Every summer, I read a few romances with the word “summer” in the title, and for the last two years, that endeavor has included books by Carley Fortune. This year, I took on her debut and bestselling novel, Every Summer After, because its companion, One Golden Summer, was released, and there’s an upcoming book-to-screen adaptation of it in the works called Every Year After. However, right after I finished reading, there was a big creative shift behind the scenes that has me feeling mixed emotions.
Now, I love Every Summer After, and I cannot wait to see the story of Sam and Percy come to life on screen. The book, which tracks their friendship from the day they meet in their early teens through their reunion as adults, is summery, dramatic, incredibly romantic, and utterly swoon-worthy. So, the idea of using an Amazon Prime subscription to actually see them in Barry’s Bay is incredibly exciting.
However, there’s been a shakeup behind the scenes that scares me a bit.
This change is all about the showrunner. At first, Leila Gerstein, who was a producer on The Handmaid’s Tale and created The CW’s Hart of Dixie, was set to helm this Carley Fortune adaptation. However, now, according to THR, she has reportedly left over “creative differences.”
That is a little scary. Fourth Wing also just had a showrunner switch up, and big changes like this are always worrisome. It makes me think there could be potential disagreement and development problems behind the scenes, and it could mean we’ll have to wait longer for the show to hit our screens.
However, like the Fourth Wing series, which had a reported replacement lined up when the news about the exit broke, Every Year After already has a new showrunner.
The same report noted that Amy B. Harris will be taking over the Carley Fortune adaptation. She has an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios, and she was the showrunner and a writer on the streamer’s series The Wilds, which was inspired by the success of Lost. Along with that, her writing and producing credits include Gossip Girl, Sex and the City, The Comeback and The Carrie Diaries. She also co-wrote the screenplay for the 2006 Lindsay Lohan rom-com Just My Luck.
Those credits tell me that Harris is a good fit for Every Year After, and I feel like she can adapt this bestselling romance in a thoughtful and very entertaining way.
So, while feeling a bit bummed that we took a step back with this series, I’m also hopeful.
This also has me thinking about my reading experience, and how much I loved Every Summer After and One Golden Summer. At the moment, the show is only set to cover the first book, which follows Sam and Percy’s relationship through their childhood, one bad choice that makes them not talk for a very long time, and a tragic event that brings them back together as adults.
Meanwhile, One Golden Summer takes place after the events of Every Summer After and follows Sam’s older brother, Charlie. So, I’d hope that with this new series, they do cover both books.
However, only time will tell. Thankfully, Every Year After already has a new showrunner on board, and Amazon has a good track record with book adaptations. Just take a look at everything from the recent adaptation of the twisty We Were Liars to the prematurely canceled but brilliant My Lady Jane to the mega-hit The Summer I Turned Pretty, and you’ll see what I mean. While change is scary, I think this beloved Carley Fortune novel is in good hands, and I’m looking forward to our eventual trip to Barry’s Bay with Percy, Sam and co.
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