Yours Truly

Abby Jimenez is a relatively new-to-me author but I absolutely loved her book Part of Your World when I read it last year. I enjoy how she incorporates funny banter, great love interests and a focus on mental health within her stories so I was eager to read this advanced copy of Yours Truly.

This book centres around Brianna Ortiz who we briefly met in POYW as the BFF of POYW's Alexis. Brianna is an ER doctor who loves her job but has had a hard year dealing with and supporting her brother through his chronic illness. When a new doctor starts in the ER, he seems like a total arse. Jacob and Bri get off to a bad start, but for various reasons, soon decide that fake dating each other is in their best interests.

Once again Jimenez includes good banter and compassionately incorporates mental health issues into her story. Anyone who lives with social anxiety will be able to see themselves in Jacob's thoughts and struggles. He is endearing and awkward and totally lovable. I particularly connected with how some people with social anxiety appear 'standoffish' when people don't realize all the emotional turmoil going on in our brains, sometimes in the simplest of interactions. 

What I didn't quite love: 

- the miscommunication trope is my least favourite and it is in full force in this book. It became repetitive and went on for far too long when I just wanted these two to find their HEA. 

- I felt like Jacob's social anxiety evaporated once love took over and while love is a powerful thing and support from your significant other is important, it is not a cure-all for social anxiety.

Read this book if you love:

- Tropes: second chance love, fake dating, miscommunication

- a connection with Part of Your World

- strong secondary characters

- great bond between the main characters

- compassionate and accurate portrayal of mental health

- supportive post-break up relationships

Overall, this was a fun read with good banter, a swoony lead male character and a great message -- show up for the people you love! The added depth from its compassionate focus on mental health and complicated family dynamics is the icing on the proverbial RomCom cake.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Forever for my advanced copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Abby Jimenez

Genre: RomCom

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Pub)

First Published: April 11, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.