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A review by noellegrace8
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A great romance read! The two main characters have serious chemistry and make one another better people. The writing is fantastic; their relationship comes to life on the page. And Jimenez really gets you to laugh with some of the depictions of scenes and characters' actions. She writes chronic anxiety well, what with the characters' constant mentioning of it and efforts to overcome issues in that area of their relationship. Plus, there are many quotable lessons learned within the course of the book, which I appreciated. I also felt interested by the big family that the main male love interest has, because larger families are kind of rare and I am 1 of 9.
I do think Briana's pregnancy toward the end is random and used a little too obviously as a plot device to create just another conflict for the new lovers, especially since Alexis and Kelly both are also pregnant. It seems as if the author is sort of saying that a relationship is actually at its most complete status, and most thrilling, when the couple gets pregnant, and I simply disagree with that blanket statement. Seeing the ex could have been a big enough issue on its own without that extra piece of backstory thrown in, especially one that is incredibly traumatic and therefore needed a building up throughout the novel if included at all. However, I can't bring myself to dock half a star for the ending alone, simply Jimenez's depiction of anxiety and writing of their relationship is beautiful. I understand this is a subjective rather than objective star rating. I just love Jacob and Briana too much.
I'm also a bit mad that his ex-girlfriend and the younger BROTHER didn't get more of what they deserved for their backstabbing behavior, even though Jacob got over it easily enough in the end and said he hadn't necessarily ever actually loved her. There are just some boundaries you don't cross, and they each could have chosen other people. And the family seemingly wanting to be okay with it was odd. But it's still great writing, because it's reality. This is how people are, and sometimes the best revenge and happiness really is just to move on with someone better.
I don't factor audiobook performance into my star reviews, but I give both Kyla Garcia and Zachary Webber 5/5 easily. They are unique, not annoying, and did plenty of inflection without overdoing it.
I do think Briana's pregnancy toward the end is random and used a little too obviously as a plot device to create just another conflict for the new lovers, especially since Alexis and Kelly both are also pregnant. It seems as if the author is sort of saying that a relationship is actually at its most complete status, and most thrilling, when the couple gets pregnant, and I simply disagree with that blanket statement. Seeing the ex could have been a big enough issue on its own without that extra piece of backstory thrown in, especially one that is incredibly traumatic and therefore needed a building up throughout the novel if included at all. However, I can't bring myself to dock half a star for the ending alone, simply Jimenez's depiction of anxiety and writing of their relationship is beautiful. I understand this is a subjective rather than objective star rating. I just love Jacob and Briana too much.
I'm also a bit mad that his ex-girlfriend and the younger BROTHER didn't get more of what they deserved for their backstabbing behavior, even though Jacob got over it easily enough in the end and said he hadn't necessarily ever actually loved her. There are just some boundaries you don't cross, and they each could have chosen other people. And the family seemingly wanting to be okay with it was odd. But it's still great writing, because it's reality. This is how people are, and sometimes the best revenge and happiness really is just to move on with someone better.
I don't factor audiobook performance into my star reviews, but I give both Kyla Garcia and Zachary Webber 5/5 easily. They are unique, not annoying, and did plenty of inflection without overdoing it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Eating disorder, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
The content warnings are given at the beginning of the book, actually. General things to know are: a main character has anxiety, both main characters work at a medical facility and have come out of toxic relationships.