Another great read from Abby Jimenez!! One of my favorite things about Abby’s books is she tackles very difficult situations, but balances these heavier topics with the perfect amount of brevity, banter, and cute animals. In her latest, Yours Truly, we get all this and more—I think Dr. Briana and Dr. Jacob are may favorite of Abby’s couples so far. I really felt for both of their individual struggles; Briana’s got some serious trust/commitment issues after her previous marriage fell apart, and Jacob’s social anxiety impacts his life every day. It makes it all the more satisfying when these two start to open up to each other!

While Yours Truly might look like a typical workplace/forced proximity fake dating romance, I think the deeply layered characters really make the love story shine. There’s an epistolary element that’s just perfect, plus a grand gesture that rises above all others!! Loved this one, and I think fans of Abby Jimenez’s other books will be thrilled to see she’s knocked it out of the park again.

Will Abby ever stop writing books that just absolutely destroy me in the best way possible? She writes a book and I think okay this is it. This is topping my favorite book by her. Then she just keeps getting better!!! So that’s my review. All the stars. Infinite stars. It’s beautiful, it’s messy. I love it.

Oh boyyyyy I loved SOOO much of this. So much of it!!!! Then..... I got to the 70% mark, and it got WEIRD and went downhill. The 1 intimate scene was.....beyond weird and did not do their relationship or connection justice. I'm cringing just thinking about it. THEN, we got a trope that I hate. I won't say what it is because I guess it's a spoiler. Ugh. Again, I LOVED this book until the last 30%. I still think it may be worth a read because of some important themes of organ donation are prevalent and I think the characters had a true connection. Also, Jacob was totally swoon worthy to me- loved him so much.

This review will be a love letter to Abby Jimenez.

Dear Abby (iykyk this letter format),

Thank you for writing probably my favorite romance book in 2023. Part of Your World was one of my favorites in 2022, and I knew without a doubt Yours Truly would be fantastic but wow I'm just in awe of your story telling and writing. (Please never stop writing!!!) Abby has the ratios right with writing romances that I look for: humor, angst, and chemistry. I think what makes Abby different is that she writes beyond a typical love story. She delves into topics that are real and with great sensitivity that makes me respect her even more for her careful words.

I loved the boisterous families on both sides. The cameos from POTY. The letters. Briana was such a great female lead, and my heart really gave at all weight she was carrying on her back. I loved how she really SAW Jacob and really saw herself as well. There were so many cute moments of them together that I could have read another 100 pages.

Also, Jacob is going to my only book boyfriend for 2023 💘 HE WAS SUCH A BREATHE OF FRESH AIR from all the other male heroines I've been reading in the past year. Not only did I see facets of Jacob that deeply resonated with my introverted personality but he was so sweet. A tender hearted soul who journals, grows plants, wears funny animal socks, puts people first and loves being at home? Be still my heart. I have never swooned so hard at the way he shows HOW he loves. It's the quiet kinda love - that I love. "Because love shows up. And here I am."

Read if you like:
• dual pov
• chronic illness and mental health representation
• diversity!!
• fake dating
• ONE BED PEOPLE - this is not a drill! ONE BED!!
• miscommunication (my least favorite trope but THIS ONE MADE SENSE! I DIDN'T hate it.)
• a quiet kind of harmless love

Abby Jimenez's writing just gets better and better!

Though I really enjoyed The Friend Zone and the first couple books by Jimenez, I do think Yours Truly and Part of Your World have shown a step up in her writing. I've been in a bit of a reading slump, and I was able to zoom through this book in one sitting. The characters were enjoyable, and I was super invested the entire time. The friends-to-lovers trope may be my favorite, and this book is the thing that made me realize it!

Despite all this, I did have a few qualms.

