Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

SYNOPSIS

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?

Synopsis from Goodreads

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PERSONAL REVIEW

Christina Lauren is quickly becoming one of my favourite contemporary romance authors, and Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating has jumped to the top of the list as one of my favourite love stories. Although this is an older book, I finally got around to reading it, and I'm so happy I did!

One of My New Favourite Romances!
This is definitely one of my favourite contemporary romances! I completely fell in love with Hazel and Josh and all the craziness that they get into. Their relationship was everything I love to read about - friends who trust and appreciate each other before it develops into something more. I've noticed that some people have complained about Hazel being the cliched "zany girl", but I really enjoyed her and how she completely embraces her quirkiness. I also loved how Josh is so supportive of her (and everyone in his life). This was such a fun love story!

Dual POV was Key
This is the first Christina Lauren book I've read that has dual perspectives and I LOVED IT! I thought it was so important to have Hazel and Josh's point-of-views because it added a lot more depth to the story. It really gives readers the chance to understand each of them and develop a connection to both. Getting to see them from each other's perspective was perfect, and I honestly loved following Josh and Hazel's love story through both of their eyes. The only time I disagreed with them was about Josh's lack of interest in going to Harvest Fest; I love a good music festival and 2000s bands like Simple Plan are amazing to dance to :).
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Huge Fan of Secondary Characters
I loved Emily and Dave! They were such amazing secondary characters in this book and I loved their relationships with Josh and Hazel. It was really great to see how each of the characters had unique relationships with each other; Hazel and Emily as best friends, Emily and Josh as siblings, Dave and Josh as in-laws, and Dave and Hazel as friends and colleagues. As someone who share a lot of friends with my husband, I love when fictional characters have layered relationships with other couples! Also, Emily is awesome and the kind of friend that everyone wants (and hopefully is).

Overall, this was such a fun story and I'm so happy I finally picked it up! I'd highly recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed other Christina Lauren stories, is a fan of contemporary romances, likes stories with multiple perspectives, or is looking for a fun read to start the autumn season! Happy September!

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FINAL RATING: 5/5