Carley Fortune is on a roll. The Canadian author’s last four novels have been smash hits on the New York Times Best Sellers list, and she has a highly anticipated new novel, Our Perfect Storm, on the way. So, it's no surprise that her beloved romance novels are starting to receive the adaptation treatment.
In June 2026, Prime Video released the on-screen adaptation of her debut, Every Summer After, as Every Year After. And her 2024 beach read, This Summer Will Be Different, won’t be far behind. Netflix announced in March 2026 that it's adapting the popular, sun-soaked rom-com into a 10-episode series, to be shot in Toronto and Prince Edward Island off the Eastern Coast of Canada.
“We couldn’t have found better partners to bring this love letter to both Toronto and Prince Edward Island to the screen,” directors of content for the streaming giant’s Canadian branch, Danielle Woodrow and Tara Woodbury, said in a statement.
While we’ll undoubtedly have to wait a while to see Fortune’s characters of Lucy, Felix, and Bridget come to life, we’ve done as much snooping as humanly possible to tide you over with all the information we could find. Read on for everything we know about the This Summer Will Be Different series.
What is 'This Summer Will Be Different' about?
This Summer Will Be Different is a "sweeping love story" that especially hits for anyone who's ever had a crush on their best friend's sibling.
But make no mistake: This is no vanilla romance. “If I had to rate This Summer Will Be Different on the chili scale, so, like, one chili being not so steamy, and five chilis being, ‘You need a cold shower,’ I think I would rate it a 3, although I think other people might rate it a 4,” Fortune has said. “It’s my steamiest book yet.”
The book follows two BFFs, Lucy and Bridget, who are headed on vacation to Canada’s picturesque Prince Edward Island together. Bridget has given Lucy three rules for their beach holiday: eat oysters, leave her cares behind in the city, and don’t fall in love with her hunky younger brother.
When Bridget misses her flight, Lucy falls in lust at first sight with Felix, a strapping young man with one heck of an oyster shuck, with whom she shacks up for the evening. But Felix is the one man she was supposed to stay away from, and now she’s got a secret she needs to keep from Bridget…for the next five years. It’s a task that gets harder and harder each summer that they return to the island, and Lucy returns to Felix’s charms.
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Who is involved in Netflix's 'This Summer Will Be Different' series adaptation?
Have no fear that the show won't live up to fan expectations. Like Every Year After, Fortune will serve as a co-executive producer on the project.
“I see my role as being a voice for the readers—advocating for what they love about the worlds and characters,” she told Downtime about her involvement.
She's hardly the only name involved, though. This Summer Will Be Different is helmed by several Canadian TV veterans, including show creators Dane Clark (One More Time, Suze) and Linsey Stewart (Working Moms, North of North, Suze), as well as executive producers Jennifer Kawaja (Sort Of, Wayward) and Elise Cousineau (Cardinal, Small Achievable Goals).
Fortune has also sung the praises of the team at Netflix Canada. In a July 2026 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she said, "Danielle [Woodrow] and Tara [Woodbury], who [head] up Netflix Canada, we had had a drink together before they had even read it, and I loved them...Their view on TV and film just aligned so much with how I saw things." That being said, we should be in good hands!
What has Carley Fortune said about Netflix's 'This Summer Will Be Different' series adaptation?
Fortune opened up about the inspiration for her third romance novel in a statement to Netflix when news of the adaptation was announced. “I fell in love with Prince Edward Island first in the pages of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and again when I visited with my best friend in my early 20s,” she said. “That vacation, the beauty of the island, the warmth of its people, and the friendships that sustain us are the foundation of This Summer Will Be Different.”
When will Netflix's 'This Summer Will Be Different' series adaptation be released?
Netflix has not yet announced a release date for This Summer Will Be Different. But it's possible the series won't hit the small screen until 2028 at the earliest, considering it's still in pre-production. We got the biggest update from Fortune herself in early July 2026, when she told THR how things are coming along.
"I've read the first episode script, and it’s great. It’s all moving very, very quickly, but it felt like it was almost like matchmaking, where you can see that this is the perfect fit," Fortune told the outlet. "We’re casting now, which is very exciting."
It took roughly two years for Prime Video to deliver the series of Fortune’s first novel, Every Summer After. Deadline reported it was in the works in July 2024, and it premiered on June 10, 2026. While Prime Video is a different streamer from Netflix, that two-year timeline is a good indication of how long it may take for This Summer Will Be Different to get off the ground. With casting underway as of summer 2026, filming may begin in 2027 (likely in spring or summer, considering the summertime setting), and then episodes could debut in 2028.
It could be even longer, though. For example, Fortune’s novel Meet Me at the Lake, which was picked up by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Productions, is still in early development. The project was announced in 2023, and few updates have come out since.
“That is moving along really nicely behind the scenes,” Fortune assured Swooon of the project in June 2025. “There’s a beautiful script. It’s moving along.”
We'll have to wait and see. Hopefully Netflix can pick up the pace, and This Summer Will Be Different hits our screens sooner rather than later.
Who has been cast in Netflix's 'This Summer Will Be Different' series adaptation?
There is no word on who will be taking on the book’s leading roles: Lucy, Felix, and his protective older sister, Bridget. While Fortune told THR that casting is underway, it's unclear how involved she'll be. She previously told Lara Spencer on Good Morning America that it’s hard for her to visualize the characters she puts on the page. “For me, they’re very, very blurry,” she said while discussing her Every Year After adaptation. “I can see the places much better than I can see the characters.”
But one unconventional character who will be very much a part of This Summer Will Be Different’s storyline? Fortune’s beloved Prince Edward Island. She told Netflix: “I’m thrilled to…transport audiences to the glittering shores and windswept beaches of PEI.”
As we wait for more information to come out, you may as well start fantasizing about your ideal fan cast to deliver the summer romance of your dreams.
