Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating
Author: Christina Lauren
Contemporary Romance
September 4, 2018
About the Book: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?
Ready for my review of Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating? ahem –OMG! Hazel and Josh! There’s my review right there. It’s all about Hazel and Josh! Their characters were the core of the story and their relationship was the heart.
It wasn’t even really about the romance, it was more about the everything else. Hazel as our heroine was spectacular, like the finale at a fireworks show. She was an explosion of wonderfulness, and happiness. You fall in love with her right away, wanting to make her your best friend too. She jumped right off the pages, but that’s not to take away from Josh. I’m always a fan of the quieter personality, which was totally Josh. He was the ‘blueprint for perfect’, and the way he was the best ever was in how he treated Hazel when she’s being especially Hazelie. Even before she decided they were going to be best friends, when Josh had reason to be annoyed, he was never cross with her. He was always so patient, and seemed to admire Hazel’s wildness where others eventually tired of it. THAT is what made me fall so crazy in love with him.
Hazel and Josh’s connection was instantaneous, and I could read about it forever. I also thought Christina Lauren always does a great job with the supporting characters too. Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was no different. I loved the close connection Hazel had with her mother. We can use more fiction with awesome parents, and this one had two sets of them! Josh’s family was just as wonderful. And Emily! When I started reading I paused to go look through Christina Lauren’s back list. I was positive Emily and Dave had their own book. I was wrong, but that’s how original they felt to me! They SHOULD have a prequel story! (Especially so we can read about a younger Josh Im!)
I only had one complaint. I think maybe it’s a common complaint in contemporary fiction though. Basically, I didn’t think this book needed an epilogue. Highlight for spoiler: [It especially didn’t need the surprise baby. I hate the surprise baby trope! However, since they did it anyway, I would have preferred it if the story left Hazel and Josh at the doctors appointment and leaving us imagine what happened.] Epilogues of the future never work for me. It all felt way to cheesy, and it took some of the shine off the book overall. When I reread, and I will be rereading, I’m skipping the epilogue.
Birdie Bookworm 
Sweet review, Birdie! I’ve on a romance binge right now, and this book sounds like it could be my next read. Quieter personalities have always appealed to me too, so I think I’ll like Josh just fine 😁.
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You’ll really like it. It’s a really charming book!
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That’s a lovely review… I enjoyed the book a lot 😊😊
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Me too, and thank you!
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I totally get what you mean about the epilogue. I did kind of like it, though. I adored this book. Hazel & Josh were everything! Great review!
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Thanks so much. I did love Josh and Hazel, and I love that they were happy. I just like to leave it to imagination a bit more.
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OK, sounds terrific! Great review. I’d seen the cover several times, but hadn’t looked further — but now I will!
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It was REALLY good!
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I’m so glad you liked this!!!!! ❤ Hazel is just such a hero. And Josh was so perfect for her???? Also, I agree about the epilogue (I just pretend it never happened, it kind of took from that sense of Hazel *choosing* Josh just for Josh kjsdfksj)
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Yeah, I totally agree!! I wish I had just skipped it!
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