Yours Truly

Yours Truly
by Abby Jimenez
Forever, 2023. 398 pages. Romance

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 just transferred to her hospital. 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. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny guy who's just terrible at first impressions. Suddenly Jacob and Bri are exchanging letters and sharing lunch dates in the hospital supply closet. 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.

I'm a fan of romances that start with two people getting to know each other by exchanging letters. Jimenez then ups the ante by adding another favorite trope: the fake relationship. But this book doesn't lean on favorite romance tropes to work its magic. The more Briana and Jacob get to know each other, the more they find they have in common. Both are dealing with heavy problems (Briana is dealing with trust issues after her divorce, as well as the worry of how to help her brother. Jacob is also dealing with the after-effects of a breakup, but more importantly deals with social anxiety). Both people accept each other where they're at, which leads to a very tight, believable bond. Jimenez also adds in some humor with a cast of zany side characters, which guarantees you'll have a lot of fun rooting for Briana and Jacob until the very end.

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MB