BOOK REVIEW: Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christian Lauren
Audiobook narrated by Todd Haberkorn & Jayme Mattler

 Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating is a cute, quirky, non-stop rollercoaster of fun. It follows the lives of Hazel Bradford and Josh Im ten years after they were in college together. Hazel has had a crush on “Perfect Josh” ever since he was her TA and she embarrassed herself completely, showcasing her “undateablity”. Josh has only ever thought of her as the crazy, quirky wild child. But, 10 years later life sets them on convergent paths. Hazel finds out that her teaching best friend, Emily, is actually Josh’s sister, and when Hazel’s apartment floods, she becomes temporary roommates, and permanent best friends with Josh. As they are both single, they being to go out on blind double dates, where the other has picked out their partner. As wacky behavior and failed blind dates ensue, something begins to change between the two.

What I Liked:

• Hazel is my absolute favorite. She’s zany, quirky, and larger that life.
  • She has a pet bird named Vodka, a bunny named Janis Hoplin, a dog named Winnie, and a fish named Daniel Craig.
• It’s really well-paced. There aren’t many, if any, time jumps. The plot keeps you interested with rapt attention.
• I liked that Josh and Hazel’s families were part of the plot. It gives the plot more substance than just romance.
• It’s very bingable. I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook.
• Speaking of, the audiobook is duel-narrated. As the chapters flip back and forth between Josh and Hazel, so do the narrators. This is nice because it gives each character their own distinct voice.

What I Did Not Like:

• I had to listen to the audiobook at 2x speed because the narration was kind of slow.
  • Also, because of this, during the Josh chapters Hazel’s dialogue became squeaky and doll-like.
• I feel like if you lived with someone for 3-4 months, and you were both interested in each other, you would definitely figure it out sooner than Josh and Hazel did.

Recap:

Overall, this book is a fun, fast-paced, romance with more than a little quirkiness. The characters are bold and lovable, and the chemistry is off the charts. This is a great book to read if you’re just getting into Romance and don’t want to jump head first into the deep end. I have to say, Hazel is one of my favorite characters I’ve ever read, and I wish there were more main characters like her.

4/5 stars

xoxo, Bree

Goodreads Link: Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating