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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 stars. Thank you

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.75 stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I loved this book so very much.

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

REVIEW FOR YOURS TRULY

5 stars

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

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

I will protect Jacob at ALL costs!

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

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

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

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

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

Abby always pulls me into a story so quickly. I still can't believe i've only read 2 of her books. I need to read her backlog asap. Abby brings us back to this world via Briana Ortiz who was Alexis' best friend from Part of Your World.

Briana is an ER attending, and she is on the eve of her divorce being finalized. While Briana doesn't want to get back with her husband, it still leaves her with a lot of complex feelings. While dealing with this she is also worried about her brother Benny who is in need of a kidney transplant.

Jacob is also an ER attending. After a bad breakup where his ex gets together with his brother, he decides he needs to move on and that includes finding a new job. Nicknamed Dr. Death on his first day after losing patient after patient, no one at his new hospital is his biggest fan. Especially Briana when she finds out he is her competition for the Chief job in the ER.

Slowly Briana gives Jacob a chance and via letter writing and leaving notes to one another they slowly learn more and more about each other and eventually become friends. When Briana finds out that Jacob is her brother's secret kidney donor she decides she would do anything for him. Including be his fake girlfriend so Jacob doesn't have to face his brother's wedding (to his ex) alone.

Via this fake dating, real feelings start to come out and these two are just the cutest couple. When Briana runs scared at the end, I love how Jacob continues to show up and give her the reassurance she needs after being betrayed again and again by the men in her life. I love how Briana knows more about Jacob in a few months than his ex knew about him in the years they were together. Jacob's family also adds a fun element to the story.

This was such a sweet romance and I enjoyed every bit of it. Especially the moments with Alexis and Daniel that were sprinkled throughout the book. I loved that we didn't leave them behind, but still got to focus on a new couple.

*I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This book was unexpectedly heart wrenching and I loved every single page. I read this in a single sitting because the characters and plot and writing had me fully engaged instantly. The ending was so strong and so perfect, I truly don’t think it could have been better. This book is an absolute must-read.

While I’m here writing a review for a book with a character in need of a kidney, PLEASE sign up to be an organ donor. It’s so incredibly important, you could save a life (or multiple lives). Even though Benny is fictional, there are millions of people out there just like him.

Abby Jimenez books just get better and better. After every new novel, I am convinced that it can’t be topped. Being wrong has never felt so good.

As someone who suffers from anxiety that feels debilitating at times, there is something comforting in seeing my struggles represented so accurately. Jimenez writes her characters and their issues with so much care.

Yours Truly is a slow burn romance. It does not have the heat that many of Jimenez’s novels are known for. However, it didn’t feel as though it was lacking despite the lack of steam. The connection between Briana and Jacob is so deep and built on such a solid foundation that being able to witness their relationship feels like a gift.

For readers who love a book that evokes all the emotions- definitely heck out Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough. Five big stars to what will be one of the best books I read in 2023!

<i>Part of Your World</i> was my first introduction to Abby Jimenez, and I was super excited to snag <i>Yours Truly</i>! I have to admit that I totally forgot it was connected to the first until I was about a third of the way through-- whoops-- but clearly you can hop right on in without having read about Alexis (although I think you should, because that one was good, too).

Bri Ortiz is an ER doctor about to snag a promotion when all of a sudden there's a new attending doc in her ER-- the nurses have started calling him Dr. Death because all of the dude's patients ended up dying on his very first day. He ends up being super rude to her, and then she finds out that he's also in the running for the promotion that she thought would be a slam dunk. But then a couple days later, she receives a very nice, <i>hand-written</i> letter from Dr. Death AKA Jacob Maddox explaining himself. And she writes him back. And then he writes her back. And so she writes him back again, and all of a sudden, they're exchanging notes on fancy stationery.

There are kidney transplants, brother/ex-GF weddings, fake relationships, trauma surrounding life events, and lots of other stuff in here. There's also a lot of discussion around social anxiety because Jacob has a severe case of it. As a fellow social anxiety sufferer, I'm always interested to see techniques that people (even fictional ones) use to get through their days, and this portrayal (and other mental health issues in the book) was accurate and sensitively handled. I was really sad for this one to end and am already anxiously awaiting Abby Jimenez's next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts.