Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez Review + Guide | (Part of Your World, #3)

Four dates, one kiss, and a breakup. Just for the summer.

Images via Goodreads

Goodreads : 4.40 stars, 439,030 ratings, 64,999 reviews

Format : : 432 pages, Paperback

Published : April 2, 2024 by Forever

Genres : Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Chick Lit, Mental Health, Adult Fiction

Tropes : Summer Romance, Online Meet – Cute, Dating Pact, Friends to Lovers, Mental Health, Plot Twist, 3rd book in the series

*Important – I don’t own all the pictures used in this post or on my edits, so I always mention the source and credits as all the rights go to respective owners. But I only claim the editing so please contact me if you have any problem. Thank you

About Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez + Summary

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez is the 3rd book in the Part of Your World Series. The book is about Justin and Emma. Emma is a travel nurse, who randomly finds a guy on reddit who has the same problem or curse which they like to call.

Which is, Every person who dates them gets their soulmate right after breaking up with them. After discovering everything and verifying it’s true they come up with a plan to date each other for a while and break up after a specific time,

“Four dates, one kiss, and a breakup. Just for the summer.”
Thus they hope to break their curse and find their soulmate too. And soon enough Emma picks out a place to live near justin for the summer with her best friend Maddie. However, as their connection deepens amidst unexpected challenges, both Justin and Emma start questioning their original plan. The story explores themes of love, commitment, and personal growth as they navigate their complicated situation and the possibility of a genuine connection.

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez My Thoughts + Favorite Quotes (Spoiler Free)

It took me a while to finish this book but I’m grateful to pick this up in late August and wrap my summer read. I’m not gonna lie, I solely wanted to read the book for the cover. It just makes me so happy to look at it. Then the plot and the setting. The beginning was very unique. I knew some of it from the blurb but it was way better in the first few chapters.

The setting was perfect. I could feel the late slow summer breeze from just reading.

I liked Emma. She was so different from the characters I usually read but some parts of her story were so relatable. She was such a mirrorball character. Very honest and kind.

“It wasn’t a game for me. Not anymore.”
I imagine Emma would be the one to say these first. Justin is purely a “In a world of boys, he’s a gentleman kind”. The little things he did from the beginning of the book. Not just for Emma but for his best friend, his mom, Emma’s mom and taking care of his siblings. How could one not fall for him in seconds?

“I made you lunch. Wanted to surprise you,”
This just keeps on getting better. Emma’s mom showed up to her workplace for Neil. Even made him lunch and didn’t even offer her own daughter but had concerns for the man who she met a few weeks ago. All her acts just keep boiling my blood. I don’t understand why Emma didn’t realize all this before and why did she even give her mom the address.

Even all the things Maddy said felt really mean but it was all facts. I thought it made sense since they are best friends but still Emma was hurt. But it’s fine because hen my man Justin shows up with lunch to surprise her??

“The best kind of love doesn’t happen on moonlit walks and romantic vacations. It happens in between the folds of everyday life. It’s not grand gestures that show how you feel, it’s all the little secret things you do to make her life better that you never tell her about.”

– Ever since I have discovered booktok books, especially romance books. I have become used to the popular tropes and writing styles of the author. I found peace and my expectations would grow bit by bit unrealistic. Fictional characters have problems too, overcoming everything together they get their perfect stories and ending,

But reading books like this, that are so raw and realistic. It just feels great. It gives hope, Romanticizing everything makes life easier and better. And I just loved how beautifully it was described here and many parts of the book.

“…It’s real. This is the kind of love that forever is made of. Because if it’s this good when life is draining and mundane and hard, think of how wonderful it will be when the love songs are playing and the moon is out.”
– I wish I could add the full page but this page, it was everything. With my growth as a romance reader, I have realized I just don’t like everything related to couples or just their story and plot but the surroundings. Every little thing that makes the book so enjoyable and becoming a 5 star read.

“You are not what happened to you. You are what you do next.”
– I need to make a wallpaper with all the words of affirmations by Justin. Always choose empathy, ask me instead; these are all too good to be true. Emma is just as scared as every other girl. Especially with her past and trauma. She is always scared she will become like her mother and become something like she always fears about. But these words by Justin gives her hope to keep going and readers like me who’s having a hard time with life some too.

“Unhealed trauma is a crack. And all the little hard things that trickle into it that would have rolled off someone else, settle.
– Another thing about this book, the mental health rep. As much as the words of affirmations helped, Emma’s journey to overcoming her fears, unhealed traumas and growth over the course of the book was absolutely well presented. .

“Maybe home isn’t a place. Maybe it’s a person.”
– This one reminds me of a Happy Place and You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle. And I absolutely love home references in books. The trope where the characters were strangers or didn’t know how much the other person was going to be their comfort person soon, finding peace and home in each other. This is what makes any romance book 1000x times better.

“The summer was slipping into fall now. I’d picked up some mums for the front porch and I was just getting the last one out of the van when the phone rang. It was Maria.”

I wanted to read this book as the first summer book for this year. But eventually it became my last read due to my reading slumps. And I am so grateful for that. I love when books are set in a specific season and then go to a transition of a brand new season. I don’t know if any other readers feel like it though. This book was just perfect for that.

And I am so excited to read my fall books and hoping to not get into any reading slump for the rest of the year.

A Little Spoilery Review on Just for the Summer (skip if you don’t want any spoilers) :

Okay sooo, this part is going to contain spoilers, so skip if you want to avoid any.
Firstly, I loved everything about his books and I rated it 5 stars. But I am so frustrated with the fact that no one mentioned it would be better to read the series in order because I think a major plot of the book connects to the first book in the series.

As much as I want to read the book I feel it would not be as enjoyable as I already know what happens in the 3rd one and it ruined my experience with the series. But maybe I will pick up the first two books again, when I want to revisit the world or another book in the series gets published. But still, the mention was mandatory in my opinion.

Books like Just for the Summer :

Just for the Summer was a perfect summer romance with strangers to lovers, opposite attract, sort of fake dating, summer lake house setting, taking care and mental health themed, So here are a list of books I think you will enjoy if you liked Just for the Summer :

• Funny Story by Emily Henry
• The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce
• Wild love by Elsie Silver
• Forget Me Not by Julie Soto

Frequently Asked Questions about Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez :