Reviewing Yours Truly without giving anything away, I’ll just say: Bri and Jacob’s story was pure emotional magic. I laughed and cried through their story while I connected over their relationship traumas and mishaps, the sweet way they connected, the anxiety of a family member going through a major medical situation and the ever dreaded social anxiety. Both characters brought so much depth and realness, you couldn’t help but love them. Of course Abby wrote another winner, this book is everything I hoped for, you won’t be disappointed!

Abby Jimenez did it again with a book that stole my heart from the get-go and had me up at 6am to get this sneak peek. Bri is so real and relatable going through a divorce, having a for-sure promotion put on hold, and having to balance taking care of her sick brother. Her newest coworker Dr. Maddox turns from enemy to dream come true. He personifies anxiety and trying to live a normal life while experiencing such hard feelings. Seeing their relationship bloom and having Jacob make an amazing sacrifice for Bri's family took my breath and tears away.

Abby jimenez never misses! Jacob is the sweetest cinnamon hero, which is saying a lot given Abby’s amazing heroes. I loved Briana so much. The fake dating aspect was expected so well with simmering tension. Highly recommend!!

I’m disappointed that I’m done reading this book and will have to wait until her next one comes out! Abby has the ability to mix the perfect amount of romance and comedy in every book. I love that every character is unique and yet relatable.

Yours Truly is a tender, funny, and romantic book; easily my favorite from author Abby Jimenez. Bri is a funny, witty, and compassionate ER doctor going through a painful divorce when she meets Jacob, also an ER doctor, whose ex is marrying his brother. This hot mess seems an odd pairing, but love shows up in this beautiful story of friendship and family.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

We finally get Briana’s story! We met her in Part of Your World, and I was really looking forward to her love story. She’s an ER doctor under a phenomenal amount of stress (recently divorced, sick brother) when she has a meet-cute in the hospital with Jacob, a new ER doctor at the hospital. He is dealing with anxiety and a breakup as well. There’s a fake dating trope and an adorable dog. The side characters were well developed (Grandpa! Jafar!) I loved this one, and the way AJ wrote about dealing with anxiety and past trauma/trust issues.

Dearest Abby,

You have my entire heart. All of it. From here on out it is yours. Forever. I have absolutely loved all your books thus far but this one takes the cake, a special order jumbo red velvet cupcake from Nadia Cakes.

I loved Briana and Jacob so much! I related to this book SO much. Abby writes and conveys so many critical moments and feelings incredibly well and with utmost sensitivity, from anxiety, to depression, to being a caregiver, to falling in love again, to trusting again. As much as I couldn't stop smiling, swooning, sighing, and sometimes gasping, I also just felt my own feelings so deeply. I felt like the female version of Jacob throughout the book but I also related to Briana over and over again. I also loved how authentically Jimenez wrote the supporting characters. They truly added to the story. I love the universe Jimenez has created. She sprinkles love and hope everywhere. It's an escape and yet so real. She writes the most perfectly imperfect characters. They are so real, you want to be friends with these characters. I want to talk to Jacob about my plant room, about the plants I started propagating this year, about my journal, about my anxiety, about life, about being alone with that one person that makes you not feel alone but keeps you calm, is your peace. You can't help but fall in love with the worlds Jimenez has created through her words.

For some reason this book had me craving a lot of campfire s’mores. I even tried to make some but I was so distracted reading I accidentally started another fire.

Many of you know, Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren is one of my favourite romance novels and I have to say this book gave me a lot of similar feels and I'm so glad it exists.

This book is a must read. The entire series is, and yet again I'm so excited to buy a physical copy to add to my shelf. Readers, y'all are in for a treat April 2023.

Yours Truly,
Rukhsar

Abby Jimenez has done it again. 👏 I have a feeling I'll be nursing this book hangover for a while. This book made me laugh, cry, hope, and wish for the best. Abby just has a way with words. Her characters suck you in and make you forget you're even reading a book. The witty banter, fire hot chemistry, and emotional connection between Jacob and Briana was so beautifully written.

I found myself identifying with Jacob so much, it was a little scary. I could feel and understand exactly what he described and felt in his moments of anxiety. Abby wrote it brilliantly.

I love that Abby writes real life into her books and characters. I appreciate the amount of research she does for the issues they face. She makes sure it is authentic and real. If you follow her on social media at all you'll even find inside jokes and references in this book. Dick switches anyone? 😂

This book was wonderful, it fills you with hope and love. I would expect nothing less from Abby, and absolutely can not wait to continue on her writing journey with her.

