Abby Jimenez’s debut, The Friend Zone, was one of my favorite reads of 2019. I think I squealed when I was approved for The Happy Ever After Playlist on NetGalley and immediately started reading. This is a companion novel, following The Friend Zone heroine’s best friend, who goes through something very traumatic at the end of that first book. The Happy Ever After Playlist starts two years later. Sloan is living a half-life, still unable to fully process her grief. Her world shifts when a stray dog literally jumps through the sunroof of her car and begins to bring her back to life. This mirrors the meet-cute in The Friend Zone, which also has a funny car incident. Sloan tries to find the dog’s owner, Jason, who happens to be a famous singer. Jimenez writes heroes who have deep emotions and feel grounded in reality, and Jason was really fantastic. For me, this book is about grief in the way that The Friend Zone was about self-worth, which makes the story very emotional to read. As the reader, you want so badly for Sloan to find her happily ever after. But Jimenez balances the dark moments of her books with hysterical levity, especially when The Friend Zone’s Kristen (who is a riot to have in a scene) makes appearances. I adored the very sappy way that this book ended. It just made all of the horrible things Jimenez put these four characters through worth it.

Loved this book so much!! Abby Jimenez does it again in the sequel to Friend Zone. This book had me hooked from the first page and I binged it in one day of course I cried,laughed and swooned! Love both Sloan and Jason and also loved all the cameos from Kristen and Josh. Can’t wait to read what she puts out next

3.25 stars!

*CW: grief, self-harm (cutting)

Well DAMN. I haven’t read a book this fast since who knows when, and it came as no surprise to me that it was Abby’s book!

Here we go again with the wit, charm, humor, and brilliant writing that I loved in THE FRIEND ZONE. We finally get Sloan’s story and a look at her life after her loss and yet another love interest + pup to hold us over!

However, I’m V sad to say that apparently fast-paced books aren’t it for me anymore?? Something new I learned this year and I cry just thinking about the fact that this one just wasn’t for me because of it. I kept wanting more—more of Sloan, more of her in her grief (sounds cynical, but you get it), more of Brandon, more communication with Jason, just more everything! While I was initially loving it and was so behind how fast this story picked up, I realized that this topic was just too close to home for me to move on from it as quickly as it seemed Sloan did.

I also didn’t particularly love the ending, but honestly, rockstar romances were never my type of book. Lack of communication also isn’t my thing. But you know what was my thing? PUPS. Pups and flirty text convos and MAN, if I had all of that through the entire book, I would’ve been SOLD.

I’m again hit with the first half > second half and yes, I did swoon a bit there, but Josh still takes the cake!!

I loved the banter between Jason and Sloane as they fall in love, and there were many times that I snorted with laughter! But because Jason is a musician, his life is on the road. Sloane has to decide if she can adapt to that life, or if she has to give him up for good.
It was tough having to set this book down, so I read it in record time!

I started off loving this book, the 'meet' cute with the dog, the banter everything. But then, it just sort of fell flat for me somewhere around the middle. Partly, I think it was a little longer than it needed to be, but I ended up just skimming through the last half to get to the ending.

I've been dying to read this book since the moment I heard about it. I've also been putting it off for several reasons, namely because I just *knew* it would make me so at some (most likely several) points, just like The Friend Zone did. Jiminez had a GIFT for weaving a story that reels you in and makes you feel as if you're living life alongside the characters. So when hard things happen to them, it's as gut-wrenching for the reader as it is for the character. It a beautiful, amazing thing.

And this story absolutely loved up to everything I had built it up to be in my head. It was at times hard and filled with its characters pain, yet deep and thoughtful, and most of all joyful and hopeful. It ended squarely on the latter with such resounding hope that I had a dopey from on my face and immediately set out to read my favorite portions again.

Absolutely cannot wait for more from Abby Jiminez.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Absolutely fantastic! This was a five star read for me with excellent characters and story with plenty of depth to keep me turning the pages. I will be recommending this title for a long time!

Abby has done it again. For those of you who may not know or are not following Abby (and why the heck not!); The Happy Ever After Playlist was the first book Abby wrote then she wrote The Friend Zone. However, TFZ was published first and after an interminable wait HEAP was published. It is a stunning book. Like TFZ I am left numb because of all the feels. You feel every emotion that Sloan and Jason feel – fear, frustration, desire, the timidity Sloan feels as she moves forward. And the love. HEAP is not as bawdy or raunchy as TFZ – I was left wanting more and debating myself why the books are so very different. Then I realized they are so different because the characters themselves are so different. Abby is a master at developing every aspect of her characters and that is why both books can be read individually but they fit together perfectly. There is nothing formulaic in Abby’s writing it is pure prose written from the heart. Now I shall walk around numb for about two weeks as any other book I pick up will not be as remotely satisfying as HEAP, then I will re-read the book again and again. And wait impatiently for her next book "Life's Too Short"!

I adored this book. From the moment I started reading it I was engaged and enchanted and didn’t want to put it down. The ridiculous opening of a rogue dog rescue to the banter between Sloan and Jason, I was heart in eyes swooning at their conversations. I loved that their relationship starts off with texting and phone calls and really develops based on their conversations. The flirtatious banter that is Jason had me snorting with laughter. If you’ve read The Friend Zone—which duh, you should!—you’ll know how Sloan’s story ends in that book. I was so excited to see her get her own story because I was worried for her! I’d be lying if I didn’t say the first chapter didn’t have me tearing up a little because I just loved her character so much in TFZ and obviously in this book as well. Her ability to move on after tragedy was beautiful and I was rooting for her every step of the way. My two small criticisms are first, that this book was definitely more melodramatic than its predecessor. I chalked that up to the hero being somebody up and coming in the music industry and that always has its own crazy drama when you’re dealing in the world of show business. The other is while Jason and Sloan do get to know each other first over the phone, their relationship moves incredibly fast and at times is almost too adorable and easy to believe but ya know what, I just didn’t care. Sloan deserves the WORLD and while I could recognize this was a little wish fulfillment in nature, it didn’t bother me. Bring on the perfect man and banter and romantic gestures! I. Am. Here. For. It. 🎧
•
Thank you @readforeverpub for the review copy! Read this book, it’s so fun and sassy and swoony, it will bring a huge smile to your face! 🎤

The Happy Ever After Playlist is the follow up to Jimenez' The Friend Zone, following the best friend of The Friend Zones' major character. Readers will recognize a lot of the characters in this novel if they are familiar with the first novel.

Still grieving after the tragic death of her fiancé, Sloan is still having trouble connecting with the world around her meaningfully. Until the day a dog happens to hop through her sunroof, prompting an introduction the dog's owner and popular musician, Jason. Sloan and Jason strike up a relationship, bringing up feelings that Sloan hasn't felt in a long time. However, dating a famous musician isn't easy. While Sloan is sure of her love for Jason, she's not sure if their relationship is the best thing for either of them.

The Happy Ever After Playlist is a nice combination of light and funny, while still dealing with a lot of heavier topics like grief, abuse, and addiction. Overall, a decently solid read, and fans of Abby Jimenez will not be disappointed.

The Happy Ever After Playlist opens on Sloan Monroe, stopped in the middle of an intersection when a dog suddenly jumps into her sunroof. She takes him home and diligently looks for his owner to no avail. Two weeks pass when she suddenly gets a call from his owner, Jason, a musician on tour in Australia. The two instantly develop a connection. When Jason returns to the U.S. they decide to meet in person and see what happens.

I have a confession to make: I read The Happy Ever After Playlist before reading The Friend Zone. With that said, it allows me to review this book without being influenced by the first book in the series, and I loved it! Both characters were so genuine and relatable. I really rooted for them throughout the story.

I alternated between physically reading this story and listening to the audiobook on Libro.fm and I would highly recommend this approach. The audiobook definitely enhanced the experience. It alternates between two different readers, one for the voice of Sloan, and one for the voice of Jason. Some of my favorite parts were the guy who was the voice of Jason reading Sloan’s dialogue in a high-pitched “girly” voice. It made me laugh every time.

If you are a fan of RomComs, whether or not you’ve read the Friend Zone, you should check out The Happy Ever After Playlist!

Thank you to Forever, Libro.fm, and Netgalley for my review copies!

Sloan Monroe finds a lost puppy named Tucker and is having trouble tracking down his owner. When she finally does weeks later, she finds out that he and his band are on tour in Australia. Jason wants Tucker back, but after all this time caring for him, Sloan isn’t going to give him back without a fight.

I first knew of the author as a cake artist, from her notorious "vagina geode" cake and the humor she displayed in the comments. I read her first book, and was eager to see the story continue from Sloan's perspective, as she recovered from the devastating death of her fiance Brandon.

I found the beginning of the book a little jarring...it seemed as though we skipped the beginning and were dropped right into the middle, and I would have preferred a bit more of an introduction and recap to ease into the story. Other than that, it was a very enjoyable read for the most part. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary romances with younger, spunky characters.

Great fun at the start with the back and forth messaging and calls, but got serious quite soon so didn't end up feeling the chemistry between the characters. Really could have gone without the hunting references, luckily there weren't any hunting scenes or I probably would have put the book down. Just ended up wanting a bit more romance and less conflict.

When Sloan finds a puppy (or, rather, the puppy found her and promptly jumped into her car), she does want anyone would do: she called the number on Tucker’s tag. And called. And called. After a few weeks of unanswered voicemails, Sloan decides Tucker’s owner clearly doesn’t deserve him.

Jason is halfway around the world in Australia. Moments of free time for a touring musician are hard to come by and with spotty reception, it’s weeks before he’s able to check his phone. When he does, he’s greeted to a barrage of voicemails and, once the inbox was full, texts. Jason’s girlfriend was watching his puppy – what’s Tucker doing with this strange woman? This strange woman who refuses to return him?

While the texts were all business in the beginning, as the weeks wear on, they develop into something more. Flirty texts give way to calls and soon there’s no denying the pair have a deeper connection than their love of a puppy. But are they both willing to risk everything to see where this can go?

Okay, I’m legit the only person on the face of this earth who hasn’t read The Friend Zone, Abby’s debut. It took the book world by storm last year and seemed like just about everyone was obsessed. I’m not the type of person to give in to that kind of hype, so I never read it – and now I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. Doubly so since my library is currently shut down and the e-copy has a waitlist a mile long.

Naturally the announcement of a second book sent a spark through the book community and this time I couldn’t, wouldn’t ignore it. (It also helped that I received an email directly with an e-ARC copy!) The Happy Ever After Playlist is so much more than just a romance novel. Sloan is still grieving the death of her fiance two years later. She lives in a house that’s too big with too many needed repairs because it was their house. She gave up her true passion and makes a living by hawking novelty pet portraits. She hasn’t even cleaned out his closet. Despite what her friends think, she’s not – most definitely not – ready for a new relationship. ..right? And Jason. He’s juuust on the cusp of hitting the big leagues. He’s practically guaranteed stardom…if he records the music that was already written. By someone else.

Other reviewers have sung this book’s praises and have done so far more eloquently than I could. I’ll just say that the book I read immediately before The Happy Ever After Playlist was a re-read of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, one of my all-time favorites and the ultimate comfort read. A pretty big act to follow, right? My rating for this one…also 5 stars. Y’all, this piggybacked off Harry Potter and received a 5-star rating from me! What more do I really need to say? (Also, Abby created an actual playlist featuring the songs in this book! Check it out on Spotify!)

