Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

by Christina Lauren

[stacey_is_sassy]

Not Dating lead to the perfect kind of happy ever after...

I started Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating in 2018 and finished it in 2019 so I added it to my favourites list for both years. I think it's fair as I loved it in 2018 and 2019 as it wasn't just the beginning that was awesome and not just the ending, the whole book was bloody great.

It's not often that you read a book that is paced as well as this one. It flows in a way that makes it so easy to read, keeps you entertained from start to finish, is thought-provoking and leaves you on a giddy high. I haven't read a lot of Christina Lauren but I will definitely be checking out more of their work in the future.

One of the biggest highlights for me was that their romance started with friendship first and sexy time later. I'm not saying that a one-night-stand can't lead to a happy ever after, but as my relationship with hubby started out with friendship first, I feel an affinity with these characters. Their connection grows the more they get to know each other, they're loyalty to each other is never in question, and they work hard at making sure that their friendship will ALWAYS be alive.

The characters were original, refreshingly quirky and absolutely lovable. The storyline was humorous without being OTT and kept things real in a...I have to work, pay my bills and clean my house too...kind of way. In some books, the reality is put to the backburner and we don't get to see the couple dealing with the mundane and boring parts of living. I enjoy seeing how a couple deals with the high of a new romance mixed with the boring everyday stuff. A romance seems more realistic with a better chance of success if they can take the highs with the lows. The sexy times were hot and definitely got my heart pumping. There weren't too many but it was easy to see their connection in and out of the bedroom.

I really enjoyed Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating and I was sad when it was over. Can't wait to read more from Christina Lauren in the future.

2019…let’s make it a good one. May your year be filled with love, laughter, health, happiness and plenty of awesome books.