So, I recently got into Abby Jimenez's "Part of Your World," and let me tell you, it's quite the rollercoaster of a story. It puts a fun twist on the classic rich girl/poor guy theme by making our leading lady, Alexis Montgomery, the one with all the riches.

The story starts with an unexpected run-in between Alexis and Daniel, who's not just a mayor but also runs a B&B and is a talented carpenter. These two have some serious chemistry, and it's like sparks flying all over the place. Alexis, fresh out of an emotionally abusive relationship, figures a one-night stand is in order.

As things progress, we see Alexis, a high-flying ER doctor from a super prestigious family, dealing with a pushy dad and a clingy ex. But the real fun begins when she and Daniel can't resist each other, despite a pretty hefty age gap.

Now, let's be honest, the first part of the book is a bit on the cheesy side. I mean, we're talking about some steamy scenes and some friends of Alexis who are just plain ditzy. But don't get me wrong; rich folks aren't all jerks; these friends are just a bit odd.

It's not until the last 20 percent of the book that things really start to sizzle. Alexis's character development is impressive, and it sheds light on the tangled web of emotional abuse. My personal highlight? Daniel, hands down. He's the perfect, younger, down-to-earth boyfriend. I found myself really rooting for him.

I'd comfortably rate it a solid three stars.

PART OF YOUR WORLD is by far my favorite book by Abby Jimenez. She is just so creative in crafting characters and themes. It wasn't common to have a strong, rich, intelligent woman character paired with a small town guy (usually it's the opposite). Alexis Montgomery was a successful doctor from a wealthy family, while Daniel Grant was a carpenter. Their romance was great, not too cheesy but not too dull either.

Jimenez didn't shy away from integrating complex topics into her story. As a result, I didn't think it became too heavy despite the challenging issues (verbal abuse, toxic parents, age gap, mental health, etc.). Without a doubt, Jimenez is one of my favorite romance authors.

Why did I wait so long to read this?! This ended up being my favorite Abby J book to date, it's so good! I hated having to put this book down, it brought me so much happiness and my heart felt like it was bursting with joy at the turn of every page.

While this book is full of so many sweet and heart-gushing moments, it also covers some difficult themes around emotional abuse, physical abuse (side character), and anxiety. I enjoyed following along with Alexis's personal growth and self-discovery. She's an older character, in her 30s who is recently divorced and trying to find her way forward while dealing with the expectations of her wealthy family and the career they have planned out for her.

If you love a good small-town country boy/city girl romance or reimagined fairytales, then look no further. It's got lovable side characters including a deaf dog and baby goats in jammies!!

I really liked the beginning and end of this novel, but the middle made this a long read for me because I kept putting it down in frustration. Alexis and Daniel are so perfect together. I don't understand how Alexis, supposedly an intelligent doctor, misses all the possible ways to be together, obvious happiness in front of her, and horrid parents that she should not care about. She was just too much of a pushover for a large part of the book. Daniel is dreamy and just a bit too perfect that made it an unrealistic relationship...while fictional. I did love the dichotomy of their different worlds/opposites attract and how well everything came together in the end.

Abby does it again! Her writing tugs at your heartstrings. Part of Your World was hard to put down, I just wanted to read it all in one sitting!

Like an Abby Jimenez book... this one did not disappoint! I love her writing and recommend her books to all.

I don’t know how Abby Jimenez does it but she tells such heartwarming stories with characters that are so lovable. I just absolutely loved this audiobook. Julia Whelan and Zacchary Webber are two of my favorite narrators and they did this story justice!

I really liked Alexis but boy it took her a long time to find the balance between her own wants versus her parents’ dreams for her. Alexis Montgomery and her brother came from a line of surgeons. Her life has been charted for her and it is expected that they step up and join the family business. But when Alexis’ brother runs off to follow his heart, she is left to shoulder their parent’s expectations. Then her car breaks down, introducing her to a small town Air BnB manager, named Daniel, she gives in to an impulse that also puts her on a path to question her career path versus what makes her truly happy.

Daniel was just an amazing guy. Yes he was younger than her but he was her equal in every way that counts. These two came from different walks of life but they fit so well. They really moved each other out of their comfort zone and taught each other about true emotional connections. This book had a great mix of humor and some teary scenes. It touched on things like emotional and physical abuse as well as financial equity between partners. This book represents everything I love in romance novels, a compelling story, character growth and a strong love connection. This book was just everything!

