Four Netflix shows to watch if you loved ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’
This Wednesday was both amazing and saddening, as The Summer I Turned Pretty is finally over. And whether or not you were satisfied with the ending, you can’t deny that the show kept you hooked till the end.
There’s something about The Summer I Turned Pretty that makes it more than just another teen romance. The main story is around love triangles, but it doesn’t end there. It’s also about the messy choices in life and the bittersweet truth of growing up. But it’s all wrapped in those sun-drenched vibes that make you wish summer never ended. Once you have binged it all, though, you’re left with the big question: what now?
That’s where Netflix comes in. The streamer is packed with series that capture the same mix of young love, complicated friendships, and the kind of heartache that feels like the end of the world when you are 17. Some are pure rom-com fun, and others bring more of the drama, but all of them have that irresistible pull TSITP gave us.
So if you are still reeling from Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah’s love triangle, here are four Netflix shows that will give you that same energy.
Four shows to watch if you loved The Summer I Turned Pretty
My Life With the Walter Boys (2023-)
This is the first show you need to turn on if you want something exactly like TSITP. One girl, two brothers and the same confusion. It starts when Jackie Howard loses her family in a tragic accident. She has to move from Manhattan to rural Colorado, where she finds herself surrounded by the sprawling Walter family. It is a total culture shock for a big city girl as she watches her ambition drop right into small-town drama. And to make things even more complicated, Jackie ends up caught between two very different Walter brothers.
Sounds familiar, right? The show has that same tug-of-war love triangle energy as The Summer I Turned Pretty. Jackie’s torn between the stable choice and the wild card, all while figuring out who she is in this new world. It is the same kind of emotional, romantic, and binge-worthy in the exact way fans are craving.
Emily in Paris (2023-)
Even if you have not watched the show, you must have known about it from social media, friends or news in general because it’s that popular. Who doesn’t know the famous Emily Cooper, who, when she moves to Paris for her dream job, ends up doing everything else but primarily that? Romance, drama, chaos, you name it – it’s hard not to find Miss Cooper there. This show has more croissants than anyone should eat in a week. It is bright and stylish and filled with complicated relationships that are as frustrating as they are fun to watch.
While it’s not about teenagers at the beach, it nails the same “which guy will she choose?” tension that fuels The Summer I Turned Pretty. Emily’s love life is basically one long, messy triangle, and you will be just as torn as she is while she tries to juggle work, friendship, and passion in the world’s most romantic city.
Never Have I Ever (2020-2023)
Not exactly The Summer I Turned Pretty, but more like the summers I wanted to turn pretty. And have sex and get into an Ivy League and be popular and, for god’s sake, be cool for once. Devi Vishwakumar wants everything we have all wanted once in our lives. Though she is a smart, slightly chaotic teenager just trying to survive high school, grieve her father, and most importantly date the hottest guy possible. Across four seasons, Devi’s story is full of awkward moments, questionable choices, and a love triangle that will have you switching teams every other episode.
Like Belly in TSITP, Devi’s heart is constantly pulling her in different directions. The stakes may be high school instead of beach houses, but the emotions are just as intense, and the humour makes it all go down easy.
Sex Education (2019-2023)
Not exactly TSITP, but there are a couple of love stories in this show which can be termed as “love triangles”. Moordale Secondary School is a place where awkward teenagers try to figure out love, sex, and who they really are. While doing that, the results generated are hilarious yet surprisingly moving. From the love triangles of Otis+Maeve+Ruby and Otis+Maeve+Issac to the slow-burn romance of Eric’s journey of self-discovery, the show juggles comedy and heartache like few others can.
Fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty will love how Sex Education explores the same themes of growing up, messing up, and figuring it out one mistake at a time. The relationships here might be more complicated (and explicit), but that feeling of being on the edge of adulthood is just as real.