The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Kristen Petersen 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.

Paperback, 384 pages

Published June 11, 2019

 by Forever

3/5 stars

I first discovered Abby Jimenez a few books ago and quickly became a fan.  Her witty banter, fun characters, heartfelt stories and there is always a dog to round things out nicely.   So I was curious to read her back list and started with The Friend Zone and am pretty sure this is her debut.

Again I was treated to all the things I mentioned already.  Her characters are engaging and she has a way of mixing humour with emotional moments.  There is always a strong and relevant message given also.

That being said, this one didn't hit the same level for me as some of her later books.  I still enjoyed the story overall but found parts of it felt a bit repetitive and some of the secrets were drawn out longer than necessary.

Even with that it was an enjoyable read and nice to read Jimenez's earlier works.  I have already finished book 2 in this series, The Happy Ever After Playlist.  That review is coming in a couple days.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #8