Name: rebecca's review of We'll Always Have Summer
Item: We'll Always Have Summer
Rating: 3.5
Author: rebecca

We'll Always Have Summer

Jenny Han

The summer after her first year of college, Isobel "Belly" Conklin is faced with a choice between Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher, brothers she has always loved, when Jeremiah proposes marriage and Conrad confesses that he still loves her.

a Summer novel

We'll always have summer

Haley

“For my birthday that August, Conrad gave me a glass unicorn. Not the small one, but the big one that cost twenty dollars.“

Karoline Kroken

 "You know what it means." Conrad jerked away from me."I still love you. I never stopped. I think you know it. I think you’ve known it all along.”

madeleine

I thought I could do it, fight for her till the end, not think about anyone else. Just grab her hand and run. But if I did that, wouldn't I be proving Belly wrong? I wasn't a good guy. I would be a selfish bastard just like Taylor said. But I would have Belly next to me.

I knew that now--that love wasn't something you could erase, no matter how hard you tried.

"Don't marry him. Don't be with him. Be with me."

I would rather have someone shoot me in the head with a nail gun, repeatedly, than have to watch the two of the cuddling on the couch together all night.

I saw her eyes dim. I saw her love for me die. I'd killed it.

Now I didn't know what to believe. I just knew I didn't believe in him anymore.

I punched my hand through the water. I wanted to kick his ass. This is between me and belly. Smug piece of shit.

He was marrying my girl, and I couldn't do anything about it. I just watch to watch it happen.

He put his arms around me, and we held onto each other, clinging like we were eachothers safe harbour.-- if we could just get through this storm.

Love him all you want, but don't expect anything in return.

YOU ARE MILK TO MY SHAKE, forever and ever. Love, J

Harriett Bridge

"this is between me and belly." Smug piece of shit. He was marrying my girl, and I couldn't do anything about it. I just had to watch it happen, becuase he was my brother, because I promised.

Someone

I would rather have had someone shoot me in the head with a nail gun, repeatedly

Lou Butera

"I see you again, and everything I planned goes to shit. It's impossible.... I love Jere more than anybody. He's my brother, my family. I hate myself for doing this. But when I see you two together, I hate him too" His voice broke. Don't marry him. Don't be with him. Be with me.”

I punched my hand through the water. I wanted to kick his ass. This is between me and Belly. Smug piece of shit. He was marrying my girl, and I couldn't do anything about it. I just had to watch it happen, because he was my brother, because I promised. Take care of him, Connie. I'm counting on you.

Lisa Weidacher

So no, he didn’t give me flowers or candy. He gave me the moon and the stars. Infinity.

I would rather have had someone shoot me in the head with a nail gun, repeatedly, than have to watch the two of them cuddling on the couch together all night

There hadn’t been one specific moment. It was like gradually waking up. You go from being asleep to the space between dreaming and awake and then into consciousness. It’s a slow process, but when you’re awake, there’s no mistaking it. There was no mistaking that it had been love.

For years he kept it in his wallet, soft and creased into a million little folds. He said it kept him going. Kept him hoping. He said he wanted to keep it with him always, but I said we should keep the letters together, where they belong.

Also—in case I haven’t made it clear . . . I 

think about you a lot. You’re pretty much 

all I think about. Just so we’re clear.

I have a feeling he doesn't like it but i might be wrong 

So far I’ve written you two letters and you’ve written me—well, none. . . . Which is fine. 

Go ahead and feel free not to write me back. Seriously, don’t feel obligated or anything. Even though I’ve sent you two handwritten letters and two gifts. . . . But seriously, don’t write back. I’m serious. It’s better this way. I like hearing my news secondhand, from Laur.

“I never thought you’d be the kind of girl who would put up with that from a guy.”

“I put up with a lot worse from you.” I said it automatically.

Eyes flashing, he said, “I never once cheated on you. I never even looked at another girl when we were together.”

He was marrying my girl, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I just had to watch it happen, because he was my brother, because I promised. Take care of him, Connie. I’m counting on you.

Hailey L

Got impatient waiting for the tv show so I listened to the audiobook (in a day)

Glad I waited until now to listen since it is narrated by Lola and Chris 🫶

rebecca

RE-READ

Got impatient waiting for the tv show so I listened to the audiobook (in a day)

Glad I waited until now to listen since it is narrated by Lola and Chris 🫶

Bonrad forever

This was the saddest one to read relationship wise. I definitely know that pain of longing a little too well. I was team Jeremiah but honestly it makes most sense for her and Conrad. I’m always a sucker for a first love and last love romance ugh: my heart. 

