Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Life's Too Short

I hadn't expected much from this book when I first picked it up. I had liked Jimenez's other books, but they weren't my absolute favorites. But Life's Too Short was really something special for so many reasons, and is by far my favorite book by Abby Jimenez that I've read so far!

The characters in this book are some of my favorites in any book I've ever read. Adrian and Vanessa grabbed my heart from the beginning. I adored how sweet Adrian was and how big his heart was, especially towards Vanessa, and I loved how real Vanessa was from the beginning, no matter how messy she thought her life was.

Their character growth was quite literally top tier. They had a big struggle to overcome, and even though it was so heart-wrenching to read, it was also so beautiful in the end to watch them navigate it (together and separately). It made for some incredible and compelling storytelling and character development, so much so that I couldn't put the book down.

I've always appreciated how Jimenez tackles an important and difficult topic with each of her books. While I don't have any experience with chronic illness, I enjoyed being able to learn more about how chronic illnesses affect and shape people's lives and families. The way Jimenez handled it in this particular book felt very authentic as well.

As with her previous books, I felt the writing was still a bit cheesy at times. But because the story itself was so compelling, it honestly didn't detract from my experience all that much. All in all, this was truly a special read that I'm sure will stick with me for a long time.

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karolinaz's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

4.25

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kaylahcc's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring 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

4.0

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laheath's review against another edition

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emotional 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

4.0

For a genre I don't read very often, this was hard to put down and I'll definitely be reading more from this author. I've heard this Friend Zone series can be read as stand-alone novels, so I'm hoping that's right. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Adrian and Vanessa. Some reviewers have mentioned that it's too syrupy sweet for them, but I felt there was enough real life in this to balance both characters often reflecting on their feelings. They're both successful in their careers, and dealing with dysfunctional families, while Vanessa may be facing a diagnosis of ALS. Their relationship has its hurdles, somewhat predictably, but that and the side characters all make for a great, emotional story.

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mypatronusisajedi's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad slow-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

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hayleyw's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad tense 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

3.5

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