abby jimenez

Just For The Summer

Just For the Summer is out today! Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.

Abby continues her streak as World’s Best Romcom Author! She has the ability to make me laugh and cry at the same time like no other author I’ve ever read.  I’ve loved every book she’s written and this is no exception.

This is a book about two people who both have the same love curse – everyone they date meets the love of their life after they break up. They decide to short term date each other (just for the summer) and pouf! Their curses will be canceled out. We follow them on a series of dates, and of course real feelings develop along the way.  

We first met Justin in Yours Truly as a supportive side character so I was so glad to watch him get his HEA. He was truly just a good dude, always there for everyone else even when it’s to his detriment. I love an upstanding, big hearted man who’s not afraid to talk about his feelings.

Emma is a travel nurse, moving around from destination to destination, never settling or putting down roots. She had a rough upbringing which affects her in every way, the only person who’s ever had a piece of her heart is her BFF. She had a real journey to go on here to accept love into her life, and though I found her frustrating at times, I appreciated her character arc and growth.

Together they were adorable. I loved their dates, planned and otherwise, and how they quickly became part of each other’s lives. They had such a great easy going relationship, it just felt so right. The full cast of supporting characters were excellent. I loved both the ones we got to revisit from previous books, and the new ones we were introduced to.

There also were plenty of easter eggs to her previous books, but I think you could read this one okay as a standalone if you wanted. It might be slightly less impactful if you haven’t read at least her two last books though. 

Definitely recommend but check your TWs!

Mid Year Favorites

Whew can you believe this year is halfway done already? Like what?? 🤯

I’ve read 180 books so far this year (which I fully acknowledge is a silly amount) and here are my favorites so far! Ten 2023 releases and two backlist reads. The awesome thing is that I got to meet six of these authors this year (Lucy, Teagan, Abby, Karla, Sarina, and Christina Lauren) and hang out with book friends! How cool is that? 

Let me know if we have any in common, or if none, let me know what your favorite read(s) of the year so far!

In A Jam- Kate Canterbary 

Things We Hide From The Light – Lucy Score 

Moth – Lily Mayne (really the whole series)

Glove Save – Teagan Hunter 

R’jaal’s Resonance – Ruby Dixon

Yours Truly – Abby Jimenez 

One and Only – Karla Sorensen 

Good as Gold – Sarina Bowen 

Georgie All Along – Kate Clayborn 

Crimson River – Devney Perry 

The True Love Experiment – Christina Lauren

Berries & Greed – Lily Mayne

Yours Truly

Yours Truly is out in one week! 🙌🏻 I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review and I’m so glad I did because this is one of the easiest five stars I’ve ever given (and I am stingy with 5s).  

Every Abby Jimenez book I read is my new favorite, but I really think this one is my favorite favorite. The author has such an incredible way of balancing humor and emotional elements, I know every time that I will be laughing and crying within the same page. 

This is Bri’s book, who we met in Part of Your World (but this can 100% be read as a standalone), and Jacob, the new ER doctor who seems to be in competition for a promotion Bri is seeking. They have a terrible start to their relationship, but that quickly turns around when Bri receives a letter from Jacob, who is better at arranging his thoughts on page than verbally. The epistolary elements here were some of my favorite parts of this, they were so funny and heartfelt without stopping the flow of the story.

I love that these were adults dealing with adult issues. Yes, there is some miscommunication happening, but for the most part they were mature adults who were just doing the best they could when life didn’t turn out like they expected. Bri is recently divorced from her husband of a decade, her best friend moved away, and her brother is in kidney failure needing a transplant. Jacob’s recent ex-girlfriend is marrying his brother and his whole family is looking at him for his reaction. I think this book will give a lot of hope to readers whose lives also didn’t turn out as expected. 

I also especially loved the mental health aspects of the book. Mental health rep is never a one-size fits all endeavor because we of course all experience things differently but I have never seen such an accurate representation of MY anxiety as I did in this book. I am Jacob. He is me. I have never related to a MMC so much, or really any character. 

Thank you to Abby for writing this and thank you to Forever for publishing it. The author’s note at the end really adds another dynamic layer to the story. 

CW: miscarriage (past), anxiety, panic attacks