Audiobook Review: Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

Author: Abby Jimenez

Narrator: Kyla Garcia & Zachary Webber

Title: Yours Truly

Series: Part of Your World #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

Format: Audiobook 

Published: April 11, 2023

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

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.

Review:

I was so excited to read Briana's tale after the conclusion of book 1. Briana deserves happiness and love and joy. 

Here we follow Briana and Jacob. Briana's life is falling apart. Her divorce is about to be finalized and her brother needs a new kidney but no one in her family is a match. Her best friend moved far away. And now a new doctor enters the hospital and could be a candidate for the promotion she wants and he seems like a total jerk. She is ready to hate him for life, but Jacob completely flips the table by sending her a letter. The letter shows the real him and what he struggles to say out loud with his social anxiety. Things get more complex when he is donates a kidney for her brother. He wanted to keep it a secret, but it gets leaked that he is the mysterious donor. Briana wants to do something for him, so all he asks is for her to be his fake girlfriend to get through his brother's and ex's wedding. Yep, his brother is marrying his ex. Of course Briana is game! 

This could do well as a standalone, BUT I highly recommend reading book 1 first.

Oh this broke me at the end. I was enjoying this fake romance with happiness and joy. Yes, there are some sad moments especially in regards to Briana's brother who is struggling. The last 15% had me crying big ol' tears. I couldn't relate more to Briana if I tried. Trust is hard. I don't trust easily so seeing some of my insecurities and fears on page....damn. Okay. Those 15% pages of tears made me love the book. I went from...this is pretty good....to....I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK. 

I think what I truly loved about this book (and book 1) is that we get the goofy and humor parts. We get the romance and when-will-they parts. BUT the author really shows the reality of mental illness. It's not just a fun fact about someone in her book. We get to see how it can impact their decision-making and their relationships. We see our lovers work through it and come out the other end with a HEA we all deserve. *chef kiss*

Also, I love the fact that the "villains" of the story at some point you can't help but find some small shred of sympathy or forgiveness or pity or something. You can still dislike them and hate what they did, but twice now I ended up not hating the character(s). This is hard to do and the author did it twice for me. 

The narrators were perfection. I believe I have heard the male voice before, but the female voice was new to me. I loved them both. 

All-in-all, I really adored this book. It started off as good, but that last 15% made me fall in love. The characters. The humor. The romance. The dog. The extra trauma I was given. Loved it all. 5 stars of course. 

 

Favorite Character(s): Briana and Jacob. But the true hero was the doggo

Least Favorite Character(s): Briana's ex. Sure I forgave him a smidge so I don't "hate" him anymore, but he can still bugger off. 

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #30

- Library Love #15