Second novel from Abby Jimenez and if it’s possible it’s even better than the Friend Zone!

This follows some of the characters from Friend Zone, which I think was a nice addition.

Sloan finds Tucker, a sweet dog and takes him in. Only to find out that he’s owner, a musician on tour in Australia wants him back. And so the love story begins …

Thank you NetGalley and Abby Jimenez for my copy!

Very enjoyable book! Characters were engaging and I love how the dog brought them together. I'm a huge fan of using text messages and phone calls as part of the story as that gives it a more authentic feel. And it was done very well in this book.

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez has Tucker, a dog on the run, nearly get hit by Sloan.  She takes the dog in whilst trying to find the owner.  Sloan was on her way to her late fiancé's grave when Tucker appeared out of nowhere, and suddenly is making her life better.

Jason is Tucker's owner.  He is a musician, has been backpacking in New Zealand, and returns to Australia for his gig, and when he turns on his phone for the first time in 2 weeks, and gets all of Sloan's messages, he gets all of her messages, and is immediately interested in her.

I know I'm enjoying a book when I go to make myself a tea and carry my book with me to keep reading, and I did that with this book.  I very much enjoyed it, and can't wait to read more of her books!

 The Happy Ever After Playlist  was published on 14th April 2020 and is available from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop.org .

You can follow Abby Jimenez on  Twitter ,  Instagram ,  Facebook  and her  website .

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Little, Brown .

I finished this a few days ago and I’m still trying to sum up my thoughts on this amazing book!

I loved Sloan & Jason’s relationship and how they met! I need a dog like Tucker😍

When I was reading The Friend Zone last month, I looked at HEAP synopsis so I knew what was going to happen with Sloan and Brandon😭

This book made me not want to read the end but the end was just so damn good! The concert part with Sloan & Kristen at the end made me so happy & sad. It would be a great Wattpad story!

I’m now off to pre order book 3: Life’s Too Short!

Unfortunately, I was slow in downloading this story and it was archived before I had the chance. I'm sure it is a wonderful read.

This was very possibly a case of right book at the right time but I don’t care. I loved it and read the whole thing in one Saturday morning with the biggest smile on my face.

I had no idea when I started it that it was a sequel to The Friend Zone but while the author does recommend you read them in order the fact that I hadn’t made absolutely no difference to my enjoyment of this story. Would I have gotten more depth from knowing more of the characters’ backstory? Maybe, but it works perfectly well as a standalone.

From the very start when main character Sloan rescues dog Tucker this story is just ridiculously adorable. I loved each and every character and I adored the relationships between them. Sloan and Jason are so cute together. I loved the banter between them, especially before they meet in person. There’s a lot of teasing and flirting and sooo much chemistry. They seem to have an instant connection but unlike a lot of insta loves this one feels believable and real.

I liked Sloan a lot as a character, she’s kind, funny and tough, but Jason is swoon-worthy book boyfriend material. You could maybe argue that he’s a little too perfect or too good to be true (he’s sensitive, patient, generous, charming, funny and gorgeous) but I was more than happy to just go with it.

There was a lot to like in the secondary characters as well. I really want Kristen and Josh as my best friends, they were absolutely hilarious and sound like they’d be a lot of fun but I loved how they were always there for Sloan. They tease her, embarrass and push her but it’s clear they would do anything to protect her and want her to be happy. The highlight of the story for me though was dog Tucker. He was a real character, stealing more or less every scene he was in.

The writing is wonderful, witty, fun and packed full of emotion. It made me stupidly happy reading it and I found myself smiling a lot. There are a few sad moments, Sloan is grieving and the new relationship is not all smooth sailing, but while I did shed a couple of tears it is an upbeat and positive story.

I also loved the song titles at the start of each chapter and yes I did listen to the play list as I was reading. Music seems to have become a much bigger part of my life during lockdown, it’s picked me up, calmed me, kept me motivated and helped me let off steam so listening to the tracks while reading really added to the whole experience (and I’ve fallen in love with a few of the tracks).

As you have probably guessed I loved pretty much everything about this story and I highly recommend to anyone looking for a bit of light relief.

This was on my list of anticipated releases after reading The Friend Zone by the author and I’m so happy to report that I Loved it! I loved the meet cute story in this; get this.. a dog literally jumped into Sloan’s(one of our MC’s ) car. The dog’s owner, Jason (who’s a musician) desperately wants his dog back but since he’s not in the US, Sloan offers to care for his dog. Day-by-day Sloan and Jason exchange texts which develop from talking about their dog to personal territory.. Question is, will their banter ever become a serious relationship? Or will Sloan’s doubts and Jason’s fame destroy it?

