This book was an easy 5 stars for me. I really loved everything about it. While the slight communication issue that is a point of tension throughout the book could have been something that I disliked, I understood it in this book. Neither Jacob or Briana were perfect, but they were perfect for each other. The whole "love shows up" message was well stated and demonstrated. Jimenez' writing has grown so much since her first book. I'm so looking forward to reading the next one. ( )

If someone asked me what word I would use to describe this book, the first thing that comes to mind is “Beautiful”. This book was absolutely beautiful. To say I am a fan of Abby’s writing is a gross understatement. She is one the reasons why fell in love with romantic comedies. Her books are a canvas of emotions. They make you laugh, they make you cry, and boy do they make you feel. She tackles subject matter that either exposes pieces of her inner world to her readers or helps us better understand the the struggles of those around us. It’s no surprise why Yours Truly has become a fan favorite, I don’t think I could have fallen any deeper in love with two characters if I tried.

“How did I end up here?” One minute Briana was happily married, working with her best friend, doing what she loved, planning for the future, and living her best life. Now? Now her best friend is happily married and expecting two hours away, her divorce is almost finalized after finding her husband had been cheating on her for YEARS, her brother is in end stage renal failure with hope of a kidney donor dwindling every day, and she just found out that the promotion that was as good as hers, is now being pushed out so some new hot shot doctor (that so happens to be buddies with the Chief) can also have a chance. So again, how did she end up here? Barely hanging on as it is, add an unexpected emergency room visit by her brother Benny and she snaps. Finding herself in the sob closet, her latest meltdown is interrupted by Dr. Death himself – the newbie gunning for her job. Can things get any worse?

Jacob has battled anxiety his entire life. Through therapy and medication, he has been able to find a regimen that works. What doesn’t work – having your girlfriend dump you because of who you are. Having that same girlfriend turn around a few months later and start dating your brother, only to be engaged to him five month later! Now add having to change hospitals so you don’t have to see them everyday, a rift in the family caused by betrayal, and a new staff that absolutely hates you. With his anxiety at an all time high, Jacob finds himself retreating to a nearby closet to seek refuge, only to run into the stunningly beautiful doctor he “reprimanded” previously. In an attempt to reframe their initial encounter, his poor choice of words only makes matters worse, resulting in a now ticked off Dr. Ortiz storming out of the janitorial closet. At a lost and spiraling, Jacob decides to craft a letter to Briana as he finds his word on paper are better articulated with his anxiety. What starts as a simply apology turns into note passing and a blossoming friendship. When Briana accidentally finds out Jacob has volunteered to be Benny’s donor, she offers to do anything to thank you, including pretending to be his girlfriend to mend the rift in his family. As they get to know each other so they can be convincing to his family, they find that they have more in common than they realized and may be the missing pieces needed to put their shattered lives back together.

While the depth of this book knew no bounds, the humor (as always) was front and center.

Never missing from a Jimenez book, the spice delivered but the character vulnerability and intimate moments were more intense. I found that I favored the almost moments more so than the actually connections. The tender touch of a hand, the close proximity, the possibilities – Abby nailed them all.

There was so much in this book that could have spoken to a variety of readers. Abandonment, divorce, anxiety, expectations, and life altering health issues are just a few that may be triggering. While none of these moments brought me to tears (close though – tissue was in hand!), I felt them all the way to the bottom of my heart.

It always saddens me when I reach the end of Abby’s books, mainly because I am impatient and don’t want to wait a long time for the next one! With that being said, the care and talent that goes into each one of these crafted masterpieces makes it worth it. I applaud Abby on another job well done and can’t wait to see what else she has in store. ( )

This book started out slow but quickly turned into a page turner. It reminded me there are still good things, and good people, in this world. My heart just wanted to jump for joy after reading this one. ( )

3.5 Stars

I am a huge fan of Abby Jimenez and was excited for this one. I love fake dating and this one took it to another level.

This one is hard for me. It was a slow burn romance, but I never got the build up I wanted. It was more private thoughts than actually seeing the connection between the characters if that makes sense. I wanted more.

I still liked this one but just not as much as I was hoping for. ( )

I loved this book! I felt like I was part of the family and I knew the characters. I laughed a lot with this book. The author is really freaking funny. There were parts I read a couple times just to keep laughing. So creative. I was DYING at the part where Briana finally told Jacob what she did to her ex. Obsessed. Of course, there were parts where I wanted to slap the characters upside the head and be like "just bang already." Haha! But I feel like that's typical of a romance. Definitely a five star read. I didn't realize that this was technically the second book in the series, so I'm definitely going to go back and read the first one and check out Abby's other books. Her character development is really just amazing. I feel like I knew every single character. The parrot...that one got me too! So many funny things. Romance isn't my favorite genre, but this just was on the spot for me! SPOILER: And of course, in the end, Brian and Jacob lived happily ever after! The letter writing was such a fun part too. I will say some of this was predictable, but I also think it was predictable at the part that the author wanted you to know. Like I knew she was pregnant when she threw up because she said earlier in the book she never throws up. And I was telling Jacob to write her a letter when she was thinking of ending things with him. He did the journal which I didn't see coming and legit made me teary. A great book! Can't wait to read her other ones! ( )