This post may contain affiliated links, which means if you purchase an item I will earn commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
dress // heels // earrings // sunglasses // mini tote bag
The way things have been this year we all deserve an escape from reality. We have spent the majority of 2020 indoors, isolated. The only escape we have had is through television and books; and I have spent plenty of time-devouring both. This past summer I wanted to read light-hearted books. The type of stories that will fill me with joy, excitement, and love. I wanted romance, happily ever after. I wanted to remind myself to stay positive through the whirlwind of fear and uncertainty. Here is a continuation of what books I read this past summer.
The thing about fate and love, no matter how hard you try to resist it, it will always find you. The Friend Zone is about sacrificing everything for the one you love. Kristen Petersen is content with the way her life is going. Her best friend Sloan is about to marry a great man, Brandon. Kristen herself has a thriving business and a dog she adores. But Kristen has a secret; she is facing a medical issue, alone. Kristen accepts that it what it is, the cards that were handed to her, until she meets Brandon’s best man in the wedding Josh. Josh is good-looking, an all-around great guy. The problem: Josh wants a big family and Kristen is uncertain if children are part of her future. So Kristen keeps trying to friend zone Josh, keeping him at arm’s length. However, their attraction to each other is too much to ignore. Then something horrible happens that brings them closer together yet further apart. *a spoiler but also important to note: if you are currently dealing with infertility issues, I do not think this book is for you.
Review and Spoilers
I was looking for a cheesy, rom-com type love story and The Friend Zone definitely delivered. I devoured through this book in a few days, as obstacles were being thrown in Josh and Kristen’s way; from the boyfriend to infertility to Brandon’s crash. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I was going to. I loved that the story is told through both sides; through Kristen and Josh’s point of view. It was interesting to see how one incident can be interpreted so differently to two people who are experiencing it. For instance, when Kristen was crying to Sloan over Josh, Josh thought Kristen was crying about Tyler. Josh started to back off thinking Kristen was really upset over the breakup, but really he should have made his move. It shows how important communication is, otherwise the other person may not fully understand the story or your behavior. How we perceive a situation can change the course of our life. I will have to admit that towards the end of the book I was getting annoyed with the back and forth, even though I found it to be relatable. Oftentimes we are scared of love, of the real thing. We do things to sabotage as we think that we are not worthy of the person. Kristen didn’t think she was worthy of or good enough for Josh because she couldn’t give him the one thing he truly wanted, children. That’s the thing about love, there are no rules. There isn’t a rhyme or reason to why we love someone, we just do… flaws and all. (not saying infertility is a flaw– meant generic flaws like Kristen’s bluntness, etc). When you truly love someone you love that person for their imperfections. And sometimes you let that person go because you love them. Kristen loved Josh so much she was willing to sacrifice her own heart for his happiness of one day having children. It was all so relatable. But I was still frustrated that she wasn’t telling him or Sloan the truth. I haven’t dealt with infertility issues, so I can’t possibly know the pain of telling people or reasons for keeping it a secret. As time went on, however, I just wanted Kristen to tell Josh the truth. I knew it would only make things easier for not only herself but for everyone involved. I was happy with the ending of the book, with Josh and Kristen together, married with a surprise baby on the way! What a miracle!! Out of such sadness came a blessing. Brandon’s crash leads to Kristen and Josh finally taking the leap of faith and being together. I was sad and angry (tears stung my eyes) that the author chose for this tragedy to happen. I felt the pain of each character: losing your fiance, best friend, and seeing your best friend go through something so horrible. I didn’t understand why this had to happen…except for having another book to write.
As the sequel to The Friend Zone, I have to say I enjoyed The Happy Ever After Playlist more. This time we are following the love story of Kristen Peterson’s best friend Sloan Monroe. The story picks up 2 years after Brandon’s fatal crash. Sloan is still a mess, still grieving her loss. She has lost interest in life itself. Kristen and Josh are there for her as much as they can be, a little too much for Sloan’s liking. Sloan can’t seem to move out of the darkness that is life without Brandon. Until one day Sloan is at a stoplight and a cute puppy jumps through her window. Immediately Sloan tries to contact the owner but can’t seem to get a hold of him. Sloan decides to take Tucker, the puppy, home with her until his owner comes to claim him. Like a blessing, Tucker is the light in her darkness, the reason to pull herself out of grieving and start enjoying life again. After 2 weeks of unanswered phone calls, Tucker’s owner Jason, an up and coming musician, reaches out and wants his dog back. Sloan doesn’t give up without a fight. Little did she know a connection starts to form between the two. But with Jason’s music career kickstarting, Sloan starts to wonder if life with him really sustainable. Sloan has been through enough heartbreak, can she face it again.
