The Happy Ever After Playlist

Not sure how I restrained myself from throwing my Kindle against the wall, because this book is gut-wrenchingly FRUSTRATING. I say that with both love and disappointment. Love, because the first half is pure magic, light and gooey rom com goodness that will warm your heart. Disappointment, because the second half takes that fragile relationship and smashes it to pieces. Its a love story in two parts one of which I never wanted to end, and the other I just wanted to be done with.

If youve read Jimenezs debut, The Friend Zone (not required reading for this but helpful), you already know how divisive her writing can be. Im not sure that anyone questions the quality of her writing the first half of this book is one of the best things Ive read this year but the tonal shift is jarring and, frankly, unnecessary. These two already have enough hurdles in their path to happiness; it didnt need to devolve into such a hot mess. While the back half certainly elicited an emotional response from me, I cannot say that I am at all happy with the way things played out.

If you want storyline details, you can look elsewhere. I will say that this is half rom com, with an adorably original meet cute, fantastic banter, chemistry that sparks off the page, and a hero who will melt your heart. I didnt even mind the insta-love connection; I just wanted more, more of Sloan and Jason. He is such a loving, understanding, marshmallow of a man that I loved him right away which made the second half that much more devastating. All Ill say about the back half is that it focuses on the perils of being a rock star and the strain it puts on a relationship. I didnt love the people either Sloan or Jason became by the end, and my heart hurt for what they once had.

Ultimately, if you loved The Friend Zone (which the vast majority of people did), then I dont see any reason why you wont love this. For me, the two books are equally frustrating reads. I wouldve rated each of Jimenezs books as 5 stars without hesitation if the back halves hadnt obliterated the relationships I had come to love. I so appreciated receiving an ARC via NetGalley since I was eagerly anticipating this release (and am voluntarily leaving a review), but Im left with a lot of conflicting thoughts on this one. While I love Jimenezs writing, I dont love the beatings her couples have to take in order to find their happy ever after.

In 2019 I was given a copy of The Friend Zone and told to read it. It was a debut from new author, Abby Jimenez, and my friend was really excited about it. She knew it would be something I would love, and she wasnt wrong. It was the perfect balance of humor and emotional heartbreak and Im so happy I got to read it. And then I heard about The Happy Ever After Playlist. The companion to The Friend Zone and I was so excited. I loved the character it was about and wanted to see what their life was like after the events of The Friend Zone. And boy did Abby deliver. The Happy Ever After Playlist was so good I still cant even find the words to describe my love. And honestly if you havent read The Friend Zone and you dont want to be spoiled then stop reading now.

The Happy Ever After Playlist takes place 2 years after the event in The Friend Zone that left Sloan devastated and alone. Ever since her fianc died Sloan has lived in a bubble unable to crawl out from under her grief to get her life to some semblance of normal. But one day, on her way to the cemetery, a dog jumps through her sunroof and changes everything. Being the good person she is, Sloan finds the owner, who is overseas, and ends up watching the dog for him. Text messages are exchanged, phone calls are had, flirting takes place. Soon Sloan finds herself in an unexpected situation, the situation of moving on. Realizing she has a connection with Jason, Tuckers owner, Sloan had to figure out if she can chance getting a broken heart again when it just maybe had started to mend.

I seriously was in love with this book 15% in. It was everything I wanted for Sloans story. My heart had been crushed when her fianc died in The Friend Zone. It was so unexpected and she was on the verge of having everything she wanted in life. But the more I got to enjoy Sloan and Jason the more I realized that Brandon wasnt the guy for her. He didnt push her like Jason did. He didnt take her out of her comfort zone. He was just a good guy that was there for her. But she needed more and Jason, and his crazy dog Tucker, where that more. Seeing the three of them together and Sloan put her life back in order was exactly what I needed.

The Happy Ever After Playlist hit on all the marks for me. I devoured the pages in one day and had no regrets at all in doing so. I laughed and I cried while being wrapped up in Sloans journey and I would have done it for longer if the book had more pages. I thought The Friend Zone was lovely, but The Happy Ever Playlist was perfection! This is one you CAN NOT MISS!

