Emma and Justin suffer from the same problem, each of their former lovers finds their soulmate in their very next relationship, so they decide to date each other to break the curse. Emma and her friend, Maddy who are traveling nurses, choose to take their next 6 week job in Minnesota where Justin lives. The timing couldn't be worse as Justin is about to take sole custody of his three siblings, and Emma's mother makes a surprise but unwelcome appearance.

If a rom-com is the kind of book you are looking for, Just for the Summer is not it. While the story does start out with a cute premise and first few meetings between Emma and Justin are fun, the tone of the book changes dramatically after that. The book delves into mental health issues that become the central conflict of the plot, and the humor from the beginning of the narrative is quickly gone. Even though the story is well written and the characters are sympathetic, I would classify most of this novel as literary fiction rather the romance, despite the fact that there is an HEA at the end. Overall, Just for the Summer is a very emotional, hard-hitting novel that doesn't pull any punches. ( )

As usual, Abby Jimenez brings some trigger points into her novels, and handles them with sensitivity She also writes some great dialogue. 2024 read. Rounded up in star ratings. ( )

OK, this was a great Abby Jimenez book! Ive read a few and realize I get to the part where I just want to tell the character, kick her out or just leave. The author handles the life in crisis differently, with empathy, and remarks, if you are one to have empathy, never lose it. Just a great story! ( )

Just for the Summer was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2024. I read the Target Exclusive edition which included a bonus chapter about Maddy and Doug's meet cute.

I loved this book! It is easy to see the research and loving care that Abby Jimenez puts into her characters and their unique personalities. Both Justin and Emma have tough things to deal with and they learn from each other. There are some truly funny moments interspersed throughout the serious ones. I love that the main characters vowed to tell the other exactly what they were thinking should they be asked. It was truly a beautiful book, and I can't wait to hear what Abby will be writing about next. ( )

I really liked the setup for this book, but it ended up being my least favorite of this series.

There are a lot of mental health struggles covered in this book and therefore it leaned more serious than I would have liked. I did like all of the easter eggs, but admittedly some of them went over my head until I read the author's note. The disadvantage to reading books right when they come out instead of binging a series. ( )