Told over the course of six summers, then picking up a decade later, the feel-good tale infuses the perfect amount of depth and emotion to elevate it beyond a typical teen romance.

Six summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. A weekend to get it right—Carley Fortune’s bestseller is now a YA series for romantics of all ages, especially those who never got over the loss of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

It offers eternal love, betrayal, regret and redemption, in earnest if not always logical fashion. .... Where the writers were, as they wrote the dialogue, is another question. Space? .... The most charming aspect here is the portrayal of a couple of kids, the young Percy and Sam.

There isn’t anything to truly despise about this nostalgia fest of young love, blanket-wrapped heart-to-hearts, sunlit skies and lakeside swims that are really just excuses for many close-ups of Charlie (Michael Bradway) and Sam’s torsos. But, fairly faithfully adapted from Carley Fortune’s 2022 novel Every Summer After, this Prime Video series does feel cynical.

Soverall and Cornett don't quite have the chemistry to anchor the show, and as revelations and betrayals come to light, a somewhat heel turn from Sam makes him and Percy even less shippable as a couple. They don't sink the show completely, though, and Every Year After stays afloat thanks to its much more interesting supporting characters.

“Every Year After” is a deeply frustrating watch for many reasons, but mostly because it so clearly didn’t have to be this way. There are moments sprinkled throughout the show’s eight episodes that hint at something deeper, richer, and more emotionally complex underneath all the unnecessary narrative flourishes, plot padding, and pacing problems.

Despite all its bonafides, everything about “Every Year After” just feels decidedly uninspired. The settings are lovely but the story is rote and predictable. Spread out over eight almost too flimsy episodes.