Abby Jimenez

Abby Jimenez is at the top of my list for seriously good romance stories that carry excellent non-romantic subplots. This is the second book in a series of three, but I’ve read them completely out of order and it doesn’t matter. Her books are whole and overall delightful.

Yours Truly is about Alexis’ (from the first book) best friend, Briana. Briana is an emergency medicine physician, and now the most likely to become the head of department. It’s really the only bright point in her show more life as the finalisation of her divorce looms and it doesn’t look like her brother Benny will get a kidney donor. But new doctor Jacob starts, and it’s possible he might be running for the position. Plus, he’s horrible. Or is he? Briana doesn’t want to like Jacob, but it turns out he’s shy and quiet – things she learned from letters he wrote to her and shared lunches in a closet. They become friends, opening up to each other their troubles. Jacob turns out to be the perfect match to donate a kidney, and Briana’s pretending to be his girlfriend so Jacob’s brother can marry his ex without his family turning on her. Add in a grandpa demanding cigarettes, a mother who won’t stop cooking and a faithful hound and it’s a recipe for a lot of fun. But there is also a lot of hurt and soul searching too, as Briana and Jacob work out what they want, what they can fix and what they can’t.

I really enjoy Abby Jimenez’ novels because the plot always moves at a decent pace but there’s still time for the characters to reflect, make mistakes and try again. There’s also no insta-love – Briana and Jacob become good friends before anything happens romantically. The subplots also get more than adequate page time, from Benny’s depression at his body failing him to the complicated family dynamics in Jacob’s family. There are some very sad moments, but also hilarious times too. In short, the book has it all for a really fun read that draws you in. There are some occasionally frustrating points where the characters don’t communicate but it doesn’t become a huge deal, nor does it overtake the story. Briana is a great main character. We knew her as being tough and jaded in Part of Your World, but in Yours Truly we see her more sensitive and unsure side, as well as her fierce determination to protect those she loves. It’s lovely to have a shy introvert like Jacob for the male lead, who has anxiety and shares many of Briana’s ideals, just a bit more quietly.

Overall, Abby Jimenez continues to surprise and delight with her romance novels. This is a story that you will have no problem picking up, only putting down!

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less

Abby Jimenez continues to hook me in, break my heart, and make me listen to a story almost uninterrupted within a 24 hour period so I can know how these challenging situations resolve.

This story is told with care, compassion, and honesty that really examines the complexity of family life and navigating love in less than ideal circumstances. I appreciate how she handles adult children setting boundaries with their parents while also viewing them as flawed human beings. My favorite romances show more always build such a beautiful community of rich characters around the story’s main couple and this one definitely falls in that category. I look forward to seeing where this set of stories takes us and who we get to follow next. show less

I’m fairly certain anything that Abby Jimenez writes, I will read and it will be 5 ⭐️! I laughed through the tears and related to the characters in so many levels. She writes healthy golden retriever MMCs that are the epitome of “if they wanted to they would”. Her FMCs are strong and vulnerable in the best way. She is able to describe mental illness in such a real way that doesn’t feel forced or cringy but always people to be seen. I’m a huge fan.

What can I say – she did it again! Fourth book from Abby Jimenez and I closed the cover forever changed.

Sounds dramatic but Abby has a way of pouring real life into her books.

Not the “cute sappy worst thing that happened was a misunderstanding that leads to a happily ever after” fictional type life.

Abby takes her 300 to 400 pages and teaches you about the complexity of love, loss, grief, sacrifice, pain, trauma, hopelessness, and the impact it has on those going through it and show more everyone around them.

She makes you laugh, she warms your heart, she makes you cry, she could pretty much write lyrics for Adele.

Humor is never lost within her story but she keeps the reader grounded. While her stories may be fictional, many parts of what her supportive characters experience are VERY real.

For those who have not read the first three – this one is more of a standalone book. While reading the other three will allow you to know the background of a few characters that are referenced, you won’t be lost if you decide not to read them first. show less