Books Like The Summer I Turned Pretty
Looking for books like The Summer I Turned Pretty? I have YA books to read like The Summer I Turned Pretty (from the 2010s and the 2020s) plus some spicy books like The Summer I Turned Pretty for Adults!
Books Like The Summer I Turned Pretty
What’s the vibe of The Summer I Turned Pretty?
The Summer I Turned Pretty (2009) is narrated by Isabel “Belly” Conklin, a sixteen year old girl looking back on all the summers she spent at the North Carolina beach house of her mom’s best friend Suzannah. Belly’s mom Laurel, Suzannah’s sons Jeremiah and Conrad, and Belly’s friend Taylor are also major characters.
- The Summer I Turned Pretty is a classic coming of age story
- It’s also a classic 2010s YA romance book with a love triangle
- It has a VERY beachy and summery vibe
- It’s also a grief book (no spoilers!)
Apparently the show is not EXACTLY like the book, but the general themes remain the same.
YA Books Like The Summer I Turned Pretty
I tried to find 2020s books for my list, but decided that The Summer I Turned Pretty is such a classic 2010s YA story that I’d stay in that lane for the most part.
Summer Girls by Jennifer Dugan
This f/f romance set in a summer beach town pairs a year rounder “townie” with a wealthy summer girl. When Birdie Gordon crashes her boyfriend’s car, she’s sentenced to a summer with her dad in an island beach town. Cass Adler, who grew up in that town, gets stuck babysitting the rich daughter of her boss. But their forbidden romance is heating up!
The Summer After You and Me by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Lucy lives at the Jersey Shore and tries to avoid the tourists. What’s the point of a summer fling with someone who she knows is leaving. But when a severe storm traps her with visitor Connor, she thinks about breaking her own rules.
Breathless by Jennifer Niven
An aspiring writer has her summer all figured out, until her parents announce they are splitting and her mom announces that they’ll be spending the summer at a remote island. Jeremiah lives there and is like no other boy she’s ever met before.
Last Kiss of Summer by Jessica M. Felleman
Two teenagers who share a love of Cape Cod, a heart transplant history, and a relationship that fell apart reunite over an emotional summer.
Read my Review of Last Kiss of Summer!
Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch (2016)
Okay, this is not set at a beach, but it has all the other themes of The Summer I Turned Pretty. It was Lina’s mother’s dying wish that go to Florence to meet her biological father. So she heads there for the summer, finds her mother’s old journal, and sees Tuscany through her mother’s eyes. Could Ren, her attractive new travel companion, be
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson (2012)
In the face of family tragedy, Taylor’s family spends one final summer at their lake house in the Poconos. There, Taylor gets reacquainted with her childhood best friend and her first love.
My Life Next Door by Hadley Fitzpatrick (2012)
Samantha Reed has a very orderly life and can’t help be curious about the Garretts, the large, unruly family next door. When she meets Jace Garrett, she embarks on a journey of romance and self-discovery. (A spicy book!)
Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols (2010)
All year Lori looks forward to summers at the lake. With the Vader brothers at the house next door, Lori is just one of the guys. But now that she’s turning sixteen, Lori wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that’s not going to happen, because his younger brother Adam is in love with her.
Summer Boys by Hailey Abbott (2004)
Created by the book packaging company behind Gossip Girl, this predated TSITP but has the same vibe. Cousins Ella, Beth, and Jamie are spending summer at the family’s beach house. Bold Ella is crushing on a cute older boy, but he’s her sister’s new boyfriend. Beth is shocked to find herself falling for her best friend. And shy, creative Jamie gets her heart broken when her summer love abandons her. Three girls + some seriously stormy romances = one unforgettable summer.
Any Sarah Dessen book has a bit of a Summer I Turned Pretty vibe, from the North Carolina setting to the coming of age themes! Here are two of my faves!
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (2004)
Macy is still getting over her dad’s death. She’s also trying to be perfect as maybe that will keep her world safe. But one summer in a beach town with a new found family teaches her that perfection is an illusion and happiness is simpler when you realize what you can and can’t control.
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (2009)
Auden is stuck between her divorced parents: a controlling mother and a father who scarcely seems to remember she’s around. When her dad has a baby with her new wife, they invite her to spend the summer with them. There she learns important lessons about sticking up for herself, setting boundaries, and opening herself up to love.
Adult Books Like The Summer I Turned Pretty
The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L Walther
Meredith Fox suffered a devastating loss but after nearly two years of grieving, agrees to join her extended family for a big summer wedding in Martha’s Vineyard. The traditional Fox family game of assassin will take place during the week of wedding festivities. Meredith wants to win the game in honor of her late sister, but finds herself attracted to a cute groomsman.Will she lose the game and her heart?
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
Percy spent six summers on the lake. She and her ex-boyfriend Sam had been inseparable until their relationship fell spectacularly apart. When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as strong as ever. But until Percy can confront the past, she will never know whether her love story might have a happy ending this time around.
The Boys Next Door by Miranda Silver
A spicy fan favorite! Shy, bookish Diana dreams of attending Yale, but no one suspects the fantasies running through her mind about Brendan and Ian O’Brian, the twins next door. Home from college for the summer, Brendan charms everyone while Ian leaves a mess in his wake. But does she have the brothers straight? And which one should she give her heart to?