I feel like I have to space out my Abby Jimenez because they are pretty baby-centric and heteronormative. There are occasionally some minor LGBTQ+ characters, but they are never really the "friend of substance" (by this I mean, they are not usually the best friend or confidante or anyone that really impacts the main couple). The struggles that the main characters face often have to do with babies and make it feel like the only way you can really be happy is if you have a husband and a baby. This one also had the additional plot element of a big promotion that pretty much doesn't matter after the first quarter of the book, even though it seems like it's going to be a big deal in the book. I love me a career-focused protagonist, so it was a bit of a bummer to see that the career aspect just slips away and is only mentioned in the epilogue.

But also. I adored Briana and Jacob individually and also together so like. Take this with a grain of salt.

ALL THE STARS!!!

I love Abby Jimenez so much and her books are always amazing. Bri & Jacob's story was everything I hoped it would be.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez comes out April 11, 2023. The humor is really fun in this one! There’s actual letter writing, large families, fake dating and a sweet dog named Lieutenant Dan. The story opens with Dr. Briana Ortiz finding out the promotion she wants so badly could go to the new doctor, Jacob. She is also helping care for her younger brother who is desperately in need of a kidney.

Brianna is coming up on the day her divorce from her cheating ex-husband becomes final and her best friend, Alexis, from Jimenez’s last book, Part of Your World, checks in with her to make plans to help her through.

Jacob has social anxiety and is trying to adjust to his new job at the hospital. He also is struggling with the news that his ex-girlfriend is marrying his brother. Brianna shows him kindness and compassion and soon they are writing letters and becoming friends. I think my favorite parts of the story are Jacob’s family gatherings and Brianna and Jacob’s fake dating.

Brianna and Jacob play fun games to get to know each other and I laughed out loud at their Would You Rather game. They also have to work through Brianna’s fear of being abandoned again which wasn’t as fun.

I recommend Yours Truly and am thankful to the author, Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez is a Master Class in the old addage "To assume makes an ass out of you and me.", from bad first impressions to missed social cues. Funny and heartwarming. A poingent reminder of the value of communication and honesty both with yourself and others. So often we get caught up in the stories that we tell in our own heads that we miss out of the chance at happiness that is staring us in the face.

I wanted to first say thank you to NetGalley & Forever Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

You know that feeling when you read a book for the first time and you just know it’s gonna be 5 stars? You just know it’s gonna be a new favorite? Magic. This is the easiest 5 stars I’ve given in a long time. I loved this book so much. Literally everything about it. I adore Jacob. I would do anything for that man. He was the sweetest, most pure MMC I’ve ever read about and I loved every bit of him. The anxiety representation was done so well; I felt so seen, so understood, that at some points it made me tear up. Rarely, if ever, do I feel connected to a character the way I did with Jacob. Props to you Abby Jimenez.

The romance was the sweetest I’ve read in a while. I’ve found that I haven’t been able to connect or fully enjoy a romance lately because of a trope I don’t like, or it’s too cheesy or too unrealistic. But not with this book. I loved Briana and Jacob’s romance and really rooted for them. They were so funny, so cute, had the best banter, and just really made you fall in love with them.

This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me feel understood. There was one trope that I don’t usually love that was done so well in this book that I can’t even complain about it. I love this book with my entire heart. Absolutely going in my all time favorites.

Abby Jimenez is now officially an auto-buy author for me! Part of Your World was one of my favourite romances of 2022 (along with The Friend Zone) so Yours Truly had a lot to live up and it did not disappoint!

Dr Briana Ortiz has had a terrible year.. she’s waiting for her divorce to finalise after finding out her husband had a two year affair with her good friend and her brother is in renal failure awaiting a transplant, if a match is ever found!
When she finds out her boss is retiring, she thinks she’s finally going to get the promotion she wants until a new doctor comes on the scene.

Dr Jacob Maddox did not expect his first day at his new hospital to go so bad. He’s lost 7 patients, earning him the nickname Dr Death from the nurses. No one seems to like him and then he accidentally manages to upset the well loved (and very beautiful) Dr Ortiz making his day even worse! His anxiety prevents him from apologising in person so he writes her a letter..

