Skip to main content

Member Reviews

This book has ALL of the feels!!! Every single one of them! Reading the description for The Friend Zone, I thought this would be a fun, cute read—it was definitely both of them and so much more! I was taken aback by how much depth and emotion was packed into this fantastic novel! The storyline was well-developed with many moving parts which is the reason I was on the hook the entire way through. I laughed, I cried, I never wanted this book to end! I knew going into The Friend Zone that it was Abby Jimenez’s debut novel, but at least a dozen times I found myself thinking this lady can WRITE how on earth is this her first book?!?! The Friend Zone is a complete 5 star novel that I would LOVE to see turned into a long running series!!

Was this review helpful?

I am sad I did not love this book. Despite really enjoying the first 40% of this book and appreciating the frank discussion of infertility, I have to rate this 3 stars. A part of this is me, I was expecting a cute and fun book with serious discussions, but this GETS SAD. With a title like 'The Friend Zone' I thought the main focus would be between the banter between the two main characters, which is what the beginning was. But, then it gets angsty (idk what exactly qualifies as angst) and I was just telling Kristen to tell Josh things. It does not happen for awhile.

I also was not happy with the miscommunication that seemed to last forever and the love triangle. Without these two things I probably could have dealt with the sad parts, but between the unexpected sadness and them; it was not enjoyable for me.

I think if you go into this expecting an emotional ride, you will like it.

Was this review helpful?

I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING 😭 For real, though, this book made me laugh out loud and sob heavily, sometimes simultaneously. It’s romance but it’s oh so real and there’s sad, sad stuff and there’s all kinds of menstrual talk and there’s so much hanger and it’s just flat-out AMAZING. If you read anything besides depressing books that don’t make sense and win fancy literary prizes, you’ll love this book. I read it in one sitting and I’m furious that it’s over already. I need MORE from this author and I’m ecstatic that book 2 is coming next year!

Was this review helpful?

Debut release from a brand new author... really? This story felt like Abby has been writing and releasing books for years.... not just this book so far. A friends to lover romance that makes you laugh and cry! You will need some tissues with this one. But over all a great read and I highly recommend it. And I love Stuntman Mike. 🐶 Can’t wait to read her next book.

Was this review helpful?

I really loved this book. It was funny and sweet and sexy and heartbreaking. I just feel so affected by this story and these characters. The story, although fiction, was so real for me. Kristen was such a solid heroine, with some funny personality traits, but some serious health concerns that became the center plot line. Josh was sweet and strong and just a great guy. Their friends were also wonderful characters. I won’t say much more because I don’t want to spoil this book, but I’m still thinking about this story days later. Well written and a great debut novel from Abby Jimenez. I’m very much looking forward to more from her! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC through Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

I saw someone post about this book in probably January 2019 and say that it was one of the best books they'd read this year so I went to check it out and could not WAIT to read it. I was delighted to be approved for an ARC from Netgalley and Forever earlier this week and couldn't resist diving into the book right away despite being in the middle of a few other books. This book certainly did not disappoint. It packed WAY more of an emotional punch than I was expecting based on the synopsis and the cover, especially in the latter chapters. I loved the dual perspectives, and fully appreciated Josh's perspective in particular. Not every female author nails the male POV the way that Abby does in this book. Of course, it helps that the main characters are all extremely lovable (including Stuntman Mike, Kristen's adorable dog!).
By the time I finished this, I felt like I had been put through the emotional wringer but it was still ultimately a satisfying ending. These two characters and their path to one another isn't easy and there are some very, very real issues that go on in this book. It was such a great read and I highly recommend if this is your genre of choice (and if you read it, PLEASE talk to me about it, PLEASE!!!)

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book! The chemistry between Kristen and Josh and the romantic tension was incredible. There are a few things that she says to him that were just so cute!! She is not your typical girl - she is tougher, she isn't into drama, she doesn't care about things that other women seem to put a lot of time into and Josh is all over that.

