The Summer I Turned Pretty: Why Fans Found the Ending Unrealistic

Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty has been a rollercoaster for fans since it hit Amazon Prime. Based on Han’s bestselling trilogy, the show follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin as she spends her summers at Cousins Beach, caught in a love triangle with two brothers: Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher.

On paper, it’s the perfect setup for a coming-of-age romance but in reality? Many viewers walked away from the series finale unsatisfied, pointing out rushed pacing, unrealistic relationships, and storylines that didn’t do the characters justice.

Let’s break down why.

The Ending Felt Rushed

One of the biggest criticisms of The Summer I Turned Pretty finale is how quickly everything wrapped up. Instead of savoring the big, emotional moments fans had been waiting for, the show skipped ahead, leaving gaps that felt jarring.

As one frustrated fan put it:

“OKAY BUT WDYM ONLY 1H 19 MIN WHERE IS MY WEDDING.”

Another echoed the sentiment:

“I honestly don’t understand how people call this a great ending. There are so many things I wanted to see in the finale that didn’t make it on the screen.”

For many, the rushed ending undermined the emotional investment they had made across the seasons. Fans expected to see the wedding at Cousins Beach, the vows, and the joy of seeing Belly finally become a Fisher. Without the wedding (or even an engagement scene), viewers were left hanging, which felt less like a conclusion and more like the story just trailed off.

The Unrealistic Love Triangle

One of the most controversial parts of the series is Belly’s love triangle with Conrad and Jeremiah. While it made for good drama, many fans felt it pushed the limits of believability. After all, in real life, dating two brothers, especially so seriously, would be incredibly complicated.

As one viewer pointed out:

“I mean I love it but in reality how do you get with Conrad after being in a serious relationship with his brother for 4 years (how does Conrad look past that too?).”

Another was even harsher:

“So so messed up! Would never be able to understand how people can even date their ex’s friends, leave alone their brother and to make it worse, his twin??”

Even those who wanted Conrad and Belly together in the end admitted the setup didn’t feel realistic. It’s hard to imagine two brothers moving past that level of betrayal and rivalry without long-term resentment. The show treated it as dramatic tension, but for many viewers, it broke the sense of realism and made the finale harder to accept, especially for Team Jeremiah fans.

Too Much Jeremiah, Not Enough Conrad

For many viewers, especially Team Conrad fans, one of the biggest frustrations was the imbalance in screen time. Much of the series focused on building Belly’s relationship with Jeremiah, while Conrad often felt pushed to the sidelines. By the time the finale rolled around, their love story didn’t get the attention it deserved.

As one fan expressed:

“Not ending with their wedding was the biggest disappointment… so much more could have been added between Belly and Conrad… we could have gotten so much more screen time with her and Conrad.”

The lack of depth made Belly and Conrad’s reconciliation feel rushed, almost like the show was telling us they were “endgame” without fully showing us why. Fans wanted more moments between them to prove that their relationship was worth the years of conflict and waiting, leaving some to question whether the story truly honored the couple it had been building toward all along.

What If You Could Write Your Own Ending?

If you were the writer, how would you have done the ending? Would you have given us the long-awaited wedding at Cousins Beach? Let Belly and Conrad finally have the time they deserved together? Or would you have taken a different turn, maybe let Belly walk away from both brothers altogether?

Regardless of how you would have ended it, that’s where AI erotic story generators like Smitten come in. They let you reimagine The Summer I Turned Pretty the way you think it should go, whether that means rewriting the finale, adding the missing moments, or creating an entirely new love story. After all, if a love story didn’t give you the ending you wanted, why not write your own?

Insider Tip: Use the Enchantress Model for raw, heart-tugging emotions that capture the exact vibe of The Summer I Turned Pretty.

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