I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough books to do this post again this year, but I’ve read a few ‘summery’ books recently(ish). I’m actually doing something in this post I’ve never done before; include two books by the same author.
The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott
This was a fairly recent read and I absolutely loved it. The summer vibes are off the charts; cliff diving, an orchard visit (this is probably more autumnal actually but the vibes are there) and an overnight camping trip with friends. Amazing. It also helps that this is actually set during summer.
The activities on the list are so fun to see play out and this book just feels like a warm summer’s day (there are sad parts though so don’t expect it to be entirely happy!).
Synopsis: Emily and her mum were always lucky.
But Emily’s mum’s luck ran out three years ago when she succumbed to cancer, and nothing has felt right since.
Now, the summer before her senior year, things are worse than ever – Emily has wrecked things with her boyfriend, Matt, and her dad is selling the house she grew up in and giving her mum’s belongings away. The only person she has to talk to is Blake, a girl she barely knows since she and her dad moved back to town five seconds ago.
But that’s when Emily finds the list – her mum’s senior year summer bucket list – buried in the back of her closet. When Blake suggests that Emily take it on as a challenge, the two set off on a journey to tick each box and help Emily face her fears over losing her connection to her mum. As she starts to feel closer to her mother, so too does Emily’s bond with Blake deepen into something she wasn’t expecting.
And suddenly Emily must face another fear: accepting the secret part of herself she never got a chance to share with the person who knew her best.
A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey
Miami in the summer, need I say more? Probably, otherwise this would be an awful post. I’ve never been to Miami but I imagine the summers are absolutely brutal, especially from how it is portrayed in this book.
There are some really nice summery moments though and some not so nice (hence the title). This book made me fall in love with Laura Taylor Namey’s writing, as you can tell by the two mentions in this post, and I really can’t wait to see what she writes next.
Synopsis: Winchester, England, has always been home for Flora, but when her mother dies after a long illness, Flora feels untethered. Her family expects her to apply to university and take a larger role in their tea-shop business, but Flora isn’t so sure. More than ever, she’s the chaotic “hurricane” in her household, and she doesn’t always know how to manage her stormy emotions.
So she decides to escape to Miami without telling anyone—especially her longtime friend Gordon Wallace.
But Flora’s tropical change of scenery doesn’t cast away her self-doubt. When it comes to university, she has no idea which passions she should follow. That’s also true in romance. Flora’s summer abroad lands her in the flashbulb world of teen influencer Baz Marín, a Miami Cuban who shares her love for photography. But Flora’s more conflicted than ever when she begins to see future architect Gordon in a new light.
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
Forget heatwaves, summer camp and hurricanes, and get ready for a classic British summer. Also known as bring your knitwear, especially if you’re used to the Miami sun like Lila.
I adored this book. It’s not often you get summery books set in the UK, but this one is so lovely. I did read these out of order but they’re not technically a series so it doesn’t matter.
The British summer vibes have been perfectly captured, right down to our ‘can’t make its mind up’ weather and drinking tea no matter what season it is.
Synopsis: For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart.
Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell.
A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.
Check out Young Creative Press on all socials
You can also check out my StoryGraph here
Like this post? Why not read this one too: Book Review: The Happiness Project by Kirstie Pelling
[…] Like this post? Why not read this one too: The Best Of: Books With Summer Vibes #2 […]