Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

25 reviews

rollarskates13's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

katk1ndl3's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Loved loved loved this book!!!! Omg! I couldn't put it down!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

aimesericks's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I spent a significant portion of the book hoping that the happy ending was the MCs being medicated properly for their mental health.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kaydeedickins's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

stephmcoakley's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kelsielovesbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I usually love her books but I was disappointed by this one. Everything was too quick and tidily wrapped up at the end. And the female MC overcoming some of her last trauma and hurt just by reading one journal was completely u realistic. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

thelibbyshow's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

cc0906's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kelly_e's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Title: Yours Truly
Author: Abby Jimenez
Series: Part of Your World #2
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: April 11, 2023

T H R E E • W O R D S

Compulsive • Authentic • Redundant

📖 S Y N O P S I S

ER doctor Brianna Ortiz life is flatlining. She just finalized a divorce from her cheating husband, and the new guy at work has been nicknamed Dr. Death for losing seven patients on his first day. Yet when she tries to console him about it, his abrupt rudeness totally takes her aback. With a brother who desperately needs a kidney transplant, Bri has enough to worry about without work drama on top of it. Then she gets the sweetest letter from Dr. Death—er, Dr. Jacob Maddox—himself, and suddenly everything becomes clearer.

Bri does the only thing she can think of. She writes him back. And he writes her. And soon Jacob’s little notes are the highlight of her day. Both are shocked when it turns out Jacob is a donor match for Bri’s brother’s transplant. Willing to do anything to express her gratitude at his sacrifice, Bri agrees to go as Jacob’s date to his brother’s wedding. They’re not dating for real, of course. But Jacob’s boisterous family doesn’t know that...

💭 T H O U G H T S

After absolutely adoring Part of Your World, I was really looking forward to more from Abby Jimenez and eagerly awaiting her 2023 release (and follow up) Yours Truly. While I wanted to love this one just as much, it uses one of my least favourite tropes in the second half and I just couldn't get past that.

The first two-thirds of this book had everything going for it. I was even thinking it could be a five-star read. Unfortunately, the lack of communication and reliance on excuses throughout the last third are something I just couldn't jive with and left me rolling my eyes. I think this book would have been so much better if that aspect has been avoided entirely.

On a character front, Bri was okay. I enjoyed getting beneath her layers to understand why she is the way she is and I felt for her having such a full plate. However, it is Jacob that's an absolute gem! He's an introverted, tender, and vulnerable teddy bear, which just felt so relatable to me. His clinical anxiety was handled with sensitivity and realism. I saw so much of myself in his character, and I just wanted to give him a big ole hug as I too know what it's like to live with anxiety. I am that person that looks up the menu ahead of time so I can be prepared. I am the person who goes places ahead of time to get a feel for what's to come. I am the person who overthinks even the smallest of decisions. I am the person who communicates better in written form than verbally. And I also get easily overwhelmed and over-stimulated in social situations and feel misunderstood. I cannot forget his selfless act as well. So for me, he was perfection.

Additionally, Abby Jimenez has done a wonderful job with the supporting cast. I was grateful to get a chance to get reacquainted with Alexis and Daniel. There is also Jacob's large and boisterous family. She interweaves emotional support animals flawlessly into the narrative, this time in the form of Lieutenant Dan, Jacob's rescue dog. I need only think of the grandpa or animated parrot in order to conjure a laugh. And of course, there's Benny. She does a fantastic job incorporating his chronic illness into the story and shining a light on chronic illness and organ donation. I'm kind of hoping Benny might get his own story next.

Another aspect I loved so much was the letter writing. Call ne an old soul, but I am still a sucker for hand written letters and snail mail. The letters were actually one of my favourite parts because they really allowed their friendship to blossom. Getting dual POVs also allowed me to get into both their heads to see what they were thinking. It also allows for more depth than typical rom-com banter. Both Bri and Jacob have issues their dealing with from past relationships and maybe they needed to continue the letter writing in the last third because they seemed to communicate best this way.

With all of that said, the miscommunication (or lack of communication) trope is my least favourite. It became excessively repetitive in the last third. I was rolling my eyes as their feelings for one another were obvious. I think this novel would have been better if it would have just stuck to the fake dating trope and not tried to incorporate so many tropes.

As the author explains at the end, this was a deeply person novel for her to write, and so I appreciated it that much more. Abby Jimenez has a knack for creating incredible male leads, and Jacob is one of the best. My issues with Yours Truly were more me as a reader issues than issues with the book and/or writing itself. I liked a lot of aspects of this book outside of the romance, which is the reason it doesn't get a higher rating. I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Part of Your World, but at the end of the day, it's just so easy to get into Abby's books that I will continue to explore her backlist and keep my eyes peeled for whatever she writes next.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for mental health rep
• fans of Grey's Anatomy
• lovers of romance with depth

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"I did everything I could."

"I had to remember that not everyone over-thought everything the way I did. Wouldn’t it be amazing to live like that? To not carry that burden around with you. To not feel constantly overwhelmed and overstimulated and second-guess every little thing."

"You know that it's not your fault that you don't like that stuff, right? There's nothing wrong with you."

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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

readingwithmeredith's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings