This book was a one sitting read for me.

The journey that we go on with these characters was just that, a journey. In the start, we see Sloan trying to move on with her life 2 years after her fiance was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. On the way to the cemetery to visit is grave, she almost hits a dog on the road. She didn't thankfully, and the dog decides to hop in her sunroof, and let her save him. She actively seeks out the owner, while taking proper care of the dog.
2 weeks later, the owner of Tucker, musician Jason gets all of the messages from Sloan. He had been out of contact for the 2 weeks she had been watching Tucker. He's still going to be gone for 2 weeks, so Sloan keeps Tucker with her, and they start talking every day. Feelings begin to grow, and they start to grow to have very fond feelings, and want to see what happens.
Their romance grows from there, dealing with Sloan moving on from her grief, and the contract that Jason has for his music. You see the ups and downs of their relationship done in a real and realistic way. I Really enjoyed the journey that this book was for me.
Thought I didn't love the first novel in this series, there are some spoilers for the pairing in that one, so I will caution you to read it if you don't want to be spoiled for who she picks.

I loved the Friend Zone and after seeing the set up for Sloan’s book, I couldn’t wait to get to it. Sadly, this story feels forgettable to me.

I liked Sloan and Jason well enough. Their meet cute is the absolute best and I loved how they talked and got to know each other for a bit before actually meeting. I really enjoyed seeing Kristen and Josh and easily could have done with 20000% more of Tucker.

Plot wise, it stalled out for me. Once Jason’s tour part of the story happened it was quite lackluster. I also thought it was a bit odd for her to sell her house and completely stop her life to follow Jason on tour. Yes, she absolutely needed a catalyst to move forward, yet this didn’t sit well with me, especially since they hadn’t known each other long.

Overall, I loved the first half of the book, but the second half lacked a spark. And even though I was happy with where they ended up, I wanted more conversation and realness between them.

FYI: scenes of substance abuse, cutting, and unwanted groping

**Huge thanks to Forever for providing the arc free of charge**

I fell for Abby Jimenez with "The Friend Zone" when she broke my heart to pieces and made me cry multiple times. She's back with the companion to that book, bringing all the feels with her. Sloan and Jason are a pair who don't seem like they should work - their needs, lives, and hearts are in such different places. Yet, by trial, error, and a whole bunch of mad-cap adventure, they learn what they really need.

I adored this book a ton and devoured it. I loved every character. I loved the dog. It was funny and touching - I laughed out loud many times and cried more than once. My heart broke, my heart soared. I loved it. I loved The Friend Zone and was very excited to read the sequel. I was suppose to read this book on my vacation to Greece but it ended up being the perfect lightly-cheesy-but-in-all-the-right-ways-then-turns-so-beautiful read I needed during a stressful pandemic. If you like chick lits, read The Friend Zone then this book. Please keep writing books annually Abby Jimenez!
Also, I'm madly in love with Jason!!

I've had a tough time reading lately, but Jimenez's charming romance is one the few books I could not put down! Two strangers fall in love due to the antics of one adorable dog in this charming romance story. Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan finds herself caring for a dog that unexpectedly crosses her path and she's starting to feel like herself again. However, Jason, the dog's owner reaches out after a week of unanswered texts. He wants his dog back. This book made me smile and laugh, and made my heart feel incredibly full.

After Abby Jimenez's The Friend Zone ripped my heart out last year, I was a bit wary of this one. It does not have the unexpected plot twist in the middle like TFZ, and in fact, I found it a bit predictable in terms of the use of the romance tropes. Jason seems like the perfect book boyfriend and says and does all the right things, but there were a couple of times where he got suddenly controlling, and I found that contrast really jarring. Still, Abby Jimenez's voice is wonderful and compelling and extremely readable, and the banter is very cute. And I thought there was a realistic portrayal of grief and also of the destructiveness of fame.

Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC.

Sloan Monroe has had a bad couple years. Her fiance was killed in an accident and she still can't seem to come around. Her friends are worried about her but she is having a hard time engaging with anything until one day when a stray dog leaps into her car after she almost runs him over.

She immediately tries to contact the dog's owner via collar info, but despite increasingly urgent texts and messages, there is no response. And, of course, she is soon very attached to this dog. It's been almost two weeks when the owner, Jason, finally calls back. Turns out he is a musician on the road, who has been off the grid backpacking in New Zealand.

They soon develop a bantering and affectionate phone relationship and finally meet when he returns to the U.S. One of the things I enjoyed about this story is that Sloan again takes charge of her life. Jason might give her a reason to climb out of the valley she's been inhabiting, but he doesn't "save" her. He gives her a reason to be strong for herself.

