Yours, Truly
"'I always think that when we're quiet, we're agreeing to be harmless to each other. That we're just sharing the same space and letting each other exist exactly as we are, and neither of us would hurt or upset the other one.'
'
Harmless to each other?' I looked at her earnestly. 'I do agree to that.'
She smiled a little. 'Good. I agree to that too.'"
Yours, Truly is my first Abby Jimenez book, and after finishing it, I immediately asked myself why I hadn't been reading her from the start. Not only was this a beautifully written love story, but it was also such a deep expose on living with anxiety, and all the ways it can appear in people. This was a book I craved reading, and one that made me wish I had ten more subway stops so I could continue my chapter.
Synopsis:
Nothing in Dr. Briana Ortiz's life is going to plan. Not only is her divorce in the process of being finalized, but her brother is in kidney failure, her best friend just moved away, and the promotion she's been vying for is likely going to the new, seemingly incompetent male doctor: Jacob Maddox. Jacob, who none of the nurses seem to like; Jacob who loses every patient his first day; Jacob who storms into her brother's hospital room to chastise her for running. Yes, Jacob may be Briana's tipping point in a series of shitty circumstances. That is, until he writes her a letter. Suddenly the bumbling idiot is a sweet, sensitive, surprisingly funny man whose anxiety is so severe that he doesn't know how to properly act around her. Charmed and slightly chagrined, Briana writes back to Jacob, beginning a series of long letters left in lockers, short notes on computers, and even shared lunches in the dedicated "sob closet."
Until he meets Briana Ortiz, nothing in Dr. Jacob Maddox's life is going to plan either. His long-term girlfriend has left him for his brother, he's moved hospitals, and his overwhelming need for routine and quiet is constantly being interrupted by his too involved family. Plus, his anxiety has led him to make an enemy out of all his new coworkers, including the stunningly beautiful Briana who breaks his phone and leaves him speechless. But after doing what he does best—writing his feelings—a friendship blossoms, filling the hole in Jacob’s life he didn’t know was missing.
Mere weeks into their friendship Jacob gives Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother. While initially tied to keeping the donation anonymous, Briana finds out about Jacob’s selflessness, and vows to do anything he asks. With his ex-girlfriend and brother’s wedding on the horizon, Briana’s offer of a favor is the perfect chance for Jacob to prove to his family that he isn’t angry or upset with the new couple. The answer is simple: Briana will act as Jacob’s fake girlfriend until after the wedding. Of course, love is never simple, and as their friendship grows into a relationship both of them can’t live without, the lines become blurred. Will Jacob and Briana’s messy pasts interfere with their chance at a happy ending? Or will their opposite personalities mold into something able to survive the trials and tests the world throws at them?
Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised by how much this novel emotionally affected me. On the surface Yours, Truly is just another fake-dating romantic comedy. Yet each chapter reveals a deeper, thought-provoking, tumultuous element that every relationship deals with. Jimenez rounds out the characters of Briana and Jacob beautifully, providing a depth I didn’t think was possible in 400 pages.
I was particularly taken with Jimenez’s portrayal of Briana and Jacob’s anxieties. Anxiety and depression are a vast spectrum, and it was nice to see Jacob’s more “traditional” anxiety (socially awkward, introverted, perfectly scheduled) foiled with Briana’s more hidden anxiety (past trauma, trust issues, festering depressive thoughts). The way Jacob and Briana took care of each other and learned how to be the best friend and partner for each other’s specific needs was incredibly moving, and their promise to be harmless to each other will stick with me for years.
Overall:
Yours, Truly is my favorite kind of romance—one that makes you feel emotionally impacted. I love being brought to tears by the gentleness of a relationship, yearning for my own version of the story to happen to me. This may have been my first time reading Abby Jimenez, but it certainly won’t be the last! Next up: Part of Your World (yes I read #2 before #1).
For fans of: Happy Place by Emily Henry, Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood, and The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang.
My rating: 5/5
Goodread’s Average: 4.51/5
Information:
Yours, Truly by Abby Jimenez (Forever)
Publication Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781538704394
Price: $28.00 (Hardcover); $16.99 (Paperback)