Genres: Contemporary Romance, Adult, Fiction
Pages: 432
Format: Ebook
Rating:

Goodreads summary: 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

After the emotional trauma of Immortal Dark, I was ready for a light-hearted, contemporary romance. So why was I crying in the club with this one? Abby Jimenez, you have some explaining to do, Ms. Girl. First of all, how dare you make me fall in love with a J-name. Do I need to start looking for software engineers in Minnesota??? And that brings me to my next point: I never had any desire to go to Minnesota, but now I’m seriously considering adding it to my list of places to visit.

***

Emma and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses who move every three months. Thanks to a Reddit thread, Emma discovers she shares an unusual “curse” with Justin: each of their exes finds their soulmate immediately after dating them. Their plan? Date, break up, and finally meet their perfect matches. Sounds simple, right? Wrong.

Don’t get me wrong, there were so many cute moments—times I found myself smiling and even laughing out loud. The kittens? So adorable. Murder Mittens? Iconic. The scene where Emma and Justin pick up Christine and Leigh while they’re drunk? Hilarious. Abby Jimenez has such a gift for blending humor with heartfelt moments, and her depiction of falling in love felt incredibly genuine.

Characters

Emma

Despite everything she’s been through, Emma has such a positive outlook on life, and it’s beautiful to witness. This girl has endured so much, let me tell you. But somehow, she always finds a bright side. The summary wasn’t kidding when it mentioned her toxic mom. That dynamic added depth to the story, making it so much more than just a cutesy romance. The way Jimenez explored trauma, neglect, abuse, and mental health issues was nuanced and impactful. Sometimes Emma annoyed me, but she’s human—dealing with some of life’s toughest challenges. Watching her character develop was one of the most rewarding parts of the book.

Maddy

Maddy is the definition of a best friend. She’s the ride-or-die who’d help you hide a body if you needed it. At times, I thought she could be a little harsh and wish she’d be gentler, but as Emma (and I) learned, Maddy is always right. What makes Maddy so special is her ability to meet Emma where she is. She knows how to communicate with Emma in a way that doesn’t trigger her fight-or-flight response, and that’s huge. Some people talk to you the way they like to be spoken to rather than the way you need to hear it, but not Maddy. As Emma said, “Maddy was like a first responder for my soul.” Everyone deserves a Maddy in their life. And let’s not forget her iconic wisdom: “We do not go out of our way for men. We do not inconvenience ourselves for men. We do not change our well-laid plans for men.” Amen.

Justin

Justin is a mannnnnn. Maddy said it best: “I swear to God this guy is the epitome of If He Wanted To He Would.” And Justin absolutely wanted to. It’s the thoughtfulness, the attention to detail, the way he cares—men written by women really are unmatched. Justin’s not perfect, and Jimenez doesn’t shy away from showing the challenges he faces as the guardian of his three siblings. But he steps up in a way that’s both realistic and inspiring. He’s fully devoted to Emma, and the depth of his love for her melted me. (SPOILER):

“I didn’t want to beg you,” he said. “But I don’t give a shit about my pride anymore. Stay. Please. Just to see what happens. See where it goes. I’ll take anything—a couple of months, a couple of weeks, whatever you’ll give me. Meet me where I am because I can’t go to you. I would if I could. I’d follow you anywhere if I was able to, but I can’t. Please,” he said again. “Stay.”

“You’re not asking too much,” he said. “You were just asking the wrong person. Ask me instead.”

Conclusion

This is easily a five deer-star book. I was fully invested from beginning to end. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about when I could pick it up again. There were funny moments, sad moments, hard moments, and painful moments. And I loved them all. I wouldn’t change a thing. This is one of those books that falls into the category of “I Wish I Could Wipe This Book From My Brain So I Can Read It Again.” Abby Jimenez, you’ve got yourself a new fan.