If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, or a fan of young adult romance novels, you may already be acutely familiar with The Summer I Turned Pretty. The series, which has been adapted from the Jenny Han novels of the same name, follows a teenage girl named Belly as she navigates the throes of summer love, fresh romance and high stakes drama.
On July 16, The Summer I Turned Pretty kicked off its third and final season with an explosive two-episode premiere. Since its 2021 debut, the show has garnered a massive following on social media, meaning you’ll likely want to stay as up-to-date as possible to avoid any major spoilers. Luckily, doing so won’t require a full rewatch of the series, as we’ve got a comprehensive recap of The Summer I Turned Pretty seasons one and two.
How does ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ begin?
As the title of the series suggests, The Summer I Turned Pretty centers on Belly Conklin, a 16-year-old girl who finally breaks out of her shell and embraces her personal sense of style and flair over the course of a summer. The pilot episode introduces us to her mother, Laurel, who takes Belly and her brother Steven on an annual vacation to Cousins Beach, where the family stays with Laurel’s friend Susannah.
Like the Conklin family matriarch, Susannah has a pair of teenage children, named Jeremiah and Conrad. Belly and Conrad have been nursing a perennial will-they-won’t-they style friendship since they were kids, though Belly notes that Conrad seems unusually aloof during this particular trip. After doing a bit of snooping, Belly catches Conrad kissing another girl – a wealthy debutante named Nicole.
Determined to get back at Conrad, or perhaps move on from him entirely, Belly strikes up a romance with another boy named Cam. She also accepts an invitation from Susannah to have a debutante ball of her own at the end of the season. During Belly’s first official date with Cam, Conrad and his friends ambush them and attempt to ruin the date, signaling that the boy is still not over Belly, despite his withholding nature.
The teens argue about their history, but ultimately arrive at no relevant conclusions. In the end, Belly still goes home with Cam, and kisses him as Conrad plans to stick with Nicole. Once Conrad returns home, he takes a gift that he purchased for Belly’s birthday and hides it, pretending that he forgot about her.
The kids in Cousins Beach are toxic and messy
While Belly and Conrad play chicken with their respective partners, each of the other characters in the show seems to be having hook-ups and flings with reckless abandon. Susannah has a one-night stand with a stranger in a bar while Laurel spends time shadowing an author she once insulted. Meanwhile, Steven balances a dual romance with two girls named Shayla and Taylor. By the end of the fourth episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly even trades partners like a square dancer, and dumps Cam for Conrad’s brother, Jeremiah.
The penultimate episode of the first season centers on an annual volleyball fundraiser event, in which Belly and Taylor play as partners. After losing the game due to an injury, the teens join Nicole for a party on her dad’s boat. Unfortunately, this gives way to something of a Mean Girls situation, as Nicole ridicules Belly and Taylor, and strands them nude on a remote beach. When Belly calls for help, both Conrad and Jeremiah arrive, forcing her to choose between her knights in shining armor. Belly ultimately chooses Jeremiah, though Susannah recommends Conrad escort her to the debutante ball when they all arrive back at the house.
How does season one of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ end?
The season one finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty centers on the long-awaited debutant ball, where Belly is expected to choose a suitor for a serious relationship. At first, it looks like the gears are in motion for Jeremiah to escort Belly to the ball and serve as her date. Just before the event can begin, however, Jeremiah realizes that something is amiss with his mother, causing him to blow off the entire event to investigate further.
Conrad slides into place and takes Belly to the ball, even though they haven’t seen eye to eye on anything all summer long. While the teens enjoy the festivities, Jeremiah shadows his mother and catches her on the phone with a doctor, revealing that she has been battling cancer. This explains why Conrad has been so off-kilter all year, since he was the only one who knew about Susannah’s diagnosis.
As the dance concludes, the teens all return to Susannah’s home. An enraged and distraught Jeremiah confronts Conrad and asks why he hid their mother’s diagnosis all this time, inadvertently revealing the secret to Belly and the others. In the closing moments of the season, Jeremiah storms off, while Conrad and Belly embrace on the beach, finally sharing the kiss they’ve been dreaming of since the Conklins arrived at Cousins Beach months earlier. Things look quite grim for Susannah, but she agrees to give it all she’s got during her next round of cancer treatments.
Season two raises the stakes
In season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty, we learn that Susannah’s cancer has gotten worse, not better. Her sons spend an episode coming to terms with her impending demise, as Laurel finishes penning a book about their lifelong friendship. While navigating this family tragedy, Conrad and Jeremiah continue fighting over Belly, who has returned to Cousins Beach to support them in their time of need. Unfortunately, the loss of their family matriarch also opens the door for a shady real estate developer to buy out the Cousins Beach home, where the two families have been vacationing as long as their kids have been alive.
