I read The Friend Zone last year, and it was easily one of my favorite books, and I immediately needed to know how Sloane’s story would play out. So The Happily Ever After Playlist picks right up where TFZ left off and was so sweet. It all starts when a dog jumps into Sloane’s car window and she tries to get in touch with his owner. Sloane’s the perfect amount of quirky and fun and relatable as she is dealing with her grief. I will say parts of this book seemed pretty unrealistic, but I’m not looking for reality these days 🙃 Definitely recommend and loved seeing where Sloane ended up

Abby Jimenez, you absolutely have my heart with your books and you did it again. This book is the sequel Abby’s <i>The Friend Zone</i>, and follows Sloan & Jason. It is set 2 years after Sloan is widowed (after losing her fiancé). I have been waiting forever to read this book and was so blessed to have earned an eARC. This book was EVERYTHING and I connected so much with Sloan emotionally even though I have never experienced a loss like her. Abby seriously makes me feel every emotion in her books and I can’t wait for the next. **5 STARS** I think any romance lover will LOVE this book!

I received this eARC from NetGalley and Forever in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3194147669

OMG! I wasn’t ready to love this book so much, but I do!! It was the first from the author for me & I’ll be going back for Kristen’s book! Sloan has me from her first thoughts on page 1.....I mean seriously this woman’s intro gives me so many feels for her! And way too may LOL’s! I love that Tucker, Jason’s dog, is the one to bring them together. Jason is such a swoon worthy hero & an absolute gentleman. He’s an up & coming rock star. Sloan’s an artist grieving from past hurts. Tucker & Jason start to show her that life is worth waking up to and living! These two have such amazing banter and chemistry! I was rooting for them the whole book! They also learn a lot about themselves and love! It was such an honor to read their love story! I highly believe this is a book everyone needs to take a chance on! Read it now! It’s worth every page & emotion!

I have been waiting SO long for this follow-up to 'The Friend Zone' and it was definitely worth the wait in the end! When the story begins, two years have passed since Brandon’s untimely death and Sloan is barely functioning in her overwhelming grief. As much as Kristen and Josh love and support her, it’s just not enough to break through her misery. On her way to the cemetary to visit his grave, she is shocked when a dog jumps into her car and gacks on her latte. Both exasperated and amused, Sloan takes Tucker home tries to call his owner and when she can’t reach him over the course of multiple messages she decides that Tucker is now hers and his former owner can go take a hike! (Turns out it was literal and figurative!)

Jason is a rising star in the music world who has taken a break to hike New Zealand while on tour in Australia. He is worn out and frustrated with his inability to write new music when he discovers that a strange woman has his dog back home in LA and is threatening to keep him. So of course he does what any guy would do and attempts to flirt his way out of trouble! As the creative type he definitely has some great pick up lines, and Sloan quickly finds herself fascinated and charmed even before she knows he is also Jaxon Waters, the singer whose music has been her touchstone while she has been mourning. Their phone calls and texts quickly develop into a deep fascination on both ends and they make plans to meet up to exchange custody of Tucker when he returns to the states. (But of course we can’t call it a date!)

We as readers of course know the ‘appointment’ isn’t the end since this is a romance after all, and the progress of their relationship is great fun to experience! Kristen and Josh make appearances and while Jason’s agent Ernie brings a great amount of fun with him, Tucker is the absolute star of this book much as Stuntman Mike was in TFZ. I have a particular affinity for animals in romance even when it’s not cats, and Tucker brings both comic relief and heart with his loyalty to both of his guardians. From the beginning where he jumpstarts Sloan’s heart again after accosting her in her and ultimately is the cause of the meet cute, Tucker is the glue that brings the star-crossed lovers together!

But as we all know the path to true love is NEVER without twists and turns so it’s a given that things are going to happen! And you also know that means I’m not going to say more, you are just going to have to read it yourself to find out what happens next! If you are a weirdo that has not read TFZ yet, you really should do that first because otherwise you aren’t going to get the full experience and I can guarantee you will be thanking me in the end!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Forever for granting my wish to read THEAP early as you totally made my otherwise crappy month!

The Happy Ever After Playlist is one of the most anticipated books of 2020. Does it live up to the hype? In my opinion, it exceeds it. God, I friggin loved HEAP so much!

In HEAP we get Sloan’s story. Sloan is Kristen’s (from TFZ) best friend who tragically lost her fiancée in a motorcycle accident. It has been two years since the accident but Sloan is still barely getting through each day until she rescues a dog and finds its owner, Jason. When Jason can’t pick up his dog right away they communicate via text/phone and those communications turn into flirtations and getting to know each other and eventually into the brightest part of both of their days. When Jason finally returns to pick up his dog, the chemistry & attraction between them is palpable. Could they turn into more? Is Sloan ready for more? What happens when she finds out that Jason is also known as Jaxon Waters, a musician on the verge of stardom?
 
This book exceeded my expectation because it is ALL heart and emotions. This story is about a grieving woman who has to find a way to move forward. It’s about a man who loves a woman so much that he knows he has to let her go so she can find her own happiness (which can’t come through living his dreams). It is about realizing that your happiness can’t come from another person until you are happy with yourself. I can’t count how many times I cried while reading this book…both happy & sad tears. HEAP is one of those books that just burrows its way into your heart and stays there. There is a lot of comedy, friendship and music intertwined into Sloan & Jason’s story that allows so much light, laughter & happiness shine through even when dealing with grief, sacrifice and broken hearts.
 
The story is original and it’s so beautifully witty.  Kristen & Sloan together is comedic genius…there is nothing better than friends who are your family and tell it to you straight.  Don’t worry, Kristen still doesn’t give any f*cks and I still love her so much. Jason is a dream man of epic proportions who is perfect even in his imperfections. Sloan is one of the most likable and real characters ever. She’s strong and vulnerable at the same time and I loved her for both.

Overall, the struggles that Sloan and Jason go through make this more than just a romance story…it’s a story about finding happiness after tragedy.  It’s about loving someone so much you would break your own heart for their happiness. Cue every emotion.

The ending of the HEAP was absolute perfection for so many reasons (which I would never spoil here) and the Epilogue alone made me swoon, laugh & cry.  Ultimately, this is definitely a book I would recommend and it’s a 5+ star book in my opinion.  The Happy Ever After Playlist releases tomorrow, 4/14!
 
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was beyond thrilled to have my wish granted by the publisher for this one after getting hooked on an extended preview. I loved The Friend Zone so I was eager to see how Sloan’s story would continue after the heartbreak of the previous book.
This one continues two years after Sloan loses her fiancé. After an unexpected encounter with a runaway dog, Sloan begins a text friendship with its owner. Soon enough, sparks fly before the two have even met.
Sloan and Jason come from two completely different worlds and will face unbelievable challenges if they want to be together.

This is never my favourite trope, I always have a hard time getting completely into a book whenever there’s an element of fame. However, the first two thirds of this novel had me completely hooked! I didn’t love the conflict and the ending felt a little bit rushed for me but I’d still definitely recommend this one to a friend. In fact, I already have!
The playlist is an added bonus that really ties everything together. Adds an extra level of feeling to the read!

I read the first book in this series by Abby Jimenez (titled THE FRIEND ZONE) and was blown away. The author created a simply engrossing and meaningful romance that is far beyond the typical Contemporary Romance standard. I wondered if a sophomore novel could live up to the standard of that first book. I should not have been concerned. It may have even surpassed the first novel in it's story telling.

THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST is a deeply meaningful romance filled with emotional depth that is unparalleled. The author tackles deep topics like loss, death, grieving, healing, moving forward after tragedy, and romantic expectations. But, where this author is truly skilled, is weaving this tale without the book feeling overly depressing or heavy. The brevity she creates using dialog between the romantic leads, but even more so the dialog between female best friends, had me literally laughing out loud. This book is a love letter to "found family" as much as it is to the key romantic relationship.

I don't often get emotionally attached to characters in Contemporary Fiction which is generally a fairly light genre with quick moving stories and happily ever afters tied in a neat little bow, but this book had me CRYING and LAUGHING and SWOONING.

Abby Jimenez proves that she is a master at writing substantial and meaningful romances that also tackle real life issues with grace, understanding, and emotional depth. I will absolutely re-read both of the books in the series (also something I almost never do) and I will be awaiting the author's next books with manic anticipation!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. And, honestly, I LOVED THIS BOOK.

HELLO BOOK LOVIN FRIENDS!!

Tomorrow will not only be the book birthday of The Happily Ever After Playlist by @authorabbyjimenez but it will be MY BIRTHDAY TOO!!! 🎂🥂 How do you celebrate a birthday? With a giveaway of course!! Keep reading for more information...

