Author Guide
Abby Jimenez Books in Order
Complete reading list — from The Friend Zone to Part of Your World, the BookTok sensation, and every series and standalone in between.
About Abby Jimenez
Abby Jimenez lives in Minneapolis and is also a successful business owner — she founded Nadia Cakes, a custom cake shop with multiple locations. Her debut novel The Friend Zone was published in 2019 and introduced readers to the Jimenez signature: emotionally intense contemporary romance that takes genuinely difficult subjects — chronic illness, infertility, grief, complicated family dynamics — and handles them with both warmth and honesty. She is frequently praised for writing male love interests who are genuinely evolved, emotionally supportive, and refreshingly free of toxic tropes. Her 2022 novel Part of Your World became a BookTok phenomenon after TikTok discovered its small-town doctor romance, catapulting Jimenez into bestseller territory. Her books are known for making readers laugh on one page and sob on the next — sometimes in the same paragraph.
Where to start: Start with Part of Your World or The Friend Zone — both work as entry points into her world. Part of Your World is her most popular book and a great introduction to her voice. If you prefer your romance with heavier emotional subject matter from the start, The Friend Zone is equally strong.
Part of Your World Series
Jimenez's most popular series. Each book follows a different couple but shares the same Minnesota world — best read in order, though each can stand alone.
1
Part of Your World
2022
BookTok Favourite
ER doctor Alexis Montgomery has a carefully constructed life in Minneapolis — until a small-town weekend fling with charming, easygoing Daniel Grant turns into something neither of them planned for. Their worlds couldn't be more different, but the connection is impossible to ignore. The BookTok sensation that put Jimenez on the bestseller map. Funny, tender, and unexpectedly moving.
2
Just for the Summer
2023
Contemporary Romance
Emma and Justin have a peculiar theory: both believe they are "relationship starters" — the person everyone dates right before finding their true love. So they make a deal. Date each other for the summer, get each other into shape for their real relationships, then walk away. Obviously nothing goes according to plan. Charming, sweet, and full of Jimenez's trademark humour.
3
Yours Truly
2023
Contemporary Romance
Briana Ortiz is barely holding it together — going through a divorce, struggling with her brother's declining health, and now having to work alongside a new doctor she expected to hate. But Dr. Jacob Maddox turns out to be unexpectedly kind, and when he starts writing her letters, something shifts. A romance built on epistolary connection and genuine emotional depth.
4
The Familiar Dark
2024
New
The latest addition to the Part of Your World world. Check current listings for availability and full description — Jimenez continues her run of emotionally layered contemporary romance with her characteristic blend of warmth, difficulty, and characters who feel genuinely real.
The Friend Zone Series
Jimenez's debut series — three standalone romances that share a world and feature overlapping characters. Introduced her signature style to the world.
1
The Friend Zone
2019
Contemporary Romance · Debut
Kristen Peterson has a secret that she is convinced would end any real relationship before it started. Josh Copeland is everything she doesn't need — charming, persistent, and completely certain that what they have is more than friendship. Jimenez's debut announced her immediately as a writer willing to go to genuinely difficult emotional places. Tackles infertility and reproductive health with rare honesty and care.
2
The Happy Ever After Playlist
2020
Contemporary Romance · Grief
Sloane is two years out from losing her boyfriend and still not remotely okay — until a stray dog leads her to Jason, a musician on tour who desperately needs someone to look after his dog. What starts as a temporary arrangement becomes a slow, tender falling-in-love set against a backdrop of genuine grief and recovery. One of Jimenez's most emotionally affecting novels.
3
Life's Too Short
2021
Contemporary Romance
Vanessa lives loudly — a social media star who seizes every moment partly because she knows her future might be much shorter than she hopes. Adrian is a guarded, workaholic lawyer next door who resists being drawn into her orbit. Their unlikely friendship turns into something neither expected. Funny, deeply tender, and unflinching about mortality.
Standalone
A short-form standalone from Jimenez, outside her two main series.
—
Part of Me
2021
Standalone Novella
A companion novella that revisits characters from The Friend Zone series and offers additional time with Kristen and Josh. A shorter, lighter read — ideal for fans who want more after finishing the series, but not essential reading for newcomers.
Reader tip: Jimenez's books deal with real emotional depth — chronic illness, infertility, grief, difficult family relationships, mortality — but always with warmth, humour, and romance at the centre. If you want contemporary romance that takes you seriously and treats difficult subjects with genuine care rather than melodrama, this is the author for you. Have tissues nearby regardless of which book you start with.
Frequently Asked Questions
What order should I read Abby Jimenez books?
Each series has its own internal order, but neither series requires the other as prerequisite reading. Within the Friend Zone Series, the recommended order is: The Friend Zone → The Happy Ever After Playlist → Life's Too Short. Within the Part of Your World Series, the recommended order is: Part of Your World → Just for the Summer → Yours Truly → The Familiar Dark. Most readers suggest starting with whichever series appeals more, then reading the other. If you are completely new to Jimenez, Part of Your World is her most popular entry point.
Are the Part of Your World books connected?
Yes — the Part of Your World books are connected by a shared world and recurring supporting characters, though each novel follows a different central couple and tells a complete, standalone story. You will get more out of the series by reading in order, but each book can technically be read on its own without confusion.
Is The Friend Zone a standalone?
The Friend Zone is the first book in a loosely connected series of three novels, but it tells a complete story and ends satisfyingly on its own. You do not need to read The Happy Ever After Playlist or Life's Too Short to get a full experience from it. Characters from The Friend Zone do appear in the subsequent books as supporting cast.
Are Abby Jimenez books spicy?
Yes — Jimenez's books contain intimate scenes and are firmly in the spicy contemporary romance category. They are not as explicit as some high-heat romance, but the content is adult and the romantic tension is a significant part of the reading experience. Content warnings for individual books typically include discussion of chronic illness, infertility, grief, and family trauma alongside the romance.
Why did Part of Your World become such a BookTok hit?
Part of Your World found its audience through BookTok in 2022, years after its initial publication, because readers responded to the specific combination of small-town romance, a genuinely swoon-worthy love interest in Daniel, and the class-difference dynamic between the two protagonists. The book is also notable for Daniel Grant becoming something of a benchmark for what readers want from male love interests: warm, secure, never manipulative, and completely certain about his feelings.