The  Friend Zone. Finished 8-3-19, 3/5 stars. romance, 362 pages, pub. 2019

Kristen Petersen doesn’t do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don’t get her. She’s also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.

Planning her best friend’s wedding is bittersweet for Kristen—especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He’s funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he’d be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it’s harder and harder to keep him at arm’s length.   from Goodreads

My book group received the ARC for our August meeting, but I missed it so I have no idea how the others liked it.  I started reading and enjoyed the banter and predictable romance plot.  The main character is kept from loving herself because of her ongoing issues with her reproductive issues and the knowledge that she is infertile.  She has a perfect boyfriend who is in the military and she only sees for a few weeks every year, but he’s getting ready to come home for good.  Enter Josh, a sexy fireman and carpenter who steals her heart.

So, had this been the story it would have been fine, but there were a few things that happened at the end that were…wrong, just wrong.  I don’t want to spoil anything, but I was disappointed in the direction it took because it felt insulting to the reader.  Nonetheless, I did like the main characters and their chemistry and it was fun read, for awhile.