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Member Reviews

This book was amazing - just like the 4 previous books. If you love a romantic comedy, this is the book for you. I love that Abby uses real life situations that people deal with to bring awareness. The way the characters handle the crippling affects of severe anxiety really spoke true to what I’ve experienced first hand. The way trauma can affect someone - even years later, was addressed through the characters. Abby, thank you for these books! I stayed awake the entire evening on a business trip just to finish it.

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Oh, Abby, you did it again! First off, thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy. This is currently the most requested book on NetGalley and I am so grateful to be one of the people to get it! I had to slow myself down so I could treasure it for more than just a day!

If you loved Part of Your World, you will love Yours Truly. Alexis and Daniel from POYW are in this book along with a few our favorite parts from Wakan. This story is Bri’s story (Alexis’ best friend). Briana Ortiz works in the ER at Royaume Northwestern and the male person of interest is Jacob. Abby gave us a hint that Jacob would be a “cinnamon roll”. What’s that, you ask? “A person perceived as good, gentle and kind. Often a fictional character who undergoes emotional suffering” is a definition I found online but I think of it as a character that is warm and gooey and sweet – and this is Jacob to a T. Jacob has anxiety and gets overwhelmed easily which made me fall in love with him! Abby did a great job of describing life as a person with anxiety and I could relate, particularly the parts about the struggle of being at a big gathering.

When we were first introduced to Bri in POYW, I thought YAAAAS – I love it when Abby writes a quick witted direct and sassy character! I loved Kristen from the Friend Zone and Bri was Kristen on steroids. I cannot even count how many times I laughed out loud when Bri got on a tear! There were many scenes where I was non-stop giggling much to the concern of people around me.

The Easter Eggs in this book were not as frequent as in POYW but still plentiful. I really enjoy the Easter Eggs, Abby, so keep them coming! A common theme across all of her books is humor, sexual tension, the token dog, and references to Nadia Cakes, which she owns. I get throwing in one reference to her wonderful cupcakes per book yet this one had FIVE which TBH was a bit too much. Another common theme is the ever-frustrating assumptions about what other people want or don’t want. “I can’t be with him/her because I know they don’t want X”. However, without it, there is none of the pent-up frustration and tension that makes the eventual connection so darn sexy.

It is too soon to decide how to order the books yet. Until now, I had POYW in 1st place, Friend Zone in 2nd and I keep flip-flopping HEAP and Life’s Too Short for 3rd and 4th. I can’t really put this one in any order yet since I listened to the first four and read this one. Does that change it? Zachary Webber in POYW and LTS was so good and I was hearing his voice for all of Jacob’s chapters. I was hearing my favorite narrator, Julia Whelan for all of Bri’s even though I know Julie Whelan is not narrating this one. The performance is a big part of it! Plus, I have listened to all four of her books TWICE so it really isn’t fair to place Yours Truly in order yet. It is for sure top 3 and possibly top 2. Reserving judgment to see if it makes #1. I can’t wait to listen and enjoy the story again and am excited for YOU to have the opportunity to read it as well!

Yours truly,
Carolyn

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The Friend Zone being an impulsive buy was one of the smartest things I've ever done to date. The way I sit here and obsess and cry over her work is embarrassing. YOURS TRULY???????!??!?! The fact that I requested this and got approved like an hour later? A blessing.

I'm unwell.

This book was everything to me and I couldn't tell you why. I can't explain what or how it resonated with me because I'm still trying to figure it out but I am not surprised. It happens every time. Yours Truly I think it probably my favourite book of hers though and one read-through will explain why.

Jacob and Briana are quite possibly one of my favourite book couples I've ever read. The PATIENCE and UNDERSTANDING they both showed towards one another was so beautifully intimate that I felt like I shouldn't be a part of the soft moments. These two had this awareness of what the other needed that has now embedded itself into my brain so deeply that I'm ruined. Jacob is the one. Jacob is the blueprint. He is the reason why people say "If he wanted to, he would". I believe that. Don't look into when that saying started to float around. I'm right on this.

THE END OF THIS BOOK? I honestly wish that I was capable of coherency when I get to a point like this where I love the book so much because then my review might actually be helpful. I just am a little cloud of happy after finishing it. I can't wait to reread it one day.

