Donut Summer
Published on 23. October 2025
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-1-335-01289-0 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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 Creme (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?
"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.
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 Creme (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?
Reviews / Votes
"Anita Kelly has crafted a story that's as sweet as a glazed donut. And my advice to readers? Have a dozen on hand before you start. The only thing you'll crave more than the next page of this book is a delicious donut. Anita nails the stress and anxiety of being a teen while just living as a teen, smoothly oscillating from panic attacks, family turbulence, and the looming future to flirting, kisses, and adorable first dates. I had an absolutely delicious time!"-Samantha Markum, author of This May End Badly"An absolute knockout of a debut. Penny's voice sparkles with wit, and the portrayal of her anxiety deftly balances honesty and humor to make readers feel not just seen, but cared for. This book so thoughtfully takes on the big, messy project of growing up: figuring out who you are, and then maybe changing your mind, and being loved for it-not in spite of it. A warm, well-crafted romance runs alongside a resonant reminder that when it comes to our goals there is so much value in the trying, no matter where we land in the end. Sure to be one of my favorite books of the year, Donut Summer is a gift to me and everyone who has the good fortune to read it."-Ellen O'Clover, author of Seven Percent of Ro Devereux
"Donut Summer's complicated, beautiful layers are woven together with a fun, sweet cast of goofballs I'm obsessed with. An absolute delight!"-Jenna Miller, author of We Got the Beat
"Heartwarming and authentic, with a prickly yet adorable trans femme love interest I've been waiting for! Anita Kelly's young adult debut is as touching as to be expected. In Donut Summer, Kelly skillfully negotiates the nuance of gender and mental health within a queer high school relationship through Penny and Mateo's charming love story."-Page Powars, author of And They Were Roommates
Donut Summer has the sweetness of a glazed original and the substance of a jelly-filled, boxed up in a delicious YA romance package. Penny and Mateo's dynamic is honest and adorable as they navigate first love, questions of identity, fears for the future-and a temperamental coffee machine. I ate up every crumb of this cozy read!-Kaitlyn Hill, author of Wild About You
Like the very best of its namesake confection, Donut Summer is tender, sweet, and absolutely irresistible. Sharing Penny's whip-smart, often worried headspace will be deeply relatable to anxious readers, and her summer romance with Mateo is as refreshingly real and grounded as it is dreamy. Anita Kelly's YA debut is a testament to queer kids changing the world, even when it's one donut at a time. An instant favorite!-Christen Randall, National Bestselling Author of The No-Girlfriend Rule
"Kelly's YA debut is a character-driven story. A sweet love story set against a well-drawn Pacific Northwest background."-Kirkus Reviews
"The characters' natural-feeling missteps add charm to this gentle romance from Anita Kelly."-Publishers Weekly
"Kelly's YA debut unfurls as a delicious slow burn. Never shying away from the hard conversations about queerness, gender, and acceptance (but with great respect for Mateo's identity and pronouns), Kelly spins a delectable love story with a powerful message."-Booklist (starred review)
"Kelly delivers a big-hearted story about queer love, small town pride, and youth activism that has excellent mental health and anxiety representation. A perfect addition to libraries, sure to resonate with fans of authors like Lynn Painter and Jennifer Dugan."-SLJ (starred review)
More details
Edition
Original
Language
English
Place of publication
Richmond
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Harlequin (UK)
Target group
Young adult
Interest Age: From 13 years
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 212 mm
Width: 143 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
414 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-335-01289-0 (9781335012890)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Originally from a small town in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Anita Kelly now lives in the Pacific Northwest with their family. An educator by day, they write romance novels that celebrate queer love in all its infinite possibilities. Whenever not reading or writing, they're drinking too much tea, taking pictures, and dreaming of their next walk in the woods. They hope you get to pet a dog today.