Jenny Han’s We’ll Always Have Summer serves as the emotionally charged finale to her beloved Summer trilogy, bringing readers back to the sun-soaked beaches of Cousins for one last dance with the Fisher boys and Isabel “Belly” Conklin. After falling in love with Belly’s coming-of-age journey in The Summer I Turned Pretty and weathering the devastating loss in It’s Not Summer Without You, readers finally witness the resolution of literature’s most agonizing love triangle.
The Heart of the Matter: Belly’s Impossible Choice
Two years have passed since Conrad Fisher walked away, leaving Belly in the arms of his younger brother Jeremiah. Now college freshmen, Belly and Jeremiah appear to be living the happily-ever-after that seemed impossible in the previous books. Yet Han masterfully reveals the cracks beneath their seemingly perfect relationship from the very first chapter, when Belly discovers Jeremiah’s betrayal during spring break in Cabo.
The revelation that Jeremiah cheated on her with Lacie Barone during their brief breakup becomes the catalyst for everything that follows. Han’s decision to begin the novel with this devastating discovery immediately establishes the emotional stakes and forces readers to question everything they thought they knew about Jeremiah’s character. The boy who seemed incapable of causing Belly pain proves to be just as flawed and human as his brother.
What follows is Han’s most mature exploration of love, forgiveness, and the difference between first love and lasting love. Belly’s internal struggle between her history with Conrad and her present with Jeremiah becomes the driving force of the narrative, leading to an impulsive engagement that serves more as an escape than a solution.
The Complexity of Conrad Fisher
Throughout the trilogy, Conrad has been the enigmatic first love – brooding, intellectual, and emotionally unavailable. In We’ll Always Have Summer, Han finally allows readers to see beneath his carefully constructed walls. The chapters written from Conrad’s perspective reveal a young man haunted by his mother’s death and convinced that his capacity for darkness makes him unworthy of Belly’s light.
Conrad’s character arc in this final installment is perhaps Han’s greatest achievement. His decision to step aside for his brother’s happiness, his gradual breakdown of emotional barriers, and his ultimate confession of love feel earned rather than manipulative. When he tells Belly, “I laid myself fucking bare last night,” readers feel the weight of his vulnerability after three books of emotional distance.
The scene where Conrad bandages Belly’s surfing wound becomes a perfect metaphor for their relationship – intimate, careful, and charged with unspoken emotion. Han’s ability to create tension through such simple moments demonstrates her growth as a writer throughout the series.
Jeremiah’s Devastating Transformation
Perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of We’ll Always Have Summer is watching Jeremiah Fisher evolve from the golden boy of the earlier books into someone capable of deep betrayal. Han doesn’t villainize him – instead, she presents a realistic portrait of a young man struggling with being second choice in his own relationship.
Jeremiah’s desperation becomes palpable when he proposes marriage as a solution to their trust issues. His question to Belly – “do you love him too?” – cuts to the heart of their relationship’s fundamental flaw. Han’s portrayal of Jeremiah’s pain when Belly answers honestly is both devastating and necessary for the story’s emotional truth.
The wedding day confrontation between the brothers serves as the series’ emotional climax, with Jeremiah finally acknowledging what readers have known all along: “I don’t just want a part of you. I want all of you.” His decision to walk away, despite still loving Belly, represents genuine character growth and emotional maturity.
The Weight of Family Legacy
Han weaves the memory of Susannah Fisher throughout the narrative with exceptional grace. The posthumous letters she left for her sons’ wedding days serve as both blessing and guidance, reminding readers of the woman whose death set the events of the previous book in motion. Susannah’s letter to Belly, revealed in the epilogue, provides the perfect bookend to the series while honoring the surrogate mother figure who shaped Belly’s summers.
The Fisher family dynamics remain as complex as ever, with Adam Fisher’s unexpected support of the wedding contrasting sharply with Laurel’s fierce opposition. Han’s portrayal of divorced parents navigating their children’s major life decisions feels authentic and emotionally resonant.
Writing That Captures the Ache of Growing Up
Han’s prose in We’ll Always Have Summer demonstrates significant maturation from the earlier books. Her ability to capture the specific pain of being nineteen and thinking you understand love forever is both nostalgic and immediate. Lines like “You can’t have it both ways” and “Some things you can’t take back” carry the weight of hard-earned wisdom.
The pacing of the novel feels deliberately rushed in places, mirroring Belly’s own impulse to escape her emotional confusion through action. The rapid progression from breakup to engagement to wedding planning reflects the desperate attempts of young people to force certainty in an uncertain world.
Strengths and Weaknesses
We’ll Always Have Summer succeeds brilliantly in several key areas:
- Complex character development that avoids easy villains or heroes
- Realistic portrayal of the messiness of young love
- Satisfying resolution that feels earned rather than predetermined
- Mature handling of themes like forgiveness, choice, and growing up
However, the novel also presents some challenges:
- The rushed timeline occasionally feels forced
- Some secondary characters lack the depth of the main trio
- Certain plot conveniences stretch credibility
- The wedding day drama, while emotionally effective, borders on melodramatic
The Perfect Summer Conclusion
The epilogue, set “a couple of years later,” provides the resolution readers have been hoping for since page one of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Belly’s marriage to Conrad feels both inevitable and earned, with their rain-soaked beach run serving as a perfect metaphor for their relationship – wild, impulsive, and absolutely right.
Han’s decision to show Jeremiah at the wedding with a date, offering Belly a small wave and smile, demonstrates the healing that comes with time and the possibility of finding peace after heartbreak.
Similar Reads for Summer Romance Lovers
Readers who cherished the Summer trilogy might enjoy:
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Beach Read by Emily Henry
- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
- Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
- Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Final Thoughts
We’ll Always Have Summer stands as a worthy conclusion to Jenny Han’s trilogy, offering emotional satisfaction while acknowledging the complex realities of young love. While not without its flaws, the novel succeeds in delivering the resolution readers craved while maintaining the series’ commitment to authentic character development.
Han’s ability to make readers care deeply about teenage relationships speaks to her understanding of the genuine intensity of first love. The Summer trilogy remains a touchstone for young adult romance, proving that stories about growing up and choosing love can be both entertaining and emotionally profound.
For fans who have followed Belly’s journey from awkward fifteen-year-old to confident young woman, We’ll Always Have Summer provides the closure that feels both satisfying and true to the characters we’ve grown to love. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best love stories are the ones that take time to get right.
