Part of Your World

Starred review from February 14, 2022
The charm and communal spirit of a small town bring an unlikely couple together in this layered, soul-stirring romance from Jimenez (Life’s Too Short). Alexis Montgomery and her twin brother, Derek, have been groomed since birth to follow in their famous father’s footsteps, continuing the family legacy of excellence and philanthropy at Royaume Northwestern Hospital. ER doctor Alexis was content to let Derek bear the mantel, but when he chooses to marry for love instead of station, his parents disown him and put all the pressure on Alexis. Overwhelmed by her father’s expectations—among them that she should reconcile with her emotionally abusive ex—Alexis escapes the city on regular visits to the enchanting small town of Wakan. There she meets laid-back carpenter Daniel Grant, who’s 10 years her junior and everything her parents would hate. Through Daniel, Alexis learns what unwavering love and support feel like, but with both of them entrenched in separate worlds, will they be able to make it work? Jimenez dexterously tackles class difference and shades her endearing side characters with as much care as her lovable leads. The result is an emotional roller coaster centered on love as a source of empowerment. Agent: Stacey Graham, 3 Seas Literary

March 1, 2022

In Jimenez's (The Friend Zone) delightful contemporary romance, likable, well-developed characters click from the first page. Wealthy ER doctor Alexis Montgomery meets small-town carpenter Daniel Grant, and sparks fly despite their differences. Alexis's prestigious medical lineage comes with wealth, power, and a select social circle. Daniel is barely scraping by and lives in a dingy garage apartment. Neither, however, can deny their immediate attraction and growing emotional connection. Alexis knows she cannot have a lasting relationship with Daniel, but giving him up means rejecting the one thing in her life that gives her joy. Alexis and Daniel meet when they're struggling with situations not entirely under their control, bringing depth and motivation to their actions. VERDICT Alexis undergoes a great deal of emotional growth over the course of the novel, and readers will cheer when she overcomes years of domestic abuse and indoctrination to create a happily-ever-after on her terms. Recommended for public library collections.--Heather Miller Cover

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2022

The chemistry is off the charts in Jimenez's (Life's Too Short) opposites-attract romantic comedy, narrated by the highly talented team of Julia Whelan and Zachary Webber. Alexis Montgomery is supposed to carry on her family's legacy as a world-renowned surgeon. Daniel Grant is a carpenter, the small-town mayor of fictional Wakan, and runs his family's B&B. When this big-city girl meets this small-town boy, listeners will get weak in their knees, as the lust is instantaneous. Eventually, their feelings deepen, and even though their lives are very different and Daniel will never fit into Alexis's sophisticated world, she's powerless to stay away from him and his tight-knit community. Covering heavier issues like physical and emotional abuse with grace, Whelan still makes the already cheeky banter even more delightful with her performance, and Webber's narration of the locals is thoroughly entertaining. The main characters are endearing, the dialogue is brilliant, the narration is flawless, and the angst will have listeners tingling and not wanting this love story to end. VERDICT A perfect rom-com smorgasbord from beginning to end, and a must-have for collections.--Emily Pykare

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2022
After swerving to avoid a raccoon and ending up in a ditch, Alexis Montgomery is extremely grateful to receive an automotive assist from a passing Good Samaritan in the person of Daniel Grant. Accepting his offer of a late-night grilled-cheese sandwich after the rescue simply seems like a nice thing to do until Alexis wakes up the next morning in Daniel's bed. Alexis knows just how easy it would be to fall for sweet, sunny Daniel, who is everything Alexis' ex-boyfriend Neil is not. But Alexis also knows that she and the hot, younger carpenter and B&B owner come from two completely different, seemingly incompatible worlds. Jimenez's (Life's Too Short, 2021) latest flawlessly written contemporary romance is another perfectly calibrated synthesis of richly nuanced characters, blazing sexual chemistry, and sizzling wit deftly infused into an empowering story line that sensitively touches on emotional and physical abuse in romantic relationships while also offering a subtle wink and nod to the enduring charm of Disney fairy tales.

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Starred review from March 15, 2022
An ER doctor works to shake her family's expectations and find love with a younger man in this exemplary romance. Alexis Montgomery comes from a long line of accomplished surgeons who have worked at the Royaume Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis since it was founded in the late 1800s. While she pursued a career in emergency medicine, she assumed that her twin brother, Derek, a plastic surgeon, would carry on the family tradition. When Derek announces he's gotten married while working in Cambodia for Doctors Without Borders and that he's planning to stay there with his new wife, the responsibility of working at the hospital and producing future surgeons falls to Alexis. Her only respite comes in the form of Daniel Grant, a handsome carpenter who's the mayor of small-town Wakan, Minnesota. Despite being almost a decade younger than Alexis, Daniel has been smitten since rescuing her car from a ditch while she was passing through Wakan; the pair shared a memorable one-night stand. Daniel has his own family lineage to uphold in the charming Wakan, which is full of chatty locals and creatively named farm animals. As in many of Jimenez's romances, Alexis' path to love and healing takes center stage as she works to free herself from the demanding, outdated wishes of her parents and set boundaries with a toxic, persistent former partner. Alexis and Daniel are precious together, and Daniel's warm excitement at getting to spend more time with a woman he finds amazing is the perfect embodiment of romantic joy. The romance is further enriched by a full cast of dynamic side characters, manipulative villains, and misguided relatives. This book is an emotional experience that will tick all the boxes for passionate romance fans. A must-read.

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