Book Review: The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

 

Pages: 400

Genre: Adult Romance

Pub. Date: March 24, 2026

Publisher: Forever

Source: Personal Copy

Other Books By Author: Just for the Summer,

Part of Your World, Say You'll Remember Me, and Yours Truly

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "A beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way. In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything...

For Larissa, it came when choosing which guy to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great together, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy.

But Chris isn't the one who drove Larissa home all those months ago—Chris is her boyfriend's best friend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. And he’s just not that guy."

 

After a fun night out at a concert, Larissa gets a ride home from Mike, and not his more subdued (and slightly grumpy) friend, Chris. Once Larissa and Mike start dating, though, things get complicated. Mike doesn't have it together, and often Chris fills in for him. When Larissa needs a ride to the hospital for her mother's surgery, it's Chris who steps in to help out. The more time they spend together, the more time they realize they have a lot more in common than they thought, and perhaps there is some chemistry, too. She can't help but wonder what if she had gotten a ride home from Chris the night of the concert? Once Chris adopts a rescue dog, Larissa volunteers to help take care of him when Chris can't due to his busy job, and now they are spending even more time together. But Chris could never betray his best friend, even when Mike doesn't deserve someone like Larissa. Readers keep wondering how long they can deny it, though, especially when Mike has some major difficulties he is hiding from Larissa. Abby Jimenez's latest novel, The Night We Met, is a slow-burning romance filled with real-life issues and a strong friends-to-lovers romance.
 
Don't get me wrong. Jimenez writes some of the most enjoyable romances out there, but for me, The Night We Met felt a little too heavy at times. Larissa's life is in shambles. She has a really co-dependent relationship with her mom, who is also a mess , and her dad has screwed over her line of credit. She can't get it together, never went to college, and often needs people to bail her out of situations. This got old for me, because I wanted Larissa to be the hero of her own story without the help of men. Eventually, things fall into place, but she needs a lot of assistance. Which is fine! But......this type of scenario felt very young to me at this point in my life. Mike, her boyfriend, is no different and is battling many issues in his life - some more serious than others and Chris cleans up all his messes. Chris seems like the perfect book boyfriend, but the fact that he is constantly doing this for Mike eventually feels like he is enabling him. This dynamic got old.
 
However, Jimenez does write a good friends-to-lovers romance in The Night We Met. All the aspects of a Jimenez novel that we have come to love are there--witty dialogue, a rescue dog, real-life issues (like a nut allergy!), a realistic romance, and a lot of pining. Due to this, The Night We Met would make a great beach read for those who want a realistic contemporary romance.
 
So, while The Night We Met isn't my favorite of Jimenez's novels, I still enjoyed it overall. Have you read it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and if you are a fan of Jimenez.