Summary: Isabel (“Belly”), her mother, and brother spend every summer with her mother’s best friend Susannah and Susannah’s two sons. Belly’s has had a crush on the oldest, Conrad, for years, but he’s always thought of her like a little sister. But, this year Belly’s blossoming into a lovely young woman and everyone is starting to notice.
Thoughts: I read this last summer, and it’s the perfect beach read. Romance, drama, family problems, and realistic characters; what more do you need? 🙂 My only complaint was that I wasn’t as crazy about moody Conrad as Belly was. I was more drawn to Adam, the leading man of Melissa Kantor’s summer romance Girlfriend Material. However, The Summer I Turned Pretty is an engaging story, and I look forward to reading more about these believable characters in the recently-released sequel It’s Not Summer Without You.