All the changes The Summer I Turned Pretty ending makes from the books

17 September 2025, 17:33

By Sam Prance

How does The Summer I Turned Pretty end? The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 finale removes the book's iconic final scene and fans are outraged.

The final episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty is officially here and the ending is completely different to the books.

Ever since The Summer I Turned Pretty debuted, fans have been excited to see how the show would adapt the book's iconic ending. However, ahead of The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 finale, author Jenny Han told Entertainment Weekly that there would be some changes in the final episode: "There is so much that is going to surprise fans".

Now, The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 episode 11 has officially aired and we know who Belly ends up with out of Conrad, Jeremiah and Benito. However, viewers are divided because the book's iconic final scene is nowhere to be scene. So how does The Summer I Turned Pretty end? And how did the books end? Scroll down to find out.

• Read more: Will there be a The Summer I Turned Pretty season 4? Jenny Han teases plans for more
• Read more: The Summer I Turned Pretty's Sean Kaufman sparks dating rumours with co-star

Watch Belly in Paris in the final The Summer I Turned Pretty trailer

Who does Belly end up with in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3?

In The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 finale, 'At Last', Conrad surprises Belly by showing up at her door only to find her with Benito. Belly then takes Conrad around Paris and invites him to her birthday dinner. We learn that she ended things with Benito after she decided not to go to Mexico with him and Belly and Conrad flirt.

After the dinner, Conrad walks Belly home and the pair eventually kiss and have sex at Belly's apartment. Afterwards Conrad wants to stay but Belly explains that she's scared Conrad only loves her because Susannah wanted him to. Conrad insists he loves her but Belly makes him go to his conference in Brussels.

However, shortly after Conrad leaves, Belly decides she's being silly and chases after him. She tracks him down on his train to Brussels, confesses she loves him and then we flash forward to seeing Belly and Conrad back together and travelling to the Cousins house as a couple.

Elsewhere, Steven and Taylor work through their issues and Jeremiah and Denise strike up a new romance while Jeremiah makes waves in his cooking career.

Nevertheless, the show omits a major moment from the books and fans are confused.

How do The Summer I Turned Pretty books end?

In the books, there's a flash-forward to Belly's wedding day where she reads her letter from Susannah. We learn that Belly is only 23 and fell back in love with Conrad after getting letters from him while she was abroad. Conrad didn't meet her in Europe but they reunited at her college graduation and got back together shortly afterwards.

Describes her wedding day, Belly explains that Laurel picked her dress. She also reveals that it rained so much that she and Conrad decided to go to the beach and swim in their wet clothes before going to their reception.

Belly's final words are: This our start. This is the moment it becomes real. We are married. We are infinite. Me and Conrad. The first boy I ever slow danced with, ever cried over. Ever loved.

There's also a Valentine's Day flashback a little earlier on that is completely omitted from the books. Meanwhile, everything with Taylor and Steven and Jeremiah and Denise is fabricated.

Naturally, some fans are angry that Belly and Conrad's wedding wasn't shown on screen. One fan wrote: "didn’t see the conrad and belly wedding. didn’t even get to see belly finally reunite with her own mom???" and, referencing Jeremiah's cooking career: "WHY DID I SEE COOKING MAMA MORE THAN BELLY".

Another person tweeted: "jenny han you could have spared 10 extra minutes showing the wedding where belly and conrad reunite with the whole family, have laurel hug them both, jeremiah be happy for them, belly finally reading susannah's letter and her going "We are just married."

As it stands, Jenny is yet to address the backlash but Jenny Han has left fans with hope that Belly and Conrad's big day may be adapted for the big screen one day. In a final note on screen, she thanks fans and writes: "Maybe we'll meet again one summer in Cousins. Until then..."

Whether this refers to more episodes, a The Summer I Turned Pretty movie or a spin-off is yet to be seen.

What did you think of The Summer I Turned Pretty ending?

Read more about The Summer I Turned Pretty here:

• Read all five of Conrad's letters to Belly in Paris in The Summer I Turned Pretty books
• The Summer I Turned Pretty completely changes Conrad's letters to Belly from the books
• Read Conrad's full letter from Susannah in The Summer I Turned Pretty here
• What does Jeremiah's letter from Susannah say in The Summer I Turned Pretty?
• The Summer I Turned Pretty drops huge Benito easter egg and fans are in shambles

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