Honestly, Abby Jimenez can do no wrong, in my book. This follow-up to "Part of Your World" features all the things I loved about that book -- well-written characters the reader can empathize with, a great dog, and so much FEELING, which is what Jimenez does best. She can write a character's inner emotional workings like no other romance author I've read. Note to readers: You don't have to have read "Part of Your World" before reading this book, but if you DID read "Part of Your World," there's some fun follow-ups and callbacks in there!

This book truly made me forget I was reading and i devoured it. This was a book I put off reading for so long and I’m so upset I did because it was just the read I needed to get me out of my reading slump. Honestly reading about Brianna and Jacob was such a delight. They were just so cute. Their connection and communication were everything! Also, I will forever be a sucker for the fake dating trope so this and the characters are a perfect match 🥰

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC 🫶🏾

This was my first book I’ve read by Abby and it will certainly not be my last. When I say this book was a true 5, I mean it with all of my heart. Gosh, I just love this book so much.

The book follows Briana and Jacob. Two doctors who work at the same hospital. Briana’s a little rough around the edges and Jacob struggles with anxiety. First off let me say, we all struggle with a little bit of anxiety, right? So when we do often read about it, we can tell when the author is faking it or hyping it up for book purposes. This was not the case. The anxiety was so well explained without being overbearing. It was so relatable you thought “yep, I’ve felt that, too.”

The book has so many of my favorite tropes: miscommunication throughout the whole book, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, one bed scene… etc. But the thing I appreciated most about this book was THE MALE POV WAS WRITTEN SO SO SO WELL! Gosh, I think this might be the first book ever where I didn’t think “wow I can totally tell a girls writing this” everytime I read the male character’s chapters. Jimenez writes in a way that you forget you’re reading a book, but rather living a story. It was like being in the movie theater and forgetting you were there.

I can’t give enough praise for this book. It gave me butterflies, tears of sadness, tears of happiness, and smiles at the end. I love the letters and texts throughout and I absolutely adore the characters. Two things I didn’t like but the rest I truly loved: Jacob compared Bri to Amy so much. I get that he was saying how much better, but still the comparisons were endless. Also, personally, the boy changing his last name in marriage was the only cringe thing I felt about this book…

I received an ARC for this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Abby Jimenez for allowing me to read before publication in exchange for my honest review and opinions!

I LOVED this book! It really gave some Grey’s Anatomy vibes and I loved the medical professional aspect and setting!

Right off the bat, I will mention that there was some miscommunication in this story that frustrated me a bit - but let’s be honest, who in real life is going to bare their soul to someone they’ve only known a very short amount of time? And in the end, this did add to the angst of the story, and I do love some angsty romances!

Jacob is the ultimate, sweetest cinnamon roll MC! I adored him - he definitely made it to book boyfriend status! His anxiety was SO relatable to me, I knew just how he was feeling through many scenes and I just wanted to hug him and protect him at all costs.

Brianna was a bright, funny, but tough and guarded FMC. I loved how she protected Jacob and learned quickly how to help him with his social anxiety. It was so sweet to see her take care of him like that! And I enjoyed watching her soften to Jacob - just so sweet.

There were countless things I loved about this book - the main characters and their chemistry and softness, Lieutenant Dan, the side characters, Brianna’s social event “catchphrase” for Jacob, the letters, the organ donation… This book was just so good, it was impossible to put down!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
•workplace romance
•opposites attract
•fake dating
•anxiety rep

I can’t wait to add this paperback to my shelves soon! Thank you so much to Forever for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

“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.”
___

Throw everything you know about cinnamon rolls out with window because Jacob is the most cinnamoniest cinnamon roll there ever was — we must protect him at all cost. My heart is completely gone for this beautiful love story.

Gosh, poor Briana. What her ex did to her and the trauma?! Jimenez is so good at making her readers feel raw emotion and I felt them alllllll through Briana just as if it was happening to me. The anger, the rage, the resentment and loneliness…the list goes on. Briana is in such a fragile state when we met her and at the same time she’s still so very very strong and capable — I love that we got both sides. It was necessary to deal with the angsty, slow burn of this story.

And then there’s Jacob who is just all things good and wholesome and just GOOD. There was not a moment in this book where I disliked him, not even a bit. He’s pure unadulterated goodness. Did I mention he’s good? But no for real, if you don’t fall in love with him from the start and just want to protect him…ugh, do you even have a heart? And him and Briana together was just so easy (until it’s not at one point, which duh cause we need a story but that’s besides the point). The letters…omg the letters and their banter. And how Briana just gets Jacob and let’s him be his anxious self while totally taking care of him and being thoughtful of those feelings. Briana can be aggravating at times and let’s be honest, it’s for good reasons, but her redemption comes through the way she just instinctively knows what Jacob needs and just does it and goes with the flow. Seriously, this pair is perfect and yeah, they had some things to work through but it was beautiful and I loved it. Not to mention Jacob’s whole family, Grandpa, Jafar, Lieutenant Dan, glitter, love shows up and so much more. This is just a good book. Read it.

