Most men can’t handle Hazel. With the energy of a toddler and the mouth of a sailor, they’re often too timid to recognize her heart of gold. New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Roomies, Beautiful Bastard) tells the story of two people who are definitely not dating, no matter how often they end up in bed together. Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to … Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take–and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.
Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met–when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes–to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.
Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them…right?
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If I had known how much this book was going to make me smile, I’d have done some face exercises or something to prepare. Because, seriously – SO. MUCH. SMILING. My face hurts! In the VERY best way.
Even writing this review, I can’t seem to turn the wattage down on this grin. GAH! This book was freaking adorable. I loved every single minute and that is not an exaggeration. The romance here is perfection. It’s an effortless, slow-burning friends-to lovers story with the most easy to love hero and heroine I’ve read in a very long time.
I adored them. I can’t say enough good things about how their relationship evolved. I can’t even decide who I loved more. For most of the book it was Hazel. Hazel is my spirit animal. Quirky and weird in a way that caught me completely by surprise, it was impossible not to love her. I want a Hazel. I mean, if I’m being honest – I might (definitely) have a little (giant puppy dog) crush on her.
But then — Josh. Lord. Josh was a fantastic hero in his own right. He was perfect complement to Hazel’s occasionally over-the-top personality. I had this fondness for him for most of the book that just exploded into this teary, breathless adoration by the very end. And now? I’m just completely crazy about both of them. One of my favorite book couples of 2018, easily.
Good gravy you guys. This is just so brilliantly written that my heart was on overdrive the whole way through. Josh and Hazel hit all of my sweet spots, dead on. It’s sweet and sexy. I laughed out loud (a lot). My heart clenched and ached and burned while these two took their sweet time finding their way to each other. And…did I mention the smiling?
SO. MUCH. SMILING.
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating is easily one of my favorite reads this year. It didn’t shock me or pull me out of my comfort zone, but anything that makes me smile like this cannot be ignored as a top contender. This is a feel-good book from start to finish and so if giggles and heart eyeballs and that delicious “falling-in-love” feeling is what you’re after? Josh and Hazel are here for you. GET. THIS. BOOK.
I absolutely adore the writing duo of Christina Lauren. I’ve been a fan of their writing for quite some time now and could not wait to get my hands on their latest release. From the moment I heard about Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, I just knew that this book was going to be a ton of fun. And let me tell you, it does not disappoint. Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating is absolutely one of the cutest stories I’ve read in quite some time. I thought the characters and the story was so refreshing and so unique. I couldn’t help but fall in love with Hazel the moment I met her. I mean she was just such a hot mess. She was awkward and so quirky. She rambled when she got nervous and was just the cutest thing ever. I would love to have such a free spirited friend! And then there is Josh. Josh is Hazel’s ideal man. The poster boy for perfection. He is without a doubt the most loyal guy and man can he ever make you swoon. Together these two should not have worked. I mean they were completely, totally, 100% opposites, but you know what they say, opposites attract. I loved watching these two fumble their way through friendship, awkward double dates and the potential for something more & amazing.
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating is the highlight of this girls reading week. It was fun. It was entertaining. It was well written. It made me swoon. It made me fall in love. And it kept me with a ridiculous smile on my face the entire time. Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating is the kind of story that will melt all your troubles away. You can’t help but fall for these characters and their story. You won’t be able to put their story down and can’t help but devour all the pages. Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating gave me all the feels and kept me begging for more. I loved getting lost in Hazel and Josh’s story.
Wow! What a wonderfully adorable friends to lovers story! Hazel is such a fun and quirky girl…so full of life. Josh is more reserved and is use to holding himself back. But these two together and the whole double blind dating match ups…hilarious! This romance has such a good flow and steady pace. I found myself smiling at their dating adventures and how sweet their friendship grew. Very enjoyable.
“I always thought I caught you in…a phase. Apparently you’re just like this.”
OMG, you guys! I freaking ADORED this book! So funny! So cute! So charming! I couldn’t get enough of Josh and Hazel’s quirky relationship! This friends-to-lovers romance is one of the best I’ve read ALL YEAR! The dynamic of this unique, awkward, cute, and undeniable couple just had me in stitches all day long! Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren doesn’t fit into a particular box for me in this genre. Yes, it’s a friends-to-lovers trope, but it’s not as simple as that. It’s unique, refreshing, and completely original. I LOVED these characters from the very beginning and as their relationship grew, I fell more and more in love.
Fun, lighthearted, sexy, and completely entertaining…Christina Lauren took it to the NEXT LEVEL with this unforgettable romance!
I have been wanting to read Christina Lauren for a long time, but just have not gotten to reading a book of theirs yet. So, when I had the opportunity to read Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, I jumped at the chance and I am so glad I did! This was such a fun friends to lovers romance and I devoured it!
