Just For The Summer

I just finished this book a couple of hours ago and I had to write my review right away. Just For The Summer is the third book in the Part of Your World series, unbeknownst to me. *insert eye roll here* I started to clue in late in the game - really late! - but became excited when I started to put it together and see how Emma fits into this romance universe

Just For The Summer is the whole contemporary romance enchilada that we've come to love from Jimenez. There's good chemistry, funny banter, complex family dynamics (including heaps of dysfunction), great secondary characters (Maddy!), sensitive mental health rep ... and an ugly dog, a Toilet King for something new (IYKYK).

I know my favourite part should be the romance and it was sweet (with low spice) and despite the Insta-Love, I loved the main couple together. Sure, the main premise of Emma and Justin, two strangers meeting up to break the apparent hex on their dating lives was unique, but it fades into the background as the story digs deeper into the stress in Justin's life and the emotional and psychological issues that have plagued Emma since childhood. 

My favourite part: Maddy. Gah! Sisterhood love! Maddy, Emma's BFF stole the show for me. I loved her snarky banter and the fierce bond she had with Emma who was her BFF and foster sister. She is Emma's 'ride or die', her 'person', her 'lobster' (bonus points for getting the Grey's Anatomy and Friends references) and their friendship was a delightfully unexpected and touching addition to an already wonderful read. 

As she's done in previous books in the series, Jimenez addresses some heavy topics - child neglect, PTSD, panic attacks and dysfunctional family - so there are some poignant, hard-hitting moments. But these topics were handled with sensitivity and the lighter aspects and humour helped to balance the heaviness of these emotional topics.

This book lives up to its immense hype. It would make a great summer read and if you haven't read the first two books - Part of Your World and Yours Truly - I also strongly recommend them.

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Abby Jimenez

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Fiction

Series: #3 in the Part of Your World series

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Publisher: Forever

First Published: April 2, 2024

Book Description from GoodReads: Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?