Susannah’s death fractures the group, with each core character grieving differently. Conrad disappears after the funeral to mourn alone, while Laurel takes her book on a publishing tour in New York. Having freshly graduated high school as the class valedictorian, Steven prepares for college while attempting to keep his on-again, off-again relationship with Taylor going.
Conrad and Jeremiah’s aunt Julia becomes the sole owner of the home, and she agrees to sell the lot to the real estate developers. While the kids spend a day enjoying games at the boardwalk, Julia empties the house entirely, leaving nothing for Conrad and Jeremiah to come home to.
Does Julia sell the house?
With no furniture or belongings in the home, the kids spend the night at a local country club. They eventually all hand over their keys to Julia, even as they protest her willingness to throw away the home and all its memories. While staying at the club, the kids are in a highly vulnerable state, leading them all to confess their true feelings to each other.
Jeremiah admits that he has been jealous of his brother all his life, especially his relationship with Belly. Likewise, Belly and Taylor discuss their unshakable feelings for Conrad and Steven respectively, saying they will never love anyone else the way they have loved these childhood flings. Eventually, the group comes to terms with the fact that their adventures in Cousins Beach are probably over and resolves to throw one last massive party before the summer ends.
Unfortunately, the party doesn’t go off without a hitch. Taylor’s ex-boyfriend shows up and lashes out violently, prompting Steven to step in and save the day. The shocking confrontation reaffirms Taylor’s feelings for Steven, as he admits that he wants to stay together even after he goes off to college. Jeremiah and Conrad also have an explosive argument at the party, as their respective feelings toward Belly boil over.
Belly calls her mother to tearfully fill her in on what’s been going on, and she abruptly cancels the remaining leg of her book tour to save the Cousins Beach house. Though Julia previously seemed intent on selling, Laurel convinces her to keep the place, and even puts up some money to split ownership of the property with her.
How does season two of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ end?
As season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty wraps up, the kids begin moving back into the beach house. Laurel even sells her main home in Boston in order to put more money into the place, making Cousins Beach her and Belly’s primary residence. Still, they won’t be staying for long, as all of the core characters prepare to move away for their inaugural college semester. Steven and Taylor work out the kinks in their budding relationship and agree to be a real couple when the summer ends, while Belly tours a nearby school with Conrad and Jeremiah. In the final episode of the season, the trio get trapped in a motel, forcing them to confront their feelings for one another once and for all.
Despite Belly’s previous confession to Taylor that Conrad is her true love, she ignores his advances in the motel and instead kisses Jeremiah. The next morning, she leaves with Jeremiah to tour schools in Philadelphia, while Conrad returns to Cousins Beach in tears. Meanwhile, Laurel’s book seems to be picking up a ton of steam, advancing her career to another level. Steven convinces her to sign up for a writers group with an intimidating panel of successful authors, setting her on the next big adventure as she officially becomes an empty nester.
What to expect from season three
Now that season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty has finally arrived on Amazon Prime Video, fans won’t have to wait long to see how the entire affair concludes. Will Belly stick it out with Jeremiah, or ultimately reciprocate Conrad’s long-held feelings? Will Laurel go on to be the next great American author, and pen a New York Times bestseller? What will become of the Cousins Beach crew now that the kids are all grown up and potentially going their separate ways?
For now, there’s only one way to find out, as new episodes air every Wednesday. Season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty is slated to be the longest outing of the show, with 11 total episodes, meaning there’s plenty of time to parse through the drama, and even explore new storylines and characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is The Summer I Turned Pretty rated PG-13?
Though The Summer I Turned Pretty is geared toward young viewers, the series contains a number of adult themes, references and visuals. Parental guides for the show have noted sexual themes, teen romance, suggestive language and alcohol and drug use make the show less than savory for small children, especially without parental guidance. It’s a far cry from some other heavy-handed PG-13 content, but still worth considering if you’re planning on watching with your family.
In what episode does Belly lose her virginity?
In the series, Belly loses her virginity during the second season episode “Love Scene.” In the episode, she tracks down a mourning Conrad at the beach, and the sight of snow takes the two as it falls on the sand. They then return to the beach house and have sex by a roaring fireplace. This is a slight departure from the original source material, where Belly remains a virgin throughout the entire narrative. While speaking with Variety, series creator and author Jenny Han explained, “I felt like that’s where Belly was in her journey. These two characters were very much in love and had known each other their whole lives. I felt like they had really been through something together, and we had been with Belly through many first times. It was important for the audience to be with her for that one.”
Who does Belly end up with?
Season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty concludes with Belly heading off to Philadelphia with Jeremiah, suggesting that she has finally made her choice. Still, there is a lot of unresolved tension left with Conrad, who returns to the Cousins Beach home by himself. There’s no telling where the third season could take things, but it’s worth noting that Belly ultimately chooses Conrad at the end of the third book. Still, Jenny Han has not been afraid to make big changes to the story for this adaptation, so that could still change as the final season shakes out. The series finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on Sept. 17.
