The Situationship

Part of Your World #3.5

by Abby Jimenez

Find out how Maddy and Doug met in this sweet and hilarious short story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.

Travel nurse Maddy doesn't have time for a relationship, not even with the ruggedly handsome farmer who she feels a spark of attraction to.

Doug is a walking green flag. After a run in with Maddy thanks to the Wakan town mascot, Kevin Bacon the pig, he can't help but feel the spark too.

Even though she doesn't plan on staying in Minnesota forever, Maddy believes she and Doug can still have a fling… or maybe they’ll just find themselves in a situationship. 

Genres: Romance, Short Stories, Novella, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Ebooks

37 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 24, 2024

About the author

Abby Jimenez is a Food Network winner, #1 New York Times best selling author of Just for the Summer, and recipient of the 2022 Minnesota Book Award for her novel Life's Too Short. Her book Yours Truly was the first romance novel in the history of Book of the Month to win the coveted Dolly Award for Book of the Year. Abby founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen back in 2007. The bakery has since gone on to win numerous Food Network competitions and, like her books, has amassed an international following.

Abby loves a good romance, coffee, doglets, and not leaving the house.

Reviews

[Sabrina]

I'd love more of these two 🥹 hopefully the next book is theirs

"Do you always ask such invasive questions?" "do you always answer them?" "I do if I'm not ashamed of the answers."

Green flag, green flag, green flag.

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo)]

“The Situationship”was originally published as a bonus chapter in the Target exclusive edition of “Just for the Summer”. I didn’t know those savvy Target shoppers got to find out how Maddy and Doug first met!

He was out walking with his pig, Kevin Bacon, who was the Waken town mascot. And, she was on a scavenger hunt of sorts, following a trail of ….something that just didn’t resonate with me at all. (No spoilers).

But, after she lets her guard down and takes him up on his offer of lunch-she has to wonder if she and Doug have just gotten themselves into an “situationship”!

Even though the “bonus chapter” didn’t start out great, it redeemed itself by the end.

But, more importantly this ebook original also includes a SNEAK PEEK at Abby’s next release, “Say You’ll Remember Me”!!

What can I share about that?

Well, Abby’s characters ALWAYS love dogs, and they are featured prominently in ALL of her books-but this time, she has written something for us CAT LOVERS! 😻

Looks like we can probably look forward to:
Grumpy/ Sunshine (A grumpy vet and the cat loving woman who seeks his help!) AND
Enemies to Lovers (I mean, we know it has to go there, right?)

April 1, 2025 can’t come soon enough!
I can’t wait!

This short story and sneak peek combo is available today on Amazon for 99 cents!

[Ri ♡]

“Are you going to play the guitar for me or not?”
“You are so bossy.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
“Not even a little.” He grinned.

this was so cute, funny, and adorable 🥹💘

[Callie]

This NEEDS to be extended!!! I love Maddy's character too much for her to be a short story. My girl Maddy deserves a WHOLE BOOK like the others!

[Kaceey]

I want more!
I know this was a short story, but come on…that went way too fast!😩

Abby Jimenez writes amazing characters and Situationships.
This brief novella was an addition to her Part of Your World series. Loved it!

With a supporting cast of a pig named Kevin Bacon🐷
and a rooster named Russell Crow 🐓How could you not!? I mean, seriously!?💁🏻‍♀️😂

Luckily the release of Abby Jimenez’s next book Say You’ll Remember Me is about to be released. I’m already queued up on Libby for the audio!🎧

[chantalsbookstuff]

You can feel the connection between Maddy and Doug immediately. Give me Doug and the town pig mascot, Kevin bacon, any day.. I'm there for it!

[alana ☁️]

this was cute but too short. i wish they got their own full story. at least a novella.

[Tia]

This was very cute but I wanted mooooore 🤭

[cherie ^_-★]

nooo this ended so abruptly 😭 maddy and doug deserve more than just a short story ☹️

[Christy]

4 stars

I loved getting more Maddie and Doug! Their meet cute was fantastic.

[faye ✮ (ia)]

DAMN THATS IT???????? I WANT MOREEE

on a side note, now that we got a glimpse of the next book, im so looking forward to read it!

[aleksandra]

3/5

Cute, but really—and I mean really—short. Plus, a little too many mentions of dicks.

[April]

I love Maddy & Doug, I want more!

[Sana⁷]

Now that I've tried to
Talk to you and make you understand
All you have to do is close your eyes
And just reach out your hands and touch me

Hold me close, don't ever let me go
More than words is all I ever needed you to show
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
'Cause I'd already know

(Extreme, "More than Words")


I wanted to read the Doug story the moment he had shown up in the first Part of your World book. Back then I thought that his perfect match would be Briana, but I quickly realized my mistake when I picked up Yours Truly (she's forever a Jacob girl, respect! 🫡). When I thought that he would forever remind single (noooo!! 😭), then Just for the Summer storyline happened and my focus went to Maddy. She seemed like a perfect match for Doug the moment Emma admitted that Maddy's favourite song is "More than Words" - and this song is the only song that Doug happens to know and he plays it often on his guitar.

The Situationship is a very short story that shows us how Doug and Maddy had met and made a connection with each other. It feels a little rushed and there were way too many uses of the "dick" word for my liking, but overall it was enjoyable. I liked how Maddy was curious of Doug and recognized him as a green flag by the little things he had done, said and had in his house. And I liked how Doug was proud of his farm and how open he was about his depression. I got the "More than Words " performance that I wanted and, what I loved the most about it was the fact that it was Maddy who brought the guitar to Doug and asked him to sing. And his bad performance didn't scare her away - it made her smile instead! That's how I knew for sure that they are a match made in heaven ☺️

I wish for this story to be longer. To see if Doug had ever healed from his depression and how Maddy had fit in his farmhouse. I wanted to see how they had build their life together. But I will take what I got. It was a nice addition to the Just for the Summer story ☺️

[Susan Kay]

A great little shorty. I love being in this world. More Doug and Kevin Bacon 🐷

[MONA]

I need more!!!

[Nina]

tbh a bit heartbroken that we weren’t given a whole book dedicated to maddy and doug because um… maddy is perfect - hilarious, kind, caring, and scary (i love her) and seeing her pov was great. she and the cutie afraid of her deserve their own book. period.

also, i’m pretty sure we meet doug in the first book of the series, but since i haven’t read that one yet i haven’t seen enough of doug to really love him the way i love maddy, but i’m sure if i re-read this after i finish the whole series i might love him even more.

[har (super ia)]

4 stars! ₊ ° ⊹ ♡

buddy read with my sweetest angel mia!!! 🫂🥹💗

i’m so sad the series is actually over?!! but i really need a book with maddy and doug cause UGH it was so cute

[Wobilba]

Maddy and Doug are adorably cute 🥰 and all this novella did was make me thirst for more of them 🥺❤️

[౨୧˚avonna ⟡.•]

abby please give them a book 😔 they are so cutie

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡]

Дуже коротка історія, хотілось би повну версію про цих двох.

[Mina]

چرااا انقد کوتاه😭
من يه کتاب کامل از این دوتا بچه میخواستم😩🍓

[Em (semi-hiatus)]

Cute and all, but I don’t see the point of it. Teases more than it tells, there’s no story, and it leaves me yearning for more.

[Paige]

Petition for Abby to make this a full book 😌

[Maren’s Reads]

Traveling nurse Maddy has a meet cute with across farmer Doug thanks to the town mascot Kevin Bacon. When sparks fly during their afternoon together, Maddy decides a fling or “situationship” might be the perfect arrangement.

This is a cute short story that introduces us to two new characters who I am guessing will have their own book, while showing us how they connect to the various characters we already know. I enjoyed that aspect very much. What I didn’t love is how insta love it felt and the writing was a little cornier than I’m used to from Abby Jimenez. That said, I will of course read their full story when it is released and I’m sure I will enjoy it much more.

Read if you like:
▪️meet cutes
▪️insta connection
▪️cinnamon roll hero
▪️Part of your World Series

📌 I would recommend reading the previous books in this series first to better appreciate all of the references.

[Steph ✨]

If Abby could make this a full-length novel, that'd be great cause I need more Maddy and Doug in my life.

'I was hungry. And maybe a little crabby too.

He dug into his pocket and pulled out another snickers and handed it to me'

All I can think of is "you're not you when you're hungry" 😂

[Purrfect Novels]

3.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into Doug's personality. He seemed like a genuinely great person, and I would've loved to read his full love story with Maddy.

[⭑𓂃 mia [semi-hiatus]]

˚˖𓍢🌷 4 stars

maddy is so freaking cool hello??
her + doug together were adorable aah <33

buddy read with my fav girlie har 💓💓

it‘s over now huh 🤧

[emelie &#x1d717;&#x1d71a;⋆₊˚ (exams!!)]

જ⁀➴ 𝟑.𝟎𝟎₊˚⊹ ⛰️ 𝟙𝟘/𝟘𝟠/𝟚𝟝—𝟙𝟘/𝟘𝟠/𝟚𝟝
not gonna lie—i read this mostly for my reading goal. but not even a full size novel 🥺?! even in these 30 pages the dynamic was so cute and well-done, and made me rethink my stance on mountain men!! ⛰️

[Archana✿]

A little treat before a big meal, which you know is going to be goooood!🤌