Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

34 reviews

100_pages_hr's review against another edition

emotional inspiring lighthearted sad fast-paced

5.0

This is my original review from when I first read the paperpack:

This book started out light and funny and cute. Then it got deep. I couldn't put it down. Then I finished it and it made me moody and sad because lots of it hit way too close to home. Had I known some of the triggers would I have avoided reading it? Maybe. But maybe not. Sometimes we need to read the hard books. Sometimes we need to read the books that make us cry.

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saraavowlerr's review

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emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This was so bad I love Abby but no

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amateur_bookworm's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Genre: Contemporary romance, fiction

My summary: Josh is a firefighter and fresh off of a break-up. He relocates from South Dakota to California to work with his best friend, Brandon. Brandon and his girlfriend, Sloan, are getting married soon and Josh finds himself thrown together with Kristen, Sloan’s best friend and her maid of honor, in his best man duties. Kristen has a long-term boyfriend who has been deployed, putting Josh solidly in the friend zone. As Kristen and Josh become friends and circumstances change, the attraction becomes undeniable between them but not without plenty of obstacles in their way of finding a happily ever after together.

My thoughts: This book felt like such a journey. Sitting here and reflecting on the plot, it seems that the early events of the book happened a lifetime ago. Equal parts hopeful and heartbreaking, it wades into some heavy topics while also weaving together a love story. I enjoyed the witty banter, and I appreciated the realistic life events and the handling of some touchy subjects as main plot points.

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keepingitread's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book takes on a difficult topic that most do not want to touch in regards to women issue involving infertility and menstruation issues. As someone with PCOS I have my own issues and sometime find myself thinking in the same thought process the main character feels. Feeling as though your broken if you as a women can't do the "thing you are made to do." It was nice seeing someone work though this. I knew this book was going to be an emotional ride due to that but I was not expecting the additional rollercoaster ride we were put though. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more book by Abby Jimenez.

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meschright's review

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emotional funny reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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readwithria's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Friend Zone was a charming book written about complex characters, and while I loved them and the writing, the actual plot wasn’t exactly my usual preference for a romance novel.

Don’t get me wrong, I really liked this book. I did. But I didn’t realize how much of it would be because of a lack of communication. They keep having the same argument over and over, and never ask the questions they think or share the information that’s informing their choices. It got a little annoying, and while it payed off in the end I don’t think I would reread this book.

The banter hit so hard, the steam was steaming, and the tears were streaming. I love Abby Jimenez’s writing style. I also love all the characters in this book, and seeing them grow and heal together was lovely.

I’d definitely recommend this book, but if you’re sensitive to stories surrounding infertility or emotional cheating you may want to skip it. 4 stars.

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lolitalamb's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Second read didn't live up to what I'd remembered but still above average for a romance novel

I listened to The Friend Zone for the second time in November 2023. I first listened to the audiobook a few years ago, and I remember generally liking it and finding it more irreverent and sexier than I had anticipated. My memory gave me semi-high expectations and then this time it fell a tad flat.

Like most romance novels, the protagonist is a young woman named Kristen who is emotionally unavailable in some way. And then there's a guy, in this case, Josh, who's like, really into her and wants more than anything to commit to her fully. Because that's what we fantasize about, right? Emotional girl porn.

Anyway, Josh wants Kristen but it can't happen as there are obstacles ofc. There's a lot of drama because they refuse to communicate with each other. Their utter commitment to NOT communicating is astounding, but this is what drives the plot. I'm a therapist, and I was like, "I need to get these people into my office. I just...need a word with them. We can fix all this mess with only a few conversations."

The above description, though sarcastic, is not really meant to be a criticism. Those are just the elements of the genre. I was still invested enough in the drama to purchase the next book The Happy Ever After Playlist and I am on the waitlists at my library for her other three novels.

Main Strengths:

Jimenez writes amusing banter, and gets even better in her next book The Happy Ever After Playlist.
She excels in her ability to write about sex and attraction. We'll just leave it at that.

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sammymilfort's review

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emotional funny hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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callistabanks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was definitely expecting a cute cheesy romcom but this book was a lot more than that. It had me sobbing over so many different things, it was a really beautiful story. I loved all of the characters, this story made ma laugh, and cry and feel all the feels.

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mariemedina's review against another edition

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5.0

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