Despite their strong feelings for each other, their path isn't smooth: Jason is on the cusp of rock stardom, a huge and lengthy tour, and all the pitfalls that go with it. We get to watch as they sort out their priorities, their loyalties, their shortcomings and their ultimate goals. Sometimes it's not enough to "just" be in love when the real world intrudes.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Abby Jimenez, thank you for creating these characters! I simply ADORED this book! If I could give it 10 stars, I would!

I loved The Friend Zone. It was a solid 5 star read for me. When I finished it and found out that Sloan’s story was coming up in a sequel I could barely contain my excitement! Little did I know that The Happily Ever After Playlist would be even better!

Sloan is still reeling from the death of her fiancé. While out and about, she meets Tucker - the cutest pup with the sweetest eyes. Not wanting to leave him behind, she takes Tucker home. She begins texting his owner in hopes of reuniting him with the pup. After weeks of unanswered texts, Sloan has fallen for her new furry friend. Then one day, she hears from Jason - Tucker’s owner who has been on tour in Australia with no cell service. Naturally, he wants his dog back, but Sloan won’t give him up what easily.

When their texting turns into flirting and eventually long phone calls, Sloan and Jason are definitely connecting. But is Sloan ready for a relationship? Jason is hot, sweet, funny and he’s an up and coming rock star! What is not to love!? SWOON.

I fell in LOVE with this trio! Reading about how they met, their relationship and all of their ups and downs had me fully immersed. Tucker was definitely the scene (chapter) stealer here! To think that a sweet dog would be the reason that two strangers met and fell in love? DOUBLE SWOON. ❤️🐶

We also get Kristen and Josh back! I love Kristen - she has a zero f*cks given attitude, which I can relate to. 😜

Tip: Read The Friend Zone first! You will be glad you did!

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and Abby Jimenez for granting my wish and allowing me the ARC to read and review.

We’re only a quarter of the way into the year, but my list of 2020 favourites is growing quickly, and it now includes both of Abby Jimenez’s books. I recently read The Friend Zone and, while I admit I had a few issues with it, I ultimately loved it and ended up giving it 4.5 stars. I was glad I’d waited so long to read it so I wouldn’t have to wait for The Happy Ever After Playlist.

Abby Jimenez has a knack for writing realistic, relatable characters and the swooniest men imaginable. I loved Kristen and Josh and, if possible, I love Sloan and Jason even more. Sloan had been lost in a fog of grief for two years, unable to move on after her fiance’s death. Then suddenly one day there was this crazy dog that literally fell into her lap and eventually led her to Jason. I loved Sloan and Jason’s interactions via text and phone calls - they made me grin like an idiot - and it was such a joy watching them get to know each other and start to fall for each other before even meeting. When they finally did meet, Sloan continued to emerge from her fog with Jason’s help. He was sweet, understanding, and patient, and I fell in love with him right alongside Sloan. I also loved the friendship between Sloan and Kristen; their relationship made me laugh and pulled at my heartstrings in The Friend Zone, and continued to do both in this book.

I do have to admit that, like with The Friend Zone, there were parts of The Happy Ever After Playlist that rubbed me the wrong way and at times made me downright annoyed. Much like Kristen made decisions for Josh based on what she thought was best, Jason did the same thing to Sloan - more than once. It's a testament to Jimenez's storytelling ability that I was able to look past those things and still be completely captivated. The story and the characters had me hooked and I was rooting for them so much that the things that annoyed me didn't affect my overall feelings toward the book.

The Happy Ever After Playlist is laugh-out-loud funny, sexy, and brings all the feels and all the swoons. There’s a wonderful balance of dark and light, and I loved that this story is ultimately about healing, rediscovering yourself, and falling back in love with life as you learn to fall in love with another person.

Like many of you I’ve changed the genres I’ve been seeking out during the pandemic because my emotional state already seems a bit wobbly. I've read Abby Jimenez’s The Friend Zone and, since that book had me in knots, I was kind of dreading this one tbh, especially at this moment in time. But for much of the book The Happy Ever After Playlist is a freaking delight, crackling with humor and devotion of all kinds, giving me enough drive to get through the heavy parts because I knew there would be even happier stuff on the other side.

We met Sloan in The Friend Zone, where she encouraged her BF Kristen to accept true love and where she suffered the tragic loss of her own fiancé. Set two years later, THEAP opens with her stuck in a pretty stagnant state. A dog—someone’s lost pet—helps pull her out of it.

