Life's Too Short

by Abby Jimenez

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

We are BIG fans of a novel that makes us laugh AND cry throughout. The ups and downs of life translated to a language we understand: emotion and the world it opens up to us. Let the light in.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"A hilarious, tender, and altogether life-affirming gem of a book." --Emily Henry, bestselling author of Beach Read

A brilliant and touching romantic comedy about two polar opposites, one adorable dog, and living every day to its fullest.

When Vanessa Price quit her job to pursue her dream of traveling the globe, she wasn't expecting to gain millions of YouTube followers who shared her joy of seizing every moment. For her, living each day to its fullest isn't just a motto. Her mother and sister never saw the age of 30, and Vanessa doesn't want to take anything for granted.

But after her half sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her baby daughter, life goes from "daily adventure" to "next-level bad" (now with bonus baby vomit in hair). The last person Vanessa expects to show up offering help is the hot lawyer next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. No one warned her that he was the Secret Baby Tamer or that she'd be spending a whole lot of time with him and his geriatric Chihuahua.

Now she's feeling things she's vowed not to feel. Because the only thing worse than falling for Adrian is finding a little hope for a future she may never see.

• Minnesota Book Awards winner
• BookRiot, Top Books of 2021
• Goodreads, Best of 2021 Romance Finalist
• She Reads, Best of 2021 Romance Winner

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538715680
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	3,631
File size:	679 KB

About the Author

  

Editorial Reviews

Abby Jimenez’s Life’s Too Short is a hilarious, tender, and altogether life-affirming gem of a book. This is the kind of novel that leaves you a little better than when it found you. Jimenez is a true talent.”—Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

“Heartfelt and swoony… Jimenez masterfully blends heavy issues and humor, lacing the tear-jerking heartache with sass and sarcasm. Series fans and newcomers alike will be moved by this emotional rom-com.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Abby Jimenez’s knack for tackling heavy subjects with humor and care shines through in this exquisitely written story about love, difficult family relationships, and living life to its fullest.”—Farrah Rochon, USA Today bestselling author of The Boyfriend Project

“Jimenez continues to burnish her well-deserved reputation for delivering truly unforgettable love stories by gifting lucky readers with another sneaky-sweet yet surprisingly sexy romance. Jimenez achieves stunning emotional depth as her realistically imperfect characters power a story line that is in equal measures heartbreaking and gloriously hopeful.”—Booklist

"A heartwarming romantic page-turner about embracing and living life to its fullest no matter the obstacles, Life's Too Short will make your heart flutter. With refreshingly real characters and compulsively readable prose, Abby Jimenez captures the thrill of falling in love without shying away from deeper themes. Clear your schedule because you won't be able to put this delicious book down!"—Katherine St. John, author of The Siren

“Sweet and funny!”—PopSugar

"Further showcases Jimenez’s masterful blend of genres and tone. ...These are irresistible characters, and Life’s Too Short will win readers over with its charm."—BookPage

“This story was nearly flawless… Life-affirming and generously upbeat despite the daunting theme, Life’s Too Short is a swoonworthy romance with dashing characters and a reminder to live each day to its fullest!” —The Nerd Daily

“An effervescent romantic comedy about taking chances, living life to the fullest, and how love can overcome anything, Life’s Too Short finds author Abby Jimenez at her most heartfelt and hilarious yet.”—Harlequin Junkie

From the Publisher

In the latest audiobook in The Friend Zone contemporary romance series, Adrian, a lawyer, and Vanessa, a travel vlogger, form a friendship over Vanessa’s newborn niece. Despite complications in Vanessa’s life, their attraction grows, and love blooms between them. Christine Lakin and Zachary Webber’s extensive experience as both solo and dual narrators is apparent in their performances. Their differing delivery styles work well to enliven the protagonists. Webber’s internal dialogue has a matter-of-fact tone, yet he performs scenes of high emotion with passion. Lakin’s narration consistently portrays the myriad emotions Vanessa experiences. This is a production sure to keep the listener entertained. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2021 - AudioFile

In the latest audiobook in The Friend Zone contemporary romance series, Adrian, a lawyer, and Vanessa, a travel vlogger, form a friendship over Vanessa’s newborn niece. Despite complications in Vanessa’s life, their attraction grows, and love blooms between them. Christine Lakin and Zachary Webber’s extensive experience as both solo and dual narrators is apparent in their performances. Their differing delivery styles work well to enliven the protagonists. Webber’s internal dialogue has a matter-of-fact tone, yet he performs scenes of high emotion with passion. Lakin’s narration consistently portrays the myriad emotions Vanessa experiences. This is a production sure to keep the listener entertained. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2021 - AudioFile

2021-02-10
When neighbors become so much more, it changes the trajectory of their lives forever.

Vanessa Price may have only a year left to live. She inherited a gene that gives her a 50% risk of contracting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the fatal disease that afflicted her grandmother, her mother, and her older sister, Melanie. She’s dedicated her adult life to enjoying each moment like it’s her last, traveling the world and using the funds from her popular YouTube channel to donate to ALS research. Vanessa’s not looking to be tied down by this disease, her dysfunctional family—or a romantic relationship. But when her half sister, Annabel, descends into drug abuse and drops her infant daughter on Vanessa’s doorstep, she has no choice but to stick around in Minnesota for the first time in years. Luckily, she’s got a hot next-door neighbor, and he’s knocking on her door at 4 a.m. When Adrian Copeland helps Vanessa with a screaming baby, he doesn’t expect to get wrapped up in her universe so quickly. But they start seeing each other every day, and he finds himself falling for her. The problem? She’s made it clear that she doesn’t date. And when Vanessa reveals that she’s been displaying symptoms of early-onset ALS, they both must decide what they really want out of life. Jimenez has become known for books such as The Happily-Ever After Playlist (2020) that blend tragicomedy with romance, and she tackles many big issues here—mortality, drug abuse, mental illness—with tact. But the plot gets tedious as the mystery of Vanessa’s prognosis drags on. Some readers may also balk at the instant connection between the two main characters, who share everything from house keys to child care in just days.

Jimenez's rom-com formula feels a bit stale on the third go-round.

Kirkus Reviews