Just finished, and am still in that foggy place when you come out of a book and remember that you live in *this world* and not the author's.

And damn it...Abby knows how to build, and fill, her world. It's still the same world, begun in CA and now centered on MN (not unlike Abby's life), and if you're paying attention you'll spot references to previous novels.

As (mostly) omniscient readers, we see the protagonists get in their own way, almost to the point of torpedoing the happiness we know they deserve. But a gift of Abby's is how she gives her characters all-too-real challenges (physical, emotional, social, economic) that resonate--I find it easy to believe these are real situations happening to real people.

I loved the book, and was happy that I finished in an empty house...no one to walk by wondering "Why is he crying--I thought he liked her stories?" I do indeed like her stories, and have now started the countdown to the next one.

As a person with anxiety, I am so grateful to Abby for this book. I have never felt so seen as I did through Jacob, and anyone who wants to understand what it’s like should read this. That’s not to say that it’s not hilarious too, though! The characters are so funny and charming and relatable. Another home run by Abby.

This book had absolutely everything I love. Co-workers, fake dating, forced proximity and super involved families. So well written and perfectly tied together. I read this in one sitting and couldn’t put it down. Abby Jimenez knows how to write books with heart.

The thing I like about Abby Jimenez’s books is that she writes more than just romances. She delves into serious issues, and she does her research. Her romances have depth, and they encourage their readers to be more understanding and compassionate.
Your Truly follows this same pattern. It has a great love story, but it also walks the reader through issues like mental health, autoimmune disorders, and infidelity in a way that shows the reader that Jimenez has truly done her research. Your Truly is a romance with real substance.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#YoursTruly #NetGalley

Book review!
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Publishing date: April 11, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Abby Jimenez, and Caroline Green for sending me an advanced copy of Yours Truly in exchange for my honest review.

Abby Jimenez is a must buy author for me and she should be for you too. Her books are relatable, romantic, hilarious, and leave the reader wanting more. In Yours Truly, I saw my experience with anxiety in Jacob. I’ve never identified so closely with a fictional character. It’s clear the author has experience with anxiety too because there’s no way someone could write the depth of that kind of struggle without knowing it firsthand. It was also refreshing to read about a man dealing with severe anxiety instead of it being a woman, making it clear that anxiety is a universal thing and can happen to anyone.

I do wish Briana and Jacob would have realized their shared attraction earlier in the book. I would have loved more happy times before sh*t hits the fan again. I feel like this is always my complaint with the fake dating trope. Doesn’t help with my anxiety!

Jimenez has created a whole universe with her books - characters from her books make appearances in others and I love that. You know that sad feeling you get when you finish a book? That feeling of saying goodbye to people before you are ready? With Jimenez, you get to say hello again and see where characters end up years down the line. It’s truly a special gift she has given her readers. We never have to say goodbye.

Honestly, I had tears rolling down my face the last 20% of the book. I felt the heartache, I felt the struggle, I felt the enormous love between our main characters. The reader is on this ride with Briana and Jacob for better or worse - and the payoff is so good.

I’m in love with Abby Jimenez. After reading Part of Your World earlier this year, I had high hopes for this second stand alone & Jacob very quickly became a top 5 male main character for me.

When I read a rom-com, I want to laugh out loud and Abby delivers. The banter between Jacob and Bri is elite. Everything I want in a 30 something relationship - something I strive for in my own relationships.

I laughed. I cried. I threw my kindle. I regained my composure and fell in love over and over again.

I’m usually not a fan of the third act break up or pregnancy trope, but this was done well. I also just loved seeing some neurodivergent representation. As someone who has pretty severe social anxiety, I related to Jacob’s internal dialogue.

This is one you should read!

I've heard great things about Abby Jimenez's writing, especially about her last book, "Part of Your World", so I was excited to read "Yours Truly"!

Wow, this book was powerful and touched on so many incredibly complex topics. Please be sure to read the content guidance for this book before diving in! There were times I needed to take a short break before I continued reading - there are many emotional scenes that had my heart wrenching.

I really liked the side characters, but I felt this book was really mostly focused on Brianna and Jacob and the world they built. I've come to realize that strangers to friends to lovers is sort of my literary kryptonite, so following the growing relationship between these 2 in the first half of the book had me absolutely beaming. The letters, the little inside jokes (these were hilarious!), all of the moments where they showed up for each other and supported each other! I will also say that if you enjoy slow burn and/or fake dating: the pining and angst is very ramped up in this book.

Thank you to Forever, the publisher, for providing me a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley.

One of my favorite things about Abby's books is her focus on real-world issues. In Yours Truly, she introduces a main character with clinical anxiety and a supporting character in kidney failure. She handles these story lines with care and creates characters that are incredibly relatable.

This book is low on the steam and one of the slowest burns I've ever read. Abby also plays strongly on the miscommunication trope. If that's your jam, then you will love this book. I'm not a fan of super slow burn romance or the miscommunication trope, so that affected my rating.

Despite those complaints, the story line was still well developed and kept me engaged and interested throughout the book. Abby's combination of humor and tenderness are always a win for me. And if you loved the characters in Part of Your World (Abby's last release), you'll get to see them again. I love when characters overlap!

Yours Truly releases April 11, 2023 and is available for preorder now!

Thank you @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest feedback!

Thanks to forever/grand publishing and NetGalley for the E-ARC.

I absolutely love this book, it has the fake dating trope and enemies to lovers. it’s soo freaking adorable. I finished it in a day and want more from Abby Jimenez!

The story is about Brianne, an ER doctor who is having just a terrible year, first with finding out her ex husband has cheated and then her brothers health problems. So when she finds out her possible promotion is put on hold, bc of the new hire Jacob Maddox, she already dislikes him.


Jacob was forced to leave his hospital bc of a past relationship and on his first day he looses 7 patients and deemed Dr. Death by the nurses. Unfortunately for Jacob he comes off as self absorbed due to his social anxiety and it doesn’t help that his colleague Brianna hates him.

Abby Jimenez has a chokehold on me and I hope she never lets go. Her books always amaze me with how beautifully they are written and the emotions she can invoke in me when I read them. This one was no different. I was hoping it would be amazing (the main character is my namesake) and I wasn't disappointed. I want my very own Jacob, please!

I was one of the few people on the planet who had never read an Abby Jimenez book, but I am so happy to say, that is no longer the case. And what a book to start with!! From the moment I started reading, I knew I was going to love Briana and Jacob’s story.

I adore the way Jimenez develops her characters, from her two MCs, to all of the supporting ones. I can completely envision Jacob’s big, boisterous family (one I wish I could be a part of), as well as Briana’s friends and their feisty hospital colleagues. They all felt like very real people who exist entirely outside of the story.

As someone who suffers from anxiety, I loved the way it was represented in Yours Truly. I felt for Jacob every time he felt anxious, overwhelmed, socially awkward (in fact as someone also on the autism spectrum, I think Jacob might be as well) or just plain stressed out and unable to deal. I so appreciated the way Jimenez had Briana handle those situations.

My only criticism of this book was that it relies pretty heavily on the miscommunication trope in the second half. And yet I loved this book so much, it still didn’t stop it from being a five star read for me.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Definitely give it a read, as well as her backlist which I’ve begun to work through.

Read if you like:
•friends to lovers
•fake dating
•workplace romance
•anxiety rep
•neurodivergent rep

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

Absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that Abby Jimenez is going to become an auto-read/buy author for me. It's been a few hours since I've finished reading this masterpiece and I'm still feeling so giddy about it.

This was a perfect romance in my opinion! This story had everything I like to see in a romance: fleshed out characters, natural romantic chemistry, a great build-up, wonderful side characters, and just so much blush and giggle worthy romance.

The story's main characters are Briana Ortiz and Jacob Maddox. Briana's ex-husband cheated on her with a friend and has left her jaded about romance. Jacob on the other hand is seeing his ex announce her engagement to his brother who she started seeing three months after their breakup. It's bad in the romance department for these two.

The highlights of this book include:
- Characters of colour
- Fake dating
- Friends to lovers
- Depictions of anxiety
- Depictions of trauma
- Workplace romance

The two of course fall in love and promise to teach each other harmlessly and I was swooning.

The misunderstandings in the beginning leading into friends leading into fake dating leading into falling in love was just so excellent! I absolutely love how the author depicted Jacob's anxiety and how carefully it was treated throughout. He's not any less or weird because of how his anxiety manifests and I love how Bri and Jacob's family and best friend accommodate him and love him just as he is. I enjoyed that they were adults with their own lives and that they'd come to terms with a lot but they're still going through so much and figuring things out.

Seeing Jacob's anxiety as he's in his 30s and Bri deal with the pressures of family and relationships in her 30s was so heartwarming and interesting. I enjoyed how their such strong characters individually and being together just heightens the charm of both of them. The way he and Bri naturally take to each other was so beautiful and they're such a great example of opposites that came together beautifully.

The side characters were so good as well. I loved Bri's mom, her brother, Jacob's entire family and both of their best friends. Everyone is so supportive and you can tell just how much they love the main couple and are rooting for them. It didn't feel overbearing and steal away from Bri and Jacob either. I'm also glad that things were resolved with Jacob's ex because she didn't understand him but it wasn't from a mean-spirited place. They weren't right for each other but she never meant to hurt him. I liked that the author didn't make her an antagonist.

If I ever see Bri's ex-husband and his new wife - I will absolutely square up. I'm so glad Abby Jimenez didn't spend too much time on them because they didn't deserve it. I'd still fight them though.

AND THE ENDING? I was in shambles seeing how they still have struggles after getting together. It felt so real and authentic. I'm so glad we got to see that side of Bri and see how Jacob showed up for her. They both consistently showed up for each other throughout the story.

THE EPILOGUE was a gift from Abby Jimenez and I am so grateful. It was perfect and it had me in my feelings. I was so happy at the end of this book and I can't wait to read it again and again.

Every decision and twist felt really true to the story and wasn't out of shock. Abby Jimenez treated us and Bri/Jacob harmlessly as promised. I could go on about this book for ages and no doubt will I be raving about this book nonstop until and after its release next year!

Forever Publishing is quickly becoming one of my favourite book publishers and I'm so excited for this book to be released soon!

Thank you so much to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

absolutely OBSESSED with this book!!! im no stranger to abbys writing but there is something so completely unique about this one that i cant get enough. it gave major love on the brain vibes while still being unique and enthralling. i couldnt get enough. im a slut for fake dating and this is no different!!!!!

Great book!
I’ve loved her books and was so excited to get an advance copy (Thanks Net Galley) to read asap!
Briana and Jacob are enemies for about a minute and then they have a truce, become a fake couple and bond over many things. I think what takes the fake romance up a notch is the mom who is a relationship therapist, and the overbearing nosy family.
I feel we are able to see these two people who have baggage, come into this fake relationship and start to see bits crumble away to make them real, or feel real, and we are all just waiting too see if it can last. The twists and turns kept me hooked.
I appreciated the way anxiety and depression were addressed and the glimpse into how one deals with pressures, a mental ailment AND can be productive and healthy!

