As soon as it began, Love Island USA season 8's Casa Amor is about to come to an end. The reality-TV phenomenon's signature test of relationship loyalty revived a divisive season by diving headfirst into chaos, as season 8's Islanders all got to know a new set of eligible singles. Over the past few nights, chats were had, toes were sucked, and true colors were revealed as the internet devolved into speculation about whether the Islanders would either stay loyal to their original match or explore a new connection.

With the original villa dwellers expected to reunite on Friday, June 26, it's time to refresh your memory on each Islander's journey on the dating show over the past four weeks in Fiji (which is like, half a year's worth of relationship development). Below, read on for a recap of Love Island USA season 8's romances so far, with the couples ordered from least to most likely to stay together after Casa Amor. Spoilers ahead up to Episode 20 (released on June 25), and you can watch Love Island USA by subscribing to Peacock.

Jen and Caleb

In all fairness, Jen Terry and Caleb McDaniel are the closest we've gotten to a friendship couple in season 8. They both entered the villa as bombshells in week 2, alongside Sol Dean (more on her below). America voted for Caleb, a blond Charleston cowboy, to couple up with Kenzie, whose ideal type was a blond cowboy. However, the spark wasn't there, seemingly because Kenzie was so attracted to her previous match, Corbin. Even the female Islanders knew that Caleb got the short end of the stick, which is why they voted to save him from elimination after Kenzie went back to Corbin.

Meanwhile, Jen was voted into a couple with Gabriel Vasconcelos, who had been partnered with Beatriz Hatz but was still willing to explore. Gabriel got emotional when Beatriz was dumped, but as soon as she left, he quickly got physical with Jen. Though the pair got along great, the female Islanders wondered whether Gabriel was too lustful and was always looking for "the next best thing." The girls dumped Gabriel from the villa, leaving Jen and Caleb single.

So the question of who Jen and Caleb could bring back from Casa isn't that dramatic, since neither of them has lingering connections in the villa. Jen has been pretty set on surf-café owner Gal Tshnieder, though she also chatted with lacrosse player Ronnie Gunter after Gal expressed an interest in Kenzie. Meanwhile, after briefly finding himself in another love triangle with Corbin—this time over personal trainer Parmida Keshani—Caleb hit it off with new grad Jaiden Bacciocco.

Corbin and Kenzie

While Gabriel's dumping was the reason "lustful" became season 8's buzzword, it's also been pointed toward Corbin Mims and Kenzie Annis. Kenzie arrived in the villa on night one and had a rough go at first: Zach rejected her after 24 hours together, leaving her to explore with fellow single Sean Reifel, and even (briefly) Gabriel. But her head was quickly turned when Corbin arrived as a bombshell, and the pair had an easy chemistry. Things hit a bit of a snag when she learned that Corbin used the same lines on her as Kayda, but she quickly got over it. When Corbin used his bombshell privilege to choose Kenzie in a recoupling, she admitted she would've chosen him over Sean anyway.

Corbin and Kenzie weren't closed off when Caleb, Jen, and Sol came in as bombshells, so they got closer as a couple while also exploring other connections. After America voted for Kenzie to be with Caleb, leaving Corbin single, he chose to couple up with Melanie. Both Kenzie and Corbin seemed to want to give their new couplings a fair shot, but they were also physically drawn to each other. They even shared a kiss one night, and it was clear it was a crossed boundary because both of them kept it secret from their new matches. It was no surprise when Corbin and Kenzie chose each other in the next recoupling.

Then came this year's Casa Amor twist, where the boys were secreted away to the auxiliary villa during the "Hearts on Fire" challenge, and the girls watched them meet the six new Casa girls on a live feed. All of the boys were giving real strip-club energy, but Corbin took it the farthest, declaring that he's definitely bringing someone new back to the villa, just two girls in. And he clearly meant it; that second girl, Parmida, also liked him, and they started making out immediately.

Meanwhile, Kenzie seems interested in Casa Boys Gal and Dylan Wrona, but a bigger question than who she will bring back is whether she will stay with them. After Zach left her for a date with Kayda, Kenzie refused chats with him and didn't give him the time of day. But she had only been with Zach for 24 hours. Will Kenzie have the same energy after a week (which, again, is the real-world equivalent of a couple of months) with Corbin? We'll have to see.

Kayda and Zach

Situations change so quickly in Love Island. Back in weeks 1 and 2, Kayda Bosse and Zach Georgiou (A.K.A. Charlie from season 7's brother) were early favorites—and even seen as potential winners. Besides Zach's brief time with Kenzie, he and Kayda locked on to each other on day two and never looked back. (Remember Kayda curving Bryce as the three of them were forced to sleep in what we thought at the time was the show's biggest bed?) Though they both had opportunities to explore—Kayda with Sincere and Gabriel, and Zach with Jen—they never really crossed boundaries. (To me, each of their one kiss outside of a challenge cancels each other out.) They were even the first couple sent to the Hideaway.

However, though Zach wasn't unfaithful pre-Casa, he always had some sketchy behavior. While Kayda low-key thought jealousy is a sign of affection, Zach dealt with said jealousy by getting possessive and vindictive, as far back as pulling Jen for a chat after the giant-bed challenge. Zach has also been a regular shit-stirrer among the established couples, even telling his BFF Bryce that it didn't seem like Trinity liked him. But the biggest early red flag was when, literally as they were making the hideaway bed the morning after, Zach asked Kayda if she'd be okay with him chatting up a new bombshell.

The cracks in the couple continued after Sol and Gabriel's dumping, when the guys got pissed that the girls sent Gabriel home. Zach threatened that the boys might not make breakfast for the girls the next morning, which is one of the most disrespectful things you could do in the villa. (He's literally the only guy who followed through the next day!) He then jokingly said the girls should chat with Caleb since they saved him, and even told Caleb to pull Kayda. And then, when Caleb did pick Kayda in the next challenge, Zach accused her of liking it too much! If all that whining wasn't enough, he even threatened to pull Melanie for a chat, which left Kayda as confused as the rest of us.

By the time Casa started, Zach was ready to cheat, and Kayda's anger was mixed with tears as she watched him have the time of his life meeting the Casa girls. Even though Kayda didn't join the initial "I miss my man" contingent, she was still staring at pictures of Zach in a Joe Goldberg hoodie. She also collapsed into tears after seeing a picture of Zach kissing a Casa girl on night one, while she hadn't been kissing any of the Casa boys. Due to extenuating circumstances, Zach will likely return to the villa single. And despite how easily she hit it off with chiropractor Chay Nehra, Kayda may have too much unfinished business.

Aniya and KC

It only took a week of Casa Amor for Aniya Harvey and KC Chandler to go from one of the villa's strongest couples to one of the most divisive. However, as KC won't let anyone forget, they didn't choose each other at first. On night one, both Aniya and Melanie went for Sincere, while KC was left standing alone at his giant door. Still, his and Aniya's consolation match seemed to be blossoming into something real. KC's assurances that Aniya was "the blueprint" and that dark-skinned women were the most beautiful, even made her tear up.

But now, in hindsight, the red flags began popping up by week 2. When Sol arrived at the villa, KC admitted she resembled his ex-girlfriend, which eventually got to Aniya. Literally hours earlier, KC had told Aniya that he had always played it safe, like staying in his hometown instead of going away for college. But when Aniya expressed concern that she just felt like a safe option (and KC was really a Taylor waiting for his Clarke), KC’s previous reassurances had fans reading Aniya as unnecessarily insecure. Even as KC told Sol in private chats that he was holding himself back from pursuing her, he became offended when Aniya suggested he only saw her as a fallback.

Despite all of the above—and a gross conversation between KC and Corbin where KC called Aniya a “grandma” for not hooking up with him on national TV—KC and Aniya chose each other again at the love-letter recoupling. However, after KC defended Sol during the dumping vote and claimed he’d explore with her if they kept her around, he and Aniya had the same argument over again. So they were not in a good place when Aniya saw KC doing the absolute most while meeting the Casa Amor girls. She didn’t even see him fall lips-first into L.A. model Tierra Marsh, before doing the same “I’m all about you, but I’m gonna explore her” routine, and telling the guys that he liked Tierra because he didn’t have to “beg” for kisses anymore. And she didn’t see him claim that he and Aniya had nothing in common, which even threw Sincere off.

Aniya is the biggest lover girl there behind Melanie, so of course she cried when she saw the pic of KC kissing another girl. But thankfully, host Ariana Madix brought in 12(!) new men to woo the women. Aniya hit it off with Carl Schmidt, a 6'4'' personal trainer and world traveler who’s a volleyball player like her. Carl is gorgeous. Carl is chivalrous. Carl constantly says she's hot. Carl genuinely listens to her. Carl held her dress down while they were getting freaky in challenges. Carl’s ex-girlfriend posted TikToks about how great he is and that she’s rooting for him and Aniya.

If Aniya doesn’t pick Carl, I may have the biggest crash-out of my life. Unfortunately, since not everything that happens in the villa makes it to the screen, there’s no way to be entirely sure that the Internet’s prayers will be answered once Aniya and KC see each other again. (But seriously, girl, RUN.)

Melanie and Sincere

Oh, my girl Melanie. Sincere Rhea and Melanie Moreno's tumultuous romance was the central drama of the season pre-Casa, with Melanie filling a Love Island archetype: The girl who falls hard and fast. We love her vulnerability; we shade her decision-making. But without that central lover girl to influence the rest of the female cast, and provide the opposite of a slow burn, Love Island truly would be Friendship Island.

Sincere and Melanie were into each other from the very beginning, but Melanie's admitted jealousy issues quickly surfaced when she learned Sincere had a history of texting other girls while in a relationship. She didn't react in the best way, immediately declaring that she'd "cheat back" and arguably stepping on people's toes as she explored with Gabriel, Corbin, and even, very briefly, KC. (Going from Sincere to Corbin and back during the giant-bed challenge was a bad look.) Still, Sincere and Melanie were shaken but not broken...until Sol entered the villa.

Before Sol, Sincere was arguably doing what Love Island was designed for by playing the field. But then Sincere started lying. He'd chat with Sol for hours and kiss her outside of challenges. When confronted by Melanie, he'd admit to the kissing, then immediately downplay his connection with Sol and reassure Melanie that he only wanted her. And then next time he went off to chat with Sol, he'd kiss Sol and reassure her he only wanted to be with her. (This cycle repeated at least two more times.) Compare that to Gabriel, who was upfront with Bea about kissing bombshells, while Sincere had Melanie crying and feeling crazy.

Sincere and Melanie finally, briefly, split up when America voted for Sincere to couple up with Sol, while Melanie ended up with Corbin. Melanie said at the time that she was happy the love triangle would be over, but even if Corbin wasn't sneaking kisses with Kenzie, it was clear Melanie still wanted Sincere. But when it seemed like Melanie was opening up to Corbin, Sincere spun the block and told Melanie how much he missed her while assuring Sol that he only wanted her. Once again, it wasn't a surprise when Sincere chose to recouple with Melanie during the love-letter recoupling. (Sol understandably had smoke for Sincere for leading her on, but the male islanders dumped her from the villa the next night.)

Melanie and Sincere's happy reunion after trials and tribulations was quickly interrupted by the ultimate trial of Casa Amor. Once again, Sincere eagerly explored with a new girl, this time SCAD student Amora Robinson, but after the Sol of it all, I'm thinking he'll probably go back to Melanie once they're in the same villa again. Meanwhile, Melanie has seen ample evidence of the way he operates when she isn't around, and her Casa boy, Corey Sawyer Jr., also told her that Sincere was playing her. (The Casa girls and boys can watch the show before they go in.) Still, one thing about a lover girl, she's gonna stick beside him. Sincere and Melanie probably aren't over yet.

Trinity and Bryce

Aniya may be the princess, but Trinity Tatum and Bryce Dettloff are the only couple right now who seem set for a Happily Ever After. (But again, Aniya, we can change that girl.) Brinity coupled up on night one, but they quickly realized that they had some major differences. (Most notably, Trinity called Gabriel old at the ripe age of 26, and Bryce is 29.) Both Trinity and Bryce chose to explore with new bombshells, Gabriel and Kayda, on day 2. Obviously, that didn't work out, so they ended up back in their couple.

Even as the pair got closer week by week, it was unclear whether they were forming a romantic connection beyond their growing friendship. Despite all the tears that exploring connections brings, that's how Islanders (and viewers) truly know that a couple is solid. The five bombshells who arrived before Casa didn't seem interested in either of them. However, neither of them rode the complacency of a friendship coupling. Trinity was vulnerable about her concerns and told Bryce to put in the work to strengthen their connection, and he made the effort. They're also one of the season's most transparent pairings; Bryce gave her a heads-up that he wanted to try to explore with Kayda again, and Trinity wasn't afraid to tell him that it upset her. (Kayda immediately friend-zoned him again, because duh.)

Unfortunately, it took Casa for Brinity to truly take flight. After his initial glee at meeting the Casa girls, Bryce looked miserable the rest of his time in Casa, and the rest of the boys took shifts to join him as he stared across the ocean at the villa day and night. Meanwhile, Trinity tried to explore a bit and kissed Corey, but she soon realized that she really did miss Bryce. By the third night of Casa, she had taken Melanie's place sleeping out in Soul Ties. Even though Bryce saw the postcard of Trinity kissing Corey, Brinity still only wants each other, which is more than I can say about any of the other couples.

In the summer, I tear through dozens of books. I consider myself a big reader year-round, but when it’s warm out, I think there’s nothing more relaxing than spending the afternoon with my nose in a book at the park or on the beach. With my TBR list ever-growing, Prime Day can be a great opportunity to get deals on the classics and buzzy best-sellers I have yet to read—and make sure my summer reading stack stays fully stocked.

This Prime Day, which lasts until June 26, bibliophiles can score deals on just about every genre. Looking for a vacation read? There are more than a few easy, breezy options. What about your next book club pick? Many of these are great discussion-starters—and the prices are so good, you may as well get copies for the whole group. Oh, and have you been eyeing a new Kindle? Well, it must just be time to add one to the cart. So, once you finish stocking up on skincare products and shopping for discounted styling tools or more pieces for your summer wardrobe, here are the books and bookish accessories to buy over Prime Day 2026.

Maria Sharapova: Career Grand Slam achiever, winner of five major tennis titles, and... podcaster?

After becoming one of the most accomplished tennis players of all time, Sharapova moved into the business world. Now, she has her own podcast, Pretty Tough, where she talks to other women about how they balance the different parts of their lives—often career, ambition, and motherhood.

Since retiring from tennis in 2020, Sharapova has expanded her business ventures, become a mother, and now has a nearly four-year-old son. On the latest episode of "Nice Talk," Sharapova shares what parenting has taught her about business—and why she decided to get into podcasting.

"There's so many lessons that you learn as a mother, and one of the things ... is this art of letting go," Sharapova says. "So much of the things that we do, we like to take control of, but at the end of the day, what having a little young girl or boy next to you teaches is that things often change, situations change. These little beings grow, and they kind of inform your actions right in front of you."

For example, she says, one minute a baby loves being in a swaddle, and the next, they don't. "You're like, "Oh, I want them walking,' and they're like, "Oh yeah, no. Now I walked and now I'm running,' and you're like, "Wait, slow down!"

Sharapova notes that "relearning this element of control" runs counter to how things are handled in professional tennis.

"A lot of my training, a lot of my performance, everything that I did with the way that I trained my body and my mind was this element of control and a schedule and routine and discipline. And all those are applicable, but you have to be ready to let go, and I think that also applies in business."

That said, Sharapova says tennis taught her how to handle losses in business the same way she handled them in her sport.

"You lose a lot, and you do it in front of millions of people, and there is real beauty and authenticity in being vulnerable in that moment," the 39-year-old says. "You work so hard and you're so confident, you go in and you lose. And then, how do you handle it? How do you talk with your team within the next hour when you wake up in the morning? Who do you call, and how do you speak to them about your loss? And then what do you do to change things around? The way that I was able to handle those situations certainly informed me in business, and also now being a mother."

With Pretty Tough, Sharapova seeks to connect with other women who refuse to be one thing only.

"I've always engaged in the concept of holding true to these two strong dualities of being thoughtful, being gritty, leading a team, but equally being a woman, and being motherly, and being soft, and being vulnerable in times that required it, and really not having to choose one or the other," she says. "And as I retired and had my son, I also realized that a lot of my mom friends very much felt the same way, they were either in a moment of being a CFO or a CMO or a CEO, or they were a mother, and the idea that you had to choose one or the other didn't resonate with me."

She adds, "I really truly believe that I could be both, and deep down inside, so many women feel the same way, but they're not allowed that breadth."

For more from Sharapova—including her memories of her conversation-starting 2006 tennis dress—check out this week's installment of "Nice Talk." The episode is available everywhere you listen to podcasts.

The great thing about the romance novel genre is that there’s truly something for everyone. Friends-to-lovers stories? You got it. Enemies-to-lovers? Absolutely. Opposites-attract workplace romances between grumpy-sunshine duos with lots of forced proximity and an “only one bed” situation? Oddly specific, but definitely a thing.

But while those and other popular romance tropes certainly have their merits, there’s something particularly irresistible about a classic fake-dating love story. The premise is playful and improbable, and the payoff—when our two main characters finally admit that there’s something very real between them—is so satisfying. In short, it’s the perfect recipe for a romance novel that’ll have you giggling, blushing, and rooting for those clueless lovebirds to open their eyes and realize they’re in love already.

Here, we’ve rounded up some of the very best fake-dating romance novels that are often-hilarious and always-steamy. Below, find great reads that have spawned adaptations and #BookTok phenomena, from beloved authors like Emily Henry, Elle Kennedy, and more.

The Best Fake-Dating Books Adapted for the Screen

The Best Fake-Dating Books From Romance Genre Giants

The Best Fake-Dating Books of 2026

If you ever wanted to know who is on your favorite singer's playlist, or what albums inspired the latest “it girl” the most, tune in for Marie Claire’s resident music franchise Listen Up. In this interview series, we ask musicians about their listening habits and the specific records that informed their taste—and inherently their journey as an artist.

Hearts2Hearts may be K-pop rookies, but they’re eager to dominate your “song of the summer” debates. That may sound like a lofty goal for a girl group that just debuted 16 months ago, but they’ve already climbed up the charts, landing on the Billboard Global 200 with their infectious, bratty bop “RUDE!” two weeks after their first anniversary. Now, they’re back with their second mini-album, Lemon Tang, which is filled top to bottom with feel-good summer-soundtrack contenders.

“Summer Queen” is an ambitious title to vie for, especially in K-pop. Members Jiwoo, Carmen, Yuha, Stella, Juun, A-na, Ian, and Ye-on (whose ages range from 16 to 20) grew up on the bubbly, crisp earworms that became inescapable in the warmer months, sung by girl groups like their own SM Entertainment labelmates Red Velvet and Girls’ Generation. In recent years, idol music has trended toward a more industrial, bass-heavy sound, leaving behind the electro- and bubblegum-pop of the 2010s. But Heart2Hearts stands out among the young groups leading the charge to bring carefree euphoria back into K-pop.

“In this hot summer, it’s going to be the best way to refresh yourself through music,” Ye-on says of Lemon Tang's title track, as the group speaks with Marie Claire over Zoom. Stella adds, “The lyrics have a really cute meaning of how it's sweeter when everyone's together…When I first heard the song before we recorded it, I just thought, ‘Oh, this is the perfect summer song.’”

While the group has leaned toward a sleek R&B-influenced sound on previous tracks like “The Chase” and “FOCUS,” “Lemon Tang” cements that the best Hearts2Hearts releases are full of youthful pep. Each song transports listeners back to their own teenage days, with sugary songs full of metaphors about the innocent drama of a first love. Flirting is like a tennis game; romantic advice becomes a secret recipe. Loneliness can make thoughts as sour as a lemon, but when someone new captures your attention, that mysterious tang is irresistible and you may not feel so alone after all.

“Even if we speak different languages and are different, we hope that through our music and through the performances, we can build a connection from our heart to their heart,” Juun says as her groupmates nod in agreement.

With Lemon Tang out now, the members share which 2010s pop anthems informed their music taste and what they’re listening to now.

Stella: When I was younger and growing up, I really loved listening to Ariana Grande. Her Yours Truly album was my favorite. I would listen to it every single day after school.

I-an: The first album I bought with the pocket money my parents gave me was aespa sunbaenim's Girls.

Carmen: The first album I bought with my own money was Justin Bieber’s—the “Boyfriend” one, [Believe].

Carmen: Bruno Mars’s newest album, The Romantic. My favorite song is “Risk It All.”

Jiwoo: The 2000s when there was a lot of pop and dance-pop. If you look at the melodies of songs of that time, they’re really catchy, bouncy, and high-energy. It fits the overall brightness and feel that we look for with Hearts2Hearts.

Stella: I've definitely been really into “Midnight Sun” by Zara Larsson, but I really loved her music before that as well.

Jiwoo: Red Velvet sunbaenim’s “Red Flavor.” It's a really cute song, and very high-energy.

I-an: Girls’ Generation sunbaenim’s “Holiday.” We covered this song as trainees, and it’s very happy and bright.

Yuha: I had an opportunity to go to a Taeyeon concert. Needless to say, she was a really good singer, but the way that she interacted with fans between songs was very impressive. That was a performance that I really remember.

I-an: The first fan meeting that we had. It was the first event in which we had the full audience of just fans only. So, of course, before going on stage, I really wanted to do well. I was totally nervous. I think that it was something like when we were first debuting, and so, therefore, that made me totally focused. After it was over, I was so happy. I got a feeling of accomplishment, and that's something that I really remember.

Carmen: When we did a fan meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia. [Ed. note: Carmen is the first Indonesian K-pop idol under SM.] My mom, my dad, my grandmother, and my big family were all watching me perform, so it made me feel so nervous and happy at the same time.

Stella: “RUDE!” It received a lot of love, so I feel like it would be a good starting point for people who are interested in us or want to get to know us.

Stella: One of the groups that we've really looked up to was Girls’ Generation. If we were ever to do a collaboration or share a stage with them, that would be a big honor.

Stella: I like to listen to really loud electronic music to get me distracted. I search "electro music one hour" on YouTube.

Jiwoo: Girls’ Generation’s “PARTY.”

MC: What song describes the stage in life you’re at right now?

Yuha: aespa’s “Live My Life.”

Carmen: “Rock With You” by Michael Jackson.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

If ever you needed proof that you can pivot your career, you needn’t look any further than author Liz Tomforde. The former flight attendant used her job working in-air for an NHL team as the inspiration for Mile High, her hit 2022 novel—and one of the most popular sports romance series.

She’s gone from “scribbling notes mid-flight and typing chapters in hotel rooms" to becoming a New York Times bestselling author with more than 25.4 million readers, a TV series in development, and a second series, the Wilder Woods books, set to debut in March 2027.

“I didn’t think any of this was possible,” Tomforde gushed to fans in a May 2026 Instagram post.

While the romances featured in her sports-centric books are fictional, Tomforde has continued to infuse her characters with her own experiences. She shared in an interview with Little Stack, “The female main character in…Mile High shared my same profession and her feelings about her body image were pulled from my own life experiences. In Caught Up, Miller’s burnout and work pressures were influenced by how I was feeling in my own career at the time. And Hallie, the main female character in Rewind It Back, was the caretaker for a sick parent, which is influenced by my own life as well.” That realism—and the spice levels of her books—have won over readers on #BookTok and beyond.

In preparation for the release of both the Prime Video adaptation that's in the works and the novelist's brand new book series, we’re looking at her literary journey thus far. Read on for a ranking of every Liz Tomforde book, from her first self-published release to her newest hit.

Every Liz Tomforde Book, Ranked

When will Liz Tomforde's next book be released?

Tomforde signed a four-book deal in February 2026 for a brand-new series called Wilder Woods. According to the author, these romance novels will reintroduce readers to the Wilder siblings from 2025’s Rewind It Back and be set in Northern California. “It’s a family of…siblings, three brothers, one sister,” she shared in a March 2026 interview. “Mostly different sports.”

Though the first novel in the series, Cardinal Rule, was originally slated for November 2026, its release date has since been pushed back to March 2, 2027, per Tomforde’s Instagram.

What is Liz Tomforde's most popular book?

Mile High is far and away the novel that put Tomforde on the #BookTok map. As the first book in the Windy City series, it not only expanded Tomforde’s previously Wattpad-dominant audience, but it also introduced readers to many of the characters they would grow to love in her subsequent books, from Stevie’s twin brother, The Right Move’s Ryan Shay, to Zander’s teammate and BFF, Rewind It Back lead, Rio DeLuca.

What order should I read Liz Tomforde's books?

The order in which you read Tomforde's books will depend on your personal preference, though if you're looking to see what all the hype is about, we recommend diving into the Windy City books. Whether you start with the Windy City books—which start with Mile High and culminate with Rewind It Back—or crack open her debut novel and its sequel, Becoming Selfish and Staying Selfless, we suggest you read the series chronologically, given their recurring characters and Easter eggs. 2026's In Her Own League can be read at any time, considering it's a standalone novel.

If you want to read the books in the order they were published, you can pick them up in the following order:

• Becoming Selfish (2021)
• Staying Selfless (2022)
• Mile High (2022)
• The Right Move (2023)
• Caught Up (2023)
• Play Along (2024)
• Rewind It Back (2025)
• In Her Own League (2026)
• Her next book, Cardinal Rule (2027), is also available for pre-order

Are any of Liz Tomforde's books being adapted into movies or TV shows?

Tomforde’s Windy City series will soon be coming to the small screen, thanks to Prime Video. Deadline reported in May 2026 that the streaming giant would be tackling the project with Alison McDonald (a writer and producer on shows like #BlackAF, Your Honor, and Russian Doll) at the show’s helm.

"Soon readers who fell in love with my characters will get to watch their stories step off the page and unfold on screen," Tomforde said in a statement. "What started as a personal passion project has turned into a career that I truly never thought was possible. And now, thanks to Premeditated Productions and Amazon Studios, it’s becoming something bigger than I ever dreamed."

The author has also expressed just how much she trusts McDonald. In an Instagram post, she told fans how "excited" she was to have a showrunner on board and called her "wildly talented."

With the show still in early development, an official release date for the series has not yet been announced. Prime Video has become the home for romance book-to-series adaptations (Off Campus! Every Year After! Fourth Wing!), so it seems likely we should be in for another hit and learn more details soon enough.

Why Trust Us

Marie Claire is a trusted voice in the book community for good reason: We love to read. Just like you, we live for a good murder mystery series, swoon over the latest romance phenomenon, find it easy to get swept up by faeries and dragons galore in a good imaginative fantasy, keep our eyes and ears peeled on what's coming from the rising literari. If we’re not getting our book facts straight from the source (a.k.a. by reading them ourselves), we’re investigating them from every angle, taking into account a book’s rankings, awards, and opinions from readers—just like you.

During her senior year of high school, King Princess, alongside her best friend, staged a “sexually explicit” production of Cabaret. She began as the director but was quickly demoted to musical director after being “way too harsh.”

“I was running that shit like the Navy,” the singer/actor tells me backstage at The Public Theatre in downtown New York. Looking back, she says it was the right call, giving her time to focus on the lead role of Sally Bowles.

Nine years later, the performer, born Mikaela Straus, is returning to her theater kid roots with an Off-Broadway debut as one of the leads in Girl, Interrupted, a new musical based on Susanna Kaysen’s beloved memoir. In it, Straus plays Lisa, the wily ringleader of the women’s ward at a psychiatric hospital, deemed a sociopath by 1960s standards—a role first made iconic by Angelina Jolie in the 1999 film adaptation.

At just 27, King Princess has already captivated audiences with her unapologetically queer pop-rock for nearly a decade, but she’s only recently delved into acting with roles in Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers, the 2025 drama Song Sung Blue, and the upcoming rom-com One Night Only. But it wasn’t always part of her plan—in fact, when her favorite psychic predicted her pivot to acting, she was reluctant. Music was always her first love, having spent much of her childhood at her father’s Brooklyn recording studio; theater was a favorite pastime but not a career path.

“My secret love for theater has always bled into what I do,” the performer, sporting a black vest and sunglasses indoors, recalls animatedly from across a conference table. “I love a stage piece. I love set design. I like my show to feel theatrical, and I think that comes from a deep love of stagecraft. Getting to do something like this does fulfill this part of me that I've kept semi-underwraps for a long time.”

While still in high school, Straus was signed to Mark Ronson’s Columbia Records imprint, Zelig Records, and was dubbed, nearly overnight, the face of queer pop thanks to her 2018 viral debut single, “1950.” (She’s since left the major label to go independent, releasing her third studio album Girl Violence under the Brooklyn-based indie section 1.) Acting became her way to feel the joy in performance again.

“With music, everything feels like a rejection and personal. I'm deeply triggered by my own art form,” Straus says. “Acting feels fun. I can put my pussy into something and audition and not get it, and that's okay because I learned something.”

This past February, Straus’ agent suggested she audition for Girl, Interrupted. She was initially hesitant, harboring reservations about playing a character synonymous with Jolie’s Oscar-winning turn, but she was inspired by the script excerpts and went through with it. Ultimately, the audition didn’t go as planned, but her moxie landed her the role.

“I fucked up the song five times—but it was funny. I was like, ‘This fucking song!’ which they liked,” she recalls. “It's rare that I'm like, I'm going to get that. But I was like, I'm going to get that.”

It was a full circle moment for Straus, who first watched the movie in high school. “It’s resonated with young women and non-male people who exist outside of what you are supposed to be, which is quiet, put together, and not too much,” she says. “If you were somebody who was referred to as ‘too much,’ that was the movie for you. I was definitely somebody who was referred to as ‘too much.’”

The Off-Broadway rendition of Girl, Interrupted (music by Aimee Mann; book by Martyna Majok) is equal parts poignant and inquisitive. It also feels more timeless than ever, emphasizing what it means to navigate the world as a young, often misunderstood and underestimated woman.

Straus’ feisty and unpredictable Lisa acts as a foil to her co-star Juliana Canfield’s Susanna, a measured, ambitious yet depressive writer who is unsure why she’s been institutionalized. Straus brings a dynamism to the role, making it clear that a deep pain percolates beneath her erratic exterior.

“The biggest thing for me was separating this person from King Princess,” says the singer-turned-actor. Beyond her “blueprint” of the source memoir, Majok’s book, and Jolie’s “incredibly embodied” performance, Straus learned what she could about Lisa’s psychology by reading portions of Patric Gagne’s Sociopath: A Memoir, at the recommendation of her friend and former costar Murray Bartlett. Nailing Lisa’s grandiose gait was just as essential. “I definitely would get stoned and watch YouTube videos of big cats,” Straus says, pointing to how the character often acts like a predator stalking her prey, or a caged animal growing increasingly agitated. She also watched clips of Captain Jack Sparrow, Alan Cumming on The Traitors, and Austin Powers—Straus’ “holy trinity” of references—to build Lisa’s particular panache.

“Her physicality is certainly existing in the in-between of gender,” she explains, “That character is so flamboyant, but the flamboyancy isn't traditionally female. That’s really fun to play with and really interesting to play with—and something that exists within me too.”

Girl, Interrupted came to King Princess, she says, after she spent her mid-20s unlearning the notion that her best creative output would come from being emotionally wounded. Though there’s immense tragedy in the musical, its resonance lies in its belief in women’s resilience and their multiplicity. It felt like the exact project Straus was looking for: “I've never really been someone who fits in one genre…It makes sense that I like stuff that doesn't fit in a genre, and that I like doing cross-media shit. I always want to reinvent and find new ways to write music and act and sing and dance—and this is that for me. This is a crash course in becoming a better performer overall.”

Before Straus has to dash off to dinner, glam, and curtain call, she shares, with a warmth in her voice, how she’s been struck by the way the coming-of-age show has made her reflect on her own adolescence. “My teenage years existed around here, from the trek from Williamsburg to Manhattan, so I am reliving a part of my youth, but as an adult with perspective,” she says. “It’s been really emotional to have this schedule where I get on the train, I go enjoy my city, and I'm a part of this school of fish that goes from Brooklyn to Manhattan.”

She previously made that commute when she was last immersed in theater—painstakingly attempting to recreate the allure and eroticism of the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret in her own teenage rendition. While she was doing the most at the time, Girl, Interrupted has been a reminder to let go. “This is allowing me to take myself less seriously.”

When the curtain closes on July 12, that’ll be the sentiment that remains. “I get to do something that very few people get to do for work, and I'm very lucky to be doing that. And at the end of the day, it's not that fucking serious,” she says—as if speaking to the 18-year-old director in her.

Jennifer Lopez has a large collection of Hermès bags, meaning she has one for just about every occasion. Case in point: to attend Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine Tour at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, Lopez selected a rare Hermès Kelly bag, which perfectly suited the outing.

The Office Romance star accompanied their child Emme Muñiz, along with Ben Affleck's son, Fin Affleck, to the in-demand Grande concert. Lopez appeared to be carrying her Hermès Havane Shiny Porosus Crocodile Sellier Kelly 35 Bag, which routinely trades hands for more than $20,000, for the night out.

Lopez wore a white cropped shirt with oversize balloon sleeves, paired with baggy cream capri pants, worn with a skinny brown leather belt.

For footwear, the Maid in Manhattan star wore her Femme LA Gianni Mesh-Panel Pointed-Toe Sandals, a style she appears to be extremely fond of. A pair of large tinted sunglasses completed the superstar's outfit.

As always, Lopez knew exactly which Hermès bag to select from her extensive collection for the situation at hand.

Shop Outfits Inspired by J.Lo

It's wild to think Legally Blonde was released 25 years ago—an anniversary that star Reese Witherspoon has been more than happy to commemorate. On Saturday, June 20, the actress attended "Elle World," a celebration of all things Elle Woods, wearing an outfit the iconic lawyer would most definitely approve of.

The Oscar-winning actress was photographed arriving at the "Elle World" event at Hall des Lumières in New York City wearing a bright pink satin dress from Prada's Fall/Winter 2026 Ready-to-Wear collection. Cinched in at the waist and featuring an off-the-shoulder neckline, the Prada outfit is extremely appropriate for any event involving the pink princess Elle Woods.

Witherspoon—whose stylist is Petra Flannery—accessorized her dress with a pale pink satin clutch bag and a pair of Christian Louboutin's Miss Z 100mm Laminated Calf Leather Pumps in Vintage Rose. Sadly, the actress's footwear is no longer available in this particular metallic shade, though the style itself remains very popular.

Witherspoons's successor, Lexi Minetree, who is portraying the role of Elle Woods in Prime Video's forthcoming prequel series, also opted for a pink dress. The dark pink fuchsia sequin midi dress features a square neckline and skinny black straps, and is accessorized with a very '90s-coded skinny diamanté belt.

Notably, Minetree's dress is the pink version of a blue Dolce and Gabbana dress worn by Elle Woods in the first Legally Blonde movie, via @nostalgiachick. The young actress has most definitely been taking notes when it comes to Witherspoon's Elle Woods styling.

In her eye-catching pink outfit, Witherspoon made her love for Legally Blonde completely clear, and she's obviously excited for the release of Prime Video's Elle.

Shop Outfits Inspired by 'Legally Blonde'

If you've read a Harlan Coben thriller or watched any of the numerous Netflix series based on his books, then you know the writer loves a twist. Netflix's latest Coben adaptation, I Will Find You, is no exception. In fact, it might be the twistiest one yet.

The mystery series begins with a simple premise: David Burroughs (Sam Worthington) is a man serving a life sentence after being convicted of his son's murder, but what happens when he learns that his son might not be dead after all? What follows can only be described as a rollercoaster of bad decisions in the pursuit of the truth.

David escapes prison with the help of his godfather and prison warden Philip (Peter Outerbridge), as well as his policeman son and David's childhood friend Adam (Jonathan Tucker), and his former sister-in-law, Rachel (Britt Lower), as he becomes convinced that Nicky Fisher (Clancy Brown), a local mob boss, set him up for murder and kidnapped his son as part of a very convoluted revenge plot against David's father. The truth, however, is much, much creepier. Read on as we break down how I Will Find You really ends.

Who kidnapped Matthew in 'I Will Find You?'

As it turns out, the local mob boss didn't kidnap Matthew (Ashton Cressman) in the Netflix thriller. In fact, he wasn't taken by anyone trying to get revenge on David or anyone in his family. He was taken by Hayden Payne (Milo Ventimiglia), Rachel's on-and-off boyfriend who previously interacted with Matthew once at a Fourth of July party.

So, why would a man supposedly in love with Matthew's aunt kidnap the boy and frame David for murder, you ask? And why did he help David and Rachel when they were on the run investigating? You're going to want to sit down for this one.

Why did Hayden kidnap Matthew in 'I Will Kill You?'

Hayden kidnapped Matthew for one very simple reason: He believed that Matthew was his biological son. Over the course of their investigation into the case, Rachel and David learn that Cheryl (Erin Richards), Rachel's sister and Matthew's mother, had visited a fertility clinic before getting pregnant. She and David had been trying for a while, and in her desperation to become a mother, Cheryl decided to use a sperm donor without telling her husband. Only, she didn't get the sperm she thought she was paying for.

The donor wasn't a stranger; it was Hayden, who paid off the fertility doctor to use his sperm in the insemination. It turns out, Cheryl used Rachel's name at the fertility clinic, fearing that she might be found out, so Hayden believed that Rachel was the woman he was inseminating. He couldn't stand the thought of her being tied to another man, so he orchestrated the entire operation using his family's money and connections.

How did Hayden set David up for murder on 'I Will Find You?'

After meeting Matthew at the Fourth of July party, Hayden couldn't stop thinking about him and became obsessed with the idea of taking back his biological son. So, he did the only logical thing: fake a murder. But first, he had to find a body. Lucky for him, his family owned a Swiss orphanage where a boy around Matthew's age had arrived. Hayden used his money to have the boy taken to the U.S. and murdered, planting the boy's dead body in Matthew's bed and making it look like David had killed his own son. With the help of his mother (Madeleine Stowe), he was able to manipulate the genetic testing so that the body found was identified as Matthew. With Matthew legally declared dead, Hayden was free to raise him as his own. Matthew, now 8, spent the last five years believing he was Hayden's son named Theo.

Who is Matthew's father in 'I Will Find You?'

Hayden spent years believing that he was Matthew's biological father, but in the final episode of I Will Find You, he learns the brutal truth: Matthew isn't his. Yes, Cheryl was artificially inseminated, but, as she learned soon after, she had already been pregnant at the time. David is Matthew's father.

By the time Hayden thought about getting a paternity test, he had already killed a boy and framed David for murder. Wanting desperately to protect her son and her family legacy, Hayden's mother lied to him about the results. What Hayden had done, after all, could not be undone.

What did David's dad and Nicky Fisher have to do with Matthew's Disappearance in 'I Will Find You?'

Once David breaks out of prison, he and Rachel follow the only lead they have: a witness who testified that she saw David burying the murder weapon in the woods on the night of Matthew's murder. David tracks her down, and while she maintains she saw an unidentified man burying the murder weapon that night, she admits that Nicky Fisher, the local mob boss, paid her to testify that she saw David.

David is convinced that Nicky Fisher has his son, but Nicky is actually just a red herring. He paid the witness to ensure that David would end up in jail, but only because David's cop father, Lenny (Hugh Thompson), had previously sent Nicky's own son to jail, where he then died. Nicky, blaming David's father, decided that David's trial was the perfect opportunity to get his revenge. (It also didn't hurt that David and his partner had, in fact, buried the murder weapon on the night of Matthew's death in an effort to save David from prison.)

How does 'I Will Find You' end?

After spending the season hunting David, FBI Agents Sarah Greer (Logan Browning) and Max Williams (Chi McBride)—partners and a father-daughter pair—take a leap of faith in the series finale, choosing to trust the escaped convict instead. Despite being suspended after a shootout with Nicky Fisher's men that left Max in the hospital, Sarah determines that Matthew's case is connected to that of a missing boy from Switzerland—the boy who was killed and believed to be Matthew. She decides to team up with Rachel and David to rescue Matthew from Hayden before they can leave the country.

