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A review by tragedies
Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.0
My third Abby Jimenez book, and my god, was it a wild ride. Just for the Summer starts off with an AITA Reddit post gone viral, the glorious view of a Toilet King billboard, and a dating curse in which every person who dates the main characters, Justin and Emma, ends up finding their soulmate after they break up. As if that wasn't funny enough, this book also brings back two of our favorite people in Part of Your World (sarcastic): Neil, Alexis' ex, and Amber, Daniel's problematic mom. Compared to the previous books, this was definitely a clusterf*ck (pardon my words), and you know what? I surprisingly enjoyed it. I reveled in the chaos.
In fact, the romance in this story happens amid chaos. Justin's mom is going to prison, and in a few days, he will be the legal guardian to his three younger siblings. Emma, who's still haunted by her childhood trauma, finds the source of it visiting her again after two years of being MIA. Both of them have a lot on their plate, and the only safe space they have is each other. I love how they get to see one another in their most vulnerable moments, but at the same time, they also make each other laugh, exchange inside jokes, and make happy memories that help them get through difficult times and ultimately overshadow it.
Despite the unserious beginning, this story explores very serious and heavy themes, which the second half fully leaned into. I still felt giddy whenever there were cute moments between Justin and Emma, but most of the time, I was enraged, to the point that I wanted to enter the book and strangle someone. Some people truly aren't meant to be parents, and I detest the fact that someone as kind and loving as Emma had to go through what she went through. Nonetheless, I'm so happy that she has Maddy, her loyal, unwavering best friend, and now, Justin, who's caring, responsible, and will drop everything in a heartbeat for her, no matter how busy he is working and being a single parent of three.
To be honest, I don't love this as much as the first two books in the trilogy, but this was still a solid and entertaining read. It's also very well-written, and after listening to the author's notes, I really appreciated the amount of work that went into the symbolisms and metaphors in the book. It just goes to show how good of a writer Abby Jimenez is, that and the fact that all three books were bingeworthy enough that I finished them in the span of two weeks. She's quickly become one of my favorite romance writers along with Emily Henry, and I can't wait to read more from her.
In fact, the romance in this story happens amid chaos. Justin's mom is going to prison, and in a few days, he will be the legal guardian to his three younger siblings. Emma, who's still haunted by her childhood trauma, finds the source of it visiting her again after two years of being MIA. Both of them have a lot on their plate, and the only safe space they have is each other. I love how they get to see one another in their most vulnerable moments, but at the same time, they also make each other laugh, exchange inside jokes, and make happy memories that help them get through difficult times and ultimately overshadow it.
Despite the unserious beginning, this story explores very serious and heavy themes, which the second half fully leaned into. I still felt giddy whenever there were cute moments between Justin and Emma, but most of the time, I was enraged, to the point that I wanted to enter the book and strangle someone. Some people truly aren't meant to be parents, and I detest the fact that someone as kind and loving as Emma had to go through what she went through. Nonetheless, I'm so happy that she has Maddy, her loyal, unwavering best friend, and now, Justin, who's caring, responsible, and will drop everything in a heartbeat for her, no matter how busy he is working and being a single parent of three.
To be honest, I don't love this as much as the first two books in the trilogy, but this was still a solid and entertaining read. It's also very well-written, and after listening to the author's notes, I really appreciated the amount of work that went into the symbolisms and metaphors in the book. It just goes to show how good of a writer Abby Jimenez is, that and the fact that all three books were bingeworthy enough that I finished them in the span of two weeks. She's quickly become one of my favorite romance writers along with Emily Henry, and I can't wait to read more from her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment
Minor: Grief, Car accident, Death of parent