Brianna Hickey 

i think i liked this one the best. i can finally watch the show. YIPPEE

Haley Bucklin

Yep… definitely have already read this series and it was just as frustrating the second time around 

Katie Avila

radhika dhawan

this is easily the worst trilogy ending i’ve ever read (only bearable bc audiobook) 

idk my only opinion on this series is that i feel like if i came across it on wattpad when i was 9 i probably would’ve enjoyed it so it’s nice in a nostalgic way and sometimes you just need to read really terrible books to appreciate good books again

I finished this in a matter of hours with much stress. I don’t know how I feel about this as the finale to the series, there was too much left unsettled. My final consensus is I hate Jeremiah and Connie baby is and will always be my boi also not enough about Susannah and Laurel. The end.

Amanda

Cori

Anjorin Molayo 

*hisses* should have ended in book two. 
book three was so unnecessary. i want to sue Jenny Han for stressing my brain.

Lauren R

not as good as the first two. I personally wasn’t a fan of the ending can’t wait for the show to release season 3

brooklyn leota

so many stupid mistakes were made in this book. however, hearing lola tung and chris briney read it was absolutely beautiful

buny

I have so many feelings. 

This was so good, just.  So  good. I think this is my #1 out of all three of the books. Chick Lit in the truest sense of the word. The way I gobbled it all up in one day, without a single hitch, not a single boring moment was in this book. I was invested as HELL!!!! To be honest, these books and Jenny Han's writing, from day one, has not come off as too simple/juvenile to me. Not like CoHo's writing feels like to me, you know? Han writes simple, clean cut but meaningful dialogue and even though I do believe that the side characters could've been fleshed out more, my utmost respect to Jenny Han for Belly's character? !!!!!!!!!! She wrote her so judgement free and gave her space to be her own person, to be messy and confused and stuck 😖

Just. She just meant something to me. Her immaturity, fights/relationship with Taylor and her mother, her love for Conrad AND for Jeremiah, her attachment to the summerhouse, I just. I can't say I loved Belly but I will protect this girl from everything bad!!!!! She's my girl, like seriously. I think part of me loving this series and feeling so much for this series definitely, without a doubt, comes from my being on Belly's side since day one in all her stupid decisions, seeing them as not something to criticize and berate her over but rather to just acknowledge and observe her as I would a friend making bad decisions irl. Bellybutton (unironically) 🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂

Now onto the next person: Jeremiah. I will not say much about him, just that he's a) a cheater and b) a weirdo who dumped his inferiority complex on Belly when the question came of whom she loved more and c) a manchild thorough and thorough. I pity whoever girl ended up with him. Just to be clear, I do understand how Belly loving Conrad more made Jere bitter (understandably so) but it was never about  Belly  to him, Belly loving him more, to him, it was more about this unspoken battle he was pitted against Conrad by their parents since day one that made him insecure and freak out with Belly on their wedding day. 

Conrad, though...... I was surprised and the world felt like it shifted off its axis as I slowly, steadily warmed up to Conrad.... Jenny Han's such a mastermind to me for only giving us Conrad POV for the last book like she KNEW she was gonna eat that up and... she did! To me, having Conrad POV really helped me in understanding his character and all the choices he made the past two books and kept making presently. I fell so easily in love with him, felt so much pity for him like it's not embarassing to me because whatever his actions were like in the past, he was undoubtedly a changed man now and other than that, if you put him beside Jere, I'm sorry but I'll always pick him 😫☝️ even when I didn't like Con, I never thought that Belly should end up with J either so 🤷🏻‍♀️ this was definitely fate 🫶🫶🫶🫶 

No but jokes aside, Conrad understood Belly and Belly understood Conrad like no one else did. (We're only talking WAHS, btw! I'm very so-so on previous books BellyConrad) They're each other's IT. Their connection, bond even when they were pretending to be friends, their love that they both were ready to give up for each other's sake!!!!!! And the letters in the end ☹️💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗 Conrad's so sweet and precious like ohmygod by the end I was crying and smiling cheek to cheek like a maniac. MY BELLYCONRAD 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶 I am SO happy I held onto my own beliefs and opinions and didn't get swayed by everyone because that's how I was able to happily love Conrad and Belly in this 💖 SOOOOOO excited to watch the show cos I saw the first 2-3 epis and they've taken a LOT of liberties with this one, understandably so since there's not much material for the characters other than the main three. Curious to see where we'll go w that!

A very satisfied 4.5 ⭐️ 🫶🫶

Vicky  Nuñez 

Perfection.

That one word could be my whole review. 

I know I've mentioned this before, but I don't like Contemporary novels. Even now, every time I read/hear about a contemporary novel, I cringe & stop hearing/reading because truth is: I'm scared of them.

I'm scared of the hard truth: that there's a world out there WITHOUT magic & dream & cute vampires/werewolves/angels/demons (I think that covers all tastes & colors).

I roll my eyes & at their synopsis, the clichéish storyline jumping at me not to read. But thing is ALL genres have books like that. There will ALWAYS be books we don't like. 

Nevertheless, I decided to start reading this series, why? I'm not sure. Maybe because everyone said great things about. I thought I would be disappointed. And two books l am not.

Now for the real review:

What I love about Jenny Han is the feeling of belonging. When you read this book I think it must be similar to what Belly feels in the Summer House, that everything will be okay.

It's light, funny & just the kind of quick read to make you swoon with every page. 

It is tough like life, Jenny Han's characters don't have it easy (Oh boy do they not!), but they strive through the hard times. One of the reasons I dislike contemporary is because sometimes it doesn't feel real, it feels awkward to read about, to know about the characters story, but like I've said before, with Jenny Han's writing it all makes sense.

Even when Conrad is been an jerk we can help, but love him. She makes us be in the character's mind & understand their actions.
I absolutely LOVED that there were chapters with Conrad's pov, they were short, but they totally changed the perspective of the book. 

And even though as you read you can feel the story unraveling bit by bit, going farther apart from what you think SHOULD happen, it all comes together in the end.

Overall, I effing love Jenny Han, her books are perfect. They reflect the HARD, COLD true, with real characters who have to struggle to get what they want. Read it! 

Read it if.....

.... if you only have read the first two books.

.... if you only have read the first one (but read the second one before.)

..... if you never read any because you are afraid it will suck or because you don't like contemporary.

Eh it was ok I liked the first 2 more it was good tho <3

Stella

dulce yasmin 

🦌

i love conrad but this ending was so short wtf.

peyton 

** spoiler alert **
           I hated this book with everything in me but I also couldn’t put it down. Like belly kinda sucks but whatever 

**Spoilers** jere deserved sooooo much more like to be played by the love of your life and your idiotic brother just sucks. Like plus he didn’t even really cheat on her so she should shut her mouth. And Conrad is the worst sibling you could probably ever have so he can go die in a hole and belly can go rot in there with him. BUT I WILL ALWAYS LOVE JERE. 

And Jenny Han is still a great author I loved her writing I just hated two of the main characters!!!

Just when she thought she had all the answers . . . Isabel has only ever loved two boys, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. One broke her heart; the other made her happier than she ever thought she'd be. But each brother is keeping a secret, and this summer Isabel must choose between the Fisher boys, once and for all. Which brother will it be? 'This book has what every girl wants in a summer.' Sarah Dessen

Renata

like i think this was probably my fav book from this trilogy, even tho i hate jeremiah to my guts but love conrad with all in me. susannah was right all along about with who belly was going to end up with. i cried a lot on this book idk why lol 

- “I would sing my eight-nine-ten-year-old heart out. But I wasn’t singing to Conrad Birdie. I was singing to my Conrad. Conrad Beck Fisher, the boy of my preteen dreams. I’ve only ever loved two boys—both of them with the last name Fisher. Conrad was first, and I loved him in a way that you can really only do the first time around. It’s the kind of love that doesn’t know better and doesn’t want to—it’s dizzy and foolish and fierce. That kind of love is really a one-time-only thing.”

- “This is between me and Belly. Smug piece of shit.
He was marrying my girl, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I just had to watch it happen, because he was my brother, because I promised. Take care of him, Connie. I’m counting on you.”

- “There was. I’d stayed away for two years. I had to. I knew I shouldn’t even be at the summer house, because being there, being near her, I would just want what I couldn’t have. It was dangerous. She was the one person I didn’t trust myself around.”

- “I did lie to Belly, though. Just that one time in that crappy motel. I did it to protect her. That’s what I kept telling myself. Still, if there was one moment in my life I could redo, one moment out of all the shitty moments, that was the one I’d pick. When I thought back to the look on her face—the way it just crumpled, how she’d sucked in her lips and wrinkled her nose to keep the hurt from showing—it killed me. God, if I could, I’d go back to that moment and say all the right things, I’d tell her I loved her, I’d make it so that she never looked that way again.”

- “That night in the motel, I didn’t sleep. I went over and over everything that had ever happened between us. I couldn’t keep doing it, going back and forth, holding her close and then pushing her away. It wasn’t right.”

- “For my birthday that August, Conrad gave me a glass unicorn. Not the small one, but the big one that cost twenty dollars. Its horn broke off during one of Jeremiah and Steven’s wrestling matches, but I kept it. I kept it right on top of my bureau. How could I have thrown such a gift away?”

- “I still love you.”
 “Don’t say that.”
He took a step closer. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get you out of my system, not completely. I have . . . this feeling. That you’ll always be there. Here.” Conrad clawed at his heart and then dropped his hand. 
“It’s only because I’m marrying Jeremiah.”“That’s why you’re saying all this all of a sudden.”
“It’s not all of a sudden,” he said, his eyes locked on mine. “It’s always.”

- “That night, I didn’t sleep at all. I stayed up, thinking about what to do. What was the right thing to do? Because I knew I loved you. But I knew I shouldn’t. I didn’t have the right to love anybody then. After my mom died, I was so pissed off. I had this anger in me all the time. I felt like I was going to erupt any minute.”
“I didn’t have it in me to love you the way you deserved. But I knew who did. Jere. He loved you. If I kept you with me, I was going to hurt you somehow. I knew it. I couldn’t have it. So I let you go.”

- “I still love you. I never stopped. I think you know it. I think you’ve known it all along.”

- “Conrad, who told me he loved me. At last, he said the words. When Conrad Fisher told a girl he loved her, he meant it. A girl could believe in that. A girl could maybe even bet her whole life on it.”

- “It belongs to you, always has. I was too afraid to give it to you then. Consider it an early birthday gift. Or a belated one. You can do whatever you want with it. I just—can’t keep it anymore.”

- “I need you to know that no matter what happens, it was worth it to me. Being with you, loving you. It was all worth it.”

- “So no, he didn’t give me flowers or candy. He gave me the moon and the stars. Infinity.”

- “My young man is kind and good and strong, just like you said. But he doesn’t kiss me like Rhett kissed Scarlett. He kisses me even better. And there’s one other thing you were right about. He does have the last name Fisher.”

- “If you dare try and Belly Flop me right now, you’re going down with me,”
“I go wherever you go,”

This is our start. This is the moment it becomes real. We are married. We are infinite. Me and Conrad. The first boy I ever slow danced with, ever cried over. Ever loved.”

- “I saw Junior Mint sitting on the bookshelf, looking incredibly pathetic. Remember him? Polar bear, wears glasses and a very stylish scarf? I won him for you at the ring toss? Do you remember how you used to go over to the ring toss and just stare at the polar bears because you wanted one so bad? I probably spent thirty or forty bucks trying to win you that damn bear.”

- “Merry Christmas, Belly. Remember last year? Me and you at the summerhouse? Best Christmas of my life.”

- “And yes. I do remember. Of course I remember. It was my best Christmas, too.”

rakshu

Brileigh Talbert

I truly did not like this book. Conrad is having moral issues but seems to forget all about it by the end and we never learn why. We can guess but without any confirmations. Belly is just not fun to read... I loved the letters at the end, but I would have liked to see what their life together was like, how the other brother reacted and lived with everything that happened.

a.girl.a.dog.and.books

Lilah Merie

honya

if you follow me on tiktok, you’d know how i talked smack abt this book but HEAR ME OUT. i was ready to give it a 1 star cuz it was hellaaaa boring, but those last 20 pages… omfg. CONRAD FOR LIFE!!!

Such a shit show! You’re telling me I’ve been listening to three books just for her to end up with this asshole of a guy and break my sweet boys heart at his wedding day!! 

Hailey L &
We'll Always Have Summer

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