Review: Yours Truly

Yours Truly was just the second Abby Jimenez book I've read and I now fully understand why her books have been so beloved for (what seems like) so long! This book, the second in her Part of Your World series, was so lovely and I very much enjoyed reading it.

Here’s the book’s description:

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.
And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.

You don’t really have to read Part of Your World before Yours Truly. I did though and would recommend you do too simply because it was so enjoyable (review here). It’ll help make some of the little references make more sense but you won’t be lost if you start with Yours Truly.

I love that Briana and Jacob wrote each other letters and that’s really how they got to know each other. Their initial meeting was, well, not great but they were smart enough to realize they both had a few preconceived ideas of the other and, through the letters, were able to communicate and start a friendship. It was quite shockingly adult of them! (Not something you always see in romance novels!) I loved watching their friendship turn into something more and was completely and totally behind their romance from the get go.

There’s some good anxiety rep in this one - but know I say this as someone who hasn’t been diagnosed with anxiety. I still know that seeing mental health discussed in romance books is a huge freaking deal and I appreciate Jimenez including it in her novel.

And also - Jacob’s dog being named Lieutenant Dan? COME ON. Too good.

Abby Jimenez has written another romance that will fill you up with all the feels in the best possible way. Yours Truly will make you smile, swoon, and probably sob. But that’s part of the magic of Jimenez’s novels and I hope you discover that magic soon for yourself!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Part of Your World

I’ve been hearing about Abby Jimenez’s books for a few years now but had never gotten around to reading one. So many books, so little time, am I right? I decided to finally read my first from her when I heard about Part of Your World and had a chance to get an early copy. I mean, how could I not be intrigued when there was mention of a baby goat?!? This was a really enjoyable rom com that was heavy on both romance and comedy but also heavy on the, well, heavy stuff too. It was pretty well balanced and I had a good time reading it.

Here’s the book’s description:

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.
While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.
Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

The storyline with Alexis’s ex was really, really hard to read at times. Anyone with triggers with gaslighting and emotionally abusive relationships must take note. I hated how this smart, capable woman had been reduced to being so insecure because of her ex. His behaviour was appalling and it didn’t help that Alexis’s family and so-called friends still thought he was the best thing ever. He was careful to hide his behaviour, of course, but it was such a clear indication that most people in Alexis’s life didn’t care enough about her to realize that something was terribly wrong. I was so glad that she had Bri in her corner, at least.

Even knowing the issues she had had with her ex and the emotional trauma all that came with…I still had a hard time accepting Alexis’s reasons for not wanting to commit to Daniel. Not only that, she wasn’t fully up front with him. It was like she couldn’t see a chance with him and didn’t give him all of the information to make a decision for himself. I loved Alexis but I loved Daniel more and I wish she had shown him a little bit more respect when it came to their relationship.

The small town magic was too much fun. Jimenez made this a fairy tale with hints of magic popping up in town that made this story whimsical and helped balance out the heavier storylines.

Even though Alexis was hell bent on not allowing things to turn into a full blown relationship, the romance between she and Daniel was delightful. Their meet cute was awfully cute – with a dose of awkward too, which is always amusing in a rom com – and the sparks between them were immediately obvious. You couldn’t help but root for the two of them!

Part of Your World was an absolute delight. I laughed and swooned and cried and it was just the read I needed. This may have been the first book of Abby Jimenez’s that I read but I don’t think it’s going to be the last.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*