"'I always think that when we're quiet, we're agreeing to be harmless to each other. That we're just sharing the same space and letting each other exist exactly as we are, and neither of us would hurt or upset the other one.' 'Harmless to each other?' I looked at her earnestly. 'I do agree to that.' She smiled a little. 'Good. I agree to that too.'"

Yours Truly is my first Abby Jimenez book, and after finishing it, I immediately asked myself why I hadn't been reading her from the start. Not only was this a beautifully written love story, but it was also such a deep expose on living with anxiety, and all the ways it can appear in people. This was a book I craved reading, and one that made me wish I had ten more subway stops so I could continue my chapter.

Synopsis:
Nothing in Dr. Briana Ortiz's life is going to plan. Not only is her divorce in the process of being finalized, but her brother is in kidney failure, her best friend just moved away, and the promotion she's been vying for is likely going to the new, seemingly incompetent male doctor: Jacob Maddox. Jacob, who none of the nurses seem to like; Jacob who loses every patient his first day; Jacob who storms into her brother's hospital room to chastise her for running. Yes, Jacob may be Briana's tipping point in a series of shitty circumstances. That is, until he writes her a letter. Suddenly the bumbling idiot is a sweet, sensitive, surprisingly funny man whose anxiety is so severe that he doesn't know how to properly act around her. Charmed and slightly chagrined, Briana writes back to Jacob, beginning a series of long letters left in lockers, short notes on computers, and even shared lunches in the dedicated "sob closet."

Until he meets Briana Ortiz, nothing in Dr. Jacob Maddox's life is going to plan either. His long-term girlfriend has left him for his brother, he's moved hospitals, and his overwhelming need for routine and quiet is constantly being interrupted by his too involved family. Plus, his anxiety has led him to make an enemy out of all his new coworkers, including the stunningly beautiful Briana who breaks his phone and leaves him speechless. But after doing what he does best—writing his feelings—a friendship blossoms, filling the hole in Jacob’s life he didn’t know was missing.

Mere weeks into their friendship Jacob gives Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother. While initially tied to keeping the donation anonymous, Briana finds out about Jacob’s selflessness, and vows to do anything he asks. With his ex-girlfriend and brother’s wedding on the horizon, Briana’s offer of a favor is the perfect chance for Jacob to prove to his family that he isn’t angry or upset with the new couple. The answer is simple: Briana will act as Jacob’s fake girlfriend until after the wedding. Of course, love is never simple, and as their friendship grows into a relationship both of them can’t live without, the lines become blurred. Will Jacob and Briana’s messy pasts interfere with their chance at a happy ending? Or will their opposite personalities mold into something able to survive the trials and tests the world throws at them?

Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised by how much this novel emotionally affected me. On the surface Yours, Truly is just another fake-dating romantic comedy. Yet each chapter reveals a deeper, thought-provoking, tumultuous element that every relationship deals with. Jimenez rounds out the characters of Briana and Jacob beautifully, providing a depth I didn’t think was possible in 400 pages.

I was particularly taken with Jimenez’s portrayal of Briana and Jacob’s anxieties. Anxiety and depression are a vast spectrum, and it was nice to see Jacob’s more “traditional” anxiety (socially awkward, introverted, perfectly scheduled) foiled with Briana’s more hidden anxiety (past trauma, trust issues, festering depressive thoughts). The way Jacob and Briana took care of each other and learned how to be the best friend and partner for each other’s specific needs was incredibly moving, and their promise to be harmless to each other will stick with me for years.

Overall:
Yours, Truly is my favorite kind of romance—one that makes you feel emotionally impacted. I love being brought to tears by the gentleness of a relationship, yearning for my own version of the story to happen to me. This may have been my first time reading Abby Jimenez, but it certainly won’t be the last! Next up: Part of Your World (yes I read #2 before #1).

For fans of: Happy Place by Emily Henry, Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood, and The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang.

My rating: 5/5
Goodread’s Average: 4.51/5

Brianna and Jacob’s love story is adorable! Brianna is dealing with her recent divorce, and Jacob is dealing with his own past relationship and social anxiety. Jacob is one of the most caring, selfless characters I’ve encountered. loved him so much and there were many times I just wanted to give him a hug!

