4.25 stars— thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book to read! I really enjoyed Part of Your World (4.75 stars) when I listened to the audiobook so I knew I had to read this one.

There were a LOT of things I liked and the beginning of the book reeled me in right away because I read half of it in one day. I loved the story of how Brianna and Jacob met, how they started off on the wrong page but quickly grew to be amazing friends. Friends to lovers truly has me in a chokehold and I couldn’t get enough of these two. The understood each other so well and their letters to each other just made me fall in love with them even more. And honestly, I might’ve loved their whole dynamic at the beginning more than I did by the halfway point of the book.

Fake dating was the main trope and while it’s usually one of my favourite tropes, I don’t think I liked the way it was executed in this book, mainly because of the heavy miscommunication. Everything about the fake dating just felt a little too unrealistic and convenient. In reality, the fake dating wasn’t really necessary, it just felt weird for these two grown adults to be making such elaborate plans to trick their families into this scheme when all they had to do was communicate.

I was also debating rating this higher and giving it 4.5 stars but the miscommunication trope almost ruined the story for me because I’d be sort of annoyed by them. If they communicated their feelings instead of immediately jumping to conclusions (which at some points just felt silly), there would’ve been a lot less pain. It was also dragged on for 80% of the book and this continuous miscommunication just built up that frustration even more and made their story a bit less satisfying.

What really saved the book from those 2 tropes was the characters. They are just so loveable and thoroughly developed. I appreciated all the aspects of the author’s personal life that were incorporated into the characters to make them feel real. Briana was funny and charming, incredibly nice and just a ball of sunshine. She’s also fierce and strong even with all that she’s endured. Her character was very complex but I related to her in some ways. The book does get more difficult and painful towards the end, but I don’t think her trauma was depicted unrealistically because I completely understood her reactions and fears.

Jacob was also so loveable and just the sweetest human ever. I connect with him a lot due to his anxiety and there were many specific scenarios that I resonated with. I did feel like the way his anxiety was depicted was sometimes too black and white. He was either struggling alone or feeling safe but only when he was with Brianna and never in between, which didn’t feel fully accurate, almost like he depended on her for his anxiety to slow down and that nothing else could help it. But I can understand that everyone’s anxiety is different and that his story was just one instance of many cases. These comments aside, he is the standard for boyfriends TRULY. And I’ll also admit I cried a bit near the end because their story really got me! This book was funny (Xfinity Ortiz will always make me laugh), heartwarming, but also emotional and I’ve learned that Abby Jimenez’s books have everything I look for in a good romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher again for letting me read this book and share my honest opinions!

Her best book yet. Abby Jimenez does not disappoint. I had to read it again. An emotional rollercoaster. These to characters are so sweet and perfect for each other. I just couldn't get enough of them.

My heart!!!! Jacob is the book boyfriend to end all book boyfriends, of this I have no doubt. I loved watching his "gentle quiet", how hardworking/giving/selfless this dreamy ER doctor is. I love how he and Brianna just meet each other where they are at and are so there for each other. Truly beautiful to watch the two fall in love under the never quite convincing fake dating cover. I absolutely loved the excerpt that talked about loving someone while simultaneously adoring them. I definitely screenshotted that one and will be looking for that in my next partner. Abby Jimenez is truly a never fail!!!!

Yours Truly is a bit of a second chance, slow burn that gracefully tackles big feelings, chronic illness, and mental health rep. Briana and Jacob are both physicians working at the same hospital who have quite possibly the most unfortunate and awkward first encounter. As with most of her books, Abby added delightful animal characters to fall in love with. This one included a parrot named Jafar with the mouth of a sailor and a sweet dog who is wiling to sit out in the rain for his dad.

There's fake dating with a side of only one bed, lunch--and cry--breaks in the supply closet, hand written letters, the gooiest cinnamon roll of a hero, and a verbally abusive grandfather who makes threats for cigarettes. I love the way Abby takes well worn tropes and adds an extra element to them that makes them feel fresh and unique. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and especially loved how well these characters cared for each other.

I think I am in the minority here of people who don't consider this one to be Abby's best book yet. It had all of the hallmarks that I love in her writing, but overall fell a little short of fantastic for me. Jacob is a great character but I felt a little beat beaten in the face with just HOW GOOD OF A GUY he was. I get it, he's a good guy, which is shown consistently through his actions so it was unnecessary for Briana to constantly mention what a good guy he was. There's also a decision Jacob makes that he makes very clear he wants to do anonymously and that pretty quickly goes out the window which felt like a strange choice to me. Also, there were like 5 too many references to Nadia Cakes...

