I couldn’t stop reading — the story pulled me in right from the start. The pacing was great, and every chapter made me want to keep going.
I found myself thinking about the characters even after I finished.

Just for the Summer is a cute, clean rom-com that would be suitable for ages 13 and up. Genievieve or Ginny as she likes to be called, is a hotel manager in a boutique hotel in Seattle. Jacqueline is the manager of her family's rustic fish camp and both are longing for changes so they both apply to switch jobs for 60 days. This is a fun take on a temporary life switch that has good character development and permanent changes for both ladies. I give this story 4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I loved that the "villain" was redeemable and the two romances were perfect!

A charming and enjoyable summer read. One of the fmc's is a bit of a spoiled brat, but that only adds to the fun of the switching-places plot.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Just for the Summer by Melody Carlson in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I loved the cover and couldn't wait to read this. Super fun summer read that has a teeny tiny bit of romance thrown in. This is the absolute perfect book to toss in your beach bag and let the sound of the waves and beach take you away.

I didn't love this book, the writing was well done and I do enjoy this author but I felt this book was just missing something for me.

Hallmark vibes!!! This was such a sweet, fun and easy read to get through. It kept my attention from the beginning, and I enjoyed the aspect of the swapping which is always really fun to read in stories.

When I started reading this book, I thought it might be a little cheesy...but it got better! The storyline was cute and I ended up enjoying it. The characters are fun. The book is an easy, lighthearted escapist read.

The end then went back to the cheesiness the author managed to work past in the majority of the book. Overall, this was cute but the ending could have been much better.

The book captures the essence of summer perfectly, with its light, breezy atmosphere and a charming setting that will make you long for sunny days. Carlson’s writing is warm and inviting, and the characters are easy to connect with, especially as they navigate their personal journeys over the course of the summer.

While the plot is a bit predictable at times, the genuine moments of growth and self-discovery keep the story engaging. The romance is sweet, and the overall feel-good vibe makes it an ideal beach read or a cozy escape. If you’re in the mood for a feel-good, uplifting story with just the right amount of romance and charm, Just for the Summer will not disappoint!

Just For The Summer by Melody Carlson is a heartwarming story of two women seeking a fresh start in their lives. Ginny Masters, overwhelmed by her high-pressure job in Seattle, and Jacqueline Potter, yearning for a more glamorous life than her small-town fishing lodge, decide to swap jobs and lifestyles for the summer. As they step into each other’s worlds, they discover that true happiness isn’t as simple as changing scenery. Carlson’s novel is a charming exploration of self-discovery, love, and the realization that fulfillment comes from within, not from external changes.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Another book that fell flat and I could not connect with, also DNF'd.

A fun quick read, a great palate cleanser. Really fun read without any real spice. I highly recommend it for someone looking for a change from high stakes books.

Sadly this book just wasn't for me. I didn't really feel too into the story at any point and didn't really seem to care too much about any of the characters. The constant changing of pov in the middle of each chapter also threw me a lot so I didn't really know what was going on most of the book. I can however see the cozy summer vibes the book was trying to go for and maybe it could be good for others.

A fun, light hearted read from one of my favorite Christian authors. I loved the whole story and it was such an engaging read.

2.75 stars

Having read many Melody Carlson books when I was a teen, I was interested in reading something new from her. Just for the Summer was a quick and easy read that started out fun with a great home/job/life switching trope but I found myself losing interest and was ready for it to be over.

Ginny Masters runs a busy boutique hotel in Seattle and is feeling like her life is just too busy and unfulfilling. She finds Jacqueline Potter who is running her family's fishing lodge in Idaho and they make a plan to switch jobs for sixty days. Jacqueline is at first excited to trade up and enjoy life in the bustling city but finds out it's a lot different than she imagined. Meanwhile Ginny finds out that she really enjoys fishing and a quieter pace.

Just for the Summer is told in the POV of each woman and I really enjoyed reading about Ginny gaining new happiness and skills that she didn't ever have a chance to experience. I didn't love Jacqueline's character as much, though. I thought she was quite selfish and manipulative in her actions.

I also thought that there would be more faith based dialogue or actions, seeing as I know Carlson to be a Christian author. I'm not sure, but maybe she's branched away from that.

Overall this was a quick read that started off strong but eventually fell flat with a mix of likeable and unlikeable characters and a little romance and faith sprinkled in for good measure. I'm not sure that this author is for me anymore, but I know that it had a lot of good reviews and I encourage you to try it out for yourself!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Just for the Summer by Melody Carlson is a heartwarming tale of self-discovery, second chances, and the surprising ways life can change when we step outside our comfort zones. The story follows Ginny Masters, a busy hotel manager in Seattle, and Jacqueline Potter, who manages her grandfather’s fishing lodge in rural Idaho. Both women are yearning for something more, and when they swap jobs for the summer, they hope to find the answers to their personal and professional frustrations.

Carlson does a wonderful job of capturing the contrasts between the two women’s lives—one in a bustling city, the other in a quiet, remote town—while exploring the deeper question of whether changing one’s surroundings can truly bring happiness. As Ginny and Jacqueline step into each other’s shoes, they quickly realize that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and that true fulfillment comes from within, not from simply swapping places or careers.

With its relatable characters, light romance, and introspective themes, Just for the Summer is a charming read perfect for anyone seeking a feel-good, thoughtful escape. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the biggest changes we need are the ones that happen inside us.

I liked this book. It was an easy read, and left me feeling good. I laughed a lot. I would reccomend it to my friends.

This was such an adorable summer read! I had so much fun with these characters. Every moment with them made me feel so giddy.

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Just for the Summer Book Review
A big thanks to NetGalley for providing me this book in exchange for my own opinion!
From Amazon:




Ginny Masters manages a popular boutique hotel in Seattle with aplomb. But the daily challenges and irritations of a fast-paced job and a demanding boss are starting to get to her. Jacqueline Potter manages her grandfather's fishing lodge in Idaho because it was the only job she could find after graduating with her hospitality degree. She's grateful for the work but longs for a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan life she's just not going to find in this backwoods town.

The solution to both their problems seems obvious. Just for the summer, they'll swap jobs and lifestyles. But they never anticipated swapping love interests . . .


In this fabulous new twist on an age-old fable, award-winning and bestselling author Melody Carlson introduces you to two career-focused women who are about to discover that there's more to finding happiness than just switching up the scenery.

My Take:


Melody knows how to mix romance and humor! I have read a number of books by this author and I am always in such a great mood while I read! Two women, both who are unhappy at work, go online and sign up for a job exchange. What follows is a hilarious mix between love, jealousy and two women who find what they want and need not too far from where they started. The characters are enjoyable and friendly, the settings sound amazing and a place I'd like to visit. I took this book on a cruise and it made the cruise a lot of fun!

About the Author:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than 250 books with sales of more than 7.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, her novel All Summer Long has been made into a Hallmark movie, and the movie based on her novel The Happy Camper premiered on UPtv in 2023. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at MelodyCarlson.com.

Entertaining, minimalist read. Good, clean fiction. A pleasant way to pass the time.

That's about all I have to say.