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brittanica_bold 's review for:
A Guide to Being Just Friends
by Sophie Sullivan
As a lover of rom coms, especially those where our MCs go from friends to lovers, I was super excited for A Guide to Being Just Friends. I mean, the blurb freaking references When Harry Met Sally AND 500 Days of Summer. How could that not be my jam???
Well, I’ll tell you…
What I liked about the book:
1. Of course, the idea was cute to me.
2. My favorite characters were the side characters who worked in Hailey’s shop. They probably had the most personality in my opinion and I wanted more for them. The only way I would read another book in this series is if it was about Leo…
What could have been better:
1. This whole story just felt really stiff and I didn’t really feel a connection to anyone. There were hints to backstories, but no real depth to the characters, which was a big miss in my mind.
When I requested this book, I had no clue this was book 3 in the series (though can be read as a standalone). So perhaps I’m missing a lot of the background for Wes in books 1 and 2, but I know I’m not missing anything for Hailey, so there is no excuse there for poor characterization.
2. These characters were too boring to have this much drama! I was legit pissed how many times the “big fight” happened between our MCs. It was like as soon as it was solved, there was something else. Between Hailey never being able to accept help and Wes being a total idiot when it came to wanting her for the rest of his life, but not, like, loving her (what the fuck was that shit?!?), this whole story was a test of my patience.
3. This was too suggestive to be clean, but too clean to be anything other than YA-level dirty. Just pick a lane, don’t tease us.
4. This “guide” was mentioned, but never really flushed out. I wanted a freaking contract like in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Not a passing nod reference to the goddamn title of the book….
Final Thoughts:
I’m sure this would be great for some, but just wasn’t for me. It was too cookie-cutter, clean romance with characters that just didn’t appeal to me.
Final Rating: 2.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sophie Sullivan for this book in exchange for my honest review!
Well, I’ll tell you…
What I liked about the book:
1. Of course, the idea was cute to me.
2. My favorite characters were the side characters who worked in Hailey’s shop. They probably had the most personality in my opinion and I wanted more for them. The only way I would read another book in this series is if it was about Leo…
What could have been better:
1. This whole story just felt really stiff and I didn’t really feel a connection to anyone. There were hints to backstories, but no real depth to the characters, which was a big miss in my mind.
When I requested this book, I had no clue this was book 3 in the series (though can be read as a standalone). So perhaps I’m missing a lot of the background for Wes in books 1 and 2, but I know I’m not missing anything for Hailey, so there is no excuse there for poor characterization.
2. These characters were too boring to have this much drama! I was legit pissed how many times the “big fight” happened between our MCs. It was like as soon as it was solved, there was something else. Between Hailey never being able to accept help and Wes being a total idiot when it came to wanting her for the rest of his life, but not, like, loving her (what the fuck was that shit?!?), this whole story was a test of my patience.
3. This was too suggestive to be clean, but too clean to be anything other than YA-level dirty. Just pick a lane, don’t tease us.
4. This “guide” was mentioned, but never really flushed out. I wanted a freaking contract like in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Not a passing nod reference to the goddamn title of the book….
Final Thoughts:
I’m sure this would be great for some, but just wasn’t for me. It was too cookie-cutter, clean romance with characters that just didn’t appeal to me.
Final Rating: 2.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sophie Sullivan for this book in exchange for my honest review!