TITLE: The Happy Ever After Playlist (audiobook)

AUTHOR: Abby Jimenez

NARRATORS: Erin Mallon and Zachary Webber

RATING: ★★★★

REVIEW: Yes...I know. Another Abby Jimenez book. LOL. What can I say? I love her work. Also, this is another book narration with Zachary Webber, and like I've said in my previous reviews, I would listen to that man recite the alphabet over and over again. (*happy sigh*) I loved the main characters, Jason and Sloan. As always with Abby's books, the banter between the couple is both romantic and hilarious, which always makes for an interesting and fun read. The secondary characters, especially Kristen, are lovable too, and that's another reason why I admire Abby's work. She gets everyone involved in the main couple's love story, and the results are funny but also heartwarming. I love that there is an actual playlist connected to this story, and the song list is included in the back of the book. Most of the bands I've never heard of, but there were several I liked. I would recommend this book to everyone, especially the audiobook format. Hmmm....now which Abby Jimenez book should I listen to next? 

For the vanilla bean cream cheese frosting:

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners and spray with oil to avoid sticking. Combine pumpkin puree and water in a large bowl; mix to combine. Add chocolate pudding mix and mix well. Add chocolate cake mix and beat 2 minutes. Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake about 25 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. For the frosting: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth. Add to a piping bag or use a zip lock bag and cut the corner off, pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.

NUTRITION INFO: Serving: 1 cupcake, Calories: 149.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29.5 g, Protein: 3.5 g, Fat: 3.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 9.5 mg, Sodium: 429.5 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 12.5 g

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)

Hello, dear readers! Today I decided to go with a different prompt from Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl, and since I missed last week’s TTT, I'm going with my favorite new-to-me author discoveries of 2025. Happy Tuesday! 

TITLE: Life’s too Short (audiobook) 

AUTHOR: Abby Jimenez 

NARRATORS: Christine Lakin and Zachary Webber

REVIEW: If you haven’t noticed yet, I’ve been on an Abby Jimenez kick lately, and I’ve been having so much fun with it. It’s good to switch things up every once in a while, you know? I’ll get back to my historical fiction soon, but right now I'm just enjoying all the laughter and love of rom-coms. Jimenez has jumped right up there on my favorite rom-com author list alongside Lucy Score and Christina Lauren, and the main reason I’ve listened to a lot of her books lately is because I adore the narrators, especially Zachary Webber. I would happily listen to that man read Old McDonald Had a Farm over and over again and be perfectly content. He has a very sexy voice, and when he does women’s voices it is SO hilarious. Life’s too Short is a great book, and as with all of Jimenez’s books, it packs a ton of emotions. One minute you could be laughing your butt off, and in the next breath you could be crying. The heroine, Vanessa, has a family history of people dying young from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and she worries this may be her fate too, especially when she starts showing the symptoms, so she’s determined to live her life to the fullest. The hero, Adrian, is a strait-laced, very Type A personality lawyer, and Vanessa helps him loosen up and have fun. They’re adorable together, and the secondary characters are lovable too. I would highly recommend Life’s too Short, especially the audiobook version.