Young Summer Love By Michele Mathews

FEATURE

Young Summer Love.

BY MICHELE MATHEWS

Ask me what my favorite season is, and I will always answer, “Summer.” I long for those hot temperatures and sun at all times of the year—most especially in the winter when it’s too cold to go outside and the sun isn’t shining near as much. And then there’s summer love. Summer is the perfect time for two people to meet and fall in love. Call me a hopeless romantic or whatever you want, but when I was younger, I used to dream of meeting Mr. Right in the summer.

Unfortunately, it never happened. However, books about young summer love helped me live in that moment, and I think that’s why I’ve always leaned toward this genre.

But what does summer love mean to the authors who write this kind of story?

“Summer love to me, particularly young summer love, is all about leaving behind the safe familiarity of childhood and taking the first steps in young adulthood,” says Kat Colmer, who is also a high school teacher and librarian.

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Summer love can be a new and exciting time in a young person’s life. Jordan Ford states, “Summer love means breaking your own rules and diving outside of your comfort zone to have an adventure and experience something thrilling and new.”

Summer can also be a time when young people let their guard down. They have less stress because school is not in session. “A summer romance usually is with someone you don’t see on a day-to-day basis at school or work,” says Krysten Lindsay Hagar.

Young adult sweet romance is one of the most popular genres and is read by not only those who are 12 to 18 years old but by adults as well. When an author adds in the summer setting, we have, or what some readers might say is, the perfect book.

So is this why authors want to write in this genre, or is there something else?

“Big changes can happen school year to school year, and often the summer is where that begins or gets worked out. Great stories involve change, so it’s the perfect setting,” says Stephanie Scott. And Britney Mills sees the summer setting in a similar way. “If the couple goes to school with each other, it’s easy during the school year. Summer is more about seeing each other in a different light or outside the normal constraints of learning.”

For Katharina Marcus, writing stories about young summer love has a different meaning. “I fell in love with my first boyfriend during the summer I turned 14, and I fell in love with my future husband during the summer I turned 24.”

Summer is definitely a popular setting with these authors, so do they plan to write more stories set in this season?

“I love writing YA and would love to write a few more. I’ve got one planned as the next in my Rosemont High series,” says Britney.

Krysten says she definitely will. “I think we all need a bit of escapism and hope right now. It’s a nice getaway—a mental vacation you can take wherever you are and without spending a lot of money or traveling.”

While she’s definitely wanting to write more young summer love stories, Kat is in

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a different situation since she’s located in Australia where their seasons are opposite of those of us here in the United States.

“The Australian summer offers so many different settings and experiences. There’s the quintessential beach setting with its sun, sea, and sand, but there is also Australia’s vast bushland, such as in the much-loved Blue Mountains, and, of course, all the bustling parts of Australia’s major cities.” Stephanie has already expanded two books set in summer to a four-book series. “I also have another summer-set book on submission through my literary agent, so we’ll see what happens with that.”

Even though she’s not quite sure when she will write another young summer love story, Jordan states she hopes to one day. “I actually have two different series in the back of my mind that have summer themes, and I’m excited to write them at some point.”

But one author isn’t sure what her future holds. “I genuinely don’t know where my writing journey is going to take me next,” says Katharina. “I do, however, have a real soft spot for summer novels, maybe because I was a summer baby, and all the nice significant things in my life seem to always happen in the summer.”

MOST RECENT RELEASES

If you’re interested in learning about any of the authors who have shared their thoughts about young summer love, make sure you look for their most recent releases.

Dating the It Guy by Krysten Lindsay Hagar

Emme is the girl next door, and Brendon is rich, popular, and from a famous political family. He’s the guy in high school everyone wants to date, and sparks begin to fly when they work together over the summer.

Free Wheeling Summer by Stephanie J. Scott

Chelsea is a high school graduate who fears moving on to college, so she doesn’t apply anywhere. She joins

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roller derby and befriends a skater who happens to be the brother of the rival team’s captain.

Remind Me Why I’m Here by Kat Colmer

Maya leaves Chicago and heads to what she thinks is Barangaroo, but instead it’s Barangaroo Creek. She meets her home-stay host brother Gus who has important plans that don’t include her. But he can’t scare Maya away that easily, and soon after sparks fly.

The Perfect Game by Britney Mills

Serena’s a volleyball player trying to figure out how to get through an injury, and Ben’s a baseball player who’s interning at a physical therapy place. They both have their hurdles, but each take a huge step in getting closer to one another.

White Water by Jordan Ford

It’s spring break, and the Ryder Bay crew are ready for a carefree week of fun, but things do not go according to plan.

Cooking with Caroline by Katharina Marcus

Kirsty and Jake start off as two people who go to the same school and know of each other, but they have never looked twice at the other. It’s only when they’re thrown together in a cooking club that they start realizing they actually have quite a bit in common and slip into a friendship that slowly moves toward love. 