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12 Must-Watch TV Shows Like The Summer I Turned Pretty (New 2024 & 2025 Updates!)

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Are you suffering from Cousins Beach withdrawal? As of December 21, 2025, fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP) are eagerly awaiting new updates, but the good news is that the teen romance genre is thriving with incredible, emotionally charged series that capture the same magic of first love, complicated love triangles, and coming-of-age drama. If you loved the adaptation of Jenny Han's trilogy and the intense pull between Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah, you're in luck; several new and returning shows offer the perfect blend of angst, friendship, and sun-soaked settings to fill the void.

This deep-dive list focuses on the most current and relevant shows, including major 2024 releases and confirmed 2025 premieres, that share the key DNA of TSITP: a central protagonist, a complicated romantic choice, and a journey of self-discovery, often adapted from beloved YA novels. Get ready to update your watchlist with the freshest teen dramas streaming right now.

The New Wave of Teen Romance: 2024 & 2025 Must-Watch Shows

The best way to cure a TV show obsession is to jump into another one. These three series are the most direct and current comparisons to The Summer I Turned Pretty, offering fresh takes on the love triangle and coming-of-age tropes, all with recent or upcoming season updates.

1. My Life with the Walter Boys (Netflix)

This series is arguably the most direct spiritual successor to TSITP, trading the beach for a sprawling Colorado ranch, but keeping the central love triangle intact. The show is based on the Wattpad novel by Ali Novak.

  • The Premise: Jackie Howard, a meticulous and high-achieving New Yorker, moves to rural Colorado to live with the Walter family—a large, chaotic family with ten sons—after a tragic accident.
  • The Love Triangle: Just like Belly, Jackie finds herself torn between two brothers: the brooding, complicated bad boy, Cole Walter (played by Noah LaLonde), and the sweet, reliable, and slightly nerdy Alex Walter (played by Ashby Gentry).
  • Fresh Update: Season 2 is confirmed, and the show is already moving quickly, with Season 3 production beginning in August 2024 and new cast members added in November 2024, ensuring the drama is far from over.
  • Why You'll Love It: It offers the same cozy, found-family dynamic as the Fishers' beach house, but with a cowboy twist. The tension between Jackie, Cole, and Alex will satisfy any Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah fan.

2. XO, Kitty (Netflix)

From the same creative universe as Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before, this spin-off centers on Lara Jean Covey's younger sister, Kitty Song Covey, and her own quest for love. While it swaps the summer setting for an international boarding school, it retains the lighthearted, romantic energy of Han's work.

  • The Premise: Kitty, a confident matchmaker, moves halfway across the world to Seoul, South Korea, to attend the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS) to be closer to her long-distance boyfriend, Dae.
  • The Love Triangle/Quad: Kitty's journey quickly becomes complicated when she realizes her relationship with Dae is not what she expected, and new romantic possibilities emerge with Yuri and Min Ho.
  • Fresh Update: Get ready for more international romance! XO, Kitty Season 2 is confirmed to premiere on Netflix on January 16, 2025.
  • Why You'll Love It: It’s a fun, high-energy series that explores first crushes, cultural differences, and the messy reality of young love, all with the signature charm of a Jenny Han production.

3. Heartstopper (Netflix)

While TSITP focuses on heteronormative romance, Heartstopper is a beautiful, deeply wholesome, and critically acclaimed series that captures the same feeling of butterflies, first kisses, and the overwhelming confusion of young love. It is based on the graphic novels by Alice Oseman.

  • The Premise: The story follows Charlie Spring, a sensitive, openly gay boy, and Nick Nelson, a cheerful, popular rugby player, as they meet, become friends, and fall in love. It also explores the lives of their diverse group of friends.
  • The Emotional Core: It's a powerful coming-of-age story centered on identity, mental health, and the importance of supportive friendships, echoing the deep bonds between the characters in TSITP.
  • Fresh Update: Fans don't have long to wait! Heartstopper Season 3 is set to premiere on Netflix on Thursday, October 3, 2024, with eight new episodes. The new season will explore Charlie resolving to tell Nick he loves him before Nick leaves for a holiday.
  • Why You'll Love It: It’s a pure, joyful celebration of love and acceptance, offering the emotional payoff and satisfying romance that TSITP viewers crave, just from a different perspective.

