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A review by yas_sezer
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
4.5
4.5 stars - kicking my feet, giggling, but also why am i crying?
i was not surprised when i found myself really enjoying this right from the beginning - ive read 3 of abbys books so far and all have been a hit.
- i really connected to our main characters emma and justin. as usual, there are some serious topics explored alongside their romance. their hurdles are real hurdles, not just "i love him but refuse to tell him haha now we havent spoken in 10 years how did this happen". no, theres none of that. emma dealing with PTSD and trauma and emotional abuse from her mum, but also justin trying to balance a whole new life that gets thrown on him consisting of raising 3 kids for 6 years! safe to say i was invested.
- maddy is such a great friend. i really resonated with her anger and tough love mentality when it came to emma, particularly in relation to amber (ugh). she is the constant support for her, is her sister no doubt, but seeing her exhaustion is important too. its difficult to see someone you love repeat the same mistakes over and over because they are so blinded by the manipulation or simply just in denial. despite that difficulty, i respected that she never gave up on her, gave justin guidance on how to support emma, and always showed up even when everything was pushing her not to. mad respect for maddy.
- amber is a whole shit show, and unfortunately people like her really exist haha how fun. the toxicity, manipulation, gaslighting, rejection of help, the lies- there is nothing this woman has that can justify her actions or give a reason for emma to keep her around honestly. i did feel sorry for her at the beginning, but then as i read on i just couldnt do it anymore. i emotionally disconnected from her and then that was it for me. i couldnt wait till she was gone.
- i was not expecting the family history plotline to come back and especially not in that much detail, but i am glad it did. daniel is emmas half brother?? she has an entire family with nieces, aunts, cousins, sister-in law, she had grandparents she missed out on all because her mum lied for SELFISH reasons. i dont know why i didnt connect the dots between daniels story and emmas, but i was jaw on the floor when we found out about the relation. i also liked that emma went to live with them for 6 months while she actively worked on healing and becoming a better person, not only for herself, but for justin.
- i loved the actual relationship. justin is a bundle of sunshine and i instantly connected with his character. the banter, the sexual tension, the open and honest communication, the vulnerability, the SHOWING UP - i ate it all up thank you. even the tiny bit of smut we get feels so emotionally driven. i did shed many tears purely because of how nice he is and how he loves her
i was not surprised when i found myself really enjoying this right from the beginning - ive read 3 of abbys books so far and all have been a hit.
- i really connected to our main characters emma and justin. as usual, there are some serious topics explored alongside their romance. their hurdles are real hurdles, not just "i love him but refuse to tell him haha now we havent spoken in 10 years how did this happen". no, theres none of that. emma dealing with PTSD and trauma and emotional abuse from her mum, but also justin trying to balance a whole new life that gets thrown on him consisting of raising 3 kids for 6 years! safe to say i was invested.
- maddy is such a great friend. i really resonated with her anger and tough love mentality when it came to emma, particularly in relation to amber (ugh). she is the constant support for her, is her sister no doubt, but seeing her exhaustion is important too. its difficult to see someone you love repeat the same mistakes over and over because they are so blinded by the manipulation or simply just in denial. despite that difficulty, i respected that she never gave up on her, gave justin guidance on how to support emma, and always showed up even when everything was pushing her not to. mad respect for maddy.
- amber is a whole shit show, and unfortunately people like her really exist haha how fun. the toxicity, manipulation, gaslighting, rejection of help, the lies- there is nothing this woman has that can justify her actions or give a reason for emma to keep her around honestly. i did feel sorry for her at the beginning, but then as i read on i just couldnt do it anymore. i emotionally disconnected from her and then that was it for me. i couldnt wait till she was gone.
- i was not expecting the family history plotline to come back and especially not in that much detail, but i am glad it did. daniel is emmas half brother?? she has an entire family with nieces, aunts, cousins, sister-in law, she had grandparents she missed out on all because her mum lied for SELFISH reasons. i dont know why i didnt connect the dots between daniels story and emmas, but i was jaw on the floor when we found out about the relation. i also liked that emma went to live with them for 6 months while she actively worked on healing and becoming a better person, not only for herself, but for justin.
- i loved the actual relationship. justin is a bundle of sunshine and i instantly connected with his character. the banter, the sexual tension, the open and honest communication, the vulnerability, the SHOWING UP - i ate it all up thank you. even the tiny bit of smut we get feels so emotionally driven. i did shed many tears purely because of how nice he is and how he loves her