Abby Jimenez’s third Friend Zone novel is cozy-next-door romance wrapped around very real fear and family mess. It holds your hand with jokes, then squeezes when grief walks in.
This is neighbors-to-lovers with a baby on the hip, a tiny dog underfoot, and a clock quietly ticking. It’s bright, funny, then suddenly honest about illness and caregiving. Picture a warm apartment at dusk, fairy lights draped over a bookshelf, and a single baby sock abandoned on the couch.
The setup
Vanessa Price is a travel YouTuber living like the calendar might run out. Adrian Copeland is the detail-obsessed lawyer next door. When Vanessa’s half-sister leaves her infant, Grace, at her door, a 4 a.m. cry brings Adrian knocking with help, coffee, and calm. The stakes are simple and huge. If love comes, can it survive fear of what tomorrow might bring? See the hallway scene: a door cracked open, a bottle warming in a mug, a neighbor holding a spare pack of diapers like a peace offering.
Heart vs. humor
Jimenez threads ALS risk, addiction fallout, and messy family history through banter and caretaking. Jokes land like little life preservers, so the heavy bits don’t sink the story. The book keeps a rhythm. A laugh, then a truth, then a choice. Imagine a kitchen table with a burp cloth beside a legal brief, a mismatched duo learning how to share space and air.
Characters that stick
Vanessa burns bright and won’t apologize for living now. Adrian notices the small things and shows up, then keeps showing up. Baby Grace is the center of gravity that pulls them into the same orbit. Side characters add texture without stealing focus. I loved how a crisp, color-coded calendar can sit across from a passport covered in stamps on the same counter.
Moments you can picture
- A white noise machine hums while Adrian reads a contract out loud because the cadence soothes Grace. You can see the soft glow nightlight shaped like a moon.
- Vanessa is filming a short video on the floor with a tripod, one sock on, one sock off, the blinking red dot catching a laugh she did not plan.
- A shared elevator ride where their shoulders almost touch and a dog leash tangles around their ankles, the kind that makes you grin at strangers.
What worked for me
The romance grows in everyday increments. Doors held, bottles washed, rides to appointments. The caretaking beats feel like love in action. The chemistry is bantery without turning mean. I kept thinking of a slow kettle on a gas stove, blue flame steady, then a sudden whistle when they finally name what they want.
What might not click
Some turns land neatly, almost too neatly, and the final stretch may feel convenient if you prefer messier endings. Readers sensitive to social media fame threads might find the influencer subplot a touch glossy. One more realistic family setback would have sharpened the last chapters. I still closed the book with a thumb pressed into a tear-shaped watermark on the page.
Read it this way
Audio is a win if you like dual narration that boosts chemistry. Print works if you want to linger on sticky-note lines. Here’s the quick compare:
| Format | Why pick it | A detail you’ll enjoy |
|---|---|---|
| Audiobook | Dual narrators give banter a heartbeat and make 3 a.m. scenes feel lived-in | The soft rustle you hear when a character moves the phone closer during a late-night call |
| Print/Ebook | Easy to mark favorite lines and revisit tender beats | A highlighted margin beside the first neighborly favor that turns into something more |
Read with a mug ring drying on your coaster and a night lamp turned low.
Favorite lines from the book :
“You can always figure out a way to have fun. Even if you can’t go anywhere.”
“I drink the wine, even if the only thing I’m celebrating is the fact that it’s Tuesday.”
“Hate is exhausting. Life is too short to hate. Let it go.”
Rating and who should read it
Rating: 4.3 / 5. Pick this up if you love caretaking romance, found family, and neighbor-door tension that slips into real commitment. Try it after The Happy Ever After Playlist for the series vibe, or pair it with Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan if you want romance that handles heavy topics with care. I’d hand it to anyone who underlines the line, “be brave today,” then tucks the book beside a half-packed weekender bag.
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