Books if You Love The Summer I Turned Pretty
Whether you’re an OG fan of Jenny Han’s book series from over a decade ago or recently became obsessed with the Prime Video drama series, it’s easy to get lost in Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad’s beach-set love triangle. Now that the summer season is upon us, it’s only a few more weeks until the new season arrives. Between the warm characters, relatable coming-of-age struggles, and journeys of self-discovery, it’s hard not to get addicted to Belly’s story. Will she end up with her childhood crush, the brooding Conrad, or will the charming Jeremiah sweep her off her feet? To keep you occupied until season two drops, we’ve rounded up some sweet summer romances, unforgettable beach tales, and page-turning love triangles.
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Add to BookshelfEvery Summer After
by Carley Fortune
For six summers, Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually, that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart. When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past. Told over the course of six years and one weekend, Every Summer After is a big, sweeping, nostalgic story of love and the people and choices that mark us forever.
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$35.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Chloe and the Kaishao Boys
by Mae Coyiuto
To call Belly’s love life messy would be a major understatement. If you love Belly’s non-stop romantic escapades, you’ll fall in love with this sweet new rom-com read featuring diverse characters and endless hijinks. The summer before Chloe heads off to USC, she has to attend her traditional eighteenth birthday party debut. The catch? Her nosy family members have set up a series of arranged dates for her to find the perfect escort for the party. Chloe isn’t looking for love, especially since she’s about to leave. But sometimes, it finds you at inconvenient times.
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$12.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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When Javi Dumped Mari
by Mia Sosa
On the eve of their college graduation, best friends Javier Báez and Marisol Campos swore never to date someone the other doesn’t approve of. Now, almost a decade later, Javi has a problem. Mari, the woman he’s secretly pined for since sophomore year, is engaged — and Javi didn’t even get the chance to vet the Pedro Pascal knockoff she plans to marry. A successful entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles, Mari is no longer seeking Javi’s dating advice or waiting for him to declare his love. Javi has just six weeks to convince Mari this marriage is a flop. If that means he needs to ruffle some feathers to help her avert disaster, well, he’s up for the challenge.
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Sunkissed
by Kasie West
The setting of Cousins Beach serves as a place of escape for Belly. The same can be said for the campsite that Avery’s parents dragged her family to for their summer vacation. But what started out as a forced remote family getaway quickly turns into a summer of self-discovery with a side of forbidden romance. Sound familiar?
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$12.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Happy Place
by Emily Henry
Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college. However, they broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends. Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives. It’s a flawless plan. After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week … in front of those who know you best?
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Say Yes Summer
by Lindsey Roth Culli
Just like Belly, Morgan Matson is about to learn that her entire life can change in just one season. Instead of keeping to her usual reserved self, Morgan decides to spend the summer saying “yes” to everything from new experiences to bad decisions. And just like Belly, Morgan starts to see the world in a new light.
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$11.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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A Love Like the Sun
by Riss M. Neilson
Laniah Thompson is a homebody who craves privacy. Issac Jordan is internet famous and spends his days being followed by paparazzi. She runs a small business with her mom in her hometown. And they’ve been best friends since childhood. When Issac comes home to Providence for the first time in months and discovers Laniah’s dream is slipping out of reach, she refuses to take a dime from him. And so, he does what any self-respecting best friend would do: tells the world they’re dating. Suddenly, business is booming, and Laniah agrees to his ridiculous plan to pretend to be lovers for the course of the summer. Told over the course of three sizzling summer months, A Love Like the Sun is about shared history, those who make us our bravest selves, and love in its many forms.
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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My Life Next Door
by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Family is an integral part of Jenny Han’s series. The same emphasis is applied in Huntley Fitzpatrick’s debut novel. Samantha Reed’s conservative family is a stark contrast to the Garretts next door. She’d always watched her messy and affectionate neighbors from afar. But when their son, Jase, sneaks into her terrace, they welcome her into their family as their own. But young love isn’t easy, especially when two very different families are involved.
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While We’re Young
by K. L. Walther
Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother. With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly’s finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?
