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.

I have no idea how to write this review, so I'm going to begin with what I loved. This book made me feel truly seen and understood. Jacob's anxiety was so relatable for me. The overthinking, the ruminating, the replaying every social interaction... everything. I could feel it in my bones and I loved how gentle Briana was with him. The way Jacob feels like he can just be around her made me so soft. I have a few books that are my go-to recommendation when someone asks for well written anxiety rep, and this one is going to the list. I loved the fake dating and I loved the yearning Jacob and Briana felt for each other. This is a BIG slowburn, but I loved every second of it.

I was convinced this was going to be 5 stars because everything was perfect for me, but I couldn't believe the last few chapters. I can't explain what I felt because it wouldn't be fair. The book was great, and the story is beautiful, and Jacob and Briana deserved a happy ending more than anything. But this third act (well, not even third act, because it was a matter of a 10%)... I did not like it at all. Especially taking the slowburn into account. I am very sad this happened.

TW: Divorce, cheating, renal failure, panic attacks, miscarriage

Rating: 3/5
Steam level: Open door, 1-2 scenes, low level of detail

ARC provided by Forever and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

Love all things Abby Jimenez and now love her new novel Yours Truly as well! I have read Ms. Jimenez's other novels and enjoyed all of those! Yours Truly does not disappoint. This book is a rom-com at its best. I literally laughed out loud while reading this book. Yes, it did deal with some serious topics such as depression, social anxiety disorder, and chronic kidney disease, but Jimenez handled these topics well and sensitively and still managed to make me laugh. The two main characters have great chemistry. The banter and wit are great. I love how Jimenez is able to grow their relationship through letters, and thoughtful gestures. Show rather than tell!
Another great book by Abby Jimenez, and I look forward to reading whatever she writes next!

This book was so good! This is my first book by this author and I am immediately going to read all her other ones because WOW!

This is the story of Brianna and Jacob, who pretend they are dating to convince Jacob’s family that he is over his ex and is happy she is marrying his brother.

I love a fake dating trope with dual POV. The two main characters were so sweet and lovable, I had a big smile on my face every time they interacted. I particularly loved Jacob’s POV and his inner monologue because I could really relate to his introverted personality and his social anxiety. Every little thing Brianna did to make him feel more comfortable had me tear up.

Also, I appreciated that the doubt Jacob had regarding Brianna’s feelings was believable. In every fake dating book, there’s always that moment when the characters think the other one feels the same but brushes it off saying “nah they don’t like me like that” with no reasoning. He really had a reason so it made it more believable and enjoyable.

This is a book I will recommend to anyone who wants to feel good and smile.

This was another super cute romance book by Abby Jimenez. No one writes book boyfriends like her, and I think Jacob might be my favourite one she has ever written. I have never related more to a character with anxiety in a book before this one, I felt completely seen. The only marks against this book I had were that it heavily featured the miscommunication troupe and had a frustrating third act break-up.

I love any and all Abby books and this one definitely did not let me down. Such a feel good romance with the right amount of spice and such great characters.

This was a great read. I have already hyped this up and recommended it to so many. While I have read every Abby Jimenez book this felt like some of her best work. All her books are consistently good and have a similar tone, but this was certainly a favorite along with her previous Happy Ever After Playlist. I think her fans will enjoy this and I think it will bring in new fans who will be happy to continue with her backlist. Check for content warnings before reading!

This book was very heart warming. I was so invested in all of the characters and loved the ending! This may have been my favorite book by Abby yet!

Another amazing book from Abby Jimenez! Abby has a way of talking about serious topics in such a sensitive yet real way and she does it again in this book by describing the real struggles of anxiety/depression. The characters are well-developed and I immediately fell in love with Briana and Jacob. This book made me laugh several times while reading and had so much heart and soul. ❤️ Definitely my favorite Abby Jimenez book yet!

Thank you to NetGalley, Abby Jimenez, and Forever - Grand Central Publishing for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely LOVE Abby Jimenez!! She writes with heart and soul. I was super excited to be granted this ARC. This was my favorite read of 2022. I love how she makes the characters so vivid. They are super relatable. The plot is well written, there is strong character development. It is overall a very well written story. I will be rereading this one again soon!

