Cover Image: Yours Truly

Yours Truly

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Member Reviews

This book was everything I hoped it would be & more. Abby Jimenez is an amazing storyteller. This book is the highly anticipated story of Briana Ortiz. She was first mentioned in "Part of Your World", which was released earlier this year. She is Alexis Montgomery's best friend. If you absolutely loved "Part of Your World", like I did, you have to read this book. I couldn't wait to learn more about Briana & find out who her perfect match would be. Jacob Maddox was perfect in every way. I loved learning more about him too. Jacob is most definitely my favorite swoon-worthy hero, that Abby has written so far. She has an amazing gift of writing about realistic characters, who face struggles with love & humor, from their collective support systems. There are plenty of moments that will make you cry one minute, and laugh out loud the next. Highly recommend.

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Thanks for letting me read this book I love Briana and jacob so much I love how you dealt with Jacob's anxiety having social anxiety is really hard I've been dealing with it a long time and I could feel Jacob's anxiety in every word you wrote not that it's a bad thing just understood and I love how Briana handled it like she could just tell when he needed a break they are just fun people that you can really relate to and I loved the story it was such a fun read as always with an abby book you laugh cry and laugh again then cry some more and have mid panick attack and them keep at it

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There are no words for how much I loved YOURS TRULY by Abby Jimenez. She has yet again wrote a book that has you laughing and crying on the same page and honestly this is her best book yet. I yet again read this the day it was released on Netgalley because I have zero self control when it comes to Abby Jimenez books.

I was eagerly awaiting Bri's story since October when I read Part Of Your World and couldn't wait to read Yours Truly. There are so many things I could say about this book but a few things I loved:
▪️fake dating
▪️the letters 😍
▪️glitter
▪️the catchphrase game
▪️Abby Jimenez inside jokes
▪️the raw real emotions
▪️Jacob's family
▪️Lieutenant Dan
▪️Xfinity

Also this book was personal for Abby around Kidney disease and organ donation and I'm so glad she shared with us what she's been going through.

I want to leave you with this quote:
“We’re all a little broken, Briana. We are a mosaic. We’re made up of all those we’ve met and all the things we’ve been through. There are parts of us that are colorful and dark and jagged and beautiful. And I love every piece of you. Even the ones you wish didn’t exist.”

A huge thanks to @readforeverpub for being so amazing and Abby for being so awesome to your fans!

Pre-order this now. It comes out April 11th!! I really want to be in Minnesota for an event for this one!

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There are very few things that will make me set an alarm for 6am during my summer break- but the chance to get an ARC of Abby's newest novel? Alarm set and website open. Yours Truly is another five star read. Abby knows just how to write to make you fall in love with these characters, to understand them, to laugh out loud and cry with them. I deal with anxiety personally, so much of the things that Jacob described doing are things that I do also. Making her readers be able to make those personal connections to characters is something Abby excels at. It's a true testament to her writing prowess when my favorite two characters are minor ones (Jafar and Grandpa)! Set aside a weekend and fall in love with Yours Truly.

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This book was so cute and wonderful to read. I adored Briana and Jacob, and I’m always in awe of how well Abby Jimenez works very serious issues into romance novels. I was specifically blown away by how delicately she weaved in tension. So much was happening in each character’s mind that was at odds with what the reader knew the other character was feeling, but it still managed to not feel contrived.

