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: 7.81

562 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *The Friend Zone* by Abby Jimenez blends humor, emotional depth, and heartfelt moments, skillfully addressing real-life issues like infert...

Mya Hopkins

Feb 20, 2026

4/10 stars

Emotional rollercoaster ride that may be worth it. It is good but the more you think on it the more problematic the characters appear. Still worth a shot for a quick read.

cash3581

Jan 29, 2026

10/10 stars

I love her books! They are realistic romance and life stories.

KelSpinski

Jan 09, 2026

8/10 stars

Cute story, great listen on audio.

Mazie

Jan 08, 2026

7/10 stars

Fun escape to read with your teenage daughter

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.