The one thing that I didn’t like about him is how he kept pegging Kristen as “a unicorn” amongst women because she’s low-key, no-drama “cool girl.” It was fine the first time, but he mentioned it so often I’m starting to feel he has a low opinion of women in general, which is such a turn off.

Instead, he talks things over with her, and actually listens to what she has to say. Even though he wants to take their relationship to the next level and, not knowing of her condition, doesn’t quite understand why they’re stuck at the friends-with-benefits level, he doesn’t push her to change her mind. The hero Josh was sweet, and I like how respectful he is throughout of Kristen’s decisions. Even when I don’t necessarily agree with some of her choices, I understand where she’s coming from, and Jimenez does a great job of putting us in her shoes. It’s simply part of her everyday reality, and leads her to some major decisions over her own long-term happiness. So often, when a character has a disability or a chronic condition, it’s mentioned and then set aside whenever convenient for plot, so I really like that the reality of Kristen’s condition was ever-present throughout, without ever devolving into a pity-fest. The author also talked about how Kristen worked around her condition in previous relationships, so that her boyfriends wouldn’t have to sacrifice their own sexual pleasures while she was dealing with pain. Even when she was in school with Sloan, her best friend and the bride, she sometimes had to forego certain trips and activities because of period pain. I sympathized with Kristen, and I love how the author delves into the ways that endometriosis has impacted Kristen all of her life. The Friend Zone is a rom com that tackles some heavy issues.

Since it’s important to Josh to have biological children (he has no interest in adopting or fostering), Kristen realizes they can’t be together and keeps them firmly in the friends-with-benefits zone. She has endometriosis, which makes it hard for her to get pregnant, and she is also weeks away from a surgery that’ll free her from pain but will also render her infertility absolute. Unfortunately, Josh wants to have lots of kids (he broke up with his last girlfriend because she didn’t want any) and while Kristen does as well, she biologically can’t have any. After a meet-cute over a fender bender on their way to plan their best friends’ wedding, maid of honour Kristen Petersen and best man Josh Copeland can’t deny the sparks between them.

The friend zone book