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A review by dinipandareads
Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
5.0
THIS BOOK! Was there anything that I didn’t love about this book? Absolutely not! The only regret I have is not picking up this book sooner! If y’all are sleeping on this one, I urge you to pick it up right now and don’t waste another minute not reading it! This was a super fun, super cute, and super sexy read. The friends to lovers trope is one of my all time favorites and this one did not fail to deliver. I loved everything about it. Really, I actually did. All the characters were so lovable—from Hazel and Josh, Emily and David, and even side characters like Hazel’s mum, and Umma. To be honest, when I picked this up last night, not only had I forgotten what this book was about, but I had zero clue that Josh was Korean-American. It was such a pleasant surprise!
Hazel was the brightest, quirkiest, funniest character I’ve read in such a long time. Her chapters had me constantly laughing out loud and exclaiming in shock (the good kind) at all the hilariously awkward things that she’d think, say and do. Her manic energy was so infectious! She recognized just how out there she is, and she made no excuses and no exceptions for anyone. Yes, she had her insecurities but she was also fiercely confident in herself and enviably comfortable in her own skin. Hazel was honestly just the best and Josh was honestly the perfect complement to her character. He was sweet, calm, thoughtful and extremely loyal, but not a pushover in any way. I loved the vulnerability of his character, and how he was the one who accepted and openly admitted to his feelings.
The relationships between the family members was also so wonderful. Hazel and her mum had the quirkiest and most open relationship. It’s the kind of relationship that I always wished to have with my own mum, and I’m lucky that I do have that to an extent, though not as wildly open as theirs. Although her mum only made minor appearances, you could tell that their relationship was the feel-good, supportive and comforting kind. I also really appreciated how Christina Lauren integrated Josh’s Korean heritage in the storyline, and made it an important part of his character. His relationship with Umma was sweet, and I loved how he really embraced the Korean traditions—such as how his parents would move in with him once they got older. As an Asian, I get that cultural obligation/expectation, so I thought it just added to the authenticity of his character and their story.
Josh and Hazel’s relationship was definitely an adventure and I shipped them so hard from the start of their very awkward and hilarious encounters. Their friendship was so genuine, and you could just see that their chemistry was insane. There are some romance readers out there that don’t like too much steamy sexy times, so just fair warning, this one does have quite a bit of it! But imo not distasteful in any way.
While this obviously wasn’t an unexpected HEA, it didn’t make me love their story any less. CLo definitely strikes again with their brilliant writing, characters and storylines. They really know how to write characters that you feel so invested in, and who also feel like real friends by the end. They also really know how to make me feel all the feels. I think they’ve basically spoiled me for relationships IRL (but hey, book boyfriends are always better anyway, right?)! 😉 I’m so excited to read The Unhoneymooners now! Give me all the CLo!
Hazel was the brightest, quirkiest, funniest character I’ve read in such a long time. Her chapters had me constantly laughing out loud and exclaiming in shock (the good kind) at all the hilariously awkward things that she’d think, say and do. Her manic energy was so infectious! She recognized just how out there she is, and she made no excuses and no exceptions for anyone. Yes, she had her insecurities but she was also fiercely confident in herself and enviably comfortable in her own skin. Hazel was honestly just the best and Josh was honestly the perfect complement to her character. He was sweet, calm, thoughtful and extremely loyal, but not a pushover in any way. I loved the vulnerability of his character, and how he was the one who accepted and openly admitted to his feelings.
The relationships between the family members was also so wonderful. Hazel and her mum had the quirkiest and most open relationship. It’s the kind of relationship that I always wished to have with my own mum, and I’m lucky that I do have that to an extent, though not as wildly open as theirs. Although her mum only made minor appearances, you could tell that their relationship was the feel-good, supportive and comforting kind. I also really appreciated how Christina Lauren integrated Josh’s Korean heritage in the storyline, and made it an important part of his character. His relationship with Umma was sweet, and I loved how he really embraced the Korean traditions—such as how his parents would move in with him once they got older. As an Asian, I get that cultural obligation/expectation, so I thought it just added to the authenticity of his character and their story.
Josh and Hazel’s relationship was definitely an adventure and I shipped them so hard from the start of their very awkward and hilarious encounters. Their friendship was so genuine, and you could just see that their chemistry was insane. There are some romance readers out there that don’t like too much steamy sexy times, so just fair warning, this one does have quite a bit of it! But imo not distasteful in any way.
While this obviously wasn’t an unexpected HEA, it didn’t make me love their story any less. CLo definitely strikes again with their brilliant writing, characters and storylines. They really know how to write characters that you feel so invested in, and who also feel like real friends by the end. They also really know how to make me feel all the feels. I think they’ve basically spoiled me for relationships IRL (but hey, book boyfriends are always better anyway, right?)! 😉 I’m so excited to read The Unhoneymooners now! Give me all the CLo!