Embedded Files
Olivia Leslie
Jenny Han’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty" has returned for its third and final season, closing out both the hit television series and the original book trilogy. Based on Han’s novel “We’ll Always Have Summer," the season follows Belly (Lola Tung) as she faces the ultimate choice between the Fisher brothers, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). While past seasons have diverged from the book by altering the timeline and introducing new subplots like Aunt Julia, Skye, and the Debutante Ball, it is important that Season 3 does not do this and stays true to the original story. The third season should not only deliver the drama and romance that fans love, but also properly bring closure to a story by following the original book to satisfy the readers as well as the viewers.
CNN
ABC News
One of the biggest differences between the book and the show is the time jump between Season 2 and Season 3. In Jenny Han’s third book, “We’ll Always Have Summer,” the story picks up just two years after the events of the second book, “It’s Not Summer Without You.” Belly is a freshman in college, still trying to figure out her life, while her boyfriend Jeremiah is a sophomore. This short time gap emphasizes how young and inexperienced they still are, highlighting the uncertainty and immaturity in their relationship. When Jeremiah betrays her by cheating at a frat party, he tries to win back her trust and forgiveness by asking Belly to marry him. Despite her doubts and her young age, Belly accepts, believing that marriage will secure their future and relationship together. This is a choice that clearly shows her immaturity. Their engagement feels rushed and impulsive, which explains why their parents, Laurel (Belly’s mom) and Adam (Jeremiah’s dad), react so strongly. With years of college still ahead of them, not just one, as in the show, their lack of readiness for such a serious commitment is undeniable.
By extending the time jump in the show to four years instead of two, the show reduces this sense of immaturity and makes the engagement feel slightly less reckless, downplaying one of the book’s most important themes. Jeremiah’s proposal, while still questionable, does not feel as out of place because the characters are older and have more history The engagement feels more deliberate and “grown-up.” This reduces the raw, emotional vulnerability of young love that was central to the original story, replacing it for a more grown up and more mature one.
Another big difference between the book and the show is the focus on unnecessary side plots and supporting characters that were not included in the third book. While the novel centers on the love triangle and Belly’s personal growth, Season 3 introduces new characters and storylines that do not exist in the world of Cousins Beach, which in turn loses the plot of the original story. For example, Steven’s relationship with Denise receives significant screen time, even though Denise was created exclusively for the show. Their relationship is built up over the span of many episodes only for it to be discarded within moments, making it feel unimportant to the overall story. Similarly, Taylor’s mom, Lucinda, is barely mentioned in the books, yet in the show she plays a much larger role. She is given an entire subplot about her salon being in debt and her complicated relationship with her daughter Taylor and her ex boyfriend Scott, that ultimately aren't even resolved in the final episode. These added storylines and characters distract from the original focus of the trilogy: Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah. As a result, there is less emphasis on the love triangle and more time spent on characters who were never part of the third book in the first place.
Cosmopolitan
This leads me to the biggest difference between the third book and the show, and the one that perhaps bothers me the most: the absence of Belly and Conrad’s relationship. With all the unnecessary characters and side plots, the show shifts attention away from what the third book is truly about: Belly and Conrad. In the novel, their relationship is the heart of the story. The quiet, intimate moments that Belly and Conrad share at Cousins Beach are crucial because they allow Belly to confront her feelings and finally understand the depth of her emotions for him. Belly realizes that she will always love Conrad—whether she is with Jeremiah or not. In the show, however, these moments are brushed over or minimized, making it seem as if Conrad is the only one holding onto their relationship, when in reality, the book makes it clear that both of them still have strong feelings for each other.
I understand that Belly cannot immediately move on from Jeremiah, especially in the first episodes when they are still together, but the yearning between her and Conrad could have been depicted much more strongly. In the book, both Belly and Conrad still have feelings for each other, Belly just struggles to admit them. Spending time alone with Conrad amplifies these emotions, making them clear to the reader. In contrast, the show downplays this, especially after the time jump in the tenth episode where Belly is shown in a relationship with Benito—a subplot not even present in the third book.
The third book emphasizes that Conrad has always loved Belly, but his inability to express it in the past led her to turn to Jeremiah. As the wedding approaches, Belly begins to realize that her heart may still belong to Conrad. Ultimately, she calls off the wedding, recognizing that she is not truly in love with Jeremiah in a way that a marriage requires, and finally admits that it is Conrad who has always held her heart. The show, however, significantly diminishes this emotional buildup. Key moments of intimacy and yearning that make their connection so great in the book are either shortened or replaced with rushed dialogue. As a result, the tension and emotional payoff carefully developed over three books are weakened, leaving the resolution less satisfying.
