If you loved

Books like Love and Gelato

A sun-drenched Italian escapade that wraps the bittersweet ache of grief in the sweet comfort of first love and newfound family. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Love and Gelato.

sun-drenched
romantic
bittersweet
escapist

01
Second Chance Summer
Morgan Matson
A bittersweet, sun-drenched summer of rekindled love and inevitable goodbyes.
Shares:
- sun-drenched
- bittersweet
- earnest
02
Letters to the lost
Brigid Kemmerer
An intimate, emotionally charged exploration of how two broken people can help piece each other back together through the safety of shared words.
Shares:
- earnest
- hopeful
03
Always and Forever, Lara Jean
Jenny Han
A warm, bittersweet embrace of a story that captures the terrifying, beautiful precipice between childhood and whatever comes next.
Shares:
- romantic
- bittersweet
- earnest
- warm
04
The unexpected everything
Morgan Matson
A breezy, big-hearted contemporary read about the messy, beautiful chaos that ensues when perfectly laid plans fall apart.
Shares:
- earnest
- first love
05
Love letters to the dead
Ava Dellaira
A raw, epistolary journey through the messy, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful landscape of teenage grief.
Shares:
- bittersweet
- earnest
06
Penny from heaven
Jennifer L. Holm · 2006
A warm, bittersweet summer steeped in family secrets, baseball, and the rich, chaotic love of an Italian American upbringing.
Shares:
- bittersweet
- earnest
- warm
- humorous
07
Macarons at midnight
Suzanne Nelson
A sugar-dusted, Cinderella-esque tween romance that balances the thrill of a first crush with the warmth of the bakery kitchen.
Shares:
- romantic
- earnest
08
The fill-in boyfriend
Kasie West
A sweet, trope-driven high school romance where a desperate prom-night lie blossoms into a genuine, swoon-worthy connection.
Shares:
- romantic
- earnest
- hopeful
09
Cake pop crush
Suzanne Nelson
A sugar-dusted, feel-good romp about rivalry, recipes, and the sweet surprise of a first crush.
Shares:
- earnest
- warm
10
One Summer in Italy…
Lucy Gordon
A lush, sun-drenched escape into an Italian villa where hidden sorrows give way to a sweeping, healing romance.
Shares:
- sun-drenched
- romantic
- earnest
11
The truth about forever
Sarah Dessen
A sun-soaked summer of chaotic catering gigs, found family, and learning to let go of the need to be perfect.
Shares:
- sun-drenched
- bittersweet
- earnest
- hopeful
12
Princess Mia
Meg Cabot
A hilarious, heartfelt deep dive into the messy reality of teenage heartbreak and the awkward journey toward self-discovery.
Shares:
- earnest
- humorous

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