Content: language, one easily skippable, quick open door scene in chapter 39, fade to black.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an advanced copy. My thoughts are my own.

Abby Jimenez is truly the queen of writing romcoms! She evokes some type of feeling and connection that I seem to lack in so many of my other romance and rom com reads and her stories just end up being truly exceptional and standouts.

I also completely relish in her ability to sprinkle such humour in her writing and there’s always such a wonderful supporting cast in her stories! Loved the cameo from Kevin Bacon 🤣

What I didn’t love? Ugh, just not a fun of so much miscommunication, easily my most hated trope but somehow it all still worked and came together flawlessly

Was this one longer than I prefer my romcoms to be? Yes! Did it feel like it though? Absolutely not since I completely devoured it in two days! Jimenez is the real deal and she continues to prove that, book after book! 👏

4.5 stars rounded to 5 for goodreads

(ARC from NetGalley) I don’t know if I can fully articulate how it felt to read this but I’ll try my best. Ok so have you ever held a baby bird in the palm of your hand and it just stared at you and you stared at it kind of freaking out because something so precious was so easy to hurt? Kind of like that.
Briana is having one hell of a year— her baby brother has kidney failure, her best friend got married and moved 2 hours away, her divorce is about to be finalized and to top it all off her promotion has been put on hold for the new doctor. Jacob is anxious and has no idea what’s going on. He’s just left his old hospital because his brother and ex-girlfriend started dating. The 2 are off to a rocky start, but watching their friendship and eventual relationship (that is not a spoiler this is a romance bffr) grow was genuinely a delight. Vibrant, realistic, raw characters that made me want to slap them just because I’ve done or said the same things. Abby Jimez, you’re a star.

brb crying about finishing this book!

Just as her divorce is about to be finalized, ER doc Bri meets new doctor Jacob, who seems set to be a complete pain. But when he sends her a super sweet letter, she learns he might not be as bad as he seems. And when he offers her the best gift imaginable - a kidney for her brother who is in kidney failure - how could she ever resist?

Abby is absolutely an insta-buy author and she knocked it out of the park again! Devoured this in a day!

Full of heart and laugh out loud humor that only Abby can create, this was a memorable, emotional and deeply touching read. Bri and Jacob are both deep and complex characters and Abby's attention to detail with anxiety rep was definitely appreciated! I also appreciated how well researched her books are, especially as this book deals with an ER setting and kidney transplants. And in true Abby fashion the dog is the star-and he's a tripod!

Abby Jimenez wowed me with Part of Your World, and she continues to amaze with Yours Truly. I adored this heartwarming, humorous, and entertaining story about two people who find love in places they least expect. Briana and Jacob are fantastic protagonists, and their relationship is lovely and awkward and fun and sexy, and it felt so realistic and relatable.

Briana’s view of men has been defined by her mother’s and her own life experiences, many of which were not positive. So, it’s understandable why she is so afraid of giving her heart to Jacob. Being completely vulnerable and sharing one’s life with another is difficult, especially when you fear rejection, abandonment, and more. But Jacob is patient and kind, and he is so deeply in love with Briana. At one point in the story, they talk about finding a partner who speaks your language, someone who gets you, and I think that’s exactly what Briana and Jacob found in each other. They say it happens when you least expect it, and that’s certainly true for this pair. They have amazing chemistry, and I totally rooted for them to find their happily ever after together. Oh my word, some of the things Jacob says about Brian are positively swoon-worthy, and his journaling about her is so romantically beautiful.

Of course, there are obstacles that stand in Jacob and Briana’s way. There’s some family dysfunction, fears and past hurts, and work stress. Plus, Briana’s brother is in desperate need of a kidney transplant, and he lives with and is cared for by Briana. It’s a lot, but it’s so realistic. Who doesn’t feel like their problems are piling up sometimes? Who doesn’t struggle with all of the family, friends, and work, issues that arise? But throughout the story, Briana and Jacob talk about being harmless to each other, and they try hard to live by that rule. They aren’t always successful, but you can tell they are sincere in their regard for each other.

I mentioned earlier that Jacob writes about Briana in his journal, and I enjoyed the importance of writing in the story. Between the journaling and the letters Briana and Jacob write to each other, they really get to know each other on a deeper level. They reveal things on paper that might be difficult to say in person, and they find a real and healthy way to communicate.

