Carley Fortune’s bestselling romance novel Every Summer After finally made its way to the screen with Prime Video’s Adaptation, Every Year After. While the show remains surprisingly faithful to the emotional core of Percy and Sam’s story, it also makes several significant changes to the characters, setting, and ending.
Many of these changes appear designed to expand the story beyond a single season and potentially set up future adaptations of Fortune’s follow-up novel, One Golden Summer.
Here are the biggest differences between Every Summer After and Every Year After.
1. The Show Changes the Title
One of the first differences viewers will notice is that the adaptation isn’t called Every Summer After at all.
The television series is titled Every Year After, likely because the story expands beyond summer memories and follows the characters across multiple seasons and years. The new title also gives the series room to continue beyond the first novel if Prime Video chooses to adapt future books.
Considering Carley Fortune’s next novel, One Golden Summer, focuses on Charlie, the title change may have been intentional from the beginning.
2. Percy’s Anxiety Is Introduced Much Earlier
One of the biggest character changes in Every Year After is how early Percy’s anxiety becomes part of the story.
In the novel, readers don’t fully understand the extent of Percy’s struggles until much later. Her anxiety and panic attacks are revealed gradually, making them part of the larger mystery surrounding what happened between her and Sam.
The show takes a different approach. References to Percy’s panic attacks appear almost immediately, and her mental health becomes a central part of her character arc throughout the season. By bringing this storyline forward, the adaptation creates a deeper understanding of Percy’s actions and emotional state from the very beginning.
3. Chantal Plays a Much Bigger Role
In the book, Chantal acts as adult Percy’s best friend and confidant. The two primarily connect through phone calls, with Chantal offering Percy advice as she struggles to navigate her complicated feelings for Sam and her return to Barry’s Bay.
The show expands her character significantly, bringing her to Barry’s Bay and giving her an active role in the present-day storyline. This allows the series to develop additional friendships and storylines outside of Percy and Sam’s relationship, including Chantal’s romance with Jordie, one of Sam’s childhood friends.
By keeping Chantal physically present in Barry’s Bay, the adaptation gives Percy a stronger support system and creates more opportunities for character interactions. The change helps create a stronger ensemble cast and gives viewers more reasons to stay invested in Barry’s Bay beyond the central romance.
4. Delilah Is Part of the Present-Day Story
In Every Summer After, Delilah’s role is largely confined to Percy’s past.
The show expands her character significantly, making her a major presence in the present-day storyline. Delilah lives in Barry’s Bay with her husband, but she is also involved in a long-running affair with Charlie. Viewers follow the fallout out of her marriage and eventual divorce.
By bringing Delilah into the present timeline, Every Year After adds another layer of drama beyond Percy and Sam’s relationship. Her expanded storyline gives the series more depth and allows it to explore themes of friendship, forgiveness, family, and community alongside the central romance.
5. Sue Leaves Percy the Tavern
One of the biggest additions to the adaptation is Sue’s decision to leave Percy the family tavern.
This never happens in the novel.
The change gives Percy a stronger connection to Barry’s Bay and creates a practical reason for her continued involvement in the town. It also provides a foundation for future storylines that extend beyond the events of the original book.
For a television series hoping to continue for multiple seasons, this change makes a lot of sense.
6. Sam Learns the Truth About Charlie and Percy Differently
The fallout from Percy sleeping with Charlie plays out very differently in the book and the show.
In the novel, when Percy finally confesses what happened, readers discover that Sam already knows. In fact, it appears he has known for quite some time. The reveal is less about shocking Sam and more about Percy finally confronting the truth she has spent years avoiding.
The show turns this into a much larger source of drama. Sam’s discovery creates significant tension between him and Charlie, allowing viewers to watch the fallout unfold in real time. As a result, the relationship between the brothers becomes a much larger focus of the adaptation.
7. Sue and Percy’s Relationship Is Expanded
In Every Summer After, Sue is one of the most beloved characters in the novel. Percy frequently describes her as the mother figure she never had, and Sue’s death is what ultimately brings Percy back to Barry’s Bay after more than a decade away.
However, much of that relationship happens off-page. Readers understand how important Sue was to Percy, but they don’t actually see many moments between them.
The show takes a different approach.
Throughout Every Year After, viewers are given several additional flashbacks that explore the bond between Sue and Percy. We see Sue supporting Percy through important milestones, including being there when Percy gets her first period. These scenes help explain why Sue’s death affects Percy so deeply and make their relationship feel even more personal.
The adaptation also spends more time exploring Sue as a mother. Through conversations between Sam and Charlie, the show touches on how Sue struggled after her husband’s death while trying to run the tavern on her own. While she remained a loving parent, her grief and responsibilities often left the boys to fend for themselves.
By expanding Sue’s storyline, the show transforms her from a beloved supporting character into one of the emotional anchors of the entire series.
8. The Setting Has Been Updated
Although both versions center around Barry’s Bay and the lake community where Percy and Sam grew up, the adaptation changes the setting significantly.
In the novel, Barry’s Bay is located in Ontario, mirroring the real-life town that inspired the story. Percy lives in Toronto as an adult and returns home after Sue’s death.
In the show, Barry’s Bay has been relocated to British Columbia, while Percy is based in Seattle, Washington. The change gives the adaptation a different visual identity while also making the story feel more connected to the Pacific Northwest setting.
9. The Ending Is Completely Different
The ending is easily the biggest change between Every Summer After and Every Year After.
The novel ends on a hopeful note. One year after Sue’s death, Percy and Sam scatter Sue’s ashes on Kamaniskeg Lake, and there are strong hints that Percy is preparing to propose. Their story feels complete, bringing closure to the mistakes that kept them apart for so many years.
The show chooses a very different path.
Rather than wrapping everything up, it leaves several storylines unresolved. Percy and Delilah begin planning to reopen the tavern, Chantal and Jordie move forward in their relationship, and a major cliffhanger involving Charlie suggests there is much more story left to tell.
The ending feels intentionally designed to set up future seasons and potentially adapt events from Carley Fortune’s follow-up novel, One Golden Summer.
Final Thoughts
While Every Year After remains faithful to the emotional heart of Carley Fortune’s novel, it also makes several notable changes. The show expands supporting characters, deepens relationships, updates the setting, and dramatically alters the ending to create a larger television universe.
If you’re looking for the complete story of Percy and Sam, the book remains the more focused and intimate experience. But if you enjoy ensemble dramas and spending more time in Barry’s Bay, the show offers plenty of surprises—even for readers who already know how the story ends.