Abby Jimenez has quickly skyrocketed her way up my favorite author list. Her first book, The Friend Zone, had me hooked from the beginning, crying and laughing at the same time, throwing the book across the room screaming “WHY?!” and then declaring that it was amazing. She followed it up with the sequel called The Happy Ever After Playlist that was equal parts amazing, happy, sad, and every emotion under the sun. Now the third book in this series is coming out this April, and it was just as good, if not better, than its predecessors.

If you would like to catch up on all things Friend Zone, then I highly recommend you check out the first two books, but make sure you read them in order! While The Happy Ever After Playlist was written before The Friend Zone, it just makes better sense in the order it was published. Check them out and let me know if you agree!

If you are unable to read the books ahead of times, no worries – this works great as a standalone novel!

GOODREADS SUMMARY: Vanessa lives life on her own terms — one day at a time, every day to its fullest. She isn’t willing to waste a moment or miss out on an experience when she has no idea whether she shares the same fatal genetic condition as her mother. Besides, she has way too much to do, traveling the globe and showing her millions of YouTube followers the joy in seizing every moment. But after her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter, she is housebound, on mommy duty for the foreseeable future, and feeling totally out of her element. The last person she expects to show up offering help is the unbelievably hot lawyer who lives next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. But as they get closer, Vanessa realizes that her carefree ways and his need for a structured plan could never be compatible for the long term. Then again, she should know better than anyone that life’s too short to fear taking the biggest risk of all.

Once again, Abby Jimenez gave me all the feels, and I’ve been rolling in my emotions ever since. We start off with Vanessa and Adrian meeting, and in one swift page, Adrian stole my heart while I was chuckling at their banter. As the book progresses, we find out about Vanessa’s family, her past and her potential to have a fatal disease, while also learning more about Adrian and how they both feel about each other. These are told in alternating POV’s each chapter – but don’t worry! It works!

Adrian’s assistant, Becky, provided some moments that had me laughing so hard, while falling in love with Adrian and Vanessa, while curious to find out more information about Vanessa’s family, while hoping for more YouTube channel insight. So. Many. Emotions.

One trait of Abby’s books is the amazing ability to blend a very serious topic with romance and levity, without diminishing the importance of what the main character is going through (life events or medical concerns alike). To me, the characters are rooted in reality, both good or bad, and it lends an air of authenticity that really speaks to readers. I had a moment while I was reading about an argument between Vanessa and Adrian where I started becoming angry. I live with a husband who has a disease that can kill him any day. I understood the feelings Vanessa was going through, and in this particular moment of the book, I had to share the fight with my husband. He confirmed that the feelings Vanessa had was how he felt at times. That is a talent for an author to have.

I can’t say much more without giving away too much, so I will leave you with this quote that I hope makes it into the final printing:

“You should always have an adventure lined up. Having something to look forward to is tantamount to happiness.”

Bookmark our website! When this book is released in April, we will be hosting a book giveaway for Life’s Too Short!