Sick of Winter? Read These Sunny YA Books to Warm You Up!

It’s that time of year again. You know, when you start feeling like winter will never end. But there’s one guaranteed way to escape the cold: read a book set in a warm location! So put on your fuzzy socks, get something hot to drink, and crack open one of these fantastic sunny YA books to beat the winter chill.

Warm up with a YA romance

Nothing makes you feel as warm and gooey inside as a young adult romance novel! Here are some of the best to add a little heat to your winter.

French Kissing in New York

French Kissing in New York

Pucker up! This book is like Emily in Paris in reverse. It’s about a French girl named Margot who moves to Manhattan to pursue her dreams of becoming a chef and find an American boy she met in Paris. But fate has other plans for Margot, including an unexpected attraction to a coworker.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Head to the hills with ex-besties Celine and Bradley as they endure one awkward moment after another while trying to learn survival skills. The flying sparks and heated glances will warm you right up!

Not Here to Stay Friends

Not Here to Stay Friends

Step onto the stage in sunny Los Angeles, where even the wildest dreams come true. Sloane gets cast in a teen reality dating show where her best friend (and crush) Liam works. This arrangement would be fine, except for the unexpected attraction between them. Drama, romance, and stolen kisses await inside the pages of this book!

The book goes on sale April 4th, but you can pre-order your copy now!

Places We've Never Been

Places We've Never Been

Nothing says summer like a cross-country road trip! Norah and Skyler were childhood best friends but haven’t hung out in a long time. When their families take an RV trip together, the forced proximity rekindles their friendship . . . and maybe something more. Keep your eyes peeled for this author’s next romance novel, Borrow My Heart, coming this summer!

Breathless

Breathless

This steamy summer romance is filled with toe-curling kisses, first love, and sex. Claude is spending the summer before college on an island where she meets Jeremiah. As their summer heats up, Claude must decide how much of her heart to give to a boy she plans to leave behind.

Get your blood pumping with a YA thriller

Although thrillers are usually described as hair-raising, blood-chilling, and spine-tingling, we’d like to point out that they also get your heart pounding. Here are a few thrillers set in warm locations that will make you forget the cold weather outside.

The Island

The Island

Head to an exclusive amusement park on an island in this YA thriller from the author of The Twin and The Lake. Four teen influencers get invited to an all-expenses paid weekend on the island. Everything seems too good to be true, and their sunny vacation takes a dark turn when they realize they might never leave the island alive.

Royal Blood

Royal Blood

Secrets, scandal, and murder—this whodunit has everything you could want in a YA murder mystery! This book will transport you to London for the summer, where Evan tries (and fails) to keep her identity as the King’s illegitimate daughter under wraps. But when someone gets killed and she takes the blame, Evan’s summer becomes the stuff of nightmares.

The Cousins

The Cousins

You’ll love this story about three cousins, their estranged (and wealthy) grandmother, and a summer they’ll never forget! When Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah go to work at their grandmother’s resort for the summer, they don’t know what to expect. They quickly learn that their grandmother is hiding a deadly secret. They must stick together if they want to survive the worst summer job ever.

We Were Liars Deluxe Edition

We Were Liars Deluxe Edition

The ultimate summer YA thriller and BookTok sensation will keep you reading well past bedtime! On a private island owned by the uber-wealthy Sinclair family, Cadence sunbathes, goes boating, and tries to remember the tragedy that happened two summers ago. If you’ve already devoured this book, check out the prequel, Family of Liars!

Make a complete escape with a YA fantasy in a warm setting

For those times when nothing but a total escape from winter will do, pick up an immersive fantasy novel set in a sunny location. Here are two titles to help you out.

Spice Road

Spice Road

Magic, monsters, and adventure await inside this action-packed fantasy in an Arabian-inspired setting. Join Imani and her friends as they set out to find her brother and stop him from revealing their city’s magical secrets. The sunbaked desert and fast-paced plot will warm you right to your toes!

The Gilded Ones

The Gilded Ones

The magic, mythology, and warmth of West Africa come to life in this stunning novel about a girl with golden blood. Labeled a monster by her village, Deka runs away and joins an army of magical warrior girls like herself. This book is a must-read if you love fantasy with strong female characters and warm locales!

Did you enjoy this article of sunny YA books? Discover more book recommendations here and get social with us at @getunderlined!

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