Despite those hang ups I will still be reading any and everything Abby Jimenez writes.

This book was truly beautiful. It was funny, sweet, emotional, sad, and swoony all at the same time. I love how Abby Jimenez can really bring all the feels and real life struggles and still give us a happily ever after. I loved the mental health rep. Brianna and Jacobs relationship truly is a perfect match and I loved all the little things they did for each other. The burn was so slow that sometimes it was frustrating however, and I was screaming at them to just kiss already! So much angst and miscommunication!
Check trigger warnings as there are some heavy topics discussed.

She just keeps getting better! I have loved every book by her and this is no exception. They are witty, funny, heartfelt and so well written. I have a person with generalized anxiety disorder in my life and Jacob felt so authentic to me. I just wanted to reach in and wrap him up in a big hug (once he said it was ok of course).

Briana was such an amazing strong character who had been through some things and was working to regain her sense of self and stability and I really loved her journey.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that I think Abby Jimenez writes the BEST romance out there right now. I've enjoyed (even loved!) all of her books and truthfully, I think each one is better than the last. THE FRIEND ZONE was a book I really loved when I read it but those feelings faded a bit over time for a few reasons. And her books have only gone up from there (for the most part). In order of release, they went 3.5 stars, 4 stars, 5 stars, 4.5 stars, and 5 stars again for me.

I'll backtrack and chat about the plot and then get into the gushing. The story follows PART OF YOUR WORLD's heroine's best friend Briana. She's hitting her divorce finalization date after her husband cheated on her and feels like she's just going through the motions. A new ER doctor, Jacob, joins the hospital she works at and the two do NOT get off on the right foot. Jacob secretly finds out he is a match for her brother as a kidney donor, they start writing letters (which started as an apology letter), and the rest is history. I would categorize this as enemies-to-fake-dating-to-lovers, which was very fun. It's light on the enemies part but still. I loved watching them fake date (Jacob needed a girlfriend for his brother's wedding festivities... did I mention his brother was marrying Jacob's ex? And they got together three months after she and Jacob broke up?) and see their relationship grow.

As usual, this book had utterly perfect banter and chemistry. I stayed up WAY past my bedtime reading and laughing, hoping I wouldn't wake up my husband. I really don't know how Abby Jimenez does it haha. The characters felt so real and everything in their lives was incredibly well-rounded - so many family and friendship feels on top of the romance. I loved watching the two of them fall for each other throughout the book without realizing it.

I'm rating this five-stars purely for the feels, humor, chemistry, and banter, of course. I saw my friend Lindsey mention in her review that Jimenez manages to use miscommunication (everyone's least favorite romance trope, including mine) NOT be completely terrible. That doesn't mean that I enjoyed it though. Briana's actions and assumptions were beyond frustrating and part of the reason I couldn't stop reading was because I needed to get through all that and enjoy a happy romantic ending. I couldn't wait to get past it. There were obviously more serious things going on that caused issues and the romance black moment, but a certain miscommunication element drove me super nuts. It says a lot that Jimenez's writing, characters, and (I'll say for the millionth time) banter overcame that annoyance for this to be a five-star read. I just adored this couple and everyone in their lives. 

If you haven't read a book by her yet, genuinely no idea what you're waiting for!

First of all- thank you so much NetGalley and Forever Pub for my e-galley!

Surprise, surprise, I love another one of Abby Jimenez's books. She's definitely one of my favorite romance authors, and for good reason. There's always a dog. There's always a decent amount of spice. There's always at least one relatable MC, and there's a fantastic plot.

In this book, though, I actually found myself relating more to the male MC, Jacob. I really liked that he talked so much of his struggles with anxiety and how much he highlighted being in therapy and how the journal entries helped him. That was super relatable for me, and really refreshing to read. I loved how patient Briana was with him once she found out he needed to take things slower and had different needs than most people. That was really sweet of her. Their letters back and forth were super adorable and I wished there had been more throughout the book, not just so many in the first half and not as many towards the end. I guess there didn't need to be, really, but I enjoyed reading them.

I really enjoyed the scenes with Jacob's entire family. They seemed like such a great bunch and a family any man or woman would be crazy not to want to marry into. I loved Jafar, and the quirkiness of being a taxidermist. Just so many funny aspects of this book that always kept me wondering what quirk was coming next.

Briana's relationship with her brother was something I deeply admired, because I'm definitely that protective over my own two brothers. I can't imagine watching them wither away and become shells of themselves due to something that I can't fix or make better for them. I imagine that had to be SO hard for Briana to overcome. I loved that Jacob didn't even second guess giving the kidney once it was revealed he was a perfect match. He was truly the world's best book boyfriend. Maybe even the best boyfriend ever written in an Abby Jimenez book. I really wonder where she got his inspo from!

I really enjoyed the fake dating troupe, but the miscommunication part of it had me grinding my teeth on more than one occasion. I find that with most romance books featuring miscommunication, though, so that's to be expected. It's just part of it.

All in all, another slam dunk for Abby Jimenez. I can't wait for her next one!

I cant express this enough, how lucky I am to be reading this arc. I love this author for so many KNOWN reasons. This book does not disappoint in ANY WAY. We meet Briana, recently divorced doctor, there is a higher position that has become available and with the years she’s had of drama she knows she deserves this opportunity. The comes the new guy Jacob who is also a doctor and up for the promotion as well, and she was ready to demolish HIM!!!! But all of that changes when he started writing her letters as a form of an apology when he accidently offended her, and OMG Jacob!!! Can I love a MC more than him while reading this book.

Jacob is dealing with his own issues, he suffers from social anxiety and not a lot of people can understand him but Briana DOES. I love dhow their relationship unfolds, what he does for her and her brother before she even apologizes for being a hard ass on him, and also when he asks her to be his fake girlfriend for the sake of getting his family off of his butt. This book was just everything from mental health issues, childhood traumas, breakups, showing up for the people you love and never giving up, and being brave. Wow. I couldn’t get enough, my heart broke a little when it ended.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

In true Abby Jimenez fashion, this book was just a delight. There are so many laugh out loud moments but they are perfectly weaved with enough serious material + mental health representations to keep you invested and turning the pages. Bri’s character was fabulous, I loved that both main characters were doctors and the little glimpses of Alexis and Daniel made my heart happy. This will be the perfect spring read - a little romance but not insanely cheesy!

At this point, I would read Abby’s gas receipt. This is the author’s fifth book and I have loved EVERY ONE.

One unique thing about Abby’s writing is that she has stand alone novels, but each “series” connect to each other. Yours Truly is part of the Party of Your World series, which is my fav AJ book. While it’s good to read them in order so you get to know the characters, you can read either book as a stand alone.

Briana is a busy ER doctor who is now forced to work with Jacob, the newly hired ER doctor. Their banter, chemistry, interactions, silliness with each other… *chef’s kiss. I always like to go into books blind so I wasn’t sure where this book was taking me, but as soon as it turned into a fake dating trope I melted. Their story was so charming and their characters so complex that you get wrapped up in every detail and moment to be a part of their story. AJ has such a way with writing complex characters with complex stories that you just fall in love with them.

This is also a great representation of mental health and anxiety. What is it like to overthink every interaction? How can you reset yourself or solve escalating emotions or anxiety? How do you move on from trauma? Can you find happiness after devastating sadness? These are woven into both characters, and really hit you in the feels.

Read if you enjoy:
Forced Proximity (co-workers)
Fake Dating
Open door romance
Swoonworthy MC who’s a doctor
LOL moments
Slow burn romance

Thank you to the author, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my review.

I just finished yours truly by Abby jimiere And here are my musings!

When Dr Briana Ortiz finds out the new doctor has arrived and is going to compete with her for the promotion she thought she had in the bag, turns her already pigsty life into a storm of hell! When the nurses end up calling him Dr death… she feels it with her whole soul. That is until he writes her a letter… Feeling him pour him soul into the letter she knows she misunderstood the situation and him. She decides to give him a shot and writes a letter back…

Their friendship blossoms into a whirlwind of laughter, tears and brutal honesty that when Jacob decides to get tested to see if he is a match for her brother to have a kidney, he doesn't hesitate to say yes! Briana would give him the moon at this point and when he asks a favor from her, she knows she will do anything to help him out

This book was so adorable. I can totally relate to Briana and the wreckage that is her life. Divorcing a man who cheated for years with a friend of hers, finding out the new doc might just get her promotion, a very sick brother… Ugh that's so much! Too much for one person. She is literally holding herself together with pure stubbornness. What she did to her ex when she found out he cheated??? Pure gold haha!

