Mia’s ‘Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Role Is Not What Fans Expected Since the Books Never Even Feature Her

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In the third season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” on Amazon Prime Video, a new character named Mia was introduced, but she wasn’t part of the story in the third book, “We’ll Always Have Summer.” The finale of this series continued Steven Conklin’s tale as his sister, Belly (played by Lola Tung), grappled with a tangled love triangle. This triangle involved her long-time crush, Conrad Fisher, and Jeremiah, his brother. While Steven wasn’t a significant character in Jenny Han’s books, the series expanded on his role, delving deeper into his relationship dynamics with Belly and even shining a light on his up-and-down romance with Taylor Jewel, Belly’s best friend.

In the second season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” Steven and Taylor’s romantic journey culminated, only for their relationship to fizzle out mysteriously as revealed in Season 3’s opening episode. The third season’s debut also hinted that both characters have moved on to different partners, adding complexity to any potential reconciliation between them.

Jenny Han has crafted the series The Summer I Turned Pretty, which showcases rising talents such as Lola Tung, Gavin Casalegno, Christopher Briney, Sean Kaufman, Rain Spencer, and Jackie Chung. The third season made its debut on Prime Video on July 16, 2025.

Who Is Mia In ‘Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3?

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3’s premiere revealed that Steven has a new girlfriend: Mia. 

Throughout the episode, she was often brought up, but it was evident that Steven didn’t have genuine romantic feelings for her due to his frequent encounters with his former flame, Taylor. Interestingly, Taylor was involved with a secondary character from the novels, named Davis, in a relationship.

It isn’t clear how Mia and Steven began their relationship, but it’s likely that they got together during the three-year time gap between Seasons 2 and 3 of the show.

In the initial two episodes of Season 3 of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” Mia was absent from the screen, as it appears her role had not been cast, according to IMDb. Moreover, she wasn’t a character in the source books. Instead, it seems that she was specifically introduced for the series, serving to illustrate Steven’s lingering affection for Taylor, despite their past relationship. (For additional insights into the major spoilers from “The Summer I Turned Pretty” Book 3, you can read more here.)

Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 2 Reveals True Reason Why Steven Broke Up With Mia

Following the discovery that Steven had been unfaithful in his relationship with Mia, Belly directly addressed this issue with him, leading to him disclosing both the reasons and the circumstances surrounding his involvement with Taylor.

As Steven was still in a relationship with Mia, he encountered Taylor once more in New York. Their friendship gradually transformed into a renewed romance. Regular encounters turned into casual hookups, and it wasn’t long until Steven recognized that he was inadvertently falling for Taylor all over again. This realization led him to end things with Mia in the third season’s second episode to rectify his feelings towards Taylor.

Following their breakup, Steven sought to express his genuine emotions to Taylor. However, a disagreement erupted between them, escalating into a severe accident that left him critically injured. The incident put him into a temporary coma-state.

The accident served as a wake-up call for Taylor, confirming that she had feelings for Steven all along. However, it turned out in Episode 2 that Steven was no longer pursuing her due to his belief that he wasn’t worthy of her affection.

In the upcoming Season 3 of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” it’s yet uncertain whether Steven and Taylor will ultimately be a couple. However, author Jenny Han hinted that a content ending could be in store for them both. Given that the third book, “We’ll Always Have Summer,” doesn’t reveal who Steven ends up with, the series maintains flexibility to shape the romantic destinies of its characters.

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2025-07-22 00:34