By Patty K Rivera, Audible Editor

PART OF YOUR WORLD PACKS A POWERFUL MESSAGE INTO A DELICIOUSLY SWEET ROM-COM

Long before I devoured her debut novel The Friend Zone, Abby Jimenez had a fan in me because of a cake. Both a romance author and the owner of a bakery called Nadia Cakes, Jimenez was responding to a flurry of comments about a geode cake gone wrong—and her sassy, hilarious responses went viral in the best way. From the moment I saw that early audio for Part of Your World was in my library, I dropped everything I was doing, ignored my overflowing TBLT, and started to listen to what would become my favorite of all of her novels.

This dual POV rom-com follows Alexis Montgomery, a city girl who gets stuck in a ditch in the small town of Wakan. She receives help from a handsome stranger, Daniel Grant, and the two end up spending the night together. What starts as a fling soon turns into much more, as Alexis finds herself caught between her demanding family and their legacy at Royaume Northwestern Hospital, and her growing feelings for Daniel. As their relationship deepens, Alexis is faced with a difficult decision—continue to pursue her family's medical legacy or choose a new path with Daniel in Wakan.

I cannot, and will not, ignore the supporting characters in Part of Your World, especially because one of them (Brianna) is the protagonist in the second book of the Part of Your World Trilogy, Yours Truly. The rest of the cast consists of a baby goat in pajamas, a very silly man named Doug, a deaf Pudelpointer, and a pig known as Kevin Bacon—all there for comedic relief, and boy do they deliver!

Aside from the romance, what I loved the most about the story is how authentic Abby Jimenez is in her writing, all while delving into some serious topics. One of Abby’s objectives for Part of Your World was educating her audience on the different aspects of abuse that are not often discussed by putting the listener right in the brain of someone living through it. Through Alexis's journey, we see how emotional abuse can impact how someone approaches not just the decisions they make but the way that they love in the future too. The novel also explores themes of friendship, heartbreak, and the desire to escape, all while delivering a powerful message that "grace costs you nothing."

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