Abby Jimenez is one of those “auto-buy” authors for me. If she writes a book, I’m buying it, I’m reading it, and I’m probably enjoying it. The novels Jimenez writes are easy-to-read romances, but they all have a little bit of weight to them. She often writes about illness and complicated family dynamics (there are some truly toxic parent characters in several of her books). And while I’ve rooted for every one of the couples she’s written to end up together, they’ve all also faced very real hurdles that could conceivably keep two people apart.
Are Abby Jimenez’s books predictable? Yes. But the plotlines feel serious enough to, well, take seriously, yet light enough to act as that hit of escapism every mom I know desperately needs at the end of a long day of parenting. Which is why I’ve read them all; here are my reviews of Abby Jimenez’s books and which one tops my list as the best, yet.
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Do you need to read Abby Jimenez books in order?
One thing I love about Jimenez’s books? Many of her characters make cameos in subsequent books. She writes trio series featuring a group of people whose lives are interconnected (sometimes closely, sometimes loosely).
Each book can be read as a standalone, but if you’re interested in chronology, you’ll likely want to start with the author’s first novel, The Friend Zone. But—spoiler alert!—that’s actually not my favorite read of Jimenez’s. Here’s the publication order of Abby Jimenez’s books:
The Friend Zone series:
- The Friend Zone (2019)
- The Happily Ever After Playlist (2020)
- Life’s Too Short (2021)
The Part of Your World series:
- Part of Your World (2022)
- Yours Truly (2023)
- Just for the Summer (2024)
The Say You’ll Remember Me series:
- Say You’ll Remember Me (2025)
- The Night We Met (2026)
- Feels like Falling (coming in 2027)
Abby Jimenez books, ranked
My favorite Abby Jimenez reads span the different trilogies. Here’s my rundown of how each of her novels ranks. Of course, your ranking might look entirely different, and that’s okay!
8. The Friend Zone
Kristen Peterson cannot have children. But then she meets the charming Josh Copeland, who wants nothing more than a big family, and immediately falls head over heels for him. Now, she must battle her desire to pursue a relationship with him while knowing she cannot give him what he wants.
Goodreads Rating: 3.90/5
Jimenez’s first book has a really interesting premise: The main character falls into a friends-with-benefits situation with the perfect guy. The issue? He desperately wants kids, she is set to undergo a medical procedure that will make it impossible for her to carry children.
Not many books wade into this territory, so while it had some familiar tropes (like the old FWB trope), it still managed to feel fresh.
However, I think Jimenez was still finding her stride in writing characters when she penned this one. The main character, Kristen, felt a bit like a “cool girl” stereotype to me. Eventually she developed more dimension, but my main frustration with this read was simple. All of their issues could have been avoided with a single conversation.
7. Say You’ll Remember Me
Xavier Rush is everything Samantha could possibly want in a man. He’s a gorgeous veterinarian with his own practice, but even when the two of them share the most perfect first date Samantha has ever been on, she has to admit the truth—that her life is a mess right now, and any kind of relationship is out of the question. Heart broken, Samantha begs Xavier to forget her, but nothing is ever as simple as it seems.
Goodreads Rating: 4.03/5
I was really looking forward to this book because it touched on some issues that are close to my heart (specifically, a family illness). However, it just doesn’t quite make the mark, in my opinion.
My biggest issue with this book is that there’s no build. The characters have an almost instant connection. The issue? I felt like we, as the audience, were told about their connection instead of being shown it.
The positives? The main couple in this book faces an obstacle that feels very real and insurmountable. While many romance reads (like The Friend Zone) all hinge on a problem that would be so easily solved with a bit of communication, the dilemma the main characters face here is a true dilemma.
A lot of readers have complained about the amount of social media jargon in this book. That’s a valid complaint, but not something that bothered me too much—after all, the female main character in this book works in social media, so it probably stands to reason that she reads as chronically online.
