*The below review contains spoilers (It’s damn near impossible to review this book without them). You’ve been warned*
Good evening, bookworms and happy Friday eve! I’m late on getting tonight’s post out. Seems this evening got away from me, as many evenings have tended to do lately. I’ve also had a fairly garbage internet connection lately and every single time I’ve logged in to update the blog, my internet has cut out… so that’s fun! Someone is coming out to check it next week so fingers crossed because I’m crazy behind on posting updates (as usual)!
Anyway, I was awake until almost 2 a.m. reading this last book and I figured it’s just the kind of book to grab for a quick weekend read. Let’s talk about Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by the fantastic writing duo Christina Lauren!
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?
Now comes my usual, “if you know me and know this blog” spiel, but seriously.. I don’t think Christina Lauren are capable of writing bad books. Their work is always fun, quick, witty, filled with tension and all the lovely build-up, humor, and have such a charming feel to them every single time. Meeting Hazel and Josh was no different.
So I’m sure this is a bit of an unpopular opinion to anyone who has read this particular book, but, Hazel was a little too much for me to handle. Don’t get me wrong. She’s wild and eccentric and I wish I had her outlook on life, but like some others who described her throughout the story, she’s a bit like a hurricane who seems to blow all around the pages. Thankfully, that’s where Josh comes in… to balance her (and me) out.
Josh Im is a lovely and caring guy Hazel was acquainted with in college. Year’s later, they reconnect, and a bond is formed that’s strong, quirky, and just as messy as the two of them seem to be when they collide. Their chemistry is instant, yet somehow, non-existent because there’s no chance in Hell they’re dating.
When Hazel’s apartment floods and she moves in with Josh, they fall into a steady rhythm and it just makes you want to scream at the book for them to get together already. Only they seem to do everything but listen to your telepathic advice (trust me, I tried).
After Josh goes through a bad breakup, he relies on his new BFF Hazel to get him back into the dating game, or she just urges him to get out of his sweatpants… it’s really all about perspective here.
When they decide to set each other up on blind dates, they think it will be fun and will hopefully result in new relationships, but as the dates get worse, they grow closer and the lines begin to blur.
Once they do, I could not have cheered (silently of course) harder because, damn, it was about time.
These two hit plenty of bumps along the way, and once they hook up, you may think, “eh, smooth sailing” but no. They weren’t done giving us all the drama and chaos yet. They insist on hanging desperately to those “friend zone” cards while things get more complicated.
I can’t say much else without giving away the entire ending, but I will say that the epilogue just brought this book to another level. I kind of saw where things were going as they unfolded, and then the epilogue was like diving into the deep end and getting all the wonderful, chaotic, and crazy (unexpected) things. This pair are quite literally like night and day, yin and yang, whatever you want to call them, but damn, they told one sweet, funny, and quirky story and I couldn’t seem to get enough!
If you love contemporary romance, go meet Josh and Hazel. I promise, you won’t regret it!
Until next time, happy reading!
