Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Wenn aus Funken Flammen werden by Abby Jimenez

199 reviews

hannahromans's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No

3.0

I really truly loved this book until about 50% in. I got so tired of the back and forth between Josh and Kristen. He was completely insufferable and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Kristen’s lack of honesty and communication throughout the book really bothered me. I’m glad they got their happy ending but this book wasn’t what I hoped it would be 
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kaitlen915's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.5

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fpalladino's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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taytots24's review against another edition

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

3.5

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rachaellid's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted sad fast-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

4.5

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_maygen's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

4.25

do not be fooled, this book is cute and funny but it will also rip your heart out and make you cry in public on a park bench. 

the topic of infertility was really heartbreaking at times and i  felt so much empathy for Kristen, I can understand how this could be quite triggering for others going through their own infertility struggles too; however i think it’s important to see representation of themes like this which are rarely talked about in romcoms.

my biggest pet peeve is a miscommunication trope so Kristen drove me insane at times. 
and if you have read this you know what i mean when i say ‘was that really necessary?’ concerning one of the plot points.

all in all, i enjoyed this- even if it did make me much sadder than anticipated.
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jax10124's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

Chronic illness rep
Bad assgirl boss fmc
Golden retriever mmc
The dog was my fave character 
Major miscommunication trope that was mildly irritation to frustrating… without it half the book wouldn’t t have happened though so…

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mariposa517's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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? No

3.5

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purple_dryad's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

This book deals with some very heavy topics and it’s quite depressing at times. Don’t go into this book thinking it’s a typical romcom! Please review the content warnings!
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abidavisf's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

I feel seen. I had no idea going into this book that it would represent fertility struggles, lack of self worth, or the fear of opening your heart to someone, particularly when you feel that you are lacking the thing they really want. I understand Kristen so deeply. Her fears are my fears. Her plans for her health are continuously considered in my brain. Thank you, Abby Jimenez, for seeing me.

The Friend Zone is remarkably unique in its warmth & comfort that is paired with gut-wrenching pain. We all know and love Abby Jimenez for the way she can make us laugh and cry in a matter of seconds, and The Friend Zone is a gentle wade into the tragedy that would come in books further down the line. As a debut novel, it establishes Abby Jimenez’s writing style perfectly: you’re going to feel warm and fuzzy, and you’re also going to sob so hard you can’t breathe, and you’ll love every second of it.

Sloane and Brandon’s love story was so beautiful, and I wish they could have had their own book.
Knowing that Sloane’s book is next, that she finds love after unimaginable tragedy, is both humbling and haunting. I am fascinated by the idea of having multiple soulmates, and I’m ready to have my heart ripped out with The Happy Ever After Playlist while also completely terrified. I know this one’s going to hurt.


I’d love to know more about Josh’s family further down the line, how he was raised, what made him decide he wanted NINE children. From the sounds of it, it was a happy childhood so maybe there wasn’t much to go into, but it would have been nice to meet some of his relatives all the same, maybe even Celeste.

Kristen’s decisions so accurately reflect my own, and this book was truly cathartic to read. The acknowledgments and Abby’s note were too. Your life and worth do not end because of infertility, and that’s an important message that I need to believe for myself. I’m working on it.
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