Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Vanessa Price and Adrian Copeland are apartment neighbors who meet because of a crying baby. Soon, though, they are spending everyday together, playing house with her sister's baby. Vanessa is a travel vlogger who is a supporter and advocator for ALS research with all her videos due to her family history. Adrian is an attorney who doesn't like change and tries to be a "fixer" of things/people. He has family issues of his own and has huge anxiety about flying. He hasn't watched any of Vanessa's videos or really knows who she is. Their story is quite the slow burn since they don't admit their feelings to each other beyond friendship. Barely any steam to this one at all.

This book is more than a romcom. It has so much more heart and real topics in it--ALS, mental health and addiction are all addressed. Don't be surprised if you shed a tear. Especially, the last quarter of the book.) This is a wonderful read and I have already preordered my paperback copy.

Vanessa is a travel vlogger who believes in making the most of each day. The women in her family have a history of dying young so she doesn't want to waste time. Adrian is a criminal defense lawyer who likes things according to plan. During a dating hiatus the two become friends while she's home caring for her sister's baby daughter. But when things turn serious, can Vanessa and Adrian find a way forward?

Vanessa is a strong female lead who knows what she needs. Adrian is a good guy who when presented with a problem wants to help. And the problems the couple face felt very real.

For me the best part of this book was the banter between the two. While the novel dealt with serious topics, it had plenty of humor and was ultimately hopeful. For readers of the author's previous books, those couples make a brief appearance. If you like fun banter and a friends to lovers story, grab a copy of this book!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-copy of this book

I loved the characters in this book! Vanessa was totally real and relateable, even though she was a celebrity, and Adrian was just the absolute most perfect book boyfriend ever! I was rooting for this couple the whole time!

For me, the story was very light on the comedy, but the growing relationship between the couple was so sweet. However, the burn was frustratingly slow, and then things happened very quickly in the last quarter if the book, so the pacing felt a little uneven towards the end. However, I always felt compelled to turn the pages.

Although the couple dealt with serious issues in their respective families, things were resolved with healthy dose of assistance from mental health professionals.

All in all, this book was just plain sweet, and I loved these wonderful characters.

Abbey Jimenez does it AGAIN!! This is her third book and it’s sooo darn good. All the feels all the love all the laughs! Thank you to @grandcentralpub and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Vanessa lives her life to the fullest. Every day counts when you are waiting to see if a fatal genetic illness is coming for you. When her addict sister leaves her taking care of her infant niece she finds herself in over her head. In walks her gorgeous lawyer next door neighbour Adrian. Adrian likes control but when he meets Vanessa, he can’t help but be attracted to her playful and carefree personality. As they become closer they have to decide if their very different lifestyles will be able to coexist.

I loveddd this romance. Abbey Jimenez is always SO FUNNY! She dives into such serious and emotional topics that make you so invested in these characters! Somehow you end up still laughing your way through!? It’s a perfect mix.

Vanessa is a fantastic character. She’s had a rough go of things but she’s always so positive! She’s like a ray of literal sunshine and I love her. This book really makes you think about how you can live your life to the fullest because guess what? Life’s too short!!

Really sweet story about living your life to the fullest, making the most of what you're given, and finding the the courage to love even in the face of loss.
This book is so much more than your typical rom com. It delves into grief, addiction, disease, death, and mental health. And yet it manages to be uplifting and hopeful. Highly recommend!

Thank you so much to the publisher for granting my wish for this book.

I am a huge fan of Abby Jiminez’s other two books, so when I saw there was another book in the same universe I about screamed in joy. This book was so touching, and dealt with serious topics like mental health and disease in a way that was relatable and poignant while still being an upbeat book. I loved this one, it might be my favourite of her books thus far.

Okay, full disclosure: This is my first Abby Jimenez book and now I have to run out and buy the first two in the series! This. Was. Just. So. Good. First, Vanessa is my spirit animal. I wish I could be like her -- maybe not her job (travel vlogger) but her personality, her off-the-cuff humor, and her zest for life was so refreshing in a rom-com. I know that sounds terrible, but she was such a well-rounded character and author Abby Jimenez' writing captures so much in such clever writing that you feel like you know Vanessa completely even though she's not a real person. And Adrian... What can I say about this dreamboat??? He is a hard worker with a strong constitution and a deep desire to do right by people, even his guilty clients he's defending in court. He's the opposite of a slimeball lawyer and apparently has the abs worthy of God himself. He's also incredibly sweet and has protective tendencies that this romance reader adores in a male lead.