Sloan eventually learns that the dog’s owner’s name is Jason and he’s a musician currently traveling in Australia, and before she knows it they’re texting and then eventually, finally meeting in person.

Even when Jimenez has held my heart crushed between her fingers I’ve never doubted her characters’ love for each other. It sings. It dances. In this case, I felt Jason’s love like it was a tangible thing & that made what was to follow a little easier to bear. This book is INTENSELY romantic and gives me some major flutters.

As much as I appreciated how THEAP is lighter in angst than I had anticipated, I was kinda surprised that Brandon—and Sloan’s feelings about moving on from him—didn’t take up even more of the story. There’s also a scene with Jason when he’s initially processing that her fiancé died and his reaction is a little off-putting. To be clear, Sloan is definitely devastated by Brandon’s loss but I expected even more introspection, maybe even more guilt, about dating someone new...although maybe I’ve just read too many books like that and that’s just my problem ;).

There are a couple of things about the plot that I was somewhat resistant to but overall this book is a joy...with some heartache thrown in. It’s sooo funny—there’s one line from Kristen I’ve been wanting to share with people so badly haha—and I stan a creative, talented couple who care about their careers...and making it work with someone very special.

I felt the love in this one, people!

4.25 ​⭐️
The Happy Ever After Playlist releases on April 14th. Thanks to Forever Pub & Grand Central Pub for my complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Last year I read Abby Jimenez's debut novel 'The Friend Zone' and I was blown away. When I saw she had a new book coming out, I jumped on it. The Happy Ever After Playlist can be read as a complete stand alone, but if you've read 'The Friend Zone', you'll recognize the heroine, Sloan. Sloan is Kristen's best friend and suffered a tragic loss. Her fiancé, Brandon passed away, and Sloan hasn't been herself since.

Sloan has been living half a life since Brandon died, and it takes a stray dog named Tucker to bring her back to herself. When she finally gets a hold of Tucker's owner, she doesn't want to give him back. After spending some time talking with Jason, she realizes he's a good doggy dad and they plan to meet up when he gets back in town.

Jason and Sloan haven't met, but they become close by their constant phone calls and texts. For the first time in a long time, Sloan feel something for someone. I loved watching Sloan come back to herself. She suffered an unthinkable loss and naturally it took her time to move on. Jason was perfect for her in so many ways.

This book started off so strong for me. The first half, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. It was truly perfect. The last half had a lot of great parts, but there were some things that I sadly didn't love and tampered my enjoyment of the book. Still, I highly recommend this because there was so much good about this story. I really did love so much of it! Jason and his family were amazing. He was just the kind of man Sloan needed. I also loved Sloan and really loved seeing how much of Kristen and Josh we got in this story!

The Happy Ever After Playlist is a fun, feel good romance with a bit of an emotional punch. It's heartfelt, swoony, and I loved it! Jason is the most lovable type of hero and I recommend this to all my fellow romance lovers.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!!! I completely devoured and adored The Friend Zone, so I had extremely high expectations for The Happy Ever After Playlist - so high, in fact, that I was worried I doomed myself to be disappointed. However, Abby Jimenez delivers once again!! I loved seeing where Kristen and Josh are now, 2 years after the end of The Friend Zone. And I completely fell in love with Sloan and Jason. This was the perfect rom-com: unique meet cute, real & flawed characters, and a fun playlist! Abby Jimenez has very quickly become a must-read author for me!!

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"You can’t control the bad things that happen to you. All you can do is decide how much of you you’re going to let them take."

In Jimenez’ follow-up to the fantastic The Friend Zone, a meet-cute between a dog and grief-stricken woman leads to an HEA with the dog’s owner. Sloan Monroe, the best friend from The Friend Zone, is on her way to the cemetery for the 2-year anniversary of the accident that killed her fiancé when an adorable dog (Tucker) jumps through the sunroof of her car and adopts her. Two weeks later, famous musician Jaxon Waters calls looking for his dog and he finds Sloane instead. The attraction between the two MCs is instant, as Jason’s confident flirting and sexy good looks lure Sloane from mourning the past into a possible Happily Ever After.

The Friend Zone made me a fan of this author’s quirky, funny, and deeply authentic voice and that is part of this book as well. I was happy to see Sloane get her HEA and to watch her slowly recover from grief and re-enter the world in a way that brought her joy without ignoring that pain. The flirtation between the two MCs is delicious and their connection feels like it happens fast. The rest of the novel is more angsty, as it straddles the conflict between love and fame, heartbreak and hope. At times it can be painful to read two people make poor decisions that hurt themselves and each other out of love. Despite a black moment that risks empathy for the hero, this is a worthy read. (Definitely read The Friend Zone first.)

