The Romantic Comedy Book Club
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.