With themes of friends to love, mistaken identity high jinks, and a second-chance beach vacation, these YA romances set over the summer are sure to delight.

Brown, Keah. The Secret Summer Promise. 336p. Levine Querido. Jun. 2023. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781646141739.
Gr 7-10–The summer after a serious surgery related to her cerebral palsy, Andrea is ready to complete an epic summer bucket list. As she begins to check off each item with her bestie Hailee, one major problem presents itself: Andrea realizes she’s actually in love with her best friend. Andrea fights her feelings until the crush she forces herself to have on a male classmate seems to shatter their friendship into pieces. Misunderstanding and miscommunication are at the heart of the conflict, pushing the plot forward quickly but frustratingly. With some help from supportive parents and an extensive friend group, the two girls come together as a sweet love story unfolds. Though the girls are 17, the dialogue and the motivations behind the friendship drama read much younger, making this a more relatable title for tween readers. Andrea’s disability is treated with care and honesty, often interrogating and inverting the harmful stereotypes readers may have come to expect from a disabled protagonist. Andrea is Black, Hailee is Chinese American, and their friend group is believably diverse. VERDICT Young teens who want a lighthearted, queer, friends-to-lovers summer romp filled with authentic representation will find plenty to love in this debut.– Allison Staley

West, Kasie. Borrow My Heart. 288p. Delacorte. Jun. 2023. pap. $12.99. ISBN 9780593643259.
Gr 8 Up–West’s latest novel is another sweet, lighthearted story about young love and young problems. Wren lives her life by a set of rules and keeps herself closed off from most people because of abandonment issues she still carries from her estranged mom. However, she does something spontaneous and out of character when she sees a guy named Asher at a coffee shop; he appears to have been catfished by someone online and is being ridiculed by his friend. Wren pretends to be the girl he was there to meet, hoping to ease his embarrassment. She keeps up the charade with plans to tell Asher the truth, but the longer she pretends, the more of her own rules she begins to break. Now, Wren wonders whether he will forgive her for her deceit even though it was done with good intentions. Meanwhile, Wren has feelings of isolation because she hasn’t forgiven her mom, and her sister always defends their mom while their dad remains neutral. West’s contemporary writing is perfect for teens as it discusses dysfunctional family dynamics, the negative impact of social media, and experiencing first love. Wren and Asher are described as white; Wren’s best friend is Indian. VERDICT Recommended for YA collections in public libraries and for those looking for a romantic teen summer read.–Lacey Webster

Wibberley, Emily & Austin Siegemund-Broka. Never Vacation with Your Ex. 336p. Viking. Apr. 2023. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593326909.
Gr 8 Up–There’s only one thing threatening to ruin Kaylee’s beach vacation in Malibu: her ex-boyfriend, Dean. Chronic perfectionist and volleyball superstar Kaylee is looking forward to the three-week trip her family takes every summer, because it’s the only time each year that she lets herself relax. In the pictures she posts to her almost half-million followers on Instagram, Kaylee with her dark blonde hair, tan skin, and muscular build appears to live a perfect life. In reality, Kaylee puts so much pressure on herself to live up to everyone’s expectations that she suffers from debilitating migraines due to the stress. Her mother is an Olympic Gold Medalist in beach volleyball, and Kaylee can’t escape comparison. She also can’t escape Dean, whose parents are college friends of her parents and a fixture of their annual Malibu vacation. Taiwanese American Dean, with his long dark hair in a bun and his hipster style, has loved Kaylee since childhood, but is struggling to digest their recent breakup. What follows is a steamy, banter-filled attempt at getting over an ex while falling in love again. High school sweethearts themselves, Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka craft a second-chance romance with plenty of forced proximity set on the dreamy beaches of Southern California. Kaylee and Dean’s dialogue radiates with sexual tension and their heat is balanced with a thoughtful exploration of friendships, perfectionism, and passions versus professions. Secondary characters are fully developed, and the summer beach setting is lushly described. VERDICT Highly recommended. Fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen’s summer romances will devour this book.–Samantha Lumetta