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Brianna Ortiz was a busy ER doctor who was ready to move on with her life. Her divorce was soon to be final and she hoped to get the chief of emergency medicine appointment soon. She felt these changes would bring her a happier and less stressful life. Jacob Maddox recently started working as an ER doctor at the same hospital as Bri. His first day was a nightmare and he seemed to have gotten off on the wrong foot with his new co-workers. His social anxiety made him uneasy in new situations, but he loved working in the ER as the fast pace focused his mind and quieted the anxiety. Bri had yet to meet Jacob, but an accident caused an awkward introduction. Afterward, Jacob realized he caused the uncomfortable encounter, so he decided to write Bri an apology letter. He was much better at putting his thoughts onto paper. Bri was pleasantly surprised by the effort of a written letter. She wrote him back and before long, they were sending notes back and forth. An upcoming wedding between Jacob's younger brother, Jeramiah, and Jacob's ex-girlfriend was causing Jacob worry. He told his family he had moved on from the painful breakup and was dating someone new. The reality was he left his old job because his ex, Amy, and his brother also worked at the hospital and it was distressful to run into the happy couple. He was not dating anyone at the moment either. One day, one of his sisters visited the ER and saw Bri and Jacob having lunch together. She made the assumption the Bri was the new girlfriend and spread the word to the family. Jacob enjoyed Bri's company and had fun with her. He dreaded seeing Jeremiah and Amy at family dinners and attending pre-nuptial events alone, so he asked her if she minded posing as his girlfriend until after the wedding. Bri was happy to help out her new friend and agreed. With the two new friends spending more time together, feelings started to change.

This book had everything I could have asked for. Bri was a strong, intelligent woman. Jacob was the sweetest of cinnamon roll guys. He was as giving as a person could be. Jacob does something that few people would ever consider, but I don't want to spoil it. Trust me when I say he has the biggest heart. Bri easily read Jacob's emotions and gave him what he needed to navigate social situations. She didn't see him as broken as Amy had. She realized that he needed different things and it wasn't a problem for her. Jacob's family was fantastic. They were loud, loving, and supporting of each other. As always, Abby Jimenez has a dog in the book. Jacob's rescue dog, Lieutenant Dan, was a perfect addition to the cast. Because Bri's best friend is Alexis from Part of Your World, Alexis and Daniel make an appearance here too. Yours Truly made me laugh, cry, and sigh with happiness. It is definitely in the running for my favorite book for 2022.

I received an ARC for Yours Truly and want to thank Abby Jimenez, Hachette Book Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to voluntarily read and give an honest review of this book. Reviews have been left on Goodreads, Instagram, and The StoryGraph and are linked below.

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I’ve read 102 books this year, and Yours Truly is BY FAR my absolute FAVORITE!

*ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR NOW!*

It has literally everything I want & need in a romance novel.
Dual POV? Check.
Enemies to friends to lovers? Check.
Fake relationship? Check.
The perfect slow burn? Check.

On top of all that, Abby has written 2 incredibly beautiful characters that I could not only relate to A LOT, but that I fell in love with so deeply & NEEDED their happily ever after.
I could see a lot of my anxiety in Jacob’s, and saw my way of processing many things put down in these pages. I also really want to live in his house - I desperately need a plant room!

Bri is an ER doctor that we met in Part of Your World (Alexis’ tough-cookie of a best friend), who is just finalizing her divorce from her cheating ex-husband.
Jacob is also an ER doctor and recent transfer to the same hospital as Bri, which is not the ideal situation for someone with social anxiety. Their relationship begins in the absolute sweetest way, with writing letters, & phone calls in the rain *swoon*

This book was truly all about their histories & trauma, bringing them together and apart. What I love most is Bri’s patience with Jacob’s anxiety, and the calming effect she has on him.

This book made me smile, laugh & cry, and honestly may be my favorite book of all time.

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley & Forever for allowing me the pleasure of reading this ARC :)

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Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (Pub: April 11th, 2023)
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Abby Jimenez is the Taylor Swift of the literary world. Allow us to explain.

Like each of Abby’s novels, Yours Truly is intricately, intimately and intentionally crafted, soul-stirring, heart-expanding, endearing and transcendent.

Time and time again Abby bewilders our hearts, minds and senses with her inimitable and thoughtful blend of: narrative depth; uniquely lovable lead couples; immense creativity; an endearing cast of secondary characters; witty dialogue; humorous moments; tender and intimate introspection; raw emotion; brilliant banter; devastating conflict and unmatched chemistry.

Her characters are raw reflections of humanity in the best ways — they are flawed but whole, complete as individuals but better together, relatable but unique, lovable and lively, mature and emotional — bringing new meaning to our own understandings of trust, being harmless, confidence of self and the power of love.

Jacob is a considerate, loyal, self-sacrificing, courageous, generous and introspective empath whose anxiety is best regulated by routine, understanding and bravely built boundaries.

Brianna is an adventurous, giving, compassionate, fiercely protective, thoughtful and passionate ER doctor with a stained glass heart hesitant to let light, fearing the darkness if it departs.

Their love is everything romcom writers aspire to achieve. The amount of care they show each other made ur hearts flutter. The concept of “being harmless to each other” is life-changing.

Abby’s sprinkle of Easter Eggs elevate the reading experience. Identifying and following the single threads of gold tying together people and places from her previous books is thrilling for the mind and spirit. How special to be able to wholly commit yourself to a world of someone else’s creation and continue to revel in the beauty of it book after book? That is literary 𝙈𝘼𝙂𝙄𝘾.

The little trip to Wakan is everything. Like hurling acorns at interlopers, the town continues to take care of itself (and its hostages). #iykyk

In closing, we have to say: the most powerful imprint a book can make on your life is to leave you with a more nuanced understanding of yourself and/or those around you. It is a 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚 that Abby’s vibrant characters and dextrously developed stories will empower you to explore the scars etched on your soul and help you to identify triggers and sources of trauma that lie deep in the hearts of your loved ones, enabling you to 𝙎𝙀𝙀 them in a new light.

We are inconsolably and irrationally envious if you haven’t yet ventured into Abby’s books…we would 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 to read these precious pieces of perfection again for the first time. We know this is ridiculous, but our hearts ache at the thought of waiting 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 before we can hold the weight of this masterpiece in our hands and pridefully slide it into place alongside its sisters only four shelves. Abby, you hurt and heal in equal measure and we can’t get enough.

We are in complete disbelief to be reviewing this magnificent novel 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 in advance of its release. Receiving an ARC of Yours Truly at this moment in time is the epitome of a bookish blessing — wherein stories find you when you need them most.

✨✨✨

𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝘼𝙗𝙗𝙮, 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 — 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙘 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.

𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙧.

𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮,
𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖, 𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙗𝙚

✨✨✨

IG post to come in the next two weeks - @FriendsReads

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I interrupt your current read, to tell you to put it down and snag a copy of Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez!!!

I was so excited to hear this book was coming out, and couldn't wait to get my hands on it! All of Abby's books have been quick reads for me, so naturally I finished this in one day.

Trust me, it did not disappoint!! Bri and Jacob's story was tender, heart-whrenching, beautiful, and sometimes messy- but boy was I there for every minute of it!!! All of the characters in this book were so well developed, it was easy to fall in love with each and every one of them.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.]

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I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish Yours Truly by Abby Jiminez, but I realize that I’m not done with it. Abby has an ability to hook me within minutes and hold me in her skilled storytelling grasp. Jacob and Bri are funny, heartfelt, and heartswooningly perfect for one another. They truly are each other’s perfect match. Add Yours Truly to your wishlist or pre-order list now. You won’t regret it. Like the fictional town of Wakan, this book, these characters, and their story is magical.

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Abby Jimenez draws the reader in, causing them to truly feel for the characters, Briana and Jacob , and their love story. The topic of kidney donation is done with empathy, and you may find yourself in tears at different parts of the book!

It was hard to put down and I read it from front to back in a few hours, since I wanted to devour it all!

Abby doesn't disappoint and leaves the reader wanting more! This is one of the best yet.

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OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK. I read it in a single day. I couldn't stop. I absolutely loved it.

First, let me say I really loved Part of Your World. It is one of my favorite books of the year so far. I didn't know if Yours Truly would top it. It did, which is saying something. Like the first book, this one had LOL moments, serious moments, lovable moments. Abby Jimenez knocked it out of the park again.

Briana is fierce. She is lovable. She is patient. She has a dark side. I want to be her friend.
Jacob is amazing. He was vunerable, comforting, and loving. I loved him. Together, they were amazing. I mean, they write letters. I want to start writing letters.

This book is connected to Part of Your World clearly, but I really liked the small connections to Jimenez's previous books. I won't tell you what they are, but they are there. I was excited when I noticed them.

You should absolutely read the author's notes. It makes the story even more personal. There are heavier topics on this book, including anxiety, chronic illness, pregnancy loss. Jimenez handles these so well. She clearly did her research. Yours Truly has humor, heart, friendship and love. I would give a ten out of five if I could. This book doesn't come out until April 2023, yet it is definitely one of my favorites for 2022.

Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the ARC! I have never been so excited to be read a newsletter.

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Wow - Abby does it again! She has this talent for creating characters that are REAL and deal with REAL issues, while still keeping the reader cocooned in the warmth and comfort that is a romance book. For those dealing with anxiety, the male lead was incredibly relatable. You truly get in his head and either get to feel what it's like to overthink or you see yourself in his thoughts and actions. I laughed out loud at several points and teared up at others. Another fabulous book from an amazing author! I just finished it, but am already thinking of picking it up again!

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She wasn’t ready for love. He thought he was in love with his ex. They both just showed up. This story made me laugh so hard that I snorted in certain places; in orders I needed more than a few Kleenex. Abby’s writing of all of Jacob’s anxiety and feelings were so familiar, and written so perfectly. This was a quiet romance book, and I loved everything about it.

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When Abby Jimenez releases a book, it is always, immediately pushed the the top of my list. I will always read her work the second I get my hands on it but this book was even better than I had hoped for. I devoured it in one day and like her other books, will immediately be reading it again to catch even more beautiful details.

Abby writes each book from a world that is loosely adjacent to the worlds of her previous books, so you get friendly faces and easter egg reminders of other stories throughout. Going in, based on her last book, I knew I was going to like Briana's story. Bri is funny and sharp - she's a great friend and she's lived through some crap. Abby had teased us that Jacob was her favorite love interest to date and I love Jacob but Bri was really my favorite female lead she's ever written. I related to her stage in life, her trauma, her humor, her dedication. I have to read the book again simply because I feel like I would miss her if I didn't.

Fair warning to future readers: you want want to put this book down and if you live in NYC like I do, please expect to find yourself laughing and crying in public if you read it on the train. Also - get ready for Jaffar. He will make you cackle.

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Every time a book by Abby comes out I think there is no way it can possibly be better than her last one and every time, somehow, it is. Yours Truly just feels more personal, which makes sense given the background Abby gives about her own health issues, so it reads that much more realistic- I feel like Bri and Jacob and everyone else could be real people (which has been true in all of her books but even more so in Yours Truly). I love how Abby is able to effortlessly include a very serious topic like organ donation in her book in a realistic way without it bringing down the tone or seeming preachy- you can tell the amount of research and care that was put into that aspect of the storyline and I loved that it was a major part of the storyline in the background without being constantly talked about.

After meeting Bri in POYW I was excited to find out she would get her own book. She is such a fun, feisty character so I knew it would be great to learn more about her. I think a particular talent that Abby has is being able to fully flesh out her characters- I could definitely see myself being friends with Bri. The love she has for her family and friends comes across clearly and she feels like a real person. Jacob is such a sweet character and the anxiety aspect of his character was dealt with in a way that feels authentic. The fake relationship storyline, while common in romance, felt fresh and new and I loved seeing how their feelings for each other evolved. The supporting/surrounding characters also felt authentic and the relationships between them felt real. Benny's character in particular seems realistic in his response to his illness. And it is always fun to see which characters from previous books Abby references (hi Nina Simone and Sloane!)

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It felt authentic and carefully written, the characters seem real, and the storyline felt fresh and different. It was definitely worth staying up into the early hours of the morning to finish!

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Oh my heart. Y’all, Abby Jimenez can write the hell out of a book. The Friendship Zone series is one of absolute favorites and Yours Truly is another darling addition. Achingly tender, laugh out loud funny, brimming with authenticity- this love story practically leapt off the page with its chemistry and genuineness. Bri is a passionate and charismatic doctor whose struggling: her divorce is being finalized, she’s dealing with the trauma of being cheated on for a long length of time, the promotion she thought was hers isn’t looking so straightforward now, her younger brother is depressed and suffering from ESRD, and to top it off, there’s an aloof new doctor sharing her ER. Jacob is dealing with his own struggles: complicated family and ex relationship issues along with his clinical anxiety when the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen literally runs into him….breaks his phone and keeps going to a patient’s room. What starts as animosity transitions to kindness and then shocking them both, love.

The sweet tension between these characters was so palpable and I LOVED the way they showed up for and took care of one another. It was incredibly romantic and swoon worthy. From their meet cute to the grand gesture, with the one bed in between, this was rom com magic. I laughed out loud, cried and felt all the feels.

As always, the author handles incredibly sensitive topics (i.e. chronic illness, depression, anxiety, parental abandonment, pregnancy loss, infidelity) with incredible grace and poise. As a mental health clinician, I was pleased with the thoughtful and appropriate depictions, responses and resources shared in the story. I also appreciated the vulnerability shared in the author’s note that made this book even more special. This love story was authentic, soulful, vulnerable, funny and smart.

Things I LOVED: epistolary format, fake dating, healthcare profession, self care, the sob closet, mischievous grandpa, only one bed, touches of magic, references to Part of Your World, character’s families

The easiest 5 star review ever.

Thank you so much Forever and Netgalley for my copy.

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Dammit Abby! I have to work in just a few hours, and I have yet to start one of your books and be able to put it down until I reach the back cover. You would think I would learn…

This particular book hit me in so many ways that I was not expecting. I am going to be struggling through an emotional hangover for a few days at least.

My husband and I aren’t ER doctors, and no kidneys have been donated, but hot damn if the rest of it isn’t us. I have more than my fair share of “demons” in my closet and didn’t start going to therapy until 2021. I lost my mom to pancreatic cancer 10 months after diagnosis. She passed away in May 2020. She was my grandma’s primary caretaker. While my mom was fighting her cancer battle, and after she passed away, we were also caring for my grandma. She contracted COVID and died 10 days later, in June 2021. To ring in 2022, my dad was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (the rarest and most aggressive lung cancer). To say I empathize with the caregiving aspect of this book is a massive understatement.

There is a paragraph in this book that talks about just watching someone you love sleep. I do that to my husband often. So many of the “little moments” in this book are things my husband and I do all the time. Feelings of comfort, folding into a protected space, etc. I feel all of that with my wonderful husband.

As I was reading, I was getting hit more and more with the aspects that matched my life in a way none of Abby’s previous books quite have, and my emotions have been intense, in a cathartic way. This book is a new treasure of mine. Thank you for writing it Abby.

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Color me honored to get a NetGalley Arc!! Y'all. Abby did it again! I had intended to savor this one and accidentally (or on purpose, let's be real) finished it in one sitting this evening. All of her books have felt like the biggest hug and Yours Truly is no different. I loved how Briana and Jacob fought for each other and supported each other as friends and it made the slow burn that much sweeter. The laugh out loud moments, the tender moments, the family you want to adopt as your own, it was everything I could have hoped for.

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Once again, Abby does it again. This time better than the last. If you have read part of your world(and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for…go read it. Now!) you get a glimpse into Bri, but this story is where you fall in love with her! The storyline with “dr. death” Jacob starts out antagonistic and you find yourself caught up in the battle between the two, and then all the sudden it flips and your heart warms and melts into a pile of Jacob and bri puddle. What began as a battle of the strongest turns into a light hearted fun “game”…but is that game enough? What does it take to see into someone’s soul and how do you trust after heartache? Yours Truly has humor, romance, heavy real life topics, and passion. The way Abby Jimenez writes her characters is captivating and sucks you in, leaving you wanting more.

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