I only (finally) picked up The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez last week - but I devoured it in two days! I knew then that, if The Happy Ever After Playlist delivered the same heart, I was in for another treat.

Jimenez again tackles a multi-layered and difficult topic with grief, but she does so tenderly, and with such honesty. You can feel that it's not an afterthought, but a deliberate journey that she knows Sloan must take to find herself. Without this dimension, the story would be sweet and cute but would lack depth. Instead, Abby Jimenez has floored me with her perfect combination of grief and hope, loss and love. I'm a new forever fan!

The relationship between Sloan and Jason is perfectly shy, then sassy, then open and warm. Their story is heartwarming and uplifting with so much character and substance. Sloan and Jason have such witty banter, and their backstories give them so much depth, that you can't help but root for their love story.

Sloan and her best friend, Kristen (who was the main character in The Friend Zone) have a wonderful sisterly camaraderie as well. I loved having Kristen and Josh back in some of the scenes - their characters definitely bring the humor!

An added bonus - this book has a song title at the beginning of each chapter, making a whole playlist for the book. "The Happy Every After Playlist" is even listed in the back of the book in its entirety! The song choices are really great, and I made sure to play them before I read each chapter (if I wasn't familiar with the song) or on low while I read. They compliment the story so well, and support the mood of each chapter. It really gives it a movie-esque quality with its own soundtrack.

Overall, I really enjoyed this endearing story about finding yourself amidst the pieces of a broken heart following a death. It's not a story of a man coming to her rescue, but opening her eyes to the possibilities of trusting and believing in herself and in love again. I'd definitely recommend this one to all fans of the romance genre - especially with stories that have some substance!


*Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the advance copy of The Happy Ever After Playlist
by Abby Jimenez in exchange for an honest review.

This book takes you on a journey filled with ups, downs, laughter and tears that you won’t be able to put down.

Sloan is struggling and having a hard time moving forward with life after her fiancé passed away two years ago. She wasn’t doing the things she loved and going through the motions until a dog literally falls into her lap. Tucker helps give her days a purpose with long walks and time spent outdoors and she finds herself looking forward to life again. After weeks of trying to contact Tucker’s owner without a response she decides that she’s keeping the dog for herself. When she finally hears from Jason she makes him prove that he cares about the dog he didn’t know was missing while he was out of the country. Sloan soon discovers that the dog’s owner is funny, sweet and possibly a perfect match for her. Sloan and Jason face many complications but their adoration and care for one another shines through the entire book. I loved their growth and being taken on this journey with them.

Not sure how I restrained myself from throwing my Kindle against the wall, because this book is gut-wrenchingly FRUSTRATING. I say that with both love and disappointment. Love, because the first half is pure magic, light and gooey rom com goodness that will warm your heart. Disappointment, because the second half takes that fragile relationship and smashes it to pieces. It’s a love story in two parts - one of which I never wanted to end, and the other I just wanted to be done with.

If you’ve read Jimenez’s debut, The Friend Zone (not required reading for this but helpful), you already know how divisive her writing can be. I’m not sure that anyone questions the quality of her writing - the first half of this book is one of the best things I’ve read this year - but the tonal shift is jarring and, frankly, unnecessary. These two already have enough hurdles in their path to happiness; it didn’t need to devolve into such a hot mess. While the back half certainly elicited an emotional response from me, I cannot say that I am at all happy with the way things played out.

If you want storyline details, you can look elsewhere. I will say that this is half rom com, with an adorably original meet cute, fantastic banter, chemistry that sparks off the page, and a hero who will melt your heart. I didn’t even mind the insta-love connection; I just wanted more, more of Sloan and Jason. He is such a loving, understanding, marshmallow of a man that I loved him right away... which made the second half that much more devastating. All I’ll say about the back half is that it focuses on the perils of being a rock star and the strain it puts on a relationship. I didn’t love the people either Sloan or Jason became by the end, and my heart hurt for what they once had.

Ultimately, if you loved The Friend Zone (which the vast majority of people did), then I don’t see any reason why you won’t love this. For me, the two books are equally frustrating reads. I would’ve rated each of Jimenez’s books as 5 stars without hesitation if the back halves hadn’t obliterated the relationships I had come to love. I so appreciated receiving an ARC via NetGalley since I was eagerly anticipating this release (and am voluntarily leaving a review), but I’m left with a lot of conflicting thoughts on this one. While I love Jimenez's writing, I don't love the beatings her couples have to take in order to find their happy ever after.

