A review by amanda_reads13
The Happily Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

emotional lighthearted 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

4.5

Sloan's life fell apart when she lost Brandon 2 years ago. But an incident with a dog named Tucker on the highway leads her to the most unexpected person and a life she never imagined. 

This book is so adorable. I love that it shows the reality of fame and not some washed over version of it. We often get this fantasy version of what fame is, but that's not the reality. In this book, we see the true struggles and complications that Jason has to endure, and by extension Sloan. His life is not simple, it is complex and anything but private. Life on the road is hard and can break even the strongest person. 

I liked that this showed the real trials of life and not a fluffed up version. We saw the real ups and downs of Sloan and 

I loved seeing Sloan's characters grow throughout the book. Yes, Jason definitely helped her work through some of her trauma, but her growth was all her own. She is such a strong woman who, after enduring unfathomable loss, pulls herself back up and finds her passions again. Is it perfect, no, but nothing is perfect. She falls again and again, only to find a way to pull herself back up. We get to see her grow into herself as a talented artist. 

Jason is the ultimate cinnamon roll. He is such a sweet and kind man who wants to give Sloan the world, even if that means he needs to remove himself from the equation. He knows that his life is going to be a constant struggle for privacy and safety and he will do anything to protect Sloan, even leaving her. As much as I wish he had been upfront and honest with her about the
fact that his label was responsible for trying to scare her away (phonecalls, smashed car), I completely understand why he lied to her about sleeping with Lola. She never would have left unless he absolutely crushed her heart. She hung on to things until their last dying breath. He wanted her to have a normal and happy life where she could have a family and paint and he couldn't see how he could give that to her. 
 

I love that we get glipses into Josh and Kristen's life and that we get to see the evolution of Kristen and Sloan's relationship. 

Yes, the ending was cheesy, but it was adorable and exactly what I expected to happen

Tropes: musician, found family, insta-love
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