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Blurb

A refreshingly modern fairy tale and instant New York Times bestseller that Love Hypothesis author Ali Hazelwood hails as “an uplifting, feel-good, romantic read.”

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

Triggers

Abby Jimenez does not include any sensitive content warnings for this book. Here is the potentially triggering content I observed while reading:

 

• Abusive Relationship (not between Main Characters)
• Alcohol
• Emotional Abuse (not between main characters)
• Pregnancy/Birth Scene (not Main Characters)
• Profanity

Ratings

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There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Overall Rating

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have to start this review by saying that the meet-cute for this couple had me laughing out loud before I even got 20 pages into this story. Funny! Funny! The chemistry between Daniel and Alexis is natural and easy. From the first interaction, it was clear that these two had something special. There wasn’t awkwardness of any sort between them. Their conversations were really sweet but still so funny! I recall sighing a few times about how Daniel talked to Alexis. He’s such a chill guy, very likable. Though these two characters were living completely opposite lives, there was no indication of this during their time together. They fit like puzzle pieces and only when the outside world filtered in through their rose-colored glasses, did we truly see how stark their differences were.

Though this book did make me laugh quite a bit, there were a couple of heavy topics that were discussed in this book. Alexis and Daniel talked heavily about their part/role in the expectations that their families have created for them. The experience that they had with these expectations were just as polarized as any other aspect of their lives. I found it interesting to see both perspectives discussed within their own narratives and also how they talk about it with each other. There is a unique take on the effects of family pressures where Alexis is in a position that I have often only seen discussed from a male character’s point of view. It was refreshing to not only see a woman have a greater position of power in a romance novel as far as money or professional success are concerned. I think that is one of the reasons that I like a reverse age gap trope. I like to see changes in the power dynamics of a cis-het relationship, as it is still such a taboo concept.

There is also a very big sub-plot of emotional abuse and domestic violence. Though it is not between the two main characters, Alexis is the voice of this conversation as both a victim and a bystander. She gives us both points of view in great detail. I think there was a level of honesty that she shares with us that women who experience this sort of abuse are unable to share. Cycles of violence and manipulation can affect anyone of any background. It was a powerful message in this book and I loved the honest way Jimenez treated this topic. However, I do wish that she had included a content warning as abuse is a very large chunk of this book and a part of the plot.

I’m a sucker for animals who play a large supporting role in books and this one delivered. I loved the baby goat and dog moments as much as the other interactions. It was a treat to be a part of the little Grant House family.

For me, this book was an emotional read that made me fall in love with Alexis and Daniel’s story. I cried when they cried, laughed when they laughed, and swooned when they swooned. Needless to say, I was fully invested in seeing how this tale would end. The Happily-Ever-After in this book was absolutely perfect! I did not know how the story could be resolved and I was blown away with how sweet and satisfying their ending was. I have recommended this story to many and will continue to recommend this story for romance lovers everywhere! Abby Jimenez is a new-to-me author but this will not be the last story I read from her. From beginning to end, this book stole my heart and I would gladly leave it in Jimenez’s hands if this is what I can expect from her.

Spice Rating

1/5 🌶

There are closed-door scenes with some alluding. I don’t consider this to be a spicy book so it’s great if you don’t like explicit sexual scenes heavily present in your romance novels. This would be a safe recommendation for friends and family who aren’t into smut.

 

 

 

 

 

Genre & Tropes

Genre

Contemporary Romance

Tropes

• Opposites attract
• Reverse Age Gap
• Small Town Romance

Favorite Quotes

“I’m not an asshole. It’s my favorite thing about myself.”

Love follows you. It goes where you go. It doesn’t know about social divides or distance or common sense. It doesn’t even stop when the person you love dies. It does what it wants. Even if what you want is to not be in love.

Grace costs you nothing.

 

Intrigued?

Check out Part of Your World on Amazon here.