Basically, after all that gibberish, I cannot recommend this book enough. This is easily one of my favourite books this year.

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I love all of Abby Jimenez's books and I think they get better and better. Yours Truly has become my new favorite - such a beautiful story that was so well written. No author has the ability to make me laugh out loud and get teary-eyed like Abby Jimenez, sometimes even while I'm reading the same page. The depictions of a person with anxiety were also so well done. I don't think anyone intermixes topics with depth into HEA romance novels like Abby Jimenez.

The main characters arc of Bri and Jacob was fantastic, but I also loved ALL of the side characters. They really make it a well developed story. For those fans of POYW, there are some great sections of the book with Alexis and Daniel. This is a definite recommend. I'm already looking forward to Abby's next book!

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Wow! Abby Jimenez has done it again! Bri & Jacob’s story is so full of every emotion possible.I literally fell in love with Jacob! His character is so relatable to me and that touched my heart. And the letters! 🥰 This book gave me all the feels - I couldn’t put it down!
5⭐️
Thank you #abbyjimenez and #netgalley for the ARC.
#yourstruly

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Abby does it again! Another perfect "rom-com." I laughed, I cried, and I related. She creates characters we can relate to; be it with Jacob's anxiety, Briana's past trauma, or Benny's need for organ donation. We are pushed and pulled into this book constantly wanting more. The relationship keeps you on edge with what they will do next, while you're willing the characters to just fall in love ALREADY! Abby creates the perfect book boyfriends (even for someone who is happily married 🤣). But, it's not just the main characters love story you enjoy. It's their families, their friends, and even their exes. She ties the characters in perfectly so you want to know more about everyone by the time you're finished.

I sacrificed lots of sleep to finish this beautiful book and have absolutely no regrets. I also love the way she throws in bits and pieces from her own life, (like Nadia Cakes or hilariously named pets). Already impatiently waiting for Abby's next book!

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Setting my alarm for 3:50 am to snag an ARC of Yours Truly was worth it. Abby Jimenez truly is a gifted writer, she delivered another emotional story and she writes THE BEST book boyfriends. I laughed a lot throughout the story and related to the characters. I’ve already preordered a physical copy and I am really looking forward to the audiobook, Abby Jimenez’s audiobooks are amazing.

“The truest sacrifices are the ones no one knows anything about”

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for this ARC and especially Abby Jimenez for always looking out for your readers.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I had to wait a few days after finishing Yours Truly to be able to write this review. I can’t remember the last time that I felt so many true emotions while reading a book - I sobbed multiple times (once in public on Amtrak before I realized I couldn’t be trusted to read this in public - it was NOT a pretty sight), I laughed out loud, and I highlighted more than I’ve ever done before. Even typing this review, as I think about what I read, I am starting to tear up again!
I am in awe of Abby Jimenez’s ability to craft characters that are realistically struggling. Whether grappling with social anxiety like Jacob or not accessing therapy to help handle personal trauma like Brianna or living with a serious health condition like Benny, I think all readers can identify with parts of these characters. The overall message that “love shows up” - in different ways, no matter what - was so beautifully portrayed.
I loved the letters that Jacob and Brianna wrote to each other. I loved their fake dating plan. I loved Lieutenant Dan, Jacob’s three legged dog. I loved revisiting Alexis and Daniel. I loved the inside knowledge/jokes for anyone who follows Abby on social media - and if you don’t, you should. She’s hilarious!
Abby has shared how personal this book is to her (you can find her Author’s Note online if you’re interested before reading), and I personally cannot recommend it enough. I can’t wait to get my personalized copy in April 2023, and I hope you’ll add it to your TBR because this could be my top read of 2022. Just make sure you have tissues on hand before reading it!

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Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Let me start off by mentioning that this book features a 3 legged dog named Lieutenant Dan , and a cat named Cooter.

Briana also has a shirt that say "everything is terrible"

And its for those reasons I loved this book with whole soul . Lol. Kidding . There wasn't a thing in this book I didn't love so incredibly much .

Ok, so what else did I love? I adored that Abby brought some light to being a human living with social anxiety. Jacob , the love interest has social anxiety. And Id be an absolute liar if I said I didn't relate to every single thing this man deals with . I too, need 22 hours of time to myself in a day. And if I people... then I need a few days to recover . I'm also awkward AF and it messes with my chances of making new friends. I don't know what to say- so I tend to come off as quiet and rude .

I loved how Briana and Jacob mirrored my husband and I. Reversed . I am the quiet one. And hes the one who can meet perfect strangers and have a new friend within the hour . Hes so confident, well I am not . And he's big into recognizing my social queues and buffering me .

I loved the fact Briana got "flutters" when Jacob touched her. Because I also experienced this for the very first time in my life with my husband when we met .

The constant anxious internal dialogue was so relatable . . And I just genuinely loved everything about this book , and every other book Abby has written previous to this one .

This is the sequel to " part of your world "
So we definitely get to see some cool easter eggs nestled into the pages .. not only from POYW , but from the 3 before that Abby wrote as well!

I can't say enough about this book . And the Author. If you haven't read any of her work yet, do it !

This copy is an #arccopy provided by @netgalley and @readforeverpub . Release April 11 2023

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Every book by Abby just sucks me in and leave me wanting more when it’s done. The push and pull is perfect. I found myself laughing out loud and also yelling. I love that the characters are SO relatable. I also love all the Easter eggs. 10/10 recommend reading!

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Abby as always has a great way of writing these characters with very real life situations and feelings so they are very relatable. As someone who has anxiety and had kidney issues in the past year a lot of what the characters go through was very relatable to me and made me love them even more. There are sad parts and happy parts and very quotable and laughable lines. I would recommend this book to anyone. I've heard many say it's their favorite Abby book and while I live the characters I still think Part of Your World is my favorite.

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Somehow I always manage to find myself reading an Abby Jimenez book on a plane… And alternating between laughing hysterically and sobbing uncontrollably. This book was no different (my apologies to my flight neighbors in 12B and 12C). Abby could re-write the phone book and I’d still read it, but Yours Truly has officially replaced Life’s Too Short as my favorite book she’s written. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC, and of course, to Abby, for depicting the kind of “harmless to each other love” that made this story so magical.

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5 ⭐️
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the e-ARC of this book! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Another hit out of the park for Abby!

Yours Truly is the fifth book in Abby's The Friend Zone universe. Featuring the best friend from her last book, Part of Your World, this story focuses on Dr. Briana Ortiz, an ER doctor fresh off of a divorce and just looking to work as much as she can to avoid the heartbreak she's still navigating. That all changes when a new ER Doc joins the team, Dr. Jacob Maddox, who is quickly labeled "Dr. Death" after losing seven patients in his very first day on the job. While Jacob is trying to get over the betrayal of his ex girlfriend getting together with his brother only three months after they broke up, he tries to navigate his anxiety in his new job but is instantly attracted to his new co-worker. When family drama and some heath issues arise, these two opposites wind up connecting in a way neither of them ever would've expected.

This is probably the most personal of all of Abby's books so far and is the first to feature a divorced heroine. CW: It deals with someone who was cheated on, clinical anxiety, organ donation, a flashback to a pregnancy issue, and few other heavy discussions. You can check out the Author's Note for more about why this particular story is so personal - no spoilers! Even with all those themes included, it is a hysterical tale of two doctors who fall for the old fake dating trope and you just know they belong together from the first letters they write to one another (yes, real letters! On paper and everything!) Briana and Jacob both have a lot of baggage from past relationships, but something about them makes them a perfect balance for each other. There are, of course, plenty of little easter eggs to other books in the FZ universe and it features a dog you'll instantly fall in love with, Lieutenant Dan, the three-legged rescue pup! But that's only the beginning.

This romance is totally magnetic and I feel like a re-read is pretty imminent for me! I just love how Abby's characters feel like they could live in the real world as fully formed people with actual trials and tribulations instead of being perfect people. Even side characters like Grandpa have reasons for their relationships that play out over the entire story. Once again, I feel so lucky to have been in the first group of folks to read it and I already can't wait for book #6!

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I haven’t read a romance novel before Yours Truly where I felt so seen.
I stopped in the middle of to let my husband know I think he would love and appreciate this book. He is a sweet, quiet, funny, intelligent, kind introverted man with clinical anxiety. We’ve been married forever and I feel like I gained insight into how to love and honor him even better through Jacob’s perspective. I’m a happy spirited extrovert with a chronic illness and tricky dad. Bri journey to really love and trust tugged my heart. This book is an ode to strong men and woman in all forms, honoring each other, recharging “alone” together, kindness, lovely/hilarious pets, and showing up. I feel a better person and partner for knowing Jacob and Bri (and Benny). Plus, the book is just super juicy dripping UST and so enjoyable.

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I have been obsessed with Abby Jiminez's writing since I first read The Friend Zone. I look forward to her upcoming books with an extreme excitement and when they come my way, I always drop everything to read them. That being said, I really think she has outdone herself with Yours Truly. Jacob and Briana's story was so incredibly special and I loved every minute of it.

This leaves me with one lingering question - where do I find a Jacob of my own?

Thank you to Forever for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

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I've been following Abby since before her first book and have loved every one of them. They are must buy for me always. But this book you guys, this book is my favorite so far!
Briana and Jacob are the most real characters to me. Jacob with his anxiety and Briana being so scared to be hurt again. I love the two sides you get to the story as you see Jacob fall in love with her and vice versa. It is frustrating though how much of this could have been easily talked about between the two of them, but that would not make for a good book I suppose :) The humor in the book is just as expected from Abby. Perfectly timed and wonderfully hilarious. I cannot wait to read again in real book form when it releases!
Thank you Abby's team and NetGalley for the ARC!

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Bri is an ER doctor coming out of a traumatic divorce and struggling with her brother's health challenges. Jacob is an ER doctor coming out of a relationship where his brother is now marrying his ex. After a rough start, these two strike up an unlikely friendship. As they exchange letters back and forth, they get to know each other before even spending time together. When it starts to feel like something more, can they work through their past relationship traumas to make it work?

I love this book so much. I have been a fan of Abby Jimenez for a while and this book might be my favorite one yet. I laughed out loud multiple times, welled up with tears, and mostly couldn't stop smiling the whole time I was reading it. I relate to Jacob's struggle with anxiety in so many ways. And the letter writing just made me melt. If you have dealt with anxiety for you personally or someone you love, please read this book. Even if you haven't and you just love a love story, read this book. This one made my heart so happy.

Thank you to Abby Jimenez, NetGalley, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC of this book.

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Do you ever read a book that just sticks with you? Yours Truly is one of those books. I thought Abby Jimenez had a tough act to follow with the perfection that is Part of Your World, and somehow, she upped the ante.

Jimenez does an amazing job of taking a super serious topic (anxiety, autoimmune disease), educating others, and bringing much needed levity and humor to the table. The story of Bri and Jacob is phenomenal. There's humor, and there's so much love and family in this book.

I wish I could read this book for the first time again. That's how amazing it is.

Thanks to NetGalley, Abby Jimenez, and Forever publishing for this advance copy.

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Thank you, NetGalley and Forever, for my advance reader’s copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Abby Jimenez once again penned a contemporary romance that is sure to appeal to readers of all genres. We first met Bri as Alexis’ friend in Part of Your World. In Yours Truly, we learn her story. Bri and Jacob met as co-workers, developed a complicated friendship, and navigated difficult issues like mental health and illness.

Bri was a perfect protagonist. I admired her tenacity and her kindness. Jacob was my favorite character. He did not fit any of the stereotypes of this genre, and I loved him all the more for it. Yours Truly was romantic and refreshing. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good rom com, but tires of the usual tropes. Yours Truly is swoonworthy, smart, and destined for success.

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** ARC provided by NetGalley and Forever. Thank you!! **

I don’t even know where to begin. This book was beautiful, laugh out loud funny, and deftly handled anxiety at a time where I really, really needed to read it. This is Abby Jimenez’s best yet. This book kept me up two nights in a row… I could not put it down.

I will say that I wish the last 10% happened sooner or that this portion was longer. The freak out makes PERFECT sense but it played out too quickly. Or maybe I just didn’t want this to end…

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