Hazel is a force of nature and Josh likes everything in its place. Will a second chance meeting finally bring these two opposites together? Here’s our 5 STAR review of Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren!
Josh & Hazel’s Guide to not Dating by Christina Lauren
{Adult content, mild spoilers}
Rating: 5 STARS
I received this ARC way back in July. I started to read it on the way to SDCC, but my flight anxiety got the best of me, and I couldn’t focus on the book. August brought way too many personal adjustments and starting back to work, so here I am, a week after the novel released staying up way too late last night reading and writing this review.
And I have to say, all these things lined up so I would read this novel exactly when I needed it most! I’m not spoiling this one for y’all, but it’s one of my FAVORITE tropes ever. As soon as I realized what was going on, I was this gif. Seriously.
Let’s dive in to the world of Crazy Hazie, shall we?
Hazel Bradford is her own person and she’s proud of who she is. Sure, she can be loud and her filter is basically non-existent, but if someone truly loves her, they’ll accept her (and her all her pets) as she is. Due to her eccentricities, she considers herself undateable.
A few years ago, she had the biggest crush on her TA, Josh, but nothing ever came of it besides throwing up on his shoes, so she goes through the next few years of her life, still crushing on Josh Im in a “sigh, what could have been” way.
Then Josh pops right back up in her life. It turns out her best friend, Emily, is actually Josh’s little sister!
Hazel knows that they’re totally incompatible, so she decides they’re going to be best friends. Add in that Josh already has a girlfriend, and this best friend thing won’t be a problem at all.
Josh feels this way, too. Hazel’s outrageous, but the more he hangs out with her, the more he starts to really love her company and the way she makes everything better. After he discovers his longterm girlfriend has been cheating on him for most of their relationship and breaks up with her, things with Hazel take an interesting turn.
Instead of dating each other, they proceed to try and set each other up. What follows are a series of double blind dates that are funny, cringeworthy, and showcase just how much Josh and Hazel like each other.
One thing leads to another one night and they find themselves in bed (it’s actually the floor the first time) with each other, but they promise it won’t change anything. It was a one time thing, and they’re totally committed to being friends.
This encounter leads to probably one of my favorite things CL has written:
My head is a mess.
I slide my phone onto my nightstand and collapse back on the bed. Hazel sounds fine today. Which is good.
I should be glad that she’s the same Hazel she was when she woke up yesterday.
But I’m not the same Josh.
There are so many positives between these two. The chemistry is undeniable. The sex is hot AF. Josh is adorable and sweet. Hazel is such a genuinely good person and loves with her whole being. It seems like everyone can tell they’re perfect for each other, but they don’t want to mess up the best thing that’s happened to them by possibly ruining it with “love”.
Hazel loves his parents and sister and they love Hazel. He loves Hazel’s mom and vice versa. Where Josh is very planned, Hazel is a cartwheel in the backyard kind of girl.
This book isn’t just a love story. It’s a beautiful novel about accepting yourself for who you are and not settling for anyone who tries to squeeze you back inside the box. It’s about someone looking at the person they love and the thought never crossing their mind to try to change their partner.
Let’s be real, this one should be a movie STAT. My dreamcast: Anna Kendrick as Hazel and Steven Yeun as Josh. You’re welcome.
Y’all, it’s pure happiness and I needed it so much right now. If you want swoons, you need to pick this one up right away!
Thank you so much to the publisher for the advanced copy of this novel!