This was so much more than a romance - it was about friendship, infertility, overcoming obstacles, believing yourself deserving of love. There were parts that were laugh out loud funny and more than one time when I reached for the tissues.

It was such a good book and I can not wait to see what else Abby Jimenez writes!

Was this review helpful?

I could not finish this book. I really tried to get into it but no luck. I disliked both of the main characters and Kristen hanging out all the time with a guy she's crushing on when she's in a relationship was gross to me. Also the friend zone doesn't exist. Women don't owe you anything. Pass.

Was this review helpful?

Book friends. I am unwell. I stayed up until FOUR AM to finish The Friend Zone and I loved it! But now I am so sad I have to wait until next year for the second book! 😩

I can’t even express how much I loved this book. It was funny, sweet, and heartbreaking all at the same time. Kristen is so damn relatable and how fucking refreshing to have a romance about a woman with a serious condition so many women live with. This book is probably the most a woman’s period is discussed in romance and I am 100% here for it! ✊

Kristen talks a lot about how her body is broken, and I felt that. Her struggle to feel worthy knowing she couldn’t have children normally is something I’ve gone through. The parts where Kristen is really struggling through accepting that her body would never allow her to get pregnant absolutely wrecked me.

And Josh, ugh Josh is such a GREAT character! I enjoyed reading his chapters so much. Abby wrote us a fantastic book boyfriend. The chemistry between these two is insane! This is a friends-to-lovers, but even as friends their interactions are great. I am very uncomfortable when characters start catching feelings and they’re already dating someone. I struggled with the parts that involved Tyler, Kristen’s boyfriend. But it was next to impossible to not root for Josh and Kristen to be together, they are too perfect together, and believe me I tried not to in the beginning!

I will say my heart broke in ways I was totally not expecting with this story. There are so many parts that had me dying of laughter, but when it was heavy it was SO heavy. There’s no way to read this and not love most of the characters, and when they’re experiencing heartbreak and devastating moments in the book, I felt like I was right there with them.

The range of emotions Abby puts in this book are phenomenal. She is an insanely talented author! If I wasn’t already a huge romance fan, this book would have convinced me otherwise. Even if you think you don’t like romance, you need to try The Friend Zone. It’s fantastic, hands down 5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

This was a 5 stars for me. So cute! This book begins with Kristen helping her best friend plan her wedding. She quickly gets drawn to the the best man Josh. We get love and heartbreak throughout this book. I loved the main character Kristen's sense of humor. She has a great friendship with Sloan. This book is rom com, but also an interesting view on a serious topic infertility and Kristen's issues with endometriosis. This book will make you laugh and cry and the same time, and asking for more.

Was this review helpful?

This was an impulse request for an advanced copy based on an Instagram I saw. Somehow I thought it would be a typical “I hate you, I love you” type romance, perhaps similar to a Hallmark Channel movie. Well, let me tell you, there is nothing typical about this book! And I was pleasantly surprised.
Kristen meets Jeff after he rear-ends her and turns out they have mutual friends and they end up being paired as best man/maid of honor in their friend’s wedding. You know where this is going. But this book is so much more! It deals with issues and their relationship has so much depth. The characters are very real and multi-dimensional. While I can’t relate to any of them, I know people like them.
Also, the writing was done so well. It flowed, there was laughter, unfortunately some tears, and sincere feelings that came across the pages. I feel like this book is up there with Jasmine Guillory, whose books I seem to devour in a couple of sittings. This book has joined the same ranks.
If you’re looking for a romance that has depth and goes beyond the typical rom-com, this is your book. Grab the sunscreen because you’re gonna need it. You’ll be laying by the pool completely consumed by this book!

Was this review helpful?

