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The Friend Zone

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The Friend Zone

Written by: Abby Jimenez
Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Erin Mallon
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About this listen

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
Contemporary Contemporary Romance Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Military Romance Romantic Comedy Women's Fiction Comedy Funny Heartfelt Witty Tearjerking

What the critics say

"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
All stars
Most Relevant
Great story, detailed characters you get attached too. Loved the storyline, with moments of laughers and others more heart breaking. Great balance. And the narrators are so good! Easy to read, light romance book, I have no doubt you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

One of my favourite, sweet and funny

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I liked it at first got into the book but then it took a nose dive for me when the main character started to sound very whiny. Thought the banter was great. But once it got to the "dilemma" of the story it just really put me off. I do think the book could be good but I'm just not the audience for this book.

Great until I lost interest.

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I listened until it was over. I sometimes get bored with books but this one held my attention.

Engagin

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Love to see how Abby depicts the struggle of women experiencing infertility. It’s a sensitive subject that doesn’t get discussed a lot.

Joyful read

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og my goodness, I can't stop listening to all of Abby's books. Just incredible so funny, heart warming and utterly beautifully written. 😍
be prepared to cry for the whole series!!

ouratanding

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I really enjoyed this book. I listened after listening to the Happily Ever After Playlist, which was in the wrong order but didn’t matter. Both books were so great and I had a hard time putting them down. I look forward to more books by this author.

Excellent book!

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I was hesitant to start this book, but I was hooked as soon as I started it! I finished it in 2 days, that's how good it is!! The story was amazing, it definitely had its ups and downs and curve balls where it would literally make you gasp for air and think WTF!!! It also made me cry 3 times. The writing is impeccable and kept me engaged throughout.

Such a great read!!

OMG! SO GOOD!!

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I almost gave up on this because of the woman narrator’s very annoying vocal fry. Drove me crazy! But the man’s voice was lovely and the story was so touching. Funny, frustrating, and the happy ending felt earned which isn’t always the case in this genre. I was going to skip the third in this trilogy because it’s the same woman doing the narrating, but I’ve come to love Jimenez’s work so much, I may rethink that.

Everything but the Woman

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A friend recommanded that I read this one but I wasn’t sure. So I decided to give it a try as an audio book and I LOVED IT. Best decision ! It was sooo good, the story, the permance, it made me happy and cry. Would definitly recommand !

Loved it !!

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Not my favourite book by the author, but I enjoyed it. Found it repetitive at times and was shocked by an unexpected turn. Really couldn’t stand the way both of the readers finished their sentences, something about the way it sounded 😑 was kind annoying.
Just once I’d like for them to read the book together so that the man didn’t have to try and do the woman’s voice and vice versa!!

Nice love story

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