The romance was a slow burn, which I didn’t mind because there was a lot of other things going on that kept my interest. My one big complaint was the miscommunication. Towards the end of the book, I just wish the two MC’s would have spoke to each about how they really felt. This would have solved a lot of problems and drama. Other than that it was the perfect fake dating romance.

I absolutely could not put this book down- I read it in under 24 hours. Abby Jimenez hit the mark with yet another funny-yet-heart-warming (and sometimes heart-wrenching) hopeful romance - this one a workplace romance set in a busy ER.
I don't know how she did it, but Abby Jimenez managed to put quite a few romance tropes I don't like into a book and I still couldn't turn the pages fast enough and loved the story.
Briana and Jacob's story just captured my heart.
Watching these two doctors and colleagues go from annoyance to letter-writing acquaintances to love for each other was a development I had to read.
Between the sacrifice Jacob made and the way Briana so effortlessly adapted to Jacob's anxiety's needs, these two are admirable. But in a good way - made me reflect and want to be a little more understanding as well. As per her usual the author managed to bring mental health problems to the page in a believable compassionate way, without resorting to instacures in the end. Jacob and his anxiety and the way it was portrayed will hopefully make people feel seen.
Part of what I love about Jimenez's writing is how fully developed the side characters are - in this book
Jacob's family and Briana's as well as their respective exes, there are no two-dimensional villains here, they are all just human beings trying ...
Yours Truly is a book I will recommend to everyone for quite some time.

Dearest Reader,

The art of writing letters is almost lost. In the modern age we live in, with communication literally at the tips of our fingers, it’s easy to utilize the quick and easy methods of conversation and the short-hand that we all have succumbed to at one time or another. The instant gratification of a fast reply is more satisfying than slow building anticipation. However, there’s a time and place for letter writing that will hopefully continue to remain, even in the midst of the digital age.


Love letters.

“Yours Truly” by Abby Jimenez follows Briana Ortiz, the best friend of Alexis Montgomery from “Part of your World”. Briana is going through a divorce and not her best self. I can assure you, Reader, there have been a few times in my life when I have not been my best self, so immediately I could relate. After a bad day and a health scare of a loved one, Briana literally runs into her newest colleage Dr. Jacob Maddox. Her words are short, his are cold, and they get off on the wrong foot.

Briana and Jacob don’t start out writing love letters. They hardly know each other! Their letters are everything else: apology letters, getting to know you letters, advice letters. Getting ideas down on paper is sometimes the best way to organize your mind. Sometimes, taking a breath to choose words carefully makes all the difference. Jacob would agree. His first letter to Briana explains his intentions and his thoughts behind their first encounter, and it makes Briana see things in a different light.

“There’s something about holding the paper in your hand, seeing the ink on the page, the press of the pen. He made this. It took effort. It was a physical act. He couldn’t erase it if he made a mistake, he had to think about what he was going to say before he said it – or he said exactly what he wanted to and didn’t need to change it.”

There’s an indescribeable feeling for when you start to know someone via letters or their own words. Maybe that’s why online dating is so popular. Sure, there are always going to be people looking for a quick hook-up. There will also people hoping beyond hope that their words, thoughts, dreams, and motivations will speak loudly to someone who values those as well.

Dearest Reader, please know that “Yours Truly” also has one of my most favorite tropes – fake dating. As much as I hate secondhand cringe, I LIVE for it with fake dating because it all ends up leading to the Happily Ever After. Would you agree? The best interactions are with the fake daters and their exes, who they inevitably always end up running into. “Yours Truly” doesn’t disappoint in this area.

“Do you like it?” Amy asked her with a forced smile, obviously trying to make conversation to salvage the bad start.

“Working with him? I love it,” Briana said. She looked up at me with stars in her eyes. “You know what he said to me the other day? You guys will love this story. We had this patient with a degloving injury to the scalp. Half his face was peeled off, really gory. Anyway, we patched this guy up and Jacob grabs me and pulls me into a supply closet and looks me in the eye and says, ‘Briana, I would love you even if you didn’t have a face.'”

