It's Not Summer Without You (Summer #2) by Jenny Han

Publication Date: 4/27/2010

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

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Goodreads Summary:

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.
But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

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This novel picks up after Susannah has passed away, her funeral has taken place, and the next summer is rolling around.  Belly has broken up with Conrad, but still loves him with all of her heart.  She has a lot going on in her life, but she can't seem to stop thinking about Conrad.  Even when Jeremiah is so madly in love with her. 

Belly is such a frustrating character!  One minute she's after Conrad and the next she's after Jeremiah.  She can't seem to find what she wants and Conrad isn't helping.  He doesn't want her, but he doesn't want her to be with anyone else either.  I just wanted to tell him to grow up already!  I can't stand it that he is constantly making her think that he cares about her and will one day show his love.  This is a story about the love lost, lessons learned, and the idea that everyone needs to move on eventually.  Belly learns a lot during her few days at Cousins this summer.  She learns life lessons that she will never forget and makes plenty of memories, both good and bad.  

No matter what happens in book #3, I will always be team Jeremiah <3.  Han's writing is heartfelt and makes you connect well with the characters.   She makes it frustrating to read about, but understandable through the eyes of a 17-year old girl.  I don't know about anyone else, but I can remember having the same type of feelings as Belly.  I think Han does a great job of portraying Belly as your typical indecisive teenage girl.

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