A Guide to Being Just Friends

Hailey Sharp has one goal: get her salad shop, By the Cup, off the ground and keep it thriving. She has a head full of business ideas and an ex she is glad to be rid of, and she wants no distractions while she builds the life she chooses.

Wes Jansen has never understood the fuss about romance. His first dates keep turning out dull, and his parents' bitter divorce still weighs on him. What he wants is a partner he likes but will not love, with companionship in place of passion.

Their first encounter is a disastrous meet cute that was meant for other people, and both leave embarrassed. Later Wes tracks Hailey down to apologize for how he acted, and the two start a friendship.

Friendship is all it can be. She has no room for a relationship, and he has no wish to fall in love. Each has set firm rules, and spending time together puts those rules under strain.

This is a contemporary romantic comedy with a friends-to-lovers setup. It mixes a playful, humorous tone with real emotional weight, and it draws on the feel of When Harry Met Sally and 500 Days of Summer. It is also a companion in tone to the author's earlier Ten Rules for Faking It.