TEMPE, Ariz. — Abby Jimenez didn't set out to be an author – in fact, she didn't start writing until her first business, Nadia Cakes, was up and running.
But when she did start writing, she was drawn to the books she grew up reading.
"I’ve been reading romance probably since I was too young to be reading romance,” Jimenez said with a smile.
The bestselling author spoke to a crowd of more than 200 people at Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe on Monday night about all things romance, her latest book, Just For The Summer, and her adventures so far in Arizona — which included hiking Camelback with an iced coffee in hand.
Fans of her work began to line up two hours before the event – which has been sold out for weeks – started, and even those who were unable to get tickets stuck around, a testament to the fan base for romance as a genre.
“Romance has come a very long way since the bodice rippers that they’re probably thinking of in the 1980s,” Jimenez said. “Modern-day romance is written by very intelligent women, it is smart and captivating and engaging and creative… If you haven’t tried a modern-day romance, you haven’t tried romance.”
Abby Jimenez visits Arizona
When she was getting back into reading after starting Nadia Cakes in 2007, Jimenez wanted stories with romance, comedy and deeper themes, all wrapped in one.
“I kept looking for a certain type of romance I was having a really hard time finding,” Jimenez said. “I thought, you know, I bet I could write the kind of rom-com that I want to read.”
Many of Jimenez’s books touch on mental health topics such as anxiety, depression, narcissistic family members and infertility. To write about these topics, Jimenez said she does her “due diligence” by conducting research and utilizing sensitivity readers.
“If you look in my acknowledgments, there’s always the people that I talk to,” Jimenez said. “First and foremost, when I depict a mental health issue in my book, I want to do no harm. I want to make sure it’s accurate and authentic and not harmful.”
Even for readers who may not personally relate to the characters’ struggles, Jimenez said she believes anyone who reads her book walks away with something.
“You either walk away feeling seen because you have the struggle or you walk away understanding somebody else in your life who has it,” Jimenez said.
Her latest book, Just For The Summer, is very connected to two of her previous books – even though it is a standalone, Jimenez said she recommends reading the first two books before picking up the latest.
“There’s connections all the way back to my first book in that book,” Jimenez said. “I love creating new characters in this universe and getting cameos of old characters and you know, feeling like you’re revisiting old friends – I love that and I was able to do that in this book."
And for Jimenez fans, don’t worry – the author said you won’t have to wait too long for the next installment of this universe. Jimenez’s seventh book will be out in April 2025. Audience members at Changing Hands were even treated to some details and hints about the book.
“It is new characters but it is the same universe,” Jimenez said. “You’re definitely living in the same world and you’re going to feel that when you’re reading.”
Her sold-out stop in Tempe is one of 13 appearances the author has on her 2024 list. She’ll be headed to Columbus, Ohio in September. To learn more about Jimenez, visit her website.
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