By now, it’s a Canadian ritual to read Carley Fortune’s books as they take place across the country and feel nothing if not a love letter to the landscape. Every Summer After was the first of hers I picked up after watching a TikTok video describing it as a “stomach-hurting good book.” As it turned out, a lot of people were in the same boat as me, and I couldn’t find this book anywhere. It pretty much turned into a wild goose chase, but once I got my hands on it, I fell in love.
When I was growing up, my family and I spent a week in Huntsville each summer, and I loved every minute of it. Barry’s Bay, where the novel is set, is a few hours away, but it gave off the same nostalgic feeling nonetheless.
Just last week, the adaptation of Every Summer After—now called Every Year After—was released, and it currently sits at #1 on Prime Video Canada. That’s what I call a win.
So, as a longtime lover of this world, it’s time to reveal what changed from the book to the TV series. It goes without saying that there will be heavy spoilers beyond this point, so proceed with caution <3
By far the biggest plot point in this book occurs when Charlie and Percy sleep together. In the original story, Charlie tells Sam a few years later, giving him time to absorb the information. When Percy comes back all those years later, he’s had years to process what had happened.
The show takes a different route when Sam finds out what happened in real time. Amy B. Harris, showrunner of Every Year After, expressed:
“For television, seeing [Sam’s] visceral response to it was so important because it’s dramatic and emotional, and it makes Percy have to stand up and tell the truth, which is what she did in the book, but she’s standing up here, and the reaction is not, ‘It’s okay.’ It’s actually a huge betrayal,”
As much as it surprises me to say this, I gotta be honest: I get it. A TV series cannot begin to convey all that a book offers, thus requiring much more wiggle room in storylines like this one. I 100% get the need to have Sam’s reaction to the betrayal on screen—that’s good television. BUT I also would’ve been okay if he found out in a flashback with Charlie. That would’ve aligned more with the book, but knowing that they are planning ahead for future seasons, their choice makes sense to me. As a reader, it was hard, but as someone who works in this industry, I get it. I can also respect the team behind this bold decision. They took a risk, and I like that.
Book Percy worked as an editor at Shelter Magazine, and Show Percy is an obituary writer. As much as I hate to admit this, I don’t recall so much about Percy’s career in Every Summer After. The romance and setting shone so brightly in this story that I didn’t focus much on the other aspects of the novel—including their careers.
And honestly? Obituary writing made sense. It didn’t feel like a stretch or a massive change to me. Harris shared that she needed a way for Sam and Percy to click more, and this felt like the right move. Percy writing Sue’s obituary felt like a smooth plotline.
Both the show and the book take place in Barry's Bay, but in Fortune’s world, the town is a real place in Ontario, while the show’s town is purely fictional. Carley Fortune grew up on the lake in Barry’s Bay, which makes this place very special to her as the author and its readers.
According to the team behind the show, it wasn’t possible to shoot in the real Barry’s Bay, so they headed over to the West Coast of Canada instead. The show was filmed on Bowen Island, which is about a 20-minute ferry ride from Vancouver. Considering that Ontario doesn’t have any mountains like those on the West Coast, they decided to make Barry’s Bay in British Columbia. I have a deep-rooted love for Ontario cottage country, so it took me a second to wrap my head around this new change. The colour of the water alongside the mountains doesn’t feel like the cottage country I know. That said, I’m simply happy that the show remained in Canada instead of what a previous script had entailed:
"The first version of the script that I read, which which was about two years ago, was before our showrunner, Amy B. Harris, was on board. It was set in a town called Barry's Bend in Wisconsin." — Carley Fortune, Decider
On top of changing the story's setting, they also made Percy from Seattle, whereas in the book she is based in Toronto, Ontario.
Every Summer After doesn’t include any discussion of Sue’s will, whereas early in the show we discover that Sue has left Percy the Tavern. Not only did this add another plot point in the story, but it also allowed something to anchor Percy to Barry’s Bay. “When I pitched out [Percy inheriting] the Tavern, it was like, ‘Does she get 50%? All of it? What am I thinking? Is this crazy?” said Amy B. Harris.
Now, if this were a movie, I don’t think they'd need to add this plot point, but since this is a TV series, they had to add something else. It most definitely created the shock factor it most likely intended. Amy B. Harris goes on to include a full circle moment at the end:
"And the scene with Sue in [episode] eight, where they're wearing the tiara, and she's saying, 'This tiara will be yours. I don't think my boys are going to want it,' to me, that was really her talking about the Tavern and this life, in general." — Amy B. Harris, People
Despite all the changes made, this one might surprise me the most. Romance readers are often used to one thing: Happy endings. We love a predictable ending with predictable tropes—that’s the comfort of romance. While this happens in the book, Every Year After is left much more open.
“We left them standing this far apart. We did not have them come into a hug intentionally, because this is just the beginning of their possibility,”
All I can really say here is: Bold choice.
It’s not necessarily the wrong decision, but it is one that I can’t help but be impressed by. Assuming they get renewed for another season, this is a perfect way to ensure many viewers come back. We want to see Percy and Sam get their happy ending. Harris says this is just the beginning of something for Percy and Sam. Additionally, given the change in when and how Sam learns about Charlie and Percy sleeping together, a happily-ever-after might not make sense. Book Sam has had years to process and show Sam hasn’t. Forgiving Percy and moving on so quickly in the show wouldn’t feel genuine.
So the waiting game of season 2 begins… Will it be renewed?
➡️ How do you feel about the changes from Every Summer After to its adaptation? Did it stray too far from the book, or did you enjoy seeing the changes?
…here’s what else is happening in the book world!
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