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cassmills's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
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."
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Dementia, and Pregnancy
overdose, sibling death, hoardingsgjohnson2001's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Abandonment
literary_laur's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, and Abandonment
Huge focus on terminal illness - ALSbeaniebookcorner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Abandonment
kyleethecatlady's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Dementia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
biojesspj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Abandonment
juanat77's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kelliepalmer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Drug abuse and Abandonment
amylferg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
You have beautiful, world travel-vlogger superstar, Vanessa Price who has returned home to help her sister with the birth of her new baby - only for her sister to drop off her baby and never come back. This is on par with her families regular antics which Vanessa pretty much single handedly deals with 24/7.
Cue her next door neighbour and the building owner, Adrian Copeland, who is woken up at 3am to the screaming baby next door. He decides to go check on them (to hopefully get some sleep) and finds a very worn out Vanessa in desperate need of a shower. After this random encounter, their friendship really blossoms into something beautiful.
They become each other’s biggest support systems - Vanessa’s contribution is more spiritual & emotional whereas Adrian is like Vanessa’s rock. She’s been strong on her own for so long, Adrian is just there to lend whatever hand he can.
Abby has a great talent in writing very emotional, deep stories and characters and this one was no exception. It covers very heavy and triggering topics such as addiction, terminal illness, child and familial abandonment, mental health struggles - to name a few. But the end result is wonderful story of a family overcoming copious amounts of struggles to become stronger both together and as individuals.
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Abandonment