Are you counting down the days until season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP) comes out? Is the thought of waiting until the summer completely and utterly impossible? If that sounds like you, we’ve got just the cure. The CCPL catalog has everything you need to get that “summertime” fix a little early this year! These books might not have Jeremiah and Conrad, but they do have drama, a healthy dash of angst, and even the potential for love…
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
If you’re not quite ready to venture into new waters, why not read the book the show’s based on and experience your favorite characters in a whole new way?
“Belly spends the summer she turns sixteen at the beach just like every other summer of her life, but this time, things are very different.”
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Did you know that Jenny Han wrote another popular series that was adapted to a Netflix show? To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the first book in her bestselling trilogy that captures all of the drama, heartwarming moments, and angsty love triangles of TSITP.
“Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.”
-Amazon
Melt With You by Jennifer Dugan
This book is perfect for those who loved the “friends to lovers” trope in TSITP and the angst that comes from just a tiny bit of miscommunication.
“Two teen girls, former best friends and one-time lovers, go on a summer road trip in an ice cream truck.”
-Provided by Publisher
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
If you liked how TSITP explores family ties and how those dynamics impact romantic relationships, but you want the drama to be more serious, then this book is what you’re looking for!
“When Samantha, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a wealthy, perfectionistic, Republican state senator, falls in love with the boy next door, whose family is large, boisterous, and just making ends meet, she discovers a different way to live, but when her mother is involved in a hit-and-run accident Sam must make some difficult choices.”
-COSMOS
Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
Like TSITP, this book focuses on the coming-of-age journey of a teen girl during a pivotal summer and captures the same dreamy, romantic atmosphere of Cousins Beach, all with a European flare!
“Sixteen-year-old Mia travels to Paris to attend an elite ballerina program, and along the way meets a cute French boy, finds an unexpected rival, and discovers the truth behind a family legend.”
-COSMOS
Sunkissed by Kasie West
This book has the same family summer vacation vibes as TSITP, the right balance of fluff and tension, and even a dash of a love triangle, making it a great, quick read to scratch that TSITP itch.
“After being betrayed by her best friend, even Avery’s playlists can’t help her forget what happened. Now her parents have dragged her and her sister Lauren to a remote family camp for the entire summer. And the worst part: there’s no internet. Brooks is a cute but off-limits staff member, and Lauren is always in Avery’s face. As the outside world falls away. Brooks offers Avery the chance of a life. How far is she willing to go to find out what she wants– and who she wants to be with?”
-COSMOS
Nate Plus One by Kevin Van Whye
This is another great recommendation if you love coming-of-age themes and “friends to lovers” tropes but find love triangles to be annoying or overrated. Plus, the setting of this book is just as immersive and transportive as TSITP!
“After Nate Hargreaves finds out that his ex-boyfriend will be at his cousin’s lavish destination wedding in South Africa, his best friend and secret crush Jai Patel–who hopes to convince spotlight-shy Nate to front his band at a music contest–volunteers to be his plus-one.”
-COSMOS
Not Here to Stay Friends by Kaitlyn Hill
This is really a good day for those who love the “friends first” dynamic of TSITP. Hill’s book really captures the complex, conflicting emotions of Belly and Jerimiah’s journey from childhood friends to a couple.
“Two childhood best friends reunite in L.A. the summer before senior year–but when one of them ends up starring on a teen reality dating show, their feelings for each other get complicated.”
-Provided by Publisher
Chloe and the Kaishao Boys by Mae Coyiuto
If you’re ready for more of the angst-fueled drama that comes with love triangles, like in TSITP, but want even more family drama and expectations, then this is the book for you!
“Seventeen-year-old Chinese-Filipina Chloe’s father sets her up on a marathon of arranged dates in hopes of convincing her to stay close to their Manila home for college.”
-COSMOS
The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles
This one might be the most TSITP of them all. It has the drama, the coming-of-age, the blooming romance with someone the main girl has known forever but who hadn’t really “seen” her, the added complication of her love interest’s younger brother being her best friend … need I go on?
“Meet Rochelle “Elle” Evans: pretty, popular–and never been kissed. Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile–and a total player. When Elle decides to run a kissing booth at her school’s Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah, and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer. This romance seems far from a fairy tale. Is Elle headed for heartbreak, or will she get her happily ever after?”
-COSMOS
