It’s the question that has launched a thousand TikTok debates and caused literal civil wars between Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah stans. How does The Summer I Turned Pretty end? If you’ve only watched the Prime Video series, you’re currently sitting in a state of high-stress limbo. But for those of us who grew up reading Jenny Han’s original trilogy—The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, and We’ll Always Have Summer—the answer has been written in stone since 2011.
People get messy about this. They really do.
The ending isn't just a simple "who does she pick" scenario. It’s actually a years-long journey through grief, college mistakes, and a literal wedding that almost happens but doesn't. If you’re looking for the short version: Belly ends up with Conrad Fisher. But the path to get there? It’s kind of a train wreck. Honestly, it’s a miracle any of these characters are still speaking to each other by the final page of the third book.
The Messy Reality of the Final Book
The third book, We’ll Always Have Summer, jumps ahead two years. Belly is in college. She’s actually dating Jeremiah. They’ve been together for a while, and things seem... okay? But then it gets ugly.
During a spring break trip to Cabo, Jeremiah cheats on Belly. Or, well, they were "on a break" (classic Ross Geller move), but he slept with a girl named Lacie Barone and didn't tell Belly until she found out from someone else. To "fix" it, Jeremiah proposes.
Yes, they get engaged at 19 and 20 years old.
It’s a disaster. Mr. Fisher is against it, Laurel is furious and refuses to help with the wedding, and the whole thing feels like a desperate attempt to paper over a massive crack in their relationship. This is where the debate about how does The Summer I Turned Pretty end really heats up, because the internal conflict for Belly reaches a breaking point at the Cousins Beach house while she's trying to plan a wedding to the wrong brother.
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Why Conrad is the Endgame
While Belly is at the beach house planning her wedding to Jeremiah, Conrad is there too. He’s been living there, brooding, being very Conrad. Eventually, he finds out about the Lacie Barone incident. He also realizes he never stopped loving Belly.
There’s a massive confrontation.
Conrad confesses his feelings. Belly is torn. Jeremiah finds out Conrad confessed. It all culminates on the day of the wedding. Jeremiah realizes that no matter how hard he tries, Belly will always have a piece of her heart reserved for Conrad. He sees the way they look at each other. He sees the letters.
The wedding is called off.
Jeremiah and Belly break up for good. It’s painful and awkward, and for a long time, the trio is fractured. Belly actually leaves the country. She goes to Spain for her junior year abroad. She grows up. She stops being the girl defined by the Fisher boys and starts being Isabel Conklin.
The Time Jump and the Letters
The actual conclusion of the story happens via a time jump and a series of letters. While Belly is in Spain, Conrad starts writing to her. These aren't grand, sweeping romantic gestures at first. They are just... letters. He tells her about his life, his job, his thoughts. He gives her the space she never had when they were teenagers.
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By the time Belly returns and graduates from college, they reconnect.
The books end with their wedding. Not the rushed, "we’re overcompensating for cheating" wedding with Jeremiah, but a real, adult wedding with Conrad. It’s depicted in a series of snapshots: them jumping into the ocean in their wedding clothes, finally finding that "infinite" feeling they talked about when they were kids.
Does the Show Follow the Books?
This is where things get tricky for fans. Jenny Han is the showrunner for the TV series, and while she has stuck to the major beats so far, she’s notorious for updating the story for a modern audience.
In the show, Jeremiah’s character is much more developed and arguably more "likable" than his book counterpart. This has led many to wonder if the show will change the ending. However, the "Endgame" is a massive part of the series' identity. Changing it would be like having Edward leave Bella for Jacob at the end of Twilight. It changes the DNA of the story.
The show has added nuances, like:
- Steven’s expanded storyline.
- The introduction of Skye and Aunt Julia.
- A deeper dive into Susannah’s illness through flashbacks.
Despite these changes, the core theme remains the same: Conrad is the "sun," the "stars," and the "infinite." Jeremiah is the "real life" and the "safe" choice that ultimately can't compete with a soulmate-level connection, no matter how toxic that connection was in their teens.
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Common Misconceptions About the Ending
"Belly and Jeremiah stay friends." Sorta. They eventually reconcile to the point where they can be in the same room. Jeremiah attends Belly and Conrad's wedding with a date. But that deep, best-friend bond they had? It’s permanently altered. You don't really go back to normal after a failed engagement and your brother marrying your ex.
"Laurel picks a side."
Laurel actually remains the voice of reason. Her refusal to support the teen wedding is what forces Belly to really look at her choices. She doesn't "pick" Conrad; she picks Belly's future.
"It’s an instant happy ending."
Hard no. There are years of silence between the breakup and the reunion. It takes Conrad being a functional adult and Belly finding her own identity in Europe before they can actually work.
What This Means for Your Rewatch
When you're watching the series now, knowing how does The Summer I Turned Pretty end changes the perspective. You start seeing the "invisible strings" Taylor Swift (the patron saint of this show) sings about. Every time Conrad pulls away, it’s not just him being a jerk; it’s the setup for him learning how to show up later.
If you're Team Jeremiah, the ending of the third book is a tough pill to swallow. It paints him in a much more negative light than the show has so far. Whether the show keeps the "cheating in Cabo" plotline remains the biggest question mark for Season 3 and beyond.
Moving Forward with the Series
To fully grasp the weight of the ending, it is worth looking back at the specific foreshadowing in the first two seasons. Pay close attention to the "Polaroid" moments and the recurring motif of the infinity necklace. Those aren't just props; they are the roadmap to the final chapter.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve before the next season drops, your best bet is to read the third book, We’ll Always Have Summer. While the show will likely modernize the dialogue, the emotional beats of the letters and the Spain trip are expected to remain the structural backbone of the finale. Keep an eye on the casting news for characters like Lacie Barone—if she shows up, you’ll know the book ending is officially in motion.