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kelsielovesbooks's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Medical content, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders
cc0906's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abandonment, Miscarriage, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Gaslighting
jourdynne27's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Gaslighting and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Pregnancy and Miscarriage
serene216's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.0
I preferred part of your world over this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Vomit
kelly_e's review against another edition
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."
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."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Infertility, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cursing, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Vomit
depression, anxiety, divorce, organ donationcady_sass's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Abby Jimenez has me in a CHOKEHOLD and I’m not mad about at all. Fake dating, forced proximity, mental & physical health issue representation. What else can a girl ask for?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Animal death, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Cursing, Sexism, Gaslighting, Infertility, Misogyny, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
emmas_bookshelf's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Summary: Briana and Jacob are ER doctors who have a rough first meeting. Although introverted & anxious Jacob is immediately taken with her, Briana takes a bit to realize Jacob is a good guy, but once she does, she’s all in. They start fake dating and that ends how all good fake dating ends: with one bed and real love. 😜
Review: I loved many things about this book. Briana and Jacob have an easy chemistry and togetherness and the themes of promising to be harmless to someone really resonated with me. The book also had many truly laugh out loud moments (Jacob’s perfect interjection of catchphrases, iykyk). I appreciated how developed the families of the characters were and the inclusion of all the little daily joys (taking care of plants, bringing a loved one a meal) that make up a life. That was really lovely. And Jacob is donating a kidney to Briana’s brother. That’s so incredible. 🥹
Things that bothered me: the two on-page sex scenes both take place when one or both characters are extremely upset about something and while it’s referenced that they’re having a bunch of joyous sex in between it seemed kind of gross to me that the explicit scenes were when… these people should not have been having sex. It is explicitly written that Briana is having sex without a condom or any form of birth control and I’m like - two doctors? Seriously? They BOTH know better. And it seems extremely out of character for both of them. Unhealthy practices bug me. Moving on from sex: the two of them competing for a job was a major part of the beginning and then that storyline never goes anywhere and is never mentioned again* and that struck me as very odd.
*I did read an advanced copy so the final version may differ.
Review: I loved many things about this book. Briana and Jacob have an easy chemistry and togetherness and the themes of promising to be harmless to someone really resonated with me. The book also had many truly laugh out loud moments (Jacob’s perfect interjection of catchphrases, iykyk). I appreciated how developed the families of the characters were and the inclusion of all the little daily joys (taking care of plants, bringing a loved one a meal) that make up a life. That was really lovely. And Jacob is donating a kidney to Briana’s brother. That’s so incredible. 🥹
Things that bothered me
*I did read an advanced copy so the final version may differ.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Medical content, Infidelity, and Mental illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Blood
purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
My favorite by Abby Jimenez so far! Genuinely laugh-out-loud funny but anchored with realistic struggles, touching sincerity, and heartfelt pining. Oh, the pining!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness
Moderate: Cursing, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Vomit, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Medical content
sarahsthoughtsonbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Love shows up.
And a promise to be held to each other.
Jacob needs to be protected at all cost, and Briana needs to learn that she's loveable.
This became my favorite Abby Jimenez novel when I read it the first time in October, and only reinforced again during this second reading.
It's a book of little moments where they fall in love, but the plot is driven by big moments.
Boiling it down to tropes and plots: Misunderstanding/bad first impression, caretaking, fake dating, an only one bed.
Also epistolary element.
Received an early copy to review from the publisher (Forever), but I've also pre-ordered a finished copy
And a promise to be held to each other.
Jacob needs to be protected at all cost, and Briana needs to learn that she's loveable.
This became my favorite Abby Jimenez novel when I read it the first time in October, and only reinforced again during this second reading.
It's a book of little moments where they fall in love, but the plot is driven by big moments.
Boiling it down to tropes and plots: Misunderstanding/bad first impression, caretaking, fake dating, an only one bed.
Also epistolary element.
Received an early copy to review from the publisher (Forever), but I've also pre-ordered a finished copy
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Miscarriage, Gaslighting, and Pregnancy
literaryintersections's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow tears. This book is as good as everyone says.
I enjoy Abby’s books. They usually hit the spot and are exactly what I need. But Yours Truly? It’s her best hands down. It’s deep and complex. Handles tough subjects with an ease that will have readers crying, laughing, and swooning. Was the perfect read for a beach vacation, even if some tears escaped my sunglasses 😂. Yours Truly is a must read for anyone who loves:
- epistolary romances
- workplace hijinks
- complex family dynamics
- older sister complexes lol
- “I will never trust men” vibes until their heart can reopen again
There are definite CWs so make sure to check storygraph for those! Yours Truly is out April 11th.
I enjoy Abby’s books. They usually hit the spot and are exactly what I need. But Yours Truly? It’s her best hands down. It’s deep and complex. Handles tough subjects with an ease that will have readers crying, laughing, and swooning. Was the perfect read for a beach vacation, even if some tears escaped my sunglasses 😂. Yours Truly is a must read for anyone who loves:
- epistolary romances
- workplace hijinks
- complex family dynamics
- older sister complexes lol
- “I will never trust men” vibes until their heart can reopen again
There are definite CWs so make sure to check storygraph for those! Yours Truly is out April 11th.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage
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