Fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty were heartbroken when Belly and Jeremiah broke up in the third book, We’ll Always Have Summer. Now, with Season 3 of the Prime Video series adapting the final book, viewers are wondering what really led to the end of their romance in the original text. Here’s a breakdown.
Here’s why Jeremiah and Belly break up in The Summer I Turned Pretty book
In We’ll Always Have Summer, Belly and Jeremiah’s relationship hits a wall when Belly learns that Jeremiah slept with another girl, Lacie, during his spring break trip to Cabo. Belly hears about it secondhand at a party and immediately confronts Jeremiah, who confesses but insists it wasn’t technically cheating because they were “on a break.”
Jeremiah’s defense hinges on a fight they had before spring break, which he interpreted as a breakup. Belly, however, thought it was just a rough patch, not a definitive split. Moreover, his decision to keep the fling a secret created a huge crack in Belly’s trust in him. Jeremiah did claim love and fear of losing her, but his actions told a different story.
Even after the truth came out, fans believe he tried to salvage things by proposing to Belly. A move that felt more like desperation than growth, especially given that Belly’s feelings for Conrad hadn’t fully disappeared. Jenny Han herself weighed in, telling People that whether it was cheating is “debatable,” as the couple was “technically broken up.” But Han also left it up to readers to interpret based on how they view relationships and emotional boundaries.
On the flip side, Belly also kept her time with Conrad at the Cousins’ house a secret from Jeremiah, though nothing romantic happened. In the end, despite the cheating, Belly said yes to the proposal, choosing comfort and familiarity over unresolved emotions. But cracks were already forming. Their engagement also disrupts Belly’s plans, like going to Paris for a study-abroad program, further complicating her sense of self and freedom.
With The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 now streaming, fans will see how this emotional split plays out on screen and whether Belly ultimately finds her happy ending.