Hazel loves to live in the moment and apologizes for nothing. She was a female character you could not help but love. She was strong, full of life and so unique and usually did not care what others thought of her. Josh on the other hand was more reserved, but such a likeable character. He was sweet and caring. When you first meet them, they seem worlds apart, but somehow become friends. I loved their journey so much! It was fun and quirky.
I enjoyed reading Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren and look forward to reading more of their work. Not sure what took me so long, except timing.
Read and reviewed for Reviews From The Heart.
Happy reading!
The awesome pairing that is Christina Lauren has done it again with this friends to lovers romance. The story is a wonderful combo of silly, sweet, sexy, and laugh out loud hilarity. Everyone should have a Hazel in their life. That one friend who’s full of spunk, completely inappropriate, absolutely lacks a filter, and loves those close to her with all her heart. She’s a hot mess all the way around and such a fun character. Broken down, this one is typical of most friends to lovers romances. Josh and Hazel are just friends, free to be exactly who they are and just have fun together until something changes. But the way the story is delivered kept me turning pages for the next bit of crazy this pair would get up to. The attraction is obvious, at least to the reader, and the chemistry between them is off the charts even when neither of them realize it. On the surface, the off-the-wall Hazel and oh, so sweet Josh seem like complete opposites, but inside, where it counts, they are absolutely perfect together. With a few fun twists and even a little bit of angst, this one is another must read from these authors.
I absolutely FLOVE Christina Lauren. Their books are out of this world amazing but Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was absolutely incredible. I seriously had a smile on my face from ear to ear and could not stop reading! I loved Josh Im and Hazel Bradford so much and loved the way the authors showcased a beautiful love, friendship and the idea of unequivocal acceptance. This story was just so fantastic. I laughed, I teared up and could not stop rooting for this fantastic couple.
The minute I started this story I was hooked and then when I really met Hazel, I fell in love with her and her sass and humor. God, she was such an outstanding heroine. She was confident and sassy and had no qualms about being herself. She was quirky, blunt and different but that was what made her who she was. I seriously had a crush on her the entire time. And Josh?! Lord!! He is my new favorite Christina Lauren hero as he was just brilliant. This was a slow burn romance and the way he loved Hazel just touched my heart. He loved her as a friend at first and then fell in love with the woman that she was, quirks and all. He accepted who she was and felt like she was the perfect woman for him. More importantly, he didn’t ever want to change her and thought that she was made for him.
Gah! The wit, banter and swoons in this story were glorious. I loved everything about it and seriously can’t wait for more! I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula
PERFECTION!
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating
5 Stars!!!!
I can say with absolute confidence that this book, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating is by far, my favorite rom-com of 2018.
If any movie executives wanted a guaranteed rom-com hit, they should adapt this book into a movie.
I can’t wait until 9/4 so you guys can fall in love with Hazel and Josh.
I read it back in early July and loved it so much, I couldn’t find sufficient adjectives to describe how or why.
so, I re-read again last week and I’m still at a loss.
I’ll start with Hazel.
She ’s beyond adorable.
She’s the right mix of quirky, flirty, clever and witty and has no filter or boundaries which I LOVE!!
She’s a hot mess but in a beautiful sunshiny way.
The blurb describes her perfectly- “Most men can’t handle Hazel. With the energy of a toddler and the mouth of a sailor, they’re often too timid to recognize her heart of gold.”
She’s a third-grade teacher that seems to bring happiness, smiles, and laughter wherever she goes.
I would give anything for her to be real and to be my best friend.
She knows she a lot to take for some people and understands why she may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but also possesses the confidence and optimism not to change or to settle for anyone who cannot handle her “Hazelness”.
One of my favorite lines of hers is when she was explaining her past dating disasters to Josh – “Being myself is enough. I’m enough.”
That brings me to Josh.
His last Korean last name is “Im” which I can only imagine was an editor’s apostrophe autocorrect nightmare. Lol
Josh Josh Josh
He has made his way into the top of my book boyfriends list.
His calm voice and mellow demeanor seem to be at the opposite end of the compatible spectrum from Hazel, but his dry sense of humor, kindness and tender appreciation of Hazel’s uniqueness makes him perfect for her (and me).
They first met in college and as Hazel says, she proved to him her, “undateability”.
Fast forward 7 years and they come face to face at Hazel’s best friend’s barbecue who also happens to be Josh’s younger sister, Emily.
Josh is in a long-term, but also long-distance relationship at this time and is still a little apprehensive about Hazel’s declaration of their best friendship given their shared horrible college incidents.
Hazel easily manages to skip, sing, dance and putt-putt her way into Josh’s structured and boring life.
When her apartment is flooded and becomes unlivable, chaotic Hazel and her odd collection of animals end up in Josh’s place until repairs can be made.
Josh is supposed to be out of town with his girlfriend so he reluctantly agrees.
They figure out they are unexpectedly comfortable around each other and come to the conclusion that even though they are not compatible as a couple, they are fond enough and trust the other to set them up with friends for double blind dates.
Neither wants to ruin their comfortable friendship with possible unrequited feelings so the slow-burn commences.
This is where I’m going to stop before I spoil the story.
You need to enjoy the humor and adventures that unfold from here.
I’m telling you, both times I read it, I could not put it down.
I love Josh and Hazel along with the secondary characters so much, it made me sad both times for their story to end.
Even though this is a romance, I also loved learning some Korean traditions and their strong family bond.
I highlighted over a dozen of my favorite quotes, but I realized that some were either spoilers or wouldn’t be as funny if you weren’t immersed in the story so I’ll post just one that sums up why I love them both:
“I have chaos around me, but it’s like he doesn’t even care. He doesn’t need me to change or pretend to be someone else. He’s my person. He’s my best friend.”
“You’re second only to a unicorn as far as best friends go, Josh Im.”
* Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates and brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the New York Times, USA TODAY, and #1 international bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Dating You / Hating You, Roomies, Sublime, The House, and Autoboyography.
Laugh out loud hijinks and a slow burn love collide in this newest CL delight! This was my first CL book and I am proud to say I am a huge fan now! Josh and Hazel are fun and endearing, the plot is hilarious and light, and the love is heartwarming to the extreme!
I Loved Josh and Hazel! Hazel was such a quirky girl and I find that I’m truly entertained by characters like her. I also really like the message the authors gave about her. She knew she was wild and a bit crazy and that not everyone would appreciate her and that’s ok. She accepts who she is and that it will be a bit harder for her to find the right guy who can accept her as well.
Hazel had one defining moment in her life that really stuck with her. She gets her wildness from her mom and she remembers very vividly the day when her father told her mother that she embarrassed him. She didn’t want that. She wanted a guy who would never feel embarrassed by her.
I would not describe Josh as straight-laced, but his personality is on the calmer side. To be honest, Hazel’s personality was so big that I find myself struggling to describe Josh without her. There is mentions of some embarrassing firsts encounters in college that had Hazel believing he would see her as undatable and then jump 10 years in the present where they meet up again at his sisters bbq.
Hazel still has that belief that Josh does not see her as anything more than a friend and is determined to become his best friend. When she witnesses him go through a break up with a long term girlfriend, she insists on them double dating to get them both back in the dating world.
I love that we get to see them dating but not dating. They are going on these double dates so the pressure to see each other differently is off and yet they become closer and closer as they get to know each other and help each other move on from one disastrous blind date after another. Josh was great with Hazel. They had chemistry that made them seem like they had been together a long time. I think if she wasn’t so stuck on believing she was too much for him, they would have been a couple so much sooner.
This was such a fun and entertaining story. Despite Hazel’s craziness, she was so endearing, and the way Josh treated her will just make you heart flutter. If you need a feel good story that will make you laugh out loud, pick this up!
I love Christina Lauren. They deliver wit and sex like no other. I loved the blurb for this one but was still hesitant because some of their more recent work I have loved more than others.
Hazel might be one of my favorite characters they have written, second only to Hannah from Beautiful Bastard. She is fun and quirky, but it never feels forced. Josh is dreamy and though they’ve veered in and out of each other’s lives over the years it was just as friends.
The banter and development of these two made this a unique story, and I will admit the end was not one hundred percent what I expected but this was still a five star read from this duo for me.
~miranda
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was phenomenal! I absolutely loved every hilarious, eccentric part of it!!
I swear my mouth and my brain are siblings who hate each other and give each other wedgies in the form of mortifying moments like this.
Josh and Hazel haven’t seen each other since college where it was one awkward encounter after another. The two weren’t exactly friends, I mean throwing up on someone’s shoes isn’t exactly a friendly maneuver. Now, years later, Hazel is a teacher at Josh’s sister’s school and is standing in her backyard. When Hazel’s apartment floods and she needs a place to stay, Josh’s sister volunteers his home. It’s only temporary and what could possibly go wrong?
When Josh breaks up with his long-time girlfriend, Hazel cannot stand watching him mope around his house. She’s on summer vacation and wants to have fun. When she challenges Josh to get back into the dating game he returns the challenge and the result is each other setting the other up on blind dates — terrible blind dates — double blind dates — but they are just roommates and there’s nothing between them…right?
You guys, Hazel is the best! She’s a fun, (and hilarious) carefree woman who loves herself and life. She isn’t willing to change who she is for anyone, including or especially a man. I love that these authors celebrated her eccentric behavior. Characters like Hazel are usually the “weird best friend” that no one wants to spend much time with or no one understands except the best friend. They aren’t main characters.
