Reviews with content warning for Medical trauma - Yours Truly

First of all, for those of you who don't know (like myself), read Part of Your World first. Yours Truly is the sequel.

Onto my thoughts:
This slow burn was far too slow for my taste. I was riveted by the characters and their love story at the beginning, but I found that

their lack of communication and their wilful ignorance was painful. It was so ridiculous to me that it soured me to Briana—even though her running away may very well be a common trauma response. It also bothered me how much Jacob needed to reveal to the point of losing normal privacy. I mean, he shouldn't need to have her name be the only name on the house! That doesn't seem like it would be the solution. Yes, Jacob needs to help her to trust again, as someone who wants to be Briana's partner, but that's not trust. I needed to see Briana's growth, her taking steps forward as well.

Also, a little more spice wouldn't have hurt (hehe).
But let it be known that Jacob is a prince, I would marry the shit out of him and the voice performers were impeccable.

Content Warnings

callie_castle's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

For me this was a story that started off strongly but in the third half went completely off the rails. It felt like Abby forgot it was a romantic comedy, and the last third of the book suffers greatly for it. I completely hated a character I started off liking and ruined any affection I had for her.

I am well aware that trauma changes the brain. I’m a person who has faced their own trauma in life -but everything Brianna did in the last third is completely inexcusable. She was beyond cruel and quite frankly how Jacob handled the way she treated him has me worried for his wellbeing.

I’m so disappointed that this book ruined everything it had built and destroyed its own story. A single book should not manage to jump the shark like this.

Content Warnings

angelica95's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-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

4.25

Content Warnings

julieshuff's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

I was getting super fed up with Briana, tbqh, but I do feel like the author put a lot of work into representing depression and trauma. As someone who went through her own health scare during the pandemic, I could relate 200% to the author note at the end of the book. Jacob is an absolute angel in every possible way-I want a cinnamon roll like this in my life.

Content Warnings

yvo_about_books's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.5

Finished reading: January 15th 2024

“I always think that when we’re quiet, we’re agreeing to be harmless to each other. That we’re just sharing the same space and letting each other exist exactly as we are, and neither of us would hurt or upset the other one.”

I tend to enjoy Abby Jimenez' writing, and I have been looking forward to this sequel ever since I read Part Of Your World a little over a year ago. There was something about Briana's character that made me want to spend more time with her, and I fully expected this story to be another winner... And I have to say that I enjoyed Yours Truly even more than the first book! This has a lot to do with both Jacob and the epistolary element; I ADORED the letters and messages between the two main characters. The story is told with a dual POV structure, which is a great way to get both sides of the story. I loved Jacob so much more than Briana, and his social anxiety is very well described. Briana could get a bit frustrating at times, and I can't say that I was a big fan of the whole miscommunication trope. Especially when it was SO obvious how the two felt about each other... This was probably the only reason I didn't give Yours Truly the full five stars, because there was just too much unnecessary conflict. I still loved the book in general though, and even the sexy scenes towards the ending couldn't change my feelings. Make sure to have some tissues at hand, because the final part will make it hard to keep it dry! This story has once again shown to me why Abby Jimenez is on my list of favorite romance authors, and I already can't wait for her next book.

Content Warnings

More...