The Night We Met was my first Abby Jimenez novel and I went into it knowing very little beyond the premise. What I found was a story that is both tender and heavy, hopeful and frustrating, and often far more emotionally charged than I expected. At its heart, this is a friends to lovers romance built on one small decision that changes the course of several lives. Larissa chooses to ride home with one man after a concert, not knowing that the person she leaves behind will become the centre of her emotional world.
The plot follows Larissa and Chris as they build a friendship that is warm and intimate, even though she is dating his best friend. Jimenez leans into the discomfort of that dynamic and never pretends it is simple. The book explores grief, alcoholism, identity theft and the quiet ache of loving someone you cannot have. There is yearning on every page and a sense of inevitability that makes the story both compelling and predictable. I read it quickly because I needed to know how it would resolve, even while feeling anxious for most of the journey.
What worked best for me was the emotional honesty. Jimenez writes longing in a way that feels almost physical. Chris’s acts of service are constant and sometimes overwhelming, but they also show how deeply he cares. It is maybe a touch unrealistic at times, yet still satisfying to read. Their friendship feels genuine and the shift into love is believable, even though the romance itself can feel unbalanced. I understood his feelings long before I understood hers, which left me slightly disconnected from the central relationship.
I also appreciated the way the book handles alcoholism and grief. It does not glamorise either. It shows how drinking destroys lives and how grief can sit quietly in the background until it becomes impossible to ignore. The moments of comic relief, especially anything involving Wooferine, help keep the story from sinking too deep into the darkness.
Where the book faltered for me was in its repetition and occasional melodrama. Some scenes felt stretched and some emotional beats were revisited a few too many times. I also struggled with how little we see of the side characters, especially given how important their relationships are to the plot. Chris’s devotion sometimes tips into something that feels too intense, and the possessive provider dynamic did not always land for me.
Readers who enjoy slow burn yearning, emotional turmoil and messy relationships will find a lot to love here. This is very much a book for people who want to feel everything, even the uncomfortable parts.
In the end, I had a good enough time with it, even if it will not stay with me for long. Jimenez succeeds in making the wrong person trope feel real and complicated, and while I did not always enjoy the experience, I can see why her work resonates so strongly with so many readers.
Home | Best-selling Romance Author, Abby Jimenez
