What a perfect escapist romantic read! I’ve had Abby Jimenez on my TBR for awhile now, and even though The Happy Ever After Playlist is the second book in a series, it sounded like the most fun and well-reviewed, so I just dove in! And I’m so glad I did. Seeing as how happy ever afters are guaranteed in romance novels, I don’t think the spoiled me for reading The Friend Zone: which I immediately put on hold at the library.

This one starts off a little far-fetched, with the meet cute involving a lost dog jumping into the love interest’s car. But, the sweet and flirtatious banter that ensures between the two characters was adorable and I genuinely liked them both. So when things started to get intense with the inevitable ‘boy loses girl’ roadblocks, I was super stressed out! These people went through some THINGS.

I also found it admirable how Jimenez addresses grief in a thoughtful way, based on the similar experiences of her good friend. Excellent binge-able summer fare that I highly recommend!