About this book:

“Ginny Masters manages a popular boutique hotel in Seattle and manages it 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 . . .”


Series: As of now, no. It seems to be a stand-alone novel.


Spiritual Content- A Scripture is remembered & thought over; We see that Ginny has a faith, but no hints to Jacqueline having one (besides a mention of her sending a prayer for a new job); Ginny knows that she loves God and God loves her, but longs for being able to love and be loved in a human form as well; Mentions of God & His will; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of churches, church going; A mention of purgatory;
*Note: The words ‘miracle’ and ‘heaven’ are used loosely (wanting a miracle for a job-related thing and thinking a place is heaven); The phrase “when hell freezes over” is said once; A mention of Jacqueline being almost “worshipful” to a new boss to get on her good side; Jacqueline teasingly calls Ginny a “saint”; Mentions of luck, being lucky, & lucky stars; A few mentions of magic & someone being a magician (not seriously); A mention of someone who has passed “looking down” with approval over someone; A mention of a child wondering if a place is haunted.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘doggone’, a ‘give a hill of beans’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘stinking’, a ‘ticked’, a ‘witch’ (calling a woman that), a ‘what the devil’, two ‘dad-burned’s, two ‘good grief’s, two ‘hurts like the dickens’, three ‘crummy’s, three forms of ‘dang’, four forms of ‘darn’, and five forms of ‘stupid’; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Drinking (with others, both Ginny and Jacqueline; Jacqueline plans to win a guy over with acting helpless and alcoholic beverages); Ginny’s boss manipulates her at work; Jacqueline lies, manipulates, looks to blame others for her mistakes, and has a bad attitude about working at her grandfather’s place (complaining, avoiding responsibilities, not being helpful; It’s said she has an “entitled superiority complex going on”); *Spoiler* Jacqueline feels like she is unwanted and unloved after seeing Ginny take over her job when she wants it back; This causes her to lie more to get rid of Ginny and have a certain man’s interest again; She has an outburst about no one liking her *End of Spoiler*; Ginny tells a lie (not being truthful about her feelings); A father makes his teen daughter tell a lie “for a good reason” (to be able to be alone with a woman); A teenager makes comments about not being happy in her family, yells at her mom, talks about being emancipated from her parents, & is hurt and bitter from her parents’ divorce; Mentions of a young son drowning & the possibility of others drowning (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths from cancer (a mother and a wife, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of injuries, pain, & a broken bone; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, & bars; Mentions of an out-of-control party; Mentions of throwing up; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & manipulation; Mentions of fathers leaving their families, divorces, & the daughter of a divorced couple being upset (due to her mom “dumping her” on her father); A few mentions of jealousy & hatred; A few mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of a war; A couple mentions of a wife loving her husband’s money and family name more than him; A mention of death row; A mention of an abduction; A mention of thieves; A mention of arrests; A mention of a teenager “pranking” her stepfather by keying his car; A mention of a fire; A mention of cigarettes; A mention of a nightmare; A mention of hunting;
*Note: A man makes comments against cancer doctors due to losing his wife to cancer & hating doctors and medicine because of it; Both Jacqueline & Diana mention their therapists & what they’ve been told (such as Jacqueline being told that she overcompensates with guys because her father left her when she was little); Mentions of brand names, items, & stores (Keds, Carhartt, Ralph Lauren, Coco Chanel, Adidas, Louis Vuitton, T-Mobile, Jell-O, iPad, Safeway, & Goodwill); Mentions of authors (Stephen King & John Grisham); Mentions of Disneyland; Mentions of a baseball team; A couple mentions of anxiety; A mention of PTSD (Ginny being concerned over fish who were released after getting caught would have PTSD); A couple mentions of celebrities (Chris Hemsworth & Margot Robbie); A couple mentions of a song (‘The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night’); A couple mentions of car brands; A mention of Google; A mention of the Oscars; A mention of a magazine (Glamour).


Sexual Content- An almost kiss, a not-detailed kiss, and two barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Touches & Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (up to semi-detailed); Jacqueline enjoys receiving attention from male guests & purposely dresses to get guys’ attention (including showing off her legs and waist); a ‘hunky’; Many mentions of dates, dating, secretly dating behind someone’s back, girlfriends/boyfriends, exes, & broken hearts; A few mentions of a kiss (that Jacqueline initiated with a guy); A few mentions of a bachelorette party (with a man there as well); A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of flirting; A bit of love, falling in love, & the emotions.

-Genevieve “Ginny” Masters, age 37
-Jacqueline Potter, age 27
P.O.V. switches between them
288 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)

Funny thing, this book felt like a throwback for me. Melody Carlson was one of the first (if not the very first) author I read when I got into Christian Fiction 13+ years ago and I really enjoyed her contemporary, usually drama-filled books. That’s not to say that I liked every book (or would recommend them now, I’d have to reread most of them), but this book definitely reminded me of that style. I probably would have enjoyed it much more when I was in the 13-15 age range (as this is the style of books I enjoyed then), but wasn’t fully my cup of tea now in my mid-twenties.

