Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sullivan charms in her final Jansen Brothers romance (after How to Love Your Neighbor). Hailey Sharp left Hollywood and a bad relationship to settle in the Southern California town of San Verde, where she opens a salad shop. She soon meets Wesley Jansen, a businessman and New York City transplant who heads the intriguingly named Squishy Cat Industries with his two brothers. After getting off on the wrong foot, Hailey and Wesley strike up a fast friendship--and the commitment-averse pair are each determined that's all their relationship will ever be. They struggle (unsuccessfully) to fight their growing attraction--right up until Hailey accidentally lets her feelings slip and sends Wes running scared. Their fairly straightforward friends-to-lovers romance is enhanced by a robust supporting cast (which includes the starring couples from the earlier books) and numerous laugh-out-loud moments, including an autocorrect fail that puts a dirty spin on pretzel sticks. It's a fun, breezy romp. (Jan.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Following How To Love Your Neighbor, Sullivan concludes her "Jansen Brothers" trilogy with a friends-to-lovers romance featuring Wes (the eldest Jansen) and salad-shop owner Hailey, in an updated When Harry Met Sally. After a barista writes Hailey's name incorrectly, and Wes thinks his blind date is blatantly avoiding him, an awkward meet-cute morphs into a tentative friendship when the two keep meeting. The titular guide is a pact between the two to emphasize their single status--Wes has sworn off romance after his parent's disastrous divorce, and Hailey is freshly out of an emotionally unfulfilling relationship--until both develop feelings and debate whether to potentially compromise their friendship. While Sullivan skips the theatrics when pushing her leads apart, her writing is missing that quintessential spark connoisseurs of romance may crave. VERDICT A cozy, contemporary romance wrapping up an otherwise average trilogy. Recommended for libraries with an extensive romance collection or those already invested in the series.--Rachel Alexander
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Can men and women ever be friends? A restaurant owner and a businessman put the immortal question from When Harry Met Sally to the test. After getting dumped by her self-involved actor boyfriend, Hailey Sharp throws herself into work. She uses her experience working for food services trucks on film sets to open her own brick-and-mortar salad shop, By the Cup. She's looking to run a successful business, not fall in love. Enter Wes Jansen. After a botched meet-cute where he thinks she's the blind date who stood him up, he confides in Hailey that he's over the dating-app scene. His parents' acrimonious divorce soured him on love, and he'd much rather focus on the company he owns with his brothers, which has the goal of helping small businesses grow. Hailey agrees with his philosophy, and the two of them decide to be just friends. Of course, as Wes helps Hailey with her business and she joins in on his family celebrations, friendship starts to look a whole lot like falling in love. All of their friends, including Wes' brothers, can tell they're perfect for each other, but Wes doesn't want to damage their friendship--and Hailey doesn't want to lose herself to another man who can't commit. But when their attraction to each other becomes too strong to ignore, they'll have to decide if love is worth being vulnerable. In the third and final installment of her Jansen Brothers series, Sullivan creates warm and likable leads. Hailey is strong and relatable as a woman attempting to restart her life after derailing it for an unworthy man, and Wes, while pricklier, is loyal and supportive of all his friends, especially Hailey. Although their journey to true love encounters quite a few obstacles, it's still an entertaining trek to discover their happily-ever-after. A fun, enjoyably light read for fans of the friends-to-lovers trope. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
