
Donut Summer
Harlequin · Hardcover · July 29, 2025
Anita Kelly delivers their YA debut—a sweet and satisfying queer romance about two teens who fall for each other while trying to save the local donut shop where they’re working for the summer. “Relaxing” and “getting a tan” may be on most teens’ summer to-do lists, but for chronically freckled and deeply anxious Penny Dexter?
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- Who it’s for
- A queer teen romance finds warmth in a donut-shop feud and a summer of anxious ambition.
- Themes
- Queer romance, Anxiety, Small-town business under threat
- Genres
- YA Romance - LGBTQ+, Contemporary YA Romance, YA Lesbian
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Start with this bookAbout this book
Anita Kelly delivers their YA debut—a sweet and satisfying queer romance about two teens who fall for each other while trying to save the local donut shop where they’re working for the summer. “Relaxing” and “getting a tan” may be on most teens’ summer to-do lists, but for chronically freckled and deeply anxious Penny Dexter? Not a chance. Socking money away for college? Of course. Babysitting her siblings? Sure. Becoming a climate scientist and saving the world? She wishes.
Continue reading
At least she can tackle the tuition money with the seasonal gig she landed at Delicious Donuts. But when she finds out that her genderqueer nemesis, Mateo della Penna, will also be working behind the counter, Penny’s summer of mindless labor instantly vanishes before her eyes. Mateo is ridiculous and artsy, and their favorite kind of donut is Boston Crème (gross!). But the duo’s two-and-a-half-year feud will have to take a backseat when the donut shop is threatened by a corporate takeover. As their small town faces big pressure, and anxiety threatens everything Penny’s worked for, there’s still one person who remains by her side. And though their taste in donuts is questionable, Mateo’s presence manages to keep Penny calm and focused. Could it be that Penny’s found the perfect, most infuriating person to change the world with?
Summer Shift
A queer teen romance finds warmth in a donut-shop feud and a summer of anxious ambition.
Come here for
- Rivals-to-romance sparks over the donut counter
- Small-town stakes with a corporate edge
Expect
- A sweet, wry summer romance
- An anxious teen and their genderqueer nemesis
Where it sits
| YA Romance - LGBTQ+ | 78% |
|---|---|
| YA Lesbian | 37% |
| Contemporary YA Romance | 31% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- YA Alternative Family Stories
- YA LGBTQ+
- Nonbinary & Genderqueer Stories
- City Life for Teens
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Contemporary YA Romance
- YA Romance - LGBTQ+
- Dating & Sex for Teens
- Emotions & Feelings for Teens
- Authors
- Anita Kelly
- Publisher
- Harlequin
- Published
- July 29, 2025
- Format
- Hardcover
- Theme
- Queer romance · Anxiety · Small-town business under threat
- Reading lane
- YA Alternative Family Stories