From the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone comes an adorable and fresh romantic comedy about one trouble-making dog who brings together two perfect strangers. Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can’t seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a “take me home” look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, … eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker’s owner reaches out. He’s a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.
Well, Sloan’s not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can’t deny a connection. Jason is hot and nice and funny. There’s no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?
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Awesome book
Readers looking for a sweetly sentimental and sexy read are you going love Abby Jimenez’s new book The Happy Ever After Playlist!
I had been waiting for this book from the moment I finished Abby Jimenez’s The Friend Zone. Reading about Sloan losing Brandon was truly heartbreaking. I couldn’t wait to read about her finding herself and enjoying the happily ever after she deserves.
Tucker and Jason were the perfect match to bring light and love back into Sloan’s life. I’m a big believer in fate and destiny so when Tucker came crashing into her life I was yelling to myself…. IT’S MEANT TO BE! Tucker was the tug she needed to begin to enjoy the small things that once made her so happy.
The initial interactions between Jason and Sloan had me smiling the entire time. Jason was a charmer from the start. He and Sloan had an immediate connection and the texting and calls back and forth were flirty and hilarious. I’m a sucker for anyone who appreciates a good zombie apocalypse plan! The fact that Sloan was talking to a man she didn’t know but happen to be an internationally known musician made their connection that much more special.
Abby did a great job depicting the harshness of fame and the sacrifices that have to be made. I really liked the way she differentiated between Jason and Jackson (his famous alter ego). They were truly two different people and it was interesting seeing the development of the two personas and Sloan learning to love them both. Fame is no joke and it was the root to all of the issues in their relationship. Sloan and Jason had to fight their way back to each other realizing that their relationship comes before anything else. This fight brought Sloan to finding herself and what she truly needs to move on and be happy.
As a bonus… If you loved Kristin and Josh in TFZ they are just as cute in The Happy Ever After Playlist!!
Funny, witty, easy to read romance from Abby Jimenez!
The must-read book of 2020! I’ve been counting down the days for this release ever since Sloan was introduced to readers in The Friend Zone. Sloan starts off the story with a hilarious meet-cute of her own, only it’s with a lost dog who wreaks havoc on her day. The bond she shares with Tucker will pull at your heart strings and draw you in to the story right away. Jason is a man after my own heart. His witty and flirty banter with Sloan will put him at the top of your book boyfriend list. I love that they get to know each other through daily questions and phone calls. Fans of The Friend Zone will love this book, and appreciate that it won’t wreck your heart nearly as much as the first book does, lol. With plenty of appearances from our favorite duo, Kristen and Josh, this story was everything I was hoping for and more. A pure delight, especially if you get the audiobook!
Abby Jimenez has done it again! She continues to amaze me by writing the most wonderfully relatable characters and stories that are not only heartfelt and emotional, but also laugh out loud hilarious. After reading The Friend Zone (which is one of my top reads ever!) I could not wait to get back to this world. The Happy Ever After Playlist can definitely be read as a standalone, but it would probably be best enjoyed after reading The Friend Zone, since characters from that book appear and that is where our heroine, Sloan, was originally introduced.
One of my favorite things about Abby Jimenez’s writing is her phenomenal dialogue and banter. It is brilliantly witty and so perfectly placed to bring levity to the more difficult scenes and moments. Not every author can grab your heart in a vise one moment and then have you gasping for breath from laughing so hard the next, but Jimenez does it with ease. I don’t want to be too spoilery, but The Happy Ever After Playlist starts off with one of the most epic meet-cutes. It sets in motion a story that will have you swooning, laughing, shedding a few tears, and will leave you with a huge smile on your face.
A fun feature of the book is that each chapter lists a song to set the tone and mood for what’s to come. It really enhanced the emotions and experience for me and certain songs will forever be tied to those moments now. (You can find the full book playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.) I really enjoyed getting to know this new cast of characters, but also seeing some old favorites as well. Fans of The Friend Zone will love catching up with Josh and Kristen (Gah! I love them so much!) and new readers will get to experience the magic that is uniquely Kristen. One character that stole the show every time he was on the page though was Tucker. Honestly, if you aren’t in love with him by the end, I’m pretty sure you’re a monster.
The Happy Ever After Playlist is more than a romance. It’s a story about choosing happiness and being true to yourself. Even if you haven’t read The Friend Zone (Seriously, if you haven’t, WHY??? Do it! It’s amazing!) you will still love Sloan’s emotional and heartwarming story! My heart is so incredibly full after finishing this book!