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$14.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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10
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When I Think of You
by Myah Ariel
Kaliya Wilson has paid her dues. But all the years behind the reception desk at a flashy film studio have only pushed her movie-making dreams further out of reach. That is, until a surprise reunion presents an opportunity that could make her career, or break her heart … a second time. It’s been seven years since Kaliya’s whirlwind college romance with Danny Prescott went up in flames. While her passions have stalled, his career is taking off. So when the hot shot director reappears to offer her a job on his next production, it’s a shock to the system. As the pair allows themselves the openness and vulnerability to entrust their deepest truths to each other, the possibility of a true connection draws ever closer.
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Melt With You
by Jennifer Dugan
Belly, Jeremiah, Conrad, and Steven are childhood friends and their relationships play an important role in their stories. The same can be said about Fallon and Chloe, who were best friends until a series of misunderstandings after hooking up leads them to “no talking” status. But when their mothers’ shared business needs them to cover for the summer, they’re forced to put aside their differences for family. But is their love story really over?
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The Wedding Date
by Jasmine Guillory
Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn’t normally do. But there’s something about Drew Nichols that’s too hard to resist. On the eve of his ex’s wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend. After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she’s the mayor’s chief of staff. Too bad they can’t stop thinking about the other.
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The Matchbreaker Summer
by Annie Rains
Just like Belly visits Cousins Beach each summer, Paisley Manning has been attending her family’s Camp Starling since she was a little girl. But, when her father died, she decided to take a more backseat approach. That is until her mom gets ready to remarry, which means this summer might be the last at her beloved camp. Unless she and her rival coworker, Hayden Bennett, can figure out a way to break up the happy couple.
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$10.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Kissing Booth
by Beth Reekles
Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad constantly flirt with the fine line between brothers, childhood friends, and dating. Elle and Lee have a similar relationship. They have been best friends since they were in diapers and they do everything together. Now in high school, Elle shared a kiss with Lee’s older brother, Noah, while running the Kissing Booth at their school’s Spring Carnival. Does Elle have to choose between the two brothers?
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Kisses and Croissants
by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
Belly thought she had her heart figured out with Conrad until Jeremiah threw a curveball. It’s the same kind of curveball that Mia Jenrow was served. Mia planned her whole life with the goal of becoming a professional ballerina and now she’s spending the summer studying dance in Paris. Between the grueling ballet classes and a charming new cutie named Louis, Mia is starting to wonder if some of her plans need adjusting.
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Not Here to Stay Friends
by Kaitlyn Hill
If you loved the transition of Belly and Jeremiah’s relationship from best friends to a couple, this one is for you! When Sloan McKinney sets off for a summer in Los Angeles with her bestie, Liam Daniels, she’s ready for the time of her life. But she’s not ready to become a last-minute contestant on a reality show. With her in front of the camera and Liam working behind the scenes, anything can happen. But you’re not supposed to want to kiss your best friend, right?
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Nate Plus One
by Kevin van Whye
From the author of Date Me, Bryson Keller comes a fun, feel-good story about love and self-discovery that’s very similar to Belly’s. Childhood besties Nate and Jai are heading to Johannesburg for two weeks for Nate’s cousin’s wedding. But a lot can happen in fourteen days, and both of them realize some truths about themselves along the way. They leave as best friends, but will they return as something more?
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Fireworks
by Alice Lin
If you loved the sparks that flew between Belly and Jeremiah, chances are you’ll also be a fan of Lulu and Kite. The two used to be neighbors until Kite moved to South Korea to pursue a career as a K-pop star. Now he’s back in his hometown and his friendship with Lulu picks up right where it left off. Soon, Lulu is falling fast. But can a teen pop star and a normal seventeen-year-old really have a future together?
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$11.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Give Me a Sign
by Anna Sortino
There’s something about the sweet summer air that makes falling in love almost impossible. It happened to Belly and it happens to Lilah in this beautiful debut novel with a thoughtful exploration of Deaf culture. This summer, Lilah decides to become a counselor at a camp for the deaf and blind. The last thing on her mind is romance and falling in love, and that’s when Isaac, the dreamy and cute Deaf counselor enters the story.
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20
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Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim
by Patricia Park
If you’re a fan of Belly’s slightly chaotic behavior, here’s another messy protagonist you’re sure to fall in love with. Ale’s strategy in life is to keep her head down and her profile low until she can get into the prestigious Whyder College. When she’s suddenly thrown into the spotlight, she realizes that the time for sitting quietly on the sidelines is over.
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