The Friend Zone is Abby Jimenez’s debut novel and will be part of a series. Kristen is busy planning her best friend’s wedding along side the best man, Joshua. Kristen and Joshua are drawn to each other, but Kristen is a long distance relationship with her military boyfriend of two years. Kristen also finds out that Josh wants kids, but she won’t be able to as she’ll be facing a life-changing medical procedure that will leave her to become infertile which then leads the question of whether things can go further with Josh or not. Given all the hype of this book on Instagram, I was really looking forward to reading this, but it didn’t quite fit my romance read standards. This romance read is unique in a sense where it discusses about battling infertility. I liked the way the author incorporated this, however, the main characters and the story killed it for me. I found both main characters to be unlikable and annoying. The story doesn’t really pick up until a third of the way into it and it took me a while to warm up to it. I also didn’t like the ending at all which I will leave it at that without any spoilers. With all of that said, this is a decent romance novel. I would recommend to you check it out yourself as it might be more of your cup of tea than mine.

Was this review helpful?

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Sometimes you come across a book that seems to embody everything you could want - it had best friends, friends to lovers, humor, heartbreak and it brought me to tears more than once. This highly anticipated debut novel from Abby Jimenez was as good as I had been hearing that it was.

Kristen is a twenty-four year old woman who has started her own business, is enduring a two-year long distance relationship with her boyfriend who is in the military and she's helping to plan her best friend's upcoming wedding. She's feisty, strong, funny and is unfortunately facing a life changing surgery that will make her unable to bear children.

Josh has just moved to town after breaking off a long-term relationship with his girlfriend. He's a firefighter and is thrilled to be working with his best friend at the firehouse even though the job isn't the most fun one he's ever had. Josh is smart, funny, kind, handsome and who doesn't want that in a guy?

Kristen and Josh unknowingly meet one another in a fender bender before being properly introduced by their best friends where they realize that they are the maid of honor and best man in the upcoming wedding and will be spending a lot of time together. When Kristen talks about needing a carpenter to build the doggy stairs for her business, Josh's carpentry skills quickly become an asset to her meaning they end up spending quite a bit of time together.

The chemistry between Kristen and Josh is evident from the outset. Josh knows he can't act on it since Kristen has a boyfriend, but Kristen in turn knows she's in trouble because of how drawn to Josh she is. Can these two manage to keep things in the friend zone?

There was so much emotion in this book, both happy and sad. It was about friendships, forgiveness, not taking things for granted and also how not everything is black and white. I laughed, I cried, and I felt deeply. The realness in this book really got to me as well. Infertility is such an issue in our world today and I felt like Jimenez portrayed it in such a realistic way and brought attention to it, giving some a look at it that they may not have otherwise had. I highly recommend picking up this wonderful read!

Was this review helpful?

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez, is a love story about Kristen, who is a sarcastic, intelligent woman who can hold her own in any situation, and Josh, who is hunky fireman that is the sweet and calm to Kristen’s feisty, strong willed, slightly damaged personality.
The story follows the two soul mates as they fight their ever-growing attraction to each other.
I loved this book! Kirsten is my spirit animal, Josh was 100% my husband and Sloan was a past life.
I highly recommend this book. It was a surprising and engaging book of love and loss and the path to self-acceptance despite what seems to make her “damaged goods”. I was expecting a puff piece of a book that would be a quick read with a feel good happily ever after. This book grabbed my attention from the very first page and I couldn’t put it down until the very end. I read this book in one day. It was not your typical love story. The Author did a very good job of throwing unexpected curveballs in the story, that made a great statement of living every moment to its fullest and to not take anyone you love for granted.
While the book did tackle some hard issues such as loss and infertility, it was still very light, while making you feel everything that the characters felt.
Abby Jimenez is a very talented writer.
(On a side note, I really hope that the author writes a sequel that follows Sloan. I would read that book in a heartbeat.)

Was this review helpful?

I can’t believe this book is her debut novel!
It’s a must read!

I fell hard for this book. It’s just so great even with it’s slow burn. There’s so much chemistry between the characters.

