[NOVEL] Part of your world by Abby Jimenez

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?

Part of your world series. Book 1

Part of your world (romance, contemporary, age difference) tells a story about Alexis, who to escape hitting a raccoon got stuck in a ditch and is helped by a passing driver, who happens to be Daniel Grant. Daniel is just there to help and needs nothing in return. Being stuck in this small town because of a dense fog she meets Daniel again in the bar. The inadvertant dialogue and some unexplained magnetism pulls the two together. Alexis in her all wildest dreams would never have thought that she'd spend a night with a guy she just met, but she did and this relationship with Daniel was her wake up call in life.

What I didn't expect was the portrayal of abuse and Alexis being the victim of it. As a result I can't say that I wasn't vibing during the romantic moments of this book, but I must admit that I spent a good deal of time just feeling so sorry for her. because almost for entirety of the book she was in a wrong mindset and as a person or a reader you could see it and I was simply waiting for her to have an enlightment moment that will allow her to see the picture that the position she thinks is devastating wasn't that bad and had all the chips to be on even ground with her parents, but she was so deeply into the mindset that was fed to her since childhood, that she couldn't realize it. And later the abusive relationship kept her in this cage for another 7 years. One might ask - how she did not realize that her dad was no better than her ex? Like the first moment I heard that he was okay with her ex cheating on her and she should forgive him and work on their relationship, I knew what type of man he was. But I've never been in her position or anyone who had similar experience, so I can't say or judge why she did not get a wake up call about her parents. It just felt that she lived in a bubble and author confirms that. But looking back there were conditions for her to live in that bubble. And as she said herself, if things did not change she would have continued to be a stuck candy to her ex, Neil. So even if someone has criticism about why she was not waking up and see her parents for who they are, it's not an impossible situation in any shape or form. But it made me feel heavy so much. The lightest and happiest I felt was at the ending where the choices were made.

But the romance was good? Let's talk about the (im)possibility of their attraction. Actually, I see nothing wrong with how they got together. The thing is, they were firstly connected physically. Some people have very compatible hormonal or pheromone screen. It's the same when Alexis always talked about how she liked how Daniel smelled. Some people, if they're lucky to find such a partner, are promised to have great intimacy. It's not that it may connect you emotionally though. But the two of them also liked each other as people and basically in Daniel she found what she needed to find in a man, even if he was almost 10 years younger.

I think relationship with someone like Daniel was good, this is what was important. What a nice guy, good-natured, has correct views on life. If small town romances have guys like him, then I'm quite ready to read about them. He is just a truly good person and also humorous. And for 28 you could tell he is quite mature. It's not like his life does not have a shitty stain in the face of his mother, who thankfully never appeared in person, but he made the right decisions when it came to her. He wants to save the house, he works in it and wires her money, she wants to sell the house and he tries to collect the money to save it. 

They grew up actually in similar situations of having a long legacy of people before them, Alexis had ancestors working for the hospital, Daniel's looked after the small town. But Alexis is like a precious princess, but Daniel is like a poor prince. This is what made their situation impossible to cross it seems, as if one should sacrifice everything for the other. And actually Daniel was ready to do that, 

"I love you more. If you think I want any of this without you in it, you don't know anything about me." His golden-green eyes held mine. "I can't lose you. I won't. The job doesn't have to end what we have. I won't let it."

but the parents and her lifestyle and the fucks she gave too much about everything in her life made it impossible to progress. It was the delightful moment of inspiration that Alexis got her shit together and found a perfect decision for herself, for the both of them.

My whole life I'd always felt a little fractured and scattered. Probably because it was always someone else trying to decide what I needed to be. I was a mosaic of someone else's design where none of the fragments were put in the right place. And now I finally put myself together and I recognize myself together and I recognize myself for the very first time.

All I can say, not all parents deserve to be parents. Alexis' dad is the perfect example of very old-fashioned, "only-my-way" type of person. He grew up in prestige, felt for it and put it on top of everything else. Having kids just to continue the lineage, force your kids to study medicine, just because the entire family did that, cut off your children from the world, humiliate your daughter all the time like you don't expect any accomplishments from her and not recognizing any she made. Choosing the person he likes on top of well-being of your own child. Neglecting the fact that the person in qiestion was cheating and instead putting the blame on her. Red flags are waving so hard.

The only thing that my head stumbled upon was the decision to make Neil have a small realization and apology moment, like he has issues, he is sorry yadayada. I honestly didn't care because his portrayal wasn't the best even if he was a background character.

And also it felt a bit tricky how fast Daniel's cousin changed her mind, but actually when you have a wake-up call, it doesn't seem to be so out of place anymore.

And because the second book is about Bri, who is Alexis' friend, I wanted to leave her for a finale. I think she is an amazing friend, although it is impossible to instil some thoughts in the head of another person to make them realize the situation they're in, but Bri did her best as a friend. Unlike other two friends, Gabby and Jessica, who are very unlikable as people, Bri stayed Alexis' connection to reality and a normal world. She is truly a great bestie.

RATE: 4/5. Truly great book, Daniel is a great guy, but I'm shaving off the star because I was mostly distressed all the time instead of romancing. 

It also took me like a day to read this. I'm writing this today because I fell asleep right after finishing. My point is many say that it's impossible to read that many books, as if booktok or YT book readers are faking it. But actually it's pretty possible, since they are bingeable. Earlier I couldn't judge, but after few days I could get the feel of it.