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.
If you like Yours Truly you may also like:
by Sariah Wilson
Montlake, 2023. 331 pages. Romance
Hopelessly in love with her boss Craig, cosmetic chemist Anna Ellis pairs up with Craig's CEO half-brother Marco in an attempt to catch Craig's eye. All Anna and Marco have to do is pretend they're falling in love and let the rumors begin. If the experiment in attraction works, a jealous Craig will swoop in and give Anna her happily ever after
—if it weren't for one hitch in the plan. There's more to Marco than meets the eye. With every fake date, Anna's feelings are starting to become dizzyingly real.
Would You Rather
by Allison Ashley
Mira, 2022. 314 pages. Romance
Noah and Mia have always been best friends, and their friendship is the most important thing to them. Life is going great for Noah and he's up for a promotion in a job he loves. But Mia's life is on hold as she awaits a kidney transplant. When the chance of a lifetime comes for Mia to go back to school and pursue her dream, it's especially painful to pass up. She can't quit her job or she'll lose the medical insurance she so desperately needs. To support her, Noah suggests they get married—in name only—so she can study full-time and still keep the insurance. It's a risk to both of them, with jobs, health and hearts on the line, and they'll need to convince suspicious coworkers and nosy roommates that they're the real deal.
The Bodyguard
by Katherine Center
St. Martin's Press, 2022. 309 pages. Romance
Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you. But the truth is, she's an Executive Protection Agent (a.k.a. "bodyguard"), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker. When Jack's mom gets sick, he comes home to the family's Texas ranch to help out. There's only one catch: He doesn't want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. So Hannah—against her will and her better judgment—finds herself pretending to be Jack's girlfriend as a cover. But the more time Hannah spends with Jack, the more real it all starts to seem.
MB
