Nothing says "Summer" quite like getting lost in a story about young love. When the weather grows warmer, we can't help but yearn for the days when those first intense feelings could bloom at Summer camp, the local pool, or during a spontaneous road trip with friends. That's why we can't get enough of YA romances that are set during the Summer months. From sugary sweet tales of teens working at ice cream stands to stories set during the strange period between the end of high school and the beginning of college, the YA books on this list will take you back to your teen years and make you feel like you're falling in love for the first time all over again.
Best YA Summer Romance Reads 2019
20 Heartbreaking and Beautiful YA Romance Novels to Keep You Swooning All Summer Long
1. Hot Dog Girl
If you've ever dreamed of working at an amusement park, then Jennifer Dugan's Hot Dog Girl is for you. Lou lands her dream Summer job working at Magic Castle Playland alongside her crush and her best friend. And sure, she has to dress up as a hot dog every day, but that's not going to stop her from getting embroiled in some seriously charming love triangles.
2. When Dimple Met Rishi
When it comes to weaving beautiful Summer romances, Sandhya Menon is in a class of her own. If you need proof then look no further than When Dimple Met Rishi. Dimple is a STEM loving Indian-American teen whose traditional mother wants her to find a suitable husband before she heads off to college. However, Dimple just wants to enjoy her Summer program and build her dream app. But then she meets Rishi and things get gloriously complicated.
3. The Unexpected Everything
Andie is a planner, but when her Summer internship falls apart, she has to learn how to embrace the chaos of life, whether that means becoming a dog walker or opening herself up to the possibility that a romance can last longer than three weeks. Morgan Matson's The Unexpected Everything is a treat for anyone who has trouble just going with the flow.
4. If It Makes You Happy
If a body positive, LGBTQ+ Gilmore Girls-esque novel sounds like a dream come true, then you need to get your hands on Claire Kann's If It Makes You Happy immediately. Winnie is a small town girl who loves everything about her life, including her job at her grandmother's '50s-themed diner. Her plans for the Summer before college are blissfully relaxed — at least they are until she's crowned Misty Haven's Summer Queen and finds herself navigating new responsibilities and a potential new relationship.
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5. Love and Gelato
Jenna Evans Welch's Love and Gelato has a cute title, but the story is far more layered than you might think. Lina is spending the Summer in Tuscany getting to know her father because it's her mother's dying wish. Along the way, she discovers family secrets, young love, and a greater appreciation for the beauty of Italy.
6. The Way You Make Me Feel
The Way You Make Me Feel is a true coming of age tale full of poignancy and laugh out loud moments. Maurene Goo introduces readers to Clara Shin, a teen who lives for making trouble before she's forced to spend her Summer working in her dad's food truck in order to learn responsibility. Things aren't as bad as she thought they would be, especially not with the cute Hamlet hanging around.
7. Field Notes on Love
Mae and Hugo are total strangers, but Jenner E. Smith sends them on a cross-country train trip with each other anyway in Field Notes on Love. What follows is a week of learning about each other, figuring out what they want from their post-high school lives, and maybe even falling in love.
8. The Summer of Jordi Perez
In Amy Spalding's The Summer of Jodi Perez, plus-size style blogger Abby has her heart set on landing her dream job at the end of her Summer internship. But then she meets Jodi Perez, a whirlwind of a girl who sweeps Abby off of her feet — even though Jodi is the one person who could be standing between her and the job she wants so bad.
9. London Belongs to Us
London is its own character in Sarra Manning's London Belongs to Us. After Sunny receives a photo of her boyfriend kissing someone else, she spends one Summer night chasing him around the city with a broom-toting, sarcastic French guy following her every step of the way. There's romance, drag queens, and plenty of twists in this romp around England's capitol.
10. Let's Talk About Love
Yes, two Kann novels made the list, but her Summer romances are addictive. Let's Talk About Love follows Alice, whose girlfriend dumps her after she comes out as asexual. Still stinging from that heartbreak, Alice's big Summer plans include binge-watching her favourite shows and frequenting all-you-can-eat buffets. But then she meets Takumi and quickly finds herself in the middle of a plot straight out of a rom-com.
11. Small Town Hearts
Babe Vogel is about to break the golden rule in her tourist trap coastal town: never fall in love with a Summer boy. Lillie Vale's Small Town Hearts is a warm romance with plenty of friendship-centric subplots that will make you feel like you've known Babe and her pals forever.
12. Love from A to Z
OK, technically S.K. Ali's Love from A to Z is set during Spring break, but the romance between two Muslim teens will give you all of those sweet Summer feelings anyway. After being suspended for confronting a teacher, Zayneb is heading to Doha, Qatar to spend the break with her aunt. Along the way she meets Adam, who is dealing with grief and a life-changing diagnosis. They quickly discover that when they're together none of their problems seem quite so bad.
13. You'd Be Mine
Music lover's rejoice! Erin Hahn's You'd Be Mine is the YA romance you've been waiting for. Annie Mathers comes from a long line of country music royalty, and she's on the verge of being just as revered as the rest of her family. Clay Coolidge is a bad boy in need of Annie's help to rehab his image over the course of a Summer tour. Together they'll make a whole lot more than just beautiful music together.
14. Alex, Approximately
In Alex, Approximately, Jenn Bennett gives You've Got Mail a teen twist. Classic movie buff Bailey is crushing hard on a fellow cinephile she met online who she knows only as Alex. The chances of the two ever meeting seem slim until she moves across the country to live with her dad in the same town the mysterious Alex resides in. Now she's torn between telling her online beau that she's in town working at a tourist trap with an insufferable guy named Porter, or simply letting their happy romance exist only on the web.
15. Stay Sweet
Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian is the ultimate sunny days treat. Amelia has been working for Meade Creamery for three Summers and she's finally made her way up the chain to Head Girl. Sadly, the owner of the ice cream stand passes away before her first day, and Amelia finds herself butting heads with the late woman's nephew, who has some changes in mind for the iconic local institution.
16. Night Music
A sultry New York City Summer full of classical music is just what teens Ruby and Martin need in Jenn Marie Thorne's Night Music. Ruby is the daughter of a music legend, but that doesn't stop her from having a horrible audition at the music school where her father works. Meanwhile, Martin is a prodigy who doesn't want to jeopardize his chance to study with Ruby's dad just because he's nursing a major crush on his fellow music lover.
17. Geekerella
Cinderella and the world of fandom collide in the utterly charming Geekerella. Ashley Poston takes readers deep into the world of geek culture as Elle Wittimer prepares for a cosplay contest that could lead to her meeting the actor set to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the upcoming reboot of her favourite show, Starfield. Fate has other plans for these two though, and you better believe those plans are swoon worthy.
18. In a Perfect World
In a Perfect World is Trish Doller's love letter to Cairo, Egypt. Caroline Kelly is all set to spend her Summer working in an Ohio theme park until her mother's work takes them around the world. Now she's living in Cairo and falling hard not only for the city, but for a boy who is showing her how much she still has to learn about life.
19. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
In Matson's Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, an unexpected road trip leads two teens on a journey of self-discovery and first love. Amy hasn't been behind the wheel of a car since her father's death in a car accident, but now her mom wants her to drive their car from California to Connecticut on her own. Thankfully, a family friend named Roger volunteers to join her for the ride.
20. I See London, I See France
If you can't make it to Europe yourself this Summer, Sarah Mlynowski's I See London, I See France is the next best thing. Two friends are in for the adventure of a lifetime as they travel through Europe together. However, the addition of a certain ex-boyfriend and his best friend leads to some (delightful) complications.