If Abby Jimenez releases a book, you can bet I’ll be reading it immediately. At this point, her novels are an automatic buy for me, and after Just for the Summer became one of my all-time favorite romance novels, my expectations for her new release, The Night We Met, were especially high.
Part of my anticipation also came from knowing how much time went into this release. Abby has shared that this book took her two years to write, which intrigued me even more because I knew to expect something especially thoughtful and layered. Add in the fact that The Night We Met exists in the same world as her previous standalone books, with appearances from characters readers already know and love, and it immediately carries that extra sense of excitement. Thankfully, all of that excitement and anticipation paid off. Here’s my take on The Night We Met.
In everyone’s life, there’s a decision that can change everything. For Larissa, it came when choosing who to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great friends, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie. But she didn’t choose Chris to drive her home all those months ago—she went with his best friend, and he became her boyfriend. 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.
What is The Night We Met about?
The Night We Met follows Larissa, who met her perfect man, Chris, after a night out at a concert. The story follows the growing relationship between the two and how they become each other’s best friends. We watch as they go on adventures, support each other through life’s ups and downs, and even co-parent a dog. But despite all their chemistry, Larissa isn’t dating Chris; she’s in a relationship with Mike, Chris’s best friend.
My review of The Night We Met
I’ll admit, I went into this book with a bit of hesitation. I’m not typically drawn to stories featuring a love triangle trope. It’s difficult to be fully invested when you know someone is bound to get hurt. Plus, the idea of feelings developing around a best friend’s relationship had me suspicious. How was Abby Jimenez going to make the central connection between Chris and Larissa feel believable and worthy of rooting for, without frustrating or upsetting the reader? It’s the kind of trope that can easily feel messy in the wrong hands.
But somehow, she made it work, largely because of how carefully she builds the connection between Chris and Larissa. The story makes it very clear why their connection carries a different kind of emotional weight than Larissa’s connection to Mike, her boyfriend, and Chris’s best friend. The book’s tropes worked because the characters remained respectful throughout. There was no cheating whatsoever, which I appreciated.
The Night We Met is a book built on yearning, which is an aspect I absolutely loved about the story. Abby leans into this yearning in a way that feels natural rather than dragged out. The connection between Chris and Larissa develops with restraint, and as a result, every interaction between them carries more weight. That quiet yearning and tension are what kept me invested in the story, even in the small moments.
“Once again, Abby Jimenez has created characters you keep thinking about long after the last page.”
Attention to detail is also where Abby continues to shine as a romance author. Even the side characters in this story feel fully formed, with their own personalities and storylines that make the world feel lived in. Mike, in particular, is one of those characters who leaves an impression even when he’s not the central focus. While we’re essentially rooting against him in terms of his relationship with Larissa, he’s never written as someone who is impossible to empathize with. The story makes it clear as to why he and Larissa aren’t a good pairing, but it still gives him depth and humanity. This is something Abby consistently does well across her novels: no character exists solely to move the main story along.
Her characters remain incredibly relatable, and Chris especially feels like someone readers will immediately want to root for. Though at times, that became one of my frustrations with the novel. There were moments where it felt like Chris was giving so much of himself to everyone around him, without receiving the same level of care in return. While that generosity clearly reflects who he is, there were times I found myself wanting Larissa, or even one of his friends, to show that same level of attentiveness back to him.
That feeling became even more noticeable because one of Chris’s deepest personal struggles is grief. While the book touches on that pain, I kept waiting for it to be explored further. It felt like an emotional thread that had the potential to go even deeper than it did. Still, that didn’t take away from how enjoyable the book is overall. Abby Jimenez has a way of writing emotional intimacy that makes every scene compelling. Once again, she has created characters you keep thinking about long after the last page.
So, should you read The Night We Met?
For readers who feel unsure about this trope, The Night We Met is likely to surprise you. It may not replace Just for the Summer as my personal favorite, but it absolutely reminded me why Abby remains one of the few authors whose new releases I’ll always pick up immediately. The Night We Met is the perfect mix of heart, humor, and complicated feelings.
window.fd(‘form’, {
formId: ‘69498d871c4452f462816f41’,
containerEl: ‘#fd-form-69498d871c4452f462816f41’
});
Baylie Panattoni, Contributing Writer
Baylie is a Los Angeles-based Contributing Writer for The Everygirl with a passion for entertainment, beauty, and travel. Whether it’s uncovering the newest skincare and makeup essentials, discovering unforgettable travel destinations, or finding the latest romance novel sweeping BookTok, Baylie loves staying on top of trends and sharing them with readers.
The post Review: How Does ‘The Night We Met’ Compare to Abby Jimenez’s Other Books? appeared first on The Everygirl.
