I bought Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez earlier this year at a local bookstore. I had planned on reading this book in February but ran out of time. Part of Your World was making the rounds on social media and everyone was saying how much they loved this book. As a bonus, Abby Jimenez lives in Minnesota and runs a local business, Nadia Cakes, which has several locations across the metro. Part of Your World lived up to the hype; all romance books should aspire to be this good.

Alexis Montgomery has a chance encounter with Daniel Grant after her car slides into a ditch. Daniel digs her out and it’s clear they have amazing chemistry together. Alexis quickly learns that Daniel is ten years younger than her, which makes her anxious. On top of that, Alexis is facing enormous pressure from her family to keep the Montgomery medical legacy alive. Alexis can’t deny her growing feelings for Daniel, leading her to uncover some uncomfortable truths about herself.

Part of Your World is the 2005 Kate Hudson rom-com in book form. This book made me blush because it’s so STINKING CUTE. Alexis and Daniel are adorable together. From the get-go, Daniel falls head over heels for her and is genuinely a good person. Alexis doesn’t know what to do with Daniel and his feelings for her. She accepted the love she thought she deserved which is nothing compared to how Daniel treats her. One thing that’s worth mentioning is Part of Your World is not a smutty romance. Most intimate scenes aren’t described, so if smut has been a turn-off, this could be a good book to recommend.

Looking beyond the romance, Part of Your World tackles complex, emotional topics. Starting with Alexis, Alexis reflects on the type of relationship she has with her family. Her father has treated her poorly and doesn’t seem to be proud of her accomplishments. He wants Alexis to be someone he can brag to in front of his rich friends even if she isn’t happy with her life. There’s a moment where Alexis finally stands up to her father and it’s so satisfying to read. Daniel has his own things he grapples with specifically regarding how his mother leeches off of him. She wants to sell their family home not realizing how much the home means to Daniel. Another insecurity Daniel grapples with is how he will never be the wealthy man Alexis might be more accustomed to. It shows that finding a partner that treats you well will always be better than being with a partner for financial support.

Every romance book has the pinnacle fight or argument that ends the relationship. In this one, I felt Alexis and Daniel were mature about what they needed. Alexis talks about their age gap and why this mattered to her. Daniel was concerned about Alexis hiding their relationship from her family and friends. They both had to figure out what they wanted and what they were willing to compromise on. I thought this was handled well and while it was devastating that they broke up, it was the right thing for them to do until they figured themselves out.

How dare I wait the entire year to read this book? It’s a travesty. I understand the hype for this book now. This is a romance book I won’t forget about and a book I will constantly be pressuring people to read. I have already added the rest of Abby Jimenez’s books to my TBR and hope to read them next year. I rated Part of Your World five stars on Goodreads.