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kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Title: Life's Too Short
Author: Abby Jimenez
Series: The Friend Zone #3
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: April 6, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Witty • Tender • Wholesome
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Vanessa Price quit her job to pursue her dream of traveling the globe, she wasn't expecting to gain millions of YouTube followers who shared her joy of seizing every moment. For her, living each day to its fullest isn't just a motto. Her mother and sister never saw the age of 30, and Vanessa doesn't want to take anything for granted.
But after her half sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her baby daughter, life goes from "daily adventure" to "next-level bad". The last person Vanessa expects to show up offering help is the hot lawyer next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. No one warned her that he was the Secret Baby Tamer or that she'd be spending a whole lot of time with him and his geriatric Chihuahua.
Now she's feeling things she's vowed not to feel. Because the only thing worse than falling for Adrian is finding a little hope for a future she may never see.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Life's Too Short was the final book of Abby's repertoire on my TBR. The third installment in The Friend Zone companion series, I knew the major plot centered around ALS, and that there was a social media aspect as well. I knew very little more than that, which is exactly how I like to go into her books.
Another signature Abby tale with witty banter, complex characters and mental health representation. I really liked both Vanessa and Adrian, they each felt so wholesome. Getting both of their POVs allows for a more in depth look into their thoughts and actions. Their connection was believable very early on and felt genuine. Their ability to co-parent was organic and simply beautiful. Additionally, I loved getting to see Vanessa's relationship with her family and how each one dealt with the tragic losses in a different way. This really shows how grief is deeply personal.
For me, the first half was definitely stronger. The manner in which the whole medical aspect was handled didn't sit well with me. It became harder and harder to believe as the story progresses and at times felt dragged out. I understand Abby wanted to add depth, yet I think it could have easily been done in a different way and it would have worked better.
Life's Too Short was an enjoyable story with realistic and flawed characters, yet it was easily my least favourite of Abby's books (even though there were aspects I adored). Regardless, I have come to the end of Abby's backlist and will be impatiently waiting for her next release.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• modern families
• furry companions
• Abby Jimenez
⚠️ CW: mental illness, addiction, drug use, drug abuse, overdose, death, death of parent, sibling death, grief, car accident, terminal illness, chronic illness, abandonment, dementia, panic attacks/disorders, sexual content, cursing, medical content, pregnancy, hoarding, toxic relationship, infidelity
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Life is no excuse,' she said. "You should always have an adventure lined up. Having something to look forward to is tantamount to happiness.'"
"There are people you can know for a lifetime and they never get your heart. And then there are those who are already inside it, before you ever lay eyes on them."
Author: Abby Jimenez
Series: The Friend Zone #3
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: April 6, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Witty • Tender • Wholesome
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Vanessa Price quit her job to pursue her dream of traveling the globe, she wasn't expecting to gain millions of YouTube followers who shared her joy of seizing every moment. For her, living each day to its fullest isn't just a motto. Her mother and sister never saw the age of 30, and Vanessa doesn't want to take anything for granted.
But after her half sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her baby daughter, life goes from "daily adventure" to "next-level bad". The last person Vanessa expects to show up offering help is the hot lawyer next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. No one warned her that he was the Secret Baby Tamer or that she'd be spending a whole lot of time with him and his geriatric Chihuahua.
Now she's feeling things she's vowed not to feel. Because the only thing worse than falling for Adrian is finding a little hope for a future she may never see.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Life's Too Short was the final book of Abby's repertoire on my TBR. The third installment in The Friend Zone companion series, I knew the major plot centered around ALS, and that there was a social media aspect as well. I knew very little more than that, which is exactly how I like to go into her books.
Another signature Abby tale with witty banter, complex characters and mental health representation. I really liked both Vanessa and Adrian, they each felt so wholesome. Getting both of their POVs allows for a more in depth look into their thoughts and actions. Their connection was believable very early on and felt genuine. Their ability to co-parent was organic and simply beautiful. Additionally, I loved getting to see Vanessa's relationship with her family and how each one dealt with the tragic losses in a different way. This really shows how grief is deeply personal.
For me, the first half was definitely stronger. The manner in which the whole medical aspect was handled didn't sit well with me. It became harder and harder to believe as the story progresses and at times felt dragged out. I understand Abby wanted to add depth, yet I think it could have easily been done in a different way and it would have worked better.
