Scan barcode
annahamburger's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book deals with heavy topics and I highly recommend checking the content warnings.
That being said I do feel the topics of infertility, mental illness, toxic parent child relationships, death, and grief were dealt with and presented gracefully, yet raw.
Infertility is discussed frequently and in detail with a variety of emotions and projected outcomes in this story.
I really enjoyed this book, and the writing was visceral and raw. Kristen was layered and real.
I wish Josh had had more layers to him, as his POV helped flesh out Kristen more than himself.
A thing I could have gone without was Josh's inner thoughts regarding Kristen as "not like other girls" and "cool and probably dated a college guy in high school".
I wish we could have spent more time in the "after" portion of the couples lives. I am hopeful to get glimpses of it in the sequels.
That being said I do feel the topics of infertility, mental illness, toxic parent child relationships, death, and grief were dealt with and presented gracefully, yet raw.
Infertility is discussed frequently and in detail with a variety of emotions and projected outcomes in this story.
I really enjoyed this book, and the writing was visceral and raw. Kristen was layered and real.
I wish Josh had had more layers to him, as his POV helped flesh out Kristen more than himself.
A thing I could have gone without was Josh's inner thoughts regarding Kristen as "not like other girls" and "cool and probably dated a college guy in high school".
I wish we could have spent more time in the "after" portion of the couples lives. I am hopeful to get glimpses of it in the sequels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Infertility, Grief, Mental illness, Medical content, and Death
Moderate: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Blood, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Medical content
thecuriousbean's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Infertility, Medical content, Death, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Minor: Classism
rickireadss's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
⛔️WARNING: this is a VERY negative review, so if you are not into those, you haven’t read this book, or this is your favorite book, stop reading now. there are also MAJOR SPOILERS below. you have been warned.
let me start by saying i was very excited for this book and series after reading “part of your world” by jimenez which i absolutely LOVED. with that being said, i absolutely LOATHE this book and am very glad i never purchased a copy but instead borrowed from libby.
i’m just going to list each point that i hated and go into detail of why.
⚠️tw/cw: infertility, car accident, death of side character, chronic illness, medical trauma, injury/injury detail, grief, emotional abuse, toxic relationship, infidelity (not mcs), gaslighting, miscarriage, pregnancy, body shaming, sexism, stalking/breaking in, war
⛔️SPOILERS BELOW⛔️
⛔️SPOILERS BELOW⛔️
⛔️SPOILERS BELOW⛔️
both mcs: i honestly found them both to be insufferable at times - mostly kristen but josh also pissed me off at times. i am also not a fan of the miscommunication trope - especially in contemporary romances WITH ADULT MAIN CHARACTERS.
infertility/fertility issues: this was the MAIN (and really only) conflict between kristen and josh. he wanted kids, made it abundantly clear in multiple conversations (by saying he wanted them the “natural way” and didn’t want to adopt… RED FLAG, BRO, RED FLAG), and it was why he left his ex girlfriend because she didn’t want them. BECAUSE OF THIS, kristen decided to keep her fertility issues from josh - which is in her right - and made it clear to josh that if they were to have any type of relationship, it would only be a friends-with-benefits deal, no romantic feelings. they both enter that and then of course both catch really feelings for each other. my issue is that she doesn’t disclose WHY she can’t be with josh until like the 80-85% mark. he repeatedly confronted her to see why she felt like they couldn’t be together and she just kept not telling him. MISCOMMUNICATION AT ITS FINEST. i was getting so upset at her for not just saying it because she felt like it would break his heart and he wouldn’t want to be with her, but she kept pushing him away???? like girl, you’re are confusing yourself and everybody around you.
ALSO- with that being a main conflict between them but then they finally decided to get together and that it was okay, they have a miracle baby…. are. you. fvcking . kidding. me. i understand that this is fiction. i understand miracle babies happen. but i wanted a more realistic outcome and ending. it felt like the fertility issues at that point were just thrown into the plot to create conflict and used as a ploy. why did they have to miraculously have a baby??? why couldn’t they just be happy with the two of them?? why couldn’t they have adopted children?? why couldn’t they have used one of the sisters (like they talked about) as a surrogate??? just that entire thing made me angry.
