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Blurb
A sharp and scintillating summer novel that will make readers laugh out loud and cry happy tears from the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly.
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?
Review
5 stars!
This is a gorgeous read! A fun, sweet, chemistry-filled romance that is funny, emotional and beautifully romantic. It made me laugh and it made me cry, and I loved these characters and their story so much.
Justin and Emma meet after he posts a hilarious ‘AITA’ post on Reddit which goes viral, and she responds. It turns out they are both people whose exes go on to meet their soul mates after breaking up with them, and after some back and forth, they come up with a plan to date each other to cancel out their curse, and then go on to live their happy lives. The issue with that is that Emma is a travelling nurse who moves states every three months. Justin is solidly settled in Minnesota with some pretty intense family issues going on, and he can’t leave. But when Emma changes her plans to come to him for the summer so they can date and then move on, both of their lives will change forever.
It’s a fantastic set up, and before Justin and Emma even meet, I was fully invested in them and loving them together. Abbey Jimenez writes the BEST banter! I honestly bask in the glow of her characters’ conversations, and Justin and Emma’s messages and phone calls had me buzzing with anticipation and so excited for what was to come for these two. Their actual meeting was everything I was hoping for, and their plan to date is sweet, fun, and so gorgeously romantic. I loved watching them get to know each other and naturally and easily fall so hard for each other, and I felt everything along with them!
“The best kind of love doesn’t happen on moonlit walks and romantic vacations. It happens in between the folds of everyday life. It’s not grand gestures that show how you feel, it’s all the little secret things you do to make her life better that you never tell her about.”
Emma is a fantastically complex character. She’s had a traumatic past, which has left its mark on her, and her personal journey in this book is so beautifully written as she reaches a point where she’s ready to face her issues, heal and get herself to where she wants to be. And Justin is an absolute sweetheart! He’s funny and charming, kind-hearted, sweet and sexy, and everything you would want in a partner. He’s devoted to his family, stepping in as guardian for his three younger siblings in a move that endeared him even more to me as we see him in the role as stand-in single dad. He is just the man that Emma needs, and I adored him!
It’s a match made in heaven for these two, but with Emma’s traumatic past and their difficult family challenges, they have a lot to deal before they can get their happy ending.
This story is beautifully written with humor and heart, and it all feels so real. I felt SO much while reading, and I loved Justin and Emma’s story.
I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Zachary Webber and Christine Larkin, and they do a wonderful job with it. I absolutely recommend listening to this one.
Such a great read. 5 stars.