I also loved the focus on mental health issues and the wonderful messages about giving back and organ donation. The anxiety rep in the book is fantastic, and I found Jacob’s anxiety so relatable. Like Jacob, I have social anxiety and do many of the things he does to prepare for an event, especially if it or the people attending are unfamiliar. I understood his fears and frustrations, and I sympathized with him when he dealt with people who were not so understanding. Throughout the book, I kept saying to myself, “That’s exactly how I am,” and I could totally understand Jacob’s feelings and frustrations. Anxiety is exhausting, and it can really take its toll. However, the story also includes talk of self-care, including journaling, therapy, being prepared, being attuned to your triggers, and having strategies to help if an attack occurs. Jacob isn’t defeated by his anxiety, and he finds effective ways to cope and live with it.

And I love how, for Briana, anxiety is just a piece of Jacob. She is so supportive, knowledgable, and understanding, and she never treats Jacob like he’s a burden or less than. She is so different from some of the other people in his life who don’t seem to even take the time to understand him. She gets him, and it’s just so refreshing.

I can’t say enough about Yours Truly. It’s a great story – heartwarming and sexy and funny, and the characters are fantastic. The protagonists from Part of Your World even make an appearance, which was fantastic! I would definitely recommend this one to contemporary romance readers, and I’m so thankful to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

This is one of those books you will have heard about before you get your hands on a copy and all the hype makes you wonder if it will truly live up to it. Yours Truly does indeed live up to the hype. Abby Jimenezs reputation proceeds her and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to receive an advanced readers copy of this book. Because of all the positive feedback the book was generating I was hesitant to start reading knowing it would either be one of the best books I read this year or it would fall short. Just a week before publishing I finally sat down and let me tell you I DEVOURED this book in one sitting, I could not put it down.

At heart this is a beautiful love story between two imperfect people. There were some hilarious moments but mostly this book takes you on an emotional journey tugging at your heart strings at every turn. Briana and Jacob are such special people and my heart was pulling for them the whole time. Briana is the kind of woman you cannot help but love, she lights up the room and people are naturally drawn to her and her big heart. In her private life things are complicated. She has separated from her husband of several years and the divorce is almost finalized, despite how she feels about her husband the and the mistakes he made that finally broke their marriage she is having trouble with the finality of the divorce being settled. On top of that her brother is battling kidney failure and despite the family’s best efforts no match has been located. Then as the cherry on top she finds out the promotion she was in line for has been postponed to allow the new male Dr – Dr. Jacob Maddox – to get to make an impression before a final decision is made.

Brianas first impression of Jacob Maddox doesn’t leave her or the nursing staff feeling warm and fuzzy, in fact they can’t find much positive to say. He comes off cold and unapproachable and after a disastrous first day he’s not sure how to turn things around. Unbeknownst to everyone Jacob is dealing with anxiety, being in new settings is challenging, he knows he is an excellent physician but it isn’t until Briana extends an olive branch to help him get into the nurses good graces he starts to find his footing. Not knowing how to express his gratitude and knowing social interactions are not his forte he decides to write her a letter and this changes everything

The letter! Omg I loved the letters, such a sweet and intimate way to get to know each other. I loved how this allowed Briana and Jacob to get closer and get comfortable with one another. They are both such genuine and lovable people and this slow burn enemies-to-friends-to-lovers progression was so fun. This book is dual POV and the tension and pinning that build as their relationship developed was beautiful.

Abby did an amazing job representing Jacobs struggles with anxiety, you could really feel the emotions as he was going through them and it painted such an accurate picture of what it is like living with anxiety. I loved the way she didn’t sugar coat his struggles and also how Briana made him feel seen. It was done in such a sensitive and respectful way.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this book and I will definitely be adding more of Abbys books to my collection

CW: Anxiety, depression, serious kidney illness, mentions of miscarriage, cheating

Thank You to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the gifted eARC provided through NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book and I leave my honest review voluntarily.

This newest novel from Abby Jimenez brings a heartwarming romance involving sacrifice, love, kindness, forgiveness, and understanding. The main characters, Jacob and Briana, are both doctors and have a pretty disastrous first impression of each other. Through letters and some thoughtful gestures, readers see them both soften towards one another and realize that they might just not be so horrible after all!

I loved this novel so much and the characters are what made this read so special. Jacob is one of the most lovable main characters ever and he was such an adorable cinnamon roll! Briana was such a strong character, witty characters who loves her family fiercely. Both main characters have experiences some significant hardships that have impacted them. Mental health representation, trauma responses, relationship issues, and chronic illness were main topics in this novel that really brought a lot to the storyline. Abby writes about these topics with great care and the romance tropes of fake dating, friends-to-lovers, and forced proximity helped to incorporate moments for these topics throughout the story. The miscommunication piece is a big part of the story, which is not my favorite, but the way that Abby writes and the ending make up for some of the frustration I had with character decisions that were made. This book is definitely a top read for 2023!