You had me at baby goat in pajamas!

This book is filled with swoon, humor and so many tender moments. The age-gap was well done and the MCs had so much chemistry. This book covered topics of abuse, cheating and parental abandonment. Take care of yourself while reading.

Complex and interestingly written, Jimenez is a good option for anyone looking for more from this genre - easy to recommend.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the eARC of Part of Your World! All opinions in this review are my own.

I am finally making my way through my backlog of NetGalley titles and I love finding new favorites! I don't know if it was the age gap, the instant chemistry, or the baby goat that did it for me but I loved Part of Your World! This should come as no surprise because I love Abby Jimenez!

I think my favorite thing about Part of Your World is that Daniel and Alexis both are fully developed characters. Not only do we get both of their points of view, but they each have their own sets of problems and their own lives. I felt like this helped me really enjoy both of their perspectives and made me root for them to get together more!

I have already started recommending this romance to everyone I talk to!

A sweet love story that has some wonderful dialogue and humor, I greatly enjoyed Part of Your World. This novel would appeal to fans of Emily Henry and Carley Fortune. The only part of this novel that I didn't like, was the reference to the supernatural. I was rolling my eyes at the scene with the acorns as well as the sudden driving rain and broken branch. However, other readers may love these parts! This is a minor criticism, and I will definitely reach for other Abby Jimenez novels when I need a cozy, romantic read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

5🌟 - I loved it!

This has been one of my favorite romances I’ve read all year! It was so cute, I devoured the audiobook! An age-gap romance, small town vibes, and so funny!

Abby Jimenez brings her real-life wit and humor to the pages of this novel, giving great character to two you can really root for: a well known doctor and a hometown guy, both finding their way through obstacles of life and love, and even trauma. Abby brings her wonderful charm to these complex realities for her character and does a great job doing so.

I really really loved this one. Read it in one sitting, laughed out loud and cried too. The opposites attract, rich city girl and small town boy trope worked well, and the town & side characters were great. I *loved* that Alexis was almost 10 years older than Daniel & it wasn’t something anyone went on and on about. I really loved the different ways that both main characters had family obligations and legacies to deal with, and how they made it work in the end-- I mean, knowing it's a romance I know there will be a HEA, but I really wasn't on board with Alexis giving up her entire high powered ER doc life. So I'm glad that's not (exactly) what she did.
There were parts I didn't like-- I dont think therapy was taken seriously enough, and I think Alexis withholding the truth about her ex living with her was a bad decision. Overall this might be a 4.5 to me due to these things, but I definitely still really enjoyed it.
Serious topics of domestic violence & emotional abuse were handled with care. Great for fans of Hart of Dixie and even Virgin River

This book is perfect, not a single flaw. I'm very mad at myself for waiting so long to finally get around to it Daniel is one of the most perfect men I have ever read about and I would do absolutely ANYTHING for him. This book is charming, romantic and sweet. The writing is incredible and Abby really outdid herself with this one. I cried, I laughed and I wanted to move that small town. There's a reason this book is so highly praised it's EVERYTHING!!!!!

OMG!! I love this book so much, but that is not surprising with Abby Jimenez. I will read her grocery list if she would let me. Alexis and Daniel are quirky, funny characters which is Abby's type. But she does it so well. Every time I pick up one of her books I remember how much I love the stories she creates. Also the audiobook is so fun!

This was amazing. I loved the way the relationship between Alexis and Daniel, the way they balanced each other out. Alexis reminds me of the main characters from Hart of Dixie and Virgin River, big city doctors who end up in small towns. The writing was fun and I loved all the different characters we met in Wakan.

This story was wonderful. I loved Jimenez’s leading characters, Alexis and Daniel. They had plenty of chemistry, lots of steam and developed backstories that added to their “ relationship”. Jimenez always manages to write great love stories that have an extra layer of drama and difficult subject matters. This time around she brought attention to domestic abuse. She did a fantastic job incorporating a heavy topic in a gentle and sensitive manner. The cherry on top was not only a happy ending, but a baby goat in pjs! Another winner from this auto buy author of mine!

I liked this book but it just wasn't 100% for me... the tropes aren't my fave. I really like the way Abby Jimenez writes and do think this is perfect for people who love contemporary romance, want a romance with more depth and exploration of emotions than lighter-hearted romances.