Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between.

But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

This was my first time reading anything by this author. I’ve seen some of her movies on Netflix, but I had never actually picked up one of her books. I know she’s a very popular young adult romance author, and after reading this, I can understand why. Her characters feel very real and relatable, especially for teenagers who may see themselves in the emotions and situations they’re experiencing.

However, I was a bit disappointed in this story. I get the hype, but at the same time, I don’t get the hype. I know I’m definitely not the target demographic, but the story just fell flat for me. There is some mild language, but I was happy to see there is no spice in this YA romance. Other content to note includes underage drinking and a character with cancer.

I listened to the audiobook, and I thought the narrator did a great job. She definitely fit the role of Belly, and I really felt like I was listening to a teenager tell her coming-of-age story. I also appreciated that it was a short audiobook at around six hours. You could easily finish this in a day. The chapters are short, and overall, it was a very easy read. I also liked the past and present timelines. 

Since the story is set during the summertime, it makes a great beach read. I loved all the fun summer and beach vibes throughout the book. The characters spend a lot of time outside enjoying different summer activities, and I really felt like I was at Cousins Beach with them. The setting and atmosphere were probably some of my favorite parts of the story.

As for our three main characters, Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah, they were pretty tolerable. There were definitely moments when I found them annoying or thought they made stupid decisions, but they’re teenagers. Teenagers are going to make mistakes. They’re all coming into themselves, figuring out relationships, and learning how the world works.

I could easily see how teens could connect with these characters. They’re all flawed, which makes them feel more realistic. It even made me think back to my own teenage years and all the challenges and struggles that come with that stage of life. You’re experiencing so many conflicting emotions. You still want to be a kid in some ways, but you’re also desperate to be treated like an adult. It’s such a weird in-between stage of life, and I thought the book captured that pretty well.

However, there was a lot of petty teenage drama that, as an older adult, had me rolling my eyes. There were things Belly got upset about that I thought were dumb, and I simply didn’t care. We spend a lot of time inside Belly’s head, reading her musings and thoughts about daily life, boys, her family, and everything happening around her. I can see how teenage girls could relate to her and how some of the things she’s going through would resonate with that audience.

I do wish Belly had more hobbies and interests outside of being obsessed with boys, but I also understand that’s kind of the point of the story. I also didn’t care for her nickname, Belly. I kept thinking that as a growing teenager, she would probably want to be called by her actual name, Isabel.

That being said, I did appreciate that Belly is a pretty wholesome character. She stays true to herself and doesn’t try to become someone she’s not just to impress other people. I thought that aspect of her character made her a good role model for younger girls.

As for the two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah, I feel like I didn’t get enough personality from either of them. I never felt like I really got to know them, so they were both pretty mid for me. Nothing about either one really stood out, and I don’t think they’ll be particularly memorable love interests for me.

The love triangle is also messy. For me, the moral of the story for any girl reading this is simple: Do not date brothers. Just don’t do it.

We know Belly has always been into Conrad, but because he isn’t showing much interest in her, she starts dating another guy, Cam, who I actually really liked. At one point, the love triangle basically turns into a love square.

I really liked Cameron, and I thought the way Belly treated him was unfair. Of the three guys, Cam was easily my favorite. He seemed sweet, genuine, and like a good guy. Of course, I knew where the story was going, so I also knew he didn’t stand much of a chance.

We also don’t see as much of Jeremiah as I would have liked. I wanted to know more about him because he seemed sweet and funny. Conrad, on the other hand, just didn’t work for me. He was too moody and emotional, and I never understood why Belly was so obsessed with him.

Overall, this story was just okay. I had seen so much hype surrounding this series that I wanted to finally check it out for myself. Personally, I don’t think it lives up to all the glowing reviews, but I also recognize that I’m not the target demographic.

As an older adult reading YA, there were times when the story felt cheesy, cringey, and mostly boring. Honestly, not much happens in this book. It felt more like a collection of diary entries put together into a book rather than one cohesive, smoothly flowing story. We spend so much time inside Belly’s head that the story sometimes felt like it was wandering rather than actually going somewhere.

I did watch the first season of the TV show, and I actually preferred the series to the book. I also really liked that the audiobook narrator is the same actress who plays Belly in the series. You can listen to more of my thoughts about the adaptation on my podcast.

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this book because I think there are better and more interesting YA romances out there. However, if the story sounds good to you or you simply want to see what all the hype is about, I would still say give it a try. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t that great either.

For me, it was simply a mid story and probably one I’ll forget about down the road. And yet, I’m going to continue the series because now I need to know who Belly chooses. The book also ends on enough of a cliffhanger that I’m curious about what happens next. So while I didn’t love this one, apparently it kept my interest just enough to convince me to keep reading.