We'll Always Have Summer (The Summer I Turned Pretty) Paperback – April 24, 2012

Ahh. It's spring finally and though this is the perfect beach read, love is in the air. If you've read the other two books in the Summer series by Jenny Han, you'll appreciate that we finally get closure in the final book in the series. Belly, now in college and known as Isabel, has been dating Jeremiah for two years and though the course has not always been smooth, it's been pretty good and they are in love. So when they decide to get married they can't understand why everyone is so against it. Didn't everyone expect her to marry one of the Fisher boys and everyone knows you can't count on Conrad. The obvious choice is Jeremiah. Isn't it?Okay, you know that much from the book jacket so no spoilers there. This book explores Belly's and Jeremiah's relationship and a few bumps they face in it leading up to the big question. Then all the problems that question causes. Jenny Han writes that part of the book-the headlong rush into marriage just like that. There is a flurry of planning and questions and troubles and the book rushes too so that you can feel the underlying panic, maybe, that both Belly and Jeremiah feel to get it over and done with. Belly wants to prove that she loves Jeremiah. And maybe Jeremiah wants her to say "I do" before his brother can enter their lives again. For some reason there is a sense of urgency and as a reader, I felt it too, rushing through the book as I read. Yes, Belly loved Con, when she was younger. He was her first love, but hey we all remember our first loves. Some of us fondly, some not so fondly. But, they have a part of our hearts because they were the first to break them. This was true with Con. He hurt Belly and she ran off to Jeremiah. The question is did she choose him, one of the two she loved or was he the one she loved?And then in this book, we finally get a peek into Conrad's head. Thank God! He'd always seemed like a heartless bastard before and I could never figure out what he wanted. He just seemed to be toying with Belly. And he seemed to delight in hurting her except for those six months they dated. Now we find out just how he felt and his motivations and it all makes sense. It's kind of like getting a chance to see inside Edward's head in Midnight Sun. (Twilight fans will know what I'm writing about.) The distant, enigmatic Conrad becomes a real person in this novel and I say it's about time. In fact, it would have been nice to have had his perspective all along. It would have made for a more tragic love story. But maybe Ms. Han just wanted us to have a nice light series to keep us entertained. And I have been. I read this in about four hours, stopping only to help tape up the air conditioner in our room. It's light, easy reading and satisfying to the very end. I loved the ending. It didn't feel contrived, but very natural and Cousins like. Now, if we could all have grown up that way....In previous books, Belly and the women were the most developed characters, but in this one, Jeremiah, Conrad, Laurel, Belly's mother and Taylor, Belly's best friend were well developed as well. Cousins, the beach where most of the action of the series takes place has always seemed like a character, the house, the beach, the pool, Belly's room, the kitchen table, each played a part in the series. Belly, Jeremiah, Conrad and Steven (Belly's brother) grew up in the house during the summers and monumental things happened there. If an inanimate object can be a character, then Cousins is definitely a character. It had it's effect on everyone.This would definitely qualify as a One Sit Read for me. I wasn't going to bed until I read the last page and I didn't cheat. It would have cheapened the series for me. I highly recommend this series for a light summer read, now that all three books are out and there are no cliffhangers. Teenage girls should love this one, but I'm way past that and eagerly anticipated this last book in the series so any YA lover looking for a nice easy read should read this series. I can't wait to see what Jenny Han writes next!

**"We'll Always Have Summer"** by Jenny Han is the compelling conclusion to **"The Summer I Turned Pretty"** trilogy, where Belly must finally make a heart-wrenching choice between the two brothers she has loved—Jeremiah and Conrad. After spending two years with Jeremiah, who believes she is his soulmate, Belly feels the weight of her feelings and the impending decision looming over her. Meanwhile, Conrad grapples with the regret of letting Belly slip away and realizes he must act before it's too late.As the story unfolds, readers experience the emotional turmoil that comes with love and the challenges of growing up. Belly faces the difficult reality of potentially breaking one of their hearts, and through her introspection, she learns what it means to truly understand herself and what she desires for her future. Han beautifully captures the complexities of young love, loyalty, and the bittersweet nature of choices that define us, all set against the backdrop of the themes of summer. This edition also enriches the reading experience with bonus content, including Conrad’s heartfelt letters to Belly, amplifying the emotional resonance of the story. **"We'll Always Have Summer"** is both a satisfying and poignant end to Belly’s journey, ensuring readers are left with a sense of closure and reflection on the memories of love and loss.

*Review posted on Mundie Moms on 8/18/2016*This is the third book in the Summer I Turned Pretty series, and it finds Belly aging two years to the summer after her freshman year in college. While I spent the first book wondering if Belly would end up with either Jeremiah or Conrad, and book two wondering if Conrad could be a bigger butthead, this book left me wondering if either Fisher boy was right for Belly.Right away you get the idea that lighthearted, happy-go-lucky Jeremiah may not be the ideal match for our yes, still very, very, very naive (to the nth power) Belly. There are obvious hints that he's a party boy, maybe too involved in his frat and not so involved in his academic pursuits. But, Belly brushes all that off until THE ONE THING THAT HAPPENS (I know I promised I was going to try to keep it as spoiler free as possible, but it's so hard because this is the third book in the series). While, Belly tried to reconcile this ONE THING, her best friend, Taylor (yes, the very one who was on the outs in the previous book) became her voice of reason and best supporter. I grew to adore Taylor's dedication to party planning, friendship and choosing all the right accessories. It almost made me forget that ONE THING.But sadly, the ONE THING led Belly and Jeremiah down a plot that left me, frankly, eye-rolly. It became a very predictable and plodding cliche. I found myself desperate for the slightest mention of Conrad, who appeared at moments when I thought I may just give up on this series. But, I plowed on, and I'm glad I did. In this last installment, it is very obvious that Conrad matured the most out of all the characters. He finally seemed to have direction, and the angst (understandable with the way his father treated his mother, their inevitable divorce and the return of her cancer) he felt in books one and two had dissipated. What was left was a guy who cared for his brother, and even above that, he cared for Belly. He reminded me of my very favorite, literary hero -- Mr. Darcy. He was proud, stubborn, but in the end, he acquiesced and did the right thing. His character arc bumped the book from 2.5-3 stars back up to a solid 4.How was the ending? It was logical and everything that I wanted it to be, at least in that moment. Belly is still far too innocent to be entirely believable. Conrad is very heroic. Jeremiah is flawed, but a goofball. Long term, would either relationship work out for Belly? I'm in the camp that it wouldn't because eventually, Belly would come to a firm understanding of who she is, and that would change the dynamic between her and either boy. Jenny Han does pick a side, and like I mentioned above, it was a good, logical, horribly romantic pick.Summer is still in full swing according to the temps in my neck of the woods. So, a story about a girl and two boys she sees only over summers accompanies this August heatwave nicely. Pick up the series and come back here to let me know your thoughts.