The Friend Zone

A slow burn, hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly.

"A romance for the ages" —Tessa Bailey, bestselling author of It Happened One Summer

Kristen Peterson doesn't do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don't get her. She's also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.

Planning her best friend's wedding is bittersweet for Kristen—especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He's funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he'd be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it's harder and harder to keep him at arm's length.

The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass.

"Your next favorite romantic comedy ...The Friend Zone is that rare beach read with tons of heart that will make you laugh and cry in equal parts." —PopSugar

"Your next rom-com to obsess and cry over." —Cosmopolitan

• Goodreads Choice Awards nominee - Best Romance, Best Debut
• O, The Oprah Magazine Best Romance Novels of the year
• Audie Award Finalist
• USA Today bestseller
• Bookish Best Books of the year
• SheReads Best Romances of the year
• Women's Health Best Romance Novels of the year
• Good Housekeeping Best New Books for Summer
• PopSugar Best Books of Summer
• Publishers Weekly Starred Review
• Booklist Starred Review
• Booklist Top 10 Romance Debuts

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Jimenez's dazzling debut is a brilliantly written romantic comedy that seamlessly toggles back and forth between scenes of laugh-out-loud, snarky wit and serious emotional issues without missing a beat, all the while delivering maximum reading satisfaction."—Booklist, Starred Review

"Harnessing sass, heartfelt struggle, and unapologetic sexuality, Jimenez's debut is as hysterical as it is tear-jerking...Jimenez manages to fulfill all expectations for a romantic comedy while refusing to sacrifice nuance. Biting wit and laugh-out-loud moments take priority, but the novel remains subtle in its sentimentality and sneaks up on the reader with unanticipated depth. Readers who have wrestled with infertility will find Kristen's anxieties and sorrows deeply relatable."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Jimenez tackles a myriad of issues in her debut and hits each one with depth and sensitivity. Kristen's take-no-prisoners attitude is smart and sassy and perfectly balanced by Josh's easygoing resourcefulness...An excellent debut that combines wit, humor, and emotional intensity."—Kirkus

"This romcom novel will have you feeling the falling-in-love autumn vibes."—Buzzfeed

"The Friend Zone is a deliciously hot, sweet debut full of banter I couldn't get enough of. I loved all the characters, from Kristen and Josh, to the supporting cast, and even Stuntman Mike. This book is an absolute treat."—L.J. Shen, USA Today bestselling author

"The Friend Zone gave me belly laughs, shook me up, and made me feel hopeful about love and the human strength of spirit. A romance for the ages!"—Tessa Bailey, New York Times bestselling author of Fix Her Up

"Your next favorite romantic comedy...The Friend Zone is that rare beach read with tons of heart that will make you laugh and cry in equal parts."—PopSugar

"You can expect to laugh and cry during this one."—Good Housekeeping

"The Friend Zone is heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and emotional. Abby Jimenez wrote a difficult story line with sensitivity, heat, humor, banter, and unwavering friendship."—Harlequin Junkie, Top Pick

"The Friend Zone is a beautiful tale of learning to accept the love you deserve and finding a path to self-acceptance along the way....a zippy, instantly recognizable voice and fresh, funny characters."—Entertainment Weekly

"This new romance novel will have you both laughing and crying throughout its entirety."—Women.com

"Zingy dialog, laugh-out-loud humor, and plenty of sass temper the heartbreak of infertility in this modern, well-grounded debut that is sure to satisfy."—Library Journal

✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I really liked all of the characters, I found them relatable and loved how different they all were and I truly loved how Kristen was so far from perfect. And Josh might be the perfect me! I think that what I liked the most was that the story felt original, after thousands of contemporary romance books they all start to feel exactly the same and this one didn't. The subject matter really was hard and I know a lot of people feel like it should have been handled different but honestly I don't think there is a right way to handle this from the characters perspective, everyone is different and everyone has a different threshold for how much they can handle and how they handle it. I will say that I would have liked it even more if Kristen would have just talked to him instead of keeping it bottled up for sooooo long, that felt a little like drama added to the book for the sake of drama. I loved that it had a happy ending, while probably not very realistic, this is fiction and romance so I expect that.

The narration was perfect! I actually bought this book because of the narration team, they are my favorites!!

Terrific book!

This book is absolutely wonderful! It grabs you from the beginning and has a few unexpected turns that keep you interested. It is a great story!
Also, the narration on the audiobook is great - both actors did a fantastic job bringing the story to life.

I will be keeping an eye out for more books from Abby Jimenez!

Wow!

Fantastic story, excellent narration! I laughed, I cried, and I laughed again. Erin and Teddy were wonderful. I have not read anything that had the wide range of emotions invoked on the reader in a long time. Kudos to the author! You go girl:)

Worth The Hype

Everyone is talking about this book so you probably already know that this story does follow a taboo topic along with fertility and female issues. I related to Kristen on so many levels. I felt her every emotion as she talked about her cycles, the pain she was in, and the heartbreak of not knowing if she would have a child one day. I have suffered with many of the same issues and I just loved reading a story that actually took that conversation a little further than any other I have read. It did have a cute romance as well. I liked both Kristen and Josh. I loved their building relationship and the fun they had together. However; I did not think it was anything extra special compared to other romances away from the female issues being discussed. Then BAM! Something happens that I was not expecting! It all worked within the story, and I did not see it coming. Even though it was very sad and emotional, I liked what it brought to the story. Overall, I would recommend this.

one of the best books I've ever read

even though I've already read the paperback (twice) this audiobook was absolute perfection! I laughed and cried and cried. perfect narration. I've already pre-ordered the second book