Life's Too Short was an enjoyable story with realistic and flawed characters, yet it was easily my least favourite of Abby's books (even though there were aspects I adored). Regardless, I have come to the end of Abby's backlist and will be impatiently waiting for her next release.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• modern families
• furry companions
• Abby Jimenez
⚠️ CW: mental illness, addiction, drug use, drug abuse, overdose, death, death of parent, sibling death, grief, car accident, terminal illness, chronic illness, abandonment, dementia, panic attacks/disorders, sexual content, cursing, medical content, pregnancy, hoarding, toxic relationship, infidelity
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Life is no excuse,' she said. "You should always have an adventure lined up. Having something to look forward to is tantamount to happiness.'"
"There are people you can know for a lifetime and they never get your heart. And then there are those who are already inside it, before you ever lay eyes on them."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Mental illness, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Death of parent, Addiction, Grief, Sexual content, Drug use, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Death, and Car accident
Minor: Dementia, Cursing, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
overdose, sibling death, hoardingjuanat77's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Addiction, Car accident, Chronic illness, Cursing, Excrement, Medical content, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Death of parent, Infidelity, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
cozyteareads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump for around a month or so now and this book was so good that I read the last hundred pages or so in a single sitting. I had such a good time reading it, and it made me tear up a little at the end. There was always a thread of hope and joy through the entire story that made it so comforting to read. I adored it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Addiction
Minor: Car accident, Chronic illness, Infidelity, and Abandonment
mbichaela's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ENG
i’m truly sorry but this story wasn’t for me. there were few elements i did not click with and they made me want to dnf the book.
1. i know that all book cannot have a perfect family dynamics but i truly hated how this one worked. (and there were too many issues for me and not every one felt solved or truly explored)
2. it seemed from the beginning what will be the end and that made the book less enjoyable for me
3. this romance and connection between mcs just felt messy and not in this quirky way for which i like author’s books
i’m truly sorry but this story wasn’t for me. there were few elements i did not click with and they made me want to dnf the book.
1. i know that all book cannot have a perfect family dynamics but i truly hated how this one worked. (and there were too many issues for me and not every one felt solved or truly explored)
2. it seemed from the beginning what will be the end and that made the book less enjoyable for me
3. this romance and connection between mcs just felt messy and not in this quirky way for which i like author’s books
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Addiction, and Abandonment
Minor: Car accident and Infidelity
zalouis's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Abandonment, Addiction, Cursing, Death, Grief, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, and Infidelity
Minor: Dementia and Alcohol
abbypeekreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I hadn't expected much from this book when I first picked it up. I had liked Jimenez's other books, but they weren't my absolute favorites. But Life's Too Short was really something special for so many reasons, and is by far my favorite book by Abby Jimenez that I've read so far!
The characters in this book are some of my favorites in any book I've ever read. Adrian and Vanessa grabbed my heart from the beginning. I adored how sweet Adrian was and how big his heart was, especially towards Vanessa, and I loved how real Vanessa was from the beginning, no matter how messy she thought her life was.
Their character growth was quite literally top tier. They had a big struggle to overcome, and even though it was so heart-wrenching to read, it was also so beautiful in the end to watch them navigate it (together and separately). It made for some incredible and compelling storytelling and character development, so much so that I couldn't put the book down.
I've always appreciated how Jimenez tackles an important and difficult topic with each of her books. While I don't have any experience with chronic illness, I enjoyed being able to learn more about how chronic illnesses affect and shape people's lives and families. The way Jimenez handled it in this particular book felt very authentic as well.
As with her previous books, I felt the writing was still a bit cheesy at times. But because the story itself was so compelling, it honestly didn't detract from my experience all that much. All in all, this was truly a special read that I'm sure will stick with me for a long time.
The characters in this book are some of my favorites in any book I've ever read. Adrian and Vanessa grabbed my heart from the beginning. I adored how sweet Adrian was and how big his heart was, especially towards Vanessa, and I loved how real Vanessa was from the beginning, no matter how messy she thought her life was.
Their character growth was quite literally top tier. They had a big struggle to overcome, and even though it was so heart-wrenching to read, it was also so beautiful in the end to watch them navigate it (together and separately). It made for some incredible and compelling storytelling and character development, so much so that I couldn't put the book down.
I've always appreciated how Jimenez tackles an important and difficult topic with each of her books. While I don't have any experience with chronic illness, I enjoyed being able to learn more about how chronic illnesses affect and shape people's lives and families. The way Jimenez handled it in this particular book felt very authentic as well.
