5⭐️/ 1🌶️

*CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING 

A highly anticipated read for me especially since I love Abby Jimenez’s books, especially her first book of hers that I read which was, “Part of Your World” which was centered around Alexis and Daniel. In that story, Briana (Alexis’s best friend) appeared in the book, but this time in, “Yours Truly”, it was Briana time to shine! Funny enough we have the same name so I was living vicariously through my fictional character’s namesake haha. With Abby’s masterful writing style and ability to shine light on some heavy topics, she wrote this story with respect, kindness, and lots of love. 

Briana was a doctor where Alexis use to work and in the midst of her divorce. The divorce wasn’t so much a sad affair, but more of putting behind Briana’s ex husband due to his cheating ways and lack of respect in their marriage. With the hope of a promotion as Chief of medicine at the hospital, everyone knew Briana was a shoe in for it… that until the new guy showed up and changed everything. Jacob Maddox was the newest doctor at the hospital and trying to find his footing as it seemed nobody liked him, and called him, “Doctor Death”, yikes! Not the warm welcome he was expecting, but gradually that image people had of him at the hospital started to shift as the story progressed.

This story covered some heavy topics so, please check trigger warnings before reading. Both Briana and Jacob had their own problems/ struggles they faced throughout the story from, Briana’s divorce being finalized and her brother, Benny’s renal failure to Jacob’s social anxiety as well as trying to maintain a positive front with his family. I really empathized with both Briana and Jacob, they were really put through the ringer, and I just wanted to hug them. Briana had always been the main caretaker for Benny since they were kids and even as adults Briana reprised that role in order to help Benny through his illness. I admired the strength that Briana had even when faced with the potential of losing her only brother, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have moments of vulnerability where she felt sadness. Jacob’s social anxiety was talked about in depth especially in his P.O.V. Chapters which further illustrated just how much certain things triggered a panic attack or how his introverted/ shy personality came off as being rude to others when he was actually a really nice guy. While I don’t have severe social anxiety, I could relate to some aspects from what Jacob described with my own anxiety. The way Abby wrote about Jacob’s struggles felt raw, real, and unlike any depiction of anxiety I had read before. 

I love getting to read letters when they’re part of the story, and it was so sweet. Kind of ironic how Briana and Jacob started off on the wrong foot, but then once they started writing letters to one another, it cleared things up between them, and gave them the opportunity to get to know each other. Not only were the letters a cute touch to the story, but they were also funny! You just gotta read it for yourself and you’ll see why I was laughing at some of the things Briana and Jacob wrote to one another. Kind of wish someone would write me a letter now, but it’s ok like I said earlier, I’m living vicariously through Briana! 

The attention to detail between Briana and Jacob was chef’s kiss and my heart was overflowing with love! Ahhh it was all so beautiful! The way that Briana was able to pick up on Jacob’s social cues made a big impression on Jacob and he felt seen for the first time, 

I’m telling you, not everything has to be a grand romantic gesture, it’s the smallest things that can end up having the most impact, and for Jacob, hearing Briana say that legit had him surprised in the best way possible. Plus, the fact that Briana understood Jacob better than his ex girlfriend of three years?! Just goes to show that my girl Bri was attentive and thoughtful even before things got serious between them. If you thought some of the things that Briana said/ did for Jacob were thoughtful just look at what Jacob did for Benny. Just casually ended up being a PERFECT MATCH FOR A KIDNEY DONOR FOR BENNY!!! Yup Jacob was selfless and went above and beyond Briana to help her brother. Dang, my expectations just went up even higher! But in all seriousness, the fact that Jacob was willing to donate one of his kidneys to Benny just showed how much of a wonderful, kind hearted man Jacob was and it was the greatest gift he could have ever given Briana. 

Briana and Jacob’s relationship quickly turned into a fake dating arrangement and I was all for it! But like most fake dating tropes, there’s was always the moment when the characters realized their feelings went deeper than they expected. Briana understood Jacob on a deeper level than anyone else, to the point that she knew he needed to know specific details to help know what to expect, etc. Briana always had Jacob’s well-being in mind, and I really loved seeing how detail oriented she was especially with Jacob. I feel like throughout the story, Jacob was constantly being impressed and falling for Briana more and more with all the little things she did for him. For instance, providing him ways to take a break from interacting with people (his social battery feeling drained from time to time), giving him as much information about everything so he knows what to expect, and basically making sure he was always at ease. 

I also loved the simplicity in Briana and Jacob’s relationship. Although they were fake dating, in the time that Briana and Jacob were spending lots of time together, even the most simple hang out or just being around one another was lovely. This quote really resonated with me, and not only did it highlight just how comfortable Briana and Jacob were with each other, but I knew exactly what Briana meant when she told Jacob this,

That quote spoke to me on a really deep level and in some ways, I hope to find this kind of connection with someone in the future. 

Abby Jimenez has always had a way of writing her stories with bits of herself as part of the story so, please make sure you read the author’s note at the end of this book. Briana and Jacob’s story was truly unique and one I hadn’t read before. Jacob’s severe social anxiety truly illustrated all that he experienced, and in some instances I found myself relating to the things he talked about. While my anxiety wasn’t the same as Jacob’s, some of the things he talked about, I felt seen like I wasn’t the only one who did those things, seeing that in a story made me feel not alone, and I truly respected the way Jacob spoke about his struggles. Briana, my namesake sister, another character I adored and admired, she was fierce, strong, resilient, and amazing. Briana had gone through a lot as well, but managed to meet someone who showed her the kind of love she deserved, as well as come to terms that not everything has to end. The topics mentioned in this story were heavy, but again, Abby wrote them with the utmost respect (in my opinion) and it shed light on topics I wasn’t informed about such as, what Benny was going through. There were still lighthearted moments that had me cackling and smiling nonstop, and of course, you best believe I was swooning and kicking my feet excitedly at the cute things Jacob and Briana said and did for one another. I really enjoyed this book, and I could go on about it, but I hope you can understand just how much I fell in love with these characters. Briana and Jacob were an absolute joy, I loved reading the ending which nearly had me crying, and the epilogue was a pure shot of serotonin that brought me smiles.