The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez Published by Grand Central Publishing on June 11, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Contemporary Women, Love & Romance, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Goodreads
He's the best man . . . and that's the problem.
Kristen Petersen is perfectly fine. She has friends she'd fight to the death for and the very best dog in the world: Stuntman Mike. In fact, everything's calm in the world of Kristen, until she starts to plan her best friend's wedding and meets the best man, Josh Copeland.
Josh is funny, sexy, stands up to her sarcasm, and is always one snack ahead of her hangry. Even Stuntman Mike adores him. But he wants a big family, and Kristen knows children are probably not a part of her future.
She's sure he'd be better off with someone else, someone who can give him everything he wants, so Kristen keeps him at arm's length: in the Friend Zone. But as their attraction grows, it's harder and harder to resist falling for the man who seems to be everything she's not allowed to have . . .
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.
Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren, Helen Hoang, Sally Thorne, Jo Watson and Sophie Kinsella. ______________
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Why Did I Read?
All my friends raved about this one and it definitely sounded like a romance I’d enjoy so of course I was going to read it!
My Thoughts:
The Friend Zone was such an enjoyable contemporary romance with memorable characters that I fell in love with from page one. Kristen is spunky, passionate about her work, fiercely loyal and hilarious. I swear to God, I could live in her head and enjoy her internal dialogue forever. Her bouts of hanger were strangely reminiscent of my own so those incidences made me chuckle all the more.
She meets Josh in a truly great meet cute when she accidentally rear ends him and later finds out he’s the best man in her best friend’s wedding. I really loved Josh so, so much. He’s this incredibly caring, funny person, fellow firefighter with Sloane’s (Kristen’s best friend) fiance, Brandon. He has the best banter with Kristen right off the bat and it had me grinning because banter is my favorite. They match so well together, like puzzle pieces that were meant to be but took a little longer before they got put together.
Kristen has infertility issues and she keeps that from Josh as he wants a big family. This is one of the major hurdles that prevents Kristen from pursuing Josh and is definitely something a little extra communication could solve. However, it was written well enough that it didn’t fall into the frustration inducing lack of communication trope. I do want to mention that I commend Abby Jimenez for bringing an issue that isn’t often discussed into this story. Kristen’s health issues with infertility were a prominent part of the book and while handled well for the most part, I did take slight issue with the resolution. I won’t say more than that for spoiler’s sake. However, Kristen’s feelings and emotions during her struggles were very raw and honest and I think it’s important to see on the page. While this gives a more serious tone to the story, it is balanced out with the humor and banter between Kristen and Josh.
There is one thing that blindsided me toward the end of the book and if I had read the synopsis to the next companion book, I would’ve been more prepared. It devastated me and while I know this had to happen for book 2…I still didn’t have to like it! It seriously rocked me. I pretty much dropped my kindle and yelped out loud, no joke. That incident aside though…I enjoyed this one so much. Kristen and Josh will hold a special place in my heart, that’s for sure!
In Short…
If you’re looking for a fantastic contemporary romance with real characters who have the best snarky back and forth, this one’s for you! Josh will make you swoon (I’m pretty much in love with him) and Kristen will have you laughing. Serious issues give this story depth and I won’t be surprised if you shed a tear or two. So well written – I highly recommend!
My Rating: 
What did you think of this one? Did that incident throw you as much as it did me? Chat with me about the book!
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