This review will be posted to my Goodreads and Amazon accounts immediately and also to my instagram account (@ginganinja333), and to my newly created bookstagram (@paulas.book.nook).

I loved Part of Your World so much and was so excited to read this one, but it just didn't do it for me. Clearly I'm not in the majority here, but I found a lot of this to just be a little uncomfortable.

First - what I loved:
-the letter writing at the beginning - sweet, funny, LOVED.
-their witty rapport through these letters and their softening toward each other in person
-Briana's fierce take-no-prisoners approach to life and Jacob's plant-loving anxious sweet self
-the kidney disease representation

I even mostly liked their relationship...

But what I hated:
-Mixing up fake dating, real feelings, and the obligation of donating an organ to Briana's brother made it feel all so muddled and confusing. I get that it provided tension among Jacob's family but it just made me kind of uncomfortable at the layers of transactions happening here.
-Some of the things that happen around Jacob's anxiety and mental health in general. Instead of being a steamy getting together, their first hook up seemed not great for anyone's mental wellbeing and it made me so uncomfortable how they handled it.

These things were just hard to get over for me, and I left feeling a little icky. I appreciate what Jimenez was trying to do here, especially her personal connections to the kidney disease topic, but this just didn't do it for me.

I DEVOURED this. Abby managed to even include tropes that I usually hate, and a slow burn, and I still loved it?! The story is heavy at times and I absolutely cried my way through, but the banter is precious - and the LETTERS! I love this couple. They come together with their complex histories and families and I adore them all. I adore this whole book.

Abby Jimenez has a way of making a book feel so personal and emotional. I loved getting to see Bri's happy ending and I loved the rep of a divorced woman as a protagonist. Romance very easily skews towards younger protagonists with no marriages. Abby's book shows that true happiness can always find you, no matter what you've been through!

I get it we're only a few days into the new year, but Brianna Ortiz and Jacob Maddox are my fave book couple of 2023.

In Yours Truly, our main characters are ER doctors Brianna Ortiz and Jacob Maddox. Brianna is finalizing a divorce from a husband that cheated on her and dealing with a family member’s very serious health issue. Jacob, our cinnamon roll, struggles with anxiety and is dealing with his own relationship issues - his ex is now dating his brother!

Read if you like:
*enemies-to-friends-to-lovers
*fake dating
*slow burns
*forced proximity
*workplace romance
*neurodivergent representation

Abby Jimenez flawlessly made all the tropes work without it feeling heavy-handed.

There were so many times I cackled aloud reading this book. The humor is so masterfully woven into this depiction of chronic illness and anxiety. Jacob Maddox is the best book boyfriend (argue with your mama, not me). He has a three-legged dog named Lt. Dan and a room full of plants!!! The details Abby weaves into the book makes you really feel like you know every single character. I, too, am prepared to buy Grandpa cigarettes.

“I always think that when we're quiet we're agreeing to be harmless to each other". May we all find harmless love!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Available April 11, 2023!

CW: divorce, chronic illness, kidney failure, organ donation, infidelity, miscarriage, anxiety, depression

5/5 Stars

I love the way Abby Jimenez loosely ties in characters from a previous story in a way that is like a treat to those who have read them, and not at all prohibitive to those who haven't. I really enjoyed Yours Truly, especially the element of handwritten notes and letters to each other.

I loved the complicated relationships on every level - friendships, family, exes, and romantic interests.

I can always count on Abby for a fun and mildly steamy read.

4 stars

I mean, you can never go wrong with an Abby Jimenez book. Always except a good time, emotion, and the best characters 😍😍 I was saving this book for a special occasion and I think “first book of 2023” is pretty special 🤩

This was a slowwwww burn but in a good way because you’re in love with these characters already so when they acknowledge feeling you get a sense of rightness and a sense of meant to be 🥰

So good!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Pub for the earc in return for an honest review.