SSJCPL (Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library) discussion

Hello again! For June's discussion we have chosen Abby Jimenez's Just for the Summer as a nice palate cleanser and all around fun beachy summer read. We know it is the third book of her "Part of Your World" series, however it can be read as a standalone without missing any crucial details, but we would love to read an insights that would be missing found from reading the first two books.

Just for the Summer
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?

As always, let us know what you think and get the conversation going!

Just for the Summer is the third installment of Jimenez’s series “Part of Your World”. This romantic comedy features a heartwarming found-family theme that genuinely resonates. The plot centers around Justin, a man convinced he has a curse: every woman he dates ends up finding their soulmate right after they break up. He shares his story in a post on the AITA (Am I the Asshole) forum, where he explains how this curse leads to his best friend and roommate getting engaged to his ex-girlfriend, resulting in his friend abruptly ending their lease. In a humorous act of defiance, Justin decides to adopt the ugliest dog he can find and names it after his friend. Emma stumbles upon this post, and her best friend encourages her to reach out to Justin because she believes the same curse afflicts her. After some light-hearted exchanges, they bond and devise a plan: they’ll date briefly, believing their curses will neutralize each other, and then break up so they can find true love. It’s a ridiculous scheme that might just succeed.

Emma hadn’t intended for her next traveling nurse assignment to be in Minnesota. However, she and her best friend realize that dating Justin would be an incredible opportunity, especially since they can rent a charming cottage on a private island in Lake Minnetonka. What was meant to be a brief summer fling quickly evolves into something more profound. With Emma's difficult mother making an unexpected appearance and Justin stepping up to care for his three siblings, they find themselves navigating more than they ever anticipated, including genuine feelings for each other. After all the hype, I finally dove into my first Abby Jimenez novel, and I devoured it in just a few days! However, it might be just because I needed a break from the bleak parallelism with today’s reality in Orwell’s 1984.

Here are some quick highlights of what I loved: Justin: Honestly, he’s the ultimate book boyfriend. He’s charming, funny, has great banter, and is incredibly caring. The questionnaires he sends Emma before and after their dates were fun and such an original idea. Plus, his dedication to his family and openness about his emotions were heartwarming. I loved the banter the two characters had, which made the book such an easy read. This book not only delivers on romance, but it also features two richly layered characters with compelling backstories and challenges to face. The character growth was beautifully executed and profoundly moving. I liked how Jimenez made Emma take time away from Justin, even if we all hated it, to work on herself. She knew that she wanted to be better not only for herself, but for Justin and his family. I loved how Emma and Justin communicated openly about their feelings and expectations. Though Emma was not as open to Justin, and that was frustrating because I hate it when characters make problems for themselves when it can just be a conversation. Maddy was the quintessential ‘Best Friend’; I’m all about strong friendships in novels, and Maddy was a fantastic character. She was hilarious, fiercely protective, and a delightful addition to the story.

What Irked Me:
*While I enjoyed the idea of Justin and Emma being cursed and trying to break free through their relationship, I’m pretty sure Emma’s curse was more of her inability to have a healthy relationship because of her issues with Mom and upbringing, and her job as a traveling nurse.
*The use of the author saying Emma’s character gets small when she is facing a problem or something goes wrong could be better described as dissociation and avoidance problems. But I think her therapist diagnosed this at the end (I can’t remember exactly).
*I HATED HER MOTHER SO MUCH!!!!!! That woman had not one redeemable atom in her body. The more I read about her, the more angry I grew.

Technically, it's a standalone, but I felt a little out of the loop not having read Jimenez's earlier works at the end when some characters who appeared in previous books popped up, and I felt like I was missing out, even though it didn’t affect the main storyline. Despite these minor critiques, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it strikes a wonderful balance between romance and depth, filled with emotional highs, introspection, and plenty of swoons.