It’s the most romantic time of the year, and for connoisseurs of all things warm, romantic, and friendly, Cousins Beach is calling us home for a second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Belly, Conrad, Jeremiah, and Steven have grown up together, their mothers being best friends and crafting a place for them to belong where magic exists, love is enough, and people seem almost otherworldly in the best way.
Season two is somehow better than the first, and as a viewer who has watched the premiere season more times than I can count (I might not be a numbers gal, but I can count pretty high), that’s saying a lot. There’s so much heart in The Summer I Turned Pretty, and a lot of something else, too — it’s the kind of show that teaches you something important — that love can be enough, even when it feels like it can’t.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is inspiring watch parties with best friends, romantic partners, and even family members counting down the moments until the next episode. It’s the kind of series that bridges gaps that could stand between us and invites us all to the beach party instead. It’s as much a moment in entertainment as it is a series (and a trio of books), and it’s urging us to dive into all things summer romance at the end of a long day.
So what other films and tv shows should you tune into if you can’t get enough of The Summer I Turned Pretty? Grab your sunscreen, some tissues, and a fruity drink because we’ve got you covered.
1. The Vampire Diaries
Okay, hear us out — this might not be the first series you think of when you think of a “summer” romance, but if we’re talking about love triangles, two brothers, some summer fun, and a lot of coming-of-age drama: The Vampire Diaries has it all.
In The Summer I Turned Pretty, fans quickly picked either Team Conrad (the winning team) or Team Jeremiah, and fans of The Vampire Diaries are certainly used to picking the winning brother. We are still very much Team Stefan (as we should be, thank you), but just like with Jeremiah, we can see why some people are Team Damon.
There’s something quite special about watching The Summer I Turned Pretty as a fan of The Vampire Diaries, and if you’re a fan of both, we know you get it.
2. Dawson’s Creek
Are we aging ourselves with this entry? At this point, we’ll take it. Dawson’s Creek is the series many of us think of when we hear the words love triangle and coming of age or when we think about first being all-in when it comes to a network series.
Dawson’s Creek was ahead of its time, and in the same breath, it was very much on time. A love triangle, life-long friendships, a beachside town, and a story you want to revisit occasionally, like grabbing coffee with an old friend? For many, Dawson’s Creek was all of those things and more, so if watching The Summer I Turned Pretty leaves you feeling a bit nostalgic, maybe you grew up with Pacey, Joey, and Dawson, too.
3. Along for the Ride
A seaside town, a summer romance, and finally feeling like everything you’ve ever wanted is right in front of you? Sound familiar? Along for the Ride reminds us a lot of The Summer I Turned Pretty, but the film is powerful and wonderful on its own, too.
Much like in The Summer I Turned Pretty, Along for the Ride also deals with loss, personal struggles, and the notion that there’s something greater just beyond our comfort zone; sometimes, all you need is the right person to help you find it.
4. Heartstopper
Is there anything as magical as butterflies in your stomach, that first love feeling, and finally trusting yourself enough to be honest with the most important people to you? In Heartstopper, those very ideas aren’t just touched upon; they’re deeply rooted in every scene.
Charlie has a thing for Nick, but he’s not sure if those feelings are reciprocated (like Belly and Conrad’s years of misunderstanding), but there’s more to it than that. Nick is dealing with feelings of self-assurance within his own heart and mind, wondering if people would treat him terribly if he thought enough about his heart and its desire to follow them.
Season two is slated for a release in August, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for Charlie and Nick; without giving too much away, we’ll say that this one gives you that coming-of-age feeling with a healthy dose of butterflies, and it has the heartache, drama, and pain, too.
5. Outer Banks
Does it get more beachy than this? Outer Banks might not be on the same playing field that The Summer I Turned Pretty is, but it’s still a must-watch for fans. With three seasons under its belt, fans have grown very familiar with the characters in the series, from picking their favorites, choosing their most loathed, and becoming invested in their dream couples.
There’s love, sultry drama, a lot of heat, and more adventure within the beaches in Outer Banks than you might initially expect, and it’s a blast.
6. Safe Haven
I’m a sucker for Nicholas Sparks’ stories, and Safe Haven is no different; when Katie has to escape pain and heartache in her life, she goes to a small seaside town and finds a home in it. There’s something about it that feels safe, and that’s the feeling she most needs when she reaches it.
