Review posted on GoodReads (February 11, 2021)
Review linked.

3/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review.

I was super excited about this book because I have loved Abby Jimenez's last two books so much! However, this book just did not meet my high expectations. I had a lot of trouble connecting with the characters. I felt like the main love interest's character was really flat and I found the plot very predictable. For me, this romance was cute, but not amazing.

Thanks for reading!
Caden

✓ Insta-Lust, ✓ Friends to Lovers, ✓ Close Proximity, ✓ Single Mother, ✓ Opposite Attract

Just like this book’s predecessor, The Happy Ever After Playlist, this book was a hard pass for me.

I can appreciate the message of this book: to live each moment as if it’s your last. Our main character, Vanessa, lives in a family of women who have all died before the age of 30 because of ALS. Fearing that she too will have succumb to the same fate, she starts to make YouTube videos of her journey to make the most of her last years as she travels the world. I really appreciated this point and what the author was trying to accomplish. I know that the author took inspiration from a real-life YouTuber, Claire Wineland, who also had a fatal illness and used her position to inspire others. I got more of an appreciation of that angle of this book after reading about that. I know many people will be inspired and take away a lot from this book from this messaging.

But that is not where my beef is with this book.

This book had many of the same elements as The Happy Ever After Playlist that made me so baffled as to how it was so well-received: instalove, attachment issues, weak chemistry, and quick resolutions.

Sure, in this book, the characters are friends first and build their relationship. But soon you realize that they are friends only in title and that they are both already gone for each other but they firmly agree that they “aren’t hitting on each other” (which makes everything platonic, right??). But then they quickly become attached to each other within just a few days of meeting anyway??

I mean, literally, within a weekend of knowing each other, they already have an open-door policy, have almost daily meals together (they even grocery shop and plan meals together), he bought his own baby swing for baby Grace that he keeps in his own apartment (!!) and have an unspoken agreements for him to watch her baby and her to watch his dog.

Within days??

In the beginning, Vanessa is firm in her stance that she doesn’t want to date on account that she might also have ALS. But then after a few days she’s like hmm you know what maybe I’ll chance this one. Like??

And Vanessa has so many problems arise that he has to come help with that I was just there sitting and reading like, how did she deal with this on her own before him? Because there were so many problems that came up, what with her drug addicted sister and hoarder father. It didn’t make sense. We also learned in the beginning that our love interest, Adrian, is a lawyer who is married to his job and rarely leaves before midnight and never takes time off. But suddenly, within days of knowing Vanessa, changes his tune, and is now fine with taking time off and even actively skips out to attend to her and the baby.

If that isn’t instalove and attachment issues, I don’t know what is.

Also can we talk about how baby Grace was used just as a plot device to bring the two together and makes less and less of an appearance as the book went on? Because…

That leads to the weak chemistry. I quite honestly don’t know what is keeping these two together. The reason they met and become friends is because of baby Grace, who was used to then keep them together in the beginning. Then they bond over The Office. The use of that show in this book was just excessive and even downright corny. Vanessa even had shirts with jokes from the show. That certainly won’t age well. I felt like it was used as a crutch to show that the two are bonding and have at least one thing in common. I really don’t like when books constantly bring up pop culture references to bring in “relatability”. But, really, other than baby Grace, him basically being her white knight, and The Office, I don’t see where they connect? It’s mostly her telling him to “live life to the fullest!!” And him being like “hm you know what, I never thought of it like that.”

And the ending was just wrapped up too well.

But, just like The Happy Ever After Playlist, I know people will love this one too.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m spinning. Like I’m in a tornado and I can’t ever stop moving and the only time I feel still is when I’m with you.”
— Life’s too Short, Abby Jimenez

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️/5

In the third installment of Jimenez’s Friend Zone series, we meet Vanessa Price and Adrian Copeland. Vanessa is a travel vlogger with millions of followers and a life most dream of having. But being her isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, not when she has a 50-50 chance of developing ALS and dying before her next birthday. That’s why she can’t let anyone in. Adrian is a high powered criminal defense attorney. He hates change, but not as much as he hates not being in control. When Adrian wakes up at 4am one morning to the sounds of a baby screaming its head off in the apartment next door, he goes over and offers to help. There he meets Vanessa, and everything begins to change.

I have come to be such a huge fan of Jimenez. This book was full of funny banter, exceptionally heartbreaking moments, and constant reminders to live every day like it’s your last. Jimenez is so talented at creating such complex characters while also making them believable. I also loved getting a glimpse of Josh and Kristen and Sloan and Jason again and seeing what they’re up to.

I deducted a star simply for lack of steamy sex scenes, and I felt like Adrian’s reunion with a particular character left something to be desired.

I loved this book! The dialogue was amazing and the entire story flowed so well. I love the perspective on life Abby gives through her characters. This was my favorite I have read in this series so far and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary books!