Josh and Kristen just sparked from the start. It was so fun reading their chemistry. Josh is one of the best book boyfriends EVER!
I did get a little annoyed with Kristen about 60% in because of the back and forth but I totally understood why which is why this book still gets five stars from me.

The friends in this book help shape the two main characters. I actually liked how the were all written. Just enough to like them but not enough to take away from loving Josh and Kristen.

This book made me laugh and cry! It’s so real and raw and talks about things that so many go through in some way and are embarrassed talking about.

This book was just a great read.

Was this review helpful?

Ok, first of all, my confession: I have followed Abby Jimenez on Facebook ever since stumbling across her bakery's beautiful geode cake that went viral for its hilariously unfortunate (so, ultimately fortunate?) resemblance to a certain female body part. If someone with a wild sense of humor, a caring nature, an intrinsic understanding of 'hangry,' and the ability to effortlessly drop the more-than-occasional f-bomb appeals to you, you should follow her, too!

When Abby announced she had a book coming out, I wasn't sure that I would read it. Truthfully, I expected it to be a typical contemporary 'chick lit' romance, and though my reading tastes are all over the map, I don't often read those. However, my love for Abby (and the opportunity to read an ARC copy--thank you, NetGalley!) won me over, and I'm so glad it did. This is not your typical fairytale romance. Kristen has a quirky sense of humor (oddly akin to Abby's, lol), a stubborn determination to help others even at the expense of her own happiness, and an adorable dog those of us in the know fondly refer to as "Satan's Teddy Bear."

Alternately told in Kristen's, then Josh's voice, the story takes one from their initial, jarring meeting through their non-courtship, and beyond. However, don't expect a fairytale HEA. Kristen has some major health issues, and just as in real life, no one can wave a magic wand and make those go away.

Expect to laugh your fanny off, to cry real tears, and to read this book in one sitting, because believe me, once you start you're not going to want to put it down.

Was this review helpful?

This review is difficult for me to write as there are no words that can truly do justice to this amazing book! Without a doubt, The Friend Zone will be making my top of 2019 list at the end of the year.

Kristen is helping her best friend Sloane plan her wedding - alongside the best man, Josh. There's something that draws Kristen to Josh, but since she is in a long distance military relationship, she pushes him off with scowls and sarcasm. The other issue? Josh wants children. Kristen suffers from endometriosis which she knows will impact her fertility in the future and she does not want anyone to settle...hence the move into The Friend Zone.

This book has so much heart, humor and romance and it is incredibly well done. I cried, I laughed, I loved. And I immediately wanted more. Happily, I've learned that a sequel is in the works and I will be the first one to pre-order a copy.

Thank you to Forever for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I almost stopped reading this book because this felt trite, a woman with a thing for a man in uniform. I AM SO GLAD I DIDN'T STOP. The book grabbed my attention because the blurb made a comparison to Christina Lauren, which feels accurate with the alternating chapters between Kristen and Josh. But it had way more substance. I cried for the last quarter of the book. They are dealing with real big things not imagined problems. The only part I didn't like was when she wore a g-string, she is far to practical for that. Just saying. Read it if you are looking for a good cry and a happy ending.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this book!! Abby is a fantastic writer and wrote her characters like they could be your best friends. I did not want this book to end and can't wait until 2020 to read Sloan's story.

Thank you to Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely LOVED this book!! Abby Jimenez is an amazing writer!! I was thinking this was going to be the cute romance. This book was not just cute though! This book had very serious topics. No spoilers, but a trigger warning for infertility! I felt for these characters. The main female character, so strong. The main male character, so kind, and likable! There was so much about this book that I was caught off guard about. Love, loss, friendships, humor, family drama, I was laughing, and crying. Man, this was a book that I did not want to end. But when it did, it was just perfect.I was so happy to learn she has 2 more books following! I cannot wait to read everything Abby writes!! You guys...READ THIS BOOK!! Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my early Review copy in exchange for my honest review!

Was this review helpful?