Loved this preview. The author's sense of humor comes through without overwhelming the characters and plot. I am looking forward to reading the full book!

I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of this book!!! Abby Jiminez is going to be one of my favorite authors I think!

This is my first Abby Jimenez book, and let me tell you, she lives up to all of the hype! I was a tad worried I wouldn't cling to this book as quickly as I did since I haven't read The Friend Zone, but I could not have been more wrong. This book takes you on a journey as Sloan and her pup navigate the world, and you truly feel like you are right there along side the crew of two! Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an extended preview copy of this book for an honest review.

When I read The Friend Zone, I had no idea what I was getting into with that book. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride filled with more ups and downs than I knew how to handle. I love that book so much and when I found out Sloan was getting her own story (after everything that takes place in TFZ) I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

Sloan is still trying to learn how to live after losing her fiancé 2 years ago. When Tucker, a trouble making pup, falls into her lap (literally) and gives her is big puppy dog eyes, she starts to finally feel like herself again. After weeks of trying find Tucker’s owner with no response, Sloan finally gets a call from his owner who turns out to be a musician touring in Australia and he wants Tucker back. After many flirty calls and texts, Sloan can’t deny her connection to Jason, but when they finally meet face-to-face will that connection last?

I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. Abby Jimenez has a huge talent for writing such realistic characters with big emotions that it’s hard to remember it’s not real. When I read her writing, I can actually picture everything taking place as if I were watching a movie.

I loved that each chapter has a song to go along with it and when I finished reading, I found the playlist on Apple Music and I loved it. The songs were so perfectly matched for the chapters and this book as a whole. It was a fun way to interact with the book for sure.

I loved The Friend Zone so have been so looking forward to this - and this makes me even more excited for the book. It was so nice to reconnect with the characters, and to have the prospect of getting to know Sloan a lot more. Jimenez writes really well (follow her on Instagram and you will see how funny she is in real life) and her characters are so well-drawn - and I love the idea of using a different song for each chapter. The only downside - was ready to keep reading and then remembered it was only a preview. Roll on the full version!

Where to start... where to start?? U may have been hearing hype about this one for months now, I can confidently say it's been the most sought after ARC I've ever had the pleasure of reading, and if you're like me, you've been holding your breathe since you've devoured The Friend Zone waiting to see how in the world @authorabbyjimenez could possibly outdo herself.

I will start by saying @authorabbyjimenez has this magic to her writing. If u follow her Instagram account, u already know how hilarious and witty she is and can clearly see her personality shine through her writing. It breathes life into her characters, makes u feel like u actually know them, like you're in the moment with them; in love or depressed or hopeful or dejected or ecstatic or self-fulfilled- her writing is the very definition of all the feels.
Technically u can read this as a standalone novel but you'd be remiss not to read Sloan's backstory in The Friend Zone. It is a huge piece of who she is and contributes that much more to what she's able to overcome.

We start this novel 2 years after a pivotal tragedy in Sloan Monroe's life (*trying to remain spolier free as best I can!). She still feels like a shell of her former self until one day a dog literally jumps into her lap and puts in motion the process of rebuilding her life. It takes a while to get a hold of the owner but once she does... insert flying sparks here🔥

Each chapter is titled with a song that appropriately captures the mood/time in the characters' lives. I would call it a small touch but i can't imagine that being as easy to select as it sounds! And honestly for me it took my reading experience to the next level. I opened up to chapter 1 and was overcome with emotion seeing "PLAYLIST: IN THE MOURNING I PARAMORE" - it happens to be I had come across this song on my own only a few weeks before reading so the lyrics and music were fresh in my mind and my heart just swelled with the sentiment and meaning.
@authorabbyjimenez you've done it again, if I was unofficially your groupie after reading The Friend Zone, I am OFFICIALLY your groupie now. I CANNOT WAIT to see what u have in store for us next!

The plot of this book sucked me in right away! Sloan, our heroine, lost her fiancé two years previously and is still stuck in a pretty intense cycle of grief and living in LA. Jason, our hero, is a rockstar on the rise backpacking and touring for four weeks in Australia. They meet when Jason's dog escapes his neglectful dogsitter and jumps into Sloan's car. As far as meet cutes go? This book has a pretty epic one. Can't wait for the rest of the book.

I was given an excerpt of this for review and liked what I read so far!

I found Sloan a tad annoying and, like her friend, was frustrated with her for not finding it in herself to move past the death of her fiance. I liked how the dog she found (Tucker), in a way, seemed to serve as a therapy dog and how she seemed really receptive to his owner (eventually), Jason. Their banter was cute from what I read and I liked how lighthearted and genuine Jason seemed!

The songs at the beginning of each chapter were also a nice, innovative touch! I'm looking forward to reading a finished copy of this!

PUB date 4/14 Not going to bury the lede- I freaking adored this book.