As for my thoughts on The Happily Ever After Playlist...
I didn’t think anything could match the love I have for the Friend Zone but Abby has made the perfect duet with the happily ever after playlist! Five perfect stars for a perfect read. If you’re staying at home and being safe I can’t think of a better way to spend the day then with it a furry friend in our lap, a beverage of your choice on the side table, and this book in your hands. Simply put... AMAZING!

4.5 stars out of 5.

I am SO happy that I decided to give this author another chance after not fully enjoying The Friend Zone..

I don't typically enjoy musician/celebrity stories but this was an absolute delight. Both Jason and Sloan felt like real people and they communicated like a couple should (for the most part)!!! Having Tucker bring them together was adorable and the first 40% of this book had me kicking my feet in joy.

The way Sloan handled her grief and how she was self-aware was so refreshing to see. I know not everyone handles things in the same way, but it was so nice to see how she was able to cope and move on. I found that aspect very realistic.

I really enjoyed how Jiminez was able to include what being a famous musician and touring is actually like. I'm not an expert, but I do know a bit of what goes on behind-the-scenes and this really shone a light on the hardships.

I unfortunately didn't love the pop culture references. Those are the easiest way to date a book and ensure it doesn't age well. I understand that it was necessary to showcase the type of music Jason writes/plays and the level of fame he gets up to, but I wish it had been done in a different way.

I also didn't love the wishy-washyness that both Sloan and Jason had with their relationship. One minute they were so in love, then they couldn't be together, then they were in love, and then they were pushing each other away. It happened too many times and got irritating and predictable.

Overall, I honestly had such a great time reading this. I was hooked as soon as Tucker jumped through Sloan's sunroof and I absolutely can't wait to re-read it in the future.

4.5 stars
I read The Friend Zone last month and only three starred it. I had some issues with it--not enough to stop me from reading the next book. I wanted to find out what happened to Sloan. I am so glad I did. I was able to listen to this and this was definitely the best way to go for me. I laughed out loud more than once. The narrators are both excellent.
Sloan and Jason's meet up through his dog, Tucker, was so cute. Her fiancé was killed two years ago and she hasn't been the same since. Having Tucker in her life gave her purpose. She had something else to take care of. Sloan has been leaving numerous messages with Tucker's owner, who turns out to be Jason AKA music star Jaxon Waters. Their love story was sweet, but their road to happily ever after was not without bumps along the way. I enjoyed every minute of it!
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for a digital arc in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Libro.fm and Hachette Audio for my advanced listener copy, as well.

This was amazing! I really loved the first book but this second book was just even better! I swooned hard over Jason and was just praying that everything would work out for him because he needed it and deserved it. I became so invested in all of the characters and I do mean all of them which doesn’t always happen there is usually a character that I wouldn’t care about but in this story all of the characters were just so complex and fun to read about. They all had a story to tell and it was nice to learn about all of them. The romance in this was perfection and I’ am quickly falling in love with Abby Jimenez‘s writing and characters I will read and buy anything she puts out

This book was so good! I love how Jimenez writes.I enjoyed her first one so much that I was super excited to get this one. I like that she used the same character, Sloan from The Friend Zone. Sloan was such a great character and it was so hard to read her story in the last book so it was good to revisit her! I would highly recommend this romance!

I really enjoyed this book! I haven't read The Friend Zone, which I think preludes this book, but I am looking forward to getting a copy soon. Sloan is such an amazing character. I really liked her personality and felt like she had amazing growth throughout the novel. I love how determined she was to keep a dog she found lol it was hilarious reading her messages to Jason (the dog's owner) and how they got more attitude as time went on. Sloan is in the second year of mourning her late fiance's death. She finds a dog, Tucker, or rather he finds her one day when he jumps through her sunroof! Turns out his owner is a up and coming musician who is on tour in Australia. I absolutely adored the chemistry between Jason and Sloan! The author writes really good build up moments! I was just itching to see the final moment when they kissed/got together!

The one thing that kept this from being a 5 star is the ending. I just felt like the last 10% of the book was so rushed, so much happening, so much that needed to be resolved and so much that was skipped over and then bam we are in the future. It was a lot and I would have liked it to have been spread out a bit more .

Thank you so much for this arc! I look forward to reading more from this author.

The Happy Ever Playlist opens with a near-miss: Sloan almost hits a dog that runs out into the street. (No dogs were harmed in the production of this novel.) When a policeman pulls her over, she ends up taking in the obviously neglected dog to save him from the pound and then she tries to find the dog's real owner. Many phone calls later, she finally hears back from Jason, a singer-songwriter who's been on location in Australia and without cell service and left his dog, Tucker, with a person who turns out to be horrible and left after just a couple of days.


