Carley Fortune tapped into a very specific vein of nostalgia with this one. The book toggles between "then" (six summers of teenage friendship and blossoming love at a lake in Ontario) and "now" (a weekend in their 30s as they reunite for a funeral).

It hits all the tropes that make BookTok go wild: childhood friends-to-lovers, second chances, and the "forced proximity" of a small town. It’s genuinely well-paced and the atmospheric writing makes you feel the lake water and the humidity. But because the "then" timeline features characters aged 13 to 18, many younger readers assume the book is written for them. It isn’t. It’s written for adults looking back at their youth.

In the world of romance novels, there’s "closed door" (the scene ends when the bedroom door closes) and "open door" (you’re in the room for everything). Every Summer After is firmly open door.

There are multiple scenes throughout the book that are graphically descriptive. We’re talking about explicit language and detailed depictions of sexual acts. If your family’s baseline for "okay" is a PG-13 movie, this book blows past that in the first few chapters. It’s not erotica, but it’s definitely not a "sweet" romance. For a parent, the context matters: these scenes happen both in the adult "now" timeline and the late-teen "then" timeline.

The central mystery of the book is why Persephone (Percy) and Sam haven't spoken in a decade. When the reveal finally happens, it’s a doozy. It involves Percy cheating on Sam with someone very close to him.

This is the part of the book that divides readers. It’s a messy, "human error" kind of mistake that carries massive consequences. For a teen reader, this is actually the most interesting part to talk about. It moves the conversation away from "is this book appropriate?" to "how do you come back from a mistake that hurts the person you love most?" It’s a heavy look at forgiveness, accountability, and the fact that "good people" can do genuinely crappy things.

If your kid finished Every Summer After and wants more, or if you’ve decided it’s a bit too mature and want to pivot them to something else, here are the best alternatives that hit the same notes.

Get help picking the next book series for your teen

If your teen has already read it, don't freak out about the sex scenes. They’ve likely seen worse on a stray TikTok scroll. The real value in this book is the "mess."

The Conversation Starter: "Percy makes a choice that basically nukes her life for ten years. Do you think Sam was right to forgive her? Is there a difference between a mistake and a pattern?"

This gets them thinking about relationship boundaries and the weight of choices, which is a much more useful skill than just knowing which pages to skip.

The biggest friction point isn't just the sex; it’s the alcohol use. Since the book covers the characters from age 13 into their 30s, there is a fair amount of underage drinking and "party culture" depicted as a standard part of their summer experience. It’s not necessarily glamorized—it often leads to the aforementioned "mess"—but it is present and treated as a normal part of the small-town summer vibe.

Q: What age is Every Summer After appropriate for?

It’s written for adults, but it’s a massive hit with the 15-18 age group. Because of the graphic sexual content and themes of infidelity, it’s best suited for older teens (17+) who have a high maturity level.

Q: Is Every Summer After "clean"?

No. It is an "open door" romance, meaning sexual encounters are described in detail with explicit language. It also contains underage drinking and significant emotional betrayal.

Q: Is it similar to The Summer I Turned Pretty?

The vibe is very similar—summer houses, childhood friends, and love triangles—but the content is much more mature. Think of Every Summer After as the R-rated version of The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Q: Are there any trigger warnings for Every Summer After?

The book deals with the death of a parent (off-page, but the funeral is a central plot point), infidelity, and some scenes of heavy drinking/partying.

Every Summer After is a "guilty pleasure" read that actually has some decent emotional weight. If you’re okay with your older teen reading explicit romance, it’s a well-written example of the genre. If you’re looking for a "safe" beach read for a 13-year-old, keep walking—there are plenty of other best books for kids that hit the summer vibe without the adult content.