5 STAR NEW RELEASE: THE FRIEND ZONE by ABBY JIMENEZ

Kristen Peterson doesn’t do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don’t get her. She’s also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.

Planning her best friend’s wedding is bittersweet for Kristen — especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He’s funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he’d be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it’s harder and harder to keep him at arm’s length.

The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass.

“Your next favorite romantic comedy…The Friend Zone is that rare beach read with tons of heart that will make you laugh and cry in equal parts.” —PopSugar

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CHRISTY'S 5 STAR REVIEW: 

 

The Friend Zone is one of the best debut novels I’ve read this year. This one got me right in the feels and I loved it so much. It’s one of those books I picked up and could not put down. I laughed, smiled, and sobbed my way through it and by the end, I couldn’t have loved it more.

Kristen and Josh have an interesting meet-cute. It starts with a fender bender, then they realize they’re in the same wedding. Kristen’s best friend is marrying Josh’s best friend.

“You and I might just be the perfect best man–maid of honor match ever.”

 

Things have a rough start for them, but they actually end up becoming super close friends. You know when you meet someone and putting romantic feelings aside, they just become your person. That is the relationship they have. Of course, they are insanely attracted to each other, but they are friends first and I love that. Though it seems friends is all they’ll ever be… Josh broke up with his last girlfriend because she didn’t want children. He’s from a big family and he wants nothing more than to have a ton of little ones running around. Kristen would love that too, but it’s not in the cards for her. And she loves Josh too much to hold him back.

Cue the sobs. This book. It really did have me bawling my eyes out. I know, I’m extra emotional when it comes to stuff like this but it really got me all in my feels. These two belonged together, Josh could see it, I just wanted Kristen to see that she was good enough. That she was everything to Josh even if she couldn’t give him the one thing she thought he wanted above all.

    

I’d found my person. She was the foundation. She was the thing that all other things are built on. Everything was secondary to being with her.

I loved both Josh and Kristen so much. Their banter was fantastic, I loved Josh with her little dog, and Kristen’s sarcasm and fun-loving attitude. I think there will be some people that read this book and maybe they won’t understand Kristen and will be frustrated with her, but I got her. She never bothered or frustrated me personally.


Reading books about infertility is hit or miss for me. As someone who has dealt with it for 7+ years, I have to be in the right mind set to read it and it has to be written right. This was written perfectly. I love romances that have real life problems in them and aren’t all fluff. Abby Jimenez wrote this perfectly. There were many obstacles this couple faced, and I love the way she wrote it and resolved it. That last 20-30% was rough in more than one way, but by the end I had a big smile on my face, even if it was a tad bittersweet in some regards.

The writing in this book was outstanding and the story was equal parts emotional, funny, heartbreaking, angsty, and romantic. I can’t remember another time a book that had me laughing out loud and bawling my eyes out equally. It was a book I fell in love with and can’t recommend it enough!!