The Summer I Turned Pretty: Why the timing of Susannah’s death shapes Belly and Jeremiah’s love story

The Summer I Turned Pretty is a story about love, loss, and growing up.

At the heart of the show (and the books) is Belly’s deep bond with Susannah, a loving maternal figure. In the second season of the Amazon Prime Video adaptation, viewers learned something that was never in Jenny Han’s original novel: Susannah died on April 14, 2023.

This little detail may seem small, but it shapes how Belly and Jeremiah find their way to each other even as Conrad fades from her life. That timing matters. It comes right after Belly and Conrad drifted apart, just when Belly needed support most.

Susannah’s death isn’t just a sad moment; it’s the turning point that opens the door to a new relationship. As we’ll see in this article, every shift in timing changes how the love triangle unfolds, and why Belly’s feelings for Jeremiah blossom once grief brings them closer.

---

How does April 14, 2023, mark a shift in Belly’s journey?

In season 2, episode 3, the funeral pamphlet clearly states Susannah died on April 14, 2023. This makes things more real. Earlier in the season, Belly and Conrad spent Christmas together in Cousins Beach, still together. But as the new year starts, Susannah’s health worsens.

That weight wears heavily on Conrad. During prom season, just weeks before her death, Conrad and Belly break up. Then Susannah dies. For Belly, it feels like her world is collapsing in just a few weeks.

With exact dates, the timeline sharpens: Prom breakup, death in April, funeral soon after. Everything is packed into spring 2023. That short, intense time heightens the emotional shock for Belly and Conrad. There’s no time to recover or explain before the next blow arrives.

---

Why do Belly and Jeremiah grow closer in grief?

Susannah was like a second mother to Belly. When she died at a time when Belly was already reeling from breaking up with Conrad, she needed comfort. Conrad was distant and hurting in his way. But Jeremiah stepped forward.

He offered a listening ear and steady support. Belly and Jeremiah grieve together, and that shared sorrow pulls them closer. It’s the kind of bond often born in hard times. Their growing closeness isn’t just romantic; it comes from being there when support matters most.

---

How does timing deepen their relationship?

Since Susannah died so soon after Belly’s split from Conrad, her heartbreak overlapped with grief. Jeremiah was available in that vulnerable space. Trying to support Belly, he became more than a friend.

Working together to save Susannah’s beach house gave them shared purpose and memory. Those April-to-May weeks became a kind of emotional turning point. By the time The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 began, their love felt real and rooted in something deeper than teenage crushes.

---

Why does this timing shape The Summer I Turned Pretty's bigger love triangle?

That tight timeline also affects how the love triangle stretches into season 3. As Belly chose Jeremiah soon after Susannah’s death, the bond feels immediate, but it also leaves room for unresolved feelings for Conrad.

In later episodes, Belly and Jeremiah even get engaged, and Conrad still has a shot. But the foundation of their bond, spring grief and support, might not hold if deeper feelings return. The show uses that April moment as a hinge, where one path opened (Belly + Jeremiah) while another stayed possible (Belly + Conrad).

When it comes to the show, The Summer I Turned Pretty, the viewers zoom in on April 14, 2023, to have a better idea of why Belly turns to Jeremiah instead of turning to Conrad and why Conrad is still important to Belly. The time interval makes us understand that mourning can alter relationships in a short period of time, and love may grow in surprising circumstances.

The case with Susannah dying in The Summer I Turned Pretty is more than a place of sadness. It is the shock that alters all the relations, transforms Belly's heart, and changes the flow of the story.

---

Adding the exact date of Susannah’s death doesn’t just give the timeline; it deepens the emotional logic. Belly and Conrad drift and break up.

Then Susannah dies. Jeremiah offers support. A new love grows in a matter of weeks. That’s why April 14, 2023, isn’t just a date. It’s the moment that changes everything in The Summer I Turned Pretty.