Sloan's fiancé died two years prior and she's never really come back to herself, but meeting Tucker (the dog) jolts her into action and during the month she has him, she starts to feel more like herself. I liked that she doesn't regain her happiness because of Jason, but because of a change in routine and a dog who forces her out of her house. Jason recently signed with a record label and is about to go on tour for several months, so as the relationship between the two main characters grows, the looming separation causes most of the romantic conflict. Sloan's late fiancé continues to be a good person in Sloan's memory and Jason never tries to replace him, another good thing.


Secondary characters, including the couple from Jimenez's The Friend Zone and Jason's close-knit family, keep the book from falling into the much-used angsty rockstar trap and Jimenez's authorial voice and humor throughout keep Sloan's grief from taking over her narrative. At one point, Sloan reflects on the fact that Jason's career requires him to be on the road constantly, while she, as a painter, needs to stand still. It's a quick moment, but it's reflective of so much of their trouble, in large part because after grieving the loss of one man for two years, Sloan doesn't want to build her life around a different man.


One note: there's an Evil Ex subplot and I was worried about how it would be resolved, but Jimenez flips it and I ended up happy instead of angry at the portrayal of this other character.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Happy Ever After Playlist and I plan to bump up The Friend Zone on my TBR list.


Suzanne received a digital audiobook copy of this book for review via the publisher and Libro.fm.




Content Warnings: grief, past: death of fiancé, stalking/harassment, pregnancy, secondary character with fertility issues (first book)

Oh my lord, did I love this one! Guys, I was up until 4:30 last night reading this gem. I could not. Put. It. Down! I had absolutely loved Jimenez’s The Friend Zone and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one – and it did not disappoint. Incidentally, I also went to bed around 4:30 when I read The Friend Zone…I highly recommend that book as well!

The Happy Ever After Playlist takes us to two years after Brandon’s death – our heroine Sloan’s fiance, who died in a motorcycle accident. She’s lived her life after his passing like a shrine to him, never moving forward. Until a dog jumps in front of her car and through her sunroof.

Jason is an up-and-coming musician, and he’s just gotten about a thousand calls about his dog living with some stranger while he was doing a concert in Australia. Some beautiful, kind stranger. When he returns to pick up Tucker (this dog, despite all the WONDERFUL characters in this book, is probably still my favorite), sparks fly and the two hit it off. Sloan finally has a chance to move beyond the stillness she’s been living in. But unfortunately, this relationship has an expiration date – Jason’s fourteen-month tour around the world.

What I endlessly love about Jimenez’s books, other than the fantastic characters full of depth, is the familiarity between them. Jimenez has a talent for capturing human relationships and connections that you can just feel, whether it’s Sloan and her best friend Kristen (trust me, these two got more tears out of me while I read this than Jason and Sloan did!) or the lovebirds themselves. By all rights, this story should’ve felt like “instalove” – that nasty trope where you don’t quite understand what changed and why the characters are suddenly in love and we’re supposed to follow that?? In the course of just one week they’re getting married?? etc. BUT THIS BOOK had none of that! And I entirely attribute it to Jimenez’s writing ability and vision for human relationships. Despite the fast pace of this romance, she never lost me. You just fall with them. Incredible.

While I have never, ever, luckily experienced anything like the pain Sloan has, I found her character and the way she interacts with the world to be really relatable and genuine. From the moment a dog jumped through her sunroof, I know I would’ve been best friends with this girl. It’s so much easier to root for the characters when you feel you genuinely understand them.

My only real complaint with this book (and as you can see, it’s a small one, because this still got five stars from me!) is that the plot becomes a bit back-and-forth, rough drama through the middle. What I did appreciate, though, and the reason this doesn’t affect my rating whatsoever, is that Jimenez doesn’t really follow the traditional romance plot path. Buckle up, because there are far more conflicts in this book than your typical romance. I mean, usually, I can see I’ve got about 20% left or so in a book, and I know the bombshell is coming. The other shoe is about to drop. It’s about to hit the fan. But things hit the fan so many times in this book! So many times! And while it took my emotions on a rollercoaster ride, the love that Sloan and Jason build is so much stronger and feels so much more authentic to the reader when you know all it took to get there. It feels more comparable to real life relationships than the un-popped bubble of other novels does.