Thank you so much Forever Publishing for the arc copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait to get my hands on a printed copy!

Another 5-star read from Abby Jimenez! This had an amazing storyline. It dealt with serious issues but the book didn't feel serious. It had the great banter I've come to expect in Jimenez's books. It started as an enemies to lovers of sort and then transitioned into a fake dating romance all while being a perfect slow burn. I think this might actually be my favorite book of hers and that's saying something since I love all of her books! Dr Jacob Maddox is my new book boyfriend. I really loved this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Yours Truly is a contemporary romance novel that is truly a gem. With sparkling prose and skillful plotting, Jimenez has crafted a story that is both entertaining and heartwarming. Her words are like fairy dust, sprinkling humor and warmth all over the reader's life. This novel is a shining example of contemporary romance gold and a lovely read for anyone who loves a good love story.

This is my second Abby Jimenez book and it’s safe to say, I think she’s a new auto-buy author!
I loved this one more than Part of Your World, as in this one we get to follow Briana (Alexis’ friend) as she goes through a painful divorce, taking care of a term
I felt like I connected a lot with Jacob’s character, especially around the social anxiety, overthinking thought processes and introverted nature. A lot of the thoughts and feelings he had with certain scenes, really hit home to me and I loved being able to connect with a character this way. There were so many paragraphs I highlighted where I just thought’ YES. This is how I feel sometimes…someone gets it!’. So thank you Abby Jimenez for that.

Briana was a great character to get inside the mind of as well, and I loved the rest of the supporting characters (well…most of them!). The family gatherings sound like a will ride but, who doesn’t have a bit of drama in their family dinners 😂

The only time I struggled in this book was near the end where I felt like it could have been wrapped up a liiitle bit quicker but overall, I really enjoyed this one and I’m looking forward to adding it to my shelves. I can’t wait to pick up some of the books on her backlist that I still need to get to!

I received a complimentary eARC from the publisher via NetGalley

Loved this book! Such a cute love story with mental health representation. The love story had me rooting for the main characters the whole time. The conflicts felt true to real life and not cheesy or unrealistic.
Just a sweet story about characters that felt so human and relatable.
Grab this book!!

Abby Jimenez has written such honest, beautiful characters. I related to Jacob and his anxiety so much, and it was so refreshing to see a character with anxiety who had taken steps to heal (therapy, journaling, coping mechanisms). The small moments in this book are so sweet and gentle and the whole thing feels like a big hug. It seems strange to say that about a book that talks about kidney disease, anxiety, and trust issues, but it truly felt like watching two people fall in love and support each other.
-Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the gifted e-book ❤️

Read if you like: Dual POV, co-workers, anxiety disorder representation, fake dating, slow burn

100 million stars. This book made me bawl my freaking eyes out. I loved it so much. Abby is the master at somehow making you laugh, cry, and swoon all within a few pages. The characters are so well-written. I love the crossover of characters from Part of Your World. The story is deep and beautiful. The slow burn is so perfectly done. The representation of Jacob having anxiety is so accurate. It choked me up reading some of the scenes. I felt seen. This was so great. I highly recommend this book!

A little bit damaged doctors...

I really enjoyed Yours Truly. Briana is a doctor,waiitng on her promotion and about to sign her divorce papers to a husband who wasn''t the best. She just found out her promotion is being held up for three months to give Jacob a fair shot at it. She also has a brother Benny, who is waiting for a donor.

Jacob has anxiety, a brother who is marrying his ex girlfriend (ick) and a large, nosy family. On his first day at his new job , he gets the name Dr. Death (seven on his first day). For the wedding, he needs a fake girlfirend, seeing as he lied to his family that he had one....Briana to the rescue.

They are tied by many strings, working together, both a little broken, and Jacob is a match for Benny and maybe, a surprise pregnancy. Great characters and it was fun to really get into their heads.
Recommend.

This book. This book reached a part in my heart that has been patiently waiting for this book specifically.

I absolutely loved it. Jacob and Briana’s story is so real and genuine.

If you don’t like the miscommunication trope, this won’t be for you. But I adored every single second of it.

Briana is an ER doctor, who is finalizing a brutal divorce, all while her brother is in renal failure waiting for a new kidney. She’s also almost guaranteed a promotion. But when Dr. Jacob Maddox joins the staff the promotion is put on hold, and Jacob is probably going to get it instead. When she confronts Jacob about this boys’ club bs, he explains himself by writing her a letter. And suddenly he’s not so bad…

Jimenez’ signature great one-liners, and heartfelt emotion while exploring difficult themes of depression, social anxiety and relationship trauma. Yet, Jimenez handles them all beautifully giving her characters dignity despite their trials.