This rom-com gem was near the tippy-top of my "highly anticipated releases" list. A bookish friend snagged an ARC and generously shared it with me. I couldn't read it fast enough. No seriously- I have the paper cuts to prove how aggressively I turned the pages. Then I got some more as I begrudgingly pried it out of my hands to send onto the next friend. I cannot wait until my copy arrives one month from today.
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What I love about Abby Jimenez's books is how she takes a somewhat familiar plot and infuses it with complexity. The story is propelled through a downright adorable meet-cute, witty banter via text and then clever dialogue throughout. Sure- the chemistry is pretty palpable, but its more than that. The characters are dealing with some real life baggage and they had me rooting for them from page one.
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BONUS feature: each chapter lists a song to set the tone and mood for what’s to come. It really enhanced the experience for me. You can find the full book playlist on Spotify and Apple Music
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Sigh- this book made me laugh, swoon and yes- cry. I read the ending through the best kind of tears. Then I read it all over again. It was just fabulous.
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While you could read it as a stand alone I would recommend reading The Friend Zone (TFZ) first. I read TFZ twice last year. On the first read I loved the solid storyline, the relatable characters and the steamy romance. But there were a couple things that kept needling at the of my brain. Since I kept thinking about it- I read it again 4 months later and guess what? The things that bothered me the first time were totally non-issues this go around. I couldn’t imagine changing a thing. And dare I say I loved The Happy Ever After Playlist even more?

Oh my gosh. I have high expectation for this book, seeing as I absolutely loved The Friend Zone last year, and then a preview promised that I will not be let down. I was immediately sucked in, loving every single second of the Banter between Kristen and Jason. I was so engrossed that I forgot it was a preview and was so sad when I got to the end of chapter 6 and realized I was at the end! I can’t wait to read the full book when it comes out in the 14th! 😍

Thank you NetGalley and pibloshers for a preview copy of this book.

Although I only read the first few chapters of this book, I'm hooked! Its a great love story! I love how the author uses different songs in the titles of each chapter. It really creates a literary experience that is fun and cute! I can't wait to finish reading!! It's soooo good!

Just read the preview but I can’t wait to read the rest. So glad to going back into this world and characters.

I received a complimentary review copy of #TheHappyEverAfterPlaylistExtendedPreview from #NetGalley

These first few chapters set the characters up well so their personalities, conversations, emotions, and experiences all seem very realistic, almost like the reader is right there with them. The book opens with the main character experiencing a difficult life-changing event, and heads towards the character experiencing some other events that may turn things around to a more positive direction.

I just read the "Extended Preview" for the Happy Ever After Playlist and loved it! It has been two year since Sloan lost her fiancee in an accident. On the anniversary of the accident Sloan almost runs over a lost dog. As she takes the dog home and takes care of it she slowly takes back her life. When the dog's owner contacts Sloan from overseas they start an online flirtation.

I'm loving both Sloan and Jason. Abby Jimenez does a great job with Sloan, capturing her devastation from the loss of her fiancee and how Sloan kind of puts her life her hold. Jason is a music star, presumably of some note (since it is an extended preview I'm not entirely sure how famous he really is). His banter with Sloan, both by text and phone call is just so fun to read.

Needless to say, I can't wait until this book comes out and I get to read the rest of this story!

What fun! I can’t wait for the full novel to come out! I’m already hooked.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

The extended preview of The Happy Ever After Playlist was AMAZING! I honestly could not stop reading! I think y’all gave us too much because I’m insanely hooked and sad that I have to wait until April to read the rest!

I love the writing, the story flows nicely and the characters are well written. I love the back and forth conversations between Sloan and Jason, they had me giggling and blushing like I was there! I love the involvement of Sloans friends and Tucker the “good boy” dog! Anything involving dogs and romance have my instant interest! I can’t wait to read the rest!

So I LOVED Abby Jimenez’s #thefriendzone. I wanted to be BFFs with Kristen and just bask in her hilarity.
SPOILeR ALERt: if you haven't read TFZ yet, stop reading this review and purchase immediately.... Are they gone???? Ok. The only part of the book I didn't love was the side story with Sloan. It broke my heart she didn't get her happily ever after. I had a solid 24 hours of being mad at Abby Jimenez where I considered sob tweeting ”how could you” before I emotionally recovered enough to move on with my life.
anywho... I read the first quarter of this book on #netgalley and I'm now in love and counting down the days until it releases on April 14th. It has given me reason to live during these dark times (along with like my children and stuff.) I may love it more than TFZ. It's got of Kristens banter plus the ”texting a stranger/asking random questions” trope (which is my all time FAVE.) Plus he's swoony and dreamy and adorable!
So put this puppy on your list! Five star (so far) from me!

The extended preview of The Happy Ever After Playlist did its job - it left me desperately wanting to keep reading the story.

Connected to Jimenez's last story, a grieving widow suddenly finds herself taking care of a dog when it jumps through her car's sunroof. When the owner finally makes contact (after two weeks!) he's in Australia and model handsome.

The preview sets up what looks to be a story of connection and recovery, with peeks into the life of characters from the prior book.

I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of this book!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review.

If was a fun and sweet read and now I want to read the rest of the story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

With a dog in the spotlight, romance in the air as well as a light, humorous style - the plot grabbed me! Based on the preview, am looking forward to reading the whole story when it comes out in April!