Children’s Librarian Alexandra Vallejo recommends Every Summer After by Carley Fortune.
I’ll admit it: I love watching adaptations of summer romance novels. Sure, they’re often cringey-cheesy dialogue and rushed pacing, but there’s something fun about watching these stories come to life on screen.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune is no exception. I watched the series before reading the book, going against my golden rule of always reading the book first. I came across the story through social media, where everyone called it the “show of the summer.” Disappointingly, the series didn’t live up to the hype.
Every Summer After follows Persephone “Percy” Fraser and Sam Florek, who meet one summer at Barry’s Bay and quickly become inseparable. Every year, Percy counts down the days until summer—endless days by the lake with her best friend by her side. As they grow older, unspoken feelings begin to blur the line between friends and something more. But one summer takes an unexpected turn, leading Percy to stay away for ten years.
She has no intention of returning to Barry’s Bay, until a funeral forces her home and back into Sam’s life.
I loved how Fortune transitions between past and present timelines, building tension while deepening the connection between the characters— helping readers understand why they made the choices they did. This is where the show fell short; it lacked that same emotional depth, with a storyline that felt rushed and altered for viewers who hadn’t read the book.
It’s this same attention to emotional detail that makes Percy and Sam’s relationship feel real. What I appreciated most was that Fortune never portrays their relationship as flawless.
Instead, she leans into their imperfections: miscommunications, pride, and the fear of ruining what they have.
They’re young and they make mistakes, but that’s how they learn and grow. It’s a refreshing break from the typical “meant to be” romance, grounded in something messier, more real, and easier to see yourself in.
Every Summer After lingers long after the last page. Fortune proves love doesn’t need to be perfect, just honest.
