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A review by _onemorechapter_
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
𝑻.𝑾: Panic Attacks, Anxiety, PTSD, Depression, Toxic Mother, Mental Health Issues, Past Child Neglect
“In a world where you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy,”
💭Okay, buckle up, because this one had me laughing, swooning, and definitely feeling all the emotions!
Just For The Summer is a contemporary romance with an epic twist: Justin and Emma both got dumped by their exes—who found their soulmates immediately after the breakup. 🤦♀️ So, in true let’s-make-it-work-for-us fashion, they decide to date each other for the summer, with the plan to break up and find their “true” soulmates by the end. Well, surprise—things don’t exactly go as planned. 😬💖
Emma and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses who go wherever their assignments take them, living the nomadic life while they work in hospitals across the country. It seems like every time Emma dates someone, they break up... and then magically, they find their "soulmate." Sound familiar? Well, Emma's not alone. She stumbles across a Reddit thread where Justin—a guy from Minnesota—reveals that he thinks he’s cursed. Every time a relationship ends, his ex-partner ends up meeting their soulmate right away.
Seeing their shared dilemma, Emma and Justin come up with a wild plan: they’ll date each other for the summer, then break up, thinking that by doing so, they’ll cancel out their curses. The idea is bonkers, but hey, it just might work.
“Four dates, one kiss, and a breakup. Just for the summer.”
Soon enough, Emma picks out a place to live near Justin for the summer with her best friend, Maddie. However, as their connection deepens amidst unexpected challenges, both Justin and Emma start questioning their original plan. The story explores themes of love, commitment, and personal growth as they navigate their complicated situation and the possibility of a genuine connection.
Justin - purely an “In a world of boys, he’s a gentleman kind". He is the epitome of the perfect book boyfriend. He is adorable and funny and thoughtful and oh wow, the way he sends these questionnaires to Emma before and after every date just had me swooning. Add to that the way he takes care of his family and how open he is about his feelings? Swoon.
Definition of if he wanted to, he would because he did!! I mean, how can you not love him? He's 6ft, charming, charismatic, funny and has dimples + he is a software engineer and uses his skills to make fun things for his gf. I loved the effort that he put into this relationship.
He’s had his share of hardship too—losing his dad and dealing with his mom’s crime and prison sentence. As the oldest, he’s taken on a parental role for his siblings, which makes him so endearing. But beyond the tragic backstory, Justin is stable, respectful, and clear about his wants in a relationship. He doesn’t shy away from letting Emma know when her actions hurt him, and I’m all about that kind of honesty in a relationship. 👏
Emma- This girl is complex and real. She’s had a tough upbringing with a narcissistic mom, so she’s got emotional walls up, and let’s be honest, not every choice she makes is going to win her a “Most Likable” award. But guess what? She’s authentic, and I love how her character arc unfolds. The growth she experiences is honestly one of my favorite parts of the book.
The romance was everything that I ever wanted. The witty and sweet dialogues, catchy banters, physical attraction, and emotional intimacy, along with the perfect chemistry between Emma and Justin, are pure perfection! The chemistry is something I could almost reach my hand out and FEEL radiating off the page. Their domestic scenes had me swooning - where they would cook together and help the kids and I loved how she would just extend her trip. That first kiss scene literally gave me and Emma both butterflies, it was so well done.
What makes this romance stand out for me is the communication. Seriously, these two(Justin & Emma) actually talk about their thoughts, feelings, and expectations. No game-playing or unnecessary drama based on miscommunication. That alone took this book from good to great for me!
Other things I loved: first dates with kittens!! Questionnaires/google forms letting the person know what you like on dates!
Maddy was everything I wanted in a friend character—hilarious, protective, and loyal. She understood Emma so well, gave her reality checks and supported her, helped Justin figure her out, and overall, I just loved how she was there for her always. Major squad goals right there!