OCD representation: it wasn’t revealed until the like 85/90% mark that kristen had OCD and i felt like it was a vvvvvvery poor and stereotypical portrayal of someone with OCD. when she first said something about her “manic-bess” and “OCD self”, i thought it was one of those times where people just use ACTUAL MENTAL ILLNESSES/DISORDERS in everyday convo and i was about to get really angry. come to find out, she has OCD??? where? how? why is this JUST now being brought up?
brandon’s death: i felt like this came out of left field to create chaos. it also felt like a ploy to shove the two mcs together like “this made us realize how short life is” and josh even mentions how he doesn’t want her to end up like sloane and having no say over him if he were to just die AND THEN PROPOSES??? fvçk no.
impromptu proposal: literally wtf. this was unnecessary, way too fast, and made the ending that much worse.
family trauma / lack of therapy: kristen’s mom was a grade-A b!tch and a horrible mother. we were introduced to the sh!tshow that was her, but then it was never addressed again until sloane told kristen to grow tf up and go after josh. um excuse me??? why was that not unpacked at all… like her mother clearly fvcked her up with her comments and how she treated kristen but also kristen mentioned that she didn’t go to therapy (or did a long time ago but doesn’t anymore, i honestly don’t remember) but also if she has OCD, i would think going to therapy on a regular basis would be normal for her because she has the means to go to therapy - she makes good money this is referenced several times throughout the book, and the fact that she doesn’t go to therapy regularly makes the whole OCD diagnosis feel like it was also just thrown in there for sh!ts and giggles.
okay, i’m done. i honestly don’t want to expend anymore brain power on this. i did not like this book. i would not recommend if any of the cw listed below trigger you. the 2 stars are for the mere fact that i did not DNF this, and the fact that this could have been a good book if the author had taken a few different approaches and had some good sensitivity readers (idk if she had some or not, but if she did, i do not feel like she had the right ones.)
let me start by saying i was very excited for this book and series after reading “part of your world” by jimenez which i absolutely LOVED. with that being said, i absolutely LOATHE this book and am very glad i never purchased a copy but instead borrowed from libby.
i’m just going to list each point that i hated and go into detail of why.
⚠️tw/cw: infertility, car accident, death of side character, chronic illness, medical trauma, injury/injury detail, grief, emotional abuse, toxic relationship, infidelity (not mcs), gaslighting, miscarriage, pregnancy, body shaming, sexism, stalking/breaking in, war
⛔️SPOILERS BELOW⛔️
⛔️SPOILERS BELOW⛔️
⛔️SPOILERS BELOW⛔️
infertility/fertility issues: this was the MAIN (and really only) conflict between kristen and josh. he wanted kids, made it abundantly clear in multiple conversations (by saying he wanted them the “natural way” and didn’t want to adopt… RED FLAG, BRO, RED FLAG), and it was why he left his ex girlfriend because she didn’t want them. BECAUSE OF THIS, kristen decided to keep her fertility issues from josh - which is in her right - and made it clear to josh that if they were to have any type of relationship, it would only be a friends-with-benefits deal, no romantic feelings. they both enter that and then of course both catch really feelings for each other. my issue is that she doesn’t disclose WHY she can’t be with josh until like the 80-85% mark. he repeatedly confronted her to see why she felt like they couldn’t be together and she just kept not telling him. MISCOMMUNICATION AT ITS FINEST. i was getting so upset at her for not just saying it because she felt like it would break his heart and he wouldn’t want to be with her, but she kept pushing him away???? like girl, you’re are confusing yourself and everybody around you.
ALSO- with that being a main conflict between them but then they finally decided to get together and that it was okay, they have a miracle baby…. are. you. fvcking . kidding. me. i understand that this is fiction. i understand miracle babies happen. but i wanted a more realistic outcome and ending. it felt like the fertility issues at that point were just thrown into the plot to create conflict and used as a ploy. why did they have to miraculously have a baby??? why couldn’t they just be happy with the two of them?? why couldn’t they have adopted children?? why couldn’t they have used one of the sisters (like they talked about) as a surrogate??? just that entire thing made me angry.