More Iconic Teen Dramas with Intense Love Triangles

The "Belly choosing a brother" trope is not new. These series perfected the art of the love triangle and the angsty teen drama long before Cousins Beach became a viral sensation. They are essential viewing for anyone who loves the genre.

4. Outer Banks (Netflix)

If you prefer the coastal setting and high-stakes adventure over pure romance, Outer Banks (OBX) is your next binge. It perfectly blends summer vibes with a treasure hunt plot and, yes, a complicated romance.

  • The Premise: A group of working-class teenagers, known as "Pogues," in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, are determined to find out what happened to the missing father of the group’s ringleader, John B.
  • The Romance: The core romance between John B and Sarah Cameron is intense and dramatic, set against a backdrop of class warfare and life-or-death situations, making it a perfect escapist summer watch.
  • LSI Connection: Both OBX and TSITP are set in a beautiful, coastal town and feature a cast of young, attractive characters dealing with family secrets and intense relationships.

5. Cruel Summer (Hulu/Freeform)

For a darker, more complex take on the coming-of-age story that still revolves around a central mystery and complicated relationships, Cruel Summer is a must-see. Each season explores a different mystery across multiple timelines.

  • The Premise: Season 1 focuses on the disappearance of a popular girl and the subsequent rise to popularity of a seemingly unrelated, introverted peer. Season 2 revolves around a toxic teenage friendship and a high-stakes love triangle that ends in a tragic death.
  • The Vibe: It captures the same feeling of a life-defining summer, but with a psychological thriller twist. It's less about the perfect summer and more about the secrets that lurk beneath the surface.

6. Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Another fantastic series from the mind of a celebrated writer (Mindy Kaling), Never Have I Ever is a hilarious and heartfelt look at the life of Devi Vishwakumar as she navigates high school, grief, and, most importantly, a classic love triangle between the popular jock, Paxton Hall-Yoshida, and her academic rival, Ben Gross.

  • The Premise: Devi is determined to improve her social status after a difficult freshman year, leading to a series of chaotic and endearing romantic misadventures.
  • Why It's Similar: The show excels at portraying the main character's internal struggle and growth, mirroring Belly's journey of self-discovery while being pulled in two romantic directions.

The Classics and Honorable Mentions

No list of teen romance dramas is complete without acknowledging the shows that paved the way for the current generation of love triangles and coastal angst.

7. Dawson’s Creek (Max)

A true classic of the genre, Dawson's Creek is the blueprint for many modern teen dramas, including the setting of a small, coastal town (Capeside) and one of the most famous love triangles in TV history: Dawson, Joey, and Pacey. The intense, often verbose, emotional drama will resonate with fans of the Fisher-Conklin dynamic.

8. One Tree Hill (Max)

Set in the fictional town of Tree Hill, North Carolina, this series features another iconic love triangle involving two estranged brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott, and the girl who comes between them, Peyton Sawyer (and later, Brooke Davis). It’s packed with friendship, basketball, and dramatic romantic entanglements.

9. One Day (2024 Netflix Series)

Based on the beloved novel by David Nicholls, this 2024 Netflix adaptation follows Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) on the same day—July 15th—across two decades after they first meet on their university graduation night in 1988. While not a teen show, its focus on a long-term, complicated, will-they-won't-they relationship and profound emotional connection is a perfect watch for fans who appreciate the deeper, less fleeting aspects of Belly’s relationship with the Fisher brothers.

10. Gilmore Girls (Netflix)

Focusing on the mother-daughter relationship between Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, this show is a must-watch for its witty dialogue, small-town charm, and, yes, Rory's own series of complicated love triangles with Dean, Jess, and Logan.

11. Anne with an E (Netflix)

An adaptation of the classic Anne of Green Gables, this series is a beautiful coming-of-age story about an imaginative orphan named Anne Shirley. It shares the themes of finding a chosen family (the Cuthberts) and a slow-burn, intellectual romance with Gilbert Blythe, offering a more wholesome, character-driven alternative to the beachy drama.

12. To All The Boys I've Loved Before Trilogy (Netflix)

Before XO, Kitty, there was Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky. Based on Jenny Han's original trilogy, these three movies are the perfect palate cleanser, featuring a fake-dating trope that turns into real love and a less dramatic, but equally charming, love triangle. It’s the essential viewing that set the stage for the success of TSITP.

12 Must-Watch TV Shows Like The Summer I Turned Pretty (New 2024 & 2025 Updates!)
shows like the summer i turned pretty
shows like the summer i turned pretty

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