Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren (Review by Jennifer McCord)
Josh and Hazel met ten years ago at a drunken college party, at which point Hazel promptly threw up on Josh’s shoes.There’s no coming back from an introduction like that… or is there?
Fast forward to present day:Josh and Hazel unexpectedly reconnect, and Hazel latches onto him instantly. As a friend. Obviously. Hazel is cartoonishly zany and Josh is prim and proper. They would absolutely not be compatible as a couple, but what’s to stop Hazel from taking her New Best Friend on a series of double dates to help him bounce back from his messy breakup?
Josh and Hazel make for a perfect friends to lovers, opposites attract love story. Hazel pushes Josh outside of his comfort zone to help him enjoy life, and Josh keeps Hazel tethered to earth and some semblance of normalcy.
I loved Hazel’s free-spirited independence. She knows she’s “too much” for most guys, but she’d die before she’d dial down her personality to please somebody else. She is her mother’s daughter in every respect. Her father found her mother’s quirky personality embarrassing; having grown up seeing their unhappy marriage, Hazel is determined to find someone who loves every bit of her or to simply stick it out on her own.
Josh’s Korean heritage is not just a footnote in this story; his heritage is woven into the fabric of his identity, and family plays a big role in his life. This felt like surprisingly thoughtful and respectful representation for a book that was not primarily about race and identity.
Overall, this was a cute friends to lovers story with some spice thrown in for good measure. If you’re in the mood for a comfortably predictable feel-good book, pick up a copy today.