I loved THE FRIEND ZONE by Abby Jimenez although it wasn’t perfect. If you haven’t read this author’s debut yet don’t continue reading this review as there will be spoilers.

“I want everything with you.”

In THE HAPPY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST we finally get Sloan’s story whose tragic loss totaly blindsided me. Brandon was such a lovely man and I was hoping for someone who wouldn’t feel like the second best thing after him. Jason is everything I hiped for and more. Despite him being an up and coming rockstar he was so down to earth, sweet and charming. He had charisma in troves and his sense of humor kept me entertained for hours. And thus, the first half was perfection. the banter between Jason and Sloan, their flirty moments…it was just so obvious that they were made for each other.

The second half was different, as if the author had flipped a switch. everything became complicated and super angsty. She made use of a lot of rockstar cliches and there was some drama that made my heart ache. Jason got caught between a rock and a hard place and his only way to handle it, the way he saw it, was by hurting the woman he loved and I couldn’t even fault him for that.

I wish that there would have been a little bit more focus on Sloan standing on her own two feet, getting over Brandon, moving into this new part of her life. That was a little glossed over or got drowned in the rockstar cliches. The ending and the epilogue however did make up for the heartbreak. All of the swoons!

“I would notice you in a crowd of a million.”

With THE HAPPY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST Abby Jimenez underscores that her debut success wasn’t just coincidence. Her stories are highly enjoyable even if they aren’t perfect. Now I wonder what she has in store for us next!

I’m not sure exactly what I expected this book to be, but it was definitely so much more.

My heart hurt for Sloan, but I was also smiling and laughing from Chapter 1. Jason was a perfect splash of sweetness to just make it overall perfect for me.

If you’ve read The Friend Zone, you’re familiar with Sloan and you know why my heart hurt for her. This was very much a journey of self discovery for Sloan. She really had to find herself and build herself up again and that took a lot of work. It took her friends, it took an unexpected dog and an even more unexpected and complicated love, but she got there. She got to her HEA and also found personal fulfillment and I love that more than anything.

I said it before and I’ll say it again. Jason is sweet and adorable and incredibly patient and caring and I just all around love him to pieces. That’s all I need to say about him.

This book took me on a ride and I loved every second of it.

Do I have this book in three different formats? Yesss, I do. I preordered a signed paperback but started reading the ebook then moved to audio. I had some painting to do and didn't want to stop reading. It's narrated by Zachary Webber and Erin Mallon, which are both favorites of mine.

Abby made her mark on the book world last year with The Friend Zone. The Happy Ever After Playlist just ensured that she's not going anywhere. She writes with a realness like she's just a girlfriend telling you a story over lunch. I knew I'd love Sloans story. I wanted her to get her HEA so freaking bad. Jason was everything she needed and more. As you can tell from above, I couldn't put it down. I'm a greedy girl that can't wait to find out what she's writing for us next.

In this sequel to The Friend Zone, we pick up two years after the first novel, telling us Sloan’s story. Life is hard for Sloan, who is still picking up the pieces of her life after losing Brandon. One day, while driving she is surprise “barks” into her life - the dog of Jason, a musician who is on away on tour. When he wants Tucker back after Sloan has loved and cared for him for two weeks, Sloan doesn’t want to give him up. What results is a witty, back and forth exchanges of questions between the two, leaving them wondering what will happen when it comes time for Sloan to return Tucker.

If you read The Friend Zone, you are already familiar with how the author can write one amazing rom-com! I tore through this book, needing to know what happened with Sloan’s story. Hearing more about Sloan was just what I needed and loved the introduction of Jason as her opposite. The chapters also alternate between both voices, making you truly see each character. Pick this one up, you won’t regret it!

This was a very sweet heart warming book. Loved all the characters and I wanted to create a playlist of all the songs and listen to them while reading the book. I’m keen to read the authors other book now so I can get the back story of Kristen and Josh. Devoured this in one sitting.