Thanks to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This story is told in alternative chapters between Sloan and Jason. Sloan is a young woman who has two years previously lost her fiancé in a motorcycle accident and Jason is a musician. Sloans car is parked one day when a dog jumps into it, she of course wants to find the owner who just so happens to be Jason. This is their romance along with the highs and lows of the music industry and how grief effects everyone's lives.

There was several things I loved about this book, at the beginning I was taken by the cuteness of the dog however the relationship I did feel was a little instalove for my liking I much prefer a slow burn and this was not that. I did think the elements of grief and the trails faced by those in the music industry was done very well in this novel. It also had some great characters, Sloans friend Kristen was funny and always there for her and Jason's family were also great people. It was a little long for me or it did feel like it was dragging in parts but Over all I enjoyed the read and I would read more by the author in the future

Entertaining, light-hearted and feel good, this book is everything I look for in a romance. I really enjoyed every page of this and look forward to reading more from this author.

The playlist for this book is incredible, I absolutely loved that there was a song to go with each chapter it was such a cute idea and I think it gave even more of an insight to the emotions in each chapter! Sloan and Jason are amazing characters and I thought the author did an amazing job at making them come to life off the pages, I was rooting for the characters the whole way through this book. Also Tucker, the dog, was an absolute winner for me ❤️ Really loved the storyline and it took me by surprise a few times.

There’s plenty of humour in this book, it gave me a good few laughs! Even though Sloan has lost her husband is dealing with grief I thought the author did a great job at handling this and not making it too heavy. It’s the perfect book for the current climate and left me with a smile on my face, loved it, and would definitely recommend adding it on to your summer TBR. This book is definitely up there with the likes of The Unhoneymooners and The Flat Share for me.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy.

When I finished The Friend Zone, I was immediately looking forward to the second in the series. Although there was a lot I liked about the first book, there were also some parts which threw me for a loop - but they were story specific, and the writing style was so good, I was excited to see it play out in a different story. As always, I love to be proved right - The Happy Ever After Playlist had a lot of the parts I enjoyed about The Friend Zone but without the parts that gave me pause. In fact, I found myself utterly addicted.

I already loved Sloan and was heartbroken for her from reading The Friend Zone, so I'm so happy she got her HEA. The meet cute (where Jason's dog ended up jumping through the sunroof of Sloan's car) was delightful, and the texts they exchange back and forth before they meet were zinging with chemistry and had me grinning from ear to ear. Plus, who doesn't love a cute animal in the story? No one, that's who.

I was absolutely addicted to this book and loved the storyline with Lola (which I wasn't sure I was going to because 'crazy ex' is so not a good look... but Abby Jimenez made it work). The writing style is hilarious - a true rom com (a term which gets bandied about a lot but there's often more of a focus on the rom than the com!).
There was a little bit of co-dependency going on and a touch of insta-love between the main characters, which bumps it from the top spot for me, so it wasn't without it's problems, but overall it was a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to more!

Really enjoyed this. Will definately read the friend zone which was the first novel by this author. Would definately recommend

The Happy Ever After Playlist was the perfect pick-me-up book for me during these difficult times working as a hospital doctor during the 'pandemic'. I am so grateful for Abby Jimenez's storytelling and NetGalley for the advanced copy, which I devoured in a single day.

Sloan and Jason find each other after Sloan loses her husband, Brandon. I loved how their love story develops and this book definitely has all the best parts of a 'feel-good romance' with some extra twists along the way. I found myself crying and laughing - and wanting for more!

I had not actually read Abby Jimenez's first book 'The Friend Zone', which I am planning on buying now, so this definitely can be read as a standalone or as a follow on from her debut novel.

I loved this book, it was a great follow-up to The Friend Zone, which I also enjoyed. The characters were really lovely and sympathetic plus it was a good exploration of grief. I was really rooting for Sloane to find true love in The Friend Zone and I got my wish here. A lovely, feel-good book.

Sadly, this wasn't what I want in a romance.

First thing first, I really liked it at the beginning. The writing is good and the humour really did make me laugh. I liked the way the relationship between the two characters started out. They basically started texting and talking a lot on the phone and that's how they got to know each other.

