Every Year After

Premise and Setting

The series chronicles the evolving relationship between Persephone 'Percy' Fraser and Sam Florek, who transition from childhood friends to lovers over several summers in Barry's Bay, Ontario. After a decade-long absence, the 28-year-old Percy, an obituary writer, is compelled to return to her childhood summer town following a tragedy, specifically for the memorial of Sue Florek. Her return forces a confrontation with Sam, now a cardiologist, his older brother Charlie, a hedge fund manager, and the painful secret mistake that originally drove Percy and Sam apart. The central narrative explores whether a first love can be a destined soulmate, set against the picturesque lakeside community that serves as a character in its own right. The story is adapted from Carley Fortune's debut novel, which is deeply rooted in the experience of Ontario cottage country. The premise asks the question of what happens if your first love was always meant to be your soulmate, a theme explored through flashbacks and present-day drama across the eight episodes of the first season.

Cast and Characters

The ensemble cast is led by Sadie Soverall as the protagonist, Percy Fraser, and Matt Cornett as her love interest, Sam Florek. Michael Bradway portrays Sam's brother, Charlie Florek, while Abigail Cowen plays Delilah Mason, Percy's childhood frenemy and a friend to the Florek brothers. Joseph Chiu appears as Jordie, Sam's best friend and the owner of the local Bay Breeze Motel, and Aurora Perrineau plays Chantal, Percy's current best friend who works as an attorney. The recurring cast includes several notable actors in supporting roles, with casting announcements made in July and September of 2025. Elisha Cuthbert was cast in the recurring role of Sue Florek, the mother of Sam and Charlie, on September 24, 2025. Fred Ewanuick and Robyn Ross play Percy's parents, Arthur and Diane Fraser, who are part of her life in Barry's Bay and beyond, providing context for her childhood and adult decisions.

• Juliette Hawk portrays the younger version of Percy Fraser in flashback sequences that detail her early summers.
• Carson MacCormac plays the young Charlie Florek during the characters' childhood summers spent by the lake.
• Blue Clarke is cast as the young Sam Florek, showing the origins of his deep friendship and eventual romance with Percy.
• Karl Walcott appears as Drew, the fiancé of Chantal, adding to the present-day relationship dynamics within Percy's friend group.
• Roan Curtis plays Taylor, Sam's current girlfriend who works as a pediatrician, creating professional and personal tension in the central romance.

The casting of Canadian actress Elisha Cuthbert in a recurring role adds a familiar face for viewers. The younger actors, including Juliette Hawk as Young Percy and Blue Clarke as Young Sam, help flesh out the flashback sequences. The characters of Delilah Mason and Chantal represent different facets of friendship in Percy's life. Delilah is Percy's childhood best frenemy and a friend to the Florek brothers. Chantal is Percy's current best friend and an attorney. These relationships complicate Percy's journey of reconciliation in Barry's Bay.

Production History

Amazon Prime Video officially ordered Every Year After to series on July 31, 2024, with the project based on Carley Fortune's bestselling novel. Initially, Leila Gerstein was attached as developer and showrunner, but she departed the series upon the announcement of the main cast, with Amy B. Harris then taking over as showrunner and executive producer. The production team expanded to include executive producers Lindsey Liberatore, Amy Rardin, and John Stephens, creating a collaborative leadership structure for the series. Principal photography for the first season took place entirely in Vancouver, British Columbia, commencing on June 4, 2025, and wrapping on September 18, 2025, spanning approximately three and a half months of filming. The use of Vancouver as a production base provided significant economic activity for the Canadian film and television sector, continuing a long tradition of American productions filming in British Columbia to take advantage of skilled crews and versatile locations.

Release and Renewal Strategy

Every Year After debuted to the public with a world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 8, 2026, introducing the series to critics and industry audiences. Its global streaming release followed just two days later on Amazon Prime Video on June 10, 2026, utilizing a quick turnaround from festival to platform to capitalize on early buzz. The series performed well enough for the streaming service to announce a renewal for a second season on June 27, 2026, less than three weeks after its premiere, demonstrating a swift corporate decision. The second season is planned to use Carley Fortune's sequel novel, One Golden Summer, as its source material, continuing the adaptation of her popular literary work and suggesting a potential franchise model. This early renewal indicated confidence in the series' performance and its alignment with Amazon Prime Video's content strategy for romantic dramas aimed at a specific demographic audience.

