Book Review: Part Of Your World by Abby Jimenez
May 15, 2026
After reading Just For The Summer, and knowing that this book also had (the horrible) Amber, Daniel, and Alexis in it, I was sold. I love when books are stand alone but have cross over characters and places and themes.
This book has me fully convinced (as if Laurie Gilmores books didn’t already) that I need to live in a small town. I struggle a lot with the idea of a village and I know you have to be a villager to be in a village, but I just feel like I’ve been taken advantage of and burned by being there for people. I know it’s something I need to work on.
We follow the story of medical hot shot, Alexis, and small town Mayor, Dustin. Alexis is on the way back from an awkward family reunion (funeral) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (!!!) that her twin brother so lovingly left her alone at for his work in Cambodia, when she swerves to avoid hitting a raccoon and ends up in a ditch. She calls her best friend, Bri, second after the tow truck, and laments to her all of the frustration of the weekend and the fact that she’s still in her funeral clothes, spanx included. When out of nowhere a truck appears (and she is mid removing her spanx) and a handsome man appears at her window with a big, slobbery, dog offering to pull her out. She reluctantly accepts and soon enough is out and on her way. Much to her dismay, she’s still famished and her bladder is still full, so she stops at the only thing open: a small bar is wakan Minnesota, two hours from her Minneapolis home. I’ll give you one guess as to what handsome stranger she sees at said bar. You guessed it. It’s Dustin. There with his friends, who are trying to make a bet that someone could get her to go home with them. Dustin thinks he can work the system and tells her the bet and she agrees and walks out with him and they’re both hooked. When Alexis’ toxic ex and Will their love be enough to bridge the gap between their worlds?
Once again, I love Abby Jimenez’s characters. They’re real and messy and honest. I could not recommend her work more.
