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A review by katemc7
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
5.0
OMG this book!!! I read book 1 earlier in the year, and this one had been calling my name recently so I dove in. I listened to the audible version for about half and then DEVOURED the rest last night. This book was PERFECTION. I loved EVERY.THING. about it. The characters. The setting. The back stories. Their "baggage." The meet cute that wasn't so cute. Watching them fall in love. How much they got each other and helped them each be their best selves. I had SOO many feelings reading this book. I was elated. I laughed out loud. I cried. I was at the edge of my seat thinking KISS HER! I was gutted. My heart broke a little, and then it started beating back to life. Briana was SOO strong. She was sassy and feisty but so sweet and wonderful with Jacob once she realized he wasn't the terrible person she thought he was. Their letters were CHEF's kiss. Who writes letters anymore? I am throwing it out in the world that I will start again HAHA. Briana recognized Jacob and knew how to he ticked and how to make him comfortable. She was like a warm blanket. I love this quote she said to him
"Have you ever heard the quote if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it's stupid?....I will never judge you for how you climb a tree, Jacob. And you should know that you are an exceptional fish."
She had gone through more than of us realized with her ex. Watching her realize her feelings for Jacob was amazing. And then she was all in until her trauma hit her. And then I fell in love with Jacob EVEN MORE. Not sure how that was possible. This man. He was just amazing. He had high anxiety and came off wrong but he was one of the good ones. He came off wrong with Briana, but instead of giving up HE WROTE HER A LETTER. I could find no faults in him and lord knows Briana was looking LOL. He was thoughtful in everything he did. He was purposeful. He was steady and knew how to build trust. He also got Briana and her "brokenness" as she called it. Favorite quote by him:
"We're all a little broken, Briana. We are a mosaic. We're made up all of those we've met and all the things we've been through. There are parts of us that are colorful and dark and jagged and beautiful. And I love every piece of you. Even the ones you wish didn't exist." I MEAN COME ON!
Briana is on track with her life. Her divorce will be final in a few weeks. She is about to be announced as the new Chief of her division. Once that happens she can put even more of her attention on helping her brother, Benny, find a kidney donor. But ALL of that changes when he shows up. The new doc from down the street who apparently is now in the running for her job. And is also kind of a jerk. Everyone she asks about him says he is one of a kind, but she doesn't see it. Until he writes her a letter. Like an actual letter. And it is genuine and sweet and kind. And she starts to think that maybe she is wrong about him. She starts to find herself excited to get another letter. She finds herself wanting to talk to him more than just at the hospital. They are now friends and hanging out. Then she finds out that he is going to be Benny's donor and ALL bets are off. She would have done anything for him before BUT NOW...ANYTHING. So when he asks her to be his fake girlfriend for a few months she says yes. Apparently his ex is marrying his brother. So he needs armor AKA her. She finds herself enjoying this fakeness a little too much though. She has to keep reminding herself that he is still in love with his ex. This is all for show. But she can't help this attraction to this man. So when she finds out what she thought was wrong, she is all in. She has the best time at the wedding. She is happy. She is thinking about being able to get married again but all of that changes when they run into her ex and his new wife the night of the wedding. What was she thinking? She can't move on. All men are the same- but Jacob seemed different. Could he be? Will she be able to be brave enough to see if he is?
Jacob is in a whole new hell right now. He left his old job because of the situation with his ex. The one where she is now marrying his brother. Oh and they worked together. So now he is here at a new hospital and not making friends. He just comes off a certain type of why because of his anxiety. He tends to miss steps when he is anxious. So he does something he hopes he won't regret. He writes Briana, the woman he can't seem to get right with, a letter. And to his surprise, she writes him back! Now they are exchanging letters. He finds himself excited to get to work. He finds himself more comfortable around her than he was the whole two years he was with Amy. She seems to get him and all of his layers. She doesn't seem to be weirded out by him at all. So when he asks her to be his fake girlfriend for a few months. She says yes. Oh and he failed to mention that he is now donating his kidney to her brother. He didn't do it for the recognition. He did it for Briana. So now that they are hanging out and getting to know each other more, he is realizing that these feelings that are supposed to be fake are absolutely not. He has to figure out a way to ask her if they can be real. Which backfires in the worst way. But instead of giving up, he shows up. He keeps showing up and now she is telling him she loves him. They are REAL. This is REAL. They are talking about the future. Looking towards it in fact. But everything changes when they run into her ex and his new wife. Jacob starts to realize there was more that happened than "just" a divorce. Now he is losing her, and he doesn't know what to do. All he can is show up for her and hope that is enough. He will give her anything she asks for because she is 100% his endgame. Even if she doesn't see it yet.