Now, if the author had used this opportunity to develop characters, give each of those a main goal in their life, and build a slow-burn romance as they slowly fell in love without having much contact in real life, I would have loved it. Case in point, that's the entire plot of Flatshare and I will never shut up about how much I loved that book.

The problem with this book is that the characters confessing their attraction happened pretty fast. I think the book hadn't even reached 30% mark when they dated and at that point they were very and I mean VERY into each other.

The main thing that makes any romance compelling for me is when characters can't be together because of reasons. It's cliche but that's why I keep reading romance books. it's about the journey not the end. And here there was no journey, no will they won't they. The male character is practically ready to fall in love. There's no resistance or denying or any of those things that make me want to keep reading. Before halfway mark the main guy is saying "You're worth it". Again, it's the very opposite of what I want to read in a romance novel.

The other reason that I didn't like it was that the male character was such a PERFECT love interest. He was always thoughtful and caring and ready to wait or do anything that she needed. It felt like his life goal was to please the female character and that just doesn't feel real. But worse than that, it's boring. I want to read about couples that have actual flaws and have to overcome those in order to be together.

I think people who don't necessary need sloooow burn romance might enjoy this more. As for me, I had to DNF it before I reached 50%. Like I said, it's not what I'm looking for in a romance.

Oh my gosh, this book took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. For what is essentially a romance novel the will they won't they was so strong I actually at one point didn't know what the ending was going to be.
I loved the character of Sloan who appeared in the first book and I experienced her pain as it was described on the page and Tucker the dog, who doesn't love a dog in a book?! The dialogue between her and Jason the love interest was amusing and fun and the struggles they went through felt true to life.
The book didn't just brush those aside which was good and I think dealt with grief in a sensitive way.
I raced to the end of this book to find out what would happen, but at the same time didn't want it to end.

This had everything I could ever want from a book that promises both romance and comedy.
Having read Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid last year, which I sadly wasn't as impressed with as everyone else, this could have been that book. It took life on the road with a musician and fully immersed you in it. I could see and feel everything from both Sloan and Jason's perspective.
The plot is brilliant and doesn't go as exactly as you might think throughout the book and the characters are so well formed you feel like you know them. You're rooting for both Sloan and Jason to be together, even though it might not be the easiest option at stages within this.
I also really liked each chapter having a song attached to it, one that mirrored how the character was feeling at that time.
It was just brilliant! Get ready to laugh, cry, swoon and smile throughout.
Abby's writing definitely reminded me of some of Taylor Jenkins Reid's other work, primarily After I Do, which I really enjoyed. And I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Abby Jimenez's books as this was easily one of the best romance/chick lit books that I've ever read.
Finding out that there is a prequel to this book centred on the life of Kristen, Sloan's best friend, made me so happy and I now cannot wait to read The Friend Zone too.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The perfect book for this bleak times: uplifting and fun to read.
I really enjoyed this brilliant story, entertaining and engrossing, as it made me laugh, root for the characters and read it as fast as I could.
I loved every moment and every aspect: from the well crafted plot to the great cast of characters.
I can't wait to read another story by this author.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I really enjoyed this book.

Sloan thought she hit a dog with her car (she didn't), Tucker the pup was a character right from the start, you could see he was going to be one of the important characters when he launched himself through the sunroof at Sloan!

This was so well written that all the characters came to life... and at the end Tucker's hard work match-making paid off!

If you are looking for a fun, well written and entertaining book that will put a smile on your face, then pick this up immediately - but make sure you have some free time as you won't want to put it down! A follow on from The Friend Zone (you don't need to have read it, but highly recommend you read it first), it focuses on Sloan two years after the sudden loss of her fiancé, Brandon, in a motorcycle accident. When she finds a stray dog her life begins to change in unexpected ways as she gets to know the dog's owner, Jason, an up and coming musician.

This book has it all - loveable and well developed characters (and a cute dog), the ups and downs, plenty of humour and lots of tugging at the heart strings, a song for each chapter that sent me scurrying for the playlist. I was sucked in and didn't want to leave, needing to know if Sloan and Jason got their happy ever after.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Having very recently read ‘The Friend Zone’ I was super excited to receive an ARC of the follow-up ‘The Happy Ever After Playlist’. I absolutely loved this book from start to finish and devoured it in one day. It was a joy to read. Definitely one to add to the bookshelf.