Now, this leads us to the series finale: how does the last episode compare to the book? Well, it’s just okay. One of the biggest differences between the two is the absence of the wedding between Conrad and Belly. In the final episode, Belly and Conrad finally confess their feelings on the train, share a romantic kiss, and eventually return to Cousins Beach. The closing scene shows them hand in hand at the beloved beach house, but it stops short of the “happily ever after” that readers expected. In Jenny Han’s “We’ll Always Have Summer,” however, Belly and Conrad’s story goes further, offering fans much more closure than the show provides. The book closes with their wedding, complete with a dress Belly picked out with her mom, a first dance to “Stay,” and a heartfelt letter from Susannah written years earlier for Belly’s big day. Belly and Conrad also share a romantic moment on the beach before their wedding. The absence of this moment in the show is strongly felt because it contrasts with their other beach interactions, which usually include fighting or miscommunication. This final scene in the book shows that they are in love and finally at peace with one another. Jeremiah also attends the wedding, proving that he and Belly are on good terms. The book is able to dive much deeper into Belly and Conrad’s relationship with the epilogue, showing what their life together is truly like and giving the story a proper, satisfying ending. The epilogue shows Belly and Conrad happily married, and how they will love one another for infinity. The show, however, is incapable of doing that. With all the unnecessary subplots and side characters, the last episode felt rushed when it didn’t need to be. There was more than enough time to include the wedding and give viewers the closure that the book delivered, but instead the show spent too much time on distractions, leaving the finale feeling incomplete and unsatisfying.
Additionally, after the wedding, the show depicts Belly immediately leaving for Paris, feeling as though she needs to escape because she believes she is the problem. In contrast, the book shows Belly living with Anika before moving to Spain—not Paris—where she receives her first written letters from Conrad. This moment is crucial because it strengthens their connection and provides much more emotional closure than the show conveys. In the book, Belly deeply cherishes the letters, and they help her realize that she will always love Conrad. In the show, however, we get little insight into Belly’s thoughts. Viewers don’t know how she feels about the letters until she finally writes back—and even then, her response is short, making it seem like she doesn’t value them. It becomes even more confusing when Belly briefly gets involved with Benito, leaving the audience questioning whether she truly cared about the letters at all. I wish the show had included more of Belly’s reflections or more of Conrad’s letters, since this was such a pivotal plot point in the novel. By getting rid of her internal reactions, the show reduces the emotional weight of this key storyline, leaving what should have been a powerful moment feeling rushed and incomplete.
Even though there are many big differences between the third book and the show, there are also several similarities and standout moments that were done well. One of the best examples was Conrad’s episode. In the third book, multiple chapters are written from Conrad’s perspective instead of Belly’s. This shift allows readers to gain insight into what Conrad truly thinks about the wedding and, more importantly, his feelings for Belly. The show mirrors this by including many of Conrad’s voice-overs, which give viewers a better sense of his inner world. The episode even opens with a montage of Belly, followed by a scene at Michaels where we see Conrad watching her in the flower section. Both of these moments allow the audience to glimpse Belly through Conrad’s eyes. In his perspective, she looks loving and happy—something she often lacks in her relationship with Jeremiah. These moments matter because they remind the audience that Belly has always been more than just a love interest to Conrad; she has been his anchor, his source of comfort, and the person who makes him feel alive.
ELLE
Variety
Another standout moment in this episode was the Peach Scene. This scene is pivotal because it sparks a shift for both Belly and Conrad: Belly realizes that she may not be fully over Conrad, and Conrad realizes that no matter how hard he tries to avoid her, he will never be able to get over Belly. What makes this moment so powerful is its simplicity. It is not an overly dramatic or flashy scene; instead, it relies on quiet vulnerability. The act of sharing something as small as a peach becomes symbolic of the intimacy they once shared and still feel. Their conversation is filled with unspoken words and lingering glances, capturing the same quiet tension that Jenny Han wrote so carefully into the book. It’s a subtle reminder that their love has always lived in the in-between moments—the silences, the gestures, and the way they see each other when no one else is watching.
Another great similarity between the book and the show is the beach scene between Belly and Conrad. The day before her wedding, Conrad finally confesses to Belly that he is still in love with her. Tension between them had been building throughout the book—and the season—and this is the moment where he can no longer hold it in. I had been anticipating this scene all season, nervous that the show might either change it or leave it out completely. However, it ended up being one of the best scenes in Season 3. The dialogue is lifted almost word-for-word from the book, capturing the raw emotion with heartbreaking accuracy. The acting, the silence between lines, and the vulnerability in Conrad’s voice all make it feel as if the words were ripped straight from the page. Each sentence he speaks carries the weight of regret, guilt, longing, and undeniable love, culminating in the three words that fans had been waiting years to hear: “Don’t marry him.” What makes this scene so powerful is not just Conrad’s plea, but also Belly’s reaction. She is torn between her loyalty to Jeremiah and the love she has always had for Conrad. It forces Belly to confront the truth she has been avoiding: that no matter how hard she tries, Conrad will always be the one she loves.
Collider
Cosmopolitan
Overall, the third season, compared to the third book, was good, but not great. Adapting a book into a show or movie is always challenging because a book provides so much detail and specificity that is difficult to fully capture on screen. The problem with the third season was that it often felt rushed, leaving out key moments that gave the book its emotional weight. Important scenes, like Belly and Conrad’s wedding, the epilogue, and Belly’s internal reflections on Conrad’s letters, were either cut short or erased entirely. While the season included some standout moments and faithful adaptations, it struggled to balance the numerous subplots and side characters with the heart of the story. As a result, the show sometimes sacrifices the book’s emotional depth and the plot of the main characters, Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah's relationship, in order to fit the story into a limited runtime. Now with the movie coming out, maybe some of these problems will be fixed or plotlines that weren't included will be shown, but we'll just have to wait and see.
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