A HUGE thank you to Forever, NetGalley, and Abby for giving me the honor of reading Yours Truly early. This is my honest review and opinions.

If you're like me and loved Briana from Part Of Your World, you'll love Yours Truly. One of the greatest things about a new Abby Jimenez book is the fact that they tie so beautifully into one another. I love searching for all the little references to the past books.
Abby's writing and storytelling gets better and better with each book - which says a lot considering it was great from The Friend Zone.
I knew going into this that I would love Briana since she was great in POYW and all of the heroines have the perfect mix of sass, humor, and vulnerability. But I adored Jacob - maybe even more than I've loved the other male characters from previous books. Showing Jacob's anxiety and not making him the alpha male that needs to take care of someone was amazing and something so rarely shown...especially in romance books.
Yours Truly is a very special read because of Abby's own connection to the story and I'm grateful that she shared her story with us through Briana, Jacob, and Benny.

I loved this book. I could not put it down. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I went without sleep to finish this book. And now I am sad I am done with it. Abby makes the most realistic characters in romance today. They are normal everyday people that do not have perfect lives or perfect love, They have to work every day to maintain their relationships. I have read all of Abby's books and somehow they get better and better each time. I think it is truly brave to put so much of herself in this book. One takeaway from Abby is that in each book there is always one or more lines that stick with me. In her last book, it was Grace costs you nothing. In this one, Brianna had so many good ones. My high road is under construction. When we are quiet we are agreeing to be harmless to each other. And Joy was awesome, "And If you're with someone who doesn't speak your language, you'll spend a lifetime having to translate your soul." I love all the differences in the characters. Every character is a flushed-out person.

Abby has done it again! She made me laugh, cry, and even both at the same time. If you like “Part of Your World”, you will love “Yours Truly”.

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is in shambles. Her divorce is about to be finalized, her brother needs a kidney, and the Chief of Emergency Medicine job she was so sure of getting might be given to the new doctor, Dr. Jacob Maddox. Dr. Jacob Maddox’s life isn’t any better – his ex-girlfriend is marrying his brother, all his patients have died on his first day, and all the nurses hate him, including Briana. After an encounter in the sob closet and a letter, Briana sees that Jacob really isn’t that bad. When Jacob’s kidney is a perfect match for her brother, Briana is more than willing to return the favor. The two build their relationship by helping each other through Jacob’s crippling anxiety and Briana’s trust issues to create a mosaic (as Jacob explained).

This book reminded me of a cross between “The Hating Game” and “The Spanish Love Deception” but with its own flair. It touches on some important topics like mental health and anxiety without stigmatizing it. While reading the book, I did become a little frustrated with Jacob and Briana’s communication problems, but I reminded myself on how I communicate when I’m anxious and it made me realize that Abby hit it on the nail. I loved that Alexis and Daniel as well as the town of Wakan (Kevin Bacon, too) was included from “Part of Your World”. I truly did not want the book to end.

“Yours Truly” is a must read for anyone that loves contemporary romance and I will be recommending this to all my friends and fellow book lovers. Thank you to #NetGalley, #AbbyJimenez, #Forever(GrandCentralPublishing) for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Content warning: miscarriage (talked about briefly), chronic illness, anxiety, depression, infidelity

Review: Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

Bri and Jacob’s story was EVERYTHING I wanted and so much MORE! I loved Part of Your World as a top read already this year and I am adding Yours Truly to that list! #luckyearlyread #arcsarethebest

Bri is an ER doctor at Royaume Northwestern. She is gorgeous, ready to step into the chief role, and loved immensely by her coworkers. She should be on top of the world, right?! Wrong! Bri’s world has taken a nose dive! Her best friend and work buddy moved to small town-Waken, her brother has been diagnosed with kidney failure, and she’s just been notified the new ER doc will be the competition for a promotion she should be a shoe in! She earned it after all! Jacob is the new ER doc everyone loves to hate! He’s immediately dubbed Dr. Death and shunned by the ER staff in favor of Bri. After a literal run-in with each other and subsequent confrontation, Bri is hell bent on disliking this new doctor, until he does something very unexpected, he writes her a letter. You see, Jacob struggles with severe anxiety and one of his coping strategies is to journal, but after his disastrous day, the journal entry turns into an apology letter to Bri. In his letter Jacob lays himself bare, explaining his anxiety and how it effects his interactions with people in stressful situations, a la his run in with Bri. This letter opens Bri’s heart to the possibility that maybe Jacob isn’t the bad guy she’s painted him to be. It's also the beginning of a penpal-type relationship between the two characters and leads to a deeper friendship and relationship between Bri and Jacob.