This book! I’m not usually a fan of the miscommunication trope, in fact it’s my least favourite but she pulled it off. I loved Jacob and Briana. It was so refreshing to see such a gentle and kind MMC, he also had crippling anxiety (which was done so well) and I suspect autism too but it was never stated. His family was hilarious, I loved each and everyone one of them but I think Grandpa was my favourite.

I like that Abby’s romances aren’t just fluffy and light, there is always more depth and serious issues alongside the humour and romance.

I was really surprised to read the author’s note at the end and discover Abby had been going through chronic kidney disease and a progressive autoimmune disease, all while writing and promoting Part of Your World. I follow her on social media and of course read her books and I would never have guessed any of the above was going on. She’s obviously an extremely strong (and very talented) woman! I was so pleased to read that she is now in remission.

Read if you like-
• fake dating
• penpals
• one bed
• forced proximity
• anxiety rep
• friends to lovers

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Pub date: April 11th
Part of Your World Series, book 2

This book! ‼️‼️‼️ This book is giving me trouble to rate. When I was reading it, I LOVED it so much. LOVED it. I was squealing and laughing harder than I ever do while reading. Briana Ortiz may be one of my favorite FMC’s I’ve ever read. These feelings and thoughts make me so badly want to give this five stars. Throughout the majority of the book, it FELT like a five star read.

But a thing at the end makes me question if I can do five. So I compromised with myself and am giving this one four and a half stars. I refuse to be spoilery at all, so please read it and come back and tell me what you think!

Abby Jimenez is an author who does a phenomenal job of weaving hilarity and incredibly serious themes. This book dealt with several heavy topics but also had me insanely cackling. I love this about her writing and I will read any book she writes!

There’s too much to hit on: the soft, quiet, anxious MMC + the strong but hurt FMC + anxiety rep + Spanish speaking FMC + dual POV + ALL THE TROPES + A+ banter + Grey’s Anatomy vibes + a three legged dog. 🫠 PLEASE read this!

Perfect for you if you like:
Opposites attract + fake dating
Forced proximity + there’s only one bed
Funny + deep

🛑 open door scenes and explicit language
🌶️🌶️🌶️ one open door scene, increasing in explicit content; innuendo throughout
⚠️ multiple TWs

I absolutely adored this book. Briana and Jacob were both such well-developed characters and I appreciated that they both had history before they met. As an anxious gal myself, I found the anxiety representation to be really accurate and well done. I did feel like maybe the miscommunication/fake dating went on for a bit too long, but I did like the build-up for the most part. Overall really loved!

Abby Jimenez is one of my go-to authors for romance novels and she has done it again! I loved Yours Truly. The romance itself was a slow burn that had me hooked and not want to put the book down. Both the main characters, Brianna and Jacob had detailed backstories that I could relate too. I love that Abby’s characters always feel as though they could be a real person in your life.

I loved that Abby also choose to have one of the characters dealing with anxiety, how it may look to others and how Jacob himself had to deal with it. As someone who deals with anxiety myself, I appreciated being represented in a positive manner and explained so well.

This may be one of my favorites written by Abby Jimenez so far!

This book broke me in all the right ways. When we first met Bri in Part of Your World I knew I needed to hear more of her story, she just immediately was a character I grasped onto and didn’t want to let go.

Yours Truly was simply a masterpiece. The way Abby Jimenez navigated mental health, and how hard it can be to live with debilitating social anxiety was raw, real and so beautiful. The letter writing was so sweet and just heartfelt and I couldn’t get enough. Bri & Jacob were just so perfect for each other. Fake dating bringing two totally meant to be people together again for the win! Man do I love that trope.

Honestly I give this one all of the stars. It was one of my most anticipated reads for 2023 and it exceeded all expectations in so many ways. I can’t wait to see what Abby Jimenez comes out with next, and to continue reading her The Friend Zone series as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This beautiful book comes out April 11th

Thank you NetGalley for and ARC copy!