Jacob is the literal opposite to her. Social anxiety. Awkward but so sweet and kind. Finds out his ex is marrying his brother and he just wants what is best for them. That's amazingly selfless. Watching their friendship develop was absolutely literary magic. I laughed so hard and sobbed so much my husband was starting to get worried about me. He shouldn't have been, this book took me on the most spectacular ride that I found myself wishing the book wouldn't end. It was so raw and real I couldn't get enough of Jacob and Briana's exchanges. I loved watching how she drew him out of himself and he helped to rebuild her trust in herself and the world.

Are you a fan of rom coms? This one will blow expectation you have out of the water.

5 stars. Thank you

Abby Jimenez is one of my all-time favorite romance writers. If you are new the genre, I would definitely check out her books. On top of being swoon-worthy and so cute, they are hilarious. Her female main characters are always so relatable for me and Brianna was no different. Plus I love that the characters in her books are always dealing with “real-life” issues outside of just romance related ones.

This was a special book for me 💞 My brother underwent an organ transplant as a baby and the representation of someone waiting for and living with an organ transplant was done amazingly.

The anxiety rep made me 🥹 I always appreciate this in a book. And it was one of the only books I’ve read where the anxious person was the man. The way that Brianna accepted Jacob’s anxiety and helped him along the way. As someone who has always felt ashamed or guilty for anxious thoughts and behaviors, this made me tear up 😭

The reason why this wasn’t a five star for me: the miscommunication 😩😩😩 it drove me absolutely bonkers. I was getting so frustrated by our MC both thinking the worst and not communicating one bit. I feel like the book could have been a perfect banger of a book if Briana and Jacob were just a bit more mature about their relationship.

Let me be honest ... Abby could rewrite the Yellow Pages .. if they still existed and I would 5 star her. I just love her humor and her writing style. She makes us fall in love with each of her characters while thinking we could be their best friends. I love that she put in effort to make sure the story lines that deal with a sensitive subject are told in a well meaningful manner. I really love that she always gives us a dual narrative. I can not wait to read more from her in the future.

I remember reading Part of Your World and getting to the end when Abby confirms that Bri will get her own book and being wildly excited. I really loved POYW and can safely say this is also a gem. You will want so much more of Bri and Jacob when you get to the end because while it’s a heavy story, it’s also so cute and they are so fun together. There are some heavy topics in this book like pregnancy loss, anxiety, cheating, chronic illness and yet somehow their silly banter together and constantly trying to be better for each other makes it the perfect balance. Great book! Definitely check it out.

3.75 stars

A rom-com with the two main characters carrying some heavy baggage.

Two emergency room docs with polar opposite personalities: newly hired Jacob who suffers from severe anxiety, and Briana, who is emotionally seared from being abandoned as a child by her father and then betrayed by her ex-husband.

Despite these serious topics, there is a lot of humor here and the interaction between the two is fun. They start off on the wrong foot but soon find a lot to appreciate in each other. There are some fairly unbelievable elements (to me) in the plot including Jacob's lovable but amazingly intrusive family. Jacob's ex-girlfriend has just become engaged to his brother and it's difficult for everyone. They totally and continually push into his life to see if he's recovered from the breakup. It's so bad that he invents a fake girlfriend and somehow finds the courage to ask Briana to play the part.

The author sensitively explains a lot about anxiety disorder and therapy and coping strategies but I'm still not sure I buy that an E.R. doctor could survive in that setting with that burden. To add even more drama, Briana's younger brother has a rare disease and is slowly wasting away waiting for a kidney transplant. Yes, guess who is a perfect match and whose mother's life was saved by a transplant decades ago? Yup, Dr. Jacob.

Briana is convinced all men are just potential betrayers and fights her growing feelings for Jacob. We do go through the now familiar fake relationship which both parties secretly want to be real shenanigans.

Things get fairly saccharine toward the end, but we do like these folks and don't begrudge them their HEA. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Pub Date: 4/11
Genre: Romance

This was a delightful read! My first & only Abby Jimenez book before this is "Part of Your World" and I am kicking myself for not reading her entire backlist yet! As someone who is SUPER picky about romances/romcoms, I find Abby's writing to be top notch. Going forward she is now an auto-buy author for me. She writes with heart and humor. Her characters face situations that are complex and realistic and I find myself rooting for them to find their happily ever afters.

One of the things I appreciate about Abby is she writes side characters that add value to the story. You certainly don’t have to read "Part of Your World" first but I’d recommend you do because Briana was a side character in that book. I was thrilled to learn she was getting her own story and yet again thrilled to discover more side characters to adore (Lieutenant Dan IYKYK). I also appreciate Abby's depiction of male characters. They are not the perfectly handsome, swoon-worthy, emotionally unavailable types we see in many other romances. Instead, she gives us someone like Jacob who has social anxiety and is very relatable. It's not oftentimes I find myself connecting more with the male MC than the female MC.

Overall, "Yours Truly" managed to pull at my heartstrings while shining light on tough subject matters, but most importantly made me believe that love can transcend trauma and hurt.

Reasons you should read this book:
Workplace romance
Anxiety representation
Fake dating
Dog as a main character
Dual POV
Letter writing

I am not even sure how to begin this book except to say I loved it completely, wholly, thoroughly.
It made me feel seen. It made me believe in myself. And it made my fall in love with love.
It’s a beautiful read from its very first line to its last.

This companion book to Part of Your World has all the goodness, all the heart, and all the love.

Its protagonists led the way, and I adored both so fully.

I think I finally found my most kindred spirit in literary protagonists. Jacob is the loveliest male romantic lead I’ve read in quite some time, but more than that— he was so incredibly relatable to the point I was on the constant verge of tears reading through his struggles that hit so close to home.

Jacob has at time debilitating social anxiety. Author Abby Jimenez does an outstanding job in deconstructing how this anxiety weighs on Jacob while also validating how he feels. It’s never served as this thing he needs to learn to turn off— he can’t shut it off— but he can find ways to live with it. Ways to make that hurdle a little less high in life. Briana becomes a massive rock in his journey because she sees his anxiety and doesn’t force him into situations to confront it, rather she finds methods to help him along. Like the catchphrase game. God, I loved Jacob for exactly who he is, and it made me feel better about myself in the process.

Then there’s our beautiful Briana. Strong, kind, generous, and so loving. I loved her in Alexis’ story, but I love her even more in her story— where she truly gets to shine. She’s been through hell and it’s developed an almost crippling insecurity when it comes to romance and planning for a future with a life partner. She has been burned and doesn’t aim to ever let that happen again. Yet Jacob sneaks his way into her heart, gives her hope not all men are like her ex and father. But first, she has to learn to trust herself to make those interpersonal risks in life. She has to find that courage to move on without always letting fear weigh her down.

I love them both so dearly, their story is powerful.

At times I did feel the slow burn romance was just too slow (my only true qualm of the reading), I wish we had seen more overt romantic moments earlier in the book, nonetheless, it’s a worthwhile wait.

It was so worthwhile to see them fall in love with each other— and themselves.

I loved this book so very much.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW FOR YOURS TRULY

5 stars

Thank you to Netgally, Forever Publishing and Abby Jimenez for the advanced copy!

OH MY GOSH. I absolutely LOVED this book. I couldn't put it down. The vulnerability, the tension, the attraction- it had it all. I loved the representation of anxiety and chronic illness. I thought the characters were developed, but still had room to grow. I felt Jacob's character maybe had a slightly better arc than Briana, and towards the end I got a bit confused with Briana and her reactions to somethings- not that they weren't valid, but that maybe they could have been addressed more comprehensively sooner than later. BUT despite that, I adored this book.

I will protect Jacob at ALL costs!

Side note- if you do read this book, do yourself a favor and read the author's note section as well. I'm glad I did

OMG, reading this book was like being cocooned in the softest, most snuggly, warm blanket! Seriously, it was like the best big hug and I never wanted to let go.

Another book I devoured in 24 hours because I could not get enough of the perfection of Brianna and Jacob.

Topics include: Terrible first impressions, short lived enemies to friends to lovers, slow burn, fake relationship, one of the MC's struggles with anxiety, the other has relationship issues, divorce, kidney transplant, a three legged dog, roadkill, and a mother who's a world renowned couples/sex therapist.

The bread and butter of this story is the caring relationship that occurs between two people who start out just trying to be good friends to each other. It's inspiring and heartwarming and such #couplesgoals. The banter is witty and satisfying. The supporting characters are meaningful and entertaining as usual for an Abby Jimenez book. I just loved it so much. My only complaint is that miscommunication and assuming went on a bit longer than I cared for, but I get it. I still loved it. Highly recommend!