. It was nice to see her find her family, her people.

I liked watching Hailey and Wes’ relationship develop. They both enter the friendship with some of their own baggage, and I liked that they are flawed characters. The banter between them was great!

This book was just the kind of lighthearted story that I needed! Excited to read more from this author.

About the Author:

SOPHIE SULLIVAN is a Canadian author as well as a cookie-eating, Diet Pepsi-drinking, Disney enthusiast who loves 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. Ten Rules For Faking It is her romcom debut novel, but she’s had plenty of practice writing happily ever after as her alter ego, Jody Holford.