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Review
5 stars!
I love this book so much! funny, dramatic and emotional story about a woman overcoming devastating grief to find her happy again, and a rockstar romance with an incredible love story that had me feeling all the feels.
This book is a follow on from the author’s debut novel, The Friend Zone. It can be read as a standalone, but you’ll definitely feel it more if you’ve read the first book, and beware that this book has spoilers for the first.
This is the story of Sloan (best friend of Kristen from book #1). It’s been two years since her fiancé tragically died, and she has lost herself in her grief and is barely functioning. Relief comes from a surprising source when a stray dog literally bounds into her life, bringing companionship and joy for the first time in a long time. Unable to find the dog’s owner, she plans to keep him, until she finally hears from Jason, an American musician travelling in Australia who claims that Tucker belongs to him.
Since Sloan has fallen in mad love with the dog, they agree that she will continue to care for him until Jason returns to the US, setting up the perfect opportunity for the two of them to begin talking. Over text and phone calls they banter and flirt, getting to know each other and growing close, and falling into an attraction that both of them are keen to explore when Jason gets home.
I was so swept up in Sloan and Jason’s story. The chemistry, the sexual tension and absolute longing between the two of them as so beautifully written. I could feel it all, and I was ridiculously excited watching everything develop between them. It’s natural and honest, and so easy, and although Sloan is still getting over her loss, Jason is patient and understanding and does everything he can for her, and it’s just beautiful to watch.
“You can’t control the bad things that happen to you. All you can do is decide how much of you you’re going to let them take.”
Their love story is a dream, full of laughs, banter, sweetness, passion, and deep and meaningful moments, and I was riding the blissful high with them. But Jason’s star is rising and he’s on the cusp of achieving success and fame that he only dreamed of. And balancing that with his new relationship is more complicated than either of them could have anticipated, and there’s a whole lot of drama that comes with it.
I can’t gush enough about how much I loved this love story. I loved Sloan, I adored Jason, I even loved Tucker the dog, and as a couple, they were absolutely magic. They were so real, and their feelings for each other just leapt off the page, and I was right there with them through all the ups and down. There was an element of drama that had the potential to drive me wild with anger, but it was handled well, and brought so much to the story that I just went with it, and it was absolutely worth it for the resolution which had me in ecstatic tears.
“I want everything with you.”
The love story is very much the focus of the book, but parallel to that is Sloan’s story of reclaiming her life and finding her happiness again – both individually as part of a relationship, and her journey was beautifully written. Jason’s presence in her life provided the push she needed to begin moving on, but she also had to find the strength to stand on her own, let go of the past and reclaim her life, and I loved seeing her do just that. And right there by her side, her best friend Kristen has her back without question. She’s a hilarious scene stealer, and I freaking loved her!
“My job is to help you with your crazy. Make you the best, most magnificent crazy you can be.”
I listened to this as an audiobook, which was absolutely magic! Narrated by Erin Mallon and Zachary Webber, they do an amazing job telling the story and bringing these characters to life. Seriously, I could listen to Zachary recite the dictionary and be absolutely captivated, the man’s voice just does it for me, and he was the perfect Jason.
I loved this book so much. It’s beautiful and funny, and though it hurt at times, it was worth it and the ending left me grinning like a fool
I can’t wait for more from Abby Jimenez, and with a book coming for a side character introduced in this story, I’m so excited that we don’t have to say goodbye to these characters just yet.
5 fantastic stars!
The Friend Zone