I liked Ginny, but I found Jacqueline to be insufferable, so I was holding out hope for her character development. I forgot how well this author writes shallow, superficial, self-centered characters who only care about themselves and designer brands. (This author does it very well were you want to smack some sense into her.) Brace yourself. If you like drama, have at it, but brace yourself for that girl. The change does happen but it happens very fast towards the end, which was a little disappointing. I would’ve like to see it more gradually, but it was good to see the change regardless.

Ginny has a faith that we see some of, but Jacqueline doesn’t show anything expect a prayer once for something good to happen to her. Both of the potential love interests have no faiths shown or discussed which made me wonder why Ginny was interested in either of them. To be fair, she was really only interested in one and the other just followed her around, but still, it was strange to see no faith discussions or confirmations before they started falling for the other. It felt more like a clean fiction book in that regard.

While I enjoyed parts of this book and it was a distraction for a few hours, I wouldn’t call it spectacular by any means. Jacqueline was pretty frustrating, the ending was rushed, the faith content was light, and there was casual drinking by main characters. It’s an overall very clean and summer-y read, but not one I’ll be recommending often nor thinking about much.



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Revell) for this honest review.

"Just for the Summer"
A Novel
by Melody Carlson is a "give me a hug and eat a cupcake with me story" Not much character growth nor a message of faith in Jesus. It was just a bland story that I interpreted as boring while I removed the cupcake icing from my face while reading. Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Ginny and Jacqueline have similar occupations, both managers of very different places. Ginny manages a boutique hotel in Seattle and is under the thumb of a demanding boss who treats her more like her personal servant than a valued employee. Jacqueline, feeling displaced by her mother’s new choice of a husband, flees that situation to manage her grandfather’s fishing lodge in a beautiful rustic setting. Jacqueline wants to do bigger and better things with her life, so she is not happy with fish, smelly fishermen and log cabins. Since neither young woman is happy, the perfect solution is for them to swap jobs for the summer. This is an amusing story with some deep undertones about finding happiness within yourself instead of expecting circumstances to always go your way. Once the young women switch jobs, Ginny continues to be a stellar employee, looking for ways to improve the lodge and to make everyone as happy with the setting as she is. Jacqueline, on the other hand, has taken her demanding and self-centered personality along with her and manages to alienate the other employees at the hotel while enraging her new boss. The two young women have several conflicts, some drama and a lot of fun finding out what their strengths and weaknesses are and discovering how to be their best selves, no matter where that may take them. I enjoyed the characters, especially the fishing guide Ben at the fishing lodge and the grandfather Jack. Both are common sense, no nonsense men who have learned to cope, adapt and adjust with changes. All of the characters are fully developed and fun to get to know. Even spoiled and entitled Jacqueline ended up having some redeeming qualities, making her one of the most dynamic characters in the book. The plot was well-paced, perfect for a rom-com with some drama mixed in. With life lessons about moving forward, taking chances and learning from mistakes, this is a book not to be missed by fans of entertaining and engaging reads.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This book was a clean, nice and easy read. The whole job swapping storyline drew me in immediately and it was ok. I never wanted to not finish it so I consider that a win!

I enjoy planning events so found it fascinating getting an insider's look into two very different hospitality venues. I was impressed with how Ginny started at the bottom and worked her way up and how she wasn't afraid to jump in and help as needed. I liked seeing her vision and improvements come to life. I would have liked a little more on that.

I enjoyed the idea of a job swap. I was expecting there to be more of a culture clash for the two of them. Instead it proved something else about the two ladies and their capabilities or lack thereof. Jackie, and I do say that to irritate her, was a piece of work. She seems to grow a little but it didn't feel believable. That was the biggest downside for me. I did feel that the story ended abruptly. I would have liked for it to go on a little longer.

All in all, I found this to be a light, enjoyable read. Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes you just need a bit of a sweet nook to lift your spirits. This book is a nice and fluffy read. Like a warm hug! Melody doesn't disappoint!!

Two girls swap jobs on a website. Ginny and Jacqueline's jobs each have their own set of troubles. Will they enjoy their switches? Is the grass really greener?

Pick up this fun read for change! It is perfect if you need a change of pace.

