I read The Summer I Turned Pretty… a long, long time ago and have fond memories of this book. It’s this kind of summer-feels story that transports you right by the beach, makes you smile and entertains you and, overall, it’s just a fun, lovely read.
While this book first published in 2009 (WHAT), it’s becoming a TV Series in 2022 and has ALREADY, as I’m writing this post, gotten renewed for a second season (I KNOW). I mean, it might just be me, but I think this show is going to be good… because, confession time, I haven’t watched all of the first season just yet.
🎥 You can watch the trailer here!
That didn’t prevent me from preparing this post for you all! I wanted to compile a little selection of YA books like the Summer I Turned Pretty: summer-y, fun, entertaining, adorable, heartwarming, with complicated emotions and characters you’ll fall for kind of books.
I hope you’ll enjoy this and, please, if you have more recommendations for me, let me know in the comments below!
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10 Books Like The Summer I Turned Pretty to read next!
The Summer of Broken Rules, K.L Walther
The Summer of Broken Rules was such a lovely surprise. It’s about Meredith, going back to Martha’s Vineyard for the first summer without her sister. It has a big family, a wedding, an Assassin’s game, a cute groomsman and soft, heartwarming relationships and emotions, too. It’s a beautiful book overall that will give you all the summer-y feels.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, Sarah Ockler
The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is a book I’d love for more people to read. It’s about Elyse d’Abreau: she lost her voice in a boating accident and therefore decides to spend her summer away from her home, the Carribean, to a small Oregon seaside town. This is such a beautiful book with a slow-burning relationship, about finding yourself again and has such a lovely setting that gives you all the summer feels, just like in The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Loveboat, Taipei, Abigail Hing Wen
While we’re on the topic of life-changing summers… I found Loveboat, Taipei to be fitting for this list. Ever Wong’s parents send her to Taiwan for the summer to study Mandarin. While it’s far, far away from spending a summer at a beach house, this story is also about first love and all messy emotions and relationships, while finding yourself in a completely different setting you’re used to.
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
A Cuban Girl’s Guide To Tea and Tomorrow, Laura Taylor Namey
Changing places and taking you to England with A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, one of my favorite books, EVER. This is about Lila, finding herself spending the summer in England instead of Miami. It’s about finding yourself away from home, this has the softest relationships and feels ever, lovely sisters’ relationship and this book, just, gives me all the warm feels.
Add to Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Alex Approximately, Jenn Bennett
Alex, Approximately is one of these YA books that are absolutely perfect for the summer… just like The Summer I Turned Pretty! It’s about Bailey, moving in with her Dad in California, in the same hometown of her online crush. Too afraid to tell him, she starts working at a local museum, where she meets Porter… This is such a fun, heartwarming read with soft romance, witty banter and all the summer feels.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
The Unexpected Everything, Morgan Matson
Morgan Matson’s books are all perfect, if you’re looking for a summer read, but for this post I picked The Unexpected Everything. Why, you ask? In this story, Andie has her summer all planned out… until it all falls apart and she’s suddenly living with her Dad, has a scandal on top of her head and spends time walking dogs. Talk about a summer turned different than she’d expected it to… this is such a heartwarming read I adore!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Our Way Back to Always, Nina Moreno
Our Way Back To Always feels like the perfect fit to this post. While it’s not set at a summer beach like in the Summer I Turned Pretty, it’s still set in sunny Florida, so… that counts. Also, it has childhood friends that haven’t talked in a couple of years, finding a bucket list from their childhood and deciding to tick items off of it….Friends to lovers, second chance, a sunny, summery setting and a whole lot of family love, that’s what you get with this lovely read!
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This, Rachel Lynn Solomon
I love everything Rachel Lynn Solomon writes and We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This is the perfect summer read! It’s about Quinn and Tarek, spending the summer working on weddings with their families after Quinn’s revealed her crush to Tarek via an unanswered email. It’s a delightful rom-com filled with feelings and deals with some heavier topics at times, just like The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Girl Out of Water, Laura Silverman
One of my favorite books ever! Girl Out of Water is about Anise, having to spend the summer away from the beach in Nebraska to help our her aunt after an accident. It’s such a great read about growing up, finding your home away from home, finding your people and it’s absolutely wonderful.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Now That I’ve Found You, Kristina Forest
I found Now That I’ve Found You to be such an entertaining, fun and heartwarming book, I think it fits the bill in these YA books like The Summer I Turned Pretty reads. It’s about Evie, the granddaughter of a famous movie star, having to find her missing grandmother in the gigantic city of New York. It’s a wild chase in the city, yet it’s also a fantastic YA contemporary with romance and a great focus on family relationships as well.
Find on Goodreads ☂️ Buy on: Amazon – Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty books
Obviously, I have to recommend The Summer I Turned Pretty series to finish this post. I’ll be honest here: I read these a long, long time ago and I’m not sure how I’d feel about these books now.
That being said, I read these as a teenager and, as a teenager, I really loved them. While I, sometimes, had a hard time with the main character, I also was really into the messy feelings of love this story’s all about, the beach setting, the family ties, too. It’s such a lovely read overall.
For more YA book recommendations, check out these blog posts:
- My Must-Reads YA Contemporary Authors: A Quick Guide To The Ones I Adore
- 26 Summer-Themed YA Books To Read This Summer
- 18 YA Books Like Heartstopper To Read Next (ft. Soft Romances, Great Characters & More!)
📌 Pin 10 YA Books Like The Summer I Turned Pretty to read on Pinterest!
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Did you watch The Summer I Turned Pretty, or not yet? What did you think of it? Did you read the books, or want to?
Did you read any of these books? Do you have any recommendations if you liked The Summer I Turned Pretty? I’d LOVE to know in comments!!
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JamieAdStories says
These books all look good. I want to know more about Taiwan so that ones interests me most.
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
Thank you so much! I hope you’ll enjoy the book! 🙂
Emily says
Summer rom coms are the best! I will definitely be taking these recommendations to my local library haha. I’ve read a few Morgan Matson books but I don’t think I’ve read The Unexpected Everything. That cover has such good vibes!
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
Agree, I adore summer rom-coms as well! I hope you’ll get a chance to read The Unexpected Everything soon. I’m such a huge fan of everything that author writes! 🙂
aurelia says
I’m going to be adding loads of these to my summer tbr. Our Way Back To Always and Girl Out Of Water both sound really interesting!
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
Oh yay, this makes me so happy!! I hope you will like them 🙂
Caro @ bookcheshirecat says
I never read The Summer I Turned Pretty, but I heard that the adaptation is great 😄 I need more summer books for the coming months and We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This, The Summer of Broken Rules and Our Way Back to Always sound great 🥰
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
The adaptation is fantastic, I love it so much! I hope you’ll get a chance to read it sometime 🙂 and yay! we all need more summer books, always, ahah 🥰
Azia says
Jean Bennett and Morgan Matson are my go-to’s for cute summer YA contemporaries! But I definitely have to read The Summer I Turned Pretty now! Thanks for sharing these recs! 😁
drizzleandhurricanebooks says
YES me too! They’re fantastic authors, I can’t get enough of their stories. Thank you so much for reading! 🙂