If you can’t get enough of modern romance novels, learn about all the Abby Jimenez books in order to read them as you devour her delightful catalog of love stories.
Confession: I am generally not much of a romance book reader. I’m very logical, and they tend to feel too idealized for me. They also tend to be more plot-driven, whereas I prefer character-driven stories.
BUT… Bookstagram sucked me into trying Abby Jimenez’s popular The Happy Ever After Playlist when it came out, and I too ADORED this sweet and light “rock star romance”– so much that I even added it to my list of favorite love stories of all time.
I’ve since devoured New York Times bestselling author Abby Jimenez’s entire catalog to date, known for repeated elements like:
- cute dogs,
- recipes (she’s a Food Network champion and founded Nadia Cakes),
- alternating male and female perspectives,
- and complex real-life issues standing in the way of the couples in them.
Below, I share all the Abby Jimenez books in order with my personal reviews and recommendations regarding what to read first or next.
Abby Jimenez Books in Order
The Friend Zone (2019)
The Happy Ever After Playlist (2020)
Life’s Too Short (2021)
Part of Your World (2022)
Yours Truly (2023)
Just for the Summer (2024)
Remember to Forget Me (2025)
It is best practice to read Abby Jimenez’s first three books in order (first, The Friend Zone; second, The Happy Ever After Playlist; and third, Life’s Too Short) since they are technically part of a series, and reading them out of order will spoil some plotlines for you.
However, I personally read all of her books out of order, and I didn’t feel like that much was spoiled for me. I also didn’t find anything to be confusing in reading these books out of order.
The Friend Zone (2019)
- Goodreads Choice Awards nominee – Best Romance, Best Debut
- O, The Oprah Magazine Best Romance Novels of the Year
- Audie Award Finalist
- USA Today bestseller
- Bookish Best Books of the Year
- SheReads Best Romances of the Year
- Women’s Health Best Romance Novels of the Year
- Good Housekeeping Best New Books for Summer
- PopSugar Best Books of Summer
- Publishers Weekly starred review
- Booklist starred review
- Booklist Top 10 Romance Debuts of the Year
Best for fans of the “friends with benefits” trope and sad books
The Friend Zone is book #1 of 3 in the Friend Zone series.
When Kristen meets and begins to fall for the best man at her best friend’s wedding, Josh, there are two problems — first, her relationship status is complicated, and second, she’s secretly about to undergo surgery that will leave her unable to have children.
Since Josh wants a large family, she keeps him at an arms-length distance with an agreement to remain “friends with benefits.” But, this becomes harder and harder the deeper she, and even her dog, fall for him, while he acts as the ideal boyfriend to her.
When tragedy strikes, they must cope with how they really feel given their new reality.
Personally, this was my least favorite on this list of Abby Jimenez books in order. While I liked that it explored infertility issues, I didn’t like the fact that Kristen continued to play “cat and mouse” with Josh rather than tell him the truth or break things off entirely. I also found a lot of the characters to be very stereotypical.
I did warm up to this book more by the end, but based on the reviews, many readers disliked the ending for valid reasons (no spoilers!).
I recommend it if you want to read the full Friend Zone series and aren’t triggered by infertility issues or a tragic storyline.
The Happy Ever After Playlist (2020)
- USA Today bestseller
- Publishers Weekly bestseller
- Featured on NBC, NPR, PopSugar, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Business Insider, Bustle, Oprah.com
- Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for Best Romance
- SheReads Award Best Romance of the Year
- Frolic’s Best Books of the Year
Best for fans of music and rock star romances
The Happy Ever After Playlist is #2 of 3 books in the Friend Zone series. And it’s my personal favorite Abby Jimenez book!
Two years after Sloan’s fiancé dies, she finds an adorable dog that just so happens to belong to a rock star on tour. They speak via telephone about the dog while he’s away and as they do, their calls become increasingly more flirty and romantic.
This book is also overflowing with song recommendations — a “playlist” for their love story — and just when you think you know where it’s headed, the story moves in a different direction. You simply won’t be disappointed by this very “happy” book, especially as a beach read.
Life’s Too Short (2021)
- Instant New York Times bestseller
- Minnesota Book Awards Winner
- BookRiot, Top Books of the Year
- Goodreads, Best of 2021 Romance Finalist
- She Reads, Best of 2021 Romance Winner
Best for fans of love stories filled with family drama
Life’s Too Short is #3 of 3 books in the Friend Zone series.
Vanessa is a YouTube star who has taken custody of her troubled half-sister’s baby daughter, Grace, when she meets the lawyer next door, Adrian. She’s also grieving the loss of her mother and sister, trying to support a difficult father, and worried about her own mortality.
On paper, she and Adrian seem different, but he seems up to the challenges she faces as their attraction grows. The question is whether her life will be too short for a real future together.
I generally liked this book overall, and I especially liked the fact that the couple had to navigate difficult, real-life situations together. It was a solid ending to the Friend Zone series in my opinion.
Part of Your World (2022)
Instant New York Times bestseller
Best for fans of small-town romances
Part of Your World is one of the best books for Gilmore Girls fans because it has so much small-town charm and a couple from two different worlds, like Luke Danes and Lorelai Gilmore.
It’s an utterly loveable romantic comedy, reminiscent of all your favorite late 90s/early 00s movies, and it’s easily my second favorite book on the list of Abby Jimenez books in order.
The storyline is a simple one: when a wealthy woman from a well-to-do family with high expectations of her meets a small-town, dutiful family business owner, sparks fly, but she fears truly allowing him to be “part of her world” as she applies for a job position that will uphold the family name and longstanding traditions.
What’s unique about it is the small-town charm and the humor and grace with which the story is told, leaving readers’ hearts warmed. It was an absolute delight beloved by readers worldwide!
Yours Truly (2023)
Best for fans of fake dating and second impressions
In Yours Truly, ER doctor Brianna is recently divorced and worried about her sick brother when she meets “the new guy” at work, who has unaffectionately been nicknamed Dr. Death.
But, when she gets a sweet letter from “Dr. Death,” otherwise known as Jacob, she writes back. As they continue to correspond, she learns he’s actually a donor match for the transplant her brother needs.
She’s so grateful that she agrees to “fake date” him at a family wedding that’s going to be very uncomfortable for him.
There was so much about this one that really worked for me. I loved how it represented Jacob’s social anxiety. As someone who communicates best through writing, I related to him and loved seeing this explored as a large part of the storyline.
And as someone who prefers less steamy romance novels, I enjoyed the slow burn and mild spice.
While I wasn’t crazy about the direction the story took towards the end, I still loved it, especially after reading the author’s emotional note at the end. (Don’t miss it. I’m wishing her the best.)
Lastly, I have to give a shout-out to yet another adorable dog character. Hi, Lieutenant Dan!
Just for the Summer (2024)
From the publisher:
Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?
Remember to Forget Me (2025)
Details from the book deal:
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez is a standalone book that is not part of a series.
Yes, The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez is a book series of three books: first, The Friend Zone; second, The Happy Ever After Playlist; and third, Life’s Too Short.
If you like the modern romance novels of Abby Jimenez, then you should read the modern romance novels of popular authors like Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, and Helen Hoang.
Conclusion
Those are all the Abby Jimenez books in order with reviews and recommendations for reading them. I hope you “love” these romance books as much as I do!
To recap and help you decide what to read first or next, my top three picks are:
Yes! I agree with you! Read all of them and enjoyed each one, but definitely liked Part of your world and Yours Truly is the best. I also love the way all the stories intertwine with each other. All the stories reference another book character in one way or another creating an amazing AJ universe that is always filled with Nadia Cakes.