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A review by turquoiseavenue
Just for the Summer by Melody Carlson
2.0
This was a solid two star read for me. I took a chance on this story, hoping for a fun, new beach read. I looked forward to the idea of job swapping, the hospitality industry and the beautiful settings of the city of Seattle and a rustic fishing lodge in Idaho.
I enjoyed Ginny's work ethic and her backstory as it spoke volumes of her character. I love how she brought light and life into Jack's world/lodge, sweetly cheered on those around her and in general, was a good person. I didn't love that her work-ethic was downplayed as a workaholic, or the implied idea she needed a man in her life for it to be complete, but did understand her hopes for something "more" in her life.
Jacqueline, however, was a character that I found manipulative, immature and generally annoying. I kept hoping to see her character change but it came a little too late and was without remorse. Because of her character in 75% of the story, her romance with Adrian wasn't believable. (I actually felt bad for him, a sweet guy dealing two manipulative women in his life.)
The romance between Ginny and Ben was subtle and came late in the story. I'd been hoping for more flirting, a few romantic scenes maybe, and felt there were several missed opportunities for them to have deepened their connection.
Other noteworthy elements were a touch of faith on Ginny's part, and a bit of humor in Jack's scenes that made me smile. There were several mentions of alcohol and the characters engaged in casual drinking which surprised (and disappointed) me for this publisher. There were a handful of times that the dialogue fell flat, felt stiff, or used phrases that didn't suit the young characters of a contemporary romance. I found myself skimming over certain pages because nothing was grabbing my interest in the scene.
Overall, a clean, light romance that offers an interesting plot wherein two FMCs swap jobs and step into each other's lives with one girl headed towards big city living and the other towards a rustic, riverfront lodge. If you're looking for a summer afternoon read, this may be a book you'll enjoy. Be prepared to not love a few characters very much, but keep in mind, there's a reason and some growth to be had.
CW & TW: Losing a loved one to cancer, casual drinking, several uses of "clean" swearing (darn, dad-burned, etc), divorce, toxic character traits.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you to the publisher for sharing this book!
I enjoyed Ginny's work ethic and her backstory as it spoke volumes of her character. I love how she brought light and life into Jack's world/lodge, sweetly cheered on those around her and in general, was a good person. I didn't love that her work-ethic was downplayed as a workaholic, or the implied idea she needed a man in her life for it to be complete, but did understand her hopes for something "more" in her life.
Jacqueline, however, was a character that I found manipulative, immature and generally annoying. I kept hoping to see her character change but it came a little too late and was without remorse. Because of her character in 75% of the story, her romance with Adrian wasn't believable. (I actually felt bad for him, a sweet guy dealing two manipulative women in his life.)
The romance between Ginny and Ben was subtle and came late in the story. I'd been hoping for more flirting, a few romantic scenes maybe, and felt there were several missed opportunities for them to have deepened their connection.
Other noteworthy elements were a touch of faith on Ginny's part, and a bit of humor in Jack's scenes that made me smile. There were several mentions of alcohol and the characters engaged in casual drinking which surprised (and disappointed) me for this publisher. There were a handful of times that the dialogue fell flat, felt stiff, or used phrases that didn't suit the young characters of a contemporary romance. I found myself skimming over certain pages because nothing was grabbing my interest in the scene.
Overall, a clean, light romance that offers an interesting plot wherein two FMCs swap jobs and step into each other's lives with one girl headed towards big city living and the other towards a rustic, riverfront lodge. If you're looking for a summer afternoon read, this may be a book you'll enjoy. Be prepared to not love a few characters very much, but keep in mind, there's a reason and some growth to be had.
CW & TW: Losing a loved one to cancer, casual drinking, several uses of "clean" swearing (darn, dad-burned, etc), divorce, toxic character traits.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you to the publisher for sharing this book!