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beansbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
loved the characters & their development together. great depiction of mental health & anxiety disorders.
super slow burn, friends to lovers & fake dating tropes.
spoilers below.
the ending bugged me a bit, bc why did it have to end with a surprise pregnancy.
super slow burn, friends to lovers & fake dating tropes.
spoilers below.
the ending bugged me a bit, bc why did it have to end with a surprise pregnancy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Medical content
Minor: Miscarriage, Suicide, and Pregnancy
lidia7'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
i preferred this one to Part of Your World but I guess because PoYW is the first one it's a favorite and this one for some reason isn't? maybe it's because i was expecting it to be good and it delivered while the 1st one i was waiting for to disappoint me (which it didn't). i think i prefer this one because it's a slow burn and not very smutty 80% of the book to get a kiss and a hookup? i love it. + there's only one sex scene. - i hate it in romance when as soon as the sex happens, it's all they can think or talk about or do... but this one isn't like that! and it also had a miscommunication trope which i used to hate but i like it when this author does it?
also, it felt really good to spend time with these characters, they are fun but also fleshed out. i feel like anxiety was handled so well, as well as depression.
also, it felt really good to spend time with these characters, they are fun but also fleshed out. i feel like anxiety was handled so well, as well as depression.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Medical content
Moderate: Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content
ines_santos13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Mental illness
Moderate: Miscarriage and Abandonment
Minor: Suicide
kfmcf's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I feel like I read a different book than everyone else.
I liked "Part of Your World". I didn't love it, but I still thought it was sweet and enjoyable. This one *irked* me. For a few reasons:
1) there are slow burns and then there are books that just need a bit of editing to trim the fat. This was the latter. Was it egregious? No. But it was a bit of a slog.
2) Jacob's anxiety was pretty unbelievable. I suffer from pretty terrible anxiety, specially social anxiety and have had my own journey of working through it. Everyone is unique so I don't expect monolithic occurrences, but my issue really lies in the fact that we knew nothing about Jacob OUTSIDE of his anxiety. That was it. And it felt like Briana liked him because she could mold him to what she needed.
3) I remember having a little bit of a problem with Jimenez's writing in POYW (in the first series so much) but I thought she had grown as a writer. This prose felt really immature and also didn't feel natural for people under 40 to use as dialogue. Does anyone under 40 use "u" and "r" while texting?
4) This book was ableist. The dog's name is Lieutenant Dan as an homage to "Forrest Gump". Cute. However, when acknowledging this reference, he is just referred to as "the amputee from Forrest Gump." ??! Excuse me?! There are so many less offensive ways to saw who the character is - Gary Sinise's character, the man who loses his leg in the Vietnam War, Forrest's shipmate. Just...insensitive. And outside of Briana's family the diversity of the characters feels very shoehorned in and ingenuine. Can we stop just referring to characters as Asian? It's an entire continent with a plethora of countries and cultures.
5) This one is a spoiler. this is Jimenez's SECOND BOOK WITH A SURPRISE PREGNANCY. How is she forgiven for this when so many other authors are not? It's not done any better! It's telegraphed super early on when they're talking about naming a kid Xfinity and Briana says she likes the name Ava. And then the first time they have sex, it's unprotected. And why was EVERYONE PREGNANT. Alexis, I get, but Amy AND Kelly AND BRIANA. Oy. I'm exhausted by this. And I don't believe that they would magically be fine and stay together. They barely knew each other.
6) We get it. You own Nadia Cakes. 5 mentions is too many mentions. And even beyond that it was a lot of brand name and pop culture dropping, jeepers.
7) This is one of the most atrocious examples of miscommunication I have ever encountered. Tbh I am a miscommunication apologist BUT i do think that miscommunication has what i consider two paths it can go down: missed communication and withheld communication. Missed communication is par for the course for relationships. It's crossed wires, mistakes, saying the wrong things. Withheld communication is when you DON'T TALK TO EACH OTHER AND FESTER OVER INCORRECT INFORMATION. Briana is a 35-year-old woman. This felt like high school nonsense. It was so so much of the book. It was the ENTIRETY of act 2.
I truly believe there was a solid and lovely idea here that just got muddled by mishandled tropes and overexaggeration. This is the 2nd strike for this author for me (looking at you "The Friend Zone") and I'll give her a 3rd, but oof...begrudgingly. And only because I liked two of her other books.
