Book to Screen
‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’: 16 Book Moments Teased in the Season 3 Trailer
The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s Season 3 trailer may only provide a taste of what viewers will experience once the Prime Video hit returns to TV screens this July, but for fans of the books by Jenny Han, they’re filled with moments plucked from her pages.
Whether it’s full plotlines or nods to fan-favorite scenes, the trailer has plenty for book readers to uncover, and we’re breaking down some of the most exciting reveals below. From Belly’s (Lola Tung) impromptu Christmas at Cousins with Conrad (Christopher Briney) to that shocking engagement reveal for her and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), there’s something for every fan to squeal over.
Of course, we can only theorize about these moments based on the third book from Han’s series, We’ll Always Have Summer, so context could shift once episodes begin streaming on Prime Video. For now, we’re breaking down 16 nods to the book that are set to play into Season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Stay tuned, and let us know which book moment you’re most excited about in the comments section below.
[Note: Book Spoilers for We’ll Always Have Summer Below, Read at Your Own Risk!]
The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 3 Premiere, Wednesday, July 16, Prime Video
Spring Break Fling
There’s a shot of Belly running down the street in tears, which seems to be mirroring the moment in the book where she learns Jeremiah had a spring break fling with a classmate while they were on a break. Belly finds out about Jeremiah’s hookup when she overhears girls talking through the bathroom door at a frat house, and the neighborhood certainly looks like a Greek row at a college campus. Only time will tell if the series will exactly follow the book’s plot, but things aren’t looking great for Belly in this moment.
Conrad & Belly's Christmas
In a flashback sequence from the book, Belly recalls a Christmas she spent at the Cousins Beach house alone, only to be startled by Conrad’s surprising entrance. While the former couple keeps things non-romantic, it’s a sweet reunion, and they share the space for their brief holiday escape. At one point, Belly hurts her back after she slips and falls, and Conrad lies down next to her, joking about the cartoonish way she fell before lifting her up to lie on the couch. It’s a memorable moment from the book and easily recognizable in the trailer here.
Susannah's Garden Dedication
Meanwhile, Belly and Jeremiah gather with Conrad, Laurel (Jackie Chung), Steven (Sean Kaufman), and Adam (Tom Everett Scott) for a garden dedication ceremony made by the shelter Susannah (Rachel Blanchard) had raised funds for over the years. We get a brief glimpse of this and Jeremiah’s speech in the trailer.
Belly & Jeremiah's Engagement
After the garden ceremony, the whole group convenes for lunch, where Belly and Jeremiah announce their engagement to the group. This sequence is fully featured in the trailer and seems like a beat-by-beat moment plucked from the book.
Laurel Agains the Wedding
Similar to the book, when it comes to Jeremiah and Belly’s engagement, Laurel’s completely against the marriage, at least at the couple’s young age. In the book, Laurel begs the pair to consider moving in together at college before going forward with a marriage, but Jeremiah and Belly are determined to go ahead with their plans.
Jeremiah's Internship
In the trailer, we get a brief flash of Jeremiah in a suit and tie in what appears to be an office space. During the summer following the engagement revelation in the book, Jeremiah works at an internship that takes up a portion of his time. Perhaps this quick clip is hinting at the inclusion of it in the show.
Conrad & Jeremiah's Surf
Due to Belly’s fallout with her mother, she decides to spend her time at Cousins, where she and Jeremiah find Conrad, who is crashing there during the summer. Similar to the book, it appears that Conrad and Jeremiah will take a brotherly surf moment together, during which Conrad realizes he can’t really speak his mind about the impending wedding because Jeremiah is his brother.
Conrad & Belly's Dinners
In the book, because Jeremiah is working at an internship, he splits his time between Cousins and Boston, which leaves Belly and Conrad alone a lot. One particular element of Belly and Conrad’s time at the house together is that they share meals and reconnect. This little snippet from the trailer definitely seems to tease that fans will be getting that in Season 3.
Wedding Errands
Similar to the dinners, Conrad is essentially left to help Belly plan her wedding to Jeremiah in the book with him out of pocket at his internship. And so, Belly and Conrad go on various errands together, and this moment driving in the car together looks like it could be one of those instances.
Conrad's Been in Love Before
In the trailer, Conrad is asked by a girl if he’s ever been in love, and he admits he was once with Belly. The moment is a carbon copy of the scene from the book, which occurs in a flashback from Conrad’s perspective between himself and a classmate named Agnes, with whom he would occasionally hook up while in school. In other words, Team Conrad fans have little to fret over if the show sticks to the book’s version of events here.
Belly's Bridal Shower
It seems that the show is also mirroring Belly’s bridal shower, which is put on by Taylor (Rain Spencer) because of her estrangement with Laurel. In the book, Laurel does show up to the event, and it kicks off a reconciliation between the mother and daughter. Only time will tell if Laurel will show up in the series’ version of this moment, as Belly and Taylor were the only characters shown on the occasion.
Doctor Conrad
Like Jeremiah’s internship, Conrad’s schooling to become a doctor plays a role in the book, making his appearance in a white lab coat make more sense. It seems like the show could possibly build on this aspect of Conrad’s story, though, making it something to look forward to in the series.
Taylor Confronts Conrad
We all know Taylor has been anti-Conrad since Season 1 because of the rollercoaster of emotions he’s put Belly through. That carries on in the books, the third of which includes her confronting Conrad for his presence, confusing Belly about her impending marriage to Jeremiah. This is teased in the trailer and rings true for the TV version of Taylor we’ve seen so far.
Wedding
In the book, Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding is supposed to take place and almost does, but ultimately doesn’t. The only wedding in the book that is somewhat depicted is Belly and Conrad’s. While it appears in the trailer that Belly is walking down the aisle, we never see which brother she is walking to. Could the trailer be hinting at the endgame between Belly and Conrad, or will the show take things further with Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding than it did in the book? Only time will tell.
Jeremiah's Punch for Conrad
The wedding is up in the air when Jeremiah doesn’t show up that morning, but his absence stems from the fact that Belly revealed that Conrad told her he still loved her. Ultimately, Conrad finds Jeremiah in the book in the garden dedicated to their mother, where he hands over a letter that was written by Susannah. It turns out that the letter got mixed up in the wrong envelope, and it was actually written for Conrad. Regardless, the moment leads to a punch from Jeremiah to Conrad, which is shown in the trailer.
Junior Mint
Fans have already encountered Belly’s stuffed polar bear Junior Mint in past seasons, but in the final book of Han’s trilogy, Conrad sends the bear to Belly when she’s studying abroad, post-wedding drama. This is a key moment in rekindling their romance, and while the background behind Belly in this frame hints at the beach house location, it makes us wonder if this is a tease for things to come in the final episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
