Breakaway Books

Authored by Abby Jimenez; Published 2019; Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️

The Friend Zone is not a romance for the faint of heart. If you are looking for an easy read, divorced from the complexities of real relationships, this is not the one to pick up. But, I can’t help but think that if you are heartbroken, this book might be the right one for you. 

The Friend Zone is the story of Kristen and Josh, two opposites thrown together by their friends’ impending nuptials. Their attraction is instant, but Kristen’s health problems pose a significant obstacle to their relationship. I have read a lot of romances where the obstacles between the star-crossed lovers seem trivial and frankly, a little dumb. This conflict is centered on having kids, and it is real. Kids are a real deal-breaker in a relationship, and that’s what made this novel the opposite of an escapist romance. 

I loved watching Kristen and Josh fall in love, but it was painful to watch them try to figure out the medical question. Not because of the writing, which hummed along nicely, but because this is a painful issue, with no easy solution. That may or may not be your cup of tea when you’re looking for your next romance—there’s a certain comfort in romance novels with only trivial obstacles between the two novels.

For me, though, the concept of soul mates features a little too prominently for my taste. I may love romance novels, but I don’t believe in soul mates. I believe much more in the work that it takes to make a relationship functional, but, apart from the medical issues described above, Kristen and Josh’s relationship seemed almost magically devoid of effort. Kristen’s relationship with her mother is fraught and contributes to serious self-worth issues, but we see little about how these problems are overcome in the context of their relationship. For me, seeing the effort that must be put into a relationship warms my heart more than the concept of love at first sight.

Overall, The Friend Zone is heavy but not without its moments of brightness. If you want to cry, but still finish a novel with a feeling of hope, this is a good one to pick up.