Reviews with content warning for Death - The Friend Zone

Loved the initial vibes of everything, and I’m all for a man who pre-empts the female characters needs and knows her so well. But I really did not like the whole Tyler relationship as a plot device, and I was absolutely disappointed at the end

when she got pregnant because there was so much emphasis and understanding that had been built up about her fertility issues and I wish for once it wasn’t magically resolved

. Also very traumatised by

Brandon’s death

like so late in the book - was that really necessary?? So yeah definitely ruined it for me.

Content Warnings

hellosarahpham's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad 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

5.0

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nyquillll's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Cried so much with this book - I could viscerally feel and was experiencing the grief, longing, and loss. I adore a relationship built on friendship, respect, admiration, and wanting what’s best for the other person.

I identified with the fertility issues and irregular menstrual symptoms Kristen experienced. I appreciated the representation of her condition and difficulties - not only the physical ones but also the psychological ones. A lot of her feelings of unworthiness and disbelief that someone could stay was very relatable.

I think what knocked off a few points in the rating for me was how “insta-love” this book felt to me. They literally fell in LOVE with each other in a matter of weeks. I know spending time with someone, intense time, can cause feelings to develop, but to this extent? And how it began

while she was still in a relationship? And how she pounced on him the minute her bf broke up with her???

. I’ll say, though I had a rough time with some parts, I did mostly like how the author didn’t paint the ex bf as an asshole, but just that the two really didn’t fit. He was in love with a woman who wasn’t in love with him.

I will also say I disliked the (many) misogynistic comments and pounding-on-chest-“She’s-mine” inner dialogues. Really could’ve done without that, especially since she was posited as a very independent, fiercely herself kind of woman.

ALSO WHY DID

BRANDON HAVE TO DIE 😭 WAS THAT REALLY NECESSARY TO MOVE THE PLOT ALONG OR SET UP SLOAN’S STORY??? i’d wager not 😭

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mirandaburel's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This book is an interesting read. In the one hand there were things I really liked (josh, primarily) and other things I really didn’t (the entire existence of Tyler, the purposeful miscommunication). Sometimes this book reached for 4 stars and other times I wanted to rate it a 2.

I think the author’s note gave a lot of insight and empathy toward the fertility plot line. but the pacing of it, the way Kristen refused to have a proper conversation about it with Josh, the late OCD reveal (which makes a lot of sense and makes me think she’s an unreliable narrator and almost want to reread it through that lens)… to me it was just frustrating to read. I feel like a lot of things could have been explored more but were brushed aside to make it a ~romance~.

Speaking of the romance…again I have mixed feelings. I think they had great chemistry, but they also fell for each other ridiculously quickly. I feel like the central conflict being her fertility would have been better than if it was just that. But instead she had this not-exactly-cheating plot line with Tyler and Josh (that led to her eventual pregnancy iirc), and Tyler’s proposal, her “thinking about it” only to immediately refuse. It’s just felt unnecessary when the central conflict could have just been her working through her health issues while grappling with her growing feelings for Josh. (To be clear, a lot of time is still spent in that conflict, but it felt like stonewalling and not actual progress).

Them the thing with alone and Brandon….felt gratuitous. Now that I know it’s a setup for book 2 it makes sense, but it was A Choice for the third act conflict and i just didn’t really like it!

TLDR this book tried to do too much, instead of digging deep with the most interesting bits.

Content Warnings

jillaay_h's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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karinabelle's review against another edition

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2.0

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