As with her previous books, I felt the writing was still a bit cheesy at times. But because the story itself was so compelling, it honestly didn't detract from my experience all that much. All in all, this was truly a special read that I'm sure will stick with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Minor: Gun violence
karolinaz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, Addiction, Abandonment, Mental illness, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Ableism, Car accident, Sexual content, Medical content, Addiction, Drug abuse, Stalking, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
rachel_sf's review against another edition
emotional
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness
Content warning: Hoardingtheespressoedition's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"But make time for other things that aren't work. Find balance. Find joy. You are the kind of man who can't see the shapes in the clouds. And it's not because you lack imagination. It's because you're too busy to look up."
This book, ladies and gents, is a masterpiece. A work of art. I liked The Friend Zone. I enjoyed The Happily Ever After Playlist. But my goodness gracious, Life's Too Short takes the cake in every way, shape, and form.
I instantly related with Vanessa. She's a digital content creator who is dealing with health issues - just like me. Right off the bat, I appreciated how her job was taken seriously and she wasn't portrayed as some kind of airhead or attention-seeker. Her family was chaotic and her life was a bit of a hot mess, but she was real and beautiful in her own way and I loved it.
Then there was Adrian. Our soft, cinnamon roll boy. He was absolutely precious and I related with him in a lot of ways as well. He preferred work and organization like myself, but he also had a huge capacity for love. The way these two characters molded together to create the perfect friends-to-"forbidden"-lovers was just perfect in every way.
The slow burn was done really well and I actually loved how painfully accurate the big relationship "challenge" was. It reminded me so much of my husband and myself when we first met and he was navigating my life with a chronic illness.
Overall, I think this book was so special because of how personal it felt, but I also just think it was a beautifully written love story that I'll want to read again and again!
This book, ladies and gents, is a masterpiece. A work of art. I liked The Friend Zone. I enjoyed The Happily Ever After Playlist. But my goodness gracious, Life's Too Short takes the cake in every way, shape, and form.
I instantly related with Vanessa. She's a digital content creator who is dealing with health issues - just like me. Right off the bat, I appreciated how her job was taken seriously and she wasn't portrayed as some kind of airhead or attention-seeker. Her family was chaotic and her life was a bit of a hot mess, but she was real and beautiful in her own way and I loved it.
Then there was Adrian. Our soft, cinnamon roll boy. He was absolutely precious and I related with him in a lot of ways as well. He preferred work and organization like myself, but he also had a huge capacity for love. The way these two characters molded together to create the perfect friends-to-"forbidden"-lovers was just perfect in every way.
The slow burn was done really well and I actually loved how painfully accurate the big relationship "challenge" was. It reminded me so much of my husband and myself when we first met and he was navigating my life with a chronic illness.
Overall, I think this book was so special because of how personal it felt, but I also just think it was a beautifully written love story that I'll want to read again and again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Gun violence
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This series has been amazing and I really loved this book.
I'm not real big on social media so I'll admit to being a little nervous at first reading about a YouTuber, but the more I learned about Vanessa the more I loved her platform. I really love books that bring awareness to conditions and Jimenez is one of the best at this.
I loved baby whisperer Adrian! At times he came across a little too good to be true, but then Jimenez would throw something in to humanize him.
For me this was a fast read, but it was a slow burn romance for sure. The build up was pretty intense and I loved it.
It was also fun to revisit old friends. After reading this I have a very strong urge to re-read the first two and then this one again.
I love how Jimenez builds her characters. I especially love how the Kirsten and Vanessa have NO filter. It makes for a super fun story!
I hope to see many more books from Jimenez in the future!!!
I'm not real big on social media so I'll admit to being a little nervous at first reading about a YouTuber, but the more I learned about Vanessa the more I loved her platform. I really love books that bring awareness to conditions and Jimenez is one of the best at this.
I loved baby whisperer Adrian! At times he came across a little too good to be true, but then Jimenez would throw something in to humanize him.
For me this was a fast read, but it was a slow burn romance for sure. The build up was pretty intense and I loved it.
It was also fun to revisit old friends. After reading this I have a very strong urge to re-read the first two and then this one again.
I love how Jimenez builds her characters. I especially love how the Kirsten and Vanessa have NO filter. It makes for a super fun story!
I hope to see many more books from Jimenez in the future!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug abuse, Torture, and Drug use
Moderate: Dementia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, Infidelity, Medical content, and Mental illness