This was a really great follow up to The Friend Zone! It was such a fun read. I LOVED the characters Jimenez introduced in her first book and was great to see how they are all doing. I like how the author also covers really heavy topics in a subtle but impactful way. Both Sloan and Jason were so easy to root for (both together and apart), and was just a really sweet love story that we could use at a time like this!

It got a bit too much drama and Hollywood for me about 3/4 of the way through the book, but I still really enjoyed it, and read it within 24 hours!

Go pre-order this and/or request from the library like now. I literally screamed when I received this - I am not kidding. I absolutely LOVED Abby’s debut novel ‘The Friend Zone’ (go see my review for it on my feed). I actually compare all contemporary romances to this book, like for reals. The Happy Ever After Playlist can be read as a standalone but it will make your anticipation stronger if you learn about Sloan’s sub-story. Sloan’s sub-story in TFZ made me cry TBH, like ugly cry. I can’t say this enough but Abby is so talented. If I could go back into time and unread both of these - I would in a heart beat.
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I loved HEAP as much as I love TFZ. HEAP is a feel good romance about second chances and finding the courage to heal after loss. Sloan needed to find herself again and make her own happiness, but a hot musician boyfriend might help along the way. Abby’s writing has a way of personally connecting you with all of her characters. The writing style makes you feel like you are sitting with everyone and included in the conversations. This story tugged at all my strings and had me laughing out loud and crying.
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Also each chapter has a song in the chapter title that Abby recommends you listen to before reading. There were a few familiar songs I LOVE and a lot I didn’t know - but her playlist is on Spotify. DO NOT SKIP THE acknowledgments - just FYI. Overall, my favorite romance read of the year. Please keep bringing us the best book boyfriends Abby! I’m soooo here for it.

I love books that leave you with a happy sigh and a little bit of a hangover. The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez is the type of book you pick up for a dose of happiness in a time of uncertainty. I cannot recommend this contemporary romance highly enough.

The Happy Ever After Playlist is a companion novel to The Friend Zone and features Sloan, Kristen’s best friend. Sloan is driving when a dog happens to jump through her sunroof. He has a tag with his name, Tucker, and the phone number of his owner Jason. Sloan keeps calling Jason, but gets no answer, so she decides to steal Tucker. Eventually though, Jason responds and well, a flirtation between Sloan and him develops. Jason is a musician who is about to blow up. Can it work out between Sloan and Jason?

I inhaled The Happy Ever After Playlist. Sloan’s growth and her leaving the in between place she was living in was so captivating to me. This book is serious but sweet – and I loved that it shines a spotlight on just how much grief can impact your life. I also loved Jason’s family – they live in Ely, Minnesota and his parents are clearly in love. Jason also had his moments of wonderful – although there were times where I was like come on, just communicate.

Jimenez’s second book proves to me lightening does strike twice. It’s just as fantastic as The Friend Zone – blending laughs and tears. This book left me in my feelings in the best kind of way. Get your hands on it as soon as it comes out, I promise you that if you are similar to me in taste, you absolutely will not regret your time reading.

The Happy Ever After Playlist is a solid romance. I'd say the issue with this one for me is that I always get a bit of whiplash from reading books that are all over the place tone-wise. Is this a romantic comedy or a romantic drama? It's hard to do both in a book and not really commit to either. I also felt like the relationship intensity went from zero to "soulmates 5ever" really quickly in this novel, and insta-love's not my favorite relationship trope for any book. (Give me a sizzling enemies-to-lovers storyline, however, and I'm A-OK.)

I'd say 2.5 stars for this one.

This book starts with the absolute best meet cute and I knew I would tear through this book and sure enough, that's exactly what happened. I found the writing so captivating and the banter between Sloan and Jason was perfect. This book made me laugh, cry, get angry and experience every other emotion you could think of.

This is a fantastic book and was unputdownable for me!! I highly recommend!!

Thank you SO MUCH Netgalley for giving me this arc!!!

The Friend Zone has easily been one of my absolute favorite reads of this year. So when I found out there was another book coming out, I freaked out... just a little.

This book was absolutely wonderful!!! Abby Jimenez continues to write beautiful stories that suck me in immediately and make me sad to put it down for even a short amount of time. Her giftedness for writing characters that are so intensely relatable will never fail to astonish me.

Sloan already had my heart from The Friend Zone and Jason grabbed my heart immediately. Sloan has been mourning for 2 years and you can see and truly feel the toll it’s taken on her. Underneath the depression though, lies a fun, spirited, energetic, and loving woman. Jason... where to begin. His patience and sincerity was insanely attractive. Not to mention he’s just hot. So there’s that. But his heart and intentions and just WHO he was, was amazing. I fell in love instantly with his flirtyness. Because... it was impossible not to.

This story was so fun and lighthearted, yet breached such heartbreaking emotions that you couldn’t help but feel the same pain these characters were feeling. It was also so fun to see Kristen and Josh again! Love and miss reading about them so this was just perfect. Everything was beautiful to read and I can’t wait for the rest of Abby’s fans to read another absolutely wonderful book!

P.S. I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend and suggest reading The Friend Zone first!!! It will absolutely enhance the reading experience!

What I love about Abby's books so far that first its based off of real people she knows. Secondly, I love how it doesn't follow the typical romance book formula. We get to experience Jason and Sloan relationship for awhile and its not even towards the end of the book! I did like how Jason and Sloan first are introduced to each other. Their banter was cute.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Okay, how much do I love this book?! The Happy Ever After Playlist begins with a meet-cute facilitated by an adorable dog jumping into the heroine's car. As if that weren't enough to make me melt, we then have the hero admitting that he loves his dog like his own child. As a cat mom myself, I absolutely fell in love with both Sloan and Jason within the first couple of chapters. As their long-distance flirtation deepened over their shared love for Tucker the dog, I very quickly found myself eager for them to find their happily ever after.

Sloan and Jason had the cutest chemistry together. I remember taking a while to warm up to Kristin and Josh in The Friend Zone -- I hated the whole 'not like other girls' vibe, and their flirtation felt more snarky/angsty than flirty/swoony at times -- but I fell in love with Sloan and Jason almost immediately. I'm still not too keen on their shared love for hunting, but that's a personal bias rather than a book flaw.

I love that the will-they/won't-they question of Sloan and Jason getting together was based on a very real predicament: Sloan was still grieving the death of her fiance, and struggled to be able to move on. Jason very quickly decided he wanted Sloan in his life, but was dealing with a major career shift and had to decide if being with him at this time would be best for Sloan. Despite some heavy issues to work through, the first half of the book was very much a fun and fluffy rom com that was just a pleasure to read.

The second half switched to a more serious exploration of how Sloan and Jason can actually fit into each other's real lives, and the story became even stronger for it. I love that Jimenez explored both the swoony heart-racing aspects of falling in love and the harsh realities that real life goes beyond the swoon.

Jason is a singer on the verge of stardom, and Sloan is an artist who has to figure out if she can actually live with the touring rock star life style. Jimenez does a great job of showing the physical and psychological toll that touring takes on Sloan, and the immediate improvement when she takes a vacation to focus on her artwork. We also see Jason's dilemma, how he quickly tires of the touring / stardom aspect of his career, but has worked too hard to give it up easily. Neither of them is a jerk about it -- both are incredibly supportive of each other's happiness and respective careers; it's just a matter of figuring out how to make a difficult situation work.

There was also a subplot about Jason being stalked and Sloan being targeted. The prime suspect is Jason's ex Lola, whose flagging career could use a boost from Jason's rise, but as this thread develops, it begins to move away from the jealous ex trope to a more expansive critique of celebrity culture and the superstardom industry. This was probably my least favourite part of the book -- I'm meh on the jealous ex trope in general, though I did like how things eventually turned out. But I found this plot thread to be somewhat melodramatic and unnecessary, especially given all the very real issues that Sloan and Jason were already working through without it. 

There's also an author's note where Jimenez explains that she'd written this before The Friend Zone, which I appreciated. I thought that Sloan's fiance dying in The Friend Zone was totally random and unnecessary, and apparently some other readers felt the same, but the author's note explained that because she'd written Playlist first but Friend Zone came first chronologically, that twist was necessary.

Overall, I loved The Happily Ever After Playlist. From the best ever meet-cute over a dog to a delightfully cheesy over-the-top resolution, this story was super sweet and cute and feel-good.

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Thank you to Forever Romance for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for this complimentary advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

Every reader has a style of storytelling that they find most compelling and enjoyable, and after reading two of her books, I've concluded Abby Jimenez's writing style is probably not for me. That said, her books have been met with largely positive reception, so please take my opinion for what it is: a personal, subjective review.

