Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
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Brianna Ortiz is an ER doctor who just finalized her divorce. She has a new coworker, who on his first day of work was named Dr. Death as he lost seven patients at his first day of work. Even though Brianna has enough on her plate, she tried to make nice with her new coworker and was met with abrupt rudeness. However, later on she gets the sweetest letter from Dr. Death and things escalate from there!
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I absolutely adore Abby Jimenez’s writing style. It just draws you in and makes it feel more like you are watching a movie than reading a book. She also does such a great job with her richly drawn characters, emotional depth, and provides the readers with such a heartwarming story. I also love how Jimenez provides the readers with such a realistic example of what it is like to be in a relationship with a person who has anxiety. I feel like this helps the readers understand more of what it is like to have anxiety and shows that while somethings may come across as rude, the individual doesn’t always mean for things to come across like that but it can be the result of the anxiety or the individual trying to alleviate their anxiety in stressful situations. Overall, this novel is sure to tug at your heartstrings and leave the reader feeling hopeful and inspired! Would definitely recommend!
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This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

This book stole my heart!

Emergency room doctor Briana Ortiz is fresh off a painful divorce, and she's caring for her younger brother, who needs a kidney transplant. She's also hoping for a promotion that might now go to the new doctor on the scene, Jacob Maddox. She hates him until he sends her a great letter, and they start to become friends. When he turns out to be a match and is willing to donate a kidney to her brother, she rejoices, but he needs a favor too...

This was slow burn and swoon-worthy! There is so much to love about this book, enemies to lovers, fake dating, charming letter writing, witty banter, steam, all the emotions, and strong mental health rep. Jacob's anxiety is written realistically and sensitively, as is Briana's divorce and childhood trauma. I felt for both characters and pulled for them the entire time. All the characters were vividly depicted, and even the secondary characters were quirky and felt real. I loved Briana, she's fantastic, but Jacob was a stand-out cinnamon roll MMC. The pacing, storyline, humor, chemistry, and emotional stakes make this completely bingeable. Jimenez is a fantastic storyteller, and I will happily read anything she writes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to review this ARC. I loved it!

Do not pass this by because of the fake dating thing -it's so much more! Bri's got a lot on her emotional plate-she's an ER doc whose divorce is about to be final and whose brother is in renal failure. The one bright spot was going to be her promotion and then Jacob showed up and even though seven patients died on his first shift, it looks like he's going to get the job. Except he doesn't want it because he's got a lot on his own plate- his girlfriend is marrying his brother and he's got anxiety issues. These two begin exchanging actual letters after a disastrous first meeting, then actually talk, and then do the fake dating which of course turns to love. What makes this special are those early letters, the sensitive treatment of Jacob's mental health, and the positive spirit. And the dog. Each character, from the nurses to the friends, and family, feels very real. I really enjoyed this. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Don't miss the afterword. Highly recommend.

LOVE SHOWS UP. AND HERE I AM.

Really enjoyed this one! A lot of heart, emotion, and drama - all things I love in a contemporary romance. I really liked that the characters often had multiple layers of motivations for doing things.

I actually don't think this is Jimenez's best work but it's still totally worth a read. My main issue with this one was there were a few too many tropey moments worked in. This plot didn't need it! It could have been a simpler story line. For instance, when we got to a one-bed scene I was just like, "why? This story doesn't need this little gimmick, it's great on its own!"

There were also a few blatant HIPAA Violations which is annoying (both MCs are doctors as well as supporting characters) but I also can see the reality of many physicians bending rules just a bit, especially when trying to find a kidney donor but whatever.

But by the end, I was in tears and my heart strings were pulled. So sweet.

Briana and Jacob, both ER doctors, meet at work resulting in some unfavorable first impressions. But then Jacob sends Bri a letter.

This book had the emotion, angst and realistic characters I've come to expect from this author plus fake dating, a workplace romance and complicated family dynamics. Bri and Jacob were so good together! They really understood what the other needed from them. I also loved the letters they wrote to one another.

The story is a very slow burn with a lengthy miscommunication trope which is honestly not my favorite. However I loved the characters, especially Jacob, and couldn't wait to see their HEA. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

Oh, how I love Abby Jimenez. This was one of my most anticipated reads for this month and for good reason. A three legged dog named Lt. Dan?? A tattoo of a tiny lawnmower mowing chest hair?? I loved this book so much. The banter was great, I really liked that it normalized anxiety, and I swooned at how hard Jacob worked to fight for Briana. Great steam, amazing characters. Such a fun read. *I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I think at this point I would voluntarily read a text book as long as Abby wrote it. This book is a symphony written specifically for the heart strings. Briana is a beautifully written character and one that I think will resonate with a lot of women. Her experiences in life and relationships were raw and painful. A reflection of not only myself but everyone I know that has had to deal with even a fraction of her story in real life. Her arc in this story was so real, the feelings that she experienced when she became involved with Jacob were so relatable. As much as I loved her I think that the real star of this book is Jacob, What a gloriously written character. As someone who deals with high anxiety every day, this book made me feel so seen and so understood. I found him and his interactions with people like his family and coworkers to be so genuine. While this book has two of my least favorite tropes in it I didn't even mind as the story was so, for lack of a more coherent thought, important. This book is special. I laughed, I cringed, I saw myself in it, and oh did I cry. Abby is the only one who can make me sob uncontrollably and be grateful for it. I was also grateful for the authors note. I think that it was extremely brave and true to who I have come to see Abby as a person for her to share her own struggle and how it contributed to this story being written. This will be in my top books for 2023.

Part of Your World is my fave Abby Jimenez book to date, so it was nice seeing Bri there and having a bit of introduction. This is a different romance, and I really appreciated the anxiety and mental health rep. The way Bri and Jacob related to each and took care of each other was tender and romantic, and SWOONY. Highly recommend!

Abby is one of those authors that just keeps getting better and better. You can always count on her books to be LOL funny, swoony, and full of heart.

Once again, another fun, and entertaining book by Abby. This is book 5 by her. I've read all of them and loved them. It can be read as a standalone, if you haven't read her others. This one was filled with alot of laughs, but also very heartfelt and emotional. I loved both of the MC's, Jacob and Briana. Jacob and Briana are both Drs and Jacob struggles with anxiety. The first impression he makes on Briana, well, it's not a good one. But he writes her a letter to remediate the situation. She writes back. And so begins a relationship of sorts. Brianas brother is in need of a kidney and time is running out for him. Then Jacob offers the gift of a kidney to him. In return, he has a favor to ask of Bri. I do not want to spoil the book so I'll stop here. But this was a good enemy to lovers, fake dating romcom. Would make a great book to bring to the beach with you.

Out April 11.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes.

“If you’re with someone who doesn’t speak your language, you’ll spend a lifetime having to translate your soul.”

I loved how so much of the theme of this book was that you never know you’re with the wrong person until you are with the right one. And boy are Briana and Jacob made for each other despite a very awkward first meeting and horrible first impressions.

I loved how these two slowly built a relationship in ways that made them feel safe: writing letters, meeting for lunch in a closet, or talking on the phone. They really worked at getting to know each other.

I loved how Briana made catch phrases for Jacob to escape anxiety-inducing situations. But really their catch phrases were: Love shows up and I agree to be harmless to you. Because the people in their their lives previously could not live up to those sentiments.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, because you get to see so much of the couple before they are a real couple. And before these two were a real couple, they were already putting the other person first. The pining was divine.

Jimenez has a wonderful way of taking very serious, real life situations and make them totally relatable to someone who has never gone through them. And her ability to weave romance and humor into the story is unmatched. I could laugh and cry on the same page.

I loved this book so much. Saved it for my birthday book and never put it down, just read it all day.

Abby is my favorite author. I've gotten my best friend addicted to her books and have been able to send her an autographed of each new novel since Abby has thoughtfully released a book each year in April. The easiest way I can write this review is the text exchange with my Ride or Die when I finished this book last night.

Me: sends screenshot of ARC showing as "Read" on my Kindle.
Me: OOF
Me: Favorite quote: “-and I got my period. I get to bleed for a week without the sweet release of death.” —Abby Jimenez I even added it to Goodreads Quotes section.
Me: Definitely her best yet!

Her: oh no

Me: I ugly cried for the first time at exactly 69% in. The teleport thing coming full circle had me sobbing.

Her: No no no no no no no

Me: I got the ARC but have been holding off, clearly I bought us both autographed copies on pre order but wanted to save the ARC until closer to release date.
Me: And although one character has an autoimmune disease, and another has anxiety I didn't feel attacked, but instead felt SEEN. This book still left me emotionally bleeding, but I didn't feel like Abby was lying in wait to attack me like her other books.

Her: SHIT

Abby comes gunning for you emotions but I promise she puts you back together at the end, and the emotional damage makes its that much sweeter. I love catching the "Easter Eggs" in each book like referring to characters from other books, but my favorite was the continuation of the changing stained glass window at Alevis and Daniel's house.


GET THIS, READ IT IN ONE SITTING WITH A BOX OF TISSUES ON EITHER SIDE OF YOU.

Abby Jimenez is at the top of our auto-buy author list and for good reason. Her books keep getting better and better. When we received an ARC for Yours Truly, we couldn’t believe our luck!

Briana’s life couldn’t get any worse. Her divorce is close to being finalized, her brother desperately needs a kidney transplant and she now has competition for the promotion that was guaranteed to be hers. Jacob (her new competition) makes a terrible first impression but his apology letter makes her see him in a different light. When he volunteers to donate a kidney for her brother, she can’t refuse the favour he asks of her.

Briana has a tough exterior, her life hasn’t been easy, but she is a loyal, caring person once you crack it. She has unresolved trauma and we would take our hoops out to defend her!

What can we say about Dr. Jacob Maddox except that we love him! He suffers from anxiety and is trying to move on from a recent break-up. The way his mental health is handled in the book is beautiful. It’s raw and real and pulled at our heart strings. He’s the ultimate cinnamon roll!

There were so many moments that made us laugh, smile, jump for joy and even shed some tears. We think everyone should read this gem!

Many thanks to @readforeverpub + @netgalley for the e-book ARC in exchange for our honest review.

What we liked:
▪️Dual POV
▪️Fake dating
▪️JACOB 🥰
▪️Briana is a fierce latina!
▪️Their families
▪️mental heath rep & how it was handled
▪️The code phrases Briana gives Jacob so he can escape social situations

What we didn’t like:
▪️miscommunication trope
▪️Pet Peeve: if you’re going to have Spanish phrases, make sure they are correct (hopefully the editors fixed it)

I enjoy Abby’s books. They usually hit the spot and are exactly what I need. But Yours Truly? It’s her best hands down. It’s deep and complex. Handles tough subjects with an ease that will have readers crying, laughing, and swooning. Was the perfect read for a beach vacation, even if some tears escaped my sunglasses 😂. Yours Truly is a must read for anyone who loves:

- epistolary romances
- workplace hijinks
- complex family dynamics
- older sister complexes lol
- “I will never trust men” vibes until their heart can reopen again

There are definite CWs so make sure to check storygraph for those! Yours Truly is out April 11th.

Jacob Maddox ladies and gentlemen, Jacob Maddox. Abby Jimenez knows how to write a book boyfriend, but Dr. Maddox is next level.
I was introduced to Abby Jimenez last year when I read Part Of Your World, and proceeded to get started on her backlist (I only have Life’s Too Short to go) and I think Yours Truly is my new favourite.

I loved Briana when I read Part Of Your World, so I was excited to learn she was getting her own book, and let me tell you, Briana Ortiz is my kind of petty. Girl got back at her shitty ex husband in a spectacular way!

