Books Like Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Just for the Summer (2024) follows Emma and Justin, two people with a magical curse: everyone they date immediately finds their soulmate after breaking up with them. Their solution? Date each other, break up, and hope the magic finally works. It's clever, warm, and hilarious — classic Jimenez.
Quick Answer
The best books like Just for the Summer are Funny Story (Emily Henry), Part of Your World (also Abby Jimenez), and The Unhoneymooners (Christina Lauren). All three have the same mix of fake/forced proximity setups, sharp humor, and genuine emotional payoff.
14 Books to Read After Just for the Summer
Funny Story — Emily Henry
Two people left by their exes — for each other — end up fake-dating to make their former partners jealous. The same forced-proximity premise, same slow-burn tension, same BookTok dominance in 2024.
Check on Amazon →Part of Your World — Abby Jimenez
A Chicago doctor falls for a small-town handyman — worlds apart but undeniably connected. If you're new to Jimenez, this is her most emotionally devastating book and has the same warm humor as Just for the Summer.
Check on Amazon →The Unhoneymooners — Christina Lauren
Olive and Ethan — sworn enemies — end up on a honeymoon in Hawaii meant for their siblings. Same fake-relationship premise, same enemies-to-lovers arc, equally funny and warm.
Check on Amazon →Not in Love — Ali Hazelwood
Rue and Eli strike a no-strings arrangement — and both insist it stays that way. Hazelwood's smart, STEM-adjacent heroines and witty dialogue make this a perfect 2024 companion to Just for the Summer.
Check on Amazon →The Kiss Quotient — Helen Hoang
An econometrician hires an escort to practice romance. The fake-arrangement-becomes-real premise is exactly what Jimenez fans want — and Hoang's emotional depth matches the best in the genre.
Check on Amazon →Happy Place — Emily Henry
Exes Harriet and Wyn have to pretend they're still together during their annual friend group vacation. The fake-relationship-with-real-history premise is perfectly tuned for fans of Just for the Summer.
Check on Amazon →Icebreaker — Hannah Grace
A figure skater and a hockey star share ice time and develop an intense rivalry-turned-romance. Huge on BookTok for the same reasons Just for the Summer blew up — swoon-worthy tension and a charismatic male lead.
Check on Amazon →Act Your Age, Eve Brown — Talia Hibbert
Chaotic Eve accidentally injures grumpy Jacob and must work at his B&B to make it right. The grumpy-sunshine dynamic and hilarious banter are identical to what makes Jimenez's books addictive.
Check on Amazon →One Day in December — Josie Silver
Laurie sees a stranger through a bus window, falls for him — then discovers he's her best friend's new boyfriend. The slow, messy, beautifully realistic love story Jimenez readers live for.
Check on Amazon →People We Meet on Vacation — Emily Henry
Best friends with suppressed feelings take one last summer trip. Summer setting, slow-burn longing, clever structure — the perfect beach companion to Just for the Summer.
Check on Amazon →The Love Hypothesis — Ali Hazelwood
A PhD student fake-dates her professor to convince her friend she's moved on. Hugely popular with BookTok for exactly the reasons Jimenez fans love her: clever setup, grumpy hero, ridiculous chemistry.
Check on Amazon →No Funny Business — Amanda Aksel
Two stand-up comedians partner up for a comedy tour and try not to fall for each other. The humor-forward voice and fake-partnership energy align perfectly with Just for the Summer.
Check on Amazon →The Spanish Love Deception — Elena Armas
Catalina asks her office nemesis to fake-date her at her sister's wedding in Spain. The fake-dating setup is nearly identical — and the bickering couple dynamic hits the same notes Jimenez perfected.
Check on Amazon →You Had Me at Hola — Alexis Daria
Two telenovela co-stars navigate a media-arranged fake relationship while catching real feelings. RITA Award winner with brilliant dialogue and the same "arrangement becomes love" structure.
Check on Amazon →