This may be my new favorite of Abby's. I loved the tropes in this book! Fake dating, forced proximity, workplace romance to name a few. But what took me by surprise was how Abby created a relatable character with anxiety. Jacob is a soft hero that writes his feelings since he has social anxiety, and man, he was a sweetheart. And Briana is this big personality, so funny, but you see her struggles in coping with a recent divorce. Loved it so much!

Briana’s life is not going to plan. Her brother is in kidney failure, she is getting divorced after her husband cheated on her, and her in the bag promotion is now being pushed off to give the new guy a fighting chance. When Briana gets a letter from the new Doctor however, she is shocked and weirdly pleasantly surprised. The two continue with their pen pal situation until Briana finds out that Jacob is giving her the best gift anyone could give…

Is anyone in any way surprised that this book by @authorabbyjimenez was freaking fantastic? I sure wasn’t! Did I want to scream at Jacob and Briana several times? Yes, I absolutely did. Each of them being in their own heads thinking nonsense kept them apart for so much longer than needed. I suppose it would have been a fairly short book without that though! Abby is the queen of side characters. The ones we know, the ones we meet, the friends, family, coworkers, they all just add so much to the story and this book was no exception! I seriously can’t wait for what Abby does next!

Welp, that’s another book boyfriend added to my list.

ER docs Briana and Jacob do not have the easiest of first encounters. He’s having a difficult time transitioning to a new hospital; with several patients dead the first day, Jacob is not ingratiating himself with the staff. And Briana? She’s on the brink of finalizing her divorce, is overwhelmed caring for her brother who needs a kidney transplant, and is eagerly awaiting news about a promotion. And, as it turns out, Jacob may also be a candidate for that position.

But then Jacob writes her a letter. And she writes him back. And things begin to grow from there.

Abby Jimenez’s books just keep getting better and better. In Yours Truly, she takes some of my favorite romance tropes and devices—fake dating, a bit opposites attract, and epistolary elements—and weaves them into a layered, emotional, and uplifting story. But, being Abby Jimenez, she is not afraid to broach heavy topics and themes. Be prepared to run through the gamut of emotions. Her books never fail to give me a lesson in empathy.

I smiled, laughed, felt that chest constriction, and cried.

I adored Jacob and Briana. Both have been through so much, but they continue to care and do things for others. I found myself wanting to wrap my arms around them and to hold them tight. Thankfully, in the midst of it all, they connect with each other.

As an introvert with social anxiety I especially appreciated the portrayal of Jacob, his feelings, and his coping mechanisms. And as a child of a mother with lupus, I identified with the experience of watching a loved one’s body attack itself and feeling unable to help enough. These topics are handled with such care in this story.

Lest you be worried that this is all too heavy, be prepared for grins and laughs and maybe even some guffaws as well. Briana is witty; Jacob’s family is colorful and very involved. There is a cast of spirited animals to lighten the mood—we even get a Kevin Bacon cameo. AND there is a trip to Wakan for a touch of humor—think Doug—and maybe even a bit of magic.

Ultimately, your heart will be warmed by this story about so many things—but at its core—about finding a connection with the right person and trusting that person with your heart.

I received an advance copy of the book from Forever and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Perfection. Absolute perfection.

Abby has a true gift in seamlessly blending heavy subjects with the humor of life and steam filled romance. She does this balancing act to *perfection*.

I have a brother with T1 diabetes who has been on a transplant list for a kidney for over a year. Abby’s portrayal of someone on a donor list and the toll that takes was somewhat hard to read simply because it was so accurately represented. Thank you to the author for shining a light on this.

Not surprising this was another winner for me from Abby Jimenez! She's an autobuy author for me and this book was top tier content like all the rest of her books have been for me.

I love how Abby can infuse humor, emotionality, deeper issues, and an intense romantic connection in her books. She effortlessly goes from making me laugh to making me tear up from page to page.

Things you get in this book:
- Fake dating
- Enemies to friends to lovers
- Epistolary
- Magic of Wakan happening again
- Anxiety rep
- Kidney illness rep
- Divorce rep
- Families involved on both sides
- Lots of humorous moments including a cursing parrot
- A sweet dog

This book follows the story after Part of Your World. It is a standalone but it is nice to read it after POYW to know all the characters. Brianna Ortiz is an ER doctor going through a messy divorce. Her life in her 30s is nothing like she pictured it. She's living back in the home she grew up in and helping to take care of her sick brother who has a kidney disease.

