It's Not Summer Without You: Book 2 in the Summer I Turned Pretty Series

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We see much more of Taylor in It’s Not Summer Without You. How would you characterize Belly’s friendship with Taylor? What role does Taylor play in Belly’s life? Where do you see their friendship going from here—do you imagine them staying friends like Laurel and Susannah or have they already outgrown each other? After about an hour of driving, they pull off to a gas station and Belly goes inside to get her and Jeremiah slushies. “Half cherry, half coke: her specialty”, as Jeremiah says. I opened my eyes. Taylor was snapping her fingers in my face. “Sorry,” I said. “What were you saying?”

Explain Belly’s feelings for Cam over the course of the novel. Did she ever really like him? What stopped her, ultimately, from falling in love with him?

Adam Fisher - a barely mentioned character in the first book - is the villain here, but Jeremiah comes straight second, the fool that still believes his father is a good man. What else should he do to prove is an asshole, punch you in the face?!

And I read this book a while ago, but I REFUSE to reread this dumpster fire of a series just to write a review, so I apologize for that 🤩 Jeremiah made me swoon. I mean how could anybody not adore this guy especially since in this book we got snippets of his POV allowing us to get know him on a deeper level. Seriously, he is the biggest sweetheart and the underdog when it comes to Belly's affection.

Book 2 in the Summer I Turned Pretty Series

Describe your first love. How has this first experience shaped who you are today? Discuss the significance of first love, versus “last” love, as movingly articulated by Belly: The summer before, Susannah’s cancer had returned just when Belly and her longtime crush, Conrad, were falling in love with one another. They started seeing one another during the fall and winter, but in the spring, when Susannah’s health took a turn for the worst, things fell apart. Belly forced Conrad to come to prom with her by threatening to go with another boy if he refused. Conrad agreed to come but was miserable the whole time and forgot to bring Belly a corsage. Belly assumed all this meant that Conrad wanted to break up with her, so she broke up with him first and ran away crying. They did not see or speak to one another until Susannah’s funeral a month later.

The gist of this chapter is that he thinks Belly is suuuper hot, and he can’t stay mad at her when she’s right there in front of him! Chapters 9 & 10 She lets herself pretend that it was just like all the other times she had been in the house, daydreaming about what it would be like if Susannah was still around. Now this is just me being a hater, but I didn't like that Jeremiah was so present in this. Like he and Belly were together the entire time and I hate both of them so I kinda wanted them to disappear, which makes no sense but that's alright.He asks her where she is, and Belly proudly shares her situation with the boys. When she gets off the phone with Steven, Belly sees an unfamiliar car pull into the driveway. Maybe that was how it was with all first loves. They own a little piece of your heart, always. Conrad at twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, even seventeen years old. For the rest of my life, I would think of him fondly, the way you do your first pet, the first car you drove. Firsts were important. But I was pretty sure lasts were even more important. And Jeremiah, he was going to be my last and my every and my always.” Belly sets up a study area at the beach house, and she and Jeremiah help Conrad study all night. The next morning, Conrad, Jeremiah and Belly drive away from the beach house, and Belly cries because leaving the house feels like losing Susannah all over again.

Well, you have to look cute because everybody’s gonna be there,” Taylor said. “I’ll come over early and we can get ready together.” Belly has been in love with Conrad since she was a child. They finally established a romantic relationship the previous summer, but the two exchanged harsh words at Susannah’s funeral. Belly recalls that the beach house was full of people after the funeral, and when Belly went to find Conrad, he was in the basement resting his head on a girl’s lap. I love Han's writing. She really captures the emotions of being a teen and in love. I am sure we all remember how painful and confusing it is. And Han writes it perfectly so that it causes your heart to ache.

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This prompts Belly to silently decide for herself that she would let Conrad go once and for all, and that she would “evict him” from her heart. Cory doesn’t like me,” I said, looking away from her. But he sort of did like me, and I knew it. I just wished he didn’t.