Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren Review

5 Smooches

Synopsis

Most men can’t handle Hazel. With the energy of a toddler and the mouth of a sailor, they’re often too timid to recognize her heart of gold. New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Roomies, Beautiful Bastard) tells the story of two people who are definitely not dating, no matter how often they end up in bed together.

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?

Review

I love Christina Lauren. They deliver wit and sex like no other. I loved the blurb for this one but was still hesitant because some of their more recent work I have loved more than others.

Hazel might be one of my favorite characters they have written, second only to Hannah from Beautiful Bastard. She is fun and quirky, but it never feels forced. Josh is dreamy and though they’ve veered in and out of each other’s lives over the years it was just as friends.

The banter and development of these two made this a unique story, and I will admit the end was not one hundred percent what I expected but this was still a five star read from this duo for me.

~miranda

 

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