A review by amateur_bookworm
Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez

emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My summary:
Emma stumbles across a  Reddit post by a guy named Justin complaining about having a curse where every girl he dates goes on to find her soulmate immediately after they break up. Emma messages Justin to commiserate because she has the exact same curse. After chatting back and forth, they come up with the foolproof plan of dating each other so that they can break up and then find their soulmates and end their respective curses. Their initial chemistry draws Emma, a traveling nurse, to lMinnesota to date Justin, a software engineer. Despite agreeing to only date for the summer and then break up, Justin and Emma may actually be each other’s soulmates but at a time in their lives where the odds are stacked against them. 

My thoughts: 
I have already read the book and loved it. Listening to it was just as good, if not better! I literally caught myself repeatedly grinning while listening. This is a can’t-miss read (or listen). 

I love that Abby Jimenez writes romance but with substance and tough topics. This has likable, relatable characters and witty banter. I literally laughed at loud at times. But for being a fun romance, there are some seriously heavy topics in here too. It is a perfect mix of fun and sweet and serious.

I was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed both narrators immediately, as this is usually not the case for me. I think both narrators are a great fit for their characters and it makes listening enjoyable. 

This is a great book as a standalone, but for maximum impact, I recommend reading at least Part of Your World and Yours Truly first. Both of those are also five star reads for me so it’s completely worth the time to read them also. And if you want the *full* experience then also read the three books of The Friend Zone series. 
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