I liked "Part of Your World". I didn't love it, but I still thought it was sweet and enjoyable. This one *irked* me. For a few reasons:
1) there are slow burns and then there are books that just need a bit of editing to trim the fat. This was the latter. Was it egregious? No. But it was a bit of a slog.
2) Jacob's anxiety was pretty unbelievable. I suffer from pretty terrible anxiety, specially social anxiety and have had my own journey of working through it. Everyone is unique so I don't expect monolithic occurrences, but my issue really lies in the fact that we knew nothing about Jacob OUTSIDE of his anxiety. That was it. And it felt like Briana liked him because she could mold him to what she needed.
3) I remember having a little bit of a problem with Jimenez's writing in POYW (in the first series so much) but I thought she had grown as a writer. This prose felt really immature and also didn't feel natural for people under 40 to use as dialogue. Does anyone under 40 use "u" and "r" while texting?
4) This book was ableist. The dog's name is Lieutenant Dan as an homage to "Forrest Gump". Cute. However, when acknowledging this reference, he is just referred to as "the amputee from Forrest Gump." ??! Excuse me?! There are so many less offensive ways to saw who the character is - Gary Sinise's character, the man who loses his leg in the Vietnam War, Forrest's shipmate. Just...insensitive. And outside of Briana's family the diversity of the characters feels very shoehorned in and ingenuine. Can we stop just referring to characters as Asian? It's an entire continent with a plethora of countries and cultures.
5) This one is a spoiler.
6) We get it. You own Nadia Cakes. 5 mentions is too many mentions. And even beyond that it was a lot of brand name and pop culture dropping, jeepers.
7) This is one of the most atrocious examples of miscommunication I have ever encountered. Tbh I am a miscommunication apologist BUT i do think that miscommunication has what i consider two paths it can go down: missed communication and withheld communication. Missed communication is par for the course for relationships. It's crossed wires, mistakes, saying the wrong things. Withheld communication is when you DON'T TALK TO EACH OTHER AND FESTER OVER INCORRECT INFORMATION. Briana is a 35-year-old woman. This felt like high school nonsense. It was so so much of the book. It was the ENTIRETY of act 2.
I truly believe there was a solid and lovely idea here that just got muddled by mishandled tropes and overexaggeration. This is the 2nd strike for this author for me (looking at you "The Friend Zone") and I'll give her a 3rd, but oof...begrudgingly. And only because I liked two of her other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Abandonment
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
ninajean'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
3.75
this was the first work that I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoyed it for the most part!! Briana is a strong and smart character. I loved the depiction of Jacob’s social anxiety and his ways of managing it. . He was also such a sweet love interest. I was really invested in their connection and the natural progression of their feelings in the first half of the book. It was towards the end of the book that it all turned a bit sour for me. I didn’t like that their first kiss happened in the midst of Jacob having a panic attack. The unplanned pregnancy plot also threw me for a loop since it caused a ton of miscommunication due to Briana’s previous trauma. It didn’t feel fully worked through or flushed out since it was rushed in the end. Overall, I enjoyed the majority of the book and will be thinking about the love letters they sent each other
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Minor: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
dogoodwithbooks'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
5.0
CW: ableism, parental abandonment, infidelity, divorce (recounted), miscarriage (recounted), emesis, sibling with end stage renal failure and autoimmune disease, anxiety & panic attacks (on-page), depression, suicide (mentioned), unplanned pregnancy
Closed Door Modifications: Chapter 39 (some parts)
Following Part of Your World, Briana Ortiz feels like her life is falling all around her. After getting a divorce, her best friend moves away, her brother still doesn't have a kidney donor, and she still can't get the promotion she wants at work, Briana doesn't know how things can get any worse. When she develops a friendship with Jacob Maddox, a new doctor in the ER department, she realizes how great of a guy he is. As their friendship grows and Jacob decides to give her brother a kidney,
I can't decide which book in this series is better. Yours Truly is just as good as Part of Your World and Jimenez delivers in this sequel for a romance with strong characters and moments that will make you feel all the feels.
I loved reading Briana's and Jacob's POVs in this book. Jacob is such a great book boyfriend and I love the fact that Jimenez took the time to explore Jacob's vulnerable side with his social anxiety struggles (which I feel can resonate with readers). Briana was funny and strong lead and I think she complements Jacob really well in Yours Truly. Since I listened to the audiobook version of this book, the dynamics between narrators Zachary Webber and Kyla Garcia really bring the two characters to life.
