Books › Just for the Summer
Just for the Summer
418 pages
A witty, sun-soaked summer romance that sneaks up on you with profound emotional depth and the healing power of found family.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting on a sun-drenched porch with a best friend, laughing until your sides ache before suddenly finding yourself in a deep, tearful conversation about childhood wounds. It opens with the breezy, propulsive energy of a classic romantic comedy, full of sharp banter and a delightfully absurd premise. But beneath the cozy lake-house aesthetic and the undeniable chemistry lies a surprisingly heavy, tender exploration of trauma, toxic family dynamics, and the terrifying vulnerability of letting someone love you. The prose is effortless and dialogue-heavy, pulling you through the pages at a brisk clip while anchoring you in the characters' emotional realities. It is a perfect fit for readers who want their swoon-worthy romances grounded in messy, beautiful human healing.
- Mood
- sun-dappled
- hopeful
- cozy
- emotionally heavy
- Tone
- wry
- empathetic
- humorous
- earnest
- tender
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- healing from trauma · found family · breaking toxic cycles · fear of abandonment · serendipity
- The writing
- Accessible and dialogue-driven, effortlessly balancing sharp, laugh-out-loud banter with moments of quiet, gut-wrenching vulnerability.
- The arc
- Moves from a playful, high-concept romantic comedy into a deeply moving journey of confronting past trauma and learning to trust in lasting love.
- Who it's for
- Romance readers who crave the perfect alchemy of sparkling banter, cozy summer atmospheres, and characters doing the hard work of emotional healing.
Content notes
- toxic parenting
- emotional abuse
- child abandonment
- trauma
- anxiety
About the book
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?
Description from Open Library.
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