While Rachel, David, and Sarah head to the Payne Estate, Cheryl heads to visit Max in the hospital and gives him proof that Matthew was not the boy who was found dead all those years ago. She had a family friend run another DNA test on the blood found the night of the murder, and it wasn't a match. With this new evidence, Max calls in reinforcements from the FBI.

Before the FBI can arrive, however, Hayden shoots his mother after learning that Matthew was never his biological son and shoots David as they both run after a very confused Matthew. Sarah and Rachel manage to catch up with him before he can escape, and, without a way out, Hayden decides not to surrender. He points his gun at Rachel instead, forcing Sarah to shoot him.

The finale then cuts to months later. After solving David's case, Sarah took over as the head of the FBI's Boston Fugitive Task Force. Meanwhile, David was cleared of all charges, and he and Cheryl were able to take their son home. Cheryl also gave birth to a baby girl with her new husband, and David and Rachel are giving their relationship a shot. Their entire blended family is adjusting to their new lives in Boston.

When you're looking to get lost in a book, sometimes you need your reading material to match your mood. With Marie Claire's series "Buy the Book," we do the heavy lifting for you. We're offering curated, highly specific recommendations for whatever you're looking for—whether you're in your feels or hooked on a subgenre trending on #BookTok.

Maybe there’s something in the air, or we’re deep in a Couples Therapy rewatch, but it seems like ethical non-monogamy is everywhere in pop culture. From Olivia Wilde’s new comedy The Invite and book-to-screen adaptations like Netflix’s Vladimir to plenty of polyamory podcasts, the topic of inviting a person(s) into a coupleship is proudly out in the open.

And why shouldn’t it? Folks have been widening their romantic circle for decades (hello, key parties). Perhaps a holdover from that horny, halcyon post-COVID era, people are increasingly interested in experimenting to find what works for them. According to a 2023 YouGov survey, a third of U.S. adults consider an ideal relationship to be non-monogamous in some fashion.

Authors are also flocking to the topic. Recent hit novels have delved into the minds of romantic partners, and memoirs and non-fiction books are providing blueprints for entering such arrangements—or for whether they can actually work. Whether you’re a fiction or nonfiction fan, and no matter where you stand on ENM, there’s a book about polyamore for you. Below, check out the best books about entering, maintaining, and in some cases, leaving an open relationship.

"A woman sits next to a very dashing, mysterious man in first class, decides he's the love of her life," Tia Williams says, describing her new book, The Missed Connection. "They didn't exchange information, and she hires a detective to track him down. The detective is also hot, so she has a love triangle on her hands."

The Missed Connection is Williams’ eighth novel, the latest in a successful career that includes Seven Days in June and The Perfect Find, which was adapted into a film starring Gabrielle Union. Williams certainly knows how to craft a romance, but before she was dreaming up stories about jet-setters and detectives, her ideas came from her own life—with a twist.

Williams has been writing since she was a child, and as a “socially awkward” middle schooler, she developed a process for getting through tough days.

"I would come home and I would rewrite the day so that it worked out," Williams tells Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike on the "Nice Talk" podcast. "So that I said the funniest, coolest thing, that I got the guy. So I would do that as, like, I guess today you would call it self care ... And I was writing fiction, I was writing Tia fanfic."

And that fan fiction about her own life didn't stop once she was out of school. In her twenties, while working as a editor at Glamour and dating "a lunatic, as one does," Williams decided to make a change and move to Spain.

"I was teaching English to third graders in Seville, and while I was there, I just did what I always do," the author explains. "I started rewriting this horrific love story into something beautiful. I made my crazy boyfriend be, like, a good guy, and I gave it a happy ending, and all this stuff. And when I got back to New York, working at Condé Nast again, I was looking over what I'd written in Spain, I was like, 'Oh, this is my first book.'"

That book is 2004's The Accidental Diva—about a career-focused magazine beauty editor who falls for a performance artist.

Williams' habit of injecting her own life and background into her work isn't always quite so literal. More broadly, Williams writes about Black women, like herself, because they were left out of the Jackie Collins, Judith Krantz "glamor fiction" that she loved reading when she was growing up.

"There was always career drama and relationship intrigue, and it just felt so larger than life, and just so cool," Williams says. "But there were no Black people in those stories."

She goes on, "I remember having that thought, like, 'When I grow up, I'm gonna write these books starring us.' Because what I would do is recast the books with Black people, which is, like, a very dehumanizing thing to do as a kid, because you're teaching yourself Black is a version of white."

These days, Williams says she especially enjoys writing Black women villains. She's inspired by Dynasty's Dominique Deveraux, who was played by Diahann Carroll, and was "just as bitchy as Alexis, just as beautiful, just as glamorous, just as rich."

"It was like the audacity of us rooting for a Black female villain," Williams continues. "Because we're either supposed to hate her or she's supposed to be, like, good and virtuous, so we can love her. Loving someone who isn't good and virtuous but is Black was groundbreaking."

For more from Williams—including her writing tips and a glimpse at what goes down in the group chat for Black romance writers—check out this week's installment of "Nice Talk." The episode is available everywhere you listen to podcasts.

It's Juneteenth weekend, and while we believe you should be reading books by Black authors all year long, the three-day weekend is the perfect time to crack open an unputdownable work of Black history.

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were informed of their freedom—nearly two years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation—marking the official end of slavery in the United States. Though June 19, 1865 marks a significant victory, it is also a stark reminder of how those in power can manipulate the truth to maintain the status quo. Alongside the celebrations, you can honor the legacy of this day by spending time with stories by Black authors about Black American life and history.

Whether you’re looking to read a buzzy new book or check out that classic you’ve never gotten around to, the list below features fiction and nonfiction books that cover a wide range of Black American experiences from 1915 through the 1990s.

Love Island may dominate reality fans' summer watchlists, but the franchise isn't limited to two months. In addition to Love Island USA and Love Island UK, the dating-show franchise has expanded to dozens of countries. Of course, an international hit like Love Island has its own answer to a World Cup: Love Island: All Stars.

For those new to All Stars, the Love Island UK spinoff first aired in January 2024, reuniting several former Islanders for a second chance at love in the villa. Rather than changing up the show's format—for that, check out Peacock's Love Island Games—All Stars feels more like an extra season of the original phenomenon, tapping into an alumni roster with a lot of history.

Interested? Read on to learn how to tune into Love Island: All Stars next winter, including how to watch in the U.S. with no delay.

When does 'Love Island: All Stars' air?

For the past three years, Love Island: All Stars has arrived each winter to fill the LIUSA and LIUK-shaped holes in fans' hearts. The spinoff, led by host Maya Jama and narrator Iain Stirling, typically begins in mid-January and airs for five weeks.

Like the original series, Love Island: All Stars is filmed as close to real-time as possible. This means that the spinoff also includes audience votes that switch things up for the Islanders, as they film in a South African villa.

How can I watch 'Love Island: All Stars' in the U.S.?

All three seasons of Love Island: All Stars are currently available to stream on Peacock. While Love Island: All Stars season 4 has yet to be confirmed, the new season will likely air exclusively on Peacock in the U.S., following its fan-favorite third season. For season 3, new episodes hit Peacock two days after they air on ITV in the U.K.

If you're the impatient type or don't want to get spoiled by an IG reel, Love Island: All Stars will stream with no delay on ITVX, free with a TV license. If you don't have a VPN, you can use one like Nord VPN.

No one loves a romance novel quite like Prime Video. Over the last few years, the streamer's been on a roll—pouncing on the buzzy titles scrolling across your #BookTok FYP and snapping up their adaptation rights.

In the last five years alone, the platform has released series adaptations of Jenny Han's sun-drenched The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, Elle Kennedy's over-10-year-old hockey romance series Off Campus, and Carley Fortune's splashy Every Summer After novel, re-titled Every Year After. There are a handful of best-sellers on Prime Video's book-to-screen docket, from this September's STEM romance The Love Hypothesis to the long-awaited Fourth Wing series—but fans of Irish novels and love triangles have another to look forward to: The Boys of Tommen.

Author Chloe Walsh's The Boys of Tommen series delighted readers with six novels' worth of steamy romance, charming athlete tropes, and top-tier yearning—which means excitement's at a fever pitch to see all those details come to life on the screen. Read on for everything we know about The Boys of Tommen TV series adaptation so far.

What is 'Boys of Tommen' about?

Written by Irish author Chloe Walsh, The Boys of Tommen series follows a team of rugby players at the elite school Tommen College in County Cork, Ireland, as each athlete navigates love, rugby, and growing up. With six books already released and at least a few more forthcoming, each coming-of-age sports romance explores the relationship between one of the players and their love interest.

"It’s just an unbelievable constellation of characters, but it’s also got such a specificity for place and the time," Prime Video's International Content Chief, Nicole Clemens, told Deadline in February 2026, when the adaptation was announced.

Though originally published in 2018, the series experienced something of a renaissance online in recent years—like its older American-hockey-playing brother, Off Campus. Fans have praised the books for how they explore heavy emotional topics, including addiction, abuse, and trauma. The renewed interest stirred enough buzz to catch the eye of Prime Video, which announced the series adaptation via an Instagram post in February 2026.

What 'Boys of Tommen' books are being adapted in season 1 of the TV series?

Prime Video has announced that the first season of the show will feature eight episodes that explore the first two books in the Boys of Tommen series, Binding 13 and Keeping 13. The duology focuses on the forbidden love story of star rugby player Johnny Kavanagh and shy new girl Shannon Lynch. "Both teenagers are hiding secrets; Johnny, a potentially career-ending injury, and Shannon, a troubled and violent home life," the show's logline describes. "Through their secret and highly charged connection, the two teens from opposite worlds battle against the odds and find a way to save each other."

Though future seasons have yet to be confirmed, should they be greenlit, viewers can expect them to follow the subsequent books: Saving 6, Redeeming 6, Taming 7, and Releasing 10.

Who is involved behind the scenes of the 'Boys of Tommen' TV show?

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder alum, Poppy Cogan, takes the helm as the show's lead writer and executive producer. She shares the latter title with author Chloe Walsh.

Prime Video's International Content Chief Nicole Clemens teased that "Poppy's scripts capture the intensity of Johnny and Shannon's powerful romance and dive into the rich constellation of characters to explore the themes of mental health, bullying, and resilience with the same authenticity that fans love in Chloe's books."

Also behind the series are the production houses Drama Republic (One Day), Temple Hill (Twilight), and wiip (The Summer I Turned Pretty). Irish filmmaker Brendan Canty—known for directing Hozier's "Take Me To Church" music video—is also attached to direct.

Who has been cast in the 'Boys of Tommen' TV show?

We already know a handful of the Tommen College coeds! In late May, Prime Video announced Nancy Surridge and Conor Sánchez will lead the first season as Shannon and Johnny. While Sánchez already has a few acting credits under his belt—including Power & Glory, One Night, and Invertigo—Boys of Tommen will be Surridge's breakout role.

James O'Donoghue and Sophie McGibbon were also cast as Joey Lynch and Aoife Molloy, the romantic leads of the third and fourth Boys of Tommen books. McGibbon will appear later this year alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones as Miss Grey in the forthcoming Sense & Sensibility movie adaptation. O'Donoghue, meanwhile, can be seen in Fair City and A Witch's Tale.

“We searched far and wide, receiving over 3,000 casting suggestions from across the U.K. and Ireland, but from the moment Nancy, Conor, James, and Sophie walked into the room, it was clear we’d found something beyond special," director Brendan Canty said in a statement via a Prime Video press release. "Each of them brings the spirit and emotional depth this story demands, and I couldn’t be more excited to bring Chloe’s world to the screen with this extraordinary young cast.”

Beyond the leads of books 1 through 4, a handful of supporting cast members (and potential eventual stars) were announced in late June 2026. According to Deadline, Amelia May (Wild Cherry) will play Claire Biggs, and John Hewson—the youngest son of Bono from U2—will have one of his first major roles as Gerard Gibson. As readers will know, Book 5 turns its focus to Claire and Gerard's romance. The leading characters of Book 6, Claire's brother Hugh and Lizzie Young, have also been cast: Indy Lewis (Industry) will take on Lizzie, and Irish racecar driver Alex Dunne will make his acting debut as Hugh.

Other members in the ensemble include Dixie Egerickx (The Secret Garden) as Katie Wilmot, theater actress Daisy Jacob as Bella Wilkinson, rising Irish actor/filmmaker Jonathan Heed as Cormac Ryan, and newcomer Cathal Ó Síocháin as Ronan McGarry.

When will the 'Boys of Tommen' TV series be released?

Though the series got the green light from Prime Video earlier this year, it'll still be a while before our screens transport us to Cork. With the casting of the leads complete, we can assume that the show may be ready to move into production later in 2026. If that's the case and filming goes smoothly, it's possible we could see episodes in late 2027 or early 2028.

Fingers crossed we get more information soon; we'll keep this story updated as more details become available.

The documentary filmmaker Ivy Meeropol had never heard the name "E. Jean Carroll" when she read the writer's now-famous essay accusing Donald Trump of assault. Meeropol remembers where she was when she saw the piece had been published in New York Magazine. That feature was an excerpt from Carroll's book What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal, and it described an incident in the mid-1990s in which she said Trump attacked her in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman.

I remember the essay's publication, too. Except I knew just who E. Jean was. I grew up reading her and had worked with her at ELLE magazine. She was its advice columnist. I was fresh out of college and dumbfounded to be in her orbit. She was, and remains, one of the most iconic advice columnists of all time. Plus, a towering wit and a hilarious interlocutor. I was walking out of an appointment when I saw a barrage of texts. Had I seen the article? I devoured it in one sour gulp, awed that E. Jean had found the words to describe something so violating without compromising even one iota of her usual flair and humor.

After the article—and her book—came out in 2019, Trump would claim the assault she described could not have happened because E. Jean was not his type. She took him to court over that comment and several others, claiming that his disparagement of her amounted to defamation. Juries agreed. In 2025, a federal appeals court later upheld the $83.3 million judgment against him. It was and remains one of the few times the legal system has managed to impose a real and personal penalty on Donald Trump.

Back in 2019, Meeropol was astounded and impressed. She reached out to E. Jean long before the trial started, hoping to convince her to participate in a film. She succeeded, and the result is the documentary Ask E. Jean, so named after her brilliant and longstanding ELLE column. It's now playing in select theaters nationwide, premiering in May 2026—the same month that news broke that the Justice Department would open a criminal investigation into its subject, exploring whether E. Jean had lied under oath about how she was financing her case against the president. The film has continued to expand to new theaters in the weeks since.

The timing is "suspicious," Meeropol tells Marie Claire. And also frightening and shocking and, in a sense, validating. This film—and its message—matters.

At the beginning of their collaboration, Meeropol remembers E. Jean telling her that one of the things that most hurt her was that Trump had reduced her entire life to three minutes in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room. So Meeropol made sure the film is more expansive. It's a recounting of her singular life and career. Her trailblazing work. And of course, her ultimate triumph.

Below, Meeropol tells Marie Claire how she convinced E. Jean to agree to a documentary, the challenge of getting the project off the ground, and how she nailed its tone.

Marie Claire: Let’s start with the obvious: How did this story end up on your radar and why did you decide to make a documentary about it?

Ivy Meeropol: I read the excerpt in New York Magazine from [E. Jean’s book,] What Do We Need Men For? And somehow, I didn't really know who E. Jean was, but I was really struck by how she told that story. It wasn't just about the assault in Bergdorf Goodman. It was about her voice and her writing. I just found it so galvanizing. She has the most distinct voice, and she's hilarious and a vivid storyteller. I was horrified and kind of entertained at the same time. I felt like, God, I really needed that, and who is this person? So that was the hook.

It took a little while to persuade her to even speak with me. A mutual friend actually said to her, “Ivy Meeropol is trying to get to you. You should consider her. You should look at her work.” So E. Jean watched the film I made about Roy Cohn, because that had really just come out the same year. And then she watched my first film, Heir to an Execution, which is so personal [about the execution of my grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg]. So it's almost like she got to know me a little bit through that, and then she decided she would speak with me. After that, in true E. Jean fashion, she jumped into it.

MC: You mention the style of her writing, which is so funny and so enraging. Early in the film, there is that moment where E. Jean remembers telling her friend what happened. She says she thought her friend would laugh. You see it almost dawning on her how other people are going to see this story.

IM: Yes, and that's such an important point, because you almost can't say you're laughing without having people say, "Oh, well then you must've been having a good time." It’s a dangerous thing to admit that you were laughing and only to admit it, but to say, "This is totally normal. This is how a lot of women cope."

MC: Totally, but also I think there’s now a pressure on women to tell the worst stories in the worst possible way to make it clear how bad things have gotten. It's almost like we lose a certain kind of right of authorship because the only thing that breaks through is total despair and heartbreak. You obviously decided that you wanted to keep humor in this story, and E. Jean made that same decision. How much did you grapple with the tone of the film?

IM: You're putting your finger on what made the edit and the actual construction of this film so challenging. It was like, Okay, how are we laughing now and then we're crying here or horrified here or enraged? But we had to do that because that's the truth. She's just a brilliant writer. When I started to spend time with her, we were just laughing all the time. She makes me laugh. I sometimes make her laugh. I felt like we needed to see the whole picture.

And why not? I mean, it's not like we've stopped laughing because we've had horror in our lives. That's E. Jean's bigger message in a lot of ways too. She's like, "I'm never supposed to have had fun again?" There isn't one right way to be a victim.

MC: At the same time, the film really makes clear that E. Jean had to put a lot of thought into how she presented herself. She has a hairdresser. She needs to wear the right clothes. Why did you want to include those scenes of her preparing for the trial?

IM: We're not supposed to care about our looks, but everyone cares. And not only that, it was essential for her. The team had to make sure that the jury saw who she was because they were getting all this input from Trump saying, "She's not my type, and she's older." And how do we imagine that she was attractive to him? So she kept showing pictures of her looking incredibly gorgeous. Her clothes became armor.

I could never have predicted, of course, what exactly she would say about it or that it would be so powerful to hear her say, "I had to look fuckable." It's just so E. Jean. When the film screens, you can hear the gasps in the audience. There's uneasy laughter; sometimes cheering. It's real, and it's powerful.

MC: You could have made the film only focused on the trial, but you really told this full story of E. Jean's life and career. I grew up reading her writing, but I had no idea she had a talk show. I didn't know she was on Oprah. How did you decide how to frame her in the documentary and how much to include of her life before the trial?

IM: I really wanted to show that she was ahead of her time and that she really was a self-made woman. She had all these very traditional female roles: cheerleader, sorority sister, beauty queen. She married young, moved to Montana. But the minute she had an opportunity, she was working. She had this dream. She leaves her marriage. She goes to New York. She becomes one of the first female editors at these male-dominated magazines and a gonzo journalist.

I wanted to show that she was someone who was pushing the boundaries for women in that time period and still was subject to this incredible degree of sexism. To me, she was representative. Through her whole experience, we're able to understand this trajectory of feminism. How far we've come, but also where it stops and where it's almost worse than ever, from the exploitation of women and children's bodies to rape culture becoming normalized.

MC: In a way, this story is ongoing. You couldn't have anticipated that the Department of Justice would be opening an investigation into E. Jean. How did you respond to that news?

IM: When I first heard it, I was shocked. I mean, I shouldn't be, but I was. I was worried. I was worried about her. But I do feel like it's even more important that we're releasing this, because he's calling her a liar again—again. This film is the antidote to those accusations. I would like to find one person who comes out of watching this film and doesn't believe her. We use the actual depositions; he's under oath, and she is honest. So yes, I am glad the film is here to meet this moment.

MC: It's expensive to make and release a documentary. We know that so many companies are afraid of running afoul of this administration. Did you find that people were afraid of the story that you were telling?

IM: Well, those dynamics definitely affected how long it took to come together. Look, I had really hoped that I would be able to go to a streamer and get a budget and really just focus on the creative and the hard work of making a film like this. That didn't happen. I don't know if it was fear at that point, because I don't know if he'd fully established himself as this vengeful, erratic, dangerous person. But I do think there was a feeling that people were kind of burnt out on Trump and burnt out on MeToo. I heard a lot, "Its moment is over. It had its moment." But to me this wasn't even a MeToo story. This was a singular story about E. Jean. There was hesitation. I was confronted with it over and over while we were making the film, as we tried to find people who would support us. And when we were locking the picture, there were people who wanted their names off for various reasons—personal, political, a partner or a husband or a wife telling them, "I don't like this. I'm nervous about it."

It had an effect on those of us who stayed put. But it also made us feel even more like, "This is even more important." It just becomes more and more important.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Three new bombshells entered the Love Island USA villa in season 8’s sixth episode, but only one of them has made a real impact when it comes to testing the existing Islander couples. 24-year-old Sol Dean caught the eye of Sincere Rhea, whose relationship with Melanie Moreno has been tumultuous, to say the least. Sol, who also goes by Sol Mýa, and Sincere's chats have resulted in a few private kisses, which upset Melanie, and the original pair were on thin ice as he explored his other options.

America’s first vote of the season upped the ante when they officially broke up Melanie and Sincere for the foreseeable future by pairing Sol with Sincere. Now, they are exploring their connection in earnest...but if things don’t work out in the villa, she also has an off-island admirer in Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan. While we wait to find out her destiny, let’s get to know Sol better.

Sol works at a gym, and is also a model.

A native of Orange, California, Sol works at the front desk of a gym while also waitressing and modeling. On Instagram, she often posts from the BellaTec pilates studio in West Hollywood, citing pilates as the secret to her “toned and defined” body.

As a model, she is repped by Photogenics LA and was discovered at the U.S. Open of Surfing after high school. Sol briefly moved to Chicago to kickstart her modeling career, first signing to The Rock Agency, and then The Option Agency a few months later before eventually moving back to California.

Sol is a singer and has an interest in the entertainment industry.

Speaking with Voyage LA in 2024, Sol said that arts and creativity have always been a big part of her life and that she was heavily influenced by her father.

“Since a child, my father taught me how to sing and act, where that led me to a passion in the entertainment industry,” she said at the time. “Started off doing talent shows since 1st grade to get more comfortable in the public eye with expressing myself. Began writing my own music in my junior year of high school inspired once again by my father being a poet he helped me understand what I was feeling and was able to help me express it through my writing.” The confidence she built then led her to modeling, which launched her into the public eye.

Sol was close with her late father.

On Love Island USA, Sol tells Sincere that she recently lost her father—a loss that she is still grieving. In the few interviews she’s done, it’s clear how much her father influenced her, from her interest in the arts to building her confidence in her skills. When asked what her favorite childhood memories are, she cited her dad “playing oldies in the car, teaching me a classic duet by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack” as one of the key moments in her life that shaped her into the woman she is today.

Sol has pug dogs as pets.

Though Sol’s Instagram currently doesn’t feature any photos of her fur babies, she does mention her pugs in her professional bio on her modeling agency’s website. But unfortunately, unlike their mom, the dogs aren’t fans of hiking outdoors.

When you're looking to get lost in a book, sometimes you need your reading material to match your mood. With Marie Claire's series "Buy the Book," we do the heavy lifting for you. We're offering curated, highly specific recommendations for whatever you're looking for—whether you're in your feels or hooked on a subgenre trending on #BookTok.

In this author-curated rendition, Tia Williams—former beauty editor and bestselling author of novels like Seven Days in June and A Love Song for Ricki Wilde—shares her favorite globe-trotting romances.

A passionate, whirlwind romance is always irresistible, even when you live in the greatest city in the world. Tia Williams is known for nuanced, sexy romance novels in which New York City enclaves become the third main character—from the historical streets of Harlem to the effortless cool of her own home base, Brooklyn.

But in her latest release, The Missed Connection, the bestselling author taps into the fantasy of a cross-continent fling. The novel follows Sasha Cruz, an early-30s casting agent who sets off an international manhunt after meeting her dream man on a flight to Paris…and drinking so much rosé that she disembarks without learning his name.

Williams tells Marie Claire that the mystery man of her new novel, who hails from a town on Italy’s southern coast named Gallipoli, is partly inspired by her real-life love. “My husband’s father is from Gallipoli!” she says via email. “A few years ago, my husband and I spent a few weeks there, and I fell in love with it. The scent of the Cypress trees and the sea, the exquisite seafood, the rocky cliffs? It’s all so romantic and inspiring. I knew I’d write about this place.”

In The Missed Connection, Sasha is so intrigued by her crush, whom she dubs Seat F, that she hires a private investigator from her past to find her would-be lover. The recipe to Seat F’s allure: a dashing smile, an instant comfort, and the fantasy of being swept away from ordinary life.

“Being away from the predictability of everyday life is always delicious. The sights, the sounds, the tastes, the vibes—emotions are heightened because you’ve escaped from the ordinary,” she explains. “This is why international flings feel so powerful. A kiss in a different country always feels electric.”

To coincide with the release of her highly anticipated new book, which hit shelves on June 10, we asked the author to share her favorite books centered on international love stories, from historical novels to queer favorites.

Today's romance fans have no shortage of ships to swoon over, but it hits a bit harder when the actors' chemistry can even be seen off set. In Prime Video's latest book-to-TV adaptation, Every Year After, rising stars Sadie Soverall and Matt Cornett portray an irresistible second-chance romance. Former childhood besties Percy (Soverall) and Sam (Cornett) spent every summer together in Barry's Bay, until their building romance was interrupted by an irreparable mistake. When Percy returns to mourn a loved one's death, old feelings reemerge and threaten to upend the life that Sam has built without her.

In honor of the series' streaming debut, Soverall and Cornett sat down with Marie Claire to test their friendship with a game of How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?. The pair quickly proved how much they've learned about each other while making the show, as they guessed each other's favorite romance tropes, childhood celebrity crushes, and must-have snacks and sweet treats. Most tellingly, Cornett confirmed that the cast-mate he'd text first—minus Michael Bradway, who he considers his "brother" on- and off-screen—was Soverall. After all, he assured, he's "such a big Sadie Soverall fan."

Watch the full challenge above, then head to Prime Video to watch Every Year After, streaming now.

These days, reality TV is the closest thing we have to a monoculture—especially if you’re tuning into the new seasons of Love Island USA and UK, which have audiences tuning in daily. In both versions, a group of singles is flown to an island (Fiji for USA, Mallorca for UK) and filmed constantly for a six-week stint. During that time, they couple up with fellow contestants and their bonds are tested when new bombshells enter the villa. Fans can also weigh in by voting for who gets to stay and who gets dumped, ultimately crowning a winning couple at the end of the season.

Aside from love blooming in the Fiji villa, one of the most charming aspects of the Love Island franchise is Iain Stirling, the 38-year-old comedian who provides the sassy voiceover narration that pokes fun at the absurdity unfolding. But while Stirling’s voiceover is a crucial part of the Love Island ethos, we very rarely get to see him in the flesh.

So who is this mysterious Scottish jokester? With both Love Island USA season 8 and Love Island UK season 13 airing now, let’s get to know Stirling a little better below.

Iain Stirling dropped out of law school to become a comedian.

Stirling was in his final year of law school at the University of Edinburgh when he discovered comedy. He told The Telegraph that, oddly enough, comedy seemed like the more viable path forward. “I probably wouldn’t be doing comedy if it wasn’t for the fact that I was doing stand-up and getting a few gigs, while I was also applying for law internships and getting absolutely nothing,” he told the newspaper in 2017.

Those stand-up gigs led to him being named one of Scotland’s Hottest Newcomers, and his career soon began to take off. His TV appearances began in children’s television, where he earned a few BAFTA nominations, before he was tapped for Love Island.

Iain Stirling is a podcaster and a Twitch streamer, and is married to Irish actress and presenter Laura Whitmore.

In addition to performing as a stand-up comedian, Stirling has appeared on various TV series, including season 8 of Taskmaster, where he finished as the runner-up, and Celebrity MasterChef: Christmas Cook-Off, which he won. Since 2017, he has operated a Twitch account where he broadcasts himself playing FIFA.

He and his wife, Laura Whitmore, also host a true-crime podcast called "Murder They Wrote," produced by BBC. The couple has been married since 2020 and has two children, their youngest just born in May 2026. (Whitmore is also a Love Island alum; the Irish model and media personality stepped in to replace the late Caroline Flack as Love Island UK host for seasons 6 and 7.)

Iain Stirling didn’t have to audition for the 'Love Island' gig.

All of Stirling’s odd jobs led him to the villa. In 2018, he told the Evening Standard that a clip of his previous voiceover work landed him the job. “I’d done the voiceover for a show called Who Let the Dogs Out with Ashleigh and Pudsey, who were on Britain’s Got Talent. They taught children and their dogs to do tricks,” he explained at the time.

“That’s the clip that got sent to ITV to get me this job, insanely enough. I thought about not taking it because I wanted to get my Edinburgh show in shape. Imagine—I’d be a very bitter man right now,” he added.

Iain Stirling and his writing partner, Mark Busk-Cowley, write the jokes for the 'Love Island' narration.

Stirling explained to The Hollywood Reporter that he and Busk-Cowley (one of Love Island's co-creators) write the show's narration based on rough cuts of episodes, a few days before they air. “Where the voiceover would be, the producers have recorded some temporary voiceover, so we just start writing it,” he told the trade outlet last summer, during season 7 of Love Island USA. “We pause it when we hear a voiceover, put a little time code for where it goes and then just start writing the jokes. We go through act by act and just write them all, record them, send them to the channel.”

For Stirling, Love Island narration allows him to "say the thing that nobody should say." Speaking with Esquire, he added that "with Love Island, I get to say it with my chest … and get a bit naughty with it.”

Due to the semi-live nature of the entire experience, Stirling is also able to weigh in on real-time fan reactions and mishaps in production—like in episode 8, when he commented on the app crashing when the first fan vote opened. “It is scripted, but it is quite loose,” he told USA Insider. “And it is very recently written. The ink has yet to dry on the page.”

He admits to rooting for the cast members who are "slightly ostracized" from the group.

Stirling feels a kindred spirit with the Islanders who don’t fit in because that was his “entire time at high school.” While we don’t yet have his take on the season 8 cast, he told The Hollywood Reporter that he was rooting for Amaya, Huda, and Austin in the seventh season. “It’s funny calling them rejects or oddballs because obviously they’re also incredibly articulate and beautiful people, but by the weird Love Island law that we live in, that’s what they are, I suppose.”

He also admitted that the hardest days for him and his writing team are right after recouplings. “When they’ve all been put into the couples, and you watch them walk off in their own couples, to different parts of the villa and we’re like, ‘Oh, they’re all going to have a little chat now.' Because we know we’ve got to do a joke for every couple as they bounce around the villa.”

Taylor Swift gives me football outfit pointers. Kylie Jenner's courtside style provides play-by-plays for sporting my NBA team's colors. But now, with the FIFA World Cup in full swing, my soccer outfits need a fashion girl-turned-fan to source for inspiration.

The World Cup follows the same four-year schedule as the Olympics, but between Major League Soccer and the Premiere League, there's always a game going on. That said, the last two years of matches—and the celebrities cheering from said stands—promised my summer 2026 closet was stocked with World Cup watch party outfits.

Back in July 2024, Rihanna gave up her seat at the Paris Olympics for the AC Milan vs. Manchester City soccer game at Yankee Stadium. Her sports jersey set didn't root for a specific team, rather her favorite fashion brands: Puma, Loewe, Bottega Veneta, and Miu Miu. By 2025, denim trends became staples at stadiums from Wales to L.A. Blake Lively supported her husband's soccer team, Wrexkham A.F.C., in baggy jeans, stuffed into Valentino Rockstud boots. Meanwhile, Kendall Jenner rooted for the Los Angeles Football Club in Khaite's straight-leg style and a Phoebe Philo bomber jacket.

I've never attended a professional soccer game before, but I'm ready for my first World Cup watch party this weekend with these A-listers as my guide.

Keep scrolling for the 8 best soccer outfits from VIP fans, ranging from WAGs like Victoria Beckham to Natalie Portman, co-founder of Angel City Football Club. If any of them attend the 2026 World Cup, I'll need a whole new vision board before the Knockout Stage.

Jennifer Garner's Soccer Outfit

Jennifer Garner takes soccer styling very seriously. She's an investor in the Angel City Football Club, after all. On the off chance her women's team loses, she makes sure her outfit is an easy win.

Four years ago, the 13 Going On 30 actor danced in the white jeans trend, a beige T-shirt, and Loewe's $1,100 Ballet Runner 2.0 sneaker. She looked so chic, fans hardly even noticed the 2-0 final score.

Natalie Portman's Soccer Outfit

Since ACFC co-founder Natalie Portman established her game-day uniform, she hasn't dared challenge it. During the June 2023 match-up between Paris Saint-Germain and Clermont Foot, she was spotted in a white button-down, a gray blazer, and mid-wash jeans. Two months later, she repeated almost the entire look.

Olivia Rodrigo's Soccer Outfit

Olivia Rodrigo fell for soccer years before Spotify decorated FC Barcelona’s jerseys with her logo last month. "I went to my first European football game a few years ago, and it was just the most electric, wonderful environment," she told Vogue of a Nov. 2024 battle between Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC.

She walked the field in a suede, mustard yellow pea coat from Miu Miu, stacked over a polka-dot, little black dress. Sneaker trends were no match for her beloved Frye Campus 14L Boots. The same knee-highs in chestnut brown graced Spotify's Instagram grid in May.

Rihanna's Soccer Outfit

Rihanna and the jersey trend go way back—to 2013, to be specific. Over the years, she's scored versions from the Chicago Bulls, the Indianapolis Colts, Paris Saint-Germain, mountain biking's Scott Racing Team, and even Savage x Fenty's limited-edition Super Bowl style.

Two years ago, her most subtle jersey—a black-and-white one from Loewe—joined her at Yankee Stadium's AC Milan vs. Manchester City match. The rest of her soccer outfit did most of the talking, including two Miu Miu mini skirts, Bottega Veneta's Solstice Bag, and sold-out Fenty x Puma Avanti sneakers. Their sidewall swoops return atop $100 Puma Speedcats, should you be a fan of RiRi's strawberry-red and white color combination.

Blake Lively's Soccer Outfit

Does being married to someone who owns a soccer team make you a WAG? I'd say so. Once Ryan Reynolds purchased the Welsh soccer club Wrexham A.F.C., Lively became the team's good luck charm. When she attended a game in April 2025, the team defeated the Charlton Athletic FC by a landslide.

The Gossip Girl alum never steers too far from her personal style in the stands. Her checkered button-down, white tank top, ripped jeans, and lace-up Valentino boots would've looked right at home in New York City, too.

Kendall Jenner's Soccer Outfit

The Kardashian-Jenner family has been soccer fans for years. Kim Kardashian's son, Saint West, adores the sport so much, he joined his mom in Nike's 2026 World Cup campaign.

In April 2025, Kendall Jenner represented her family at the Concacaf Champions Cup in L.A. She went full cool-girl mode in a leather bomber jacket, straight-leg jeans, and the ballet sneaker trend.

Victoria Beckham's Soccer Outfit

Victoria Beckham met David Beckham at a 1997 Manchester United match: "The fact that I went to the games really was just to kind of…some would say stalk him," she said in the Beckham documentary. Since then, she's become one of the sport's most iconic figures. During her early WAG days, she sported itty-bitty graphic tees, even tinier micro shorts, and more often than not, a five-figure Hermès Birkin bag.

Two decades later, her soccer style has taken a rich-mom turn. Since David Beckham purchased the Inter Miami team in 2018, Victoria has stayed true to oversize blazers, high-waisted trousers, and the occasional skirt set. Hermès Birkins are still her preferred plus-ones, though.

The status symbol stayed home from April 2026's Inter Miami vs. Austin FC game, but her white suit was so sleek, she didn't need it.

Once again, a buzzy summer romance show has arrived on Prime Video and made a cohort of fans fall in love with it. Based on Carley Fortune's 2022 debut novel, Every Summer After, Every Year After follows Percy Fraser (Sadie Soverall) and Sam Florek (Matt Cornett), who reunite in the picturesque Barry's Bay a decade after a mysterious betrayal torpedoes their teenage friends-to-lovers romance. Alongside the pair's second-chance encounter, the show's eight episodes flesh out some of the original book's supporting characters, from Percy's best friends Chantal (Aurora Perrineau) and Delilah (Abigail Cowen) to Sam's older brother Charlie (Michael Bradway).

Although Percy and Sam's time in the spotlight has seemingly come to an end, fear not: Fortune has written another book set within the Every Year After universe, so there's ample source material to pull from.

If you've already torn through the first season and are itching to return to Barry's Bay, you're not alone. Keep reading to find out everything we know about a potential Every Year After season 2 so far, including which character is poised to become the show's new romantic lead.

Has 'Every Year After' been renewed for season 2?

At the time of writing, Every Year After hasn’t been renewed for season 2 just yet.

However, showrunner Amy B. Harris has already thought extensively about the show’s future. "I see five seasons," she told Entertainment Weekly. "Obviously, there’s another book that’s connected to Barry’s Bay that I think will be a very exciting blueprint for us for a potential season 2."

Which Carley Fortune book would 'Every Year After' season 2 adapt?

Every Year After season 2 would primarily adapt Carley Fortune's 2025 book, One Golden Summer. The romance novel, also set in Barry's Bay, follows Sam's brother Charlie (Michael Bradway). Meaning, that's right: He does, in fact, survive season 1's shocking cliffhanger!

Over the course of One Golden Summer, Charlie falls in love with photographer Alice Everly, who returns to Barry's Bay years after taking a photo there that changed the course of her life. And yes, that photo just so happens to be the snapshot of Charlie, Percy, and Sam that Charlie sees at the end of the season 1 finale.

During a recent Teen Vogue interview, Bradway teased that the cast and crew crafted his character's season 1 storyline with One Golden Summer in mind. "There were definitely things that we did in the first season that we were intentional about," the actor told the outlet. "[We] made sure that Charlie acted a certain way [in relationships] because we knew that Alice was going to be coming next season."

What would 'Every Year After' season 2 be about?

While Charlie and Alice's romance will drive season 2's plot, Harris also plans to continue fleshing out the rest of the Every Year After characters' stories.

"We intentionally built out the ensemble because I think we can tell lots of stories with our main characters," she told Deadline. "Obviously, Sam and Percy are our love story, the one we were following this season, but to me, the love triangle between Jordie, Chantal, and Delilah has much more to explore."

During an interview with Elle, Harris pointed out that this broader interest in the show's ensemble is part of what inspired the choice to rename the show rather than use the original book title, Every Summer After. "The book is obviously Every Summer After and takes place during the summer, and the first season does take place in the summer," she said. "But what I was intrigued by is that it isn't just every summer that [these characters] have been...dealing with the ramifications of their behavior. That doesn't just affect your summers...I've been thinking a lot about the next season [of the show], and wanting there to be a fall, a winter, a spring."

Which cast members would return for 'Every Year After' season 2?

If Every Year After is renewed, you can expect all of season 1's major players to return, including Michael Bradway as Charlie, Sadie Soverall as Percy, Matt Cornett as Sam, Aurora Perrineau as Chantal, Abigail Cowen as Delilah, and Joseph Chiu as Jordie.

Although Elisha Cuthbert's character Sue passed away in season 1, she could still appear in flashbacks.

Meanwhile, season 2 will introduce a major new character: Alice Everly, the show's new female romantic lead and Charlie's eventual love interest. The word is still out on who will play her, so start your fan casts now.

When would 'Every Year After' season 2 come out?

Since Every Year After hasn't been renewed yet, it's unclear when a hypothetical season 2 would premiere. However, we can look at the season 1 timeline for an idea; the show was originally ordered in summer 2024, and by mid-summer 2025, the series was cast and began production. If more episodes are ordered quickly and the writers get to work ASAP, it's possible the series could pick back up in late 2026 or early 2027—depending on the time of year that the new season is set, of course. Then, hopefully we'd be back in Barry's Bay by late summer 2027 or fall 2027.

We'll keep this story updated as more information becomes available. In the meantime, you can get the show's source material, Every Summer After and One Golden Summer, on Bookshop.

This article contains major spoilers for season 1 of Every Year After. Like many buzzy romance shows, Prime Video's Every Year After started as a book. More specifically, the first season is an adaptation of author Carley Fortune's 2022 debut novel, Every Summer After.

Both versions follow Percy Fraser (Sadie Soverall) and Sam Florek (Matt Cornett) across two timelines. One tracks how the childhood best friends became each other's first loves over several summers. The other takes place a decade later, as the two reunite after a mysterious period of estrangement has derailed their relationship.

Although many of the story's major plot beats are the same, Every Year After also makes some adaptive changes to flesh out Barry's Bay, the picturesque lake town that Percy and Sam call home. Read on as we break down the major differences between Every Year After and the original book.

Why is the title of 'Every Year After' different from the book, 'Every Summer After?'

Although Every Year After adapts Fortune’s 2022 novel Every Summer After, the show title is obviously different.

During a recent Variety interview, Fortune shared that there were “a lot of conversations” about the decision. “There were a lot of conversations about it,” she said. “The feeling was that Every Year After opened it up to live beyond the book. And it was one of those things that in an adaptation, things just change when other people come into the mix.”

Although it's too soon to say, here's to hoping that means many more seasons could be in store.

How does Barry's Bay from 'Every Summer After' to 'Every Year After?'

Both the show and movie are set in the idyllic Canadian lake town of Barry's Bay, although the setting differs slightly from the page to screen. Fortune famously writes her love stories in her native Canada, and in the book, Barry's Bay is supposed to be in Ontario's cottage country—and is, in fact, a real place. However, in the Prime Video series, it's been fictionalized to be on the opposite side of the country in British Columbia. To account for the switch-up, Percy also hails from Seattle, Washington, not Toronto. (In real life, the show was shot on Bowen Island, an island outside of Vancouver.)

How does Percy's job in 'Every Year After' differ from the book?

In the book, adult Percy works alongside her best friend, Chantal (Aurora Perrineau), as a senior editor at a home decor magazine. However, in the show, she finds herself writing local obituaries.

“[It’s] one of the few things newspapers still need writers for,” she says in the series premiere. “It pays the bills.”

Percy’s death-centered job takes on a more personal note when she discovers that her former parental figure, Sue Florek (Elisha Cuthbert), has died.

How was Percy and Sam's first kiss changed from the book in 'Every Year After?'

In Every Year After, Percy and Sam’s first kiss is a little later in the story’s timeline. The book characters kiss in summer 2013 after watching The Blair Witch Project during a sleepover, prompting a terrified Percy to open up about her crush on Sam.

Meanwhile, in the show, the duo don’t kiss until the next summer, while Sam is teaching Percy a steamy anatomy lesson.

Is the love triangle between Jordie, Chantal, and Delilah in 'Every Year After' in the book?

Chantal barely appears on the page in Every Summer After, since the book's Percy returns to Barry’s Bay solo. However, in the show, a recently engaged Chantal accompanies Percy to the lake town for Sue’s memorial. There, she finds herself falling for Sam’s best friend Jordie (Joseph Chiu). At the same time, Percy’s childhood BFF Delilah (Abigail Cowen) is also harboring feelings for him (while in a less-than-happy marriage with Sam's brother Charlie).

No matter which couple you’re rooting for, we’re in uncharted territory, since Jordie, Chantal, and Delilah’s love triangle is entirely a show invention.

How does Delilah change from 'Every Summer After' to 'Every Year After?'

Many of the book characters are expanded on-screen, including Percy's childhood best friend Delilah who's changed extensively. In the book, she attends the same college as Sam but is not a part of the present timeline, as she and Percy have drifted apart. In the show, however, she's changed to wound up in an unhappy marriage (resulting in a show-original affair with Charlie). Her being a wealthy, local fixture is also unique to the series, and leads to her want for The Tavern—none of which happens on the page because it doesn't continue her storyline into adulthood.

Her character is changed in the past, as well. The arc about her becoming pregnant and having an abortion as a teenager is only in the show and comes up as Percy reflects upon their youth.

Why were flashbacks involving Sue added to 'Every Year After?'

Although Sue’s death is the inciting incident that sends Percy back to Barry’s Bay in the adult timeline, she’s not a present character in Every Summer After. Yet in Every Year After, she’s a major character in the flashback timeline, playing a major role in Percy’s adolescence.

Showrunner Amy B. Harris told Deadline that casting Canadian actress and '00s icon Elisha Cuthbert as Sue inspired her and the other writers to expand the character’s role in the series. “We weren’t sure how much we would use [Sue] until Elisha signed on,” Harris said. “At first it was going to be touches, and then once I knew we could get her, I was like, ‘Oh, good, I get to write really meaty material,’ because she’s here for it and can do it.”

Why was Percy inheriting The Tavern added to 'Every Year After?'

Once Percy arrives back in Barry’s Bay, she’s given a reason to stay when she discovers that Sue has left her local business, The Tavern, to her. Harris told Deadline that this show invention came from Every Year After’s writers fleshing out Percy and Sue’s relationship.

“I added the stuff about The Tavern, and what I kept thinking about when we were coming up with that storyline was that Sue really understood Percy,” she said. “That scene with the tiara and the tutu, when Percy says, ‘I don’t know if I can handle the crown,’ and Sue says, ‘You’re going to need to learn, because my boys aren’t going to want to'—to me, that was as much about the tavern and this life in Barry’s Bay that her boys weren’t necessarily going to hold on to. She knew that, but I think she also understood Percy really needed that.”

What did Percy do to hurt Sam in 'Every Summer After' vs. the show?

It's eventually revealed that Percy and Sam became estranged after Sam discovered that Percy slept with Charlie (Michael Bradway) during a tumultuous period of their relationship. In the book, Charlie tells Sam and Sue about his hook-up with Percy mere months after it happened.

That’s not the case in the show, in which Sam doesn’t learn the truth until years later. During episode 5, Sam attempts to rekindle his relationship with Percy in the adult timeline—and only then does he discover what went down between her and his brother.

How does the 'Every Summer After' book end in comparison to 'Every Year After?'

As it turns out, Every Year After doesn't necessarily adapt all of Every Summer After. It leaves fans swooning just enough and seems to tease that there's more to come from Percy and Sam's story—which is what's left on the page at the end of the book. Both the novel and drama pick up a year after Sue's memorial. The show hints that the former flame has spent months apart, but now they're both in better places, and may be open to exploring a new chapter. Whereas on the page, the time jump has led the two to being in a relationship and living together in Toronto. With Percy and Sam's will-they-won't-they wide open, we definitely have reason to believe there's more to come between them.

Not only that, the final cliffhanger involving Charlie—in which he has such a strong reaction to looking at an old photograph that he appears to have a medical emergency—isn't in Every Summer After. The incident occurs in One Golden Summer, the sequel, which follows his romance. The show certainly implies it hopes to adapt that love story next, but we'll let you pick up the book in the meantime to know Charlie's fate before then.

Shakira has sold out stadiums all over the world, but sports arenas are where she really shines. She has the 2020 Super Bowl under her belt, as well as two FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies. On June 11, Shakira kicked off soccer's biggest tournament again, this time wearing a custom Off-White outfit.

The Columbian superstar didn't grace the stage until the grand finale. Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy performed this year's official song, “Dai Dai," two weeks after the music video dropped. She was unmissable even in a sea of background dancers, thanks to her Off-White costume. According to the Italian label, Shakira's stylist, Nicolas Bru, brought "her personal pieces" into the design studio to "help guide the creative direction."

The first layer was a fitted, mock-neck bodysuit in a blinding neon yellow shade. Shakira's danced in one-pieces for years—including on last year's Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour—so she knew the silhouette could withstand her demanding choreography. Cut-outs of all shapes and sizes added dimension to the skintight bodice's bust and torso. Slightly smaller slits returned atop Shakira's matching, fingerless opera gloves, too.

Then, Off-White created an asymmetrical mini skirt entirely out of white, lavender, and butter yellow soccer jerseys. A cool breeze blew through Mexico City Stadium, revealing the "We Are Ready" script in bold letters. (For context, her "Dai Dai" music video opened with soccer legends saying, "Shakira, we are ready.")

To finish, the Grammy winner doubled up on sportswear styles with leather high-top sneakers from R13. (That's right, the denim brand beloved by Olivia Rodrigo, Katie Holmes, and Jennifer Lopez also has a stellar shoe catalog.) She personalized the stark white, $1,495 pair with highlighter yellow laces, alongside 2.5-inch platforms. Shakira had no problem landing each move in platform high-tops. Judging by last year's tour wardrobe rack, she actually prefers performing in stiff, ankle-supporting options like these.

It's been 16 years since Shakira last opened the World Cup, but her love affair with neon fashion is still going strong. Back in 2010, she sang her hit song, "Waka Waka," in a custom skirt set from Roberto Cavalli. Flourescent trim along her crop top, fringed skirt, and stacked bracelets beamed even brighter under ultraviolet blacklight. She opted out of shoes completely, a classic Shakira move that promised her two-piece was the main character. Even her microphone got the neon memo, a tradition she stayed true to during the 2026 opening ceremony.

Contrary to the Olympics, which opens with a single four-hour ceremony, the 2026 World Cup could spotlight up to 16 pre-match shows. (That's one for each host city.) Inglewood, California's opening ceremony will debut on June 12, with performers like Katy Perry, Anitta, Blackpink's Lisa, and Tyla on the roster. Shakira set a high bar for future fashion girls taking center stage at the World Cup this summer.

When Amanda Batula and West Wilson stepped onto the stage at the Summer House season 10 reunion, it soon became clear that the reality TV special would disappoint fans. Over three weeks, there was no real reckoning for Amanda and West’s controversial romance, as the pair’s emotionless affect and perceived lack of remorse meant there was no resolution, especially regarding Amanda’s betrayal of her “most loving, loyal friend,” Ciara Miller. But really, I should have known that Summer House was never going to dissect the duplicity to the extent that Ciara deserves.

Like most non-watchers who binged the Bravo hit after Amanda and West went public, I spent the past two-plus months rooting for Ciara to get her moment of retribution. For the past five seasons of Summer House, Ciara has been one of Amanda’s biggest supporters; she defended Amanda in arguments with her ex-husband Kyle Cooke and held Amanda’s hand through everything from identity crises to fertility issues. Ciara’s place in “Scamanda” also hit me, and countless other Black women, on a deeper level: We immediately understood the added layer of Amanda being white and Ciara being Black. While the average non-Black Bravo fan is experienced in sidestepping issues of race, Black women have kept their feet on necks since March 31, in hopes that the reunion would actually significantly address the elephant in the room.

But we were inevitably disappointed. Race seldom came up throughout the three-part reunion, and only when brought up by Ciara, Mia Calabrese, and KJ Dillard, the Black members of the cast. Early in part 2, host Andy Cohen asked Ciara to reflect on her discussion of the blowback she’s faced for publicly dating white men, in episode 7 of season 10. Ciara responded by astutely putting words to several dynamics Black women experience in interracial relationships: the mental toll of having your reaction to microaggressions be met with “it’s not that deep;” the patronizing insult of friends using therapy talk to placate instead of actually hearing you; the soul-need for your friends to acknowledge and empathize with your full humanity as someone experiencing racial prejudice.

But Cohen didn’t ask her any follow-up questions. After he turned to Amanda and West with a weak “Any response?” race was dropped, and the focus returned to Amanda’s self-victimization.

Summer House has had conversations about race before. While they’ve been rare, they’ve also been impactful: Ciara having Mya Allen’s back about experiencing microaggressions in the house in season 6; Mya and Gabby Prescod’s season 8 discussion about racial prejudice in dating; and Ciara, Mia, and KJ’s many intra-cultural talks in season 10. But as Ciara pointed out during the reunion, the non-Black cast members can pretend to be engaged, while mentally detaching from what’s being said. The purpose of reunions is to reflect on the show’s pivotal moments, when the cast can (ideally) employ distance, hindsight, and new information. Not only did Ciara have little distance from the betrayal she experienced in her friendship, but she was also tasked with demanding accountability from Amanda in the right way: not too spirited, not too harsh, not harping on the “race card.”

Since the reunion, Ciara opened up to Harper’s Bazaar about how “fucking tired” she is of having to be “strategic” in anticipating others’ reactions to her pain. “I have to maintain face, like, ‘Oh, this hurt my feelings, but I can’t even really express why it hurt my feelings, because people think that I’m going to bring up the race card, and everyone’s going to get all freaked out and then immediately not hear what I have to say.’”

Ciara has exhausted herself bringing these much-needed conversations to reality TV, and it shouldn’t be all on her, or Mia, or KJ, or future Black Summer House stars to keep them going. The season 10 reunion was a clear example of what happens when non-Black people don’t do their part in continuing the discussion. When Ciara is too heated or too emotional to tiptoe around white people’s feelings, that doesn’t mean that the subject of race should be dropped. It means that everyone else needs to be the support system that they claim to be, by putting aside their knee-jerk deflection when faced with racial discomfort, and actively listening when their Black friends ask for what they need. Ciara, her Black costars, and the Black Bravo fandom have been fighting for deeper conversations about race—now it’s time for the network to full send it.

2026 has enough designer collaborations to fill an entire FIFA World Cup roster. H&M x Stella McCartney, Gap x Victoria Beckham, Uniqlo x Cecilie Bahnsen, Old Navy x Christopher John Rogers, and the list goes on. It doesn't even include actual World Cup collaborations with Puma, Adidas, and more. Trust: They're scoring just as many style goals this summer.

Fashion brands began dropping FIFA World Cup collections weeks before the first match's kick-off on June 11. In late April, Old Navy released over 250 crewnecks, raglan T-shirts, and jerseys for fans of England, Brazil, France, Argentina, and the United States. Better yet, price tags range from $17.99 to $69.99, making this some of the tournament's most wallet-friendly merch.

Weeks later, Old Navy's sister brand, Gap, teamed up with FIFA on a much smaller line of oversize jerseys, hoodies, and baseball caps. If you root for Mexico, Spain, France, Argentina, or the U.S., you're in luck. The Zac Posen-led label traded modern-day sports gear for vintage-inspired prints from England in 1966 to Brazil in 2014.

It wouldn't be a World Cup without soccer sneakers dropping left and right. New York-based brand Kith, along with Lionel Messi and Adidas Football, reimagined the Adidas Superstar and Adidas Handball Spezial shoes. If the low-profile pairs didn't sell out already, Kendall Jenner and Lily Collins (fans of the OG models) might've made the switch.

Much like the soccer series itself, there's truly something for everyone—and every team—in fashion's best 2026 World Cup collaborations. Yes, the matches will continue for 39 days in 16 host cities. But styles are already selling as fast as stadium tickets did.

American Eagle's 2026 World Cup Collaboration

If your goal is to look less like a soccer spectator and more like an actual athlete, hit up American Eagle's collaboration with Umbro. The British label gave London girl classics (think polo shirts and track pants) a Team USA twist with its red, ivory, and navy blue color palette. Dozens of jerseys, mini dresses, micro-skorts, and matching sets are shoppable for under $70. Better yet, most (if not every style) is on sale right now.

Aerie's 2026 World Cup Collaboration

Aerie's loungewear line isn't to be underestimated, especially during World Cup season. Five core silhouettes—oversize T-shirts, matching crewnecks, fleece shorts, crew socks, and baseball caps—come in a nostalgic off-white shade. Then, the team colors of Mexico, Canada, Brazil, England, Croatia, France, Argentina, and the United States personalize each front profile. Socks start at $12.95, before fleece crewnecks peak at $59.95.

Levi's x U.S. Soccer 2026 World Cup Collaboration

The Levi's x U.S. Soccer collaboration is a match made in Americana style. If you're looking for ways to wear red, white, and blue without reading too patriotic, the $185 jean jacket in the strawberry color trend is right up your alley. The limited-edition line is packed with the Levi's denim you know and love, as well as a cropped take on the raglan top trend. Under-$50 tees are selling fast, but the outerwear offers more sizes for upwards of $185.

Puma x Salehe Bembury 2026 World Cup Collaboration

Puma's collaboration with L.A. footwear designer Salehe Bembury would make you unmissable in the World Cup stands. "When it came to the World Cup project, a lot of the questions I was asking centered around what rules could be broken and how we could offer something that felt different from what the audience was traditionally used to," Bembury told Highsnobiety.

Bembury's goal was to give goalkeeper uniforms—which are usually super colorful for the referees' sake—an even brighter makeover. Butter yellow, bubblegum pink, and aquamarine turned neon on soccer jerseys, lightweight polos, and the track pant trend. The $160 Puma x Salehe Bembury Velum Nitro Sneakers—running shoes with anti-Speedcat soles—are more versatile in a toasted, cool-toned tan.

Adidas Football x Kith 2026 World Cup Collaboration

Anything with Lionel Messi's name on it—whether it be Lay's chips, cologne, or Stanley cups—sells faster than you can say "Argentina." The same goes for Adidas Football x Kith's collaboration with Messi. All six sneakers aren't available anymore. The peony pink Handball Spezials and cream-colored Superstars were some of the first styles to go. If you're lucky, shorts, track pants, and matching jackets (all featuring Adidas's signature stripes) could still shut down your local World Cup watch party.

Old Navy's 2026 World Cup Collaboration

Old Navy did its big one this year. The brand combined rising street style trends (think raglan tees, polos, and track jackets) with the teams to watch at the 2026 World Cup. Countries ranging from France to Germany and the Korea Republic are represented across over 250 sportswear styles. Not a single select would set you back over $69.99.

Gap's 2026 World Cup Collaboration

Gap's collection is for the casual World Cup fans—the ones who will stop by a watch party and leave before the final goal. It's also for fashion girls who don't necessarily watch soccer, but want to look like they do. Jerseys for Canada, England, Spain, Argentina, France, Brazil, and more are joined by relaxed baseball caps, one-and-done hoodies, and trusty oversize tees. Some of Gap's World Cup-branded streetwear is so subtle, you'll have to zoom in to differentiate each team.

Love Island USA season 8 is fully underway on Peacock, which means we’ll be spending our summer dissecting every romantic gesture, offhanded remark, bombshell entrance, and cast departure. For those still getting acquainted, Love Island USA is a reality dating competition airing almost every night (they take Wednesdays off) from now through the end of July. Singles on the show form connections with each other at a remote villa in Fiji, which are then tested nightly through physical and emotional challenges and the new suitors who enter the villa.

Celebrities ranging from Kat Dennings to Tyler Hilton are tuning into the now-airing season 8, and the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Megan Thee Stallion, and Margot Robbie have admitted their fandom for previous seasons and the original UK version. And if you, like them, are looking for someone to talk to about all the drama unfolding daily, look no further than the companion talk show Love Island USA: Aftersun (not to be confused with the touching 2022 Paul Mescal film of the same name).

Here’s what you can expect from the talk show, including the format and the buzzy new hosts. (And if you're looking for the season 8 Islander's Instagrams, the current couple standings, or how to vote, we've got you covered.)

What is 'Love Island USA: Aftersun?'

Originally launched via the U.K. franchise, Aftersun is an after-show and space to dissect the drama that just unfolded, hear from dumped Islanders, and see exclusive never-before-seen clips from the previous week. Occasionally, the series will also feature celebrity panelists and contestants from previous seasons who dissect what's going on. Think of it like a video podcast that parses the details of everything that transpired in the villa, with the chance of seeing some of those outspoken celebrity fans.

Who hosts 'Love Island USA: Aftersun?'

Peacock and Love Island USA have officially pulled two new hosts for a chat! Summer House’s Ciara Miller and content creator and The Cut advice columnist Tefi Pessoa will be the new faces of the talk show, taking over from Love Island UK and Traitors alum Maura Higgins. Ariana Madix, of Vanderpump Rules fame, still hosts the main series.

When does 'Love Island USA: Aftersun' air?

Starting Saturday, June 13, Love Island USA: Aftersun will air every Saturday at 9:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. PT) on Peacock. Love Island USA will continue to air every other night, except Wednesdays.

Is it worth tuning into 'Love Island USA: Aftersun?'

Fans are mixed about how much the after-show really adds to the series, but are generally willing to give it a chance. And with Ciara—fresh off her standing-ovation-worthy performance at the Summer House reunion—and Tefi by her side, it’s worth seeing how they freshen up the talk show.

In her newly released memoir, Transcendent, Laverne Cox looks back at her life and career, including, of course, her breakthrough role as Sophia on Orange Is the New Black. When the series premiered, Cox was 41. And while she might have been trying to make a name for herself as an actor before this—looking back, she's glad that stardom happened when it did.

On the latest episode of the "Nice Talk" podcast, Cox opens up about how, in her childhood, she tried to gain love through her achievements in school, because she couldn't be loved for being her authentic self. "That's a problem. That's not healthy," Cox says, but she continued to see this pattern pop up in her adult life.

"We're turning 30, and like, well, wasn't a star yet. I wasn't famous yet, and I felt like a failure," she recalls. "And then, when I hit 40, it still hadn't happened. There was something in me that defines myself a little bit by what I do."

Now, having gone on to huge success as an actor and TV host, she has a different perspective on fame than she would have had earlier in life.

"What I understand now is that it is all to be of service to something bigger than me," she says. "It's not about my ego, which it would have been if it had happened in my twenties or thirties. I think fame would have been about my ego, and now it's about being of service. And so I think that's the difference between adult Laverne who's, like, a little more healed than the Laverne who was like, 'I'm gonna be rich and famous. I'm gonna show all of you bullies I'm fabulous' or whatever."

Part of that bigger mission is Cox's advocacy for trans rights and representation. She says that her book being released in the current political climate feels "divine."

"What we are witnessing around how trans people are talked about and legislated against in this moment is completely about dehumanization," Cox explains. "The Republican Party has been able to very successfully dehumanize trans people. I think they've done an amazing job of it." She says this "well organized, well funded propaganda campaign .... manufactures consent to take away rights and commit violence against us."

With her book, she's contributing—as she has many times in her career—to changing this hateful narrative.

"I think a lot of our work right now is to rehumanize trans people, and the way we do that is with stories," Cox continues. "We do that by telling our stories, elevating the voices and lived experiences of actual trans people."

For more from Cox—including tales about her "broke and fabulous" days in '90s New York City—check out this week's installment of "Nice Talk." The episode is available everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Yes, Taylor Swift joined the Kansas City Chiefs family when she started dating Travis Kelce. But she won't be so quick to marry into her fiancé's Cleveland Cavaliers fandom: She pledged allegiance to the New York Knicks over a decade ago. Swift's Knicks vs. Spurs Game 4 outfit on June 10 declared her house is still divided on the basketball court.

Only a genuine Knicks fan would book a red-eye flight from L.A.'s Toy Story 5 premiere to Madison Square Garden. Page Six first reported Swift would join Timothée Chalamet and Spike Lee in "celebrity row." If anyone can boost the NBA finalists' morale after Monday's tragic loss, it's Swift. With her infectious energy—and chic courtside style—the Knicks have a shot at resuming their 13-game winning streak. Swifties know she's that powerful.

Kelce is still grieving his beloved Cleveland Cavaliers' loss, far from the confines of MSG. Swift didn't have to do one last walkthrough of their rumored wedding venue alone—she was joined by Este and Alana Haim. The bride-to-be left all wedding whites at the security checkpoint. Instead, she committed to Knicks dressing with a cheeky homage to a superstar she references in The Tortured Poets Department.

The Haims (and their honorary sister) strolled into The Garden in matching shirts. Cobalt blue tops flooded the arena stands, but none of them delivered a play on words this creative: Swift altered Stevie Nicks's name to "Stevie Knicks," splattered in the team's signature orange shade across her torso.

Why Stevie? Well, she's always adored the Fleetwood Mac singer. "She's really been one of the reasons why I—or any female artist—gets to do what we get to do now. She’s paved the way for us," Swift said on the Eras Tour. She even referenced her in The Tortured Poets Department's "Clara Bow".

Turns out, Alana Haim made the T-shirt just for Swift. Vogue reported The Drama actor secured the Knicks blue Gildan shirts for $2.99 each at her local Michael's. Then, she took them home to her Cricut. "I’m obsessed with making merch for our tours; my sisters and I love merch, and every time we go on the road, the first thing we do is go to the local thrift store in whatever city we’re in and buy vintage shirts," she told Vogue. "I’ve wanted to make my own shirts forever, but I could never figure it out, but when I got home from our last tour, I bought a Cricut."

According to Alana, Swift specifically wanted to wear this punny piece to Game 4, though they brainstormed celebrity "Knick" names together. The Haims represented Hollywood legends Knicole Kidman and Knickleback. Alana also brought extras, in case Mariska Hargitay happened to pass their front-row seats: "Mariska was so down; she’s such an amazing human being, and I’m such a big fan of her, so the fact that she also wanted to wear one of my shirts was insane."

Swift paired the short sleeve with a straight-leg take on the black jeans trend by Area, which featured horizontal slits around each thigh. They seemed cut from the same cloth as the Area denim she wore to the 2024 Super Bowl, minus each keyhole's crystalized trim. Maybe they'll revive the same winning energy they brought to the Kansas City Chiefs on Super Bowl Sunday. Swift dangled a silver chainlink across her belt loops, but sky-high Versace sandals added yellow gold to the mix.

Thankfully, the no-bag policy was lifted before Game 4. So, Swift carried her Dior D-Motion Bag into MSG, no questions asked. The crossbody tote and its quilted bucket body sold out weeks ago, when it accessorized her little white Retrofête dress a few miles away from her team's home court. Kelce wasn't Swift's plus-one, but her engagement ring proved he was there in spirit.

The pop star's personal style has done a complete 180 since her first New York Knicks games. 1989-era Swift in 2014 would've never worn her faded wide-leg denim, H&M x Stella McCartney tank top, and Dior Cigale Bag at Game 3 of the Cavaliers vs. Knicks NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Skinny jeans were more of her courtside speed back in the day. Plus, her bejeweled tank would be way too flashy.

The "Blank Space" singer joined celebrity row for the first time on Oct. 29, 2014, when the Chicago Bulls defeated the Knicks. (That's two days after 1989 first broke sales records, by the way.) She kept her merch to a minimum, adding a teeny-tiny Knicks pin to her black top with three-quarter-length sleeves.

Whether she was on stage or in the MSG stands, matching sets were the main character in her 1989 closet. It's no surprise that skinny jeans and Christian Louboutin boots continued the color story. Six sets of buckles on each stiletto felt surprisingly grungy for the pop princess. Yet, because of their red bottoms, the Louboutins weren't too off-brand.

Once the 1989 debut dust settled, Swift returned to Madison Square Garden in Nov. 2014, hoping her second pair of skinny jeans would double as a good luck charm. Sadly, the Knicks lost again, this time to the Orlando Magic.

Swifties still won, though. Her style slam dunk stacked a burgundy long-sleeve and terracotta-tinted denim over black Rag & Bone boots. They were noticeably missing any embellishments, unless each block heel counts.

Originally, Swifties suspected this Knicks appearance would be like Swift's last: surprisingly devoid of any orange or blue picks. But she couldn't say no to matching with her friends in the front-row. Plus, her Stevie Knicks shirt wasn't an average way to root for her team. She put time and energy into concocting the theme.

Swift has gone all out for her Madison Square Garden sightings since 2019's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball. But don't expect her to scream too loud, Travis Kelce-style. The icon is being inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame tomorrow, June 11.

Hannah Berner has perfected the art of the overshare.

Spend even a few minutes consuming the comedian and podcaster's content—whether on social media, on stage, or on her and best friend Paige DeSorbo’s hit podcast “Giggly Squad,”—and you'll quickly pick up deeply intimate details about her life. Her bowel movements. Her underwear preferences. The McDonald's order that nearly made her miss a flight. The exact conversation she had with her mom that morning.

But unlike the many creators spinning Internet fame into mainstream careers, for the 34-year-old, access isn’t a means to an end or a tool for influence. It is the product itself. Vulnerability, she says, is her “superpower.”

"My job is to be myself and put myself out there and, not to get too deep, but try to make people less alone," she tells Marie Claire during a whirlwind week that includes filming a still-under-wraps acting project (separate from the scripted Netflix series she's developing with DeSorbo, Amy Poehler, and Kay Cannon) and presenting at the American Music Awards alongside fellow reality TV vet Lisa Rinna.

Berner doubles down on that philosophy in her second comedy special, None of My Business, now streaming on Hulu. Across the hour, she mines everything from sexting disasters and body insecurities to the increasingly complicated question of whether she wants children—and how that decision intersects with her ambitions, her career, and a husband (comedian Des Bishop) who is 16 years older than she is. The result is a set that’s both fearlessly personal and surprisingly universal, as if Berner is the inner voice of a generation that processes life's biggest questions in real time and often online.

"It takes a lot for me to be embarrassed," she says. "I purposely talk about not shaving my legs above my knee, me sweating, and awkward situations I get in; I think it normalizes being human and a multifaceted woman."

So when Berner appears on Zoom from a Los Angeles hotel room, bedhead and all, it feels reasonable to assume there isn't much left to uncover. Yet away from the rapid-fire punchlines, she's more measured than expected—still warm, giggly, and disarmingly candid, but also intentional about the business of being herself. Here, she talks about building a comedy career in public, navigating fame without losing herself, the friendship-powered empire she's built with DeSorbo, and the Summer House scandal that continues to reverberate across the Bravoverse.

Marie Claire: Your comedy special is called None of My Business, but as a Giggler, I feel like I know all of your business. As your platform's grown, how do you navigate what parts of yourself to protect?

HB: Number one is protecting the family—not to be so Italian. I learned early in my career that other people didn't sign up for public access and also that not everyone has a sense of humor—if you make a joke about something, people can take it seriously. When I bring up my family or my husband in public, I make sure it's either really, really hilarious and worth the joke or I don't. I never talk about my marriage, and that's probably the number one thing that I think is really healthy.

MC: Hannah-the-person and Hannah-the-character feel closely linked, but do you feel there’s a distinction between you and that public perception of you?

HB: It's been really hard for me to be PR trained. I'm still not good at it because I just believe in honesty. I do think, though, why my comedy connects with people is because people want to feel like they're just FaceTiming their friends. And I also never tried to replicate a different comedic voice because I've done reality TV, because I've done sketches online, I yearned to be myself.

MC: There’s a common saying with comics: the first special's easy to write because it's a lifetime worth of material, but with second specials, you have to start from scratch. How did working on this one compare to your first special on Netflix, We Ride at Dawn?

HB: You feel like you won a Super Bowl when your special comes out, and then you have to learn how to play football again because you literally have zero jokes. [This time around] I was going to the clubs being like, "Are cankles funny?" I literally started from nothing. And you wonder, Was I funny because I'd written these jokes that I know work, or am I just good at performing?

I was able to realize I knew my voice even more. I was insecure [in the beginning], and my husband, who's done like a trillion specials, was like, “It's always scary in the beginning.” But I love this hour so much. It's almost sad to have to burn it and not be able to tour it anymore.

MC: What’s your typical writing process?

HB: I was lucky that after the Netflix special came out, I went on tour with “Giggly Squad.” So I didn't have pressure to be coming up with jokes every day. But I do think hanging out with your friends, like when you're riffing with them, you see where there's something. So if I make someone laugh really hard, whatever I said, I write it down. If Paige starts dying laughing at something, there's something there. Sometimes, also, I'll say a story on “Giggly Squad” that will cause a lot of reaction where people DM me, and I'll think, Okay, let's expand that on stage. I'm like a dog sniffing around, just trying to collect stuff, and then when I'm finally ready to start putting it together, I take all of my notes, and I start to combine themes, and write it out, and then you don't know if it's all crap or any of it's good until you go on stage.

MC: You've also earned so many celebrity fans like Nikki Glaser, Chelsea Handler, and Amy Poehler. Is there someone's opinion, whether in that group or otherwise, who still makes you nervous? Or whose feedback matters more on jokes?

HB: Comedians are so insecure because, well, if the people don't laugh, they are the judges. So I don't care how much you can intellectualize the bit; I'm like, “If the crowd didn't laugh, the crowd didn't laugh.”

But also just being able to like make those comedians laugh in conversation is my favorite. Having Chelsea or Nikki make fun of me, that's my favorite. The fact that they're shooting the shit and busting my balls is an honor and a privilege. To be around these women and be able to ask questions and see how their brain works is really, really, really cool.

MC: In the special, you're also very candid about motherhood and deciding if you should or shouldn’t have kids. Going into this, did you feel any pressure about how you were presenting that journey?

HB: I honestly was going in purely with curiosity of, I'm touring the country, speaking to women all over the country, I want to do some control groups. And every single show, I would have women debate, “should I, should I not [have kids]?” And I'd tell them my fears, and it was therapeutic for me.

One of my favorite lines of the special is, “I can't just have a baby and leave it at home and go on tour. I'm not a male comedian.” Because I see fellow male comics who are my age and they're like, "Oh, I wanna have a kid." And I'm like, "Yeah, but that's not gonna affect you how it's gonna affect me." And I'm competitive, and I see the career path, and I like to call that out. So I kind of just use it to say all my intrusive thoughts and questions, but I feel like anyone, whether you're a mom or not a mom, relates.

MC: I want to ask about Paige because she is such a big part of your life and your career. You guys have built such a brand off your friendship, but how has monetizing the friendship changed it?

HB: We really haven't changed our “business.” I put it in quotations because it's me, Paige, and Grace [Battle Thompson, executive producer]—who really runs the show—and it's an extremely small team. Yes, more people know who we are, but we're just doing what we've always done. I think it's been really beneficial because she's always had her own stuff, and I've always had my own stuff, so we've never needed “Giggly Squad.” It's always been a choice.

It's been able to be this passion project that has ended up being financially really worth it. But because we never went into it for that reason, it's been able to stay consistent, because you can tell we're not doing money grabs with it. Like, we purposely don't make Gigglers pay for our Substack. We only release merch that we're obsessed with. We just want to have this fun community.

MC: Do you guys have any rules around conflict, like couples might, where you say, "This issue we're having is going to stay private," or is everything fair game because it makes you relatable?

HB: I honestly have to thank reality TV because we were put through the wringer. They did everything they could to rip our friendship apart. I can't tell you the things behind the scenes that happened to, like, literally end our friendship [and] we fought against the system. Bravo doesn't want two women to love each other—that's just not good TV.

So I think surviving television drama made our friendship so strong and our communication so strong. Even on the show, we had one or two tiffs that when we had to make up, we couldn't stop laughing, and they were like, "This is horrible TV. You guys are just not giving us what we need." And I'm like, "Because I'm not actually mad at her." So because we've forgiven and overcome difficult things, now when it’s like, "Oh, do you wanna do this video for Dunkin' or this video for Dunkin'?" It's not life or death.

But also, I do have to say we got lucky that creatively we work really well together in that I'm a little more type A with how I want things to be. And Paige is really good at narrowing down all my ideas. She's really good at saying no to things. In a meeting, we can finish each other's sentences.

Our number one thing is making sure the other one's never uncomfortable. So, sometimes teams could be arguing about something, and I'm like, "I'm calling Paige." And Paige is like, "Yeah, let's figure this out, me and you." Because we actually love each other.

MC: Speaking of Bravo, did you watch the Summer House reunion?

HB: I'm not because I have something called PTSD. Ciara’s keeping me in the know. So I'm getting it from the source.

MC: There is a fan theory that you and Paige were a part of how Ciara caught West and Amanda dating because you both hired a PI. Can you confirm or deny this rumor?

HB: I'll just say that we were there for [Ciara], emotionally.

MC: People are rewatching old seasons, and there's a lot of "justice for Hannah" discourse now. Is it satisfying for you to see people reassessing you on the show? Or would you actually rather people leave it in the past because you've moved on?

HB: Reality TV is so crazy. You see this happen with a lot of shows where people realize we did what the storyline wanted us to do, but now that we have more information, we know that it was actually different than what was shown. So I think it's cool for people to understand some of the tricks of reality TV. It's like WWE for people to be like, "Wait, she actually wasn't the worst in this situation.” So I think it's funny.

MC: I also want to ask about your project with Amy Poehler. What can you tease about it?

HB: We're writing. We're trying to figure it out. I feel like I'm a sponge trying to learn everything I can from Amy. So Paige and I are, it feels like, [in] graduate school for TV. I always say, I love keeping the Gigglers and the gays fed, so I just wanna make the best, funniest show for them. Just know if we're quiet, it's because we're working hard to do it.

MC: Stand-up and acting aren’t exactly the same thing, and reality TV is so different. Does working on this scratch a different itch or did it feel like a really natural extension?

HB: It feels natural in terms of they give us a scenario, like, “Let's say you and Paige were in Walgreens, what would you do?” and I'm like, "I'll tell you exactly what we do and what we'd say." So it's cool that we kind of already know our characters in a way, but we're changing it a bit because it is fictional. But creatively, I want to be doing different things. So acting has been on my vision board. Back in the day, stand-up comedians, if you were good enough, you'd get your own series or your own movie. So I think deep down, I always wanted to act, but I just didn't think it was possible. Stand-up was, like, the thing that you could do without waiting to get picked.

MC: Are you taking acting classes or are you learning on the ground from Amy?

HB: We will be taking acting classes for this show. We cannot disappoint the Gigglers. Paige is already researching and stuff, so don't worry: We are gonna take acting classes to act more like ourselves. I always joke that Paige is an incredible actress if you've ever seen Summer House. She should win an Oscar. Some of her one-liners and reactions are just incredible. So I have a lot of confidence in her.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

From The Summer I Turned Pretty to Off Campus, Prime Video has become the go-to streamer for the next big book-to-screen romance series. This summer is no exception, as viewers can look forward to a brand-new second-chance romance tale—courtesy of Every Year After.

Based on Carley Fortune's 2022 novel Every Summer After, the series follows childhood best friends Percy (Sadie Soverall) and Sam (Matt Cornett) as they become each other's first loves, only to be torn apart for the next decade. When they finally reunite, old feelings and past secrets surface in the picturesque vacation town of Barry's Bay.

Before you dive into the show, which premieres on June 10, here's everything to know about the cast of Every Year After.

Sadie Soverall as Percy Fraser

As a teenager, Every Year After heroine Persephone “Percy” Fraser spends her summers in Barry’s Bay. Over the course of several years, her friendship with boy-next-door Sam Florek (Matt Cornett) blossoms into young love. Years later, an adult Percy returns for Florek family matriarch Sue’s funeral, forcing her to reconnect with Sam years after a mysterious, devastating breakup tore them apart.

Sadie Soverall, 24, is a British actress best known for playing Beatrice in the Netflix series Fate: The Winx Saga. You might also recognize her from her role as one of the ex-lovers of Jacob Elordi’s character, Felix, in Emerald Fennell’s 2023 thriller Saltburn.

Sadie Soverall's Instagram: @sadiesoverall

Matt Cornett as Sam Florek

Every Year After leading man Sam Florek had a formative, ill-fated summer romance with his best friend, Percy, as a teenager. Today, he’s a doctor grieving his mother and dating a pediatric surgeon. Sparks between Percy and Sam inevitably fly when she returns to Barry’s Bay, but will they end up back together?

Matt Cornett, 27, came to fame as perfectionist theater kid E.J. in Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Other acting credits include Zombies 3, Summer of 69, and Minimum Wage.

Matt Cornett's Instagram: @mattcornett

Aurora Perrineau as Chantal

Chantal is Percy’s best friend in adulthood. A straight-laced lawyer, Chantal’s decision to accompany Percy back to Barry’s Bay might help her find herself outside of her demanding job.

Aurora Perrineau, 31, is an actress and model best known for playing Shana in the 2015 live-action film adaptation of Jem and the Holograms. Perrineau has also appeared in the horror-thriller Truth or Dare, as well as shows like Westworld and When They See Us.

Aurora Perrineau's Instagram: @auroraperrineau

Abigail Cowen as Delilah

Delilah is Percy’s childhood best friend.

Abigail Cowen, 28, previously appeared alongside Soverall in Fate: The Winx Saga, playing protagonist Bloom Peters. The actress told Teen Vogue that working together on a previous show helped them capture Delilah and Percy’s close-knit dynamic. “[Sadie is] like a sister to me, which was cool to play because Delilah and Percy were like sisters when they were young,” Cowen said. “When they’re young, Delilah’s this firecracker, free-spirit girl, and Percy’s more internal and quiet. Delilah pushes her outside of her comfort zone. And in adulthood, Percy actually pushes Delilah out of her comfort zone to eventually confront her own demons.”

