The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez: My Honest Review

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The Night We Met is one of the new romance book releases coming March 2026. See all that's new in romance on She Reads Romance Books.

⭐ Quick Verdict

⭐ My Rating: 2.5 ★
💭 Quick Take: A pining-heavy, emotionally messy love triangle that had an intriguing premise, but ultimately didn’t deliver the emotional payoff I expect from Abby Jimenez.

👉 Read If You Love:

Pining, slow-burn longing, emotionally complicated relationships

🚫 Skip if:

You don’t enjoy love triangles, emotional cheating, or the heroine being in a relationship with someone not the hero for most of the book

get the night we met

Book Details

Release Date: March 2026
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: He falls first, friends to lovers (with a love triangle)
Steam Level: None
POV: Dual
Part of a Series: Say You’ll Remember Me

What This Book Is About

Larissa’s life is anything but easy – juggling multiple jobs and mounting debt, she’s just trying to stay afloat. One night after a concert, she makes a choice that changes everything… just not in the way you’d expect.

Instead of going home with Chris, the man who would become her perfect match, she chooses his best friend, Mike, and starts a relationship with him instead.

Now, Larissa and Chris are stuck in a complicated orbit: best friends, co-parenting a chaotic rescue Yorkie, and growing closer by the day… all while she’s still with someone else.

And the longer it goes on, the more impossible it becomes to ignore what’s right in front of them.

My Review of The Night We Met

This was one of my most anticipated romance reads of 2026 because Abby Jimenez has been such a consistent hit for me, but unfortunately, this is where that streak broke.

I knew going in that the premise could be polarizing. A heroine dating one man while clearly building something deeper with his best friend? It’s tricky. But given Abby’s track record with emotional depth and character development, I was excited to see how she’d handle it.

And for me… it just didn’t land.

The beginning is strong. You immediately understand Larissa’s situation – she’s drowning in debt caused by her father and barely holding things together while working multiple jobs. There’s a lot of potential in her story.

But from there, the book falls into a repetitive cycle.

Mike continues to struggle with alcoholism (mostly off-page), Larissa continues to overlook it, and Chris continues to step in and take care of her in ways Mike should. That dynamic plays out over and over again without much growth or progression.

And that’s where it lost me.

What I typically love about Abby’s books is the emotional build, the character depth, and the nuance in how relationships evolve. But here, I felt like all of that was missing. The connection between Larissa and Chris never quite reached the level I needed it to, and instead, the story stayed stuck in this uncomfortable middle ground for too long.

You’re essentially watching:

a relationship that isn’t working
a heroine who won’t fully see it
and a hero who is quietly enabling it while pining in the background

While the ending gives you the HEA you expect, it didn’t feel earned or satisfying.

What I Loved

Chris as a character – he provides a safe, steady presence and genuinely supports Larissa’s dreams

Things to Know Before You Read

Larissa is in a relationship with Mike for roughly 80% of the book
Themes include alcoholism, depression, and mental health struggles
Includes mention of anaphylactic shock
Character development feels limited compared to Abby’s usual standard

get the night we met

Final Thoughts

I can see what Abby Jimenez was trying to do with this premise – it’s interesting, messy, and more grounded in reality than your typical romance.

But for me, the execution felt flat and repetitive, and I missed the emotional depth that usually makes her books stand out.

Will I keep reading her books? Absolutely.

But unless you’re already a fan, this one is an easy pass.

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