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

Title: Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 2018
Rating: 4/5 Stars

This book was such a cute, fun way to start off my 2019 reading life! I really enjoyed Roomies by this author duo, and after finishing that one I knew I had to  give Josh and Hazel a try. Living in Portland, our leading lady is Hazel, an elementary teacher who is quirky and funny and unapologetic about her unique personality. She describes herself as "undateable", due to the fact that so many guys expect her to change who she is in order to be more palatable, but ever since she remembers her father calling her mother "embarrassing", she knows she'll never change who she is for a guy. This leads her to instead focus mostly on her friendships, all the while having an aversion to long-term relationships. 

Our hero, meanwhile, is Josh Im, who is practical and steady, but also very non-judgmental and is one of the few people who will go along with Hazel's bits or at least doesn't get embarrassed by them. They met in college, and college-Hazel dreamed of making Josh her best friend; when they reconnect later in life, they decide that they don't want to date each other (for some reason!!!), but instead set each other up on blind double dates (yes this is as hilarious as it sounds), until they figure out why they should be together instead.

I loved every minute of Hazel and her unique world-view (and collection of pets), and the banter between she and Josh felt so real. Watching their relationship grow and evolve was one of my favorite parts of the novel. Meanwhile, I also appreciate how this author duo always works diversity into their books, as they simply present the modern world as many people move through it, which means characters of different cultures, sexual orientations, and economic backgrounds. Friend groups are diverse and side characters feel fully three-dimensional, which to me just makes the couple seem more real and makes me want to root for them more. Christina Lauren books are becoming my go-to for upbeat contemporary romance with a good mix of humor and drama. 

If you like light romances that read quickly but feature unique characters, definitely check this one out!