Cowen can also be seen as Vicki in Stranger Things and as Dorcas in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Abigail Cowen’s Instagram: @abbeycowen

Michael Bradway as Charlie Florek

Charlie Florek is Sam's older brother. After befriending a teenage Percy, Charlie later follows his dying mother's request to reach out to her, prompting her long-awaited return to Barry's Bay.

Michael Bradway, 27, previously portrayed Jack Damon on the NBC drama Chicago Fire. Additionally, he can be seen in Marked Men and Safe House.

Michael Bradway’s Instagram: @michaelbradway_

Joseph Chiu as Jordie

Jordie is Sam’s best friend. Although he also grew up with Percy, Jordie initially pretends not to know his BFF's ex when she returns to Barry's Bay. How's that for friend loyalty?

Joseph Chiu, 24, booked his first major role as Spider in the 2025 Netflix horror film Fear Street: Prom Queen. Although he’s still a relative newcomer, he’s already booked TV appearances in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and The Miniature Wife.

Joseph Chiu's Instagram: @josephchiu0812

Elisha Cuthbert as Sue Florek

Sue isn’t just Sam and Charlie’s mom. She’s also a key figure in young Percy’s teenage years. When Sue dies of lymphoma, it’s her death that prompts Percy to return to Barry’s Bay and reconnect with the Floreks years later.

Elisha Cuthbert, 43, rose to fame as a scream queen with roles in 2000s horror films like Captivity, House of Wax, and The Quiet. More recently, she played Abby Phillips in four seasons of the Netflix comedy The Ranch.

Elisha Cuthbert's Instagram: @elishaphaneuf

If you love Every Year After and can't get enough of the Barry's Bay world, you can buy Every Summer After at Bookshop.

Bravo fans, it’s all led up to this. Tonight, the three-part Summer House season 10 reunion comes to an end with a final round of highly-anticipated revelations. And once again, I, the resident reality TV expert on Marie Claire’s team will be here to discuss the “Scamanda” bombshells live. (Be sure to check out our Part 1 and Part 2 takeaways first.)

For the past two weeks, the Summer House cast has been unraveling the controversial timeline of Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s romance. Host Andy Cohen has led the rest of the cast in demanding clarity, as the controversial couple admitted to lying to their friends, including Amanda and West’s respective exes, Kyle Cooke and Ciara Miller about their growing romance. The first two episodes dove deep into both the unraveling of Amanda and Kyle’s marriage and West’s pattern of behavior with exes like Ciara, Dara Levitan, and Meija Moreno. In the final hour, fans are hoping that Amanda and West will address lingering questions that have been subject to fan debate for over two months, including whether Amanda shows remorse (or an understanding) of the depth of her betrayal towards Ciara, and whether West actually has serious intentions of doing right by Amanda.

With the final part of the reunion set to begin in just a few minutes, I’ll be sharing live updates and thoughts on everything that’s revealed tonight’s special. —Quinci LeGardye, Culture Writer

This reunion has me feeling like an over-the-shoulder investigator, watching as Amanda and West’s narrative of their romance is picked apart. Some of the biggest bombshells from Parts 1 & 2:

Though Amanda and West claim they didn’t kiss until late February/early March, there are still questions about when their emotional connection began. Ciara’s suspicions started on January 17; she and West had been having “sleepovers” the previous fall, just a few months earlier.

Amanda and West admitted to lying about the cast about their connection in March, when the rumors about the romance began circulating.

West had been dating Mejia Moreno from February 2025 up to late March 2026. Though West denied that they’d been exclusive, Mejia told Ciara and Kyle, via FaceTime, that West had referred to her as his girlfriend, and that he’d allegedly told her that he’d get fired from the show if their relationship came out. Amanda knew about Mejia when she and West were getting together, but it’s unclear whether she knew the extent of the relationship.

Amanda’s biggest defense so far is that she got caught up in her feelings and “she’s just a girl in love [who] can’t be held accountable for [her] actions.” As Marie Claire contributor Radhika Menon points out, “Amanda continues to be defensive and hasn't acknowledged how hurtful her actions were—even as Ciara continuously points out the juxtaposition of how good of a friend she was to Amanda.”

I also want to recognize the rest of the Summer House cast, since the point of a normal reunion is to catch up with all the reality stars. Some developments:

Core threesome Kyle, Carl Radke, and Lindsay Hubbard seem to be in a much better place since season 10’s filming. Any lingering beef between Kyle and Carl regarding Soft Bar and their fight in the season 10 finale seems fully resolved. And ex-fiances Lindsay and Carl have rebuilt a friendship deeper than an UberEats collab, with Lindsay praising Carl for finally becoming “the person you are supposed to be and wanted to be.”

Mia Calabrese and Ciara are still besties and are now experiencing their single-girl eras while living in the same building. Mia confirmed that she ended things with her longtime boyfriend Scott Robert Williams after filming, and is now working on herself.

KJ Dillard revealed that he had a serious mental-health downturn after filming; he was hospitalized due to self-harm and diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. In a separate Ebony interview, he opened up about his mental-health journey, the toll it took on his relationship with Dara, and the pressures of being the first Black male cast member on Summer House.

Jesse Solomon is building his music career and ready to pursue a serious relationship. (And no, “Falling for Best Friend” isn’t about Ciara.)

Bailey Taylor accused Ben Waddell of "reprimanding women," including his girlfriend Sabrina Belle, and not having the same heat for men. (Frankly, there’s been too much else going on to focus on this, but Sabrina did respond on Instagram.)

And Levi Sebree popped in! Great to see her.

After some set-up, we are getting immediately into West and Amanda, thank Bravo. Since Part 2 caught all the way up to Amanda and Kyle’s separation (minus whatever will be shown on In the City), hopefully this hour will be all “Scamanda.”

Also, before I forget one very big question: What’s happening with Summer House season 11??? Ciara’s notably on her way to Fiji, so I need updates on the confirmed cast yesterday. —QL

It seems very clear that everyone in the Summer House cast started looking at the season 10 footage twice after Amanda and West’s announcement, even if Mia’s the one leading the charge. The way everyone chimes in when Ciara and Lindsay mention gaslighting shows how they’ve hurt all of their friends with the lying.

Also, after that unanimous assertion that Amanda had no friends in Part 1, interesting to hear West say that he and Amanda had mutual friends, closely followed by him recalling that he was bringing Amanda around his friends. —QL

This discussion on the semantics of cheating (i.e. emotional vs. physical) is definitely the deepest the reunion has dove in so far. But that is impossible to prove, especially going all the way back to last summer, so I appreciate Kyle trying to nail down the physical. His aside to Lindsay, “We’re not going to be able to prove that”? Chef’s kiss.

(Also, considering how much editing the show’s team probably had to do post-announcement, wouldn’t be mad if they got an Emmy nom.) —QL

Mia with an essential question: Did going public have more to do with showing accountability for their friends or getting ahead of the rumored video of them? And Amanda side-steps. —QL

Though Bravo’s reunion filming process is arguably excessive, Andy Cohen needed this length of time to get West tripping on his story and at least admitting that Mejia thought she and West were exclusive. If anything, the past three parts have solidified West’s seeming pattern of discarding the women he dates (notably, women of color in Ciara and Mejia’s case) without much regard for their feelings. —QL

It’s so sad to hear Kyle pointing out that Amanda was fresh out of a marriage and really vulnerable when West made the first move, and that she’s now so isolated from her cast mates, who have supported her through the reality-TV gauntlet for years.

Also, as Ciara points out, West hasn’t said anything yet like, Amanda’s worth it. —QL

The cast circles back to Amanda’s Instagram activity while she was sneaking around with West, from the song choices to the “this is how much I care” photo, and all she says is that those weren’t related to West, and that she…doesn’t put that much care into her posts? Ma’am, how long have you been a reality-TV celebrity? —QL

Ciara and Andy give Amanda a clear opening to speak directly to the Ciara friendship betrayal, after a montage of Ciara holding Amanda down all summer. Amanda repeats the I developed feelings for someone I shouldn’t have line, and does “deeply” apologize, but Ciara points out that Amanda barely gave her advance notice before the statement. Kyle and Lindsay were the ones to pick Ciara up off the floor.

Ciara then takes it to, why didn’t Amanda think and recognize that part of West's pursuit could've been spite towards Ciara. But I kind of wish she’d just stuck on the friendship level. ‘Cause, how does Amanda seemingly have no consideration for Ciara's feelings? Even in this talk, the emotions are in Ciara’s voice, not Amanda’s. —QL

I see a lot of myself in Ciara, as a fellow Black woman who hates crying in front of people, so I’m getting emotional watching her cry as she recalls seeing her mom get through romantic turmoil to become an independent single mom, and wanting that resilience for Amanda. Amanda’s reaction also seems like true remorse. But Amanda’s reasoning being a constant I didn’t think this far…it’s no wonder that fans have been shouting from the rooftops that Ciara deserved so much more. —QL

I have never heard the words “beta blockers” more than in the past three weeks. I still don’t really know what they are. But it seems very, very important that West does admit to taking one, after Andy points out that he and Amanda have been the least emotional participants in this entire reunion. —QL

At this point, a live-blog of this reunion could just be “This is so sad” over and over, but Kyle and Amanda’s hug killed me. Hearing their heartbeats over the mics…There was more love in that moment than when current partners West and Amanda were questioned on whether they were in love. —QL

I admittedly thought that it was a bit much when some fans crowned Lindsay the MVP of the reunion after Part 1… I stand corrected. I don’t think that Ciara, who’s closest to the situation, could get away with refusing to let go and vocalizing her confusion at all of West and Amanda’s half-answers and lack of introspection in this entire reunion, and consideration for the entire cast's feelings throughout their relationship. Sometimes we need someone further away to give their "birds-eye view."

Time to add “Andy, I didn’t learn anything” to the Bravo Hall of Fame. —QL

The biggest, most-explosive Summer House reunion ever ends on a bummer, despite a closing toast with Girl Scouts. Everything about this reality-TV friend group is up in the air, with no mention of Summer House season 11. What could be next for Summer House?

A BONUS EPISODE!!!!! Based on the post-reunion teaser, Summer House: The Aftermath will be a full episode(!) of the show picking up cameras three weeks after the reunion taping. We briefly see Amanda discuss West with Lindsay, Kyle discuss Amanda with West, and Ciara and Mejia sit down and compare notes face-to-face. Scamanda never ends!!!!

To be honest, this was such a surprise that I’m not sure if I’ll be back to live-blog the new episode. Whether or not, thank you for joining me as I put my reality-TV sociology fixation on main. And of course, Happy Summer! —QL

Back in the ‘70s—way before Twilight and True Blood got a new generation hooked on stories of sexy, brooding blood-suckers—prolific author Anne Rice ignited a vampire fever with Interview with the Vampire, the first book in her Vampire Chronicles series. A dozen more novels—plus a few spinoffs and crossover stories—followed over the course of more than 40 years. And though the paranormal book series is definitively complete following Rice’s 2021 death, it’s proven itself just as immortal as its main characters, finding new life in recent years as a prestige drama TV series on AMC that’s earned widespread critical acclaim and been praised for its depiction of queer characters and racial tensions.

The long-awaited third season arrives this summer, with a name change from Interview with the Vampire to The Vampire Lestat as it shifts focus from the first book in the series to its sequel. Whether you want to catch up on the source material before diving into the show or you’ve already sunk your teeth in and need more Louis and Lestat, read on for a full guide to The Vampire Chronicles book series.

What is 'The Vampire Chronicles' book series about?

With the core collection spanning 13 lengthy books, The Vampire Chronicles series covers quite a bit of ground. At the center of it all is Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman who was turned into a vampire in the 1700s. The series starts with Interview with the Vampire, as he tells the story of Louis de Pointe du Lac, whom he made into a vampire.

We get Lestat’s autobiography in Book 2, The Vampire Lestat, culminating in his tenure as a rock star in the 1980s—the attention from which he’s hoping will reunite him with old friends and stir up some drama between humans and vampires. The next three books—The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, and Memnoch the Devil—see Lestat fighting a major threat to the vampire community, grappling with his loneliness and lack of humanity, and coming into close contact with the devil.

Books 5 through 10 further build out Lestat’s world, both with and without him as a main character. We dive deep into the life stories of several familiar faces, including prominent vampires Marius and Armand, and see the universe expand to include characters from Rice’s witchy series, the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy.

Though Rice initially meant for Lestat’s saga to end with the 10th Vampire Chronicles book, 2003’s Blood Canticle, she resurrected him once again a decade later. Between 2014 and 2018, she published three final books in the series: Prince Lestat, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis, and Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat. The final installments begin as the vampire emerges from exile and attempts to calm widespread chaos by stepping up as leader of the vampire community.

Which books from 'The Vampire Chronicles' series have been adapted for the screen so far?

AMC’s critically adored TV series debuted in 2022 as Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire and kept that title for 2024's season 2 as well. Those initial 15 episodes bring to life the events of the first novel in The Vampire Chronicles, with Game of Thrones alum Jacob Anderson as Louis and Australian actor Sam Reid portraying Lestat.

Starting with the third season, which premiered on June 7, the show has been renamed Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat and will dig into the eponymous second book in Rice’s series. The new installment will reportedly also tie in The Queen of the Damned.

Meanwhile, AMC is also adapting Rice’s Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy, the titular characters of which feature heavily in the Vampire Chronicles books. Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches is now two seasons in, with a third currently in production. Both shows are part of AMC’s Immortal Universe based on Rice’s vast bibliography.

So far, the Immortal Universe also includes another series: Talamasca: The Secret Order, which debuted in fall 2025 and focuses on an organization that crops up in both the Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches books and is tasked with investigating and monitoring supernatural communities.

It's still early days, but in 2025, AMC revealed that an adaptation of Memnoch the Devil is also in development at the network. Lestat is still the main character in the fifth novel of the series, though without The Vampire Lestat renewed for additional seasons, it's unclear whether the Book 5 adaptation will be another installment, a spinoff, or a new show entirely.

Elsewhere, before The Vampire Chronicles got the prestige TV treatment, Interview with the Vampire was first brought to the screen as a 1994 film starring Tom Cruise as Lestat, Brad Pitt as Louis, and Kirsten Dunst as Claudia, a young girl-turned-vampire who becomes something of a daughter to the pair. (In the series, she's portrayed by Bailey Bass and Delainey Hayles.)

In 2002, a movie combining elements from both The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned—taking its title from the latter—premiered with Stuart Townsend as Lestat and Aaliyah as Akasha, the original vampire in Rice’s books.

How do I read 'The Vampire Chronicles' books in order?

Here are all 13 of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles books, from 1976’s Interview with the Vampire to 2018’s Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat:

• Interview With the Vampire (1976)
• The Vampire Lestat (1985)
• The Queen of the Damned (1988)
• The Tale of the Body Thief (1992)
• Memnoch the Devil (1995)
• The Vampire Armand (1998)
• Merrick (2000)
• Blood and Gold (2001)
• Blackwood Farm (2002)
• Blood Canticle (2003)
• Prince Lestat (2014)
• Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis (2016)
• Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat (2018)

Are there any spinoffs to 'The Vampire Chronicles' series?

Yes! About halfway through writing The Vampire Chronicles series, in 1998 and 1999, Rice published two more books that further flesh out the universe but can stand alone and don’t directly impact the plot of the main series. This New Tales of the Vampire series comprises Pandora and Vittorio, the Vampire. Pandora tells the story of the titular vampire, who has known Marius for centuries and crops up as a side character in Lestat’s 1980s timeline. Vittorio, the Vampire, meanwhile, is an autobiography of yet another centuries-old vampire. His story, however, doesn't crossover with the main characters of The Vampire Chronicles books.

And, while technically not direct spinoffs of the Vampire Chronicles books, Rice’s three Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels do take place in the same universe as and star characters that feature heavily in the vampire-focused series. They include 1990’s The Witching Hour, 1993’s Lasher, and 1994’s Taltos.

24-year-old Kenzie Annis is one of the original Islanders on the Love Island USA season 8—and of the OG cast, she’s had one of the more tumultuous romantic arcs. After first pairing with Zach Georgiou in the premiere, she was soon left single when he opted to leave her for bombshell Kayda Bosse. Kenzie then explored her connection with police officer Sean Reifel and two new bombshells, Gabriel Vasconcelos and Corbin Mims. Though briefly on the brink of elimination, Kenzie pairs with Corbin in the season’s fifth episode, which in turn resulted in Sean leaving the island.

Though she expressed remorse in leaving Sean vulnerable, she’s soon distracted by the latest bombshell to enter the villa in episode 6: Caleb McDaniel from North Carolina. While we wait to see whether she stays with Corbin or moves on to Caleb, let’s get to know the Kennesaw, Georgia native a little better.

Kenzie just graduated from nursing school.

Kenzie, whose real name is Mackenzie, posted a celebratory Instagram on May 17, 2026, announcing she could now “add ‘BSN’ to her name.” She graduated from Kennesaw State University with a nursing degree and posed with her friends and family in scrubs in an Instagram carousel just days before joining the Love Island USA cast. "I literally just graduated nursing school the day before getting here," she revealed in her intro in the season premiere.

In a pre-season interview, Kenzie added that she’s also a nanny to two young girls. “I could just eat them up, I love them!” she said.

Kenzie is a former competitive dancer.

In that same interview, Kenzie mentions her past as a competitive dancer and says that she does a split every morning as a stress reliever. She was a member of both the DancElite group and CK Danceworks Inc. She competed at the 2017 National Finals and placed 17th in the Top Intermediate Solo 15-19 category.

She had a mini-scandal before the season even premiered.

Before the cameras started rolling, eagle-eyed social media fans assumed Kenzie was affiliated with the MAGA movement when an image of her wearing a red hat with the slogan started circulating online. But after some investigation, it appears the photo was doctored and/or created using AI.

To throw more water on this controversy, Kenzie’s brother and father have both spoken out and clarified that their family does not support the president. “Me and my family are very against the Trump administration. We have never voted for Donald Trump,” her brother Alden said, while her father confirmed the same sentiment to TMZ.

Kenzie is hoping to emulate her parents' relationship.

In the pre-season interview, Kenzie calls herself a “big lovergirl inside” and mentions that her parents are still together after 30 years of marriage. “It’s beautiful to see how their marriage has grown…I want that kind of love,” she said.

Whether it’s with Corbin, Caleb, or some other still-to-be-seen bombshell, here’s hoping Kenzie finds what she’s looking for inside the villa!

If it wasn't for Cardi B's halftime show outfit at Game 3 of the NBA Finals, I would've grieved the New York Knicks' loss a lot harder. Her croc-covered matching set and Super Bowl-worthy performance made up for every controversial referee call inside Madison Square Garden on June 8.

The South Bronx native went all out for her hometown show. She nailed every tongue-twisting line in "Bodega Baddie" and "Bodak Yellow," while keeping up with the Knicks City Dancers. Stylist Kollin Carter chose leather, croc-embossed pieces Cardi could comfortably wear from courtside-to-court, beginning with a plunge bodysuit. Her under-bust corset added tons of texture to the spaghetti-strap halter top. The bustier's asymmetrical scales looked surprisingly realistic when the spotlight shined down.

Cardi B's charcoal gray corset was so structured, it looked like it could stand on its own. Her fitted pants seemed to be constructed from the same rough-to-the-touch mold. Each light-to-dark leg clung to the "I Like It" rapper's figure. Don't worry, though. The stiff silhouette didn't hold her back in the dancing department. Cardi's three-minute performance revealed the leggings were more flexible than they looked.

Cardi B's NBA Finals outfit didn't need any help standing out. It offered as much visual interest as any of her croc Hermès Birkin bags. (It's unclear if the two-piece set her back five-figures, though.) That said, she slipped on nude Christian Louboutin sandals and the anklet trend. You wouldn't know she wore simple stud earrings at all. The Grammy winner's pin-straight hair flowed all the way down to her knees.

