Just For The Summer

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez follows Justin and Emma, who believe they're cursed to have exes find true love after dating them. They fake-date to break the curse in this Minnesota summer romance exploring family dysfunction and healing.

Just for the Summer is Abby Jimenez's 2024 contemporary romance that takes a whimsical premise - a dating curse - and uses it to explore serious themes of childhood trauma, family dysfunction, and chosen family. Set in Wakan, Minnesota (connecting back to Part of Your World's setting), this fake-dating summer romance delivers Jimenez's signature blend of laugh-out-loud humour, emotional gut-punches, and swoon-worthy chemistry.

Justin has noticed a disturbing pattern: every woman he dates finds her soulmate immediately after they break up. It's happened so consistently that he's convinced he's cursed, a theory validated when he discovers Emma online - she has the exact same problem. Everyone Emma dates finds their person right after dumping her. The pattern is too consistent to be coincidence.

They devise a plan: date each other for the summer. If they're both "cursed," dating each other should break the pattern - their exes will move on, freeing Justin and Emma from whatever cosmic joke they're trapped in. It's purely transactional, a strategic alliance with clear end date. They'll spend the summer together at the Minnesota lake resort where Justin works, then part ways curse-free.

Naturally, feelings develop. Jimenez excels at the fake-dating trope, using it to force proximity between characters who might otherwise maintain emotional distance. Justin and Emma must act like a couple publicly, which means dates, hand-holding, and intimacy that starts feeling less fake and more frighteningly real. The summer setting - lakeside beauty, seasonal work, temporary escape from regular life - creates perfect backdrop for romance to bloom.

What elevates Just for the Summer beyond fun romcom premise is Jimenez's willingness to tackle heavy themes. Both Justin and Emma carry profound childhood trauma. Justin grew up with an unstable mother whose dysfunction shaped his entire life, leaving him with deep-seated fear of commitment and relationships. Emma's family history is equally complicated, her past leaving scars that affect how she approaches love and trust.

Jimenez depicts family dysfunction with nuance and authenticity. She doesn't sensationalise trauma or use it as mere backstory - instead, she shows how childhood experiences shape adult behaviour, how we repeat patterns without realising, and how healing requires confronting painful truths. The "curse" becomes metaphor for self-sabotage, for unconsciously choosing partners who won't work because it's safer than risking real vulnerability.

The Wakan setting connects the book to the broader series whilst standing alone. The small-town Minnesota community, lake resort atmosphere, and seasonal summer romance vibes create warm, escapist backdrop. Justin's coworkers and the resort guests provide both comic relief and found-family dynamics that contrast with the dysfunctional biological families both protagonists escaped.

The romance builds beautifully. Justin and Emma's chemistry is immediate, but emotional intimacy develops gradually as they share their histories, vulnerabilities, and fears. Their banter is sharp and funny - Jimenez writes excellent dialogue - but she balances humour with genuine emotional moments that earn reader tears.

Supporting characters enrich the narrative: Justin's mother, whose appearances complicate his healing journey; Emma's family dynamics that mirror Justin's in painful ways; and the resort community that provides the warmth and acceptance both protagonists need. Connections to previous series books reward longtime readers whilst never alienating newcomers.

The fake-dating premise allows Jimenez to explore what happens when we stop protecting ourselves through emotional distance and risk genuine connection. The "curse" isn't supernatural but rather psychological pattern both characters must break through self-awareness and willingness to choose differently.

Jimenez handles mental health themes sensitively. Characters attend therapy, work through trauma, and recognize that healing isn't linear or complete. The novel acknowledges that childhood dysfunction leaves lasting impacts whilst offering hope that patterns can be broken and chosen family can provide what biological family couldn't.

The summer timeline creates natural tension - their arrangement has expiration date, forcing both to confront whether what they've found is worth fighting for beyond their original plan.

Themes of childhood trauma and healing, chosen family versus biological family, breaking destructive patterns, fake dating becoming real, self-sabotage in relationships, found community, and love as choice and courage run throughout.