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

What an interesting idea….. a job swap. When someone is in the same profession and they want a little break that they are able to swap jobs with someone else in the same profession for a certain length of time and this is what happened in our book today. It was just for the summer, 60 days. Ginny who manages a classy hotel is tired of her complaining boss. A woman who wants everything to perfection and never ceases to complain. So when she is invited for this job swap, after all it's only 60 days, she readily accepts it, looking on it as a vacation away from this bossy woman. Or else she will consider quitting her job. On the other hand Jacqueline is interested in getting away to the big city. She manages her grandfather's fishing lodge and she is thoroughly sick of this backwoods fishing lodge. She is looking for glamor and good times.... It was most interesting to read how this swap came about and what each learned about themselves during this time. There is also integrity and reference to what God would have you do and romance also.... Thanks to the publisher by way of NetGalley for this early copy and I am very happy to leave my review.

Overall an okay book. However I felt it was a little bit slow and I didn't feel like too much happened. Which was. Shame as I thought that it could have great potential

i guess i didn't realize it was a christian romance? there was no character growth except for ginny learning to chill out a bit. it was overall boring and not much happened.

If you lived in a different place and had a different job, couldn't you have a different life? (from the back cover)

That is exactly the question Melody Carlson explores in her latest novel. I've often daydreamed of how my life would be different if I would have made different choices or possibly switched lives with someone else. How would it turn out for me, good or bad?

Ginny Masters and Jacqueline Potter get just that opportunity to switch jobs and experience things they would never have been able to do if they didn't sign up on the job swap website. They find out exactly how their lives change & whether what they wanted was really what they needed. Initially this was a great quick read that drew me in and had me rooting for the characters. Everything went seemingly well at the beginning and then life happened for these two, the rubber meeting the road if you will. It just went downhill from there. I've read many novels by Carlson and was happily looking forward to this one. Unfortunately it fell flat for so many reasons. I did not care for the amount of casual drinking mentioned, the harsh treatment, selfish nature and lies Jacqueline told to advance herself, and the total lack of a spiritual faith thread. For a Christian publisher & author I was surprised in how little time God occupied the pages. Sure, I love being entertained by a good story & great charters but I really love a strong faith thread....and much more than prayers for things to work out for selfish reasons.

This just didn't work for me. The ending was rushed, unrealistic and really didn't feel complete to me. Which is sad really because the story had so much potential to show character growth and have a much more natural faith thread. Unfortunately, I would not personally recommend this book to Christian fiction readers for reasons already stated.

* I received a complimentary copy from Revell and was not obligated to leave a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own. *

This was a delightful twist on a job swap scenario. Each character discovers things about themselves that helps them to develop into better human beings. The story moves along nicely and the characters are likable..

This is a fun, light read with an important message. Ginny Masters has worked for Hotel Jackson for years, working her way up to management. After losing her mother at a young age, she worked to support her younger sister and help her through medical school. Yet, at this time, all she seems to have her her job- one that is somewhat unfulfilling with a challenging boss. When she stumbles across a Job Swap website, she impulsively signs up. Meanwhile in the woods near Idaho Falls, Jacqueline Potter is also dissatisfied with her position running her grandfather's fishing lodge.

The two women agree to switch places for 60 days, both searching for meaning, fulfillment. Ginny and Jacqueline are very different women, one much more likeable than the other, but both three-dimensional characters who experience development and growth on their journey. Many of the secondary characters are vital to the lessons they learn and the connections they make.

I enjoyed this book, rooting for Ginny to find love and happiness and praying that Jacqueline would learn the lessons needed to become a more caring and invested person. Some of the plot was a little predictable and a little Hallmarky, but that's not always a negative thing. I love Hallmark movies because happy endings make me happy, and this book made me happy. This would be a great vacation read or a quick one to read after a harder read. This one could also be appropriate for younger readers in your household (teen readers). It is wholesome with a little romance and a lot of life lessons.

What at first appeared to be an undemanding read - & sometimes we do need those – ended up with just enough surprises to keep it interesting. Some (not quite all!) likeable characters, & unexpected changes which turned out better than one would have predicted, made this a good choice when you need a light & quick read between heavier-themed books. And we could all aspire to have Ginny’s attitude, always prepared to make the best of things. A good ‘clean’ read. 3 1/2 stars

This is a fun novel of the trading places style. It is a good combination of romance and a coming of age experience. The characters make the story. Ginny is a kind and gentle person in a high pressure job with a demanding boss. Jacqueline is the epitome of an entitlement personality, believing she deserved a top job without working her way up to it.

Carlson explores the idea of being happier in another place, another job, or another location. Both of the women had coming of age style experiences. I was a bit surprised at the quick personality changes in Jacqueline and Diana in an ending that felt rushed. Such fast character transformation could only happen in fiction.

This is an entertaining light read and a good lesson on contentment. Romance is present but somewhat subtle as is the faith message.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I don't always like life-swap stories but I wanted to give this one a shot. Overall I thought this was a great story and I really enjoyed it, I loved the characters and their progression. There were a few characters that were excessively frustrating but that's what keeps it interesting!

This was such a gratifying read on so many levels. First, I totally related to Ginny and her career challenges, and I'm low-key mad that a temporary career swap isn't an option for me, because it sounds amazing.