OCD representation: it wasn’t revealed until the like 85/90% mark that kristen had OCD and i felt like it was a vvvvvvery poor and stereotypical portrayal of someone with OCD. when she first said something about her “manic-bess” and “OCD self”, i thought it was one of those times where people just use ACTUAL MENTAL ILLNESSES/DISORDERS in everyday convo and i was about to get really angry. come to find out, she has OCD??? where? how? why is this JUST now being brought up?
brandon’s death: i felt like this came out of left field to create chaos. it also felt like a ploy to shove the two mcs together like “this made us realize how short life is” and josh even mentions how he doesn’t want her to end up like sloane and having no say over him if he were to just die AND THEN PROPOSES??? fvçk no.
impromptu proposal: literally wtf. this was unnecessary, way too fast, and made the ending that much worse.
family trauma / lack of therapy: kristen’s mom was a grade-A b!tch and a horrible mother. we were introduced to the sh!tshow that was her, but then it was never addressed again until sloane told kristen to grow tf up and go after josh. um excuse me??? why was that not unpacked at all… like her mother clearly fvcked her up with her comments and how she treated kristen but also kristen mentioned that she didn’t go to therapy (or did a long time ago but doesn’t anymore, i honestly don’t remember) but also if she has OCD, i would think going to therapy on a regular basis would be normal for her because she has the means to go to therapy - she makes good money this is referenced several times throughout the book, and the fact that she doesn’t go to therapy regularly makes the whole OCD diagnosis feel like it was also just thrown in there for sh!ts and giggles.
okay, i’m done. i honestly don’t want to expend anymore brain power on this. i did not like this book. i would not recommend if any of the cw listed below trigger you. the 2 stars are for the mere fact that i did not DNF this, and the fact that this could have been a good book if the author had taken a few different approaches and had some good sensitivity readers (idk if she had some or not, but if she did, i do not feel like she had the right ones.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Car accident, Death, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Sexism, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Body shaming
Minor: War
lolamosk's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, Car accident, and Medical content
snipinfool's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
Kristen is maid of honor for her best friend's upcoming wedding. When she is introduced to Josh, the best man, they don't hit it off right away. The more time they spend together, the more the sparks fly. Josh is from a big family and frequently talks about wanting a large family of his own. Kristen recently learned that her history of having uterine fibroids will most likely make it nearly impossible for her to have children. Additionally, she has suffered with debilitating periods since their beginning and had made the decision to have a hysterectomy. She doesn't want to keep Josh from the family he hopes for, so she keeps him at arms length. Easier said than done.
I loved the evolution of their relationship. Josh is a sweet cinnamon roll of a guy and gives Kristen almost everything she needs without asking. It was cute that Jimenez wrote in her dog, Stuntman Mike, as a character in the book. Stuntman hated the boyfriend Kristen had at the beginning of the book, but loved Josh. The last couple of chapters are sad and bittersweet. I look forward to reading The Happy Ever After Playlist, which is Sloan's (Kristen's best friend) story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Emotional abuse
thefatpaperback's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and War
midnightbelles's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I accidentally read the Happy Ever After Playlist first thinking it was a stand alone so a few events were spoiled for me. Despite that however this was a decent read. (Not my favorite in the series though). The story focuses on Kristen who is unable to have children due to fibroids in her uterus and Josh who wants a big family. They quickly fall for each other but Kristen holds back from officially dating him because she knows she can’t give him what he wants.
Since I already knew generally what happened between them the end wasn’t a big surprise to me but I did enjoy getting to see their relationship develop before the events of the second book.I didn’t however like the fact that the end events did happen after reading chapters and chapters of Kristen clearly explaining why it shouldn’t have happened. I mean, she’s been technically trying for 8 years and one night with Josh supposedly fixes all her problems??? I also didn’t like the way that some things were portrayed. Despite the fact that I think their relationship issues could’ve been solved quickly by an open and honest conversation I do like the way that Josh went about the situation in the end. I probably won’t read this again if I’m completely honest, just because it’s really not worth rereading. I didn’t hate it but it’s not my favorite.
Since I already knew generally what happened between them the end wasn’t a big surprise to me but I did enjoy getting to see their relationship develop before the events of the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Death, Infertility, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Grief
Minor: Cursing, Medical content, and Pregnancy
riella_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Car accident, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
hidayah's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Car accident, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Miscarriage
readerette's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-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
3.0
Way too long. A generally sweet and typical modern love story but with far too many mentions of how "all women are crazy". Definitely pay attention to the content warnings on this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Death, Grief, Infertility, and Sexual content
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Vomit