This Summer Will be Different

“Don’t fall in love with my brother.”

This quote from Bridget establishes the novel’s central conflict. Bridget explicitly asks Lucy not to fall in love with her brother, Felix, yet Lucy finds herself doing just that. The primary plotline is Lucy’s struggle to conceal their relationship while reckoning with her feelings.

“Bridget will love whatever I do. She’s my most vocal advocate, my loudest cheerleader. My only cheerleader now that my aunt is gone. She’s the one person in my life whose love and support come freely and without conditions.”

Lucy describes her relationship with Bridget, introducing the theme of Belonging and Found Family. Despite not being related to Lucy by blood, Bridget shows up for her more than her parents do and is the most consistent and supportive person in her life.

“‘Bridget is your life’s true fairy tale,’ my aunt Stacy once said, and I agreed.”

Fortune subverts the common romance-novel structure by emphasizing her protagonist’s platonic relationships. Felix and Lucy’s romance never overshadows Lucy’s friendship with Bridget. Fortune portrays Bridget as Lucy’s platonic soulmate, utilizing terms often used in connection with romantic love to describe their bond.