Abby's other two novels in this series are my all time favorites in the romance genre so I was both excited and nervous to read a third. I wasn't sure she could do it again but she absolutely did!

This story hit close to home for me, as I also have a genetic degenerative neurologic disease in my family history. Initially I wasn't sure I could handle the subject matter, but it was addressed with honesty, love, and humor. Abby weaves together joy and sadness in her novels unlike any other author I've read (except maybe Penny Reid.) This is a book about a young woman determined to live life on her own terms. Then family issues intrude on her plans and she has to decide if she's willing to take a different path.

This book made me laugh out loud and also had me near tears a few times. I read the entire thing in one day, which is a rarity for me. I highly recommend it for readers of romance, and it would work well as a standalone if you haven't read the first two yet, although you should!

Why are all of Abby Jimenez's books perfect? The 3rd book in the Friend Zone Series may be my favorite yet. Vanessa is living life on her own terms as a travel blogger, that is until her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in full custody of her infant daughter. Vanessa's life comes to a drastic halt as she quickly transitions into being a mommy. She is on the struggle bus when her incredibly attractive neighbor shows up to help. Vanessa accepts Adrian's help. The two quickly develop a friendship that shows just how much opposites can attract.

Abby Jimenez latest book, Life’s Too Short, is a friends to lovers story of vlogger, Vanessa, and her very sexy neighbor, Adrian. This is rom-com at its finest! From the meet cute moment to their eventual declaration of feelings, everything just works!

The only thing I didn’t love about this book is that Vanessa thinks she has a terminal illness but refuses to see a doctor. So instead, she just whines about it. I wanted to shake her multiple times. 😊

Thank you to #netgalley and @readforeverpub for the advanced e-copy of #lifestooshort !

#book #bookreview #romcom #romancebooks #romance

No one quite writes dialogue like Abby Jimenez. While I didn’t like this book as much as I liked the Happy Ever After Playlist, I still loved the dialogue, romance, and story. Adrian, an incredibly hard working lawyer, and Vanessa, a vlogger star, meet and of course sparks fly, but then have to triumph over family drama, illness, and Adrian’s fears. The characters are great, the wit is top notch, and while I was scared for a sad ending, I was able to finish the book with a smile on my face. If you love Abby Jimenez books, you will not be disappointed.

If I had 500 stars to give this book, I would. I loved this book so much. I love rom com with substance and real life issues. Life’s Too Short has the usually aspects of rom coms without being cheesy and fake. Also, I legit laughed out loud on multiple occasions. It was a delight getting to know Vanessa (and learning from her how she deals with maybe being terminal), Adrian (swoon), Grace, and Harry Puppins. Adrian may seem too good to be true at times BUT he’s the type of too good to be true that realistic.

Abby Jimenez has done it again with this exquisite romantic comedy! With her signature balance of humor, banter, steam and heartbreak, Life's Too Short is a new favorite. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and this was so well done!

Of this series, I didn’t love this book as much as the first two. Vanessa was an amazing character to follow!

This book!!!! 😍 I loved every minute. It’s hysterical, cute, sad, fun and makes you feel every emotion. I couldn’t stop reading it. I’ve become a huge fan of Abby and this is my favorite of hers, which is saying a lot. I love how she brings back her characters from the previous books too. Such a nice touch.

Abby Jimenez has become a go-to author for me because every time I finish one of her books I declare it my new favorite of her's. I love the way she weaves together a story I can't put down while dealing with heavy topics in a respectful way. And she also writes male characters you can't help but fall in love with!

Life's Too Short for me was absolute perfection. From their meet cute in the early morning hour to their Office marathons, I loved the friendship turned relationship of Vanessa and Adrian and I also loved each character independently on their own. Despite what she has gone through with losing family members, possibly dealing with her own ALS diagnosis and trying to keep her out of control surviving family members in line, Vanessa has the hugest heart and you are rooting for everything to go right for her. Adrian, first off he is incredibly swoon worthy and his love for Grace will melt you heart, he has unseated Jason as my favorite male character in an Abby book! I enjoyed going on the journey of growth he goes through in the book from realizing there is more to care about in life than just your job.

With Adrian being a minor character in The Happy Ever After Playlist, this book can definitely be read as a standalone, but if you have not read Abby's previous two books, I highly recommend that you do. The cameo of Kristen, Josh, Sloan and Jason in this book was one of my favorite and funniest scenes. While this book is funny, it also deals with a number of heavy topics including ALS, death and substance abuse in a way that feels incredibly authentic.

It takes a lot to make me laugh, especially out loud, but Abby Jimenez does it every time.

Just like with her previous two books, the author has managed to weave that humor through genuine, raw, difficult topics in a way that keeps it from becoming depressing or too heavy.

