There was so much to love about Emma and Justin in Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez. These two started off just trying to break a curse, but they ended up discovering so much more about their own strengths and who they wanted to be as a person. Jimenez has always done an excellent job at writing real-world scenarios into her rom-coms and tackling them head on, and Emma’s flight response due to parental abandonment as a child was done so well. Just for the Summer felt like the heaviest Abby Jimenez book I’ve ever read in terms of my emotional response, but the little joys throughout Justin and Emma’s romance, coupled with the fantastic tie-ins to previous Jimenez books, made this a favorite read.
“Maybe home isn’t a place. Maybe it’s a person.”
Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Standalone
April 2, 2024
Read this if you want:
- Cute animal sidekicks
- Imperfect characters dealing with very real problems
- Hero falls first
I could be in the tornado, or I could be in the eye. But I could never be out of the storm.
Emma has always been ready to pick up and leave. Her life as a travel nurse means she’s spent her adult years on the move and living out of suitcases. Thanks to a traumatic childhood and a relationship curse, Emma wouldn’t have it any other way. But then she meets Justin, who suffers from similar relationship troubles, and decides that together they can break each other’s curse. No strings attached.
Four dates, one kiss, and a break up – and Emma and Justin can both be free.
But this is an Abby Jimenez romance, so of course there are plenty of laughs, a lovable animal, and a whole lot of self-discovery as Justin and Emma’s plans go very much not according to plan.
I adore Jimenez’s rom-coms, and Just for the Summer was everything I needed in a romance. I related a lot to Emma regarding her relationship to her mother, so while Part of Your World will always have a top spot in my list of Abby Jimenez titles, Emma will always have a special place in my heart.
“Four dates, one kiss, and a breakup”
I was actually surprised at the very real trauma that Jimenez included in this story. Maybe it was because I could deeply understand how Emma was feeling throughout the book, but this book seemed so much deeper and raw than her previous titles. I can’t even tell you how many tears I cried for Emma.
However, despite how Emma’s reality affected me, I thoroughly loved this book from cover to cover. There was plenty of Jimenez’s signature humor, fantastic characters, and some really great tie-ins to Jimenez’s other books. Even when Emma’s trauma response was at its worst, I still couldn’t put this book down because of these characters and this plot.
While Justin and Emma’s romance can easily be loved as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Part of Your World and Yours Truly first for optimal enjoyment.
“You are the only thing in my life making me happy right now. And I’m not the least bit afraid to tell you that.”
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