Jimenez has me HOOKED. I will read anything she publishes. I feel like I’m saying that about a lot of authors lately, but I mean it. The romance world is getting real juicy. I can’t wait for her next novel. ❤

The Happy Ever After Playlist comes out today, April 14, 2020! I highly encourage you to grab a copy, and as tired as I am today, I’m happy to report it was worth missing sleep over. 🙂 A copy was provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars...This book made my heart so happy. I was kind of really broken after the events in Book 1 The Friend Zone, so it was really awesome to see how it all worked out in the end. I absolutely love the character dynamics in this book. Jason is such a swoonworthy hero in my opinion. He is so sweet and kind. I love the type of story where they fall in love or start to develop a relationship long distance. Which this book included that trope. I absolutely LOVE Tucker. I appreciate the way that the author makes an animal (in this case Tucker) another main character of the story. It is very well written. I enjoyed reading more from Sloan's perspective, Seeing the characters from the other book was a huge plus. The main conflict was kind of meh in my opinion because of the rush in their relationship plus his fame there wasn't really any time for them to really get to know each other and so there was a bit of miscommunication within the story that honestly probably could have been resolved quickly. Over all a great read and I can't wait to see what Abby Jimenez writes next.

Thanks Forever Romance and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Happy Ever After Playlist is sweet. Very sweet. Like, eat a bowl of sugar sweet. It reminded me of fan fiction--gorgeous woman with a tragic past finds meet cute love with a gorgeous guy who turns out to be a rockstar. Throw in some easily solved conflict and a lot of scenes of the male mc, Jason aka Jaxon thinking about how much he loves the mc, Sloan, with Sloan being madly in love and hey, you have a love story. A very long, long read as there's nothing but sweetness and adoration and if either Sloan or Jason had been less perfect or had there been actual character development and a plot, this would have been a fun read. But instead The Happy Ever After Playlist buckles under its refusal to allow its characters any range and its refusal to allow a real, fulfilling plot to develop.

4 out of 5 Stars

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Happy Ever After Playlist was a cute and enjoyable read. I loved Sloan, Jason and Tucker.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of The Happy Ever After Playlist early (available April 14, 2020) in exchange for a honest review.

Sloan has seen better days when she thinks she hit a dog while on the way to visit her husband's grave. When she pulls over to check on the dog, she quickly finds out he's okay and not only that he has jumped into the car via her open roof AND he won't get out. Luckily the dog has a tag with his name, Tucker and the information for his owner, Jason. After trying to locate his owner for two weeks, Sloan is coming to terms with her new dog. When Jason finally returns her calls and texts, she finds out he was out of reception in Australia for two weeks hence why he didn't return her messages about Tucker. Jason won't be back in LA for a couple weeks so Sloan eagerly accepts the role of dogsitter for Tucker. As Jason and Sloan communicate over the next couple weeks things start to take a turn from friendly to flirtatious. When they finally meet Sloan is in for a surprise because Jason isn't just any guy...he's a rockstar.

The Happy Ever After Playlist hit the right spot for me during the Coronavirus crisis. I'm not usually one to reach for romance novels but that's exactly what I needed and this one hit all the check marks. Dog, check. Cute romance (even if predictable), check. The music associated with each chapter was an added plus especially for a Paramore fan, they're included a lot. I did think the last 1/3 of the book was a little slower paced than the rest of the book but it was still enjoyable. Although The Happy Ever After Playlist was predictable I still enjoyed the ride Abby Jimenez put me through. I haven't read The Friend Zone (her debut novel) but I definitely will after The Happy Ever After Playlist. I highly recommend this to romance fans, those looking for some escapism and/or anyone just looking for a light-hearted enjoyable read.

Loved! A great companion novel to The Friend Zone.

After acting as a support character and losing her fiancé in The Friend Zone, Sloan Monroe takes center stage as she tries to get her life back to some form of normal. When she finds a lost dog and discovers Jason, the owner, is a musician currently on tour in Australia, they begin a texting relationship that evolves into something more when Jason returns home. From there, the two have ups and downs as they settle into life on the road to happy ever after.

I really enjoyed Sloan and Jason. They were so sweet and cared about each other so much. I love that they got to really know each other over their text and phone call relationship before they ever met. It really gave them a good foundation to build on by learning each other emotionally first.

Of course obstacles await them at every turn, and mistakes are maid and information is misunderstood, but in the end, both are willing to fight for their relationship.

Definitely pick this one up for a nice dose of HEA.

*Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*