“Moments, when lost, can’t be found again. They’re just gone.”
If you loved the sun-soaked romance, bittersweet love triangle, and emotional coming-of-age story in The Summer I Turned Pretty, you’re probably looking for more books that capture that same magic. Jenny Han’s beloved series perfectly blends first love, heartbreak, and self-discovery – and these similar books do just that. Whether you’re craving another YA summer romance, a beach-town setting filled with secrets, or stories about growing up and falling in love, this list has you covered. From heartfelt contemporary romances to tender coming-of-age novels, these books like The Summer I Turned Pretty, will give you all the warm, nostalgic feelings you’re looking for. Perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and other emotional, character-driven love stories, these reads will take you right back to those dreamy summer nights and unforgettable first loves.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Summary
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad.
They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer – they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up the way it should have been all along.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han
Kicking off our list of the best books like The Summer I Turned Pretty is another one of Jenny Han’s most treasured stories, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. The novel tells the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed.
But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about these confessions: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past lovers face-to-face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of all these letters after all.
Love & Gelato – Jenna Evans Welch
Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she’s in no mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairytale landscapes. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what sort of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is go back home.
But then she is handed a journal that her mother had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly, Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires her, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knows about her mother, her father, and even herself.
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The Rest Of The Story – Sarah Dessen
Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who passed away when she was just ten. But she does remember the stories her mum told her about the lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees on the edges. Now, it’s just Emma and her dad. Life is good, if a bit predictable. That is, until Emma is sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family – her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.
When Emma arrives at North Lake, she discovers there are two very different communities there. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her best friend when they were younger. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and, slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake – and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.
Second Chance Summer – Morgan Matson
Another one of the best sun-soaked summer books like The Summer I Turned Pretty, Taylor Edwards has never felt like she stands out. Then her father receives unexpected, tragic news. The family made the last-minute decision to spend the summer together in the cramped quarters at their old lake house. Taylor hasn’t been to the summerhouse since she was twelve, and is soon confronted with people she never thought she would see again: her former best friend, Lucy, and Henry Crosby, her first crush.
As the days lying on the beach pass into nights gazing at the stars, Taylor realises she has a second chance – with friends, family, maybe even with love. But she knows that once the summer ends, there is no way to recapture what she stands to lose.
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The Summer Of Broken Rules – K.L. Walther
Meredith Fox has been going to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer for as long as she can remember. But this is the first summer going back since the death of Meredith’s sister. It will all be overwhelming, but even more since the entire extended family will be together for her cousin’s big wedding. Thankfully, her family has a tradition of playing the ultimate game of Assassin every summer, and this year it will take place during the week of wedding festivities.
But her target just happens to be a very cute groosman. She’s determined not to let herself get distracted, not let herself be lost in another doomed relationship. Yet, as the week progresses, she can’t help falling for him, which might cost her not only the game but also her heart.
Heartstopper – Alice Oseman
No list of feel-good YA romance books like The Summer I Turned Pretty would be complete without mentioning Heartstopper. Charlie, a highly-strung, openly gay over-thinker, and Nick, a cheerful, soft-hearted rugby player, meet at a British all-boys grammar school. Charlie is in Year 10. Nick is in Year 11. He’s heard a little about Charlie – the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months – but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him.
They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…
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My Life Next Door – Huntley Fitzpatrick
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she were one of them… until one evening, when Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything.
As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase’s family makes Samantha one of their own. Then, in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world, and she is suddenly faced with an impossible choice. Which perfect family will save her? Similar to The Summer I Turned Pretty, My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick is a dreamy summer read, full of characters who linger with you long after the story has finished.
Stay Sweet – Siobhan Vivian
No summer in Sand Lake is complete without a trip to Meade Creamery – the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade, who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by the local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends.
Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew, Grady, arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business… but Grady’s got some changes in mind…
Every Summer After – Carley Fortune
Ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life, Persephone Fraser has swapped glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood for a stylish apartment in the city. Then she receives a call that sends her racing back to Barry’s Bay, and into the orbit of Sam Florek, the man she never thought she would have to live without.
For six summers, Percy and Sam were inseparable. Eventually, that friendship bloomed into something more. And then it all fell spectacularly apart. When Percy returns to the lake, their chemistry is still as undeniable as ever. But until Percy can confront the choices she made all those years ago, they’ll never know whether their love may be bigger than the mistakes of their past. Told across six summers in the past and one defining weekend in the present, Every Summer After is a second-chance summer romance novel perfect for anyone who loved The Summer I Turned Pretty.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
