Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Friend Zone

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 😭

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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ruronisai's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.75

Kristen is a pick me which I didn't like and I just really wish she communicated with Josh. I appreciate such a real character though. Even if she's a bit annoying, she feels real and flawed.
I enjoyed the double prescpetive. The banter between the 2 MCs is well written. It's what kept me interested.

Content Warnings

ssyme's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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taylorlizsauce's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

4.25

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ms_read's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

3.0

I loved the representation of women’s health issues but I was bothered by unrealistic physical descriptions of the main characters, some overused tropes, and some background characters that felt like caricatures.

Content Warnings

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted sad fast-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

3.0

While helping to plan her best friend Sloan's wedding, Kristin meets Josh, the best man. Though they are instantly drawn to each other, Kristen keeps him at arm's length.

Kristen is keeping a big secret from everyone, even her best friend Sloan. She's been dealing with medical issues that would make it next to impossible for her to get pregnant. Her periods are so extreme and painful that she plans to get a hysterectomy. She plans her whole life around her cycle. She works from home so that she doesn't have to leave her house for work and she's with a man who never wants kids so she can't be a disappointment to her partner.

Kristen feels like her inability to have children defines her. She feels unworthy of Josh's affection and love. She can't accept the fact that Josh could love her flaws and all. This is really a story about Kristin accepting that she can be loved for who she is, not what she has to offer others.

The lack of communication in this book on Kristen's part is so frustrating. Instead of telling Josh and having an adult conversation about why she feels like she can't be with him, she just sends him mixed signals and pushes him away. She won't even allow Josh to make that decision for himself. I get it, she's worried that he will be resentful of her in the future, but doesn't even give him the opportunity to make a decision.

Josh is such a patient and kind man. Even though he wants more from Kristen, he he accepts whatever she's willing to give him. It's heartbreaking to watch Josh fall so madly in love with her and not understand why she won't return his feelings.

I saw the

pregnancy coming from very on in the book.

Why do we always have to define women based on their ability to have children? This is so frustrating to me. I really wish that

the ending had been different and she hadn't gotten pregnant. I wish it would have ended with them choosing to adopt or foster a child. This would have given a more realistic ending, as the ending we are given was very far-fetched.

My heart absolutely breaks for Sloan. I'm really interested to see the progression of her character in the next book. She is such a strong woman. She goes through something absolutely heartbreaking, but is still there for her best friend.

Just weeks before their wedding, her fiance Brandon dies in a motorcycle accident. He's hit by a drunk driver. He ends up having a stroke and passing away in the hospital.

Tropes: friends to lovers, firefighter, slow burn

Content Warnings

sjurkiewicz's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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