Before you get too comfortable, though, be warned that this isn't your typical rom-com... There's some angst and heavy topics (death, mortality, addiction, hoarding, mental health, adoption, to name a few), and these don't go away quickly or are solved easily. Vanessa's life is kind of a mess, but thankful Adrian is totally here for it. Their meet-cute is so not your typical rom-com sitch (a screeching baby and Vanessa's hair full of baby vomit), but not much scares Adrian away and Vanessa's lack of concern for anything other than living life to its fullest means these two are the perfect pair. This was a really sweet story filled with real-life issues, an adorable baby girl, a grumpy foster pupper, and two people living completely different lives who didn't realize how much they needed each other to balance them out. I can't wait to read the first two books, and I'm regretting not having picked them up sooner!

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.**

Thank you so much @ReadForeverPub & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 06 April 2021)

SYNOPSIS | Vanessa has a 50% chance of getting hereditary ALS, but she refuses to seek medical help because there is no cure for this terminal illness and she doesn't want to spend her remaining days worrying about dying. As its coming up to her 30th birthday she decides to pursue her dream of travelling and unexpectedly becomes a YouTube sensation. One day her younger half sister leaves her baby with her whilst she runs errands, except she doesn't come back & Vanessa now finds herself in custody of her niece.

WHAT I LIKED:
- I was hooked from the first couple of pages (the mix of heaviness & humour throughout this story was exactly my cup of tea)
- I felt all the feels
- I rooted so hard for this romance (Adrian's sexy alpha-in-charge vibe was *chefs kiss*)
- the conversation around terminal illness (specifically hereditary ALS)
- the core message of living each day to its fullest really hit home for me especially given my current life circumstances & the ongoing pandemic

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the resolution was VERY quick & I wanted a bit more discussion rather than an immediate happily ever after

An amazing, heartwarming third instalment in this companion series!!! Adrian and Vanessa were the perfect pair and I was rooting for them the whole way through! This was quirky, fun, and it will make you shed a tear or two.

The third time's the charm! I was mentally prepared for this to devastate me, and that made the reading experience go much smoother. If you think I'm joking, then you clearly haven't read this author's first two books, lol! She is a phenomenal writer, but I found the tonal shift in her first two books to be too jarring, and they kinda wrecked me (and wrecked the books for me too, in a way). That wasn't the case with this one; there's a bittersweet tone to the entire book, and it's sprinkled with heartache. This is still very much a rom com, with plenty of light and carefree moments, but you know everything is going to come to a head at some point. I loved the opposites attract dynamic; Adrian is such a workaholic that days pass by without him even realizing it, while Vanessa doesn't take a moment for granted. Their lifestyles are completely different, but they end up being perfect complements for each other, and that was so great to read.

The story follows Vanessa, a woman who knows she has a 50/50 chance of developing ALS, a disease that has taken the lives of several women in her family before they reached the age of thirty. Knowing that, she lives every day as if it could be her last, and she's built up a successful vlog dedicated to the cause. Though she's very successful, Vanessa's life seems to be one never-ending hot mess, and she would never wish that on anyone else - or bring anyone else into that (possibly temporary) life. So her world gets complicated when she becomes the guardian to a baby girl, meets a man who makes her feel complete, and finds herself falling in love against her will.

It took awhile for me to like Vanessa, because she is so focused on her death. Simple as that. I appreciate that the author wove that storyline into the whole book, but it does take a bit to wrap your head around. Adrian, on the other hand, I loved right away. He doesn't know what hit him, and he's completely unprepared for the whirlwind that is Vanessa. I loved the two of them together, and the quieter moments are fantastic. This author has a skill for putting her readers on an emotional journey, and this has a little of everything. The back half was really the strongest part of the book for me, which is the opposite of my last two experiences with her work. Once Vanessa won me over, I was entirely invested in their love story, and that made the ups and downs more impactful. This is a rom com with emotion, and just the kind of book I love to read. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy (then purchased it for my collection), and am voluntarily leaving a review of this heartfelt romance.

I absolutely loved Life’s Too Short! Abby Jimenez has a way of writing about extremely tough, painful topics without the heaviness that these books normally bring. Sure, I got emotional reading this book but I never felt like I was drowning in it. This was a beautiful love story between Vanessa and Adrian but it’s also about making the most of every day, forgiveness, giving grace and family. This is my favorite book by Abby Jimenez to date and I strongly recommend it!

I’m gonna be straight with you, I am an Abby Jimenez fangirl. I can’t help it. If she writes it I fall head over heels for it. She just has a way of bringing in humor and joy in the most serious of subjects making the hard stuff not seem so heavy. And this is exactly what she did with Life’s Too Short, just adding more fuel to my love of all things she writes.

Life’s Too Short is about Vanessa, a travel YouTuber that tries to live her life to the fullest. She doesn’t want to miss a moment of joy since it is possible she has the same fatal disease her mother had. Instead she jet sets to everywhere and anywhere enjoying life to the fullest and sharing the experiences with her followers. That is until her half sister leaves her with her baby. Suddenly Vanessa is at the same place every day taking care of a baby that isn’t hers but that she loves to the fullest. But when she has a rough morning with the screaming infant and her hot neighbor, Adrian, shows up at her door offering to help Vanessa finds herself on a trip she never imagined taking…a trip of possible love.