6. The Happy Ever After Playlist
When Sloan Monroe finds a puppy in her car, she decides this it going to be it—puppy ownership will finally get her life back on track. But when the dog’s owner calls wanting him back, Sloan is at a loss, especially since the owner happens to be a hot music star on tour in Australia. Suddenly, the pair’s flirty texts turn into long phone calls, and Sloan can’t deny the connection forming.
Goodreads Rating: 4.17/5
I unapologetically love a celebrity/normal person romance, and that’s what you get here (albeit, it’s not as glamorous as my favorite book that employs this trope). The main character in this book is at the lowest point in her life when she meets the perfect guy … but of course, it doesn’t all fall neatly into place.
My favorite thing about this book was probably the wonderful female friendship representation between Kristen, the main character from The Friend Zone, and Sloan, the main character in this read. It may not be the central element of this story, but it’s a really special one.
With that being said, the read itself just doesn’t stick out to me in the same way some of Jimenez’s other books do.
5. Yours Truly
Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is a grade A disaster. She’s about to get divorced, spends all her free time caring for her brother who needs a kidney transplant, and that work promotion she wants? It’s probably going to the pain-in-the-ass new doctor, Jacob Maddox. She’s frustrated and exhausted, but when Jacob sends her a letter apologizing for his bad first impression, the two form a special bond. As letters turn into lunch dates, Bri can’t deny that Dr. Maddox is a lot more than meets the eye.
Goodreads Rating: 4.30/5
If you watched Grey’s Anatomy for the plot (the plot being … the dating relationships between the doctors), you’ll love Yours Truly, an Abby Jimenez book about two doctors navigating a fake dating plotline against the backdrop of the hospital at which they both work.
But the medical stuff isn’t what really shines here. It’s the anxiety representation. Anyone who struggles in social situations will feel seen by this story. And anyone who has a hard time trusting after being burned one too many times? They’ll feel seen, too.
4. The Night We Met
For Larissa, her life has come down to a few key choices—namely, which guy drove her home from a concert several years ago. She may secretly wish it was Chris, her best friend with whom she co-parents a Yorkie, but instead it was his best friend, who is now her boyfriend.
Chris just wants Larissa to be happy, but it’s getting harder and harder to sit on the sidelines and watch her fall in love with another guy, even if that guy is his best friend. Can Larissa and Chris find their way back to one another without hurting everyone they love?
One thing about Abby Jimenez’s latest book: The title The Night We Met is a bit misleading. I went into it fully expecting it to start with…well, the night they met. “They” being Larissa, Chris, and Mike, the three central characters in this story.
Instead, it picks up later: Both Chris and Mike, who are lifelong best friends, meet Larissa at a concert, and both offer to drive her home. She chooses to go with Mike, and when the book begins, the two are dating.
But Mike isn’t always dependable (TW and spoiler alert: There are many mentions of excessive drinking in this book). The novel opens as Mike is supposed to drive Larissa and her mother to a medical procedure, but he doesn’t make it out of bed to keep his promise. He calls Chris and asks him to cover, so Chris steps in.
And Chris just…keeps stepping in. Mike often drops the ball, and Chris is always there to pick up the slack where Larissa is concerned—quite frankly, he goes way above and beyond just picking up the slack (swoon). Larissa and Mike’s relationship gets more serious, but Larissa and Chris develop a close friendship at the same time. And…well, you know where this is going.
I wish the book had started with the night they all met, because while I very much buy Chris and Larissa’s connection, I never quite see what keeps Larissa with Mike. I wish that relationship had a bit more meat to it in order to really show why she chooses him initially, and chooses to stay with him long after that.
That aside, I really enjoyed this book. Like most of this author’s books, there are tough themes discussed here. It’s a romance read with real weight to it.
I especially appreciate how she handled creating this relationship between people who come from different socioeconomic worlds. Larissa grew up in poverty and struggles to keep her head above water; Chris is a pharmacist, and Mike comes from a wealthy family. The way these dynamics play out is important and not often represented.
3. Life’s Too Short
Vanessa Price is YouTube star who travels the world full time. Her subscribers love her carefree spirit, but for Vanessa, living her life to the fullest isn’t for the money—her mom and sister never saw 30, and she will likely die sooner than that.