Jacob is trying to move away from his past and the hold it has on him while also managing his crippling anxiety. He decides to start a new job at the same hospital Brianna works at. What starts off as a bad first encounter, ends up with them becoming fast friends through beautiful letters. Jacob needs a fake girlfriend and with donating a kidney to Brianna's brother there is nothing she won't do for him.

This has amazing rep for anxiety, ptsd and chronic illness. I love that Abby writes about real people and real issues that they have to overcome to bring more awareness to them.

Jacob is a national treasure and should be protected at all costs! He is the ultimate book boyfriend and one of the most giving and kind male leads I've ever read. He heart is just so pure and the struggles he has with anxiety are relatable. I loved how Brianna was able to understand Jacob so well and anticipate his needs in relation to his anxiety. It was so sweet!

As always with Abby's books there were tons of jokes in the book that had me completely laughing out loud. Jacob and Brianna's families were a trip. I was sad to finish this because I never want Abby's books to end. I highly recommend putting this on your TBR and pre-ordering stat!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Holy shit, I am still processing this book. I am still processing Jacob and Briana and how this will be a part of my life for years.

I'll start by saying THIS IS HOW YOU DO A SLOW BURN. MY GOD. It wasn't even the sexual tension, it was the yearning. Its the way these two people loved each other and didn't know how the other one felt.

I wanted to cry so much during this book and it too me so long to finish it because I didn't want to bad things to happen to these two people I've grown to love. Jacob, a man living with anxiety and just going through the motion until he meets Briana. Briana a super strong woman, who has been through so much. Always having to put a brave face and putting everyone else before herself for so long.

I loved every second of this book. Loved every word. Every moment. It will probably be the best book of the year for me. Thank you so much Abby Jimenez for writing this and sharing this characters with us. Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc of this book.

~*~

Small warning if you're a person who doesn't like when books are dated or mentions of Tiktok. Do no read this book. Just a small warning.

This was an incredible book! Abby jimenez does it again!!! I am a HUGE fan of her books and this one does not disappoint! the z Happy Ever After Playlist was my first read from her and it holds a special place in my heart. It will forever be my favorite! But oh boy! Yours Truly is sweet, dramatic, and heartfelt! Another incredible incredible book!

I’m having a hard time putting into words how awesome this book is. In this book, the main character Briana is going through a rough time (recent divorce and her brother has a pretty life altering medical condition). She’s a doctor and is smart and funny, and so loyal and understanding. Our other main character, Jacob, is also going through some rough times (his brother and his ex are getting married and he’s recently changed employers, also he has social anxiety). Jacob is also a doctor, he is also smart and funny, and he is sooooo relatable to me. I’ve been wondering for some time if I have social anxiety, never quite sure how much is just related to introversion or if there is more to it than that. Getting inside Jacob’s head and seeing so much I can relate to there, made me realize that it is more than introversion. And watching how Briana interacts with Jacob, how she respects who he is and anticipates his needs (and just straight up asks him what he needs) was so validating and amazing. Everyone deserves to be treated this way. The way these two characters took care of each other was so touching.

The plot should have felt unrealistic, fake dating and a long-shot donor match… but these characters felt so honest and so real that I totally bought into the story line as if it was common place. My only wish is that it could go on longer, I want to see the future of this relationship and I want to see them build relationships with each other’s families and friends. One of the biggest issues I have with romances is that often don’t understand why two people are in love. Why, of all the people, has character A chosen character B and why should I want them to be together? I never question this with a Abby Jimenez book. In fact, I felt like I knew these characters so well, that I’m shocked to realize that I’ve only read about them in one book. Well that’s not entirely true, Bri was in Abby’s previous book Part of Your World, but Jacob is a new character and I feel like I’ve know them both for an Outlander-sized-book-series amount of time.

So in summary (sorry for the ramble, I seriously am struggling to do justice to this awesome book), this books is amazing, it’s funny, it’s sweet, the heroine is kick-ass, the hero is the biggest, sweetest cinnamon role. There’s an adorable dog, hilarious extended family, and most importantly, fantastic characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Abby Jimenez for sharing an Advance Reader Copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Wow, wow, wow! Abby Jimenez does it again! There was so much to love about this book- my favorite things though had to do with the characters emotions and mental health. First of all, it was so refreshing to see a male character working through mental health struggles- I feel like that is not seen enough. I love how we were able to see Bri's trauma and how she did or did not work through it. All the characters were flawed and they were all multi-dimensional. The plot was so freaking cute and loveable. At first, I was a little nervous because the fake boyfriend trope is kind of overdone, but Briana and Jacob REALLY pulled it off! I say this after every one of Abby's books, but this may be my favorite yet!