LOVED this! Honestly, the fake dating trope is so overdone but I never tire of it. It's popular for a reason and it makes me giddy every time. Briana and Jacob were both so sweet and my heart broke for them going through such difficult situations. Jacob's anxiety was very well represented, honestly one of the best anxiety reps I've ever read and it was super relatable for me. What I loved most was how Briana handled it so well. She was always understanding and knew exactly was he needed in any given situation and was able to help him through it, without judgment. These two were so perfect for each other and it gave me all the feels.

I can't wait to read more books by this author!

Thank you so much @ReadForeverPub for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 11 April 2023)

SYNOPSIS | Briana is having a rough time as her divorce finalizes, her brother is waiting for a kidney donor & she might not be selected for the Chief of Emergency Medicine position that she has been working towards for the past 10 years. Jacob is a new recruit at the hospital where she works & after a not so great first encounter they start communicating with each other via a series of letters.

WHAT I LIKED:
- both characters traumas aren't magically fixed with a happy-ever-after
- the respectful discussion around introvertedness & social anxiety
- the agreement to be harmless to each other
- the relatability & vulnerability of both MCs

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the third act conflict (& how there was no pre-warning for the topic)
- the miscommunication trope popped up in the last 20% of the book
- another book with a parrot who swears...

This book has all the feels. Loved it and the characters. As always abby brings her characters into the world and makes you feel as you are apart of the book. This book hit home with me. I loved it.

I’d love to interview Abby for my podcast, Raise Your Words. Abby is one of my favorite romance authors and Yours Truly was swoon worthy. Content Warnings: Parental Abandonment, Abelism, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Anxiety, Panic attacks, divorce, emesis, & sibling with autoimmune disease. The female protagonist’s ex-husband cheats on her. This book has a lot to unpack!

Well well well Abby has done it again (no surprise). Every Abby Jimenez book I read is my new favorite but I really think this one is my favorite favorite. The author has such an incredible way of balancing humor and emotional elements, I know every time that I will be laughing and crying within the same page.

This is Bri’s book, who we met in Part of Your World (but this can be read as a standalone), and Jacob, the new ER doctor who seems to be in competition for a promotion Bri is seeking. They have a terrible start to their relationship, but that quickly turns around when Bri receives a letter from Jacob, who is better at arranging his thoughts on page than verbally. The epistolary elements here were some of my favorite parts of this, they were so funny and heartfelt without stopping the flow of the story.

I love that these were adults dealing with adult issues. Yes, there is some miscommunication happening that drove me a bit batty, but for the most part they were mature adults who were just doing the best they could when life didn’t turn out like they expected. Bri is recently divorced from her husband of a decade, her best friend moved away, and her brother is in kidney failure needing a transplant. Jacob’s recent ex-girlfriend is marrying his brother and his whole family is looking at him for his reaction. I think this book will give a lot of hope to readers whose lives also didn’t turn out as expected.

I also especially loved the mental health aspects of the book. Mental health rep is never a one-size fits all endeavor because we of course all experience things differently but I have never seen such an accurate representation of my anxiety as I did in this book. I am Jacob. I have never related to a hero so much, or really any character.

Thank you to Abby for writing this and thank you to Forever for publishing it. The author’s note at the end really adds another dynamic layer to the story.

CW: miscarriage (past), anxiety, panic attacks

YOURS TRULY by Abby Jimenez is an emotional and tender story with a big heart. As with all of her books, there are scenes and dialogue and topics that will spark laughter, tears, and topics of conversation. I love when books don’t shy away from hard topics and showcasing real people, both of which Jimenez does skillfully. Briana and Jacob are so sweet and patient with each other—completely swoonworthy on both sides with their kindness, caring gestures, and empathy! I also enjoyed the family dynamics layered throughout. You’ll root for—and absolutely adore—Briana and Jacob from the start!

Thank you to Abby Jimenez, Forever, and NetGalley for this book. All opinions are my own.