The irony isn't lost on me that my first book of the year is a book all about summer. Winter is normally a time for introspective and dreary pieces for me, but I think 2025 needed something a bit different.
My first book of the year was Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez, and I had no idea what to expect. I've always been aware of Abby Jimenez, since she's a popular romance author online, but I just never got around to reading one of her books.
Premise
Just for the Summer follows Justin and Emma who get in contact after Justin's "AITA?" post goes viral. They happen to have in common that their exes find the one after they break up. That, and the fact that they have struck up a good rapport over the time they've been talking, the two agree to give a relationship between them a shot, but just for the summer.
As the book unfolds, we learn much more about Justin and Emma, as individuals and as a couple. Both have issues that impact their lives and relationships, so part of the novel is understanding and working through those hardships.
Just for the Summer is also the third book in the Part of Your World series. Characters from the other novels make an appearance (which I found out later), but the novel works just as well as a standalone. I went in without knowing anything, and I found that that hadn't diminished the reading experience.
Why Pick up Just for the Summer?
While some readers dread the mention of social media in contemporary novels, the use of the popular AITA thread on Reddit makes for a small, but foundational aspect of the plot. I started reading the post in Chapter 1 and just got sucked in because I was curious about the drama.
What was captivating about Just for the Summer was Jimenez's ability to capture realistic and complex people. Emma and Justin are both sweet people dealing with complex situations. This doesn't detract from the beauty of watching them fall in love or the lightheartedness of their relationship either. More so, there is a balance of seriousness and fun that Jimenez captures really well.
Something I also really enjoyed about the novel was the journey of healing. What Just for the Summer emphasizes is that everyone's path to healing will be different, especially given what someone might be going through. It seems like Jimenez did research as well into mental health issues, as she puts a trigger list in the beginning of the novel, and thanks specific mental health specialists in the acknowledgements.
Conclusion
While Just for the Summer gives summer romance energy, it expertly balances a fun romance with the complexities of adult life and hardships of mental health and other issues. I'm certainly glad that this was my first book of the year, and I'll be intrigued to read more Abby Jimenez novels in the future.