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stephmcoakley's review
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Miscarriage, Vomit, Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Pregnancy
bnicely16's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
Minor: Infertility and Panic attacks/disorders
sytaylor's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Chronic illness, Cursing, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Vomit
kshertz's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is an excellent romcom. I definitely love Dr. Jacob Maddox. Dr. Brianna got on my nerves a little bit though. I really enjoyed the storyline of the kidney donor and that they wrote letters back-and-forth. Is very sweet. It’s not super light hearted one but it’s a great romance novel. Not smutty enough for meeee.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Sexual content, Vomit, Child death, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy
noduedate's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide
kelly_e's review
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 donationsami_leigh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🌶️/5
🌶️/5
‘I feel my heart twisting around her in a way that is completely out of my control and can never be undone.’
‘There’s a special peace in sleeping next to someone you love. When you slip into the dark holding them and wake up and they’re still there and you know that everything that matters is just opening your eyes away.’
✉️ First person Dual POV
✉️ Fake dating
✉️ Workplace romance
✉️ Slow burn 🔥
✉️ Well established secondary characters: Alexis & Daniel (Book 1), Benny, Jacob’s entire family.
✉️ MC Growth: trust, risking a relationship, childhood trauma, past relationship trauma, self worth.
✉️ Considerate representation of anxiety
✉️ Epilogue
✉️ On my comfort reads list 😍
Available on Kindle, Audible, and paperback.
⚠️ Toxic relationship (past), infidelity (past relationship, not MC), pregnancy, miscarriage, grief, divorce, panic attack/disorder, mental illness, parental abandonment (past).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Medical content
Minor: Sexual content, Grief, Infertility, and Miscarriage
cady_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
bringmybooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
sad
fast-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
Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, & Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
GAH THESE JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER AND BETTER!
I just went through and read all of my reviews for the previous 4 in this interconnected series (The Friend Zone, The Happy Every After Playlist, Life's Too Short, and Part of Your World) and a lot of the same things come up in each review:
- I didn't like The Friend Zone as much as a lot of people did.
- Each successive book is my new favorite of the series.
- I cannot put these books down once I start reading them.
- I truly BELIEVE in these characters - they all feel so real!
- I really do not like the miscommunication trope, and somehow each of her books have that in some form or another, but also somehow it doesn't bother me when she does it? I don't know what to tell you.
These are romance books that I will continuously recommend if someone asks me for a recommendation, and I sincerely hope we get more out of this series because I'm excited for the (hopeful) next book to be my new favorite!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Medical content, Infertility, Miscarriage, Vomit, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
a_rich_read's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Abandonment
Moderate: Pregnancy, Infertility, Infidelity, and Miscarriage
Minor: Sexual content and Confinement