Belly returns to Cousins every summer to swim, sunburn, and decide between two brothers who have known her since she was a kid. The Summer I Turned Pretty takes that premise completely seriously, and that is exactly why it works.

The first season is everything—emotional, angsty, and impossible not to sink into.

Beneath the golden-hour glow and Taylor Swift needle drops is something sharper: a story about grief, complicated mother-daughter bonds, and the quiet heartbreak of watching the people you love become strangers. Conrad’s brooding and Jeremiah’s easy charm might dominate the headlines, but it’s Susannah and Laurel’s storyline that truly lands—and lingers.

At its core, it’s unapologetically a teen romance. But it’s also smarter, better cast, and far more affecting than it needs to be. Team Jeremiah or Team Conrad, it doesn’t matter—you’ll be hooked until the very last moment.