ARC Review: Just for the Summer by Jenna Rutland

When I started reading Jenna Rutland’s JUST FOR THE SUMMER—the first book in the Lake Bliss series for Entangled’s Bliss imprint—I was expecting another heartwarming, feel-good, quick read high on sweetness and low on heat. What I discovered was a surprisingly satisfying emotionally-charged story with the right amount of sweetness to keep it awww-inducing but enough spice to set it apart from other sweet contemporaries. And despite the short length and a premise underlain by too much serendipity, I found myself devouring the book and wanting to know how the HEA would turn out.

Heroine Dani Sullivan is at a crossroads in her life, recovering from the death of the mother she was very close to and whom she took time away from her job as a nurse to care for. She’s in idyllic small-town Lake Bliss, Michigan for the summer to work on her cookbook and get her head back in the game. And to assure herself that the son she conceived in a cruel twist of fate and gave up for adoption 8 years prior is happy and loved. Enter Matt Reagan, unwitting divorced dad to Dani’s son Sam with entirely too much on his plate being the new town sheriff and a single dad. In a clever twist on the macho law enforcement hero stereotype, Matt is ridiculously attractive and fit but hearth and home to the core—and, fresh off a bad marriage to a woman who lied about her interest in children, he’s sworn to himself to never be duped again or have something temporary. Matt doesn’t want a woman, he wants a wife and a mother to his son… but one look at the sassy, sexy Ms. Sullivan, and his libido returns with a vengeance. A (ridiculously convenient, but check your scepticism and just go with it) life-threatening medical condition for Sam gives Dani the perfect in as a nurse to get close to her son… despite the fact that she’d promised herself she just wanted to see that he was happy and not get involved in his life. Throw in some scorching sexual attraction (and deliciously fun and flirty dialogue), the inevitable falling in love, a pinch of drama and a dash of asshattery from Matt after Dani’s big reveal, and a delightful small-town community and you’ve got the plot of any old small-town contemporary. But what really makes JUST FOR THE SUMMER work—even in 131 pages!!—is the characters.

I really liked Dani and the journey of inner peace and self-forgiveness that she’s on. She was put in a tough position at age 18 and forced to make a very difficult—but ultimately correct—decision, one that many people around her disapproved of. She’s lived with the doubt about whether she made the right choice for 8 years and wants to assure herself that her son is happy and cared for so she can finally be at peace with it… even if seeing him makes her yearn for all she gave up. She’s also burdened by the guilt of approaching Sam and Matt under false pretenses—especially with the store Matt sets by the truth—but is afraid to come clean because she knows she’ll lose them both. I haven’t been in her shoes, but her struggle felt real and deep, and her emotional growth surprisingly complete but not rushed given the short length and time frame of the story. I also really enjoyed her wit and humour: the way she flirted and bantered with Matt was priceless. Matt is a truly delightful hero: he’s hot, he’s compassionate, he hates asking for help but is man enough to do it anyway, he’s got quite the mouth on him, and he’d do anything for his son. Except for his momentary lapse into wankerdom when Dani finally ‘fesses up, he’s absolutely swoon-worthy… and he makes up for being a tosser in a big way at the end. You just can’t help rooting for the two of them and their chance to believe in a HEA again!

Overall, JUST FOR THE SUMMER is a great beach read: unabashedly romantic without being (excessively) saccharine and deeply emotional. It deals with some hard-hitting issues like sexual assault and adoption, which are perfectly balanced by the upbeat writing to leave you satisfied and happy. And, for those of us who like a little more spice than the usual sweet contemporary, there’s plenty of foreplay (beyond the sexy banter) to make up for the off-page main event. I can’t wait to return to Lake Bliss in the future!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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