REVIEWS: Life's Too Short and A Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

I've decided to link these together for two reasons: 

1. I'm lazy 

2. I am still thinking about these novels long after I've read them, so naturally that means I should review them, right?

In both Life's Too Short and A Part of Your World, Abby Jimenez does what I'm coming to understand is what she does best: she makes me so dang anxious that I have to put the book down only to immediately pick it back up because I have to know what's going to happen next. Ughhhh. She writes such angsty plots and I want to be angry about it because she gets me so twisted up, but I can't stop reading her books. 

In the case of Life's Too Short, Vanessa and Adrian are neighbors who are polar opposite. She's got this larger than life, live in the moment, joyous personality--she's almost toxically optimistic. As you get to know her, you realize why this is and you also get to see her less than happier moments but for as much as she's got on her plate, it's inspiring to read a character who sees the world as she does. Adrian, meanwhile, is more steadfast and routine. He's more careful and methodical. He's a lawyer; she's a travel/social media influencer. Together they co-parent Vanessa's niece in the most perfect way possible (see story for details, lol).  Through getting to know them, we learn about how their upbringings deeply influenced who they are now and why they react to things the way they do. As they fall in love, the dreaded implosion looming over their heads had me cringing as I turned each page, just waiting for the inevitable to happen. It did. It was awful and yet I made it out alive because that happily ever after made it all okay. 

SYNOPSIS:

When Vanessa Price quit her job to pursue her dream of traveling the globe, she wasn't expecting to gain millions of YouTube followers who shared her joy of seizing every moment. For her, living each day to its fullest isn't just a motto. Her mother and sister never saw the age of 30, and Vanessa doesn't want to take anything for granted.

But after her half sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her baby daughter, life goes from "daily adventure" to "next-level bad" (now with bonus baby vomit in hair). The last person Vanessa expects to show up offering help is the hot lawyer next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. No one warned her that he was the Secret Baby Tamer or that she'd be spending a whole lot of time with him and his geriatric Chihuahua.

Now she's feeling things she's vowed not to feel. Because the only thing worse than falling for Adrian is finding a little hope for a future she may never see.

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Similarly, A Part of Your World has characters who are very much opposite of each other: Alexis is an ER doc who comes from a line of world famous doctors and Daniel is a groundskeeper/mayor of a small town who comes from a line of men and women who did the same. She comes from a world of privilege while he lives hand to mouth. They meet because of an minor accident and one thing leads to another and within weeks they're inseparable. She's coming off of a horrible relationship and is given the responsibility of continuing the family legacy; he's lonely and wants the responsibility of continuing the family legacy. So as seemingly opposite as they are, they really have similar things happening in their lives. They fit well together, and despite Alexis's desire to keep him at arm's length, she just can't. She lies to herself (and him) and tries to keep her heart out of it, but some part of her knows that he's the best thing for her and she can't quite let go...until she does and it's absolutely heartbreaking. Gahhhh the angst. The sadness. The lost love. His devastation. Her depression. Her awful parents. His awful mother. The wonderful town of Wakan. *sobs* But once again, Abby Jimenez finds a way to get them back together again, thank god, and we get the happy ever after that Alexis and Daniel deserve. And now with new characters, I can't wait to see how she tortures me next. 

I love the way her novels refer back to other characters and I love the angsty love she puts me through--I'm a sucker for her writing and hope she's got something great coming our way. 

SYNOPSIS:
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?

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