From start to finish I was entirely enraptured with this book. The plot, the characters, the dog, the mental health and trauma, all of it was perfection on paper. Even the accuracy of working in the ER and the nurses - it was just so accurate and funny. I don’t think I found a flaw with any part of this story while reading it. The pace of the story couldn’t have been any more exquisite. The dual point of view was done so well. I loved this take on fake dating. I love that both characters had a difficult past that made them who they were today. Finding a perfect match amongst the wreckage was just so perfect. I absolutely adore this book. 5 ⭐️

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book by Abby Jimenez that I’ve read, and I am happy to say that I will definitely be reading the rest of her books. These characters made their way into my heart so quickly, and I found myself moved by their challenges and their vulnerabilities. This is the kind of story that I often seek out and rarely find, a story about love and romance and connection that also has beautifully developed characters and a deep understanding of the difficulty of loving and being loved.

The way that Jacob’s anxiety is portrayed all throughout the novel is incredible and hits very close to home for me. I’ve suffered chronic anxiety since I was an infant, and the way Jacob explains some of his thoughts made me feel seen. Of everyone that I’ve known, and all of the experiences I’ve heard, none of them have been more accurate to my own experience than Jacob’s, and to see it in a novel is heartwarming and validating.
Jacob’s intrusive thoughts beginning with “what if” and “maybe” spiralling into intense panic are absolutely spot on.
Some quotes on Jacob’s Anxiety:
“Of course I’d managed to work myself up anyway”
“I think you probably want what every introvert wants- to be invited, even though you won’t come”
“I liked the familiarity, the predictability. If I researched a show, there were never any surprises. No emotional-jump scares. I didn’t have to process new feelings or stress over cliffhangers. I knew where it was going and how it would end” (I read the ends of books for this exact reason, and seeing it in words makes me feel so validated)
“(…)The comfort of repetition”
“Wouldn’t it be amazing to live like that? To not carry all that burden around with you. To not feel constantly overwhelmed and overstimulated and second-guess every little thing”

I was so on the fence about reading this and I'm really glad I did!! I got an eARC through NetGalley (thank you and thanks to Forever publishing for making it available) and it definitely spurred me to read it sooner than I ever would have otherwise. 3.75stars, rounded up here.
I think I was expecting a very similar vibe to book 1 (ie, more spice/physical activity than what we got in this book) but overall it was such an endearing, heartwarming story! Brianna Ortiz is such a tremendously strong character; everything she goes through was displayed with such emotion on the page and I teared up several times reading! I loved Jacob, what a beautifully written male character. Truly one of my favorites in a while. The only thing I felt (aside from wanting more spice, but I can live with that lol) is that the story felt a little long? I did devour it, but also things take forever to develop and I feel like the timeline could have been condensed a littlee bit to make things more contained. Such a gorgeous and insightful story, though, and beautifully touching explanation from the author at the end for why she wrote this tale!

OH MY WORD. Just when I think that there is no way Abby could top Part Of Your World, I’m pretty sure she did. This book deals with a lot of trigger warnings & things that can be hard for people to read but Abby handled organ donation, anxiety, etc. with grace & wrote it all beautifully!
Jacob, an ER physician, after a bad breakup & heartache shifts his whole life to a whole new hospital. Might seem like kind of a big deal for most? But when you have crippling anxiety, it is a big deal for Jacob!
Bri, who has a hard time coming to grips with Jacob after he lost every patient on his first day & a little bit of a run in.
Soon though they call it truth & letters to each other become the most anticipated part of their day.
Yours Truly deals with the communication trope & as much as I wanted both Bri & Jacob to come to their senses… I loved every single page of this book. A big thanks to NetGalley & Forever Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review….. now when do we get a new Abby book!?

I don't think I have enough words to say how much I love this book! It's by far her best one yet! And I'm a big fan of Abby Jimenez! I have enjoyed every one of her books. But this one is special.
I have some social anxiety, but more importantly, I'm a huge proponent for organ donation. My uncle was an organ recipient and was able to live many more years because of a kidney transplant. It's truly an amazing gift that we can give others and I have always been an organ donor. It touched a special place in my heart.
Abby's stories keep getting better and better and I'm excited for even more of her books to come out. You should definitely read this one!