If you’ve spent any time in the The Summer I Turned Pretty fandom lately, you know that one name is currently causing absolute chaos: Lacie Barone. For the "Team Conrad" fans, she’s basically a secret weapon. For "Team Jeremiah" supporters? She’s the ultimate nightmare.
Honestly, if you only watched the first two seasons on Prime Video, you might be wondering who this girl even is. She hasn't had a single second of screen time yet. But with Season 3 fast approaching—and rumors swirling about casting—Lacie is about to become the most talked-about character in the entire series.
Who is Lacie Barone, anyway?
Let’s get the basics down first. In Jenny Han's third book, We’ll Always Have Summer, Lacie is a student at Finch University. She’s a member of the sister sorority to Jeremiah’s fraternity. Basically, she’s in the same social circle as the college-aged version of our main characters.
In the books, she isn't some mustache-twirling villain. She's just... a girl. A girl who happens to be there when things go south between Belly and Jeremiah.
The Cabo Incident (The "Break" That Wasn't)
Here is where it gets messy. Two years into their relationship, Belly and Jeremiah get into a massive fight. It’s ugly. Jeremiah wants to go to Cabo for spring break; Belly doesn't want him to go. They "break up"—or at least, that’s how Jeremiah sees it. Belly, on the other hand, thinks they’re just having a really bad fight and need some space.
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While in Cabo, Jeremiah hooks up with Lacie Barone.
He doesn't tell Belly. They get back together almost immediately after he returns, and he keeps the whole thing a secret. Belly only finds out months later when she’s at a frat party and overhears Lacie talking about her "fling" with Jeremiah in Mexico. To make matters worse, she realizes Jeremiah let her wear his fraternity pin—a symbol of commitment—while he was literally sleeping with someone else.
What we know about Lacie in Season 3
The TV show has a reputation for changing things up. It’s already been much more "Team Jeremiah" friendly than the books were in some places. However, it looks like the Lacie plotline is 100% happening.
Leaked casting news and set reports have basically confirmed that Lily Donoghue (who you might recognize from Daisy Jones & The Six) is playing Lacie Barone. This is a huge deal because it confirms the show is following the "cheating" (or "break") arc from the final book.
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Will the show make it worse?
There’s a lot of speculation that Jenny Han might "twist the knife" even more for the TV adaptation. In the books, Lacie and Belly barely knew each other. But fans are theorizing that the show might make them friends—or at least acquaintances through Taylor’s sorority.
Imagine Belly finding out her boyfriend hooked up with someone she actually sees in the hallways. That’s a level of drama that The Summer I Turned Pretty thrives on.
The "Was it Cheating?" Debate
This is the Ross and Rachel debate for Gen Z.
- The Jeremiah Defense: They were broken up. He was hurt. He was single for that week. He didn't owe her anything until they officially got back together.
- The Belly Defense: You don't just "turn off" two years of love in 24 hours. The betrayal isn't just the sex; it’s the fact that he lied about it for months and let her believe their relationship was something it wasn't.
In the book, Jeremiah tries to justify it by saying Lacie "wouldn't leave him alone," which... yikes. Not a great look, Jere. Most fans agree that the lie is what actually destroys the trust, leading to that wild, impulsive marriage proposal that kicks off the rest of the plot.
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Why Lacie changes everything for Season 3
If you’re wondering why this one character matters so much, it’s because she is the catalyst for the endgame. Without the Lacie drama, Belly and Jeremiah might have just stayed together.
The discovery of the Cabo hookup leads to:
- The Slap: One of the most famous moments in the book series.
- The Engagement: Jeremiah proposes to "fix" things and prove his loyalty.
- The Wedding Plot: The entire season will likely revolve around a wedding that shouldn't be happening.
- Conrad's Return: Seeing Belly about to marry his brother forces Conrad to finally—finally—admit he still loves her.
What happens to Lacie in the end?
In the books, Lacie Barone eventually fades into the background. She’s a plot device meant to show the cracks in Belly and Jeremiah’s foundation. She isn't there to steal Jeremiah away; she’s there to show Belly that "perfect" Jeremiah has flaws, too.
Expect Season 3 to give her a bit more of a personality. Lily Donoghue is a great actress, and the show tends to flesh out side characters more than the books did. We might actually see the Cabo scenes in flashbacks, which would be a huge departure from the books where we only hear about it after the fact.
What you should do next
If you want to be fully prepared for the emotional damage coming in Season 3, here is your game plan:
- Re-read Book 3: We’ll Always Have Summer is where all of this goes down. If you want to know the exact dialogue from the frat party scene, that’s your source.
- Watch Lily Donoghue’s work: Check out her role in Black Christmas or Daisy Jones to get a feel for her acting style. She’s likely going to bring a lot of nuance to a character everyone is prepared to hate.
- Keep an eye on Finch University sets: Most of the Lacie drama happens on campus, so any behind-the-scenes leaks involving the college will be a major hint at how the story is being adapted.
Whatever side you're on, get ready. Lacie Barone is about to change the vibe of Cousins Beach forever.