Justin’s Siblings: The kids are a handful, but I adored how they brought out Justin’s protective side. They added a lot of heart to the story, and watching Justin step up as a guardian really showcased his growth as a person
Emma’s mom, Amber, is the “villain,” but she's not one-dimensional or cartoonish. She’s realistic, and I honestly felt the tension Emma experienced with her.
Overall, this book was fantastic and honestly, there was nothing I didn’t love about it. It was witty, sweet, charming, and an absolute must-read!
Includes:
Online Meet-Cute
Dating Pact
Mental Health/Past Trauma
Summer Romance
Dual POV
Complex family dynamics
Found family//adoption//foster care//guardianship
Baby raccoons!
𝐏.𝐒 I love the cover page!
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆:Contemporary Romance
🔸𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒚: 🌶️
🔸𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: Part Of Your World (Book 3)
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Yes!!
So if you're into a slow-burn romance with a strong emotional arc, a fantastic supporting cast, and a little bit of summer magic, Just For The Summer should be on your TBR. You’ll get all the feels, all the swoons, and of course, all the character growth.
🔸 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:
“The love stories sold us the wrong thing. The best kind of love doesn’t happen on moonlit walks and romantic vacations. It happens in between the folds of everyday life. It’s not grand gestures that show how you feel, it’s all the little secret things you do to make her life better that you never tell her about. Taking the end piece of the bread at breakfast so she can have the last middle piece for her sandwich when you pack her lunch. Making sure her car always has gas so she never has to stop at the pump. Telling her you’re not cold and to take your jacket when you are in fact, very, very cold. It’s watching TV on a rainy Sunday while you’re doing laundry and turning her light off when she’s fallen asleep reading. Sharing pizza crusts and laughing about something the kids did and taking care of each other when you’re sick. It isn’t glamorous, it isn’t all butterflies and stars in your eyes. It’s real. This is the kind of love that forever is made of. Because if it’s this good when life is draining and mundane and hard, think of how wonderful it will be when the love songs are playing and the moon is out.”
“You're not asking too much," he said. "You were just asking the wrong person. Ask me instead.”
“You are not what happened to you. You are what you do next.”
“Sometimes the best way to show love or be kind to someone is to meet them where they are.”
“Unhealed trauma is a crack. And all the little hard things that trickle into it that would have rolled off someone else, settle. Then when life gets cold, that crack gets bigger, longer, deeper. It makes new breaks. You don’t know how broken she was or what she was trying to do to fill those cracks. Being broken is not an excuse for bad behavior, you still have to make good choices and do the right thing. But it can be the reason. And sometimes understanding the reason can be what helps you heal.”
“Not everything that comes out of crisis is bad. Sometimes your traumas are the reason you know how to help.”
“Maybe home isn’t a place. Maybe it’s a person.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked. He didn’t answer for a long moment. When he did, he did it with his eyes closed. “All I ever think about is you.”
“You don’t have to forgive her. You really don’t. You can still love someone that you’ve decided not to speak to anymore. You can still wish them well and hope for the best for them. Choosing a life without them doesn’t mean you stop caring about them. It just means that you can’t allow them to harm you anymore. But if you don’t think your life would be better without them in it, then accept that they have cracks. Try to understand how they got them and help fill them with something that isn’t ice.” She peered at me. “If you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy, Justin. It’s so much healthier than anger.”
“Be glad you don’t get it. It means your life has been a lot gentler than hers.”
“Sometimes I feel like the seasons could come and go and come and go, a hundred years could pass, a thousand, the ground could collapse under us, this house could crumble and go back to the earth, and we would still be standing here frozen in time, because every second I’m with you is eternal. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“To me, love meant you stayed. But now I understood that love sometimes means you let someone go.”
“The moment Emma came into view, my entire world slipped into slow motion. My brain took a screenshot. I felt the moment freeze and save. She was beautiful.”
“Because when you’re in love, you do hard things.”
“I’ve been waiting my whole life to feel like this and I thought it was a curse that nobody else ever worked out. But it wasn’t. It’s just that they weren’t you.”
“In a world where you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy,”
💭Okay, buckle up, because this one had me laughing, swooning, and definitely feeling all the emotions!
Just For The Summer is a contemporary romance with an epic twist: Justin and Emma both got dumped by their exes—who found their soulmates immediately after the breakup. 🤦♀️ So, in true let’s-make-it-work-for-us fashion, they decide to date each other for the summer, with the plan to break up and find their “true” soulmates by the end. Well, surprise—things don’t exactly go as planned. 😬💖
Emma and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses who go wherever their assignments take them, living the nomadic life while they work in hospitals across the country. It seems like every time Emma dates someone, they break up... and then magically, they find their "soulmate." Sound familiar? Well, Emma's not alone. She stumbles across a Reddit thread where Justin—a guy from Minnesota—reveals that he thinks he’s cursed. Every time a relationship ends, his ex-partner ends up meeting their soulmate right away.
Seeing their shared dilemma, Emma and Justin come up with a wild plan: they’ll date each other for the summer, then break up, thinking that by doing so, they’ll cancel out their curses. The idea is bonkers, but hey, it just might work.
“Four dates, one kiss, and a breakup. Just for the summer.”
Soon enough, Emma picks out a place to live near Justin for the summer with her best friend, Maddie. However, as their connection deepens amidst unexpected challenges, both Justin and Emma start questioning their original plan. The story explores themes of love, commitment, and personal growth as they navigate their complicated situation and the possibility of a genuine connection.
Justin - purely an “In a world of boys, he’s a gentleman kind". He is the epitome of the perfect book boyfriend. He is adorable and funny and thoughtful and oh wow, the way he sends these questionnaires to Emma before and after every date just had me swooning. Add to that the way he takes care of his family and how open he is about his feelings? Swoon.
Definition of if he wanted to, he would because he did!! I mean, how can you not love him? He's 6ft, charming, charismatic, funny and has dimples + he is a software engineer and uses his skills to make fun things for his gf. I loved the effort that he put into this relationship.
He’s had his share of hardship too—losing his dad and dealing with his mom’s crime and prison sentence. As the oldest, he’s taken on a parental role for his siblings, which makes him so endearing. But beyond the tragic backstory, Justin is stable, respectful, and clear about his wants in a relationship. He doesn’t shy away from letting Emma know when her actions hurt him, and I’m all about that kind of honesty in a relationship. 👏
Emma- This girl is complex and real. She’s had a tough upbringing with a narcissistic mom, so she’s got emotional walls up, and let’s be honest, not every choice she makes is going to win her a “Most Likable” award. But guess what? She’s authentic, and I love how her character arc unfolds. The growth she experiences is honestly one of my favorite parts of the book.
The romance was everything that I ever wanted. The witty and sweet dialogues, catchy banters, physical attraction, and emotional intimacy, along with the perfect chemistry between Emma and Justin, are pure perfection! The chemistry is something I could almost reach my hand out and FEEL radiating off the page. Their domestic scenes had me swooning - where they would cook together and help the kids and I loved how she would just extend her trip. That first kiss scene literally gave me and Emma both butterflies, it was so well done.
What makes this romance stand out for me is the communication. Seriously, these two(Justin & Emma) actually talk about their thoughts, feelings, and expectations. No game-playing or unnecessary drama based on miscommunication. That alone took this book from good to great for me!
Other things I loved: first dates with kittens!! Questionnaires/google forms letting the person know what you like on dates!
Maddy was everything I wanted in a friend character—hilarious, protective, and loyal. She understood Emma so well, gave her reality checks and supported her, helped Justin figure her out, and overall, I just loved how she was there for her always. Major squad goals right there!
Justin’s Siblings: The kids are a handful, but I adored how they brought out Justin’s protective side. They added a lot of heart to the story, and watching Justin step up as a guardian really showcased his growth as a person
Emma’s mom, Amber, is the “villain,” but she's not one-dimensional or cartoonish. She’s realistic, and I honestly felt the tension Emma experienced with her.
Overall, this book was fantastic and honestly, there was nothing I didn’t love about it. It was witty, sweet, charming, and an absolute must-read!
Includes:
Online Meet-Cute
Dating Pact
Mental Health/Past Trauma
Summer Romance
Dual POV
Complex family dynamics
Found family//adoption//foster care//guardianship
Baby raccoons!
𝐏.𝐒 I love the cover page!
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆:Contemporary Romance
🔸𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒚: 🌶️
🔸𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: Part Of Your World (Book 3)
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Yes!!
So if you're into a slow-burn romance with a strong emotional arc, a fantastic supporting cast, and a little bit of summer magic, Just For The Summer should be on your TBR. You’ll get all the feels, all the swoons, and of course, all the character growth.
🔸 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:
“The love stories sold us the wrong thing. The best kind of love doesn’t happen on moonlit walks and romantic vacations. It happens in between the folds of everyday life. It’s not grand gestures that show how you feel, it’s all the little secret things you do to make her life better that you never tell her about. Taking the end piece of the bread at breakfast so she can have the last middle piece for her sandwich when you pack her lunch. Making sure her car always has gas so she never has to stop at the pump. Telling her you’re not cold and to take your jacket when you are in fact, very, very cold. It’s watching TV on a rainy Sunday while you’re doing laundry and turning her light off when she’s fallen asleep reading. Sharing pizza crusts and laughing about something the kids did and taking care of each other when you’re sick. It isn’t glamorous, it isn’t all butterflies and stars in your eyes. It’s real. This is the kind of love that forever is made of. Because if it’s this good when life is draining and mundane and hard, think of how wonderful it will be when the love songs are playing and the moon is out.”
“You're not asking too much," he said. "You were just asking the wrong person. Ask me instead.”
“You are not what happened to you. You are what you do next.”
“Sometimes the best way to show love or be kind to someone is to meet them where they are.”
“Unhealed trauma is a crack. And all the little hard things that trickle into it that would have rolled off someone else, settle. Then when life gets cold, that crack gets bigger, longer, deeper. It makes new breaks. You don’t know how broken she was or what she was trying to do to fill those cracks. Being broken is not an excuse for bad behavior, you still have to make good choices and do the right thing. But it can be the reason. And sometimes understanding the reason can be what helps you heal.”
“Not everything that comes out of crisis is bad. Sometimes your traumas are the reason you know how to help.”
“Maybe home isn’t a place. Maybe it’s a person.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked. He didn’t answer for a long moment. When he did, he did it with his eyes closed. “All I ever think about is you.”
“You don’t have to forgive her. You really don’t. You can still love someone that you’ve decided not to speak to anymore. You can still wish them well and hope for the best for them. Choosing a life without them doesn’t mean you stop caring about them. It just means that you can’t allow them to harm you anymore. But if you don’t think your life would be better without them in it, then accept that they have cracks. Try to understand how they got them and help fill them with something that isn’t ice.” She peered at me. “If you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy, Justin. It’s so much healthier than anger.”
“Be glad you don’t get it. It means your life has been a lot gentler than hers.”
“Sometimes I feel like the seasons could come and go and come and go, a hundred years could pass, a thousand, the ground could collapse under us, this house could crumble and go back to the earth, and we would still be standing here frozen in time, because every second I’m with you is eternal. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“To me, love meant you stayed. But now I understood that love sometimes means you let someone go.”
“The moment Emma came into view, my entire world slipped into slow motion. My brain took a screenshot. I felt the moment freeze and save. She was beautiful.”
“Because when you’re in love, you do hard things.”
“I’ve been waiting my whole life to feel like this and I thought it was a curse that nobody else ever worked out. But it wasn’t. It’s just that they weren’t you.”