Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez || Book Review

As soon as I finished reading Yours Truly for the first time, I knew I had found a new comfort book. Since then, I always read it when I'm sick, in a slump, or just bored. It was one of my best books of 2023!

With 4 recorded rereads and who knows how many unrecorded partial reads under my belt, it's finally time to write a full review of the book and explain why this is one of my favourites.

about Yours Truly

A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match from "a true talent" (Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

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.

Content warnings: panic attacks, divorce, chronic illness, mention of miscarriage experience, parental abandonment, medical content, chronic kidney disease.

my review

While I love the book and will talk about its positives at length, I should acknowledge that it's not a perfect book. It has a bunch of flaws and I love it despite them.

Firstly, the miscommunication trope. In short, Jacob and Briana don't say what they're really thinking about and waste time due to assumptions. They don't clear the air, preferring to live with their disappointments and insecurities.

This trope is annoying every time because you want to reach through the book and yell at them to talk to each other. Why are they torturing themselves when they want the same thing? Why not spend all the time loving each other? We readers have to sit through several chapters before they finally confess what's in their minds.

The miscommunication trope, while annoying, was highly believable and relevant in this story. If you put yourself in Briana or Jacob's shoes and think about their pasts, it makes sense. It happens through small instances of wrong words or lack of explanation that allowed the other to fill gaps and the situation became a mess.

The miscommunication dragged on for longer than necessary but I didn't detest it like I usually do. (Maybe it's a sign of me maturing and realizing that I would be worse in their situation?)

You and me? We're different. We agree to be harmless to each other.

In the last 50 pages, the story suddenly turns and throws something that seems entirely random on us. There was very subtle foreshadowing that I didn't pick up during my first read. It completely changed the vibe and the pace of the story. It brought on the dreaded third-act breakup.

I'm particular about the reason for the third-act breakup in romance books. In many books, I can see the reason within the first few chapters. The romance develops with it—secrets, deceits, misunderstandings—looming in the background. I spend the entire book waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's highly predictable and annoying.

Many romance books have debatable reasons for the third-act breakup. The couple will be happy and one of them might misstep or overstep unlike their usual selves and cause a breakup. Or, a popular choice, an external party will force their breakup. This is even more annoying as the third-act breakup was clearly unnecessary.

In Yours Truly, the third-act breakup was relevant and required. We find out something about the characters at the beginning of the book that needs to be resolved for them to be truly happy together. It could have written better, though. The pace change is off-putting.

Thankfully, the third-act breakup is short and things resolve pretty quickly. We (and the characters) get the required assurances and move on to the happy ending.

"You don't have to bring my dad dead things."
"But I want to be his favourite," she whined.

Now that we have the negatives out of the way, allow me to gush about Yours Truly because! It's SO GOOD!

The characters get off on the wrong foot with each other and Briana basically hates Jacob on the day he starts working at her hospital's ER department with her. To clear the air, Jacob writes a heartfelt handwritten letter to Briana which she returns and they begin to like each other through more letters.

I absolutely loved the letters that they wrote to each other. I love how they wrote about their pets and family members and random funny incidents at work. I loved how their inside jokes developed quickly. I loved how Briana went out of her way to buy fancy paper to write the letters after a while because Jacob uses fancy paper.

Unfortunately, once they exchange numbers and begin dating, the letters stop. I wish the letters continued throughout the book.

We went swimming off the dock and she made me practice the lift from Dirty Dancing with her, which meant I got to touch her, even though nobody was there to see it. Made my whole day.

When Jacob's family mistakes Briana for his girlfriend, he asks her to keep up the charade so that his family thinks that he's moved on from his ex. Briana agrees since he did her a huge favour. And so, they begin fake dating.

The fake dating trope in Yours Truly is *chef's kiss*. As Briana and Jacob are new friends when they begin the charade, they're excited to hang out with each other and genuinely love each other's company. Slowly, friendship turns into romantic feelings for both of them.

Briana and Jacob's pining is in the peak tier. It's adorable how they take care of each other in small ways and hilarious how they think about each other. They're literal simps for each other and it is clearly visible in their actions. No one guesses that they're not truly dating because they look like a couple in their honeymoon phase.

I highly enjoyed reading their thoughts about each other. Jacob's panic the first time Briana texted him was so funny that I CACKLED. That scene hasn't failed to make me laugh yet. I loved it when they had a silly argument over a Would You Rather question and he got flowers delivered to her at work. I love them.

Jacob made me feel safe. He was like a living lullaby. A softly spoken word. The smell of coffee and toast in the morning or a cozy fleece blanket. The rain pattering on the roof on a day you don't have to go anywhere or do anything.

Briana is a bright and exuberant person. She will do anything to keep her loved ones safe and happy. She is absolutely hilarious and has a great energy. She's been through a lot and her experiences make her sad often but she doesn't let her sadness hurt the people around her. She's quick to admit her faults and apologize, and she's quick to make friends.

Jacob is the sweetest and most thoughtful guy. His anxiety dictates a lot of his life but he has put in the effort to live well despite it. He has caffeine based on his anxiety levels, loves his three-legged dog Lieutenant Dan, has a plant room in his home, and would give the shirt off his back for someone in need. Jacob is seriously a GEM.

For the first time, I read about a character who journals regularly! Jacob journals regularly to work through his emotions and anxiety. I mean! A guy who writes letters AND journals? It's like finding a unicorn. He has faults but he does his best.

Honestly, reading about Jacob made me want a Jacob and BE a Jacob. Imagine being a person who carefully builds a beautiful life for themselves, is surrounded by the things they love, and gives and receives love often.

Briana and Jacob are quite different. Their energies are different and their lives are very different. But they have one important thing in common: the way they care for their loved ones (including being a total SIMP for their lover). They deserve to be loved the way they love so they're perfect for each other.

I've read hundreds of romance books but this is the first one (at least the only one that stuck with me) where the main characters say that they love spending time with each other many times. Usually, characters say it only once or twice before confessing their love for each other. In Yours Truly, it's a consistent thing throughout, whether or not they're actually dating.

After reading some of the scenes, I could picture them as grandparents being madly in love and showing it every day with words and actions. I could picture them carefully building the perfect lives for themselves. It's rare for me to read about a couple who fit so seamlessly that it feels obvious for them to live their lives together.

I was buying a sofa for the living room because that day she came over she said you couldn't Netflix and chill in the recliners. I knew there was less than a one percent chance Briana would ever cuddle with me on a couch—but I wanted to have the couch just in case.

No person is free of baggage and an important aspect of any kind of relationship is comfort and safety to combat our vulnerabilities. Briana and Jacob both come with certain trauma from their previous relationships and don't even consider that they'll find someone perfect for them. Both of them think that their faults break the relationship.

But they meet and slowly bond and agree to be harmless to each other. They take care of each other naturally and don't take the care that they receive for granted. It's a slow and comforting romance. The romance is like slowly and gently going into the water together. Their love and trust build together. The way they carefully treat each other as precious people is heartwarming.

Briana and Jacob are like a warm hug at the end of a long day to each other, and their romance is the same for me. That's why I read the book when I'm not feeling well or I'm very stressed. It's like receiving a gentle and warm hug with no questions asked.

If you're with someone who doesn't speak your language, you'll spend a lifetime having to translate your soul.

I absolutely love the above quote. I told it to a friend during a conversation and she paused our conversation to ask me to explain it and expressed awe. It's such a good line and is something to think about.

Two people can be amazing individually while also being the worst for each other. Sometimes, relationships cannot be made better by compromising or changing oneself. An initial level of compatibility is important.

Jacob's previous relationship became toxic for him because his partner was very different and didn't understand his anxiety. When Briana chose activities to make it easier for him without a doubt, Jacob was stumped. Being in a relationship with Briana felt so easy. That's how relationships (even platonic ones) are supposed to be!

The book emphasizes the importance of showing up. Everyone has vulnerabilities that make them retreat and be wary at times. If you love someone, you have to show up on their good and bad days. Even if you can't fix the problem, you can bring food and blankets and give hugs. Most times, comforting company can be healing.

overall

A book doesn't have to be perfect to be well-loved. All it needs to do is tap a part of the reader's heart that makes it unforgettable.

The comfort in Yours Truly is what made it one of my favourite books. The Friend Zone used to be my favourite Abby Jimenez book and this overtook it easily. I would love to own a paperback copy of Yours Truly but I also love it as an ebook because I can read it anytime and anywhere 🫶

I highly recommend it if you're looking for a comforting book. I recommend it if you want a slow-burn romance with the fake-dating trope.

I don't recommend it if you can't stand the miscommunication trope. I don't recommend it if you hate "I love him but he loves someone else".

chat with me!

Have you read any books by Abby Jimenez? Have you read Yours Truly? What did you think of them/it?

What are your comfort books? What do you read when you're ill or stressed and need to read about a happier life? Tell me in the comments!