The Friend Zone

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

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Published Jun 11, 2019

384 pages

Average rating: 7.82

529 RATINGS

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Readers say *The Friend Zone* by Abby Jimenez blends humor, emotional depth, and heartfelt moments, tackling themes like infertility, grief, and love ...

SherylStandifer

Jan 01, 2026

8/10 stars

They met cute. She had a fiancé deployed overseas. And he was a handsome fireman and paramedic. She, Kristen, was driving her best friend’s fiancé’s truck when the fireman, Josh, lightly rear-ended her. The sparks flew and they were put into close proximity when her carpenter quit. Kristin’s online business was selling stairs for small dogs that match the furniture of a buyer’s primary bedroom suite. And she needed someone to help her build the stairs. He was handy with equipment and volunteered to step in. Kristen had some health issues requiring surgery that would render her barren. Josh had confessed to her we wanted a baseball team sized family. So, despite their obvious sparks, she evaded a relationship so he could find someone who could give him that big family. Besides, she had that overseas boyfriend. How it all resolves was a terrific story, along with tragedy enveloping Kristen’s best friend, Sloan, that also foreshadows a follow-up story in the next book. I have already put that next story on hold at my library.

Enid Cangiano

Dec 29, 2025

8/10 stars

This was pretty good. Once again Abby Jimenez takes some real life issues and writes it in a beautiful romance book. This book had me in my feels and although a bit predictable I still enjoyed it. 4 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

DLB

Dec 14, 2025

2/10 stars

Predictable and way too long and redundant.

Anna Carolina Vargas

Dec 03, 2025

6/10 stars

A bit annoyed with the main.... this is my least fav from all I read from ABBY.... but I like the human touch that all her books have.

siemelle900

Nov 28, 2025

10/10 stars

I sad cried.

I happy cried.

I laughed out loud.

This about two people who should obviously be together, but some things step in the way!

Loved it!

Edit: There are possible trigger warnings in this book dealing with death and infertility. I also recognize that the ending may be a little far-fetched (or a lot) and may not set well with many people. As a woman that suffers from PCOS, myself, I personally wasn’t offended by it but my views may be quite different than the next woman’s views! Research before reading to decide whether this is a book for you or not!! Some will love it. Others will hate it.

Personally, I’m not a fan of surprise pregnancy at the end of books and I probably could have been even happier without that ending, but I’m not completely mad at it in this case. I think I’ve read so many poorly written books with this trope that I’m a little more forgiving now that it’s attached to a better story and characters than where I’m used to seeing it. Which says a lot about my ability to choose books!! Me? I would have written it setting up a future story centering around Kristen, Josh, and a surrogate. That’s just me though!

It is what it is though! For what it is, I really liked it!