Initially scared to let anyone in, when she finally opens her heart, she realizes that love can be truly healing; and in addition to the warm summer setting and the beloved cast of characters, that’s where the movie indeed shows up in relation to The Summer I Turned Pretty.
7. XO, Kitty
XO, Kitty is a series that we can’t get enough of, and it’s very reminiscent of The Summer I Turned Pretty. It’s coming-of-age, romantic, family-oriented, and powerful. Kitty moves across the world for love, but what she experiences when she gets there is something bigger than she initially thought.
Yes, she still finds love, but it’s in many ways. It’s in friendship, romance, and in her own heart. Kitty realizes that she’s someone special all on her own, that life is there to have an adventure with, and that love is enough in all the ways that matter.
8. Wednesday
Once again, hear us out before you scroll on past. Wednesday might not be the first (or even the fifth) show you think of in relation to The Summer I Turned Pretty, but it works, and here’s why. Wednesday Addams is an all-star lead character, she’s multifaceted, layered, and despite her best efforts — she’s a little bit sunshiny.
Wednesday is the epitome of self-reflection and coming-of-age, and while it’s not as heavily focused on romance, even the love triangle aspect will draw you in. We’re sure you’ve already seen Wednesday several times, but here’s to another binge-watch of it real soon.
9. Ginny & Georgia
Ginny & Georgia is one of our newest obsessions, and a significant component of the series is friendship in many forms. Ginny is a new kid in town, and it’s not the first time her life has shaped up this way; she’s used to moving, to things changing at the drop of a hat, so she initially shows up and is a bit closed off. It’s also clear that her relationship with her mom isn’t exactly what little kids dream of.
While Susannah and Laurel had good relationships with their children, some would argue that Laurel and Belly didn’t see eye to eye and that she wasn’t the kind of mom Belly needed in some ways. Ginny & Georgia certainly has a layer of that, in addition to love triangles, romances, and moments of excitement and chaos.
10. The Kissing Booth
The Kissing Booth is the kind of film trilogy that just gives you butterflies; there’s something about it that takes you back to your first love or helps you dream of it. Like a few of the other entries, this is definitely a love triangle story, mixed in with some unrequited feelings and the bond between brothers; The Kissing Booth draws in an audience of teens and adults alike because it is so largely relatable.
It’s also a series that you can’t help but fall in love with, and with summer love on the brain, The Kissing Booth (and parts 2 &3) are must-watches this summer.
11. Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever just aired its fourth season, and while we were all convinced it was a sign-off forever, something has made us hope for a season where we’ll get to see our favorite characters in the following chapters of their lives.
In addition to friendship and strong family values, a significant point of this series is obviously the love triangle. Devi Vishwakumar is in awe of Paxton Hall-Yoshida, and she’s got an arch nemesis in her classmate Ben Gross. Of course, we know the age-old trope of enemies becoming lovers, and while we usually love the storyline, Never Have I Ever is also very much a show with “teams,” and we’re strictly Team Paxton here.
Devi will take you on quite the journey through each season of Never Have I Ever, and we think you’ll love it as much as we do.
12. One Tree Hill
Let me preface this by saying that I wanted to be Peyton Sawyer; in fact, I still strive to be a woman like Hilarie Burton. One Tree Hill was a series my friend group grew up on, and I say that unironically. We were in the formative years of our lives while this series was on tv, and many of my friends and classmates adopted personalities as they did. There were the Brookes of the world, the Peytons, the Lucas’ and the Nathans, there were kids like Skills and Mouth, and we all found one another for good or bad, and we helped shape that magical chapter of our lives together.
One Tree Hill is another show that makes us think love triangle immediately, we were totally team Peyton and Lucas, and we loved the friendships more than the romances (well, almost) as we tuned in season after season. When we first sat down to watch The Summer I Turned Pretty, we had One Tree Hill on the brain.
While that’s nothing new for us (specifically, for me), it reminded me that there are some things so meaningful that they reoccur in several chapters of our lives. Love matters; how you treat people says more about you than anything else, and sometimes all you need is your best friend.
While it’s never a bad time to rewatch The Summer I Turned Pretty, you’ve got more options now when you want to find another great love triangle, summer romance, and a story about friendship at the same time. Here’s to the Conrads of the world, the Lucas’, and the Paxtons!