Who does Belly end up with in The Summer I Turned Pretty? Books vs TV ending
The hit Prime Video series The Summer I Turned Pretty is full of emotional twists and surprises surrounding Belly’s love story. But who does Belly end up with? As fans continued to speculate, Jenny Han explained:
I always knew how I wanted to end the books...I am somebody who is always changing things up.
Source: Instagram
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Key takeaways
- Belly ends up with Conrad in both the book and the show, though in the book, their relationship is sealed with a wedding.
- The show’s third season is based on We’ll Always Have Summer, the third book in Jenny Han’s bestselling trilogy, The Summer I Turned Pretty.
- Season 3 aired from July 16 to September 17, 2025.
Who does Belly end up with in the books?
In the third book, We'll Always Have Summer, published in 2011, Belly marries Conrad at Cousins Beach. While this twist may surprise some readers, Jenny Han, the book’s author and co-showrunner, told The Los Angeles Times in September 2025:
I do love surprising people. I feel strongly about wanting the audience to have the experience of not knowing what’s going to happen next…even though I know that others are probably restless to see how it all ends.
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Jenny Han’s novel TSITP inspired the TV series
The TV series is an adaptation of Jenny Han’s young adult novel trilogy, The Summer I Turned Pretty, which was published in 2009. The TSITP series follows Belly Conklin (Lola Tung), a teenager spending her summers at the beach with her family and the Fisher brothers, Conrad, and Jeremiah.
In Season 1, Belly develops feelings for her childhood crush and the older brother, Conrad, but he pushes her away. She eventually finds comfort with Jeremiah, and they start a relationship.
Jeremiah and Belly's relationship deepens in Season 2, but Conrad's return complicates everything. Belly’s unresolved feelings for Conrad reignite, creating tension between the brothers.
Belly is torn between her feelings for Conrad and Jeremiah
Season 3 opens with Jeremiah and Belly attending the fictional Finch College, while Conrad (Christopher Briney) studies at Stanford University. As Variety shared, Jeremiah later cheated on Belly, and Conrad confessed his love to her.
According to an Instagram reel, Jeremiah proposed to Belly after two years together, asking for her forgiveness. As the wedding day approaches, Conrad still confesses his love for Belly, but she is torn between her feelings for him and her commitment to Jeremiah.
Source: Getty Images
Belly still loves Conrad
On their wedding day, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) realises Belly still loves Conrad and calls off the wedding. This pivotal moment allows Belly to reassess her feelings and choose her own happiness.
After the cancelled wedding, Belly studies abroad in Spain, where she reconnects with Conrad through letters. They reunite, and the book concludes with their romantic wedding at Cousins Beach. As reported by Betches, the book ends with Conrad carrying Belly into the ocean, telling her:
I go wherever you go.
Does Belly end up with Jeremiah in the show?
She did not end up with Jeremiah either in the book or the show. They had a complicated love story, and she finally chose Conrad over him on the show.
The series finale scene wraps up Belly and Conrad's story with a sweet, yet fleeting moment. As they step foot on Cousins Beach together, the camera zooms out on the pair standing in front of their famous beach house.
Source: Getty Images
Why does Belly not marry Jeremiah?
Belly ultimately chooses not to marry Jeremiah after realising her true feelings for Conrad. Belly and Jeremiah broke up the first time he cheated on her. On their wedding day, Jeremiah discovers Belly's lingering feelings for Conrad and calls off the wedding.
This decision follows a confrontation between the brothers, during which Conrad confesses his love for Belly. Jeremiah accepts that Belly’s heart belongs to Conrad and steps aside.
Who does Jeremiah cheat on Belly with?
Jeremiah cheats on Belly with a girl named Lacie Veron (or Lacie Barone in some sources) during spring break, while they were temporarily apart. Belly learns about the infidelity after overhearing Lacie talking about the connection at a frat party, leading to a confrontation and ultimately, their breakup.
Belly lost her maidenhood to Conrad
In the second episode of Season 2, Belly lost her maidenhood to Conrad. In the books, Belly remains a maiden and plans to share that moment with Jeremiah. It never happened in the books, as Belly and Jeremiah have a chaste relationship, but they were portrayed as sexually active in the TV adaptation.
Source: Getty Images
The show has a different ending
Comparing the ending part of The Summer I Turned Pretty book and the TV series, there is a difference. The book's ending shows that Belly ultimately ends up with Conrad after calling off her wedding to Jeremiah. They eventually marry and begin a life together.
The TV series takes a different approach. Belly and Conrad reunite in Paris, where Belly has been living and studying. After spending a romantic day together, Belly runs after Conrad at the train station to confess her love.
In the series, they return to Cousins Beach together but do not get married or engaged. Han told Entertainment Weekly in September 2025:
I kept adding more and more to the last scripts the longer I was in Paris, because I kept thinking of more that needed to be included. There is so much that is going to surprise fans about how much we're showing of Belly in Paris and the whole ending. It's not just an epilogue.
Source: Getty Images
Frequently asked questions
- Does Belly end up with Conrad or Jeremiah? She ended up with Conrad.
- Does Belly sleep with Jeremiah? She does not in the book, but she does in the TV series.
- Who does Belly marry in the show? Neither Conrad nor Jeremiah married her in the show.
- Is The Summer I Turned Pretty returning for Season 4? There will not be a Season 4, although Jenny Han hinted that it could still happen.
Conclusion
Who does Belly end up with? Belly marries Conrad at Cousins Beach, though it looked like she would end up with Jeremiah. They could not help the situation, as it was glaring that Belly’s heart belonged to Conrad. Belly and Conrad reconnected through letters.
READ MORE: The best enemies-to-lovers books that will keep you hooked
According to Briefly.co.za, the enemies-to-lovers theme is one of the most popular choices. It is a timeless trope that has captivated readers for generations.
Each of these stories blends the enemies-to-lovers trope with other themes like dark fantasy and action to enrich the plot.
Source: Briefly News