What I liked about this story:
- A realistic depiction of deep grief and its significant impact on quality of life.
- A depiction of a loving female friendship that is honest and supportive.
- An attempt to portray the raw and challenging aspects of fame.

What I struggled with:
- This storyline felt like it was relying heavily on a number of oft-done, old hat storylines in romance; rockstar whose life is too taxing and which precipitates lots of back and forth, doubt, and drama; too-perfect circumstances fostering an insta-love relationship; and a low morale woman who suddenly perks up and finds her mojo when she meets "the one."
- Jason is a romantic, I understand, but he is EXTRA. The whole martyr attitude of "I'll love her from afar. No one will ever love her as I have" was immature, especially because he pushed Sloan away by *lying* to her about cheating and thus denied her the opportunity to choose her own path.
- Sloan's growth happens off-pages. We had so many pages devoted to her letting her health and happiness go to hell while on tour with Jason, but her significant growth in terms of wellness, energy, artistic fulfillment, and sense of purpose happens between two chapters and is summed up in "three months later". I wanted to see Sloan's resilience happen, not just the hot mess she and Jason made of trying to tour without having good self-care boundaries.

As a romance writer myself, I firmly believe no book or writing style is for *everyone*. While this one was not for me, I am glad that this story is a pleasure for many to read.

I cried when Brandon died. I even told Abby as much, but I didn't anticipate the tears that would constantly flow while reading book 2! After 2 years of grieving, Sloan is still miserable. I hated how Brandon's family seemed to pretty much abandon their future daughter-in-law (but we all know people suck). Aside from Kristen, Josh, and their baby boy, sis didn't really have much to brighten her day, but then, along came Tucker ! Leave it to an amazing pup to help Sloan love again. As all cheesy romances go, Sloan and Jason were bound to fall in love and live happily ever after and ride off into the sunset (and they did, but on a tour bus). What I loved most about Jason, was his level of patience, understanding, and protectiveness of Sloan and her feelings. This book was great you guys, and I'm a firm believer that all a person needs in this life, is a few best friends, tacos, tequila, books and LOTS OF LOVE!!! Love after loss exists and I love the way Abby had me laughing my ass off, The HEA Playlist is definitely a fun read. You're going to laugh and cry simultaneously !

Abby Jimenez has once again written a love story is sweet and tender and funny and challenging and romantic and sad and frustrating and absolutely wonderful! Sloan and Jason are sexy and adorable and devoted and exasperating and charming and infuriating and I loved every single second of this book!! Yes, the sad parts were devastating, but the lovely and love-filled parts were glorious.This story made me laugh and cry and fall in love and FEEL!!!

4.5 STARS

Abby Jimenez does it AGAIN. I would say I'm definitely in the majority when it comes to absolutely loving The Friend Zone so The HEAP has been on my list of books I want since it was announced there was a second book in the series. HEAP was actually written before The Friend Zone and in true Jimenez fashion, is based on real people and their experiences with some pretty tough topics (grief and infertility) so you need to always read the author's note and acknowledgments of her books!!

This is the story of Sloan as she processes her grief 2 years after Brandon's accident and starts to date again. The spark between Sloan and Jason is automatic and you really root for them the entire time. I love the way Jimenez writes and you really just get inside these people's heads and their banter.

I read it start to finish in ONE day because I couldn't put it down. I was so sad to leave Sloan and Jason's love story so I'm already wishing for a book 3!!

Thanks so much to Netgalley, Forever Pub, and Abby Jimenez for my free eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

What a perfect follow-up to The Friend Zone! I knew I was going to love Sloan’s story but I had no clue I would love it even more than TFZ! The fact that Sloan & Jason’s meet cute starts with an adorable and mischievous pup made me smile immediately and I was hooked from page one. Sloan might be my new favorite heroine because this chick is strong AF, communicates her needs, knows how to say no, and admits and acknowledges when she’s wrong, or out of line, or having a moment. And Jason??? Omg I just want to pinch his cheeks...both sets, of course. He is the damn sweetest, so patient, and even though he royally effs up a time or two, he had the best intentions and his heart was in the right place. Man guys, Abby really nailed it with this one and I am so stinking excited to see what she comes up with next!

I fell in love with Abby Jimenez's writing with Friend Zone and now it's full blown girl crush! There are SO many layers; grief, celebrity, trust, friendship, and manipulation. Kristen and Sloan are friendship goals and I love that the reader gets an update on Josh and Kristen's life. The discovery at just what the industry can be like with Jason's career and have so much more sympathy for what musicians have to go through. So heartbreaking, but utterly absolutely beautiful at the same time. Grief is a complex battle that can often seem insurmountable, but Sloan is amazing and her friendship with Kristen brought tears and laughter on the same page. I'll never get enough of romance like this and I can only hope we will keep getting them.