I have no words. Well I do, but I also don't. This is incoherent, but the point is that this book caused me so much pain, but I was extremely happy about it. I actually personally want to thank Abby Jimenez for the pain.

I don't know what it is about her last two books (including this one) but they are magic. The characters are so fleshed out and flawed and dynamic and just searching for themselves, and it is just so relatable. I hope Abby knows that I am a fan for life!

This book in particular made me feel. Just that, FEEL. It made me feel their pain, their love, their frustrations, their happiness, their struggles, their warmth. I felt everything and cried like a baby the entire time. Bri or Jacob could just be describing the other person and it's supposed to be romantic and cute, and I would be bawling my eyes out because love is REAL

BRI AND JACOB LITERALLY CAN HAVE MY HEART BECAUSE I LOVE THEM AND THEIR LOVE. Also, can we please have a resurgence of soft main male characters please! I love a grumpy man just as much as the next girlie, but there's just something about a soft boy who just loves you (I may be projecting).

Anyway some tropes for your consideration:
Bad first impression/meeting (so it was kind of dislike to friends to lovers)
Letters (they freaking write to each other like pen to paper write to each other I want to cry)
Fake dating!!!!!!!!!
MUTUAL UNREQUITED PINING
Soulmate vibes (not a trope but it's the truth)
Hurt/comfort
Softest boy alive (i love my baby Jacob)
[redacted trope] bc it's a spoiler but I have grown to love it

This was fantastic. This was outstanding. This is ~potentially~ my favorite romance of the year????!!! And it's only January, that's how amazing this book was.

*Also, this book deals with heavy topics, so please look up content warnings before reading and take care of yourself.*

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishin) and NetGalley for this eARC (electronic advanced reader's copy) in exchange for an honest review.

“We’re all a little broken, Briana. We are a mosaic…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.”

How does one move on from a masterpiece like this? I honestly don’t think I can really express how this book made me feel, but I’m gonna try.

Yours Truly follows two broken souls as they come together and encourage one another to heal. Briana Ortiz and Jacob Maddox are both ER doctors who’ve experienced their fair share of disappointments—to put it mildly. Aside from dealing with an awful divorce, Briana’s worried her brother won’t find a kidney donor before it’s too late. But Jacob’s a perfect donor match…and he needs a fake girlfriend to get through the next few months.

I don’t think another hero will ever compare to the man that is Jacob Maddox. He is thoughtful, selfless, kind, gentle, patient, loving, and I could go on and on. Jacob struggles with social anxiety, and I’ve never related to another character so much (except I’m not as nice tbh). Reading his inner dialogue allowed me to feel seen like never before. I didn’t think my standards could get any higher, but here we are. His determination to step outside of his comfort zone for Briana endeared him to me like no other MMC has. I honestly think I’ve found my #1 book boyfriend.

Briana’s a strong character who’s been hurt too many times in the past. I couldn’t fault her for wanting to protect herself against more heartbreak. Her relationship with Jacob was exactly what she needed to heal from the trauma of her past. I adored these two and their relationship so so much—the way it felt so natural and grew effortlessly from start to finish. I don’t have a single complaint. Their story had me kicking my legs and grinning from ear to ear, made my heart squeeze and eyes water, and I truly never wanted it to end.

Yours Truly is the definition of a perfect rom com. It’s only January, but I already know this book will be in my top 10 reads of 2023.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

3.5 stars

I had a rough time with this book, which is not usually true when I read Abby Jimenez. She has written some of my favorite romance books, and she always manages to write sweeping love stories that emotionally wreck me before my heart is put back together at the end.

I read several other early reviews, and I seem to be in the minority, but I was very frustrated the majority of the time I was reading this book.

I loved the characters. Briana and Jacob both went on journeys throughout this book, and I loved how they grew and changed. The mental health rep in this book was amazing, and I especially liked Jacob's journey with his anxiety. I loved the development of their relationship from pretending to date to slowly falling for each other. It was sweet, and the letter writing was very very cute.

I also know from the author's note at the end of the book that this was an extremely personal book for Jimenez to write. The whole subplot of Briana's brother dealing with an unexpected autoimmune disease that leads to kidney failure is directly taken from her own life.

