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meganrae047's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Car accident
Minor: Drug abuse and Pregnancy
jacquy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Drug abuse
thaliareads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really appreciated that this book didn't make Sloan and Jason's budding relationship easy. They were coming from very different situations, points in life, and circumstances. It was nice to see their bond grow and develop as they faced different milestones in their relationship - and I think it was appropriate to see that it wasn't always easy and required a lot of compromise on both sides. Overall this book was full of lots of entertaining twists and turns.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Drug use, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Death, Car accident, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Infidelity
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Stalking, Violence, and Animal cruelty
Sloan's fiancé had died prior to the book in a motorcycle accident. Drug and alcohol use and abuse related to a side character that fell victim to the entertainment industry. Some minor animal neglect leading to Sloan finding Tucker at the start of the novel.cady_sass's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Will Abby Jimenez ever write a book that doesn’t make me cry like a baby? All signs point to no!
Side note: you do not have to read the friend zone in order to enjoy this, it reads fine as a stand alone. HOWEVER the love and appreciation for Sloane is amplified x100000 if you do.
Side note 2: it really, really bothers me that they chose to name him “Jackson Waters” when there’s already a band by that name, it did mess me up at the beginning but I cannot detract a star for it.
Side note: you do not have to read the friend zone in order to enjoy this, it reads fine as a stand alone. HOWEVER the love and appreciation for Sloane is amplified x100000 if you do.
Side note 2: it really, really bothers me that they chose to name him “Jackson Waters” when there’s already a band by that name, it did mess me up at the beginning but I cannot detract a star for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Vomit, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Car accident, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Medical content, and Mental illness
eligru's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Car accident, Drug abuse, Self harm, and Vomit
a_sprinkling_of_books's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Mental illness
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Stalking
wordinessa's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I'm really growing to love Abby Jimenez. Sloan and Jason are both lovable characters, doing their best to love one another through extraordinary circumstances. Sloan's grief feels natural and not forced, especially considering that this book takes place two years after her fiance's death. While Jason's facing the dramatic consequences of fame, he himself is down-to-earth and loveable and it makes their relationship relatable despite the circumstances. And Tucker! Tucker, of course, can do no wrong. Plus, I'm a sucker for a book that comes with its own playlist. I personally recommend skipping "The Friend Zone" itself and starting with this one right here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Stalking, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Vomit
Minor: Pregnancy
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Rating: 4/5 stars
The Happy Ever After Playlist features a young woman (also a character in The Friend Zone—redacting her name here so as not to spoil that one!) learning to move on from a traumatic life event and falling in love with a famous musician (and his adorable dog).
I had mixed feelings about The Friend Zone, but everyone told me the sequels were better and BOY were they right! I devoured the first half of this book, which was adorable perfection—Jason instantly became one of my top leading men ever, and the FMC’s journey was so raw and real but also touching and inspiring.
If the book had ended around the mid-way point it would probably have been a five star read for me. As it was, I thought the back half felt a bit contrived and repetitive, and really doubled down on the miscommunication trope (which I rarely enjoy). It also really emphasized the insta-love aspect of the plot, which made it all feel a bit too cheesy and unrealistic.
That said, the ending, while over-the-top, was ADORABLE, and my feelings about this book lean WAY more to positive than negative! So many reviews I’ve read and people I’ve spoken to say Abby Jimenez is a writer where each book is a little bit better than the one before, and if that’s the case, I cannot WAIT to read the third book in this trilogy.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: music/playlists in books; cute dog characters; cheesy cinematic endings
CW: Grief; stalking/threats; drug abuse/use; self-harm
The Happy Ever After Playlist features a young woman (also a character in The Friend Zone—redacting her name here so as not to spoil that one!) learning to move on from a traumatic life event and falling in love with a famous musician (and his adorable dog).
I had mixed feelings about The Friend Zone, but everyone told me the sequels were better and BOY were they right! I devoured the first half of this book, which was adorable perfection—Jason instantly became one of my top leading men ever, and the FMC’s journey was so raw and real but also touching and inspiring.
If the book had ended around the mid-way point it would probably have been a five star read for me. As it was, I thought the back half felt a bit contrived and repetitive, and really doubled down on the miscommunication trope (which I rarely enjoy). It also really emphasized the insta-love aspect of the plot, which made it all feel a bit too cheesy and unrealistic.
That said, the ending, while over-the-top, was ADORABLE, and my feelings about this book lean WAY more to positive than negative! So many reviews I’ve read and people I’ve spoken to say Abby Jimenez is a writer where each book is a little bit better than the one before, and if that’s the case, I cannot WAIT to read the third book in this trilogy.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: music/playlists in books; cute dog characters; cheesy cinematic endings
CW: Grief; stalking/threats; drug abuse/use; self-harm
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Death, Drug abuse, Self harm, and Stalking
jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A wonderful book where two creatives are brought together by a crazy doggo.
Strangers to lovers, second chance after strains on a relationship. This book is so well written. The romance itself so wholesome.
Dealing with themes of grief and also lying to protect others are dealt with alongside developing communication to be good together as a couple. I love this book and would definitely reccomend
Strangers to lovers, second chance after strains on a relationship. This book is so well written. The romance itself so wholesome.
Dealing with themes of grief and also lying to protect others are dealt with alongside developing communication to be good together as a couple. I love this book and would definitely reccomend
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Stalking, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
sarahaugust's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Minor: Drug abuse and Alcoholism