Just for the Summer

Consider Abby Jimenez’s choice not to give Amber an explicit mental health diagnosis. What does this decision add to the theme of Destigmatizing Mental Health? How does this add to the authenticity of the novel’s portrayal of characters, relationships, and everyday life?

Jimenez incorporates the sense of smell throughout the novel. Emma in particular mentions how people smell quite often. What role does scent play in the narrative? What does it symbolize? Use the text to support your answer (some examples of passages involving scent include pages 65-66, 110-111, 132, 252, and 324).

Justin seems to suffer from anxiety, which becomes apparent in his early interactions with Emma. In what ways does this present itself throughout the novel? How does this connect with themes related to mental health?

What impact does Emma’s relationship with her mother have on Emma’s relationships with others? Discuss the worry and responsibility Emma feels over Amber. Consider Emma’s relationship with Maddy and explore how Emma’s flight response to stress might make Maddy feel the same worry and responsibility. In what ways does Emma reenact some of Amber’s behaviors? In what ways does she break the cycle?

Many contemporary romances are marketed as “summer” or “beach” reads. What elements does Jimenez incorporate throughout the novel to embody the nature of a “summer” or “beach” read?

How does Emma’s job as a travel nurse help develop her character and the conflicts she must face throughout the novel? What is the thematic significance of Emma’s nursing profession?

Jimenez incorporates many easter eggs throughout the novel that connect Just for the Summer with characters, settings, themes, and ideas from the Part of Your World series and her wider backlist of romance novels. List three easter eggs and their purpose in the narrative.

A repeated phrase throughout Just for the Summer is that nothing is truly ever “black and white.” Neil is portrayed as a narcissistic abuser and unequivocal villain in Part of Your World. Just for the Summer demonstrates his willingness to change, his openness about therapy, and his growth as a person, while also subtly pointing out how his narcissism persists. In what ways does his inclusion in the narrative illustrate the “black and white” view that Jimenez argues against?