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lizziegoldsmith 's review for:
Just for the Summer
by Abby Jimenez
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was ... a lot. It had a fun, meet-cute start, and I think the depiction of Emma's childhood trauma and its effect on her as an adult was handled well. As someone who hasn't read the other books in this series, however, the surprise half-sibling twist felt unnecessary and over-the-top. Emma could've reached her turning point without such a soap operatic plot point, and Amber's parental absenteeism and selfishness as portrayed throughout most of the book didn't need to be elevated to such sociopathic levels to pack a punch, especially when very little was done with this development beyond the shock value and as a way to connect this book with the previous ones in the series.
In general, though, this story had its moments, but once Emma's background and Justin's life circumstances were revealed, there wasn't a whole left to hold my attention, and I kept wondering how there were still so many pages left (or hours, rather, as I listened to the audiobook version). It became pretty clear pretty quickly that the only barrier to their relationship was Emma's trauma, and I wished we would just deal with that and get to the Happily Ever After instead of retreading the same ground over and over again without really getting anywhere. The dialogue was fine but not particularly memorable, Justin was a little too insta-lovey/perfect for me, and I was less invested in them as a couple than I was in their individual growth journeys — Emma's in particular.
This was my first Abby Jimenez novel, and while it wasn't the be-all-and-end-all for me, it probably won't be the last of hers that I pick up. Next time, though, I'll choose a more standalone book.
And finally, one audiobook-specific note: I enjoyed there being two readers, one for Emma's POV chapters and the other for Justin's. But, the way the reader for Justin would do Emma's voice in his chapters just took me out of it.
In general, though, this story had its moments, but once Emma's background and Justin's life circumstances were revealed, there wasn't a whole left to hold my attention, and I kept wondering how there were still so many pages left (or hours, rather, as I listened to the audiobook version). It became pretty clear pretty quickly that the only barrier to their relationship was Emma's trauma, and I wished we would just deal with that and get to the Happily Ever After instead of retreading the same ground over and over again without really getting anywhere. The dialogue was fine but not particularly memorable, Justin was a little too insta-lovey/perfect for me, and I was less invested in them as a couple than I was in their individual growth journeys — Emma's in particular.
This was my first Abby Jimenez novel, and while it wasn't the be-all-and-end-all for me, it probably won't be the last of hers that I pick up. Next time, though, I'll choose a more standalone book.
And finally, one audiobook-specific note: I enjoyed there being two readers, one for Emma's POV chapters and the other for Justin's. But, the way the reader for Justin would do Emma's voice in his chapters just took me out of it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Vomit