I loved Vanessa's outlook on life, the way she embraced each day and refused to be sad, but I also appreciated that there were moments of realism in all that she was dealing with. These characters felt like people I wanted to know, and I found myself cheering for them from the first page. I found the hero to be intricately layered, and completely swoony.

Another fabulous read!

Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez was a pleasant surprise! It had a lot more substance than I expected for a rom-com. I really appreciated Jimenez tackling a hard topic like ALS. As someone who has a family member with an autoimmune disease, I found it refreshing to read about a character that was dealing with something like that in her life, and how it affected her and everyone around her. While I appreciated the author broaching difficult topics, and enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters, I did find the story to be a bit predictable and got frustrated with the lack of communication between them.

Have you ever read a book that pulled on every emotion in your body, broke your heart, then put it back together again. This is how I am feeling after reading an EARC of “Life’s Too Short” by Abby Jimenez . This book honestly drew me in and kept me engaged from page 1. Abby Jimenez is an author I have fell in love with. Her characters are real and deal with real life struggles. Each book I read of her’s I think I know what I am in for and it completely changes. This book utterly spoke to my soul and I thank Abby for writing this.

Vanessa is a world traveler and YouTube sensation. She has the knowledge that she has a small chance of dying before she turns 30. She lives with this but chooses happy instead of sad. She totally lives her life to the fullest and isn’t afraid of an expensive bottle of wine.

Adrian is the opposite. He likes a plan, and being able to figure everything else - and from what I read he is really attractive ;). Adrian lives his life through work (criminal attorney) not really experiencing the joys. His struggles arise through his mental health - family and personal.

These two totally compliment each other - Aridian is safe and a grounding force while Vanessa brings the spinanity and lifts him up. They just seem to work and it is all encompassing.

Abby has a way of drawing you in. I think this comes from her character development and the truthful way she deals with real life struggles and grief. It never feels forced, or insensitive - it is REAL.

Damn Abby Jimenez....you just keep getting better and better with each book!!
Vanessa Price's adventurous life of globe trotting and documenting everything on her extremely popular YouTube channel has come to complete halt and she is now living a very different adventurous life raising her addict sister's infant. One night when Grace (the baby) is just inconsolable her drop dead gorgeous neighbor, Adrian Copeland, comes to the rescue and turns out he is the baby whisperer!!! Pretty soon Vanessa and Adrian are eating together, helping each other out with life in general and learning more and more about each other. Lines begin to blur when feelings start to grow but Vanessa has always been very adamant that she doesn't do relationships due to her family baggage and health history...but sometimes feelings don't care about family and health :)

Vanessa and Adrian’s story was one of the most hilarious books I’ve read in a long time! Despite a lot of the content being emotionally heavy, there were so many incredible jabs and snort worthy quips throughout the story! I adored Vanessa’s character. She was energetic, radiant, awkward and honest. She was the perfect opposite to Adrian’s personality. They went together like peanut butter and jelly. Adrian was the epitome of a true hero. He was compassionate and stable. He was the grounding force that Vanessa needed. My heart melted over his relationship with little Grace.

I barely noticed the lack of steam in this story. Sure there were a few scenes of heat but for the most part, the story was quite platonic. But that didn’t take away from the “romance”, that’s for sure!

I teared up a few times during this novel. Abby Jimenez certainly didn’t hold back when it came to gut wrenching situations and heartbreak. I was so worried about how this book was going to wrap-up. Fearing for the end. But, the epilogue saved my sanity for sure. What a truly beautiful story Life’s Too Short was!

4.5 stars. My favorite Abby Jimenez book so far! This book hooked me from the very beginning. The family drama was gripping, the descriptions of their lifestyles and challenges were so intriguing. Jimenez did a great job drawing me into the character's lives. Both Adrian and Vanessa's characters were very likeable and their chemistry was fantastic. I loved having the dual perspective. The only thing I wish was different was that it took them a very long time to get together, but thankfully the build up was so well done I barely noticed. Even though so much of their relationship took place in their apartments, in a seemingly 'small lifestyle' I really enjoyed the dynamic and thought that Jimenez made a simple life look very appealing. I didn't want to book this book down and have now added a new book boyfriend to my life!

I was invested in this book and these characters from the very beginning. Vanessa is a famous YouTuber who finds her self fostering her sister's newborn. Adrian is her next door neighbor and has a very rigid and quiet life as a successful lawyer. When the baby won't stop crying late one night, Adrian stops over to offer some assistance, and the two form an unlikely friendship... and even start to feel like a family within their friendship. This book also deals with more serious topics like mental illness, addiction, hoarding, and fatal disease, yet I found the dialogue snappy and realistic, and the characters complex enough to feel like friends. I chuckled to myself quite a few times at their quick witty back and forths.