Review and Spoiler
As mentioned I enjoyed this book more than the first. Kristen and Josh’s story is more realistic, while Sloan and Jason’s love story seems to be more of a fairytale. But that isn’t the reason why I liked The Happy Ever After Playlist more. The reason is that we know from the first book how wonderful Sloan and Brandon’s relationship was and about the tragic accident. You start the book already rooting for the main character. I wanted Sloan to have another chance at finding love. She deserved it. We have all experienced heartbreak in one form or another, so we know how much of a risk it is to put yourself out there again. Plus it involves a dog and that is already a win, win for me. Anyway, the book shows that out of tragedy, there can be light, there can be a reason behind the bad things that happen to us. That things happen for a reason whether or not you believe it. It shows how fate brought Sloan and Jason together and how their lives, without even knowing it, have intertwined: Jason’s mother reading Sloan’s cooking blog for so many years. I loved how their relationship blossomed through flirty text messages, without even seeing what the other person looks like. I enjoyed following Jason on the road and the whole Lola storyline. How Lola was completely misunderstood and the events that occurred were not orchestrated by her. And once again, just like the first book, it’s about sacrificing your own happiness to let the other person have a better life. I was happy that the second book, although with mostly the same characters, was following Sloan’s story instead of a continuation of Kristen and Josh. I think I read somewhere that The Happily Ever Playlist was written first, then The Friend Zone came out. I am glad I read it in the correct order of events instead of going back to the “before”. Kristen and Josh’s story was tied up neatly, there was nothing more for them to share while Sloan’s was just beginning. For me, it would have been hard to go from being too invested in Sloan’s story in The Happy Ever After Playlist to her to being a side character in the first.
I am a big fan of Gabrielle Bernstein. I have read all of her books, follow her on social media, and really believe in her teachings. What I love about Gabby is how real and honest she is. She talks about her own setbacks and failures. She is open about her sobriety, infertility issues, postpartum depression, and more. I have to admit this took me an entire year to read. A book that could have easily taken me two days, took me a year. It wasn’t because I didn’t like it. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. The reason is that I only picked it up when I felt called to. And each time I picked it up to read, the teachings were exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. Super Attractor shares methods for manifesting. Yes, a lot of what was taught in the book I mostly already knew, but it’s nice to have a refresh. And sometimes the things you hear over and over again do not always resonate until you need to learn the lesson. This is what happened with Super Attractor. Two things I noticed that I do; the first being I always try to control the outcome. As someone who likes to know what is going to happen, likes to be in control, not thinking of the outcome is hard for me to let go of. Once I have my heart set on something, I consume it. But what I learned is that trying to control the outcome can cause resistance in manifesting the desire. It also blocks other things from manifesting. For example, lets say I am stuck on a certain type of apartment that I want in the future. I can’t think of anything else but this apartment; I know it’s the right one for me. But in reality, a much better apartment is trying to enter into my life, but I am resisting it because I have my heart set on X apartment. Piggybacking on the letting go of the outcome is having faith in the universe to provide my desires. To trust that everything that is happening to me is to serve me, to guide me to what I want. It’s easy to get discouraged when you do not see something you want so much not happening on your own timeline. To fully surrender and trust the universe, to trust God, that everything I desire is one it’s way to me, that I will manifest into my life. It is blind faith. And when fear, uncertainty, and negative feelings arise, to choose love. To choose to stay in a high vibration. I do this by feeling my feelings for a moment, then putting on a song I love and dancing to it. I also look at photos of my niece or find inspiration on social media. It’s to surround yourself with only positive things. I also find myself running a continuous list of things I appreciate. That the more you appreciate something or someone, the more you attract it. And I can honestly say in the last 2 months of applying these principles, I have seen a change in my relationships and my mood. My finances have increased. I am a lot more at peace with life and feel mostly positive throughout my day. As always, Gabrielle Bernstein continues to impact my life and I can not wait to read her future books.
*Read part 1 of the books I read this past summer