But when her half-sister leaves her baby in her custody, Vanessa’s life goes from last minute flights to diaper changes. When her hot lawyer neighbor Adrian Copeland offers to help, Vanessa is resistant. And when she starts to fall for him, she can’t help but think about the future they’ll never see together.
Goodreads Rating: 4.15/5
This book doesn’t get as much love as some of the others on this list, but in my opinion, this is where Jimenez really hit her stride as an author. Life’s Too Short is about a travel vlogger who suddenly gains custody of her niece … only she has no idea how to raise a baby.
But you know who does? Her neighbor, Adrian, who swoops in to save the day (a man who can calm a crying baby? Say less). Talk about an unusual meet-cute!
The female lead in this book is afraid to fall in love for some very complicated, heavy reasons. Reading about her realization that life is indeed too short to hold back is so satisfying and sweet.
2. Part of Your World
Alexis Montgomery has a decades-long medical legacy to uphold, but while her ultra-wealthy parents insist on her becoming a world-renowned surgeon, she’s perfectly fine as a “boring” ER doctor. Alexis is already testing her parent’s limits, but when she meets Daniel Grant—a ridiculously hot small-town carpenter—she’ll do anything to fit him into her life, even if it means disappointing her parents and besmirching the family name.
Goodreads Rating: 4.26/5
Alexis is an accomplished physician from a very wealthy family, which means she has almost nothing in common with Daniel, a small-town carpenter ten years her junior. But when she finds herself stranded in his quirky small town, they strike up an unlikely connection.
This arguably feels like the most universal Jimenez book. While many of them are about very specific situations, with characters facing high-stakes obstacles to their relationships, Alexis and Daniel’s story feels like one we can all understand. They’re simply two people who fall in love despite coming from different worlds. It’s a relationship that doesn’t make sense on paper but just … works, and their story is incredibly sweet.
1. Just for the Summer
Emma is a travel nurse who never spends too long in one place. But when she meets Justin over a Reddit thread, the pair realize that they share a curse: every person they date goes on to meet their soulmate after they break up. Together, Emma and Justin make a deal—they’ll date and break up, cancelling out their curse’s and sending each other on their way to their respective soulmates. However, when their dates turn out to be a lot more romantic than either of them expected, Emma and Justin must face a startling truth, together.
Goodreads Rating: 4.36/5
The gist of this one? Justin has a curse. Every time he goes on a date with someone, that person finds their person immediately after their breakup. Emma has the same problem. So when Justin posts about his curse, she slides into his DMs and they hatch a plan: They’ll date each other … and when they break up, they’ll find their perfect matches. We all know how this will go, right?
For me, this is Jimenez’s finest work. It’s a really enjoyable read with two characters who have been through some really hard things. Emma, the female main character, gets in her own way—a lot. The thing is, though, when you learn about her backstory, you understand why, and you really root for her. And Justin? He’s a book boyfriend for the ages.
And if you root equally hard for her BFF Maddie, you’ll want to get your hands on The Situationship, a short story that gives her main character treatment.
What’s next from Abby Jimenez
Abby Jimenez has written a new book every year since 2019, and doesn’t appear to be losing that momentum anytime soon. Not only did she just launch her 2026 novel, The Night We Met, but she also has a set of Christmas novellas coming out in the fall of 2026! And a new novel, Feels like Falling, from her Say You’ll Remember Me series, coming in 2027.
Marry Little Christmas—coming October 2026!
A contemporary holiday novella collection, this book will include three interconnecting stories. It will be available in ebook, hardcover, and audiobook, as well as include recipes and illustrations by Jimenez’s daughter! You can pre-order now and receive Marry Little Christmas on October 20, 2026, just in time for the holiday season.
Zara Hanawalt, Contributing Writer
Zara is a twin mom and freelance journalist with over a decade of experience covering parenting, women’s health, and culture. In addition to The Everymom, she’s written for outlets like Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Parents, Shape, Motherly, The New York Times for Kids, What to Expect, and many others. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, travel, watching TV, and trying new restaurants.