Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

77 reviews

cassiealexandra's review against another edition

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3.25

There was a lot that I liked about this one. I enjoyed the banter and friendship between Kristen and Josh. Their immediate connection, commonality, and chemistry was obvious. I liked their extended group of friends. I thought the inclusion of specific breweries, street names, and LA neighborhoods helped to transport me into the setting. And as with other titles by Abby Jimenez, I appreciated that she tends to bring sensitive topics to the forefront and handle them delicately (see upside down text in content notes below).

Even though I enjoyed this, it was not my favorite Jimenez book and here’s why. The strong language and innuendo hit fast and often in this one. Kristen’s “cool girl/guy’s girl” personality wasn’t relatable for me personally, but I can see that being a major plus for others.

My biggest issue was the fact that there was what I would consider emotional cheating in this one. Having married fairly young, I realize I’m very conservative with this, and I have little experience with what might be considered “normal” in the dating scene these days. Still, the bond that Kristen and Josh create before Tyler is out of the picture is, well, a lot.

In addition to this, there is a lot of unnecessary lack of communication. A conversation could have been had at about the 35% mark in the book and it would have ended with an HEA right there.

My other big issue was a huge plot point toward the end that felt a little bit convenient and cheap knowing that a second book in this “standalone” but connected series was already in the works. Suggestion, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT read the description of The Happily Ever After Playlist before finishing this one. I did, and it was a mistake.

The bottom line: Expect a fun read with some laughter, warm fuzzies, and emotional depth, but be warned about particular romance tropes in advance.

— NOTES —
Genres: romantic comedy
POV: 1st-person, dual
Content: explicit language, ʎʇı̣ןı̣ʇɹǝɟuı̣
Romance: two open door scenes in chapters 14 and 28
Audio Narration: this was decent, but not my favorite

— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)

Pace: 3
Enjoyment: 4
Craft: 3
My Gut Feeling: 3

Total Stars: 3.25 

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inkandmuses's review

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


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ang3lina_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny sad tense 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

5.0


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hannahbrixton's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad tense medium-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

3.5

This book was intense in a way I didn't see coming. I won't spoiler it but if you have medical trauma, consider that there's quite a lot of detail given in this book about a serious medical event and it was unfortunately quite close to something I experienced... so while I'm not triggered, it was pretty difficult to listen to and emotionally intense.

I loved the connection between Josh and Kristen but I felt like her steadfast refusal to be with him went on a little longer than necessary... even after they endured a traumatic event that should have been eye-opening, she stuck to her guns and it got a little frustrating.

The HEA ending was lovely for them and yet I would have liked to see it handled differently because it felt like the rug was pulled out from under the entire premise... I'm being vague on purpose so as to avoid spoilers here :)

The characters felt real, natural, and genuine and I loved the banter between the MCs. The writing was good, sometimes intense or suspenseful and emotionally evocative, which kept me listening and made it overall an enjoyable listen.

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sarahflanders's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0


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lovetlr's review against another edition

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emotional sad 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

1.0

Exhausting

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kyliep's review

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More language and crassness than I prefer. Also, very judgemental and a “we can’t talk about our feelings” trope in a bad way. 

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macykey's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The lack of communication in this book annoyed me and I thought it went on for too long. But overall, this book was very cute. 

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional funny relaxing 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

5.0

Title: The Friend Zone
Author: Abby Jimenez
Series: The Friend Zone #1
Genre: Romance
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: June 11, 2019

T H R E E • W O R D S

Sassy • Wholesome • Emotional

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Kristen Petersen 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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Abby Jimenez has quickly climbed the list of my favourite romance authors after reading Part of Your World and Yours Truly (her two most recent releases). With that being said, I was incredibly excited to unwrap a copy of The Friend Zone, Abby's debut, as one of my blind date with a book in my most recent order from Em's Reading Boutique. I think this may just be my favourite so far.

The characters, the romance and the depth were all what made this novel standout for me. Told in alternating POVs between the male and female leads, the chemistry felt so real. Abby does the male POV really well. I've loved each of her male leads, for different reasons, so far. Their banter was fantastic and really eluded to just how comfortable they were with one another, despite Kristen's huge secret. I really connected with Kristen's inability to talk about her uterine fibroids, painful periods, and impending hysterectomy. It's hard to talk about things, especially when you don't know how the other person will react, even when there's a level of trust. In my opinion, that's part of being human. I know many readers have had issues with that part of the storyline, but I got it.

I also appreciate Abby detailing in her author's note how she based much of the story on her own best friend's infertility journey. There's also a lot of contention surrounding the ending, and it's quite possible a different ending would have been more impactful, yet I respect Abby for telling the story how she saw fit. For me, it was more about Kristen accepting the love she deserves than the 'miracle'. It's important to remember that everyone's journey is different. This is one story, and there are millions of other stories out there.

This book holds a lot of pain, which felt very realistic. I like my romances with the rawness of real life struggles and this one certainly fit that bill. I'd definitely recommend caution and doing some research before picking this one up. If you're looking for something light, this likely isn't it. But I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down! I'm looking forward to more of Sloan's in book two.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Abby Jimenez devotees
• fans of dual perspective romcoms
• readers looking for a romance with depth

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"'Before I broke inside. Before my body made me wrong for you. Sometimes soul mates don't end up together, Josh. They marry other people. They never meet. Or on of them dies.'" 

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kdailyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


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