Adorable, funny, and heartfelt!
The Happy Ever After Playlist is an amusing, heartwarming tale that takes us into the life of the vulnerable, grief-stricken Sloan Monroe as she struggles to move on from the heartwrenching loss of her fiance, endeavours to babysit a stray dog with a mind of his own, and navigates the ups and downs of falling in love with a rock star.
The prose is effortless and polished. The characterization is spot on with a cast of characters that are quirky, fun-loving, wary, and supportive. And the plot is an irresistible blend of humour, heart, hope, tender moments, family, friendship, tension, attraction, chemistry, self-discovery, happiness, taking chances, and the healing power of pets.
Overall, The Happy Ever After Playlist is pure magic. Jimenez’s debut, The Friend Zone was one of my favourite releases last year, and I am delighted to now add The Happy Ever After Playlist to the top of my must-read recommendations for 2020!
Such a fun read, highly recommend!
“Jimenez combines sentimentality, sexiness, and humor in this remarkable rom-com about finding the courage to take a second chance on love. … Sparking wit and vulnerable characters bring this story to life. Jimenez tackles deep emotions without ever losing sight of fun.”― Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A perfect blend of smart, heart-wrenching, and fun.”― Kirkus, starred review
“A powerfully life-affirming love story that walks the line between romantic heartbreak and hope with great finesse, while also delivering exceptional character development…and a dangerously addictive sense of humor.”― Booklist, starred review
“Fierce humor and fiercer heart.”― Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue
“Sweet and achingly romantic-a truly wonderful love story.”― Beth O’Leary, author of The Flatshare
Live! This looks good!
The Happy Ever After Playlist is a wonderful friends to lovers romance. I knew what Sloan was dealing and going through since I’ve read The Friend Zone. This was her book. Her finding her way back to life again. Discovering her passions and falling in love again.
All that begins with a dog called Tucker. He jumps into her car and into her life. With Tucker comes his owner Jason. Musician and rockstar.
Sloan and Jason gets to know one another through words via phone calls. These calls are filled with humor and questions about one another. When they finally meet face to face is when the courtship begins and oh my god it was amazing. Jason is not all rockstar but a kind and humble man who respects Sloan. I fell in love with them as a couple.
Sloan meeting his family and Jason meeting Kristen and Josh are scenes with so much heart cause these people means the world to both of them.
The Happy Ever After Playlist is about finding yourself after being lost and having lost a loved one. Sloan did that. She finds herself again and a new love. Their relationship isn’t without its obstacles since being with a rockstar has its price. Sloan and Jason definitely discovers that.
THEAP is fabulous follow up to The Friend Zone. It can easily be read as a stand-alone. I got romance in spades, two terrific characters, an insanely cute dog and a lovely HEA. I couldn’t ask for more.
4 Promises Stars
Lots of heart, lots of humour and great characters!
“A powerfully life-affirming love story that walks the line between romantic heartbreak and hope with great finesse, while also delivering exceptional character development…and a dangerously addictive sense of humor.”― Booklist, starred review
Abby Jimenez has once again written a love story is sweet and tender and funny and challenging and romantic and sad and frustrating and absolutely wonderful! Sloan and Jason are sexy and adorable and devoted and exasperating and charming and infuriating and I loved every single second of this book!! Yes, the sad parts were devastating, but the lovely and love-filled parts were glorious.This story made me laugh and cry and fall in love and FEEL!!!
So many beautiful, charming, poignant, emotional moments in this love story. Abby Jimenez writes the perfect “recovery” plotline for the grief Sloan suffered with the abrupt loss of her fiancée two years ago. This story delivers Sloan from the depth of that depression to her Happy Ever After with Jason – via his dog, Tucker. Having absolutely ugly-cried my eyes out when Sloan’s fiancée died in The Friend Zone, I wondered just how Jimenez was going to make her whole again. Well, she did it, and wow!
Enter Tucker. This pup just happens to jump into Sloan’s life thru her car’s sunroof. As she starts caring for this lost dog – while leaving messages daily for the no-reply/deadbeat owner – she becomes attached. This begins the reawakening of Sloan. Taking the dog for walks – getting her exercising and out of the house. AND her mind distracted from her gut-wrenching grief.
