Best Young Adult Romance Novel: It’s Not Summer Without You

It’s Not Summer Without You is one of Jenny Han’s trilogy novels with Isabel Belly Conklin as the MC. One of the special things about Belly in Its Not Summer Without You doesn’t lie in her undying love for Conrad. Rather, this novel is where we get to see Belly without glasses, all thanks to her female friends’ makeover efforts to her.

Additionally, in Its Not Summer Without You novel, we get to see more portions of Belly and Conrad’s relationships. Even though the two don’t end up with each other, we see the tumultuous relationships with both teens’ exes. Neither teens are friends with their exes, however, their exes are somehow friends with Belly’s siblings and relatives.

• Part 1: The Characters In It’s Not Summer Without You
• Part 2: Story Of It’s Not Summer Without You
• Part 3: Meet The Author Of It’s Not Summer Without You
• Part 4: Alternative to It’s Not Summer Without You

Part 1: The Characters In It’s Not Summer Without You

Isabel Belly Conklin

Isabel Belly Conklin, the MC for all of Jenny Han’s trilogy novels (including Its Not Summer Without You), may still be a teenage girl who falls head over heels for Conrad Fisher. However, she looks different this time, primarily because she agrees with her female best friends to have some makeovers to her physical appearance.

Conrad Fisher

Being the eternal love interest of Belly since the first trilogy novel, Conrad Fisher also becomes one of the MCs in Its Not Summer Without You. Here, I see him as a more rigid individual when I try to compare his personality when he appears in other Jenny Han’s trilogy novels. We also get to explore his tumultuous relationship with his ex, too.

Part 2: Story Of It’s Not Summer Without You

The stories of Its Not Summer Without You begin with the Conklins and Fishers spending their family holidays in the usual beach house. After all, it is from spending time in this beach house that they always have loving and memorable experiences.

Such things go particularly well with Isabel Belly Conklin, the MC of Its Not Summer Without You. For Belly, the beach house is not only a place for a staycation; instead, it is also the place where she gets to interact with Conrad Fisher, her eternal love interest.

Belly continues to love Conrad more than other boys, even though, in some first chapters, Belly already has a boyfriend who frequently exchanges poems with her and calls her Flavia a.k.a rain.

Even so, there are times when Belly flirts with other guys, including Jeremiah a.k.a Jere, Conrad’s best friend. Additionally, Conrad has also dated another girl even before he and Belly get closer together.

Part 3: Meet The Author Of It’s Not Summer Without You

Jenny Han, the author of Its Not Summer Without You, describes her philosophy of writing with these words: Warm, kind-hearted, and light-hearted. I can see that Jenny Han the author of Its Not Summer Without You wants the readers to feel welcomed and free to explore their emotions as they read her writing pieces.

It’s Not Summer Without You has more family and adult portions in the first chapters of the stories when compared with other summer novel trilogies by the same author. It emphasizes Jenny’s family-centered attitude (look at the family photos on her official website and the ways they smile in the photos, for example).

As a result, many readers think It’s Not Summer Without You is the best among all trilogy series by the same author. Until now, we can enjoy this writing piece in form of novels and movies through several platforms.

I would say that It’s Not Summer Without You is a decently-written Young Adult romance novel. However, I would recommend other similar Dreame novels instead.

Part 4: Alternative to It’s Not Summer Without You

Dreame has lots of romance stories with teenagers and/or young adults as the MCs. I can also find romance novels where the MC flirts with more than one guy, intentionally and/or unintentionally. Their Dream Girl on the Dreame platform may sound as simple as the title, however, I have my reasons for recommending this novel.

The MC in Dreame’s Their Dream Girl is similar to Belly who flirts with both Conrad and Jere. Another thing that makes this Dreame novel unique to Its Not Summer Without You is that Conrad and Jere in Their Dream Girl novel are twins instead of separate individuals And all twins are after the MC’s love and attention.

Summary of Their Dream Girl:

Their Dream Girl tells a story about a sweet nerd girl named Luna, who thinks that she only focuses on her work. As a 22-year-old young woman, she continually blames herself for not letting her desires overflow at all times. Instead, she becomes too idealistic by wanting things that she doesn’t or can’t have.

Luna stops the moment she encounters the handsome-looking Tlou Mogale. At first, she thinks she experiences delusions because Tlou has all things that she needs in a man. However, Tlou also has a twin brother.

Not only that both of them share identical characteristics and run businesses together. The two also will stop at nothing to compete with each other to get Luna’s love.

Who will Luna attract? Or, will she deny that, after all, it’s just a delusion?