Critical Reception and Ratings

The series received a mixed to positive critical response upon its release, with aggregate scores reflecting a division among professional reviewers. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it achieved an approval rating of 71% based on 28 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.5 out of 10. The site's critics consensus described it as a sincere, sweet, and picturesque adaptation that stands on solid genre foundations, calling it a standout amongst its peers and delivering a wistful experience. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating 'mixed or average' reviews and a more tempered assessment. This reception positioned the show as a competent entry in the romantic drama genre that resonated with its target audience despite some critical reservations about its familiarity. The discrepancy between the two aggregator scores reflects the divided nature of the professional reviews, with some praising its heartfelt execution and others finding it overly familiar in its narrative beats and character arcs.

Future Development and Canadian Connections

The renewal for a second season confirms the series' place in Amazon Prime Video's programming slate and its connection to Carley Fortune's expanding literary universe. The planned adaptation of One Golden Summer suggests the narrative will continue to explore themes of summer romance and personal reconciliation, likely introducing new characters and settings from Fortune's work while maintaining the Ontario lakeside atmosphere. The production's ongoing connection to Canadian source material and its filming base in Vancouver maintain a strong relationship with Canadian creative and industrial resources, providing jobs and showing local talent. The success of the first season's release strategy, combining a festival premiere with a swift streaming launch, will likely be a model for future seasons of the series and similar Amazon productions. The series contributes to the visibility of Canadian-authored stories in the global streaming market, following in the tradition of other adapted works and potentially boosting sales of Fortune's original novels and sequels.

The series had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 8, 2026. It was released on Amazon Prime Video on June 10, 2026. In June 2026, the series was renewed for a second season. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 71 percent based on 28 reviews. Metacritic assigned a score of 57 out of 100 based on 11 critics. This indicates mixed or average reviews according to that site.

Questions about Every Year After

Is Every Year After based on a book?

Yes, the series is an adaptation of the novel Every Summer After by Canadian author Carley Fortune. The story follows the second-chance romance between Percy and Sam over several summers in Barry's Bay, Ontario. The first season covers the events of this debut novel. The already-announced second season is set to be based on Fortune's sequel book, One Golden Summer, continuing the adaptation of her literary work and expanding the on-screen universe.

Who are the main actors in Every Year After?

The series stars Sadie Soverall as Percy Fraser and Matt Cornett as Sam Florek. The main cast also includes Michael Bradway as Charlie Florek, Abigail Cowen as Delilah Mason, Joseph Chiu as Jordie, and Aurora Perrineau as Chantal. These six actors were all cast in their main roles on July 17, 2025. Notable recurring actors include Canadian actress Elisha Cuthbert, who plays Sue Florek, the mother of Sam and Charlie, adding a layer of familial drama to the story.

What is the critical reception for Every Year After?

Critical reception has been mixed to positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 71% approval rating from 28 critics, with an average score of 6.5/10. The consensus highlights it as a sincere and picturesque romantic drama that delivers a wistful experience for viewers. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, indicating 'mixed or average' reviews based on a smaller sample of 11 critics, pointing to a more nuanced and divided professional opinion.

Where was Every Year After filmed?

Every Year After was filmed in Vancouver. Principal photography for the series began on June 4, 2025, in Vancouver and concluded on September 18, 2025. The entire production was based in this Canadian city. This location was used to create the setting for the story which primarily takes place in Barry's Bay, Ontario. The filming schedule spanned over three months during the summer and early fall of 2025.

When did Every Year After premiere?

Every Year After premiered in June 2026. The series had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 8, 2026. It was subsequently released for streaming on Amazon Prime Video just two days later on June 10, 2026. This dual release strategy included a prestigious festival debut followed by a wide platform launch. The premiere events marked the introduction of this romantic drama series to audiences.

How many seasons of Every Year After are there?

Every Year After has been renewed for a second season. In June 2026, Amazon Prime Video officially renewed the series for its next season. The upcoming second season is set to be based on Carley Fortune's sequel book titled One Golden Summer as its source material. This renewal decision was announced the same month the first season premiered. The series continues the adaptation of Fortune's literary work.

Sources and further reading

• Every Year After (Wikipedia)
• Every Year After, Season 1 (primevideo.com)
• Inside Carley Fortune's 'Every Year After' and its Canadian ... (globalnews.ca)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-11-03.