Next, we finally hear from Tucker’s owner, Jason. I loved his character immediately – as he dumps a model/girlfriend for losing his dog while he’s away hiking the wilderness. Once he finds Tucker with Sloan, they begin a flirty, long-distance, texting courtship. This is such an ideal way to get Sloan even thinking about entering the dating pool again. Jason, by the way, is an up and coming Rock Star – looking for a gal who doesn’t want him only for his celebrity.
They finally meet – instant attraction. A whirlwind couple of weeks of romance, check-ins from Bestie Kristen (our fabulous fun darling from The Friend Zone) and a quick trip to meet Jason’s parents. Then they are off onto the adventures of a new relationship. Our author kicks in some adorable moments, a crazy ex, more ugly-crying — then gives us the HEA in a spectacular reunion.
The Happy Ever After Playlist flawlessly weaves a delicate path from grieving to the forever romance for Sloan and Jason. When I finished reading this book – I immediately wanted to re-read it all over again just for the feels! It was a bonus to get in some kid updates with Kristen and Josh as well. This book will be on my “Best of 2020” list for sure.
Also – please don’t forget to read the “Note from the Author” at the end of the book. Abby adds so much personal background to this story – no wonder it’s so beautiful!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sharing this ARC in exchange my honest review.
Sloan and Jason get their happy ever after!
Sloan Monroe needs something to get her out of her depression after the death of her fiancé when she finds Tucker when he jumped into her car. Jason Larsen was out of the country and when he finally got her messages about Tucker, she made him prove that he loved Tucker. There was going to be one big problem, Jason never told her that he was Jaxon Waters because even though he was one of her favorite singers because his breakout song never had his picture on the cover.
The Happy Ever After Playlist is very different where the couple gets to know each other without seeing each other in the beginning and loving Tucker is something that starts them slowly falling in love. A few times I wanted to knock some sense into Jason but the author shows why this book has been on my list to read after I read the preview for it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was so excited at the prospect of Abby Jimenez’s second book. Her debut, “The Friend Zone” was awesome and I had heard from those that had already read “The Happy Ever After Playlist” that it was equally as wonderful and they couldn’t have been more spot on. I can say with 100% confidence that this is my favorite book I’ve read this year.
It’s been two years since Sloan Monroe lost her fiance in a tragic accident. In those two years, Sloan has become a shell of herself. She has no motivation, she doesn’t want to get out of bed and she’s just lost all of her joy. It’s a chance meeting with a dog, Tucker, that runs in front of her car that sends her life in a totally different direction and begins to pull her out of the rut she had been in for so long.
When Sloan continually tries to get in touch with Tucker’s owner with no luck, she finally decides after two weeks that he’s staying with her. As fate would have it, it’s then that Jason, Tucker’s owner finally turns his phone on and receives her messages after being out of cell range in Australia for the entire time she’d been trying to get in touch. The two begin to communicate by text and by phone and the exchanges begin to become flirty. Jason wants a date when he gets back stateside, but Sloan isn’t sure she’s ready. When they finally do connect when Jason is back in the U.S. is his job as a rising rock star going to torpedo the relationship before it really gets started or will he find a way to have both is career and the woman he’s falling so fast for.
I just adored everything about this book. The interactions between Sloan and Jason were fantastic. The banter, the easy way they had about them when they were together, the sweet and caring way that Jason was with her, just everything makes me smile thinking about it. I will say I did feel all the emotions throughout this story as well. To me if you can make me cry, you’ve done a great job. I don’t cry all that often when I read books, but this one got me and got me good.
Kudos to Abby Jimenez for penning another incredible book! I look forward to what she has to offer us next.
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher**
What I love about Abby’s books so far that first its based off of real people she knows. Secondly, I love how it doesn’t follow the typical romance book formula. We get to experience Jason and Sloan relationship for awhile and its not even towards the end of the book! I did like how Jason and Sloan first are introduced to each other. Their banter was cute.
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Abby has done it again! Abby’s debut novel The Friend Zone introduced us to Sloan Monroe, and here we see her 2 years later.
Let me first say I used to read constantly – and for whatever reason….well life happened…..and there was this lady that owned this cupcake shop that was coming out with this book called “The Friend Zone” and it was so hyped up and who could resist it because cupcakes and books So preordered it and rediscovered my love of reading in a matter of minutes literally. That was almost a year ago and I haven’t stopped reading since! Thank you, Abby. I didn’t think it was possible to get a book that was better than Kristen and Josh but holy guacamole on all the tacos this book is amazing!