4.5 Stars. Oh my heart, did I LOVE this book! I loved The Friend Zone so much and was so excited to read this one and it was just as good, if not better! Abby really knows how to right an amazing love story, with strong characters and with humor, which I really appreciate. It was so nice to see Sloan start to recover from her trauma and open herself up to life and love again. I loved Jason from the beginning - his heart, his dedication and commitment. He is just wonderful. This could not have been a more perfect time to read this heartwarming story. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Books for the ARC.

I loved the emotional rollercoaster that was Abby Jimenez's first book, The Friend Zone so I was ecstatic when my wish was granted to read the ARC of The Happy Ever After Playlist.

This book takes place after the events of The Friend Zone so I would recommend you pick that book up before this one (you just get a better emotional connection to all the characters, okay?). Sloane is a lot less wacky than the main character of The Friend Zone, Kristen. Sloane is still grieving a year after the events of the last book when a dog suddenly jumps into her convertible when she's driving. When she meets the guy who owns the dog, she finds out he's a musician and they fall in love. This book is riddled with drama as the guy's popularity surges and Sloane still tries to deal with her grief.

I think I'm officially obsessed with Abby Jimenez's books. She writes adorable, complex, romantic relationships and amazing friendships. I would say this book was a lot lighter than The Friend Zone. While this book felt very wish-fulfillment-y at the end, it felt deserved after all Jimenez put her characters through. My only complaint with her books is that her men do fall into those weird masculine stereotypes of raging when they get upset.

All in all, I'm looking forward to seeing what Abby Jimenez comes up with next.

I had the best time reading The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jiminez this weekend. Not to mention the full fledged conversation I had with author @authorabbyjimenez that basically made my weekend when she responded after u posted on my Instagram story. I was a huge fan of The Friend Zone because it pulled on all the heart strings. This book follows Sloan as she continues to grieve two years later and proves that there is love after a tremendous loss.
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It's been almost two years since Sloan lost her fiance and she is still not ready to move on. But on the way to visit Brandon's grave, a dog finds his way into her sunroof. Obviously, the police officer didn't believe that story either. Sloan cannot get a hold of Tucker's owner and has decided it's fate and her dog forever. Until Jason, his owner, finally reaches out but he can't get Tucker for two more weeks. The two strangers find a unique friendship and Sloan may have found her new purpose and move past her grief, but can she find love again? -
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Most definitely recommend this book and I would suggest reading The Friend Zone first. Although I'm sure the book can be devoured alone, you will understand the personal development of Sloan through her grief if you knew her before. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Huge thanks to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for my advance copy. -

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sloan has lost the love of her life, Brandon. Her friends Tucker and Kristen do everything in their power to bring her out of her deep mourning, back into the world, with no success.

It is only when she takes pity on a stray dog and seeks out it s owner that Sloan slowly reconnects with the world and starts to put aside her prolonged grief. The emails and texts between Sloan and Jason make for addictive reading.

Jason is a performer, constantly in the public eye, whereas Sloan is an artist who needs a more structured routine and environment. Living on the road as Jason tours with his band has but a serious stop to Sloan's creativity.. Jason at one point realizes that Sloan is giving up too much to be with him and makes the ultimate sacrifice and splits up with her.. At this point in the story, I felt the author was stretching things a bit. The final reconciliation scene was also a tad over the top, but I still had a smile on my face at the end of it. Abby Jimenez writes very well and always has characters who are going through difficult emotional or physical traumas. A highly enjoyable read with plenty of drama to keep you interested.

I truly enjoyed this follow-up to THE FRIEND ZONE. Abby Jimenez has created characters I can't help but love. This is a little bit outside of my usual genre, but given what's going on in the world, it's what I picked up for a lighthearted romp. Highly recommend.

Wow This book was SO SO GOOD! Definitely one of my Top 5 of the year so far. I absolutely loved this book and I surely did not want it to end. Abby Jimenez is definitely a auto-buy for me from now on since i have read her other book The Friend Zone and I loved that one too. This story was so amazing and perfect and I loved the relationship between Sloan and Jason. Their relationship was so cute and they both went so well together. Jason is like the perfect boyfriend material. I highly recommend this book to everyone!