Listen, both Briana and Jacob married/dated assholes before (and let me just say, Jacob is a better person than I am) but I truly loved their story - letters are an underrated form of communication, and I love that that’s how they developed a friendship. Their pining made this slow burn worth it, and I love how Jacob continuously showed up for Briana, in ways she didn’t even know, and even when she didn’t want him to.

On another note, I adored Lieutenant Dan! & I cannot wait for whatever Abby Jimenez comes out with next!

I finished this book two days ago and I cannot stop thinking about it or raving about it.

Abby Jimenez has done it again with a truly funny, sweet, and heart-wrenching romantic comedy. Briana and Jacob have both had trouble with love and choosing partners that have not taken the time to understand them as partners, making them very reluctant to open themselves up for love. Many readers, especially regular romance readers, hate the miscommunication trope and I feel that those reviewers who categorize this as a “miscommunication trope” book is doing a major disservice and do not understand the nuance of this book.

This book deals with real heavy themes such as miscarriage, anxiety, chronic illness, suicide, depression, but also brings moments of silliness and levity. I’d recommend this book to literally anyone. One of the best books this year.

One of my favorite things about reading a book by Abby Jimenez is how she writes such real, complex, emotive characters, both women and men. I've never felt like one of her characters was lacking, which is truly impressive. This book is one of few times I've seen the miscommunication done well - there were so many layers and the miscommunication was based on who they were as characters. I loved the letters here but I do wish they would've been incorporated more throughout the book. This made me bawl - I kind of wish there had been a trigger warning for infertility and/or pregnancy, since that's a sensitive topic for me. The ending went too quick. I wanted more of them happy! I loved the author's note at the end and the personal connection to the story. I will read and recommend anything written by Jimenez basically forever.

TW: social anxiety, miscarriage, infidelity, panic attacks, parental abandonment, renal failure, gaslighting, divorce

This romance novel was indeed an emotional rollercoaster, making me cry multiple times. And the author’s note gutted me! Because Abby’s stories are rooted in her own or her friend’s personal experiences, they feel so authentic!

I truly appreciated the social anxiety representation in this book through Jacob’s character and the portrayal of the emotional trauma that abandonment issues cause through Brianna’s character.

I loved the epistolary aspects of this novel including letters Jacob and Brianna wrote to each other and Jacob’s journal entries at the end.

The supporting characters especially Jacob’s family were so fun and added comic relief to this emotionally intense story.

This is my favorite Abby Jimenez romance novel to date - her books keep getting better and better!

I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy these tropes:

💌 Fake Dating
💌 Forced Proximity / One Bed
💌 Accidental Pregnancy (this may bother some readers given the unpopularity of this trope but it didn’t bother me)
💌 Miscommunication (this also seems to be an unpopular trope but I felt it was realistically portrayed in this novel)
💌 Epistolary novels
💌 Mental health representation
💌 Dual POV

Jimenez has done it again! She wrote a jangled jumble that was a joy it read.
I was cheering for Briana and Jacob the entire time. My heart ached when they weren’t communicating and made themselves miserable because of it.
Both had a lot of baggage, but they were each other’s coping mechanisms.
The supporting cast were great, but I still didn’t like Amy.
The heartfelt author’s note at the end will make readers pause, as it should. We just never know what is truly going on is someone’s life.

This is the second book in Abby’s Part of Your World universe. I really enjoyed it, but while this book had many great qualities, it wasn’t my favorite. It started strong, but then it took a bit of a turn into a clichéd rom-com. I also missed Abby’s trademark humor. Her books are hilarious, but I think this was her least funny book. However, this book tackled many heavy topics, and it was done with immense sensitivity. I understand that there were fewer opportunities for humor, but I still missed it. I did love the characters. Abby writes wonderful characters, and these are some of her best. The fact that this wasn’t one of my favorite Abby Jimenez books, and I still gave it four stars, should say a lot. I wholeheartedly recommend it.