Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

After absolutely loving Autoboyography and Love & Other Words, Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating became one of my most anticipated reads so I was super excited to win an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway.

This was such a sweet story. Josh and Hazel are new best friends, after briefly knowing each other in college and then reconnecting years later when it turns out that Josh is Hazel's best friend's brother. Josh and Hazel have each had bad experiences with dating/relationships. To break their bad luck streaks, they decide that they'll set each other up on a series of double blind dates. It's all fun at first until they slowly start to realize that maybe the reason why they enjoy enduring these awful dates is because they actually like spending the time with each other.

I want to scream from the rooftops–THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A QUIRKY HEROINE. Hazel is weird but in a good way. She knows she has eccentricities and she embraces them. At no time did I feel like her weirdness was forced or that the authors threw in certain situations because they thought they'd be ~omg so funny.

Josh, aka Jimin, is super sweet. He's quiet and introspective. Everything Hazel isn't. But the way he appreciates her for who she is, is just heart eyes.

I'm only giving this book 4 stars because I did feel like it got a little slow in the middle, but overall it's a really great read!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book. This is the first thing I've read by this author pair, but you can bet that I'll be picking up their other book soon enough. I saw this one reviewed on a blog and thought seemed like my thing and Hey! reading something with a Korean-American lead would be different.

The characters really made this for me. Hazel is wild and does things people would find crazy, yet it is her style and she won't let anyone tie her down. Josh is the neat and orderly one, but not so much that he freaks out at what Hazel does, but finds it amusing. They just fit so well together!! Another part about their relationship I liked was how they actually felt like friends– usually when books do friends to lovers they don't always feel like normal friends first, more like almost-dating friends. Josh and Hazel though were totally friends, not wishing for more nor acting weird around each other, which is why I think their relationship progresses into what it does.

I really enjoyed the first 1/3 of this book and I laughed out loud for soooooo long at some things. After a big thing slightly changes their relationship, things become more complicated and it slightly dimmed for me, while the last bit of the book seemed to be much more intense! And then the epilogue is a huge time jump!! I wish it had said how much years they jumped ahead, I think that would have made it easier to adjust. Although... now that I think of it, isn't this the way K-dramas usually go??

So, it was a hard decision between 4 and 5 stars, but I enjoyed reading this so much and laughed for so long I had to give it 5. I definitely recommend this to romance lovers and I look forward to picking up more by Christina Lauren.

After a few embarrassing meet ups in college Josh Im and Hazel Bradford reunite years later. Josh is sweet, thoughtful, and sensible while Hazel it quirky, funny, and straightforward. After Josh's last relationship ends horribly Hazel convinces Josh to go on double dates with her. The dates they pick for each other don't always work out but they have fun spending time together and the more time spent together the stronger the romantic tension.
This is the first novel I've read by the writing duo Christina Lauren and it was such an entertaining rom-com read. There were even parts that made me laugh out loud. Hazel may lack a filter and be a bit zany but she has a big heart and doesn't come across too over the top. I thought she was clearly believable and likeable. Josh is a sweet straight man which makes it easy to fall in love with him. I was never left believing these characters would never work. Their friendship/romance was a little the opposite attract trope but didn't feel thrown together or so contradicting to feel stretch thin. Instead the relationship between Josh and Hazel was a slow burn, a lovely way to build tension, and with the feeling of a well-suited pair. Christina Lauren also does a great job with making the characters' responsible adults talking about real world topics like sex, testing, and bleeding without any shame, or guilt.
My only negative with the book was with the ending. I won't give anything away but it felt rush. I would gladly pick up another novel by Christina Lauren in the future. They can paint clear scenes and deep characters without heavy fluff. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporary romance and is looking for an energetic and cheerful read.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren will be published by Gallery Books on Tuesday September 4th, 2018.

I got more than halfway through this book thinking it wasn't entirely my cup of tea, but then it fiercely and surprisingly didn't let me put it down. I shouldn't be surprised that I like another Christina Lauren book, but I'm always surprised by how much I like each book. 3.75 stars from me, rounded up to 4.

I've only read one YA novel by this author duo but I loved it so much and was very excited to receive this eARC. If their adult romances are as fun as this book, I really have to go back and read all their other titles.

Hazel is the definition of quirky, has no filter on her mouth and we can never guess what she will do when she gets drunk. This obviously puts a damper on her dating life because all guys seem to like her eccentricities initially but eventually want her to tame down. Despite seeming wild, she is actually a wonderful person, a true friend with a heart of gold and very strong in her convictions that she doesn't need to change herself for any man.

Josh is the calm to her storm, very put together, stable with a cool head, a traditional family man in every way. But he is also devastated after finding about his cheating ex-girlfriend and is low on confidence about putting himself out there and loving again.

I loved how Hazel just decided to force herself on Josh as his new friend to get him out of his post breakup funk. They form a tentative friendship which quickly turns into easy companionship due to their proximity as “temporary roommates”. They also decide to set each other up because they can't date each other. Their double dates are hilarious, always ending in unexpected disasters but it's so obvious that their solid friendship is a strong foundation for something more. Their falling in love feels so inevitable because they are perfect for each other - she brings fun and light to his ordered life and he truly admires her, eccentricities and all.

The side characters are so wonderful and loving. Josh's sister Emily who also happens to be Hazel's best friend is a slightly pushy sibling but an excellent confidant to both, wanting best for them but never taking anyone's side. Her husband Dave is very funny and I loved the dinner parties and conversations at their house. Both Josh and Hazel's mothers are so adorable, just wanting their kids to settle down but also find someone truly worth their love. It was great to see such beautiful family dynamics.

The ending is actually quite predictable and I would have liked something a little different. But on the whole, this is a very entertaining rom-com with extrememly endearing characters who will make you laugh out loud many times. Definitely recommend to anyone who wants to read a feel good friends to lovers romance.