There are so many of this parts of this book that I loved. So why am I giving it 3.5 stars? Because of the miscommunication trope that is threaded through a good third (or maybe even half) of the book. There are two huge miscommunications/misunderstandings, one from Briana and one from Jacob where they both make HUGE assumptions about something with only part of the information. And then neither of them talks to the other about it! They spend so much time assuming they know how the other one feels and they're both completely wrong, and they don't talk about it until everything has fallen apart. It's extremely frustrating that characters who are in their 30's (they're both 35 if I remember correctly) spend so much time assuming they know what the other person is thinking instead of taking two minutes to have a conversation about something to clear the air. And the part that's so frustrating is that these misunderstandings are so SILLY. And multiple times Briana flat out refuses to listen to Jacob and let him explain what is actually going on because she is SO SURE that she knows how he actually feels. I know this has to do with past trauma (which she eventually does address and deal with), but the fact that the major conflict in this book revolves around frankly ridiculous miscommunications is incredibly frustrating. There's no real reason these two people can't be together except their sheer stubbornness and refusal to be honest with each other.

It's disappointing that there was so much about this book that I loved but the entire miscommunication thing really ruined my enjoyment of the book. (As you can tell, I'm not a fan of that trope because it's always silly and easily resolved.) I feel like for the heaviness and seriousness of the rest of the plot, that really didn't fit in, and I wasn't a fan of how either character dealt with it.

It might be a little harsh, but I have given the majority of Abby Jimenez's books 5 stars and I know she can write really amazing stories. This one just didn't do it for me, and I'm pretty disappointed that this one plot point kind of sucked all the joy out of the whole book for me.

Abby Jimenez’s latest book follows anxiety riddled, Jacob, and recent divorcée, Briana, as they navigate the always tricky world of fake dating.

I loved this book. I shirked all my duties and finished the book in less than a day. When I realized that Jimenez had written a previous book following the love story of Alexis I went and found that to start reading next. “Yours Truly” had heart and lovable characters. I genuinely cared for both Jacob and Briana and understood their different perspectives and personal traumas so well. Beautifully written.

I feel like every single Abby Jimenez book I read just keeps on getting better and better… Like, I ADORED Part of Your World, but this one just blew me away. I also have a feeling that this might be a top read of 2023 for me already… That’s how much I loved this book.

There are so many things I ADORED about this book…. It was filled with so many parts that made me laugh but also so much emotions. This is something which I love most about Jimenez’s book; I know I can always count on a laugh, but also tears…

Some of my highlights about this book:
• JACOB! He just won my heart from the very start, and he climbed all the way to being one of my top book boyfriends. He is honestly the purest soul and I love him so much. I loved being able to read in his POV, and it really made me feel some of his anxiety as well as better understand the reason behind why he does some things. He’s also the type of shy guy that has a plant room and writes in his journal every day, which to me is my type of guy...
• BRIANA! I absolutely loved Briana as the FMC. She was so optimist despite everything going on in her life, and I loved her witty comebacks and how she always makes sure she gets revenge on people who have done her wrong. I loved the love she had for her little brother, something I was easily able to connect to. She was such a fun character that I couldn’t help but love.
• THE LETTERS!! I am such a sucker for letters in books, and this was perfection!
• EVERY SINGLE THING JACOB DOES FOR BRI! All the little things that Jacob did for Bri, whether she knew about it or not, just made me feel all the love he had for her. I died when he got a new sofa just for her…
• FAKE DATING! I love fake dating in a book, and this one was done so well. It didn’t feel completely out of left field like in some books, and I loved the whole concept behind it.
• I loved the authors note at the end, and it really helped tie the whole book together for me.

Overall, I don’t think there was a single thing I didn’t like about the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, as it brought me so much joy to read. Honestly, a perfect rom com.

Thank you so much to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Abby Jimenez for this ARC! It is out on April 11th, and I can’t wait to get myself a physical copy to add to my collection.

<b><i>Yours Truly</I> is an emotional, heartwarming, and hilarious novel from one of the most dependable authors out there: Abby Jimenez!</b> Go pre-order your copy if you haven’t already done so.