Josh was sexy, funny and charming. His quiet reserve was the perfect balance to the wild, quirky and funny Hazel. He was at times reticent and guarded, but when he loved, he loved without reservations. He was all in.
I can’t recommend this book enough! It was quirky, charming, sexy, funny, and so well written! Not only were there laugh-out-loud moments, there were moments that made me pause, and had my chin quivering. Seriously, if you’re looking for a feel good, laugh-out-loud book this summer, grab ‘Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren’!
“Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating” by Christina Lauren
What a fun read ! I wasn’t sure I should have accepted the ARC gift from the publisher.. but boy oh boy am I glad I did ! I had such a good read spending time with Josh and Hazel.. as they stumbled about like toddlers learning some truths about themselves and each other. Just to let you know there is some heat in this story… not too intense but if it is more than you care to read… you can easily skim over those few bits of prose. Can you tell that I found this a real page-turner? I hope you find this as fun to read as I did.
Josh and Hazel.
They met 10 years ago at college – she was 18, he was 20. She thought he was the most beautiful boy ever. And he … well – he didn’t much like it when she threw up all over him at that party.
Then followed some more embarrassing moments for Hazel and then he graduated and they didn’t see each other again for seven years.
And now here we are – at Hazel’s bestie Emily’s start-of-summer party.
And the first line out of Hazel’s mouth when she sees Josh – at a party full of people – and new colleagues?
Oh, don’t worry, he’s already seen my boobs!
LOL!
Grown-up Hazel is just as crazy and weird and inappropriate as college Hazel was.
And poor Josh … he’s in her life for good now …
Hazel wants to be best friends!
LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!!!!
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HAZEL & JOSH??
WILL THERE BE A HEA??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT
LOL!
This was such an adorably hilarious romance!
I loved every single word of #Jozel’s love story.
And it wasn’t even supposed to be a love story.
They’re not dating – they didn’t date in college!
Even though they’re both kinda attracted to each other.
But they try setting each other up with other people – double dates. Not one of them very successful.
And also … they might be accidental room mates now. LOL!!
I just adored those two!
I felt like Emily and her husband – sitting on the sidelines, watching them go through all those crappy dates and waiting until they finally figure out that they are the perfect match!
I loved every moment of this story.
JOSH & HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING was such a hilarious & adorable romance!
Run to your nearest amazon for your own Josh! This one is MINE!!!! And I’ll take Hazel too – everybody needs a Hazel in their lives! No! Everybody needs to be Hazel! Aren’t we all a little bit Hazel!
* A review copy was provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley for the Blog Tour *
~ 3.5 Stars ~
Josh + Hazel’s Guide To Not Dating is a fun and entertaining read. Perfect for the beach. But I will be honest and say it didn’t WOW me.
Overall I truly enjoyed the storyline and the characters the authors gave us. I just thought the pace of the story was slightly on the slow side and there was an aspect of the storyline that I didn’t particularly like. I didn’t think it needed to be in the story. But I am sure I am in the minority here and many others will LOVE this book.
Josh + Hazel’s Guide To Not Dating is a standalone romantic comedy. It’s a friends to lovers story told in Dual POV.
What I absolutely LOVED about this book was the heroine Hazel. I love her name to start, but she was a fun and quirky heroine. She didn’t care what others thought of her and she didn’t believe in using a filter for what she had to say. I laughed out loud so many times all because of Hazel. Even though Josh was her complete opposite, I thought they were the perfect match. Josh was the stable to Hazel’s wild side.
Josh + Hazel’s story starts out in College where they met and Josh got to see Hazel’s quirky side. Hazel was smitten with Josh in College but since she was labeled undatable nothing ever came about it. Fast forward several years and they end up bumping into each other at Hazel’s friend Emily’s BBQ. Not knowing that Josh is Emily’s brother. What we get over the course of the rest of the book is the building of a beautiful and unexpected friendship that eventually turns into so much more.
If you are a fan of RomComs and friends to lovers stories, then you should pick this book up. I think many will enjoy this book.
Received this book from Netgalley. By far this is my favorite not dating guide to date. It’s laugh out loud funny great one liners but also speaks of acceptance. Acceptance of different cultures, personalities and of self. It’s written in the Christina Lauren style we all love and look forward to reading.
Pre-order this book NOW if you want a funny, amazing best friends-to-lovers book that will make you cry on an airplane to a writer’s conference. Hypothetically.
6 stars!!! My first Christina Lauren book but certainly not my last! Josh and Hazel were everything. Hazel was so quirky and fun and full of energy. Josh was the perfect counterpart. His willingness to accept Hazel for all her eccentricities was swoon worthy. I loved watching them stumble into love!