The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3: Jenny Han Brilliantly Ties Together Her Beloved Trilogy

Photo Creds: Amazon Prime

Carrie Bradbury, Review Desk Lead

When “The Summer I Turned Pretty” was first published by author Jenny Han, it would’ve been impossible to imagine that the story would get so much attention 6 years later. The book trilogy was a national bestseller, with the last book staying on The New York Times Best Sellers list for over a month after its release. While it is undeniable that the books were captivating and well written, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” show has brought in a whole new set of fans. 

On July 16, 2025, the show kicked off its third season, which was presumed to follow the series' third book, “We’ll Always Have Summer.” Fans had been waiting for this release since the last season ended on August 18, 2023. The main characters, Belly (Lola Tung) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), were the focus of the first episode, as they moved into a fictional Finch College. 

The episode showed how naive the young characters are and how life away from Cousins Beach might not be as perfect as expected. The first episode hinted at obvious foreshadowing regarding their relationship and connections to other characters.

After episode one, fans could barely keep up as they were swept into a world of Cousin’s Beach Christmas meet-ups, post-breakup proposals, and a messy love triangle that slowly rips apart two brothers. Although the love triangle was expected to be based on the past two seasons, the exact events which are shown in the new season were a surprise to fans. 

The choice of keeping the show and books identical, preserving the authenticity of the original story, versus altering the story in order to keep its historic attraction for returning fans, is one that Han had to decide. Ultimately, she decided to keep the story timeline the same, but deliver the most important scenes with an unexpected twist.

In an interview with People Magazine, Han stated,  "I wanted to make sure that I was going to really service those fans who've been following the story for a really long time."

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” follows the story of Belly Conklin as she grows up with a pair of brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad, at their family beach house. The story evolves into a complicated love triangle, with Belly going back and forth between the brothers. While this seems like the plot of every other teen romance story, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” always seems to stand out.

In an interview with People’s Magazine, Han responded to common questions asked by fans as they read the trilogy and watch the new season: “She has known these two boys her whole life. They’ve grown up together, but now it kind of becomes a love triangle. It’s kind of like, who is she going to choose? Which of these brothers is she going to be with?”

However, this was not how Han originally planned for fans to view Belly. Han’s main focus for Belly’s character was more about the struggle of being a teenage girl and making decisions about life and love. 

“I think it’s less who is she gonna choose? And more what will she choose?” said Han.

Whether you are Team Jeremiah, Team Conrad, or the new fan favorite, Team Belly, it is evident that “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a well thought out, coming of age story which has influenced millions of female teenagers and young adults.