Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

Hazel Bradford is fully aware that she's weird by most people's definition. She also doesn't really care. Josh Im is far more conventional but he's always found Hazel charming from the moment she awkwardly introduced herself to him and then threw up on his shoes at a party in college. When they meet again several years later, Hazel is determined to be besties with Josh and when Josh's romantic life implodes, he's willing to go along with her plan of setting each other up on blind double dates. However, as time goes on everyone who knows Josh and Hazel has only one question: why aren't they dating each other?

A super cute contemporary romance that had me laughing out loud regularly. Hazel is an eccentric but it's a lot of fun to spend show more time in her point of view and the way she and Josh interact with each other is thoroughly charming. Josh's Korean family and upbringing provide him with solid grounding as a character as well, and make him feel like more than just handsome, decent guy. I also loved the funny details like Hazel's names for all her pets. Plus, the final conflict and resolution didn't go at all the way I expected and while still a bit trope-y were not any less enjoyable. I'll definitely being reading more of Christina Lauren's novels and would recommend it for contemporary romance readers with a moderate tolerance for steamy reading. show less

Quirky Hazel had a crush on Josh back in college. When he re-enters her life seven years later, she decides that they should be best friends. Obviously, they're not going to be anything more -- she puked on his shoes when they first met, and their interactions haven't gotten any less embarrassing. After a painful breakup between Josh and his girlfriend, Josh and Hazel hit on a plan to set each up on blind double-dates. These always seem to turn into hilarious adventures, but pretty soon it becomes obvious to everyone around them that Josh and Hazel should actually be dating each other.

I said earlier that I should take a break from romance novels, and then a friend reviewed this one, and I needed an audiobook for my Thanksgiving car show more trip, so I thought, "Why not?" This is a fun, moderately steamy read. I wanted Hazel's quirks to be less cute, but no, she was pretty much a manic pixie dream girl (albeit a confident, self-aware one). Still, if you are less curmudgeonly than I about romance right now, you'll probably enjoy this one a lot. (I enjoyed it, just grumpily.) show less

This was my first Christina Lauren read and wow..... there's nothing better than going into a book expecting nothing and getting absolutely blown away.

Josh and Hazel. Met in college... Run into each other years later... and Hazel is just as infatuated with him as she was in college. He's in a long term relationship. She's not interested in dating. It's the perfect scenario for a boy-girl bestfriendship... right? Until Josh ends up single and Hazel needs a place to stay for a couple weeks. They spend the summer going on blind double dates together as Hazel tries to get him out of his post break up slump and before they know it... they truly are best friends.. and nothing more... right?

This book is a basic friends-to-lover trope written show more in such a refreshing way, the characters were realistic and unlike so many I've read before. Hazel will stick out in my mind for many book to come. Hazel is a true one of kind heroine, she is spunky... and loud... and has no filter. She is unapologetically herself. And let's face it... sometimes people don't like obnoxious, high spirited, and so unfettered. Hazel's ability to love herself even when people found her unlikeable was inspiring. She is a lot to take and she knows it but her confidence is something to envy.

We've all read that romance where you roll your eyes and just wanna shake the MC by the shoulders and say "what are you doing..?!? Just get together already!", this is just.... too much drama for the sake of drama. This book was NOT that. Hazel and Josh both had insecurities and set backs that explained their choices, I couldn't help but understand and empathize with them throughout their entire journey and THAT is rare for me.

This book made me laugh out loud, it was an easy, light hearted read that deserved all 5 stars. Coming from a die hard CoHo fan, I do NOT do easy and light romances, I do not do "fluff"... but this was one for the books.


Re-readable.
5 Stars. show less

This book had me RIVETED! It had me in a laugh out loud, smiling from ear to ear, flat out fun state and I simply could NOT tear myself away from it. Hazel reminded me so much of me, a lot of the things she experienced and the feeling that she had on the way that people view her and her behaviors, was something I had to work through at my earlier stages.

People like you in the beginning; you're fun and weird. Then they get tired and irritated that you can smile at life and find joy in the simplest of things.

I was so glad I picked this up, I'm so glad I got to absorb this in the same way that Josh got absorbed with Haze's personality that it sucked him into the void of what she was. She enveloped him way before he even knew it was show more happening and morphing itself into a ritual in their daily lives, and it was enjoyable to experience alongside them.

The ending though, WHOA! I honestly wasn't braced for the curve ball that came and fully wacked me in my face. Had me in a puddle of silent tears, curled up on my bed, using my blanket for safety while praying this book wasn't coming to an inevitable end.

I mean I know, I know! I'm a sucker for romance, but not just because of the gooiness, but also because books like this truly explain what it means to be in love and confused and ruled by it all at the same time. show less

Narration reminded me a lot of the good old days when I first started by contemporary romance journey my reading The Unhoneymooners. Which was. . . a month ago. And I'm still a bit hung over about it.

This is the reason why I love friends to lovers. The pining. The doubt. The i'm pretty sure i'm not the only one who feels that way, don't they feel it too??? thoughts. The tension. Sigh. This was everything I love about ftl without the overdone miscommunication.

I actually enjoyed Hazel's embarrassing situations (and that's saying something) and I loved how wholesome Josh was. Pretty sure you need to die a hundred deaths to earn a guy like Josh and that kills me inside. Have my first-born son, please. (Credit card slamming in the show more distance) You can also have the pet goat I currently do not have. One Josh, please.

I wish they dedicated a few moments more to JoshHazel at the end before the epilogue though, because I totally missed that chapter heading and went what the f—. You'll know what I mean. show less

This was another super-fun Christina Lauren book. You just have to love how quirky Hazel is. Her adorable third-grade teacher-ness shines right through, as does her fun personality. All the pets were adorable, too, as were the mishap of the dates. I loved the slow burn of Josh and Hazel gradually coming to realize they were right for each other. They were such an adorable fit.

3 / 5

quirky, fun, energetic, wild child hazel is unlucky in love; she’s a bit TOO MUCH. reserved, handsome, perfect josh is stagnant and bored. cue the will-they-won’t-they.

this took me about 4 hours to read, which shows that there’s not a whole lot of ~substance~ here, but as far as silly romance novels go? this is pretty good! it gets the job done. i was impressed with the character work - every single character felt real to me, which is so exceedingly rare for the genre. josh was maybe a little boring, but hazel was bright and fun (but also a little bit “i’m not like other girls”). i felt like they had great chemistry, i believed the way their friendship becomes more, and i felt like there was a pretty compelling spark show more driving the book forward.

however. the reason for the 3 star rating is thus: this book is just not that well-written, nor is it surprising. it’s all been done before, and i didn’t feel like this book added anything new or exciting to the genre. i felt like i’ve read this book a million times before. don’t get me wrong, it’s an enjoyable read - but something inside me wants MORE. i want to read something special. i want to be moved! this book was far from moving - it was good, but it wasn’t great. it was fun, but it wasn’t that memorable. i liked the characters, but i didn’t LOVE them. see what i mean?

i was a bit disappointed with the sex in this one - it just didn’t feel… motivated? i don’t know how to describe it, but there was something missing. maybe the build up in tension wasn’t right, maybe the chemistry between hazel and josh didn’t translate as well during the love scenes, but whatever it was, it totally broke the immersion for me. maybe i just didn’t feel super connected to their romance.

that said… i will definitely be picking up another CHRISTINA LAUREN vehicle. i read LOVE AND OTHER WORDS and really liked it - this one wasn’t as good, but i still enjoyed it more than most other books in this genre. CHRISTINA LAUREN is so good at writing lovable, flawed characters, and at the end of the day, characters drive stories. i definitely have notes, but this is a pretty safe bet to place if you’re looking for something sweet, easy, romantic, and fast.

i liked it! i’d recommend this to anyone who likes the genre (and by genre i mean fluffy, unliterary, trash novels about adults falling in love and having great sex!) 3 / 5 - a pretty high rating for one of these! of course, if you DON’T like these kinds of flitty, silly, easygoing romance novels… pleeeeeeaaaase spare yourself LOL. show less