7 Books to Read after The Summer I Turned Pretty & Why We Love the Yearning MMC
This post is all about Books to Read after The Summer I Turned Pretty
Okay, let’s talk about it: you’ve devoured The Summer I Turned Pretty (probably binge-read the trilogy, then binge-watched the series, and cried into your iced coffee at least once). And now… you’re in a post-Jenny Han slump. You miss the soft summer vibes, the complicated love triangles, and — most importantly — the yearning male main characters who make us scream into our pillows because they just can’t admit their feelings fast enough.
Why do we love the yearning MMC so much? Because he’s the perfect cocktail of tortured, soft, protective, and “I’ll-wait-forever-for-you” energy. He’s the boy who stands in the corner at the bonfire, looking like he carries the weight of the world, but will always carry you home barefoot on the sand. And let’s be honest… who doesn’t want that?
So, bestie, if you’re craving more summer romance books, swoony contemporary romance books, and YA romance books with yearning boys who will have you screaming “JUST KISS HER ALREADY!” — I’ve got you covered. Let’s dive into 7 books to read after The Summer I Turned Pretty.
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1. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
If you want nostalgia, summer lakeside vibes, and an MMC who carries years of regret like it’s a second skin — this one is your next obsession. Think of it as The Summer I Turned Pretty but with more second-chance angst. You’ll love Sam, the boy next door who will make you believe in rekindled summer love.
2. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
This book is practically the yearning MMC handbook. Childhood best friends to estranged lovers? Check. Emotional baggage? Double check. A male lead who has loved the heroine since they were twelve? Triple swoon check. This one is for you if you sobbed over Conrad’s unspoken feelings.
3. Happy Place by Emily Henry
Emily Henry is the queen of yearning MMCs. In Happy Place, we get broken-up exes forced to fake date at a summer house reunion. (Tell me that doesn’t sound like Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah energy but aged up!) The male lead, Wyn, has “silent, tortured pining” down to a science.
4. Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter
Craving something more fun and flirty but still with a side of heart-clutching yearning? Enter Wes, the grumpy-sweet neighbor who is secretly in love with the heroine. If Jenny Han’s trilogy gave you butterflies, Lynn Painter will make them turn into fireworks.
5. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
For a more mature twist on yearning, this book brings heat, angst, and a romance that stretches across time. The MMC has been in love with her for literal decades — talk about yearning on steroids. It’s raw, beautiful, and absolutely unforgettable.
6. The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch
It’s New Year’s Eve, they’re exes, and they wake up together after a wild night with no idea how they got there. Cue the tension, cue the history, cue the longing glances that make you want to yell, “JUST SAY IT ALREADY!” If you loved the Belly-Conrad slow burn, this is for you.
7. If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin
Warning: this one is emotional carnage (in the best way). It’s about next-door neighbors whose lives are destined to collide — and the MMC will make you ache with every page. If you cried during TSITP, this book will leave you shattered and grateful for the ride.
Why We’re Obsessed with Yearning MMCs
The yearning MMC is proof that romance isn’t just about kissing — it’s about waiting, wanting, and watching. It’s about the way he looks at her like she’s the sun, even when he thinks he doesn’t deserve her light. It’s the almost-confessions, the subtle touches, the “I’d burn the world for you but I’ll never say it out loud.”
Whether it’s Conrad Fisher, Sam from Every Summer After, or Wyn from Happy Place, these characters remind us that love is both heartbreak and healing. And honestly? We’ll never get tired of it.
Let’s wrap this up
So there you go — 7 perfect books to read after The Summer I Turned Pretty. Each one is packed with swoony summer romance, delicious slow burn, and yearning MMC energy that’ll have you texting me at 2 AM like: “I CAN’T BREATHE HE LOVES HER.”
And bestie, if you loved this list, don’t forget to subscribe to The Catalog by Celine so you never miss a book rec, nail inspo, or fashion guide. Because we’re not just besties who read together — we’re besties who glow together.
Books to Read after The Summer I Turned Pretty
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