The Friend Zone

3.5 Let's start with the good things. This couple had great chemistry and the dual povs were great. The way this book approached infertility and chronic pain felt nuanced and compelling, addressing the physical and psychological impacts of them. The side characters felt a bit half-baked, but I know the rest of the series will expand on them.

The reason this was held back from a higher rating is because of specific issues with each main character. Kristen's refusal to just communicate with Josh about why they couldn't be together was infuriating and confusing; it's not like I can't sympathize with the situation, but it felt so out of character for her that it mostly annoyed me. Not to mention the issue being revealed earlier on, when they were just friends, could've prevented him from falling for her (which at the time is what she wanted!).

With Josh, I am conflicted. When we're in Kristen's POV, I like him and I'm rooting for him. When we would switch to his POV, I mostly just got the ick. I'm so sorry, but we spent too many chapters hearing his inner and outer monologue about how she's a unicorn, a cool girl, a “not like other girls” girl; Honestly, props to Abby because I feel like she captured how a lot of men think and act when they're down bad, I just hated being a part of it for so many chapters.

Long story short, I was rooting for them, but this conflict felt avoidable. I am not against the miscommunication trope per se, but wow sometimes it really wants to make you shake the characters and slap some sense into them. This doesn't feel like a must-read series (as opposed to her newer series which is 5 stars all around), but if I can borrow the other books from the library, maybe I will.