Now, the miscommunication trope is a huge part of the book and that might be something that can annoy readers (including me). If you are not a fan of the miscommunication trope, you might want to consider if you think Yours Truly is worth reading. Yet, from my experience reading Yours Truly, I think the wait is worth it.
For readers who want a rom-com featuring pen pals and finding your perfect match, you should keep an eye on Yours Truly.
Closed Door Modifications: Chapter 39 (some parts)
Following Part of Your World, Briana Ortiz feels like her life is falling all around her. After getting a divorce, her best friend moves away, her brother still doesn't have a kidney donor, and she still can't get the promotion she wants at work, Briana doesn't know how things can get any worse. When she develops a friendship with Jacob Maddox, a new doctor in the ER department, she realizes how great of a guy he is. As their friendship grows and Jacob decides to give her brother a kidney,
I can't decide which book in this series is better. Yours Truly is just as good as Part of Your World and Jimenez delivers in this sequel for a romance with strong characters and moments that will make you feel all the feels.
I loved reading Briana's and Jacob's POVs in this book. Jacob is such a great book boyfriend and I love the fact that Jimenez took the time to explore Jacob's vulnerable side with his social anxiety struggles (which I feel can resonate with readers). Briana was funny and strong lead and I think she complements Jacob really well in Yours Truly. Since I listened to the audiobook version of this book, the dynamics between narrators Zachary Webber and Kyla Garcia really bring the two characters to life.
Now, the miscommunication trope is a huge part of the book and that might be something that can annoy readers (including me). If you are not a fan of the miscommunication trope, you might want to consider if you think Yours Truly is worth reading. Yet, from my experience reading Yours Truly, I think the wait is worth it.
For readers who want a rom-com featuring pen pals and finding your perfect match, you should keep an eye on Yours Truly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Miscarriage, Vomit, Medical content, and Abandonment
Minor: Suicide
lisacanteven's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
I read the first 100 pages in the physical book over two days. Then I started the audiobook and read the last 300 pages on audio in 1 day. I could not turn it off. Fantastic performances!
Besides that....everything was perfect about this book.I didn't think it could be done, but I felt like this fake dating was done differently. And I actually liked it? I feel like it is the most used trope, and I am kind of over it. Take note, authors, this is how a fake dating trope is done.
What did I love so much about the fake dating? They actually wanted the best for one another going into it, so their feelings didn't get in the way for a long time and they were really able to fall in love in a more genuine way. The mistake authors make is to begin the dating and the secret pining simultaneously. Abby really let them start the con as genuine friends wanting to do right by one another.
As much as I love how the fake dating was done, I really appreciated the neurodivergent rep the most. The only way I will enjoy a straight romance these days is if there is some damn good rep, and the mental health rep alone was perfection. No notes. But seriously, the fact that Abby creates a character that so many neuro-spicy people can relate to is itself a service but then to make that character a man? These are the only male love interests I want in my books.
Men everywhere, are you listening?? Women just want men who go to therapy and care about your needs. These are the men who are getting the girl.
For the record, I do not understand women who want the "bad guy." How does anyone find that sexy? I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum, but how is therapy and a room of plants not the sexiest thing ever? Maybe this is why for the most part, I am appalled by men. But if I'm appalled by men then so is Abby Jimenez. This is why she creates the most perfect men for us. Ladies, I better not see y'all settling for anything less than Dr. Jacob Maddox - the PHD is optional.
Besides that....everything was perfect about this book.
What did I love so much about the fake dating? They actually wanted the best for one another going into it, so their feelings didn't get in the way for a long time and they were really able to fall in love in a more genuine way. The mistake authors make is to begin the dating and the secret pining simultaneously. Abby really let them start the con as genuine friends wanting to do right by one another.
As much as I love how the fake dating was done,
Men everywhere, are you listening?? Women just want men who go to therapy and care about your needs. These are the men who are getting the girl.
For the record, I do not understand women who want the "bad guy." How does anyone find that sexy? I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum, but how is therapy and a room of plants not the sexiest thing ever? Maybe this is why for the most part, I am appalled by men. But if I'm appalled by men then so is Abby Jimenez. This is why she creates the most perfect men for us. Ladies, I better not see y'all settling for anything less than Dr. Jacob Maddox - the PHD is optional.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide
historicalemily's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide
tinybookland's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Suicide and Pregnancy
sommernikkole's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide