Last month, I read ‘The Happy Ever After Playlist’ by the author (read my review HERE) which is one of my best reads this year and realized that it was a sequel to her debut novel ‘The Friend Zone’. I obviously had to read the first book especially when I already had a hint it was about two of my favorite characters in the book.
This book was as good or even better than I expected it to be. Kristen has a boyfriend Tyler who is due to be back home from military assignment overseas in a few weeks. They plan to live together in Kristen’s house and hopefully get married in the near future. In the course of helping her best friend Sloan plan her wedding to Brandon, she meets Josh, Brandon’s bestfriend and best man and immediately there is a strong connection between them. Between Tyler coming home soon and her health issues with surrounding her uterine fibroids, her growing feelings for Josh become a huge problem. Josh is smitten by Kristen because she represents everything he wants in a woman but with Tyler in his way, and Kristen keeping him in the friend zone, he is not sure where this will end but he vows to wait and fight to get her.
I really really enjoyed this one. I loved Kristen’s character with her sarcasm and wit. Certain aspects of her character reminded me of me so I really related with her. I have lived with severe PMS/PMDD for over 20 years and I understand how difficult it is to be in Kristen’s situation where fertility issues are looming over you. Therefore I was not too surprised at her apprehension to start a serious relationship with Josh who wanted a house full of kids. I also liked the constant banter between her and Josh. The chemistry they both had was electric and the romance was just the right kind. I was totally rooting for them even when I already knew how it would end.
Josh was my favorite character. He was handsome, funny and stubborn. He was also very understanding and caring, although I think the fact that he had six elder sisters played a huge role in the way he handled things with Kristen. I like the way he was patient with Kristen’s excesses and was able to recognize the reasons behind her decisions. Nevertheless, I still felt Kristen took it too far and it was almost borderline mean at some point. This was the only thing I didn’t like about this story.
Contrary to most reviews I read on this book, I think the author did a great job for a debut. I listened to the audio book and I found myself constantly thinking about this story whenever I wasn’t listening to it. The end was bitter-sweet but overall it was an entertaining and easy read. I was happy about the sweet part in the end because although it my seem far fetched, these miracles really happen and I am a testimony to that.
If you like romance, especially Rom-Coms, you will like this one. I recommend!
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Published: June 11, 2019 by Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Pages: 357
Genre: Fiction (Romance)
Purchase: www.amazon.com/thefriendzone
The Author: Abby Jimenez is a Food Network winner and USA Today best selling author with her hit debut novel The Friend Zone. She founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen back in 2007. The bakery has since gone on to win numerous Food Network competitions and has amassed an international cult following. Abby’s wry literary wit was spotlighted as the admin behind the hilarious viral comments on the now famous Nadia Cakes Vageode ® cake. Abby loves a good romance, coffee, doglets, and not leaving the house.
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