The Definitive Answer: 5 Reasons Why Belly Ends Up With Conrad (And What It Means For TSITP Season 3)

The question of who Isabel "Belly" Conklin ultimately chooses—the brooding, intellectual Conrad Fisher or the sunny, dependable Jeremiah Fisher—has been the central, agonizing pivot of the entire The Summer I Turned Pretty series. As of the latest updates in late 2025, the definitive answer from the original source material, Jenny Han's book trilogy, is clear, providing a strong roadmap for the highly anticipated final season of the Amazon Prime Video series. For those seeking a fresh, spoiler-filled confirmation: Yes, Belly ends up with Conrad, but the journey to that final, infinite moment is far more complex and emotionally fraught than a simple "Team Conrad" victory. This article breaks down the book's ending, the crucial events leading up to it, and the strong indications that the TV adaptation will honor this canonical conclusion.

The entire narrative arc, spanning the three books, is designed to show Belly's growth from a girl with a childhood crush to a young woman making a mature, permanent choice. The final book, We'll Always Have Summer, details the end of the love triangle, the dramatic cancellation of a wedding, and a significant time jump that solidifies Belly's true, lifelong love. Understanding the 'why' behind her final decision is key to appreciating the series' thematic core.

The Definitive Book Ending: Belly's Journey to Conrad Fisher

The source material, the book trilogy by Jenny Han, leaves no room for ambiguity. The series concludes with Belly and Conrad together, married, years after the events of the main drama. This ending is the culmination of a decade-long bond and the thematic idea that Belly and Conrad are "infinite."

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Key Events Leading to the "Conrad" Ending

• The Engagement to Jeremiah: The third book sees Belly and Jeremiah get engaged young, largely driven by a desire to hold onto the past and the fear of losing their connection after Susannah's death. This relationship is tested severely when Jeremiah cheats on Belly while they are briefly broken up.
• The Wedding Debacle: Despite the cheating, Belly decides to proceed with the wedding, believing that the love and history she shares with Jeremiah is strong enough. However, the wedding preparation brings Conrad back into her life, and his quiet confession of love—and the subsequent emotional turmoil—causes her to realize her true feelings.
• The Call-Off: Belly ultimately calls off the wedding to Jeremiah. This is a crucial moment of self-discovery, where she chooses not to marry the wrong person, even if it means causing pain. Jeremiah, though heartbroken, eventually accepts her decision, understanding that her heart truly belongs to his older brother.
• The Time Jump: Following the break-up, there is a multi-year time jump. Belly and Conrad do not immediately get back together. They spend time apart, growing individually and healing from the past drama, which includes the loss of Susannah and the fallout from the cancelled wedding.
• The Final Choice: The epilogue of We'll Always Have Summer reveals Belly and Conrad getting married at Cousins Beach. This final scene is a quiet, intimate moment that confirms their destiny. Jeremiah attends the wedding, showing that the brothers have reconciled and moved past the love triangle.

This structure is essential because it refutes the idea that Belly simply "chooses" one brother over the other. Instead, she grows out of the relationship with Jeremiah and grows into the relationship with Conrad, making a mature choice after years of separation and personal development. The ending is not a quick swap, but a deliberate, earned reunion.

Will The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Follow the Book's Ending?

The Amazon Prime Video series has taken creative liberties with plot points and character arcs, but the core romantic destiny of Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah is overwhelmingly expected to remain the same. Show creator and author Jenny Han has consistently emphasized that while the show is an adaptation, the "endgame" is set in stone.

Key Indicators for the Show's Conclusion

The TV series has already laid significant groundwork that points towards the "Conrad" ending, even with the changes introduced in the first two seasons:

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1. Authorial Intent (Jenny Han): As the creator of both the books and the show, Jenny Han has a clear vision. She has stated in interviews that the series' ending is "infinite," a direct reference to the "Belly and Conrad are infinite" theme from the books. Deviating from the final pairing would fundamentally change the meaning of the story she set out to tell.
2. Thematic Consistency: The show heavily uses Taylor Swift's music, and many of the "Conrad" moments are scored with songs like "Out of the Woods," which are thematically linked to a difficult but ultimately fated love. The entire narrative is framed around Conrad being Belly's "first love" and the one she always returns to, a classic romantic trope.
3. Season 3 is the Final Book: It has been confirmed that the third season will adapt the final book, We'll Always Have Summer. This book contains the wedding, the break-up, the time jump, and the final marriage. It would require a complete rewrite of the third novel's structure to change the outcome, which is highly unlikely for a successful adaptation.
4. The Cheating Arc: The show is expected to incorporate the cheating storyline from the third book, which is the catalyst for Belly and Jeremiah’s engagement falling apart. The emotional weight of this event is what pushes Belly to finally confront her true feelings for Conrad.
5. The "Infinite" Symbolism: The book series is steeped in symbolism around Belly and Conrad's connection—the infinity symbol, the letters, the shared history at Cousins Beach. The show has adopted and amplified this symbolism, making their final union feel predestined.

The Deeper Meaning of Belly's Choice: Beyond Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah

While the fandom is fiercely divided into "Team Conrad" and "Team Jeremiah," the true essence of the ending, according to many critics and the author's own commentary, is about Belly choosing herself first.

The choice is not just about which brother is "better." It is about which relationship allows Belly to be her most authentic self and which one represents her most mature, lasting love. The relationship with Jeremiah, while fun, passionate, and comforting, is often portrayed as a temporary, intense high school love that she outgrows. The relationship with Conrad, however, is a deeper, more challenging connection that requires both of them to grow up, communicate better, and commit to each other despite their flaws and the tragedies they've faced, particularly the loss of Susannah.

The time jump in the book is the most crucial element here. By separating the final break-up from the final reunion, the story emphasizes that Belly and Conrad's marriage is a choice made by two adult individuals who have matured and consciously decided to build a future together, rather than a choice made by a confused teenager in the midst of a love triangle. This elevates the ending from a simple romantic conclusion to a true coming-of-age moment.

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Relevant Entities and Topical Authority Keywords

• Characters: Isabel "Belly" Conklin, Conrad Fisher, Jeremiah Fisher, Susannah Fisher, Laurel Conklin, Steven Conklin, Taylor Jewel.
• Key Locations: Cousins Beach, Brown University, Finch College.
• Source Material: The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, We'll Always Have Summer (Book 3).
• Themes: Love Triangle, First Love, Grief and Loss, Coming-of-Age, Authorial Intent, Book-to-Show Adaptation, Destiny, Infinite Love.

In conclusion, the answer to "does Belly end up with Conrad" is a resounding yes, both in the literary world where the story began and, almost certainly, in the final season of the TV show. The series' final moments are expected to deliver the long-awaited wedding at Cousins Beach, cementing Conrad as Belly's "infinite" love and providing a satisfying, albeit emotional, resolution for the millions of fans who have followed the love triangle from the start.