As their relationship changes, Jacob genuinely wants to make Bri happy and realizes the fastest way to do this is to make her brother healthy again. During a rare night out and a discussion with his nephrologist friend, Jacob agrees to get tested. He is a match and decides to donate his kidney to Benny. But, is this a favor- for- a- -favor situation? Because now, Jacob needs something too…something that will bring these two even closer but, also blur the lines between what is real and what is owed...

There are very few authors, if any, who can develop characters and storylines with such detail and depth like Abby Jimenez. Jacob’s character suffers from anxiety, which is the catalyst for most all of his missteps throughout the story. Abby’s description of his struggles and his inner dialogue were incredibly relatable without being overpowering to the story; quite the opposite, they enhance the character and his development throughout. His hyper-focussed nature was also what kept him in tune with Bri and her needs, making him one of the best book boyfriends EVER! Bri, having been familiar with anxiety due to her own brother’s struggles, is the perfect partner for Jacob. She acknowledge and validates his struggles, and adjusts, when needed, to support him throughout the story. This relationship dynamic is the authentic thread that truly makes Jacob and Bri’s relationship so special.

I loved everything about Bri and Jacob’s story but, it wouldn’t be complete without the quirky and unique humor of Abby Jimenez. Jacob’s family is A LOT in the best way possible! From the meddling sisters (lots of sisters), his sex toy connoisseur mother, his taxidermy loving dad, a cussing bird, or a three legged dog there was NEVER a dull moment and PLENTY of laughs!

I loved that Daniel and Alexis were still around for support! I loved Benny’s struggles and triumph of health! I loved the “sob closet” as Bri and Jacob’s special placed! I loved EVERYTHING about this book! It’s a MUST read!

Thank you to my dogs for the early morning wake up call that allowed me the opportunity to grab this book! And, thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing), NetGalley, and Abby Jimenez for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Available April 11, 2023.

WOW, this book! I was absolutely glued to the page the second I started reading and it didn’t let me go until the last page. Beautiful storyline, thoughtful and deep characters, portrayals of difficult life struggles like divorce and anxiety that are spot on, and HOT sexual tension. Love, love, loved this book!!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Abby Jimenez has written my soul and I don't even know how since we've never even met. I have never related to characters more. I am going to recommend this book to anyone who will listen and even some who won't. I laughed as usual and I ugly cried, this one was like therapy for me. I am a mosaic and now I know that that's okay, thank you Abby.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Yours Truly through NetGalley. Yet another amazing book by Abby Jimenez!

Briana is and ER doctor going through a divorce and helping her brother who needs a kidney and he is losing hope on finding one. Jacob, also an ER Doctor, left his hospital to escape working with his ex girlfriend but is having a hard time fitting in at Royume Northwestern where Briana works. They begin as enemies, find friendship through writing letters and eventually find love through fake dating. This book really checks all the boxes! Abby Jimenez always does an amazing job of getting the readers to feel all the feelings through her book. I was literally laughing out loud several times, and tearing up by the end because we get to know these characters so well throughout the story.

I love how all of Abby’s books touch on tough topics and she brings awareness to them in a new light. This books tackles kidney disease, organ donation, divorce and anxiety. I personally have never had to deal with the other topics but I felt so seen every time it was brought up the Jacob had a lot of anxiety. I know Abby does her research very well to be able to shine light on these topics and I appreciate that so much!

This book was amazing - just like the 4 previous books. If you love a romantic comedy, this is the book for you. I love that Abby uses real life situations that people deal with to bring awareness. The way the characters handle the crippling affects of severe anxiety really spoke true to what I’ve experienced first hand. The way trauma can affect someone - even years later, was addressed through the characters. Abby, thank you for these books! I stayed awake the entire evening on a business trip just to finish it.

Oh, Abby, you did it again! First off, thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy. This is currently the most requested book on NetGalley and I am so grateful to be one of the people to get it! I had to slow myself down so I could treasure it for more than just a day!

If you loved Part of Your World, you will love Yours Truly. Alexis and Daniel from POYW are in this book along with a few our favorite parts from Wakan. This story is Bri’s story (Alexis’ best friend). Briana Ortiz works in the ER at Royaume Northwestern and the male person of interest is Jacob. Abby gave us a hint that Jacob would be a “cinnamon roll”. What’s that, you ask? “A person perceived as good, gentle and kind. Often a fictional character who undergoes emotional suffering” is a definition I found online but I think of it as a character that is warm and gooey and sweet – and this is Jacob to a T. Jacob has anxiety and gets overwhelmed easily which made me fall in love with him! Abby did a great job of describing life as a person with anxiety and I could relate, particularly the parts about the struggle of being at a big gathering.

When we were first introduced to Bri in POYW, I thought YAAAAS – I love it when Abby writes a quick witted direct and sassy character! I loved Kristen from the Friend Zone and Bri was Kristen on steroids. I cannot even count how many times I laughed out loud when Bri got on a tear! There were many scenes where I was non-stop giggling much to the concern of people around me.

The Easter Eggs in this book were not as frequent as in POYW but still plentiful. I really enjoy the Easter Eggs, Abby, so keep them coming! A common theme across all of her books is humor, sexual tension, the token dog, and references to Nadia Cakes, which she owns. I get throwing in one reference to her wonderful cupcakes per book yet this one had FIVE which TBH was a bit too much. Another common theme is the ever-frustrating assumptions about what other people want or don’t want. “I can’t be with him/her because I know they don’t want X”. However, without it, there is none of the pent-up frustration and tension that makes the eventual connection so darn sexy.

It is too soon to decide how to order the books yet. Until now, I had POYW in 1st place, Friend Zone in 2nd and I keep flip-flopping HEAP and Life’s Too Short for 3rd and 4th. I can’t really put this one in any order yet since I listened to the first four and read this one. Does that change it? Zachary Webber in POYW and LTS was so good and I was hearing his voice for all of Jacob’s chapters. I was hearing my favorite narrator, Julia Whelan for all of Bri’s even though I know Julie Whelan is not narrating this one. The performance is a big part of it! Plus, I have listened to all four of her books TWICE so it really isn’t fair to place Yours Truly in order yet. It is for sure top 3 and possibly top 2. Reserving judgment to see if it makes #1. I can’t wait to listen and enjoy the story again and am excited for YOU to have the opportunity to read it as well!

Yours truly,
Carolyn

The Friend Zone being an impulsive buy was one of the smartest things I've ever done to date. The way I sit here and obsess and cry over her work is embarrassing. YOURS TRULY???????!??!?! The fact that I requested this and got approved like an hour later? A blessing.

I'm unwell.

This book was everything to me and I couldn't tell you why. I can't explain what or how it resonated with me because I'm still trying to figure it out but I am not surprised. It happens every time. Yours Truly I think it probably my favourite book of hers though and one read-through will explain why.

Jacob and Briana are quite possibly one of my favourite book couples I've ever read. The PATIENCE and UNDERSTANDING they both showed towards one another was so beautifully intimate that I felt like I shouldn't be a part of the soft moments. These two had this awareness of what the other needed that has now embedded itself into my brain so deeply that I'm ruined. Jacob is the one. Jacob is the blueprint. He is the reason why people say "If he wanted to, he would". I believe that. Don't look into when that saying started to float around. I'm right on this.

THE END OF THIS BOOK? I honestly wish that I was capable of coherency when I get to a point like this where I love the book so much because then my review might actually be helpful. I just am a little cloud of happy after finishing it. I can't wait to reread it one day.

Basically, after all that gibberish, I cannot recommend this book enough. This is easily one of my favourite books this year.

I love all of Abby Jimenez's books and I think they get better and better. Yours Truly has become my new favorite - such a beautiful story that was so well written. No author has the ability to make me laugh out loud and get teary-eyed like Abby Jimenez, sometimes even while I'm reading the same page. The depictions of a person with anxiety were also so well done. I don't think anyone intermixes topics with depth into HEA romance novels like Abby Jimenez.

The main characters arc of Bri and Jacob was fantastic, but I also loved ALL of the side characters. They really make it a well developed story. For those fans of POYW, there are some great sections of the book with Alexis and Daniel. This is a definite recommend. I'm already looking forward to Abby's next book!

Wow! Abby Jimenez has done it again! Bri & Jacob’s story is so full of every emotion possible.I literally fell in love with Jacob! His character is so relatable to me and that touched my heart. And the letters! 🥰 This book gave me all the feels - I couldn’t put it down!
5⭐️
Thank you #abbyjimenez and #netgalley for the ARC.
#yourstruly