3 Books That Will Make You Feel Extra Summer Vibes

Oh, how the time flies... It's already March which means the summer season (aka the extra hot days) in the Philippines is here! I know that the restrictions due to COVID-19 are now being less strict, but there's still a pandemic, and I know many of us still prefer to stay home while reading all the books (bookworms are home bodies after all, right?). So, let's start summer in the best way possible -- reading books while drinking all the sweet refreshing drinks!

SYNOPSIS:

For fans of Jenny Han, Jane Austen, and The Great British Baking Show, A Taste for Love is a delicious rom com about first love, familial expectations, and making the perfect bao.

To her friends, high school senior Liza Yang is nearly perfect. Smart, kind, and pretty, she dreams big and never shies away from a challenge. But to her mom, Liza is anything but. Compared to her older sister Jeannie, Liza is stubborn, rebellious, and worst of all, determined to push back against all of Mrs. Yang's traditional values, especially when it comes to dating.

The one thing mother and daughter do agree on is their love of baking. Mrs. Yang is the owner of Houston's popular Yin & Yang Bakery. With college just around the corner, Liza agrees to help out at the bakery's annual junior competition to prove to her mom that she's more than her rebellious tendencies once and for all. But when Liza arrives on the first day of the bake-off, she realizes there's a catch: all of the contestants are young Asian American men her mother has handpicked for Liza to date.

The bachelorette situation Liza has found herself in is made even worse when she happens to be grudgingly attracted to one of the contestants; the stoic, impenetrable, annoyingly hot James Wong. As she battles against her feelings for James, and for her mother's approval, Liza begins to realize there's no tried and true recipe for love.

A Taste for Love is an unapologetically Asian fun story about love, family, and life. I especially enjoyed reading about Liza's days spent in a boba shop with her friends -- aka me casually reminiscing my favorite moments with my friends that we've spent in boba shops before. The parts where the bakery's competition happens are also some of the ones I was always looking forward to in this book because it's just like watching a cooking show! Overall, A Taste for Love is perfect to read during the summer, especially if you just want something fun and sweet! (Full review here)

 

SYNOPSIS:

Before Sloane, Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, and she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend--someone who yanks you out of your shell.

But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just...disappears. There's just a random to-do list with thirteen bizarre tasks that Emily would never try. But what if they can lead her to Sloane?

Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger? Wait...what?

Getting through Sloane's list will mean a lot of firsts, and with a whole summer ahead of her--and with the unexpected help of the handsome Frank Porter--who knows what she'll find.

Go Skinny Dipping? Um...

You should give this book a try if you’re looking for an unexpected and adventurous summer novel with a theme of friendship and if you like “school nerd falls in love for shy girl” type of romance. (Full review here)

 

SYNOPSIS:

Jenny’s never had much time for boys, K-pop, or really anything besides her dream of being a professional cellist. But when she finds herself falling for a K-pop idol, she has to decide whether their love is worth the risk. A modern forbidden romance wrapped in the glamorous and exclusive world of K-pop, XOXO is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Maurene Goo.

Jenny didn’t get to be an award-winning, classically trained cellist without choosing practice over fun. That is, until the night she meets Jaewoo. Mysterious, handsome, and just a little bit tormented, Jaewoo is exactly the kind of distraction Jenny would normally avoid. And yet, she finds herself pulled into spending an unforgettable evening wandering Los Angeles with him on the night before his flight home to South Korea.

With Jaewoo an ocean away, there’s no use in dreaming of what could have been. But when Jenny and her mother move to Seoul to take care of her ailing grandmother, who does she meet at the elite arts academy she’s just been accepted to? Jaewoo.

Finding the dreamy stranger who swept you off your feet in your homeroom is one thing, but Jaewoo isn’t just any student. Turns out, Jaewoo is a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world. And like most K-pop idols, Jaewoo is strictly forbidden from dating anyone.

When a relationship means not only jeopardizing her place at her dream music school but also endangering everything Jaewoo’s worked for, Jenny has to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love. XOXO is a new romance that proves chasing your dreams doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your heart, from acclaimed author Axie Oh. 

This book might not have happened during the summer, but this can still be one of the perfect reads for summertime especially for K-Pop fans. XOXO is definitely worth reading especially if you’re looking for a quick, fun, and inspiring contemporary romance! (Full review here)

 

 Are these books on your TBR or have you already read them? What do you think is the best thing about summer? What are you looking forward to doing this season? Let's chit-chat and continue the conversation about fun summer reads in the comments!

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