<b>Tropes:</b>
-Meet-Fail
-Workplace romance
-Friends-to-Lovers
-Fake relationship
-Cinnamon roll hero

<b>Content Warnings:</b>
-Miscarriage (off-page) <spoiler>-Briana suffered a miscarriage in her first marriage. Her husband was cheating on her at the time, so she had to go through it by herself. This experience weighs on Brianna and makes her surprise pregnancy with Jacob that much scarier because she doesn’t want to lose another child.</spoiler>
-Divorce (cheating spouse)
-Sibling with chronic kidney disease
-Depression
-Clinical anxiety

<b>Plot at a glance:</b> To say Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life has hit a rough patch would be an understatement. 1) She’s <i>this</i> close to finalizing her divorce from her cheating ex – the divorce was necessary but she’s dreading wading back into the godawful dating pool – 2) time is almost up for her brother to find a kidney donor, and 3) it looks like her boss is going to give the promotion she desperately wants to the new male doctor whose already earned the nickname “Dr. Death” from the nurses and seriously pissed her off for invading a private moment with her brother. Briana was ready to write Jacob off for good, but then he sends her an incredible letter that kicks off an unexpected friendship that could turn into something more.

<b>Review:</b> Briana completely stole my heart in <i>Part of Your World</i>, so I was thrilled when Abby Jimenez announced she was getting her own book. She hasn’t had an easy life, but she’s incredibly resilient and an absolute firecracker. She’s also exactly what cinnamon roll Jacob needs because she’s just as nurturing as she is bold. The way Briana and Jacob take care of each other is inspiring.

I loved getting to see Alexis and Daniel again! The time Briana and Jacob spend with them is absolutely precious. I also enjoyed getting to know Jacob's wildly entertaining family.

As with all Abby Jimenez books, tough subjects are expertly handled. Careful plotting and moments of levity help balance the darkness, so readers never feel overwhelmed. My only tip is to make sure you have a full box of tissues before you read Jacob’s last letter to Briana!

<b>Overall, <i>Yours Truly</I> is a must-read for fans of Abby Jimenez, Emily Henry and Christina Lauren.</b>

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the chance to read this digital ARC.</i>

<b>Series side note:</b> <i>Yours Truly</I> is a standalone romance, but Briana is first introduced in <i>Part of Your World</I>. I highly recommend reading <i>Part of Your World</I> because 1) it’s incredible and 2) Briana is a spotlight stealer and absolute joy to read in that novel.

It’s only the first week of January, but I’m calling it: Yours Truly is going to make my list of 2023 favourites. And Jacob Maddox? Oh, Jacob. *swoon* He has officially risen to the top of my Favourite Book Boyfriends list. He is the sweetest, softest cinnamon roll and if I could pluck him from the pages of this book, I would. Besides falling completely in love with him, his social anxiety was one of the most relatable portrayals I’ve ever read. I saw so much of myself, my actions, and my habits in him, and I’m so grateful to see that on the page and have it dealt with in such an empathetic way.

I loved that Briana and Jacob were both highly intelligent, capable people who were fine being on their own and thought it was probably better to be on their own after their previous relationships, but had no idea what they really needed was for the right person to come along and mend their broken pieces and make them whole again. That’s what these two were for each other; neither of them NEEDED to be saved, and yet they saved each other in quiet, meaningful, thoughtful, beautiful ways. They truly saw each other, understood each other, and brought out the best in each other. Watching them fall in love gave me all the feels and filled me with joy and hope.

This book dealt with some serious topics - mental health struggles, chronic illness of a loved one, trauma from past relationships, among other things - but there were moments of levity and humour woven throughout. I loved the balance of highs and lows, and it was easy to root for Bri and Jacob because they were clearly a perfect match. There were several instances where I stopped reading and clutched my Kindle to my chest because I needed a moment to just feel all the emotions and revel in them.

Yours Truly is funny, emotional, and utterly romantic. I can’t recommend this book enough.

I am shockingly blown away by how much I loved this book and how well-liked/relatable the characters were. To be honest this is my first Abby Jimenez book and I will definitely be reading more after giving this one a try! You can tell that the author puts a lot of research and depth into the character she writes about, and that each of them has a purpose that is discovered somewhere While reading through the chapters. I also loved how at the beginning of the book she mentioned the trigger warnings that would revolve around the story to prepare readers. I can’t wait to read more of her books!

Wow.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Abby’s books are always moving, this one though you could feel was something *special*, after reading the Authors Note I now understand why. Abby poured so much of herself into this novel and it was truly an honor to read! I laughed, I cried, it was everything I wanted it to be. The perfect balance of humor and heartbreak, healing and unraveling.

I’ve never read a book that so closely touched what my own anxieties feel like. Jacobs character is one I’ll cherish for a long time.

Brianas traumas felt so real. Abby wrote her character and trials in a way that even if your struggles are nothing like hers you understand her, you feel so deeply for her, and you ache alongside her. (Or maybe that’s just my empath heart. 🙃)
I remember thinking halfway through the book how much I enjoyed it but was surprised at how little Brianas character was needing to grow. Then her trauma was triggered. This felt so incredibly realistic and appropriate for her character and watching her unravel and then learn to trust again was inspiring.

Other thangs I adored:
-Letter writing
-Fake dating
-A cute dog
-A cursing parrot
-A raucous family
-Novelty taxidermy
-Only One Bed
-Mutual pining to the extreme
-Divorced heroine

All in all- a very easy 5⭐️

I'm already an Abby Jimenez fan, and of course, she nailed it AGAIN! I cannot believe I got the ARC for this - I am BUZZING!

Briana is an ER physician at Royaume hospital - she's also soon-to-be divorced and on the hunt for a kidney donor for her brother, Benny. The last thing she's looking for is love. When we learn of Jacob, the new doctor (Dr. Death on his first day), and think oof, this isn't going to be good.

Jacob is a socially anxious doctor with trauma of his own - his ex-girlfriend of two years, who never treated him with the patience and care he needed, broke up with him and announced an engagement to his brother after three months. Briana and Jacob have both been through a lot.

But Jacob, the selfless, caring gent he is, gets tested as a potential kidney donor, and what do we know, he's a perfect match! Jacob, whose family is constantly asking when he's going to have a new girlfriend and move on from his ex, Amy, frantically lies and says he has a girlfriend. The perfect combo happens - Briana, who is one of the coolest humans ever, agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend for Amy and his brother Jeremiah's wedding, and Jacob announces he will be the donor that will heal Briana's brother Benny.

What a slow burn this was - you want to shake these two people and say, "Come ON, you both love each other!!!" It's a trope that, honestly, I felt was a TAD overdone in the second half of the book. As someone who has NEVER been treated remotely as good by a man as Jacob treated Briana, I'm like, GIRL, how can you possibly think he doesn't love you? But I digress, the burn is just slow enough that, when you get to the climax, you literally want to JUMP FOR JOY.

These are two of the best characters I've ever read. Jacob is just the loveliest, and Briana is hilarious, loyal, and seems like such a great friend. I also respect her so much for her patience and willingness to research and treat a person with anxious tendencies as a human - as someone with some mental health difficulties, it was so nice to see a character in a book that treats an anxious person with love and care. Ugh, I just love them - I love Lieutenant Dan, Jacob's family, Briana's family, even the parrot that screams "Motherfucker" at the most random times, ha! I love, I love, I love!!

Note that there are a few triggers in this (infidelity, illness, abandonment, anxiety, panic attacks, etc), but Abby does handle those triggers with care. Even still, read with caution.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

One of the things I loved best about PART OF YOUR WORLD was the supporting cast of animal characters. In YOURS TRULY, Briana takes a spontaneous trip to Wakan to visit her best friend Alexis and her new husband Daniel. While she's there, we get a brief appearance by the town's mascot, a large pig named Kevin Bacon!

The best part about YOURS TRULY was Jacob. He's an ER doctor who suffers from social anxiety and he's honestly one of the best protagonists I've read about in a long time. This book starts out with Briana knocking into Jacob and breaking his phone. Because of his anxiety, the confrontation between the two of them doesn't go the greatest. In order to properly apologize to Briana for calling her out while she's panicking over her brother in the ER, Jacob writes her a letter.

The back and forth between Briana and Jacob in their letters was so sweet. I've always enjoyed books where you get a little glimpse into the characters by their texting or emails. But letters were more romantic and thoughtful. I loved the way they wrote to each other, where they left them, and how the entire world seemed to revolve around these letters for a short time.

While I loved the banter and build-up to Briana and Jacob's relationship, the miscommunication trope is always a hard one for me. I understood why Jacob assumed that Briana was only pretending to be attracted to him when everyone else was around. Between anxiety and him donating a kidney to her brother ... it could be hard to tell what's real and what's not.

Many times throughout YOURS TRULY, I felt bad for Briana because her ex-husband really did a number on her. She's sworn off falling in love and getting married because all men are like him. They're all going to break her heart and she's not willing to let that happen. But as she and Jacob get closer (even under the disguise of pretending for his family), my heart broke for her because she didn't want to let herself fall in love with him.

While this book has plenty of serious moments, the banter between Jacob and Briana - how unfiltered and random it was - had me laughing out loud plenty of times. No, not just quiet titters or laughing in my head ... full-blown cackling and laughing so hard I started hiccupping. Abby Jimenez is the master of hilariously original dialogue and I never knew what was going to come out of either of these characters' mouths.