Introduction
Some love stories linger for a decade before they get their reckoning. Every Year After, Prime Video’s adaptation of Carley Fortune’s bestselling debut novel Every Summer After, is exactly that kind of slow-burn — a childhood romance unraveled by one impulsive mistake, and the years it takes to face it. With a title change designed to leave room for more seasons, this yearning, nostalgia-soaked drama has quickly become one of Prime Video’s most talked-about new releases.
Genre, Runtime, Platform
- Genre: Romance / Drama
- Runtime: 8 Episodes, Season 1
- Platform: Prime Video
Overview
Persephone “Percy” Fraser (Sadie Soverall) and Sam Florek (Matt Cornett) met as teenagers when Percy’s family bought a lakeside cottage next to Sam’s home in Barry’s Bay. Over six summers, their friendship deepened into first love — until a betrayal tore them apart and sent Percy running from the lake town for over a decade. When tragedy brings her back for the funeral of Sam’s mother, Percy is forced to confront both Sam and the brother, Charlie (Michael Bradway), tied to the secret she’s kept buried for ten years.
Highlights
- Sadie Soverall and Matt Cornett’s chemistry as adult Percy and Sam anchors the present-day timeline, with author Carley Fortune personally praising both actors’ auditions.
- A dual-timeline structure — the series moves between the leads’ teenage summers and their present-day reunion, building the emotional weight of their decade-long separation.
- Filmed on Prince Edward Island, giving the show a distinct visual identity while relocating the story’s setting from Ontario to British Columbia.
- Expanded supporting characters — Chantal and Delilah get significantly bigger, more complex arcs in the show than in the original novel.
- A title change with intention — Fortune and the producers chose Every Year After specifically to leave room for the story to grow beyond the first book, into future seasons drawing from her other Barry’s Bay novels.
- A key plot change — the show alters who knows about Percy’s decade-old secret and when, reshaping how Sam’s brother Charlie is perceived by viewers compared to the book.
Plot (Spoiler-Light)
Percy and Sam’s teenage romance blossoms over years of summers at the lake, but it’s cut short when Sam leaves for college and pulls away to focus on school. Heartbroken and confused, Percy makes a devastating mistake with Sam’s brother Charlie before fleeing Barry’s Bay entirely, cutting ties with both brothers for a decade. When Sam’s mother passes away, Percy returns for the funeral, forcing her back into Sam’s orbit. As old feelings resurface, Percy must decide whether to finally confess the truth about what happened with Charlie — a reveal that reshapes all three characters’ relationships and sets up an uncertain, bittersweet path forward.
Why You Should Watch It
- If you love slow-burn, nostalgic romance with real emotional consequences, this delivers a decade-spanning love story with genuine stakes.
- The dual-timeline format lets you watch the leads’ relationship build and fracture in parallel with their present-day reunion, which critics have called a big part of the show’s emotional pull.
- Strong performances across the board, especially from the two leads, whose chemistry read reportedly impressed the author during casting.
- It’s based on a beloved bestselling novel, so fans of the book get to see a new visual take on a story they already love — with just enough changes to keep it surprising.
- The open-ended finale sets up real possibilities for future seasons, giving the story room to grow past its source material.
Recommendations — If You Liked Every Year After, Watch/Read These Next
- Every Summer After by Carley Fortune — the original novel, essential for comparing how the adaptation reshapes the story.
- One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune — the sequel novel, also optioned by Amazon for potential future seasons.
- This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune — currently in development as a separate Netflix series adaptation.
- Normal People (Hulu) — for another slow-burn, on-again-off-again romance told across years.
- The Summer I Turned Pretty (Prime Video) — a similarly nostalgic, lake-town coming-of-age romance drama.
Conclusion
Every Year After takes a well-loved romance novel and gives it real room to breathe on screen, leaning into nostalgia, guilt, and long-overdue reckonings between its leads. With strong lead chemistry, a title deliberately built for future growth, and an ending that leaves the door wide open, this is shaping up to be one of Prime Video’s most promising new romance dramas — and a good sign for more Carley Fortune adaptations to come.