Ultimately, Reader, I love love, and Abby Jimenez knows how to write love. Jacob and Briana learn about each other through written word, long enough to make them want to know each other outloud and in real time. It’s about looking past your biases and initial impressions to see the real person underneath.

Jacob made me feel safe. He was like a living lullaby. A softly spoken word. The smell of coffee and toast in the morning or a cozy fleece blanket. The rain pattering on the roof on a day where you don’t have to go anywhere or do anything.

Briana was a catastrophic life event. A thing that changed everything. And I wouldn’t be the same after this. All the women I’d ever met and all the women I ever would fell away beneath her. She had me.


Jimenez makes me crave each next page. I can’t stop thinking about her characters. I want to be their friends. Would Briana want to go hiking with me? Could we get Nadia Cakes afterward as a reward? Would Jacob let me play with Leiutenant Dan? I’d like to think they would, just like I’d like to think that you and I would be friends, Reader, after we’ve bonded over so many of our favorite books. I hope “Yours Truly” becomes one of your favorite books, because it certainly has become one of mine.

Regards,

Val

What a beautiful book. Abby Jimenez really knows how to create an emotive journey that pulls on my heartstrings. Yet the book is infused with humor, levity, and celebrates joy. Such a delightful read

Abby Jimenez is one of my favorite authors so I had no doubt that I would love Yours Truly as much as I have loved her other books. From the minute I start reading, I become completely engrossed in her writing. Her characters always feel so real and relatable and Bri and Jacob were no different.

•The anxiety rep in this book felt spot on for me personally.
• Also, he writes her hand written letters 😍

I’m officially obsessed with Abby Jimenez. I have loved her writing since The Friend Zone, and after Yours Truly, I will forever faithfully set aside a day to devour her new releases. I can never put them down once I start. I don’t know if my children ate the day I read this book. I’m assuming my husband fed them because they pretty much left me alone in my bubble of happiness.

I smiled and giggled so much while Briana and Jacob built their friendship/relationship. I laughed loudly a few times, startling my lap dog. He didn’t find it funny like I did. The dialogue and banter that Abby creates, along with heartwarmingly real characters, results in stories you never want to end and people you wish you could know in real life.

Jacob’s family was freakin amazing. I loved the way they sided with and supported him while his brother got engaged to his ex girlfriend 🥴 and Briana standing up for him made my heart swoon. They were just *chef’s kiss* together.

Don’t get me wrong though, this book made me cry too. There are always hard topics in Abby’s books, but she manages to add humor throughout that makes it feel like a lighter read.

Heads up, there’s pretty much zero steam here so if that’s what makes you happy, don’t look for it within this story. That didn’t matter to me because the story didn’t need it to pack a punch.

Thank you so much to @readforeverpub
I did a happy dance when y’all said I could have an arc, screamed when the arc got here, and hugged the book hard at the end. I couldn’t ask for more.

Abby, please continue to write forever.

Briana is newly divorced, her brother needs a new kidney, she was passed over for a promotion, and she's recently moved back into her childhood home. Jacob finds out his brother is engaged to his ex-girlfriend, he has switched jobs and none of his coworkers like him, and he has some anxiety issues. Jacob didn't make a great first impression with Briana, but once they start exchanging letters Briana learns maybe he isn't that bad. Soon they start fake dating to help Jacob get through awkward family gatherings with his brother and ex, and start to develop feelings for each other. Can they overcome their past relationships and live happily ever after?
This book was so cute. I love Abby Jimenez!

I read this book so fast you all! Abby Jimenez writes the most amazing characters and this book was no exception.

I loved Jacob and everything about him. He was so perfectly written and the focus on him overcoming his anxiety was my favorite theme in the book. I really liked Brianna too and I feel she was so good for him. Their friendship was everything!

Small spoilers:
The only thing that knocked a star down for me was the constant back and forth of the miscommunication. I felt like it lasted most of the book and that was hard for me to get over. There is also a surprise at the end of something that I usually don’t like but I think this was done really well!

Overall I really enjoyed it and Jimenez will remain an auto buy for me!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Read this if you like:
✍️ Big overwhelming families with quirky relatives
✍️ Fake Dating
✍️ Learning to love after heartbreak

I don’t know how these books just keep getting better but I’m all in to whatever comes next. These characters and their issues are relatable and moving. I just highly recommend this whole series and cannot wait to read more.

More like 4.75. Two tropes towards end were kinda eh move on, but I absolutely love love love this book. This is the first romcom I have liked in awhile and I am so happy it exists. Jacob’s and Briana’s story honestly just reminds me of my husband and I so much and it makes me happy. The anxiety rep was top tier and written so well. Thank you Abby Jimenez for writing this book. Also 10000% better than Part of Your World and I am glad I took the chance on this one and read it. Also, i cried three times.

Just like with PART OF YOUR WORLD, I loved Jimenez’s writing. She writes about difficult topics within her romances and it really tugs at your emotions!

❤️ dual POV
❤️ fake dating
❤️ forced proximity
❤️ anxiety rep 🙌 I suffer from anxiety so it really means a lot to me to read stories that depict it in such a real way
❤️ I enjoyed the letter correspondences sprinkled throughout the book 💌

Jimenez handled the difficult topics with such grace and reading the author’s note at the end made the story all the more meaningful.

This one had some of my fav tropes (fake dating and forced proximity) 🫶 but also two of my least favorite tropes (not going to include them because I don’t want to spoil)!

I really loved Briana & Jacob and could not put the book down.

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is not what she expected. Her husband cheated on her, her brother is on the waitlist for a kidney transplant, and if that wasn’t enough, now she has to compete with a new doctor for the promotion she was supposed to get.

Dr. Jacob Maddox is the new doctor. He used to work with his girlfriend, but three months after they broke up, she started dating his brother. All of this was too much for his anxious heart, so he decided to move to another hospital.

Bri and Jacob’s first impression wasn’t the best, but when they start writing letters to each other, they develop a lovely and wholesome relationship that’s going to help them overcome their fears and struggles.

New book boyfriend alert! Abby Jimenez has definitely delivered a swoon-worthy-hero. Jacob Maddox is one of the best male characters I’ve ever read.

I can’t even begin to describe how much I loved this book. I loved the main characters so much! Being a female physician and an anxious person, I could see myself in both of them.

There isn’t one single thing I would change about this book. It made me cry, laugh out loud (in this economy?!) and swoon over these two perfectly imperfect people.

Other thing that I really appreciate in Abby Jimenez’s books is how she make me fall in love not only with her amazing characters but also with the adorable animals she includes in her books.

If you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for?

Thank you @Netgalley and @readforeverpub for my ARC of this wonderful book. Even the “Author’s Note” was great!

“Wouldn’t it be amazing to live like that? To not carry that burden around with you. To not feel constantly overwhelmed and overstimulated and second-guess every little thing.”

“You never realize you’re living the best time of your life,” I said softly. “It happens and then it ends, and you only see it for what it was after.”

Two doctors that are suddenly coworkers, attracted to each other but getting over relationship issues. Add in both their families and the quirks that come with and you have a page turner! Granted there are some heavy issues that are mentioned, kidney failure, miscarriage, cheating spouses, anxiety issues and of course trust issues (cheating spouses remember). When you find the one that understands you and would do anything for you even if you try to sabotage it, that's true love! Even the families are pulling for these two to figure things out and get together. My first book by Ms. Jimenez and I enjoyed it so much! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I loved this book! I have read all of Abby's previous work and it's impossible for me to pick my favorite but this might be in the running. She always does a great job of weaving an entertaining romantic story with emotionally heavy plot points. I loved Jacob and Briana. They were each dealing with their own life issues and seeing their supportive relationship grow really developed them as characters. This book was also filled with side characters with subplots of their own. I was rooting for Briana's brother throughout the story! I highly recommend this read and any book by Abby Jimenez. She never disappoints!

Thank you to Abby Jimenez, NetGallery and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of Yours Truly.

When I say Abby Jimenez is my traditionally published romance QUEEN, I truly mean that. I had high expectations going into this book, and it met every single one. I loved it so much! Highly recommend.

I finally understand the hype about Abby Jimenez! This was such a fast read and I didn't want it to end! I got major Grey's Anatomy vibes and loved the narrative about mental health!

Abby Jimenez’s novel Part of Your World was one of my favorite reads last year. I adored it so much that I immediately went on to binge her earlier series, The Friend Zone, which I also loved. My favorite part about Jimenez’s writing is the way she writes her characters. They’re always just so real and relatable. With her latest novel, Yours Truly, the second installment in the Part of Your World series, Jimenez has given me two of my favorite fictional characters ever, including a new favorite book boyfriend!

The story follows Brianna Ortiz, an ER doctor who is dealing with some pretty major life stressors when we first meet her. She is finalizing a divorce from her cheating spouse, her younger brother has renal disease and desperately needs a kidney, and the promotion she has wanted for as long as she can remember, is about to be stolen out from under her by Jacob Maddox, another ER doctor who has just transferred to the hospital where she works.

What Brianna doesn’t know is that Jacob isn’t actually her rival at all. Jacob recently discovered that his girlfriend was cheating on him with his own brother. He has started this new job in hopes of getting a fresh start and so that he can focus on his mental health, particularly his social anxiety. Jimenez does a beautiful job exploring Jacob’s anxiety, both by showing us how it impacts his life and also by showing us how he copes with it. As someone who also suffers from social anxiety, I felt seen and understood as I was reading Jacob’s story.

I honestly can’t even begin to express how hard I fell for both of these characters! Jacob is the epitome of the soft, vulnerable cinnamon roll and I just wanted to give him the biggest hug every time he felt anxious. I fell head over heels for him when, after the two of them get off to a rocky start, Jacob decides to write Brianna a letter. When he confides to her about his social anxiety, Brianna immediately decides to write back to him rather than confronting him in person, recognizing and respecting that he needs that space. This leads to the most adorable penpal relationship and I found myself grinning every time either of them received a new letter in their lockers. The letters are so sweet and earnest, with a hint of flirty banter, and I loved watching them become more open as they got to know each other. When they actually started hanging out together, I thought my heart would explode with joy and by the time I reached the end, I actually gave the book a hug, which I have never done before, haha!

This book also has all my favorite tropes so I was in heaven the entire time I was getting to know Brianna and Jacob and rooting for them to get together. If you like rivals-to-friends-to-lovers, workplace romance, fake dating, this is the book for you. And as if all of that isn’t enough, the book also features a potty-mouthed scene stealing parrot and a three-legged dog named Lieutenant Dan.

Yours Truly is charming and witty, and it absolutely stole my heart. It’s my favorite read of the year so far and I fully expect it to show up on my Best of 2023 list at year’s end.

The first half of Yours Truly is honestly fabulous. I was anticipating five stars like Part of Your World. Dual POV for Briana and Jacob helped to understand their characters and the trauma they'd previously experience. I loved the epistolary parts and had a big 'ole smile on my face. This book was setting itself up for success. Briana understanding what Jacob needs with his social anxiety was really beautiful and made Jacob feel seen. There are some shitty people, just like Alexis' family in Part of Your World, which felt quite genuine to how real people act these days.

Unfortunately, I think this is where Abby and I part ways....

Do you enjoy drama after drama after drama? Do you enjoy no communication? Absolutely no communication from 30 year old ER doctors? Two doctors who should know better than to have unprotected sex and don't get Plan B or anything?

I just can't.

CW: panic attacks, social anxiety, infidelity, chronic illness, mental illness, medical content, pregnancy, miscarriage, abandonment

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It was a perfect follow-up to Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. She is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me, Her writing style and characters are flawless. Lets get into my review of this book.

Bri and Jacob are perfection. I fell in love with each character separately battling their problems, but together as a couple is everything I didn't know I needed. The fake dating trope is one of my all-time favorites and Abby did not disappoint me! There are quite a few heavy hitting topics, so make sure you read trigger warnings before going in. I feel that Abby Jimenez did a wonderful job writing a character with severe anxiety. It was relatable and honest.

I cannot wait for more books to come out by Abby Jimenez!