Just for the Summer

"Just for the Summer" by Abby Jimenez captivated me from start to finish, earning its place as one of the best stories I've ever read. Emma and Justin's characters were so compelling, which is rare for me as I don't easily connect with heroines in books. Their struggles were portrayed with such depth that it added a wonderful layer of conflict to the narrative.

I particularly enjoyed the incorporation of the Reddit post, which added a hilarious and authentic touch. The recurring question of "Am I the A-hole?" provided a delightful comic element throughout the story. Jimenez's storytelling prowess truly shines here, seamlessly blending humor with moments that evoked genuine tears from me.

What struck me most was the seamless connection to the first book, "Part of Your World." It prompted me to revisit the earlier story, realizing how much I had forgotten. Upon rereading both books, I found myself even more enamored with "Just for the Summer."

Our international book club had a riveting discussion about the characters, particularly Amber, whose complexity led us to ponder whether she was a narcissist, bipolar, or a blend of both. The depth and believability of the characters sparked conversations as if they were real individuals rather than fictional creations.

Experiencing the book through both Kindle and Audible, narrated by Christine Lakin and Zachary Weber, was a treat. Both narrators brought the story to life with their exceptional talent, enhancing the overall experience.

I wholeheartedly recommend any book penned by Abby Jimenez. Her storytelling prowess and ability to craft multidimensional characters make her a must-read author for me.

One of the things I love most about all of Abby’s books is the depth of her characters. She writes such wonderfully complex and relatable characters. This book is no exception.

Emma is tough, smart, understanding and empathetic. Given her childhood, that’s an amazing testament to her character. Justin is reliable, steadfast, compassionate, and generous. He’s the definition of if he wanted to he would.

Watching their relationship unfold in the pages of this book was both humorous and heartbreaking. Emma has lived through childhood trauma and neglect. Justin is dealing with losses of his own.

Watching Justin step up for his family and Emma learn to set boundaries and deal with her trauma in a healthy way is beautifully written. Abby takes you on an emotional journey and handles difficult topics with compassion and understanding.

Pretty sure I’m still on the verge of tears while writing this, and that’s because of how emotionally invested I was in the relationship. Jimenez is so skilled at writing these playful, chemistry-filled romances that make me smile one minute and have a churning in my gut the next. This one really put me through my paces emotionally, with these gorgeous, sunshiney moments juxtaposed with an undercurrent of heartache and pain. These two fell for each other in such an effortless way, even though that was never the plan. Our sweetheart of a hero was swooning from the start, and I LOVED how adorably smitten he was. So freaking adorable, this man. Our black cat heroine put up a good fight, but she didn’t stand a chance against him. The relationship was bright and easy, which contrasted perfectly with the chaos swirling around them both. Neither was in the right headspace to fall in love, but it found them anyways - even though the road to HEA was filled with landmines. Such a compelling and complex read, EASILY my new favorite from the author.

The story follows Emma, a woman who is constantly on the move. She didn’t have the best childhood, so she prefers to take temporary jobs and travel around the country with her best friend. One day, Emma reads an AITA post and relates to the guy - every time he dates someone, the next person they meet ends up being their soulmate. The same thing seems to happen to Emma every time, so the two bond over DMs and text messages. It’s not long before Emma and Justin make a plan - they’ll go on a few dates with each other and break both of their dating curses. But once they meet face-to-face, that plan begins to crumble. Not only do they get along way better than either could’ve anticipated, but keeping things fun and easy is impossible to do when both of their messy families get involved. Soon, Justin and Emma are falling for each other in a very real way, which could cause trouble for them both.

I loved the concept of two strangers who bond over DMs and messages before connecting in person, and the epistolary element was great. Justin and Emma both know they’re not in the right headspace for something real, but that’s not what they ever intended to be for each other. Their relationship developed so naturally, and it was easy to see how perfect they were for each other. I was laughing, smiling, and swooning right along with them, especially since Justin is such a fantastic man. He’s so steady and cuddly and adorable, even though he’s barely keeping his head above water. It’s definitely a case of meeting the right person at the absolute worst time, which ratchets up the tension in a major way. Emma is such a complicated character, but I loved her too. After six books, I’m never surprised when Jimenez emotionally devastates me with her twists and turns, but I was still taken aback by how much it hurt this time. It’s not a story I’ll be forgetting anytime soon, it’s both entertaining and impactful. I loved it!

Audio note: The audio is fabulous, highly recommended in the format! The epistolary element at the beginning is almost duet-style, so I had my fingers crossed that it would be that way throughout (it’s not), but both narrators give excellent, emotive performances. I’m not familiar with Christine Laken, but I loved her voice and the emotion she was able to infuse into the story. There were a couple of instances where it was difficult to tell who she was voicing, but that would be my only complaint. This is the best I’ve ever heard Zachary Webber, he gives an incredibly strong performance. The runtime (11-12 hours) was just slightly more than I could get through in a single day, but I could not wait to dive back in. There’s a very minimal amount of spice, so no worries there if you plan to listen at work - just be aware that you might start crying at any time, lol. All in all, I’m very glad I was able to experience the story in that format.

At the time of writing this, I can say this is hands down my favorite 2024 book thus far. This hook was both comical and touching. Silly and deep. Tragic and uplifting. All of the characters were incredibly well developed. I instantly felt for both Justin and Emma. I loved the varying family dynamics including chosen family elements too! I thought this book beautifully tackled every day struggles with mental health. Several times the book actually moved me to tears. Justin is basically the perfect man and Emma was so beautifully raw. What a fantastic story. Highly highly recommend!

There was a lot to like here: fun premise, great writing, and a wonderful golden retriever type book boyfriend

However, this story tackles some really heavy topics such as abandonment, child neglect, abuse, and mental illness, and overall left me feeling a bit down. I also felt like the author went really hard during the 3rd act, but then tied everything up too easily? Almost like using short term therapy as a magic wand.

Overall, this is a great story that I would recommend with some content warnings ⚠️ but probably would not read again.