Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
Hazel is so perfectly written that she makes my inner goofball come out. I told the book goodbye when I had to leave it for work yesterday (IT WAS JUST GETTING GOOD).
Sky read this wonderful book 2 years ago and didn’t tell me how amazing it is! (Ok, she might have said something, but she didn’t play it up or INSIST I read it). Have you ever felt betrayed by a friend? Because I know I have. ;) Kidding!
Josh and Hazel are polar opposites: Josh, a clean, tight-laced, Korean American, and Hazel, a human hurricane + glitter. They commit to being best friends, then best friends who had sex once, then best friends who had sex twice, then finally - who are they kidding? This book was delightful and made me grin the whole time.
Few funny thoughts:
The back cover says that Hazel’s full name is Hazel Camille Bradford. We never hear her middle name in the book. Why do we need to know it on the back cover?
My copy is missing three and a half chapters and I had to get a copy from the library to finish it. AND IT WAS DURING A REALLY GOOD BIT TOO!
Does Josh ever work? I swear the first half to 3/5th of the book, he just doesn’t work. He has time to go for ice cream and visit Hazel at work. Every physical therapist I know works non-stop.
I loved this book. I love CLo. They are the Patron Saints of Contemporary Romance and their love of Korean culture is evident in this wonderful book. -Ford
This is a "late-breaking review", meaning I took some time between reading the book and writing my thoughts down.
I liked these characters very much, in fact of all the CLo stories, this is very high up on my faves list. I even liked the corny-as-all-get-go ending. (I have no idea why. This kind of epilogue is never my cup of tea).
Both Josh and Hazel felt fully three-dimensional like they were actual people and not cut-outs stuck in a story. I liked their flaws and loved their convictions.
I wish we knew more about his day-to-day, I felt like that part was a bit unbalanced. But I got a great sense of Josh as a person, who cares about his parents and sister. I have a great sense of Hazel's lovely, wacky, wild side. When I grow up I want to be just like her. Unencumbered by the ideas of others about who I should be.
Maybe because they were so human that I rooted for them so hard.
They were a joy. Have fun in their world. - Sky
