Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez: A Book Review
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Part of a stand alone series, Part of Your World (Bk 3), Just for the Summer details the romance between two people, a boy and a girl, whose relationships have been “cursed” – all significant others they have dated find “the one” after breaking up with them. To see if they can beat the curse, the two decide to date each other and end up falling in love. Life is no fairytale though, – can the two have their happy ending or did they find “the one” too late?
Surprisingly, I really liked this story. I was completely heartbroken for Emma (the main character) at the end. I really connected with her. She was so kind and compassionate regardless of how her life started out as. I also completely understand the need to run she has. My heart also completely broke for Justin. He was trying so hard for everything to work out only for it to fall apart. I do wish that Jimenez had gone more into how he became the person he is in the book. The constant mention of him being “the one safe person for so many” kept the intrigue going for how that happened, but I also understand why Emma was the focus as without her there would be no story.
Sometimes the best way to show love or be kind to someone is to meet them where they are.
The story was as much as an overcoming trauma story as well as a contemporary romance. Throughout it, Jimenez, using Emma, shows how trauma can be overcomed while the person still can have symptoms from the previous trauma. Jimenez describes trauma as cracks saying, through Emma, “Unhealed trauma is a crack. And all the little hard things that trickle into it that would have rolled off someone else, settle. Then, when life gets cold, that crack gets bigger, longer, deeper. It makes new breaks”. While I like this metaphor, I prefer the plate metaphor better and I think that it works better for what Jimenez was trying to convey. Throughout the story, Emma is constantly saying that “in a world where you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy” as you don’t always know what the other person is going through. This goes well with the plate metaphor.
If you are unfamiliar with the plate metaphor is describes trauma and stress as a plate. Everyone has a plate. Some people have bigger plates then others, so they can manage more things on it than others. However, that does not mean that they are coping better than someone else – they simply have “more room”. On the other hand, those with a smaller plate may get overwhelmed more quickly – simply because their plate feels up more quickly. Adding the metaphor, all people have some version of mashed potatoes or stuffing. Some might have more mashed potatoes, some might have more stuffing – either way, it takes up room on their plate (big or small) and both still have to be eaten. Of course, either metaphor showcases the effects of trauma and the empathy needed in the world when interacting with people.
However, Jimenez also makes this important statement, “being broken is not an excuse for bad behavior, you still have to make good choices and do the right thing. But it can be the reason. And sometimes understanding the reason can be what helps you heal”. I really enjoy this statement, especially the beginning. Too often I see trauma (or even mental disorders) used as excuses such as “Well he has X, so just let him do this,” or “Kid has Y, so you need to understand that he should be able to do this,” or even “He should get this (or be allowed to do this) because he has X”. While I get the idea to a point (inclusion is important), rules are in place for reasons – especially certain rules that should not be broken – and should be applied to all people. Being rude or acting awful is a choice – not an excuse. People are not their trauma (or disorders), but yet, by using it as an excuse they are effectively saying that they are.
You are not what happened to you. You are what you do next.
Who would most enjoy the work and who should stay clear (if necessary):
Enjoy
Romance
He Falls First Trope
Stay Away
PTSD
Depression and neglect make you uncomfortable
Other books like the one reviewed:
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
Funny Story by Emily Henry
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther
How to end a love story by Yulin Kuang
| Plot: | 10 / 10 |
| Characters: | 10 / 10 |
| Writing: | 10 / 10 |
| Editor: | 10 / 10 |
| Total | 40 / 40 |
Title: Just for the Summer
Author: Abby Jimenez
Edition: pring hardcover – Book of the Month edition Apr 2024
Published: 2024
Publisher: Forever, an imprint of Hachette Book Group
ISBN: 9798892420518
If you want to get it: Amazon; Barnes&Noble
Rosey Reviews 