all the love

– This contains spoilers!! –

After reading a few thriller/murder mystery novels this summer, I have been craving an adorable, summery romance. So, I spent at least an hour going between Tiktok (looking for recommendations), Storygraph (looking at the description and reviews), and Amazon (seeing how much it costs). I paired it down to a few options, but ended up deciding on Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez. The reviews were great and since I was heading to the cottage for the weekend, I thought it would match the setting I was going for. I loved this book- I read it in less than 48 hours. This was the kind of read that had me whipping out the kindle app every chance I got because I was so fascinated with the characters. It was exactly what I was looking for and I need to share my thoughts!

The Vibe

Like I said, I chose this book because of the summery, cottage-on-the-lake romance plot. While the setting was all over Minnesota and not primarily the cottage like I was expecting, it was so so adorable anyways. I honestly had no idea what Minnesota was like going into this book, but a beautiful picture of it was painted through the dates Justin took Emma on. As well, I can imagine just how beautiful the cottage on Lake Minnetonka was, despite the terrible transportation there. This is my first time reading an Abby Jimenez book and I absolutely love her writing style. I don’t typically like dual-POV books, but I really liked what it added to this one! It helped a lot to see both characters’ innner monologue and how they percieved the relationship.

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

Just For The Summer, Abby Jimenez

The Plot

This book did a really great job at portraying mental health and the challenges that come with navigating different types of relationships. I think that the sub-plot of Emma’s relationship with her mom was written really well. Emma’s mixed feelings about it and the development of the relationship seemed so realistic. I think my favourite part of the book was the few days that Justin and Emma spent in the cottage while sick. It showed just how infatuated they were with each other and the small displays of affection had me smiling down at my phone. While I loved the ending and would not change it, I need to mention the FEAR in my body when I was 95% through the book and Justin and Emma still weren’t back together. I did finish the book with a little longing to see more of their relationship, but this was somewhat fixed with the eplilogue. I loved the way it was written as a Reddit post, tying it back into the way Emma and Justin’s story started. However, I would still like to see a sequel with their married relationship. I think it would be interesting to see the way things play out with Justin’s siblings, Emma’s newfound family, and even more character development.

“four dates, one kiss, and a breakup”

Just For The Summer, Abby Jimenez

The Characters

In my opinion, the characters were the strongest feature of this book. The depth in their personalities and traits outside of the romance made them so lovable and in some ways, relatable. The dual-POV writing style made it easy to see how Justin fell first and fell harder, which is a more rare trope that I love so much. Justin is such a genuine and funny person, I especially loved the pre/post-date surveys he always sent. I really think that Emma’s character development was incredible. Her self-awareness and strength to step away from the relationship, knowing it was what was best for Justin and his family, was so impressive and admirable (although it did break my heart slightly). Her ability to make the people around her feel comfortable, which I saw clearly when she spent time with Sarah, was the sweetest. I also love Maddy, who was an exemplary best friend to Emma. Their friendship was so strong and they knew each other inside and out, a sign of a genuine friendship. The banter between Justin and Emma was so perfect, I absolutely loved all of their inside jokes and especially the constant Toilet King references. As well, the way that Justin took the time to learn how to take care of Emma when she felt small was lovely. The characters in this book were amazing and definitely the feature that kept me intrigued.

“I had the gift of extreme empathy paired with detachment. I could deeply understand someone and anticipate their needs, but also never get close enough to them to feel it when they passed away or suffered or I moved on.”

Just For The Summer, Abby Jimenez

If you haven’t read the book yet but decided to read this post anyways, I hope I convinced you to read it. If you need a little more convincing, have a look at the pinterest board I made (you can find it here), it shows the beautiful aesthetic of the book. More likely, if you have already read it, feel free to comment or DM me on instagram (click here) to chat more about it! You can also check out the author’s website and explore their other works here!

All the love,

Grace