"Briana was a catastrophic life event. A thing that changed everything. And I wouldn't be the same after this. All the women I'd ever met and all the women I ever would fell away beneath her. She had me....Nothing could have prepared me for her."
Abby really showcased how two people who have their own life stories good and bad can come together and be stronger for it. They just have to show up because that's what you do when you love someone. You show up. I can't recommend this OR Part of Your World enough!! I liked the little snippets we got of Alexis and Daniel to by the way :)
"Have you ever heard the quote if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it's stupid?....I will never judge you for how you climb a tree, Jacob. And you should know that you are an exceptional fish."
She had gone through more than of us realized with her ex. Watching her realize her feelings for Jacob was amazing. And then she was all in until her trauma hit her. And then I fell in love with Jacob EVEN MORE. Not sure how that was possible. This man. He was just amazing. He had high anxiety and came off wrong but he was one of the good ones. He came off wrong with Briana, but instead of giving up HE WROTE HER A LETTER. I could find no faults in him and lord knows Briana was looking LOL. He was thoughtful in everything he did. He was purposeful. He was steady and knew how to build trust. He also got Briana and her "brokenness" as she called it. Favorite quote by him:
"We're all a little broken, Briana. We are a mosaic. We're made up all of those we've met and all the things we've been through. There are parts of us that are colorful and dark and jagged and beautiful. And I love every piece of you. Even the ones you wish didn't exist." I MEAN COME ON!
Briana is on track with her life. Her divorce will be final in a few weeks. She is about to be announced as the new Chief of her division. Once that happens she can put even more of her attention on helping her brother, Benny, find a kidney donor. But ALL of that changes when he shows up. The new doc from down the street who apparently is now in the running for her job. And is also kind of a jerk. Everyone she asks about him says he is one of a kind, but she doesn't see it. Until he writes her a letter. Like an actual letter. And it is genuine and sweet and kind. And she starts to think that maybe she is wrong about him. She starts to find herself excited to get another letter. She finds herself wanting to talk to him more than just at the hospital. They are now friends and hanging out. Then she finds out that he is going to be Benny's donor and ALL bets are off. She would have done anything for him before BUT NOW...ANYTHING. So when he asks her to be his fake girlfriend for a few months she says yes. Apparently his ex is marrying his brother. So he needs armor AKA her. She finds herself enjoying this fakeness a little too much though. She has to keep reminding herself that he is still in love with his ex. This is all for show. But she can't help this attraction to this man. So when she finds out what she thought was wrong, she is all in. She has the best time at the wedding. She is happy. She is thinking about being able to get married again but all of that changes when they run into her ex and his new wife the night of the wedding. What was she thinking? She can't move on. All men are the same- but Jacob seemed different. Could he be? Will she be able to be brave enough to see if he is?
Jacob is in a whole new hell right now. He left his old job because of the situation with his ex. The one where she is now marrying his brother. Oh and they worked together. So now he is here at a new hospital and not making friends. He just comes off a certain type of why because of his anxiety. He tends to miss steps when he is anxious. So he does something he hopes he won't regret. He writes Briana, the woman he can't seem to get right with, a letter. And to his surprise, she writes him back! Now they are exchanging letters. He finds himself excited to get to work. He finds himself more comfortable around her than he was the whole two years he was with Amy. She seems to get him and all of his layers. She doesn't seem to be weirded out by him at all. So when he asks her to be his fake girlfriend for a few months. She says yes. Oh and he failed to mention that he is now donating his kidney to her brother. He didn't do it for the recognition. He did it for Briana. So now that they are hanging out and getting to know each other more, he is realizing that these feelings that are supposed to be fake are absolutely not. He has to figure out a way to ask her if they can be real. Which backfires in the worst way. But instead of giving up, he shows up. He keeps showing up and now she is telling him she loves him. They are REAL. This is REAL. They are talking about the future. Looking towards it in fact. But everything changes when they run into her ex and his new wife. Jacob starts to realize there was more that happened than "just" a divorce. Now he is losing her, and he doesn't know what to do. All he can is show up for her and hope that is enough. He will give her anything she asks for because she is 100% his endgame. Even if she doesn't see it yet.
"Briana was a catastrophic life event. A thing that changed everything. And I wouldn't be the same after this. All the women I'd ever met and all the women I ever would fell away beneath her. She had me....Nothing could have prepared me for her."
Abby really showcased how two people who have their own life stories good and bad can come together and be stronger for it. They just have to show up because that's what you do when you love someone. You show up. I can't recommend this OR Part of Your World enough!! I liked the little snippets we got of Alexis and Daniel to by the way :)