Just for the Summer

Instant #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club Pick! This witty, slow-burn rom-com is the perfect beach read.

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?

Named by Harper's Bazaar as one of the Top 10 Best Summer Romance Books of All Time!

Abby Jimenez is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of laugh-out-loud, pull-at-your-heartstrings romantic fiction. Her novels have sold over 1.5 million copies and been translated into 28 languages. Some of her favorite highlights include a Good Morning America Book Club pick, a BOTM’s Book of the Year Award, and the Minnesota Book Award. Before her writing career, Abby was in the national spotlight as a Cupcake Wars champion and founder of Nadia Cakes bakery, which has since gone on to win numerous Food Network competitions and amass an international following. She lives near Minneapolis with her husband, three daughters, and four dogs—all TikTok famous in their own right. Abby loves romance novels, coffee, doglets, and not leaving the house.

“Jimenez is a true talent.” ―Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

“Abby Jimenez has proven time and time again to be one of our must-read writers.” ―Cosmopolitan

“An emotional tour de force.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“With a perfect sense of literary aplomb and an abundance of deliciously sharp wit, Jimenez continues on an extraordinary upward trajectory with another gorgeously crafted contemporary romance. From moments of irresistible comic charm (a date with rescue kittens from the Bitty Kitty Brigade) to a compelling and compassionate story line that deftly and delicately deals with the impact of trauma on a person’s emotional and physical well-being, Jimenez expertly balances humor and heart in this sublimely satisfying love story.” ―Booklist, starred review

“The beloved Abby Jimenez gives ‘it’s just a fling!’ a whole new meaning in this ideal beach read… Far more layered than its breezy, beautiful cover might suggest, JUST FOR THE SUMMER is yet another hit.” ―Elle

"This witty, emotion-filled novel from Jimenez isn’t one to just read, it’s one to sink into." ―Library Journal, starred review

“Jimenez builds a beautifully compelling [love story.]” ―USA Today

Abby Jimenez’s heartwarming and emotionally resonant romance novel, Just for the Summer, takes a quirky, viral internet premise and transforms it into a profound exploration of trauma, healing, and found family. The story centers on Justin and Emma, two people who share a highly unusual and frustrating romantic curse. Every time Justin goes through a breakup, the woman he just dated goes on to immediately meet and marry her soulmate. After this happens for the sixth time, a frustrated Justin takes to Reddit to vent about his bizarre status as the ultimate good-luck charm for his exes. To his absolute astonishment, a woman named Emma replies with a wild revelation: she suffers from the exact same curse. Every man she dates finds his permanent happily-ever-after right after they part ways. Seeing a unique, slightly absurd opportunity, Emma proposes a plan. She suggests they date each other briefly and then break up, theorizing that their identical curses will cancel each other out and finally clear the path for both of them to find their actual soulmates.

Emma is a traveling nurse who lives a fiercely nomadic lifestyle alongside her charismatic best friend, Maddy. Seizing the opportunity to test the curse theory, Emma and Maddy accept a short-term summer assignment at a hospital in Minnesota, renting a small cottage on Lake Minnetonka to be near Justin. When Emma and Justin finally meet in person, they expect a casual, breezy summer fling with an expiration date. However, they immediately realize they have deeply underestimated their undeniable chemistry. Justin is nothing like the transient men Emma usually dates; he is grounded, incredibly responsible, and deeply rooted in his community. Having been left to care for his three younger siblings due to his mother's abandonment and his family’s complicated circumstances, Justin is the ultimate caretaker. He is stable, patient, and offers a kind of unconditional safety that Emma has never experienced before.

In stark contrast to Justin’s rooted life, Emma’s constant need to stay on the move stems from deep-seated childhood trauma. She was raised by a severely toxic, manipulative, and narcissistic mother who constantly uprooted her life and conditioned Emma to believe that love is conditional and attachments are inherently dangerous. Emma has spent her entire adult life running away before anyone can get close enough to hurt her. However, as the summer progresses, Justin’s steadfast affection begins to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. They bond over their shared experiences of having to act as the adults in their respective families from a young age. What was supposed to be a fun, temporary arrangement quickly blossoms into a profound, intense, and very real romance, leaving them both dreading the impending end of the summer and the breakup they had initially planned.

The fragile, beautiful world they have built together is violently shattered when Emma’s toxic mother unexpectedly arrives in Minnesota, bringing her usual whirlwind of chaos, emotional manipulation, and financial demands. Her mother’s presence triggers Emma’s deeply ingrained fight-or-flight response. Terrified that her mother’s toxicity will infect Justin’s life and harm his siblings, and reverting to her core belief that she is fundamentally broken and unworthy of a healthy relationship, Emma pushes Justin away. She executes the breakup they originally planned, breaking both of their hearts in the process. She plans to flee to her next travel nursing assignment, falling back into her lifelong pattern of running away from pain rather than facing it.

However, the time apart serves as a crucial period of growth and reflection for Emma. With the support of her fiercely loyal best friend Maddy, Emma finally realizes that she cannot keep running forever. She recognizes that her trauma is dictating her life and costing her the only man she has ever truly loved. In a powerful turning point, Emma seeks professional therapy to work through her abandonment issues and finally establishes firm, unyielding boundaries with her mother, cutting off the source of her lifelong pain. Meanwhile, Justin, who is dealing with his own familial resolutions, gives Emma the space she needs to heal but holds out hope that she will return to him. The novel concludes with a deeply emotional and satisfying reunion. Emma returns to Justin, no longer a flight risk, but a healed woman ready to plant roots. They realize that the supposed "curse" was actually a blessing in disguise, leading them exactly where they needed to be. The story ends on a beautiful note of hope, cementing the message that while trauma can shape your past, it does not have to dictate your future, and true love is worth staying for.