Abby Jimenez has done it again! From page one she grabbed my attention and took me on a journey with her characters. She intertwines character development and witty humor to keep you throughly engaged and waiting to see what will happen next. I highly recommend The Happy Ever After Playlist and I can’t wait for her next release.

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez is the story of Sloan and Jason. Sloan is struggling to get her life back on track two years after the death of her husband. Jason is dealing with a busy work schedule, thanks to his music career as popular singer Jaxon Waters.

The two of them shouldn’t have met. But they did.

See, Jason has a house sitter take care of his dog when he is out of town on tour. But when his house sitter loses Tucker and Tucker winds up running lose in Los Angeles, he stumbles upon Sloan.

Well actually, he jumps through the sunroof of her car and uses his puppy eyes to make her fall in love with him and take him home with her.

And that begins the relationship of Sloan and Jason.

Can I just say, that is a wonderful way to start a story? Haha. I’m a total dog lover. I mean, I even have an Instagram account for my dog so that I can show off cute pictures of her to my friends. So I loved this beginning and was immediately sucked into the story.

I enjoyed that Sloan was giving Jason such a hard time in the beginning. It was cute. She decided that since she found his dog, Tucker was hers now. Jason clearly didn’t love Tucker if he just let him run loose on the streets.

This story was completely different from what I expected. I loved the characters so much (Especially Tucker, the trouble-making dog) and it made me realize that when love is right, it’s right. Jason knew right off the bat that he loved Sloan and that she was the woman he was meant to be with. But because Sloan was still healing from traumas that she had experienced, he knew that he was meant to give her time.

In the past, I’ve been quick to judge stories with “Insta Love”, where the characters seem to fall in love immediately, with few cares in the world. I always felt that it seemed too unrealistic. But I think it worked in The Happy Ever After Playlist, because we got to know Sloan and Jason really well as characters and they made each other truly happy.

I would recommend this book to any of my Romantic Comedy loving friends. That’s not to say it’s all good times. This books made my heart hurt at times, as well. But there were so many cool story elements that I loved. I think you will like this story if:

+ You like romantic comedies

+ You like music. There are different songs mentioned throughout the manuscript and there’s a complete list at the end for a playlist! I’m planning to look some of the songs up later on Youtube.

+ You like animals. Tucker is a hoot, and a great animal sidekick.

+ You like cool characters. I thought Sloan was awesome. She paints, she blogs, she loves animals. What a cool protagonist!

Thank you to Netgalley & The Publisher for a review copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a great book to read and it made me happy!

Until next time,

Marian

Sloan lost her fiancé in an unexpected accident nearly two years ago. Grief has been extra rough, and she's lost sight of her art career. She's on her way to visit her fiance's grave when a dog jumps in front of, and then into, her car. When she tracks down the owner, she discovers, he's a musician touring half a world away in Australia. She agrees to look after the pup until Jason gets back to town. Once he does, they both fall hard and fast.

The Happy Ever After Playlist will make you laugh, but it's still pretty angsty and intense, so be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster. You know that scene in the Notebook where Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams get out of the rowboat and it's pouring and he yells, "It wasn't over. It *still* isn't over!!" Yeah, it's *that* kind of intense.

When I read The Friend Zone, I had no idea what I was getting into with that book. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride filled with more ups and downs than I knew how to handle. I love that book so much and when I found out Sloan was getting her own story (after everything that takes place in TFZ) I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

Sloan is still trying to learn how to live after losing her fiancé 2 years ago. When Tucker, a trouble making pup, falls into her lap (literally) and gives her is big puppy dog eyes, she starts to finally feel like herself again. After weeks of trying find Tucker’s owner with no response, Sloan finally gets a call from his owner who turns out to be a musician touring in Australia and he wants Tucker back. After many flirty calls and texts, Sloan can’t deny her connection to Jason, but when they finally meet face-to-face will that connection last?

I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. Abby Jimenez has a huge talent for writing such realistic characters with big emotions that it’s hard to remember it’s not real. When I read her writing, I can actually picture everything taking place as if I were watching a movie.

I loved that each chapter has a song to go along with it and when I finished reading, I found the playlist on Apple Music and I loved it. The songs were so perfectly matched for the chapters and this book as a whole. It was a fun way to interact with the book for sure.