I received an ARC of The Happy Ever After Playlist and was hooked from the first chapter! Sloan is dealing with the loss of Brandon and while this may be a work of fiction, this story will resonate so thoroughly with so many that are dealing/have dealt with the loss of a loved one. It’s complicated as the story goes, but along comes Tucker. Tucker is owned by Jason; who we find out is from Minnesota. Being from Minnesota myself I loved this book and all of its true Minnesota references! It’s refreshing to have an author get it right (even in fiction where things don’t have to be).
My first moment that I thought I needed some serious support while reading was quickly helped out by the Zombie Apocalypse (whew crisis averted).
You won’t go wrong by reading this book. If you didn’t think anyone could be perfect for Sloan after Brandon, you’re wrong. It’s Jason. He’s perfect. He’s the perfect match for Sloan after Brandon and Abby knew it all along.
When I read The Friend Zone last summer, I absolutely loved it, but I was also left heartbroken for Sloan. Therefore, I was thrilled to get an ARC from NetGalley for what I would call one of my most anticipated reads of 2020.
The Happy Ever After Playlist starts when Sloan, still reeling from the tragic loss of her fiancé Brandon, finds a dog, and then spends weeks trying to get in contact with said dog’s owner. This is how she meets Jason, our male protagonist, turns out he’s been out of the country on tour – he’s an up and coming musician! – and had no idea that his dog was missing. From their very first phone conversation, the chemistry between these two characters was palpable. After a bit of negotiating they agree that Sloan will keep the dog – Tucker – until Jason returns to the country; their phone and text conversations throughout this period were some of my favorite parts in this book. When they finally meet in person I was so ready for these two to make it happen.
Sloan is without a doubt attracted to Jason, but she’s understandably hesitant to start a relationship after grieving Brandon for two years – this is where Jason really shined. He was incredibly patient and understanding with Sloan’s feelings and never pushed her to do anything for which she was not yet ready. Sloan had to deal with Jason’s rising fame and all the pitfalls that it brought with it. There were a few small hiccups – and a huge, gut wrenching, tear your heart out hiccup – as they figured out how to make their relationship work, but I never once doubted that the love between these two characters would win in the end. And, may I say that Epilogue was absolute perfection. I also cannot forget to mention that Kristen and Josh were featured throughout this book and it was amazing to see them again and read about their love and dedication to Sloan’s happiness.
The Happy Every After Playlist was a roller coaster of emotions, that at times broke my heart, but in the best way. Watching Sloan find herself and find love again after the devastating loss of her fiancé was incredible. I will be adding The Happy Ever After Playlist to my reread shelf.
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez takes place around two years after the events in The Friend Zone. Sloan is not herself, trying to figure out how to move on after her fiancé Brandon was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident. The universe continues to send her one challenge after another. A super awkward meet cute with her new pup Tucker is just the start for Sloan. Sloan is trying desperately to start this next chapter in her life.
Jason is a touring musician and he’s livid to learn that his dog has been out roaming the streets of L.A. and not safely taken care of by the woman he left her with. He finally gets in contact with Sloan and the two enter a back and forth over whether Sloan will allow him to have his dog back. Slowly Jason starts to penetrate her walls and Sloan reluctantly agrees that when he comes back, they can co-chaperone Tucker on an outing and she’ll decide whether he’s worthy.
Jason returns to LA and instantly feels a connection to Sloan. Sloan isn’t sure she can trust herself or if she should be feeling this strong attraction to Brandon’s absence. Slowly Jason makes progress pushing his way into her head and her heart. Slowly, Sloan starts to wake from her morning and allow herself to enjoy time with Jason. Then Sloan discovers a secret about Jason and learns this blossoming new relationship may have an expiration date before it ever really gets started.
Jason and Sloan are amazing. Fantastic Chemistry and just great love. I loved this their story. I loved it even more than TFZ. Amazing banter between Jason and Sloan. Jason was so sweet and understanding and used his wit and charm to continue flustering her and sneak under her defenses. The story is so amazing, it fills your heart with all the feels. The story is big in understanding that life doesn’t happen on your schedule. That love is on its own time schedule. It also reminds us that sometimes you have to accept where you are before you can accept love at face value.
This book covers the trifecta of Rom Com, a hilarious Meet Cute, awesome banter, and a best friend who loves you but is also super quirky and the bonus of a dog!
Happily, Ever After Playlist is the must read of the spring. You will want to have this on your TBR List for sure! Do yourself a favor and preorder this today! Abby Jimenez is a rom-com goddess!