4.5✨

I am not even sure how to begin this book except to say I loved it completely, wholly, thoroughly.
It made me feel seen. It made me believe in myself. And it made my fall in love with love.
It’s a beautiful read from its very first line to its last.

This companion book to Part of Your World has all the goodness, all the heart, and all the love.

Its protagonists led the way, and I adored both so fully.

I think I finally found my most kindred spirit in literary protagonists. Jacob is the loveliest male romantic lead I’ve read in quite some time, but more than that— he was so incredibly relatable to the point I was on the constant verge of tears reading through his struggles that hit so close to home.

Jacob has at time debilitating social anxiety. Author Abby Jimenez does an outstanding job in deconstructing how this anxiety weighs on Jacob while also validating how he feels. It’s never served as this thing he needs to learn to turn off— he can’t shut it off— but he can find ways to live with it. Ways to make that hurdle a little less high in life. Briana becomes a massive rock in his journey because she sees his anxiety and doesn’t force him into situations to confront it, rather she finds methods to help him along. Like the catchphrase game. God, I loved Jacob for exactly who he is, and it made me feel better about myself in the process.

Then there’s our beautiful Briana. Strong, kind, generous, and so loving. I loved her in Alexis’ story, but I love her even more in her story— where she truly gets to shine. She’s been through hell and it’s developed an almost crippling insecurity when it comes to romance and planning for a future with a life partner. She has been burned and doesn’t aim to ever let that happen again. Yet Jacob sneaks his way into her heart, gives her hope not all men are like her ex and father. But first, she has to learn to trust herself to make those interpersonal risks in life. She has to find that courage to move on without always letting fear weigh her down.

I love them both so dearly, their story is powerful.

At times I did feel the slow burn romance was just too slow (my only true qualm of the reading), I wish we had seen more overt romantic moments earlier in the book, nonetheless, it’s a worthwhile wait.

It was so worthwhile to see them fall in love with each other— and themselves.

I loved this book so very much.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.


A personal (non-review affecting) nitpick about the exes in this story

Spoiler

Jacob and Briana are much better people than that I am. I have to say my biggest personal gripe was the way the exes, specifically the situation with Amy, were handled. If there’s such a thing as a bad situation being handled with a generous amount of grace— to the point it’s too much— this is it. I don’t mean to imply I wanted cattiness to be depicted, but what Amy and Jeremiah did to Jacob was wrong. At one point Jacob reminds his ex that she and HIS BROTHER got together a mere 3 months after their breakup. She, in turn, reminds him they knew each other for 2 years. Sooo are we talking emotional cheating at the very least took place? Yet Jacob is supposed to be all content and happy the universe “righted itself” and even Briana is out there being good friends with Amy? Nah. Honestly, that, coupled with the fact Briana’s ex-husband and ex-friend remain together, settled ill on me. I wanted an ex to finally get their comeuppance. I won’t lie— I genuinely hoped in that epilogue we drifted away from the beauty of happily ever afters (except for our main couples of course), and seen Amy and Jeremiah divorced/separated. Maybe get a line in about how “if he’s willing to cheat with you, he’ll cheat on you” re: Briana’s ex-husband and friend. While this was a big gripe for me, it’s one I internalized within myself that doesn’t reflect the book nor my rating because I understood how generous and kind Jacob was in accepting his ex as part of his family, I get Briana leaving her past behind, but again, they’re better people than me because I wanted some karma, ha. I think our leads are such wonderful, generous people and I probably should follow suit, but I care for them too deeply, and felt so attached and overly protective, that I can’t help letting some irrationality in. I wish Amy and Jeremiah didn’t get a happy ending. There I said it, ha! This is honestly a testament to how Jimenez so beautifully created Jacob and Briana because I think of them as real people. I really loved them and wish them the world.