The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: Han, Jenny. We’ll Always Have Summer (Summer Series). Simon and Schuster. 2011. Kindle.

The novel is narrated in first-person past tense. Belly, the 18-year-old main character, narrates the majority of the novel. However, her true love, Conrad Fisher, also narrates a few chapters. Belly studied for her last final with her best friend from childhood, Taylor, and her new friend, Anika. When she went back to her dorm room, she found her boyfriend, Jeremiah Fisher, sleeping in her bed. She and Jeremiah had grown up together because their moms were best friends. Susannah and Laurel had spent every summer together at Susannah’s beach house in Cousins, and so had their children. Belly had always been in love with Jeremiah’s older brother, Conrad, but they had a falling out during the aftermath of Susannah’s death from cancer. Belly, grieving, turned to Jeremiah and became his girlfriend. They dated all through Belly’s senior year in high school and she applied to his college so they could be together while Conrad transferred to California to finish school away from them both.

In December, however, Belly and Conrad had accidentally met up with one another at the beach house. Belly had felt her old feelings for Conrad, but she told herself it was just nostalgia she was feeling. However, she never told Jeremiah about it. Conrad did, though, so Jeremiah suspected she still had feelings for his brother. When Spring Break rolled around, Jeremiah decided to go to Cabo with his fraternity and their sister-sorority. Belly got mad at him, and he said they should just break up, and then he left. While in Cabo, he slept with Lacie Barone and did not tell Belly about it when he got back, and they resumed their relationship.

At the final frat party of the year, though, Belly overheard Lacie talking about hooking up with Jeremiah in Cabo. Belly confronted Jeremiah, who admitted the truth. Belly cried in her dorm room for several days before finally talking to Jeremiah again. He apologized and then surprised her by proposing. She agreed and they decided to get married in August at the beach house in Cousins.

Belly informed her friends about the wedding. Although they were skeptical, they agreed to support her. Belly went home for the summer. A few weeks later, she and her family headed down to Cousins to meet up with the Fishers for a ceremony honoring Susannah’s life and charity work. Belly was more excited to see Conrad than to announce the wedding, but she did not realize this was odd.

Belly and Jeremiah announced their plans at lunch after the ceremony for Susannah. Laurel and Mr. Fisher were angry and adamant that the wedding would not happen until after they had graduated college. Belly and Jeremiah stubbornly insisted that they were going to get married in August. Belly went back home and argued with her mother, who said she would not be involved with any wedding. Belly started planning with Taylor despite her mother’s warnings. Jeremiah came to her house and tried to persuade Laurel, but Laurel still refused to support the couple. Belly got angry and announced she was going to go stay in the beach house and plan the wedding from there.

Jeremiah drove with Belly to Cousins, but he had to return to his internship during the week. This left Belly alone with Conrad. The two kept their distance from one another, but they both obviously had feelings for one another.

When Jeremiah came back down for the next weekend, he and Belly argued about wedding plans but ultimately compromised on everything. Jeremiah went back to Boston for his internship. Conrad realized Belly was upset that her mother was not planning on attending her wedding shower, so he met up with Laurel and asked her to go without telling Belly what he had done. Conrad and Belly nearly kissed twice during the week. When all the friends arrived for the bachelor and bachelorette parties, Belly told Taylor what had almost happened. Taylor told Belly that Conrad had been the one to convince Laurel to attend the wedding shower.

Conrad, Jeremiah, and their guy friends went out to a bar for the bachelor party two nights before the wedding. Conrad was sober because he was the designated driver. He heard one of Jeremiah’s frat brothers talking about Jeremiah cheating on Belly. Conrad was furious. He took everyone home and they all passed out. He went out to the beach. When Belly came outside to find him, he told her that Jeremiah had cheated on her. She admitted that she already knew and said she did not care. They argued and she tried to walk away from him. He told her he loved her and always had, but she told him she had never cared about him.

The next day, Conrad apologized, and Belly told him to leave the beach house. He realized she still loved him and refused to go. They all went out to dinner and Belly ignored Conrad. Laurel asked Conrad to drink a beer with her after dinner. They talked about Susannah and Conrad started to cry because his heart was breaking over Belly. Belly could not sleep, so she woke Jeremiah up and told him what Conrad had said. Jeremiah got angry and left.

The day of the wedding, Belly got ready for the ceremony but was unsure if Jeremiah would even be there. Laurel gave Belly a letter from Susannah, and she gave one to Conrad, too, to give to Jeremiah. Conrad went out and found Jeremiah. They fought. Jeremiah read the letter, but it had been switched with one for Conrad, and it talked about how much he had loved Belly. Jeremiah cried and told Conrad he was disowning him and never wanted to see him again.

Conrad snuck back into the wedding to see Belly. He told her he loved her and gave her an infinity-necklace he had bought for her 16th birthday. She told him she chose Jeremiah and sent him away. Jeremiah came into her room and asked if she loved Conrad. She said yes, but told Jeremiah she wanted to be with him anyway. They called off the wedding.

In the epilogue, which is told in present-tense, Belly marries Conrad and reads her letter from Susannah. Belly and Conrad leave their wedding and drive to the ocean to jump in before the reception.