First and foremost, what I loved the most about Life’s Too Short was by far Vanessa and Adrian’s relationship. They were complete strangers that happened to be neighbors but they became so much more than that. I loved seeing how their relationship blossomed and became a solid friendship. They started to rely on each other and fall in love with Grace. But underneath all of this Vanessa is also living in fear of ALS. It is a fear she can’t make go away even if she tries to act like she doesn’t make decisions because of this. Everything Vanessa does is to run away from this fear.

All in all this was another solid romance from. the mind of Abby Jimenez. It took on a different vibe than The Friend Zone and The Happy Ever After Playlist, but it was just as amazing. It is a book that you will need to finish almost as soon as you start it and one you don’t want to miss!

I really wanted to like this book. I had enjoyed Abby’s two previous works, The Friend Zone and the Happy Ever After Playlist, and had good feelings going into this one. Life’s Too Short, however, just completely missed the mark for me, and I’m having a hard time putting into words why that is.

The best way I can sum it up is that I didn’t have a good feeling while reading this story. Like, at all. There were a few moments that made me chuckle, and some sweet moments that I really enjoyed, but overall, this book fell kind of flat and was missing the spark I’ve come to enjoy from Abby’s writing. There were no laugh out loud moments, and maybe my expectations were too high, but I was really looking forward to whatever was going to pop out of her brain and onto the page this time. Instead I was kind of bored? And then the more I read, the more frustrated I became with the storyline overall and how the characters were behaving. I won’t go into too much detail because what frustrated me the most is probably spoiler-y, but I will say that I really do not enjoy when storylines are fueled by one simple miscommunication or some grand assumptions. I don’t expect perfect characters, not in the slightest, but I’m at least hoping for some basic communication skills. The ending of Life’s Too Short also wrapped up way too neatly for my taste. I understand romance novels have HEAs, that’s why we love them, but with the material covered in this book it was way too “okay I’m done here’s your happy ending everything is fine” and it just didn’t feel good. It was far too light of an ending for the heavy nature of this story.

The final nail in the coffin for me, though, was the mental health rep. Look, I understand that everyone’s experience with mental health, and specifically anxiety, is different, but if someone ever minimized my feelings and how I processed emotions and information the way that the FMC did the hero, I would snap. It was insulting, it was cliche, and it was just not great to read. In fact, I think that’s what angered me the most about this story. Telling someone with anxiety to just “forget about it” and “push it to the back of your mind” while also spewing instagram captions about “living in the moment” is absolutely never helpful, and I was insulted on the MC’s behalf that the FMC chose to behave in this manner. With everything the FMC was going through, I expected a little more compassion and awareness than we received.

I don’t know, this book just really kind of bummed me out, and the more I sit here thinking about it, the more upset I get. I could keep going, but like I said, I don’t want this review to be full of spoilers. It essentially comes down to the fact that I believe a lot of what Abby wrote about in this book could have been handled in a way that felt less like trauma porn, and more like a legitimate storyline that really does deserve the representation I know she tried to give it. It just really fell short for me and instead left me feeling really hurt and bummed out.

I do believe I’ll try another Abby book in the future; I’m not completely done with her, but I am disappointed and really hope that the next story is less shock-factor than this one tried to be. I applaud her for trying to tackle these big topics with her stories, I honestly do. It’s nice to see an author try to be realistic, so better luck next time, I suppose.

{Many thanks to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for my review copy!}

Abby Jimenez, you are officially added to my favorite authors list. I adored your other two books, and now Life's Too Short stole my heart as well. I felt all the emotions during this read. My whole body was tingling with nerves at times, and I definitely cried. Any time a book gets me that much, I'm going to sing it's praises!

The characters were brilliantly created. I loved them all, even Vanessa's family members. They had flaws that were understandable and easy to be empathetic towards. The plot and storyline were beautifully crafted as well. Vanessa made me want to live every single day like it's my last, which is something we should all aspire to do anyway. Snuggle your loved ones, eat the pizza, read the book, buy the shoes, take the trip. Whatever brings you joy, do it!

This will easily be one of my top books this year.

Title: Life’s Too Short
Author: Abby Jimenez
Genre: Romcom
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

In short: A slow burn, friends to lovers romance involving two neighbors.

My thoughts: I thought this was cute but not great. Happily Ever After Playlist is a favorite book of mine and this was nowhere near as good. Again just my opinion. What was good with this book was the friendship and humor between Vanessa and Adrian and dealing with very real situations such as living with ALS and addiction.

From what I’ve seen I am in the minority so please make sure to pick this one up and hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as many others have.

Heartwarming, swoon-worthy, and sassy!

Life’s Too Short is an absorbing, heart-tugging tale that takes you into the life of the successful, lifestyle vlogger, Vanessa Price as she juggles her deteriorating health, the full-time care of her sister’s newborn infant, and the sexy, workaholic lawyer who lives next door who’s always willing to lend a hand.

The writing is passionate and heartfelt. The characters are resolute, independent, and troubled. And the plot is a delightfully enchanting mix of family, friendship, tension, attraction, self-discovery, mental illness, substance abuse, special moments, happiness, taking chances, and facing one’s own mortality.

For the past two years, the two previous books in this series have topped my must-read, favourites list, and even though I didn’t think it was possible to love an Abby Jimenez’s book more than I already did, she proved me wrong. Life’s Too Short made my heart smile, shatter, and then put it all back together again in 384 pages and not only did I absolutely adore it, but it might just be, dare I say it, the best one yet!

Life's Too Short is one of the most uplifting books I have ever read. With writing that features the most perfect kind of cadence, I fell in step with Vanessa and Adrian's journey like I was right beside them. Taking her cue from a real-life vlogger, Jimenez brings her A-game with this story of how two people grasp very differently what life throws at them and the aftermath of their decisions. With loss and responsibility taking hold of their very beings, the collision of Vanessa and Adrian's hearts made it clear that even with the best intentions, forging one's path in this world sure looks different when love decides to show up.

Swept away from the very first words, I absolutely adored Vanessa and the way she has decided to live her life. The fact that she isn't quite sure she'll be victim to the fate that was bestowed upon her mother and sister could have left her bitter, miserable, and alone. But she lives each day to the fullest. Doesn't sweat the small stuff and all the while takes care of those closest to her no matter how much they may screw up their lives. She is the person we all should be, no matter one's destiny.

And then there is Adrian. The man on the other side of her apartment wall who becomes her best friend. The man she laughs with. The man she dreams with. The man who showed up when a screaming, red-faced baby wouldn't stop wailing and forever became emblazoned on Vanessa's very soul. I just loved him. I loved his uptight ways. His little bit of tolerance for his nosey assistant. But it's the magic of his arms when Grace was having a tiny meltdown that blew me away. This man is a keeper like no other.

I think what I cherished most about this book is that there is the perfect amount of truly laugh-out-loud humor to diffuse any bittersweet thoughts. But it's never too much and it doesn't take away from the exquisitely painful moments or the ones filled with an abundance of love that couldn't help but leap off of each page. Vanessa's life is a crazy one at times, with her dad, her brother, sister, and niece a ton to juggle but she manages with a grace that is awe-inspiring. I couldn't wait for what she might say next or how she would handle the next bump in her rocky road.

Together with the musings of Mr. Rogers. Life's Too Short should be on everyone's coffee table. On every nightstand as a reminder to simply live. We don't all need the pomp and circumstance that Vanessa was surrounded by with her popularity as an influencer and vlogger but it's clearly a lesson to enjoy whatever our own life's joys may be because tomorrow is never promised. I do, however, promise that you will finish this book with a tear or twelve in your eyes and the biggest smile on your face possible at knowing you just read a story like no other. It is spectacular and one of the very reasons I read.

5 outstanding and beautifully optimistic stars!

LIFE’S TOO SHORT is a book that contains what you expect from Abby based on her first two books (which go read if you haven't already) - reasons for you to laugh, reasons for you to cry; reasons for you to laugh until you cry; funny dog moments. We even get a brief update on Kirsten and Josh, and Sloane and Jason.

If you want a contemporary with hero pining, this book is for you. Give me ALL the pining. I didn't even realize that pining could be so we'll written with such relatively low- angst until I read this book. I'm sure there are books out there, but most of the time there's just not enough pining.

I enjoyed how Vanessa and Adrian were very much friends first, and neither willing to make a move for reasons, yet they were eventually willing to take a risk on love.

The way that Vanessa’s overall outlook on life, life’s too short do what makes you happy. Whether this is using new sponges, traveling the world, or in my case ordering fast food.

Things to Love about the novel: pining hero, the clickbait chapter headings (they are fabulous), grumpy/sunshine, Adrian’s assistant, Becky (please let her be the heroine in a future book, or novella).

While on the calendar, the majority of this book takes place between the month that is Thanksgiving and Christmas, despite all the pining, it is not a holiday Romance (this non-holiday during the holidays send to be a trend in my reading)

CW: death, illness, hoarding, drug abuse, anxiety, grief, cheating

Another fantastic read from Abby Jimenez! As always, she gives a humorous approach to romance, and in this case, parenthood. Like her other novels, you will laugh, you will cry, and you will cry from laughter! You won’t be able to put this book down!

This rom-com is easy to relate to, it’s entertaining and easy to read. It is both funny and sad. And it has some good life messages, as the title suggests. Life is short, make it count!