New Book Release: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

📝 What is Just for the Summer about?:

After Justin’s curse goes viral, he and Emma devise a plan to break each other’s curses by dating and intentionally breaking up. Set in Minnesota, their summer fling becomes complicated when they unexpectedly develop genuine feelings amidst family responsibilities and personal challenges, raising the question of whether fate has finally brought them together for real.

📚 Genre: Romance

🎧 Format: E-Book

💞 Feels: ⭐⭐⭐

I really wanted to like this book. This book required some mulling over before I could write my review. I don’t know why but I didn’t really connect with the main characters. What it might be that I was bumping up against? I think that I was anticipating more romance in the equation, less family turmoil.

I had the same issue with Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez, but in this instance, unlikable characters from Jimenez’ other books are added into this tale to challenge the main characters, Emma and Justin. Amber and Neil, side characters from Part of Your World, are given more of a spotlight in Just for the Summer. I didn’t need to see them again, I didn’t need to have their stories explained, resolved or acknowledged. There was too much of them – the same way there was too much of Vanessa’s family in Life’s Too Short. I mean even in this review they’re pulling focus.

Now I had no problem with Justin’s family, strangely, maybe because it was kids (similar to This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan). I felt like the challenge of dating with kids, all of a sudden, I could identify with more. I didn’t find that situation as frustrating as the issue of Amber and Neil. They pulled focus from Emma and Justin. And I wanted more of Emma and Justin. The purposeful isolation of Emma on her own “island” was a good way to keep her remote and create challenges for Justin to connect with her.

I guess in order to show Emma’s avoidant attachment style, her mother, (Amber) the cause of her mental health issues, needed to be present. But did she need to be a returning character from another book? Did Amber need to date another returning character? It was all too convenient, I didn’t find it cute, and usually bringing a character back is [insert: Leo pointing meme here 🤭], but not when I can’t stand them or they’re not on a redemption arc. Maybe they’ll get to their redemption one day, bring them back again, give them their own separate books; they’re going to have to work hard on themselves.

Justin’s familial challenges just made me like him more; he seemed more available to the reader. While Emma made me anxious, and I worried about how she was getting in her own way. I’m glad she realized she needed to focus on herself before she could be in a relationship. I wish she’d been able to stay around Justin and his family, but I’m sure it would’ve just resulted in more drama and a much longer book. But MORE Justin and Emma interactions…I’m torn.

This third act break up was different, no ridiculous fight that you just know is flinty and won’t last. For this one I wasn’t sure how long they’d be apart; because this book does let time pass. I was definitely turning pages quickly at this point to find out where Emma was going and what they’d each been up to as time had passed; and how they’d hopefully become better for each other. Satisfying story dismount.

✅ Spinoff novella nomination:

Maddy and Doug deserved better, a couple sentences about them dating, falling in love and marrying wasn’t enough!

What are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments.

SHOP FOR JUST FOR THE SUMMER BY ABBY JIMENEZ