Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

 

Summary (from the publisher): A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.

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’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. 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. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. 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.

Review: Dr. Briana Ortiz doesn't have a lot of positives in her life. Her husband cheated on her and her divorce is about to be finalized, and her brother is seriously depressed as he losing hope on finding a kidney donor. The only thing that is going right is her job until the new doctor of staff, Dr. Jacob Maddox, threatens a promotion she has been hoping for. Until the new doctor writes her a letter. And Brianna discovers that he's funny and fun to talk to. And then she finds out he was tested and is a perfect match for her brother and wants to donate his kidney to her brother. 

So much to love about this delightful romance! I loved Jacob and Briana's story and how their relationship is more complex than boy meets girl. Jacob has experienced a bad breakup himself and is struggling with his brother now dating his ex. He also suffers from pretty bad social anxiety. And Briana wonders if she will ever be able to trust anyone again after the way she was treated by her ex-husband. But the two have undeniable chemistry and build a quick rapport after spending time together and talking constantly. I love how supportive and non-judgmental they are of one another. Briana does what she can to understand and support Jacob when he is feeling anxious and in turn, Jacob gives the ultimate gift by agreeing to donate his kidney to her brother and for being so understanding of her hesitancy to date again after her divorce. 

It did seem a littleeee improbable that Jacob would just coincidentally be the perfect donor match for her brother. And that he would sign up to donate when he didn't even know her or her brother at the time. I also don't have a lot of patience for miscommunication tropes and there was a little bit of that in here, although it ended up being resolved fairly quickly to my relief. I also thought the eleventh-hour panic over their relationship and how it was so speedily resolved in the end was a bit overblown. But otherwise, this was an endearing love story. I loved both characters and thought they had a great backstory and great chemistry.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and loved that there was a male and female narrator for the alternating chapters. This really brought both Briana and Jacob's perspectives to life and made this such a fun, performative listen. I also really appreciated the author's note about her personal connection to organ donation and experience with an autoimmune disease. Her personal experience certainly showed through in the writing and details in the story. 

Stars: 4

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