: #fiction #romance #contemporary
/: self harm, alcohol/drug abuse, bereavement
:/5
– : phenomenal /fnmnl/

1. very remarkable; extraordinary.
2. perceptible by the senses or through immediate experience.

5.0/5.0
Yall… say hello to my 5 STAR READ IN 2020! For lovers of The Friend Zone, Abby Jimenez has done it again. I laughed, cried, cheered, audibly groaned and ultimately fell in love with The HEA Playlist. This book finds our character(s) two years post Friend Zone with a focus on Sloan.
Jimenez, once again, delivers the most relatable characters in the midst of a heartfelt tale of romance that is vivid and real. The narrative and banter is witty, hilarious, and will leave you wishing these characters were your best friends. ( – .)
Yes, this is a romance, but it is also a story of loss, friendship, personal growth and selflessness.
Thanks to @readforeverpub @netgalley for providing me with this ARC.
: Everyone. Preorder this NOW, thank me later.

Sloan is a 26-year-old woman who lost her fianc, Brandon, in an accident two years ago. She has become immersed in grief, losing motivation to paint, cook, or even go outside. That all changes when Tucker, a lovable Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, dives into Sloans car and gives her life a wag of joy again. Tucker’s owner is Jason, a musician on the road, who quickly falls for Sloan as he attempts to win his dog back.

I like that a good portion of The Happy Ever After Playlist actually focuses on a romantic relationship. There’s no unnecessarily lengthy build up only for the book to run out of pages. Funnily, the first 50% of the book is actually my favourite part and I was sure from early on it was going to be a 5-star read. It’s really well-timed, which keeps the chapters and developments exciting. I pick up romance novels to read about people falling in love, and this is exactly what happens in this book. It has its clichs and predictability, but is so charming that it doesnt take away from the plot.

Abby Jimenezs writing is full of vivacity. And that alluring quality is displayed in her characters, both human and pedigree. I wasnt overly fond of Kristen in The Friend Zone but loved her in this book, her persona was truly redeemed. Fortunately, I have always adored Sloan and she continued to be a favourite in The Happy Ever After Playlist. Jimenez handled this characters grief with care, depicting realistic anxieties and insecurities surrounding the loss of a loved one. And like many of the other voices in the book, Sloan is easy to get to know and sympathise with.

Sadly, for me, the profanity was way overused. Some phrases were too brash and harsh, even in the books most emotional moments. It felt unnecessary and occasionally distracted me from the plot. Still, I really enjoyed getting lost in the ups and downs. There are plenty! Jimenez has the perfect tone for light-hearted fiction mixed with dramatic angst. There was a slight shift in tone in the second half which I wasn’t as enamoured by, but doesnt dampen my restored love for this series. Not when theres an awesome playlist to match each scene.

This swoon-worthy, fairy-tale, rock star love story is ideal for hopeless romantic readers. It has humour, tenderness, and enjoyable character development. Bring on the third book!

**contains spoilers for The Friend Zone and THEAP.

Honestly?l After reading The Friend Zone, I kept delaying reading this book. Not because I thought it might be inferior, but because I loved Sloan and Brandon so much, that, frankly? I was still mourning.

But I needn’t have waited. Within a couple of chapters I’d fallen as head over heels in love with Jason (and Tucker) as Sloan.

It was such a wonderful progression of not only Sloan’s story, but Kristen and Josh’s. (Loved the epilogue!)

In particular, chapter 40 broke me. Like completely and utterly shattered my heart. And then again in chapter 45. I’ve rarely stopped mid-chapter in a book and literally sobbed my heart out for a solid ten minutes. Yet I’ve done it four times while reading two books, both of which were written by the talented Abby Jimenez! She’s going to have to start supplying tissues and rehydration drinks with her stories if this continues. Wonderful. Just wonderful.