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A review by rosereads_books
Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez
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? No
5.0
I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all, I still know quite certainly, that just to be alive, is a grand thing.
Content warning from the author : ALS, mental health (OCD/hoarding), parental abandonment, addiction, grief, loss
Life's Too Short is the third installment in the ''The Friend Zone'' universe. It features Adrian, that we briefly met in The Happy Ever After Playlist , and Vanessa, a new character. The book tells the story of Vanessa, who quit her job and became a travel vlogger. Her dream job is however cut short when her sister drops her new baby at Vanessa's and never comes back. Her neighbour, Adrian, as a knight in shinning armor, comes around and offers her help with the baby. From there, we follow the budding relationship between Adrian and Vanessa, their confrontation with Vanessa's terminal disease, and the different adventures in-between.
This book was amazing. I had liked THEAP okay, it was a good book but didn't make more of an impact. THIS ONE THOUGH. From the first pages I was hooked. From the first pages, I knew this book would be different . and boy was I in for something. Let's get into it.
What I loved about the book :
Vanessa : Vanessa was a gem of a main character. She was funny, adorable, down-to-earth, and everything I need from an MC. Her voice sounded real. I wanted to be her friend, I wanted to live with her, as she did. Her optimism, as much as her realism, were refreshing and made her feel even realer. The way she faces challenges face-on, her honesty and her bubbly personality made her chapters absolutely delightful.
Adrian : The jury's still out for my opinion on dual pov books. But this one was really well put together. I enjoyed getting to know Adrian A LOT. I found it is rare that, in a romance novel, we get the point of view of the male love interest in the ''falling in love'' process. His pov was refreshing and we could feel how much he adored Vanessa and Grace. I felt everything he went through when face-to-face with Vanessa's health issues. Adrian also struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, and I thought it was great to see a male character dealing with mental health issues.
The writing : The writing of this book was phenomenal. From the first lines, the first banter between Vanessa and Adrian, I knew this book was going to make me feel things. Jimenez has a way with words, with putting them together, that the story she tells makes you feel like you're a part of it. Her words rang true with me, I teared up pretty much the last quarter of the book. The pacing was also great. Not once did I tell myself this book was getting long. It was super entertaining.
The ending : Not gonna lie, I loved the ending. The last two chapters make a great wrap-up on the story. After spending the chapters before that with tears in my eyes, this Happily Ever After was absolutely welcome.
Not gonna lie, I'm still shook from this story. The feelings described in this book are real and raw, and made me aware of the troubles that ASL can cause. But I fell in love with these characters, I want to hug them and be a part of their adventure.
I absolutely highly recommend this book. Just be aware of the content warnings and take care of yourselves :)
Content warning from the author : ALS, mental health (OCD/hoarding), parental abandonment, addiction, grief, loss
Life's Too Short is the third installment in the ''The Friend Zone'' universe. It features Adrian, that we briefly met in The Happy Ever After Playlist , and Vanessa, a new character. The book tells the story of Vanessa, who quit her job and became a travel vlogger. Her dream job is however cut short when her sister drops her new baby at Vanessa's and never comes back. Her neighbour, Adrian, as a knight in shinning armor, comes around and offers her help with the baby. From there, we follow the budding relationship between Adrian and Vanessa, their confrontation with Vanessa's terminal disease, and the different adventures in-between.
This book was amazing. I had liked THEAP okay, it was a good book but didn't make more of an impact. THIS ONE THOUGH. From the first pages I was hooked. From the first pages, I knew this book would be different . and boy was I in for something. Let's get into it.
What I loved about the book :
Vanessa : Vanessa was a gem of a main character. She was funny, adorable, down-to-earth, and everything I need from an MC. Her voice sounded real. I wanted to be her friend, I wanted to live with her, as she did. Her optimism, as much as her realism, were refreshing and made her feel even realer. The way she faces challenges face-on, her honesty and her bubbly personality made her chapters absolutely delightful.
Adrian : The jury's still out for my opinion on dual pov books. But this one was really well put together. I enjoyed getting to know Adrian A LOT. I found it is rare that, in a romance novel, we get the point of view of the male love interest in the ''falling in love'' process. His pov was refreshing and we could feel how much he adored Vanessa and Grace. I felt everything he went through when face-to-face with Vanessa's health issues. Adrian also struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, and I thought it was great to see a male character dealing with mental health issues.
The writing : The writing of this book was phenomenal. From the first lines, the first banter between Vanessa and Adrian, I knew this book was going to make me feel things. Jimenez has a way with words, with putting them together, that the story she tells makes you feel like you're a part of it. Her words rang true with me, I teared up pretty much the last quarter of the book. The pacing was also great. Not once did I tell myself this book was getting long. It was super entertaining.
The ending : Not gonna lie, I loved the ending. The last two chapters make a great wrap-up on the story. After spending the chapters before that with tears in my eyes, this Happily Ever After was absolutely welcome.
Not gonna lie, I'm still shook from this story. The feelings described in this book are real and raw, and made me aware of the troubles that ASL can cause. But I fell in love with these characters, I want to hug them and be a part of their adventure.
I absolutely highly recommend this book. Just be aware of the content warnings and take care of yourselves :)