Abby Jimenez

A sharp and scintillating summer novel that will make readers laugh out loud and cry happy tears from the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly. 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?

Just for the Summer

He didn't answer for a long moment. When he did, he did it with his eyes closed. "All I ever think about is you."

Something happened in my chest. A flutter. Or a crack. I had to clutch it with a hand like a part of me was going to spill out.

My heart was still pounding. It was so rare for a man to make my heart pound. I knew my heart should pound when I was with a guy I liked. Only mine never had. Everything was always flat for me.

Did she have issues? Yes. Did I believe that there were some people not meant for parenthood—also yes.

Annika McClintock

"Unhealed trauma is a crack. And all the little hard things that trickle into it that would have rolled off Someone else, settle. Then when life gets cold, that crack gets bigger, longer, deeper.”

Edna Aviles

"He's clear." She set her phone down and picked up her wrap. "I don't see any red flags here, other than he's got a J name. J-named men are the worst. 

I love that she adds this to the beginning of all her book. 

Dear Reader, While my books are all rom-coms, some themes in this story may be triggering for some readers. If you feel trigger warnings are spoilers and you don't need them, please skip the next paragraph and jump right into the book. This book has scenes containing panic attacks, anxiety, PTSD, depression, depictions of undiagnosed mental health issues, a toxic mother, and past child neglect. Please visit my web- site or Goodreads page for a full list of content guidance.

“Why not forgive? In a world where you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy”.

prawnie

If you had asked me yesterday, I would have said it was her. Instead she’d end up being the one who got away. Not a soulmate, just the love of my life. And unfortunately they’re not the same thing.

He put a hand to my cheek. “Sometimes I feel like the seasons could come and go and come and go, a hundred years could pass, a thousand, the ground could collapse under us, this house could crumble and go back to the earth, and we would still be standing here frozen in time, because every second I’m with you is eternal. I’ve never felt anything like it.”

Justin was on the island. Not the real one. The one in my soul.

The soulmate I’d get once Emma and I broke up. So that was Maddy’s prediction: There was no hope. But my foolish heart would hope anyway. It didn’t know how not to.

“The chaos you grew up in! This whole life you’ve made—the travel nursing and the constant moving—you’re reliving your childhood,” she said. “Doing it in a safe way you can control. You slap the word ‘adventure’ on it like lipstick on a pig, but it is what it is, just another way to keep you from ever belonging to anywhere or anyone.”

Emma had an aloofness to her. Like she was just along for the ride and the ride didn’t mean much. At least not as much as it meant to me.

“When men stop assaulting women they meet on the internet, we’ll stop creeping on them to make sure they pass the vibe check.”

A sharp and scintillating summer novel that will make readers laugh out loud and cry happy tears from the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly. 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?

This is the thing nobody tells you about The One. How they're timeless. How the moment they pop up again youre right back in it, right where you left off. I was darted through the heart, hit by the truck, my brain taking the screenshot.

"You are not what happened to you. You are what you do next.”

You’re not asking too much," he said. "You were just asking the wrong person. Ask me instead"

But for Emma, I would make time. It wasn’t even a question. I would fit her into the complicated web that was my life. Because when you’re in love, you do hard things. And nothing about anything was easy right now.

The air stilled in my lungs. Words taken right out of my own mind and said back to me out loud. If this isn’t magic then what is?

He put a hand to my cheek. "Sometimes I feel like the seasons could come and go and come and go, a hundred years could pass, a thousand, the ground could collapse under us, this house could crumble and go back to the earth, and we would still be standing here frozen in time, because every second I'm with you is eternal. I've never felt anything like it." 

I liked seeing this other side of him - this paternal version that signed permission slips and brushed a little girl's hair into pigtails and made breakfast in slippers and a hoodie and pajama bottoms. 

This wasnt like anything I’d ever known. I wanted him to hold me after. To wake up with me in the morning and eat cereal in my bed while we watched TV. I wanted to see his pajamas on Christmas morning and find out what he looked like with birthday candles lighting his face and snow in his hair. I wanted to be tangled in him, in all his limbs and all his strings.

My lack of permanence was my protection. I left people and places, so I didn't have to play. If I didn't play, I couldn't lose. But if I left Justin, I would lose anyway.

rebecca

tiffany 

- SOOOOO GOODD. JUSTIN THE GREENEST GREEN GREEN FLAG EVERRR. To the point, I feel like he’s sacrificing so much. 

- The gform thing was the reason why I read this in the first place and IT WAS FROM REAL LIFE MOMENTS?!!! 

- Read it on an e-book. Going to buy the (actual) book now. And re-read it🙃

- There were a few times this book was hard to read since the topic was quite heavy. Ok i’m not just gonna hype up justin, but emma’s the kindest person EVER. I couldn’t get to INTO IT about her illness(?) so i could only stand on justin’s. But it’s an eye-opener. 

- I’ll not shut up about this book. 

Definitely not a chill summer rom-com book, really emotional at times but definitely an excellent read! 

Neeha Mian

I LOVED IT. I loved ALL of it, even the Q&A with Abby Jimenez.

This book is not just about romance; it also addresses many things realistically especially the situation with Amber. I love what Abby Jimenez wrote in the Q&A part of the book, “But in the real world we don’t always get answers for why people are the way they are. Even when we do get answers, they’re often wrong or only part of the truth. No two people are made the same. We all have different experiences and brain chemistry and abilities. Amber is complex and can’t be summarized by a mental health condition or personality disorder. Nobody can. These things can overlap and evolve, wane and wax. They can be exacerbated by a multitude of factors, stress, and changing situations.” This is true enough. In today’s world, where mental health is acknowledged, there are still things that cannot be fully explained because they are too complex. 

Nevertheless, I loved that this book gave me a happy ending because I looove happy endings. 😌❤️

Natalie

I LOVED IT. I loved ALL of it, even the Q&A with Abby Jimenez.

This book is not just about romance; it also addresses many things realistically especially the situation with Amber. I love what Abby Jimenez wrote in the Q&A part of the book, “But in the real world we don’t always get answers for why people are the way they are. Even when we do get answers, they’re often wrong or only part of the truth. No two people are made the same. We all have different experiences and brain chemistry and abilities. Amber is complex and can’t be summarized by a mental health condition or personality disorder. Nobody can. These things can overlap and evolve, wane and wax. They can be exacerbated by a multitude of factors, stress, and changing situations.” This is true enough. In today’s world, where mental health is acknowledged, there are still things that cannot be fully explained because they are too complex. 

Nevertheless, I loved that this book gave me a happy ending because I looove happy endings. 😌❤️

my god... abby jimenez did it again. the way she writes her characters with so much depth & care amazes me. she has a very deep understanding for and connection with her characters that she’s able to make the writing so meaningful & sincere. emma grant has one of the most well-written character development arcs i’ve seen. all her life, she’s been carrying the burden that is her mother, who consciously made the choice to control & pattern her daughter’s life to her own messed up one. this has instilled great fear in emma – the fear to stay, to take root, to love and be loved. it was so heartbreaking to read her story, how deep the trauma has manifested in her life, and how it shattered her when she found out her mother’s lies. emma’s journey to healing was difficult – it entailed filling in cracks made for 29 years, and letting go of the one person who got in the island of her soul other than maddy, the person who made her feel she deserves to be loved and cared for. justin... the man that u are! his love for emma was full and unwavering. it’s the kind that helped emma filled her cracks, and embraced her when she was feeling small.

this world abby jimenez built was so magical and lovely. i loved reading her little Q&As & author’s notes at the end of each book bc it revealed so much context & details that made me love the books even more. i love how each character in this trilogy found themselves experiencing the magic of wakan. in a way, i felt like i was touched by it too.

chel

4.75 <3

my god... abby jimenez did it again. the way she writes her characters with so much depth & care amazes me. she has a very deep understanding for and connection with her characters that she’s able to make the writing so meaningful & sincere. emma grant has one of the most well-written character development arcs i’ve seen. all her life, she’s been carrying the burden that is her mother, who consciously made the choice to control & pattern her daughter’s life to her own messed up one. this has instilled great fear in emma – the fear to stay, to take root, to love and be loved. it was so heartbreaking to read her story, how deep the trauma has manifested in her life, and how it shattered her when she found out her mother’s lies. emma’s journey to healing was difficult – it entailed filling in cracks made for 29 years, and letting go of the one person who got in the island of her soul other than maddy, the person who made her feel she deserves to be loved and cared for. justin... the man that u are! his love for emma was full and unwavering. it’s the kind that helped emma filled her cracks, and embraced her when she was feeling small.

this world abby jimenez built was so magical and lovely. i loved reading her little Q&As & author’s notes at the end of each book bc it revealed so much context & details that made me love the books even more. i love how each character in this trilogy found themselves experiencing the magic of wakan. in a way, i felt like i was touched by it too.

you know when you have to cover the rest of the page with your hand because you’re scared of what’s gonna happen next? yeah that for the last three chapters

Cara 🤍

Lien Andries 

shiya

after letting it marinate for a second, i think it deserves the 4.5 rating. 0_=

wasn’t a big fan of part of your world (dnf’d at 60%! i will try to pick it up again soon tho) and i had little expectations going into this one but i loved it :( the way it started with an AITA post already had me hooked lol!!! and emma is so relatable and seeing myself in a main character that’s so ready to run for the hills all the time… crazy! but justin and emma’s love story was so comforting to read. all of the dates, surveys, little acts of service things.. i loved it. plus i am a big fan of found family so!!! ok maybe ill rate it 5 stars… i will think.

after letting it marinate for a second, i think it deserves the 4.5 rating. 0_=

wasn’t a big fan of part of your world (dnf’d at 60%! i will try to pick it up again soon tho) and i had little expectations going into this one but i loved it :( the way it started with an AITA post already had me hooked lol!!! and emma is so relatable and seeing myself in a main character that’s so ready to run for the hills all the time… crazy! but justin and emma’s love story was so comforting to read. all of the dates, surveys, little acts of service things.. i loved it. plus i am a big fan of found family so!!! ok maybe ill rate it 5 stars… i will think.

😭😭😭 I LOVED the ending of this book so much and the whole story overall. This author is 3/3 5 star reads from me and I can’t wait for her future stuff. I get sucked in every single time.

Jordan Leatherdale

Lidia testa

Tabitha T

This was such a fun read! I love everything about it! I’m OBSESSED with Justin! He is really the definition of ‘If He Wanted To He Would’! It’s such a fast read( i read it in like 2 days). I loved the fact that Justin put effort in planning the dates( the invitations that he send were amazing). And i also think that Emma did the right thing to leave and work on herself. 🩷 I HATE AMBER !! When i read the epilogue I ADORED IT!!!! 10/10 I probably would read it again!

irina

I liked that Abby Jimenez made them both work on their own baggage separately and brought them back together at the end. But jeez were some of these characters insufferable. And I am aware I don’t have to like every character but in a romance book I just like to root for one person at least and I just couldn’t with this book. I didn’t hate it it just fell flat for me. The humor in this was pretty funny I giggled at some parts. 

Lauren R

I promise you I’m not a rom com kinda guy and I’m not sure what prompted me to read just for the summer. I can say without a doubt, it was such a breathe of fresh air and just another realization that empathy and love kinda matter in every relationship. Don’t tell anyone I’m a soft guy 

Uchenna Ukwu

I thought this book was just okay. I had higher expectations for it and I just don't feel like it delivered. 

I'm not always a big fan of an "instalove" trope and this book leans pretty heavily into that. 

Paige Leitner

I thought this book was just okay. I had higher expectations for it and I just don't feel like it delivered. 

I'm not always a big fan of an "instalove" trope and this book leans pretty heavily into that. 

First Abby Jimenez book I’ve read and I’m obsessed, Justin is the best book boyfriend ever 

Erinn Costa

This took me so long to read BUT IDK WHY because i absolutely LOVED it. Prob my favorite Abby Jimenez to date🙊

Jillian Roberts

Ugh i’m a putz for a good romance and this was amazing.  The plot was so good but honestly the personal growth and dealing with mental health really tied it all together and made it five stars.

I do not normally give 5 stars… but oh. My. Gosh. If you have not read this book or are not currently reading it, what are you doing. You need it immediately.

This book is perfection. The story, the writing style, the characters, the setting, the emotion. Work of art. 

I was recommended this book by two friends and I could not recommend it more myself. This book broke my heart and sewed it back together, I might have a new favorite. I have never tabbed a book so much. I have thought about it everyday since finishing it and it is honestly life changing.

The author worked with three separate doctors about psychology, mental health, and ptsd and it 100% shows in the writing and with how amazing this book is. 

“If you can ever choose between anger or empathy, always choose empathy” 🫶🏼

Sofie I

I do not normally give 5 stars… but oh. My. Gosh. If you have not read this book or are not currently reading it, what are you doing. You need it immediately.

This book is perfection. The story, the writing style, the characters, the setting, the emotion. Work of art. 

I was recommended this book by two friends and I could not recommend it more myself. This book broke my heart and sewed it back together, I might have a new favorite. I have never tabbed a book so much. I have thought about it everyday since finishing it and it is honestly life changing.

The author worked with three separate doctors about psychology, mental health, and ptsd and it 100% shows in the writing and with how amazing this book is. 

“If you can ever choose between anger or empathy, always choose empathy” 🫶🏼

this book genuinely changed me, i am an acts of service girly and i absolutely ADORE justin so much. At first I rlly hated the way emma acted ab her mother bc its like “why not js see it how it is” but by the end of the book i genuinely understood it. This book has probably taught me more life lessons than anything atm. I cried so so so much

Just for the Summer

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