Part of Your World (Part of Your World, 1)

Alexis is driving back to Minneapolis when she ends up in a ditch in the small town of Wakan trying to avoid hitting a raccoon. Just great! The tow truck company she called will be awhile but in the meantime one of the locals stops to help her out of her predicament. She decides to stop at the local bar for a quick bite to eat before she heads off home again. Daniel Grant was the guy who stopped to help her, he and his ancestors are a part of the fabric of this small town. He runs his family B&B and is a very talented carpenter. He is also the town Mayor, which is not as arduous as it sounds with a population of 350 people for most of the year. Alexis being in the local bar raises lots of interest for all the single guys. They’ve either grown up with, know of or have dated every woman in town so Alexis is fair game as far as they are concerned. Daniel swoops in and saves her from them all with his witty banter and general warmth. Alexis has recently gone through a break up. After lots of therapy she has come out much stronger and more aware of what she wants/deserves in a future partner. One thing she does now is that she is not interested in dating or relationships. This is how she ends up spending the night in Daniel’s bed. Let me put some context around this… ‘Daniel somehow managed to be charming and completely down-to-earth while also exuding pure sex. It was the most baffling combination. And one I wasn’t capable of refusing.’ Daniel truly is a genuinely lovely guy and Alexis probably can’t explain it herself but there is a connection there. A pull towards each other that even after a few hours of conversation over a grilled cheese sandwich they find themselves naked together. Alexis knows she will never return and she really needs a night like this. Daniel does not disappoint, he is attentive, intuitive and gives her a night she will never forget. After Alexis leaves, Daniel is left wondering if it was all just a beautiful dream. This gorgeous, intelligent and articulate woman - who he thinks is waaay out of his league has left her mark on him. He cannot stop thinking of her and he will do anything to spend more time with her. And then she calls him.. Alexis’ path in life was carved out for her before she was born. Her family has generations of surgeons that have come before her but she defied the norm a little by becoming an ER doctor. Not a career deemed as anything of significance to her father. She constantly fails to meet the high expectations set by him and her recent break up with a surgeon he considered a son to him has not helped. Now she is the sole Montgomery doctor left at the hospital and he expects her to step up. As you can see, Alexis’ world and Daniel’s are so far removed from each other but despite all of this she finds herself driving to see him most weekends. They are developing feelings for each other, big, huge, deep feelings that can never be any more than that. His life is in Wakan, and hers in Minneapolis - both anchored by the generations that came before them. ‘This relationship would never expand. It would never take a deep breath and pull in those around us. It wouldn’t fill its lungs with my people and my life. It would just be this. Only this.’ Honestly, my heart was breaking for this couple. Alexis has one true best friend, Bri (you are going to love her) and other than that no one else is in her cheer team, apart from Daniel. He makes her feel seen, he believes in her, he cares so much for her and put simply, all he wants is Alexis. She is so torn up over what she feels for Daniel, she is being pulled in so many directions and is drowning in the weight of expectations thrown upon her. ‘Nothing could convince me this woman wasn’t made for me to love. I think my soul recognized hers the second I laid eyes on her. Our bodies knew it the very first night. The power she had over me terrified me. But it also gave me clarity.’ Okay, so with all of this heavy angst there are also equal amounts of fun, laughter and swoon :) There is Chloe the goat, Kevin Bacon the pig, Hunter the dog and all the wonderful townsfolk of Wakan. The banter between Alexis and Daniel was so adorable and I laughed so much. I really hope we get more stories from the wonderful secondary characters in this story. Well this was my reading highlight of the month, all those wonderful book feels that I love were here in abundance, I never wanted this to end! ‘I love you’ he whispered. ‘We are together. This isn’t over. And even if you leave, it won’t be over because you’ll take the love with you and it’ll bring you back.’

I really enjoyed the setting of this book—Alexis with her thousand-dollar shoes and Daniel with his pigs and muck boots made for a delightful contrast. The romance was well-paced with a solid, engaging plot. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters and emotions to life. The story was full of laugh-out-loud moments, and the chemistry between Alexis and Daniel was both steamy and refreshingly authentic. Alexis was a fun and layered character—a highly educated woman dedicated to helping others. Daniel, on the other hand, was grounded in life skills and values that Alexis didn’t even realize she was missing. I loved that he didn’t care about her wealth or background—he simply loved her for who she was. It was so satisfying to watch their two very different worlds collide and blend into something beautiful.

I am in absolute disbelief over how great this book is! Part of Your World is one of those rare reading experiences where you realize within the first few pages that you’re in the hands of a truly gifted storyteller. Abby Jimenez’s writing is, without exaggeration, one of the most marvelous, effortless, and beautifully flowing styles I have ever read. There are absolutely no fillers — not one wasted sentence — from page one all the way to the end. Every scene serves a purpose, every emotion hits exactly where it’s supposed to, and every line feels alive. I read this book in a single day because I simply could not put it down! The chemistry between Alexis and Daniel is magnetic, tender, and deeply immersive. Their worlds contrast so strongly — her structured, high-pressure, city life versus his warm, grounded, small-town charm — and yet their connection feels inevitable. The way Jimenez builds their relationship is nothing short of masterful: slow-burn tension, heart-melting moments, laugh-out-loud humor, and emotional depth that catches you off guard in the best way. The themes of family expectations, healing, self-worth, choosing your own happiness, and breaking free from toxic cycles are woven in with such skill that you feel every moment right along with the characters. Daniel’s kindness and emotional maturity? Absolutely irresistible. Alexis’s journey toward reclaiming her identity and joy? Empowering and beautifully done. And the side characters — from the adorable dog to the charming townspeople — make the world feel rich, comforting, and incredibly real. This book gave me warmth, romance, drama, humor, and hope, all perfectly balanced. It’s one of those stories that stays with you, one you want to hug when you finish because it made you feel so much. Abby Jimenez simply did not miss. She wrote an emotionally intelligent romance that felt both modern and timeless, and Part of Your World was just a magical work. If I could give it six stars, I absolutely would! My first thought was actually to read Yours Truly, since everyone says it is her best piece of work. But since it is connected to this one, I decided to begin with Part of Your World and leave “the best” for last. Now I’m thinking… how in the world is Abby Jimenez going to top this? How can anything be better than what I just read? I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I am so curious to see how this gifted author will work her magic again. I am truly in awe of her talent. What a phenomenal writer!

This Author’s sense of humor from her social media account drew me to find her books. To be honest, I wanted to read about Tess the world-weary hunting dog. I am not surprised to find she writes, as beautifully as she does. This book and the next book with Bri both combine real life, falling in love, friendship, fear, devastation, anxiety, companionship. She has a genuine gift of storytelling, where I wanted to read each word, no skipping pages, no scanning chapters. This book highlights how important the concept of community is to an individual. It was interesting to want to find Myself going to this town. And lastly, the importance of mental health, that life isn’t just roses, moonbeams with love. It is communication and trust. These books are beautiful.

J'ai découvert Abby Jimenez au début de l'été avec une nouvelle de 60 pages (Worst wingman ever, uniquement en anglais), et j'étais tombée immédiatement amoureuse de sa plume. Le charme a encore opéré avec cette fois-ci ce roman, sorti en France il y a quelques mois. C'est une histoire douce, tendre, magique et romantique qui m'a enveloppée dans une ambiance cocooning, c'est le genre de roman dans lequel on se sent bien, qu'on n'a pas envie de terminer et auquel on pense encore, plusieurs jours après l'avoir terminé. Abby Jimenez rend ses personnages authentiques, humains, on a l'impression de les connaître, de partager leur vie et d'être un témoin privilégié de ces moments de vie auxquels on assiste. C'est un roman qui parle des attentes des autres, du poids des traditions et des attentes familiales et de la difficulté à s'en affranchir. Daniel et Alexis (c'est un prénom féminin ^^) portent tous les deux un héritage familial important, qui ne peut pas être abandonné aisément. Ils viennent de deux univers diamétralement opposés : elle est issue d'un monde de privilégiés où ce sont les apparences, la richesse et la renommée qui importent, tandis que lui vient d'un endroit où les valeurs de d'amitié, de solidarité et d'entraide sont au centre de tout. Et curieusement, Alexis s'adapte à merveille à la vie tranquille de Daniel, elle s'épanouit dans cette petite ville paumée. Avec lui, avec les habitants de Wakan, elle peut véritablement être elle-même, et pas l'héritière que sa famille veut qu'elle soit. Finalement, la différence d'âge n'est pas si marquée entre eux, je trouve que Daniel est ce qu'on appelle une "vieille âme", c'est un homme sérieux, posé, avec de très belles valeurs. La romance est très belle, j'ai été complètement séduite par Daniel, qui est un mec absolument adorable, attentionné, bricoleur, gentil et puis zut, son bébé chèvre en pyjama, on en parle ? J'ai vraiment tout aimé dans ce roman, et ce petit côté magique propre à Wakan apporte une touche de féerie originale, et s'accorde vraiment bien au roman. Pour moi, c'est un coup de coeur, autant pour le roman que pour l'autrice, et j'adore cette sensation de tomber amoureuse d'une plume, ce sentiment de joie à l'idée que plusieurs titres me tendent les bras et s'apprêtent à rejoindre ma bibliothèque ! Pour une fois que de supers titres comme celui-ci sont traduits en VF, n’hésitez pas, et foncez vous le procurer !

So good! I devoured this book in 2 days. I think I found a new favourite author! Can’t wait to read more of her books. If you like a fun, giggly romance that also has depth and a realistic plot than this is for you.

Så bra

The story is great, sweet, swoony and with characters that have depth and are real people too. I love it.

t's a good story, there's a female take on a love relationship. There are parts that tend to be fanciful, but they don't compromise the whole.