Second, I loved Ginny as a character, and her relationship with Ben and his daughter Alexi. It was really sweet to watch their characters all grow together. I personally found Jacqueline to be a bit bratty, but she did have a satisfactory character arc as well.

Finally, the fishing lodge setting sounds so picturesque that I kind of want to quit everything and move somewhere similar. Everything was described so well that it felt like I was taking a vacation at the lodge instead of just reading about someone who worked there.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable closed-door romance!

This was a breezy, light read—perfect for the summer!

Ginny Masters has been managing a posh boutique hotel in Seattle for years—and tolerating her insufferable manager for much too long. Meanwhile, Jacqueline Potter feels like a fish out of water managing her grandfather’s old fishing lodge in Idaho Falls.

Frustrated with their jobs, the two decide to make profiles on a job-swapping website and agree to a 60-day contract to trade management positions. These two women couldn’t be more different—work ethic included. And when things begin to fall apart earlier than anticipated, it leaves them both wondering if they’ll fall back together again.

Like I said earlier, this was a quick and easy read, but man, I had some strong feelings about one of the MCs. I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a character more than I disliked her. (You’ll figure out which one quickly.) Whew!! But clearly my strong feelings about her meant that I was invested in the story—and I was!

It was a clean read with a light faith theme. And there was character growth which I always enjoy—even though it came a bit later than I would have liked.

I’m giving this one 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it overall, but I much preferred one storyline over the other.

This was a solid two star read for me. I took a chance on this story, hoping for a fun, new beach read. I looked forward to the idea of job swapping, the hospitality industry and the beautiful settings of the city of Seattle and a rustic fishing lodge in Idaho.

I enjoyed Ginny's work ethic and her backstory as it spoke volumes of her character. I love how she brought light and life into Jack's world/lodge, sweetly cheered on those around her and in general, was a good person. I didn't love that her work-ethic was downplayed as a workaholic, or the implied idea she needed a man in her life for it to be complete, but did understand her hopes for something "more" in her life.

Jacqueline, however, was a character that I found manipulative, immature and generally annoying. I kept hoping to see her character change but it came a little too late and was without remorse. Because of her character in 75% of the story, her romance with Adrian wasn't believable. (I actually felt bad for him, a sweet guy dealing two manipulative women in his life.)

The romance between Ginny and Ben was subtle and came late in the story. I'd been hoping for more flirting, a few romantic scenes maybe, and felt there were several missed opportunities for them to have deepened their connection.

Other noteworthy elements were a touch of faith on Ginny's part, and a bit of humor in Jack's scenes that made me smile. There were several mentions of alcohol and the characters engaged in casual drinking which surprised (and disappointed) me for this publisher. There were a handful of times that the dialogue fell flat, felt stiff, or used phrases that didn't suit the young characters of a contemporary romance. I found myself skimming over certain pages because nothing was grabbing my interest in the scene.

Overall, a clean, light romance that offers an interesting plot wherein two FMCs swap jobs and step into each other's lives with one girl headed towards big city living and the other towards a rustic, riverfront lodge. If you're looking for a summer afternoon read, this may be a book you'll enjoy. Be prepared to not love a few characters very much, but keep in mind, there's a reason and some growth to be had.

CW & TW: Losing a loved one to cancer, casual drinking, several uses of "clean" swearing (darn, dad-burned, etc), divorce, toxic character traits.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you to the publisher for sharing this book!

Title: Just for the Summer


Author: Melody Carlson



Chapters:34



Pages: 288



Genre: Christian Contemporary Fiction Christian Contemporary romance



Rating: 4 stars



Publisher: Revell



I enjoyed Melody Carlson's Just for the Summer. I love a good switcharoo story. And Just for the summer doesn't disappoint. Though I have to admit I liked Ginny's point of view more than Jacqueline’s, it took me quite a bit to warm up to her. But Ginny I clicked with from the beginning. Big sister to big sister. Though the age gap between me and my sister is nine years not ten. So, I could easily see myself in Ginny's story. With Jacqueline for most of the story I felt like she didn’t realize what she had. And the love stories were sweet.



I do have to say there was quite a lot of character growth. And like most contemporary books I read I enjoyed the secondary characters who help make the story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of a blog tour I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Switching jobs for the summer was a dream come true for both Ginny and Jacqueline, who seemed to be stuck in their jobs. They were stuck but didn’t know where to go next. All parties agree to change jobs and living arrangements as spelled out on the job app.

It was delightful to watch two lost souls discover their place in this world. Both women quickly realize that the pursuit of happiness entails more than merely altering their surroundings Everyone is better for their discovery! Aside from the clever banter, strange and enjoyable circumstances, I was pleasantly surprised by the author’s depth in getting to the heart of the matter.

This makes for a great summer read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher, and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/