Cardi B went straight from her courtside seat to the stage, leaving her son, Wave Set Cephus, to watch over her Chanel It bag. I'm surprised she even brought a purse at all—“TSA-style screening procedures” banned all bags from entering Madison Square Garden before Game 3. Even Karl-Anthony Towns's fiancée, Jordyn Woods, had to leave her "lucky" bag at home. (My superstitious side is convinced that's why we lost.)

Clearly, being the halftime performer had its perks. Cardi bypassed security with a Chanel 25 Mini Handbag in tow, courtesy of Matthieu Blazy's Métiers d'Art Spring 2026 show. Dalmation-print faux fur covered every square inch of the outer body, including its side pocket duo. Chanel's iconic chainlink straps—and a clasp's interlocked Cs—laced through the zipper-free tote, drawstring-style.

The $8,400 bag looked right at home in the New York City landmark. It made its runway debut in an abandoned subway just a few miles south of MSG. You may recognize Cardi B's Chanel purse from Hailey Bieber's collection. It joined her fellow Knicks fan's closet back in February.

To say I'm surprised the Knicks lost to the San Antonio Spurs would be an understatement. The June 8 match-up marked the end of my team's 13-game winning streak. I believe the Knicks can come back from this, but on the off chance they don't, I trust VIPs like Cardi B to serve style slam dunks in their honor.

Netflix's rom-com K-drama My Royal Nemesis has become the latest Korean series to catapult a rising actor into global fame. Written by Kang Hyun-joo, the weekly SBS series stars former The Glory villain Lim Ji-yeon as Kang Dan-shim, a Joseon-era commoner-turned-royal consort who finds herself transported into the body of a modern-day actress named Shin Seo-ri. Soon, she crosses paths with Cha Se-gye (Heo Nam-jun), a third-generation chaebol heir born out of wedlock who's determined to prove himself to his family. Thus begins the pair's enemies-to-lovers romance, a connection shown to span 300 years thanks to some past-lives plot twists.

Since its premiere on May 8, the time-travel romance has grown into one of the year's most popular K-dramas so far, catapulting Heo Nam-jun into the spotlight. After flying under the radar on acclaimed shows, the actor has doubled his Instagram following as fans have fallen for Dan-shim and Se-gye's swoon-worthy love story. Below, read on to learn more about Heo Nam-jun, from his own humble roots to his other shows to watch after My Royal Nemesis.

Heo Nam-jun grew up on a farm and first pursued music before becoming an actor.

Heo Nam-jun, 33, grew up on a farm in Korea's Gangwon province. (His birthday falls within My Royal Nemesis's run, on June 9.) According to The Korea Herald, he initially wanted to major in applied music for college; when it didn't work out, he turned to acting and decided to pursue it as a career.

"I realized in high school that no matter how hard I worked, music just wasn't going to work out for me," Heo explained in 2024. "That was the point where I realized that some things simply don't work out no matter how hard you try. It was the first time I really ran into a wall."

Before 'My Royal Nemesis,' Heo Nam-jun was best known for playing a sadistic villain.

After graduating from Sungkyunkwan University's Department of Acting Arts, Heo eventually made his acting debut in 2019. His first roles included supporting parts in dramas like Missing: The Other Side, Snowdrop, and The Impossible Heir; and movies including Double Patty and Night in Paradise. Netflix fans may also recognize him from his role playing soldier Kang Seok-chan in seasons 2 and 3 of Sweet Home.

In late 2024, Heo caught the attention of the K-drama industry in back-to-back roles. He played ruthless villain Kim Sang-hyuk in the Korean thriller adaptation of Your Honor, and warm second-lead Ji Sang-woo in When the Phone Rings. For the former, Heo received one of Korean television's biggest honors, a Blue Dragon Series Award nomination for Best New Actor.

Heo was lauded for giving great performances of the very different characters, and soon landed both a supporting role in Netflix's space drama When the Stars Gossip. He later got his first lead role, in the historical coming-of-age drama A Hundred Memories.

In a November 2025 interview, he told Forbes, "The past year was filled with both pressure and happiness. Being able to continue acting with great people in good projects is truly a blessing. For me, being able to do what I love for a living is already a success."

He's a fraternal twin and a loving uncle.

Though Heo mostly keeps his personal life private, he recently opened up about his bond with his sibling. While appearing on the popular YouTube show Salon Drip, hosted by Jang Do-yeon, the actor revealed that he's a fraternal twin and the elder of the brothers.

"We don't look alike at all," he explained. "My brother is totally a T [a Thinking type in MBTI] and a planner. He's taller than me and has darker features. My brother grew much faster than me so even though I'm the older brother in name, I was treated like the younger one. I ended up inheriting all the clothes."

When asked who was more popular with girls when they were young, Heo added, "My brother was more popular. I've never really been popular. I've received [love] confessions before, but not many."

Nam-jun's brother is also a new dad. Last January, the actor posted a sweet Instagram picture holding his nephew. Per Zapzee, he also mentioned the newborn in his acceptance speech at the 2024 MBC Drama Awards. "“Father, Mother, my brother and my nephew born just a few days ago, I love you," he said at the time.

He called starring in an IU music video the "biggest credit of his life."

Before My Royal Nemesis and A Hundred Memories, Heo starred in his first lead role alongside one of Korea's biggest stars. In May 2025, he played the romantic lead opposite IU in her nostalgic music video for the ballad "Never Ending Story."

A few months later, during his appearance on his former cast mate Yoo Yeon-seok's YouTube channel, Heo opened up about the video's filming, calling the video the "biggest credit of [his] life" so far.

"When the offer first came in, this thought hit me: 'IU knows I exist in this world.' I could say that I've made it. I want no more but to just work hard like how I did," he said. "Because I adored her when I was young. I really enjoyed her song and I was a big fan. I went up with my hands shaking and said hello, and couldn't say anything else. Even meeting her felt like a dream."

"I got more messages than ever in my life," he added. "They all said the same thing: 'You made it.' My parents said it was their happiest moment."

Love Island USA’s season 8 premiere ended in dramatic fashion when two new bombshells—one male and one female—dropped into the villa for the first time. 22-year-old Kayda Reese Bosse whisked away Bryce Dettloff and Zach Georgiou, both of whom were opting out of pursuing their current relationships, for a 24-hour getaway. By the end of episode 2, she chose to steal Zach from Kenzie Annis, and her confidence quickly had fans online paying attention.

“I’m 10 out of 10,” she asserts during her intro on the Peacock series. With Kayda officially coupled up on the show, now is the time to learn more about Love Island USA’s rising star.

Kayda is from the East Coast and has mixed heritage.

Kayda Bosse hails from Manchester, New Hampshire, which, as she explains to the girls in episode 3, is right above Boston. She has Haitian blood from her father’s side, while her mom is a mix of German and Irish.

At just 22, she’s one of the youngest contestants this season, with ages ranging from 22 to 29.

Kayda is a former model.

On Love Island USA, Kayda introduces herself as a server. She later admits that she did some modeling in New York City but left the profession because she didn’t enjoy the fast pace. At 5’9”, she is also a former high school basketball player and a shooting guard who set her hopes set on competing on "at least" a Division 2 college team.

Featured on the NCSA College Recruiting Page in 2023, her personal statement says she’s “been playing basketball since she learned how to walk” and that she credits her dad with “everything she knows.” She describes herself as “very smiley and happy person but when it comes to basketball, I always come ready to play.” Public information about Kayda's personal life is limited, so we're not sure if she achieved that collegiate athlete dream.

Kayda likes to travel.

During her one-on-one date with Zach, she cites traveling as one of her favorite hobbies, listing Croatia as a bucket list destination. On Instagram, her love of traveling is on display, with photos from the Bahamas, London, New York City, and more on her grid.

Her usual type is someone with dark features and tattoos.

While playing cornhole with Bryce in episode 2, she mentions that she is typically drawn to men with dark hair and dark features, and likes tattoos. It’s no surprise, then, that she picks Zach over blonde Bryce at the end of the episode, even though Zach doesn’t have any visible tattoos. Whether this will cause tension or make her eyes wander as new bombshells enter the villa remains to be seen.

This story contains spoilers about the Your Friends and Neighbors season 2 finale, "The Night of the Hunter." In art and in life, midlife has a way of piling on. Amanda Peet would know. On this season of Your Friends and Neighbors, Peet’s Mel—the ex-wife of Jon Hamm’s friendly neighborhood cat burglar—was a woman on the verge (or possibly in the midst of) a nervous breakdown. Fuming at a teenage daughter who refuses to follow her parentally-preordained path to Princeton; spinning out over her neighbors, both human and animal, who treat the property line dividing their yards as a light suggestion; enduring the sweaty, rage-inducing indignities of menopause, fearing that her days of being a sexually-vibrant person are behind her: Mel is pushed to the limits, and beyond them, in every aspect of her life.

Off-camera, as Peet recently documented in an essay for The New Yorker, she was diagnosed with (and underwent successful treatment for) breast cancer while her divorced parents were dying on opposite coasts. And with her husband of almost 20 years, David Benioff (of Game of Thrones showrunning fame), she’s a parent of three; her eldest daughter is about the same age as Mel’s daughter, Tori, and also just did the whole college-application rigamarole.

Ahead of the season 2 finale of the Apple TV series, Peet delves into it all, describing these trials in an endearingly matter-of-fact manner, whether delighting in her season of slapstick—including a particularly gross slip-and-slide experience with an overturned Port-a-Potty—or reflecting on aging, parenthood, and mortality.

Marie Claire: Tell me a bit about the creative process for Your Friends and Neighbors. How involved were you in what Mel's arc was going to be in this season?

Amanda Peet: Sometimes I beg [showrunner] Jonathan Tropper to give me a lot of pratfall or something like that, which he gave me. I really like a pratfall. I pitch him ideas, but he doesn't always take them.

MC: Was there anything in particular that you were really excited or nervous about?

AP: I'm excited, like most women my age, that menopause isn't a dirty word anymore and that we're seeing more of it on TV. And I thought it was great that Tropper made it funny, that she wasn't just this sexless couch potato.

MC: There's this moment in the first episode this season when Mel says, "I just feel like I'm getting older, and he's just getting better and better looking." Does it feel vulnerable or scary at all, even as a character, to be expressing an insecurity like that?

AP: Well, I mean after the movie I just did, [Fantasy Life], somebody came up to me and was like, "I love your wrinkles." And I was like, "Oh my God, that's the takeaway?" I mostly just feel lucky that I have a job, honestly. But it doesn't feel like I've done my job if the takeaway for an audience member is that they were bowled over by the amount of wrinkles I have.

MC: Well, we are in such a bizarre cultural moment with cosmetic interventions. It's so distracting as a viewer when someone has had work done that obviously their character would not. Like I'm supposed to believe someone's broke, but they have a very expensive face? But because that has become so common in your line of work, it is noteworthy, but it's also just a relief, [to see a face that moves].

AP: I want to do my job, and I want people to pay attention to the story. And she was distracted by the fact that there weren't cosmetic interventions on my face. So I was like, Maybe I should get some of those done so that I can sink into the story and not have people be so distracted by the level of droopiness.

MC: I did see you say recently that you think about getting a facelift every other day. Did I catch you on an ‘on’ day?

AP: Every time I look in the mirror, it crosses my mind. Maybe not every time. Maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration. But you're facing mortality when you look in the mirror.

MC: In the show, you're in this very fraught mother-daughter dynamic. In your New Yorker essay, you talk about how you and your mom had this super intimate, open relationship. What do you remember about what you were like as a teenager? Were you ever a difficult teen?

AP: I had these sort of really feeble rebellions, because I think I didn't really go through a period where I was repelled by my mom. I was quite close with her in so many ways, so it was hard to do the fuck you thing to her without then being like, "Wait, I'm sorry I hurt you. I know that's a vulnerable spot for you." I started smoking, that kind of thing. [And] I gave her a hard time. I'm sure I wore really slinky clothes.

MC: That’s a classic! I loved to scandalize with a very short skirt.

AP: Yes. But my version of a short skirt is not the same as my daughter's version of a short skirt, just so you know. Our takes on feminism and which wave of feminism we're in can be exemplified in mini skirt length. I sometimes don't know what qualifies a skirt anymore.

MC: I'm curious what you make of how Mel handles her daughter's choices, which would test even the most chill, accepting parent. And Mel is not the world's most chill parent. Were you in Mel’s corner?

AP: I always feel like you have to get in the corner of the person you're playing. It wasn't that hard for me, for all the reasons you can probably imagine. I had just gone through the college process with my daughter the year before, so it was very natural for me to be having this conversation, not at this heated level.

MC: I don't know if this makes me insane, but I think [Mel’s] completely in the right with the neighbors. I really felt when she brought the dog shit to the neighbor's doorstep: This is a perfectly valid response to what's happening.

AP: That's hilarious. I do know that you can't be judgy about that character. You can't look down on your character. It becomes too hard to play, I think, especially if your character is in the midst of becoming a loose cannon.

MC: How much of Mel's behavior do you think was clinical? She’s going through menopause and one of the symptoms—I think in the show somebody describes it as “you'll feel the urge to murder people.” Is that all innate to who she is and maybe it's just that menopause is taking the breaks off of feelings or behaviors that were always there?

AP: This is the million dollar question. I wonder this with my own menopause and with some of my parents' dementia, and we as a culture definitely over-pathologize, over-medicate. So sometimes I think that these things are just the natural course. Then with Mel, to your point about the college thing, she’s definitely way too involved and doesn't seem to have any idea that she needs to have more of a life. Those people can be kind of dangerous because they don't know that they're angry and they're quick to erupt at the wrong problem, get upset over the wrong thing.

MC: There’s so much wrapped up in how you perceive somebody in your own family, how you perceive your own kid—how hard it can be, it seems, to see them as clearly as other people do.

AP: Yes. I've had a lot of talks with my friend about this: She's much easier on her son and he's much easier on the daughter. You're overly identified with your same-gender child, and so it's easier to get overly invested in their journey.

MC: I think moms are harder on their daughters because moms know how hard it is to be a woman in the world, and so they're trying to prepare you for the world as it is. Whereas when you're the daughter, you're like: “I'm going to bend the world to my will.”

AP: In some ways, [as a mom], you're passing the baton and it's very hard not to be like, “Run your heat like this. That's how you succeed.”

MC: Are you a mom in the style that you imagined you would be?

AP: Sometimes. I'm getting there, but I had to build the bike while I rode the bike. I didn't think I would be this worried and alarmist. I thought I was going to be more... David will laugh so hard if he ever reads this, but I thought I was going to be more chill. And there's just nothing chill about me.

MC: Was your mom chill or was she just open? They’re related but, I do think, different qualities.

AP: I think she got more chill as she got happier. When she was able to get divorced and have the kind of work that she wanted and the kind of friends that she wanted. It took her a while to come out of those sort of 1950s social mores in which she grew up. She was such a good girl, and I think her spirit was more wild than it appeared to be. When she was able to let go and become more of who she was inside, she was more chill, because I think she was happier.

MC: Does it help you as an actor to be in a relationship with somebody who works in the same industry as you and understands what you do?

AP: I don't know if everybody who works in the same industry has what I think I have with David, which is just a very, we are very aligned—it's almost weird. Our tastes are very aligned. I don't want to sound un-feminist, but I do feel that he mentored me as a writer. I hope that doesn't sound un-feminist, but, I mean, he's brutal. But that's how I learned, is from him being so fucking brutal and hurting my feelings.

MC: What are you excited about, thinking ahead?

AP: I am really excited that Mel seems to be considering writing something. It seems like she's on a path possibly to do some kind of roman a clef or tell-all or something. I think putting her on a collision course with Coop might be very exciting because I think she's also in love with him.

MC: I don't want to be that person who's Parent-Trapping them, but it does feel like they like each other more maybe than they ever have in the duration of the show.

AP: I think that there's a lot there. I know [Tropper] can't get us together yet, but I just... The last scene when Mel’s with this agent who's like, "You got to write about what happened with Coop, with him being framed for murder and stuff," I thought that was very exciting. Because I think she has his number in a lot of ways.

MC: I'm glad that she was single long enough to get to hook up with Miguel. I just feel like that was important for her. And she manifested it by wearing a bra that matched her underwear, because that's not a thing you're just doing when you're not expecting someone to take your clothes off.

AP: That is correct. The last time I did that was probably my wedding night. And I don't even know if I did in my wedding. Did I? I don't remember.

MC: It depends on if you were wearing a wedding dress where you had to wear a bra or not.

AP: That's a really good point. And you know what? I think I didn't.

MC: Well, that's freedom. That's how you know it's true love, like good, I don't have to wear a bra with this fucking dress.

AP: Yeah! That is true love.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Since its premiere on June 2, Love Island USA season 8, the biggest reality dating series in the country, has brought the meme-worthy drama. As the season 8 cast navigates hot bombshells, silly challenges, and countless love triangles, viewers can weigh in on the villa's goings-on via America's Vote.

If this is your first year tuning in, Love Island is not only a competition for love, but for public favor, with viewers ultimately deciding which of the remaining couples will walk away with $100,000. Even before the finale, fans get the chance to switch up the proceedings in the house, from choosing which Islanders will go on dates with incoming bombshells to controlling which couples are up for elimination. Since Islanders are unaware of their public perception, voting results can lead to the most jaw-dropping moments of each season (outside of Casa Amor or Movie Night).

Below, read on to find out how to vote for your favorite Islanders or couples on Love Island USA season 8.

When does voting happen on 'Love Island USA' season 8?

Unfortunately for those who like to plan, Love Island doesn't hold eliminations or add bombshells on a steady schedule. The best way to know when a vote is coming up is to tune in to the reality series every evening at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. New episodes stream on Peacock every night except Wednesdays, and, starting on June 13, Saturdays are reserved for weekly Aftersun specials.

(Pro tip: The Love Island USA Instagram and X/Twitter, and the Love Island USA app, will often tease votes in the morning before polls open, when they drop the First Look for that night's episode.)

On the nights when votes take place, the polls typically remain open for two to three hours after the end of the episode. The series will also occasionally extend the voting period due to technical difficulties. In fact, after the first vote of season 8 crashed the LIUSA app, polls remained open until the following afternoon.

How do you vote on the Love Island USA app?

The official Love Island USA app is free to download on your phone via the App Store or Google Play Store. You do need to register a valid U.S. phone number to vote, but beyond that, there is no charge.

Each registered participant can vote one time, and once you tap that button, you cannot change your vote, so choose wisely.

In addition to voting, the app features exclusive videos and photos from the villa, as well as exit interviews with departed Islanders, polls about the ongoing drama, and a shop for looks inspired by the Islanders and official merch. (Who else is eyeing a personalized water bottle?)

Who are the Islanders up for America's Vote on 'Love Island USA' season 8?

Love Island USA never reveals the details of a vote before it opens, so viewers won't know exactly what they're voting for until the polls open. The typical Love Island vote asks viewers to choose either their favorite couple or their favorite boy and girl for the villa, leaving the Islanders who receive the least votes vulnerable to going home.

Of course, there are also special votes, including season 7 and 8's chaotic twists where America paired the new bombshells with current Islanders. Producers could also bring back season 7's ranking challenge to reveal how viewers really think about the couples.

In case you need a recap, the current couples of Love Island USA season 8 are Trinity Tatum and Bryce Dettloff, Aniya Harvey and KC Chandler, Kayda Bosse and Zach Georgiou, Kenzie Annis and Caleb McDaniel, Jen Terry and Gabriel Vasconcelos, Sol Dean and Sincere Rhea, and Melanie Moreno and Corbin Mims.

A few weeks after receiving her first Tony nomination, Nichelle Lewis found herself seated at the annual luncheon celebrating this year’s nominees—and it was there that the reality of the honor really sunk in.

Speaking on Zoom ahead of a Friday night performance, she recalled exactly how that felt: “I was [thinking], I have this plaque with my name on it, and I'm here with all these other people who once had a dream. That was what hit me, just the fact that I got to be in this room full of so many of my friends and so many people that I love and have looked up to for so long.”

Lewis, 26, earned that nod for her role in Ragtime, the stirring Broadway revival of the 1996 musical from Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty, and Lynn Ahrens (which is based on E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel by the same name). The story is grand in scale: it follows three groups of people in turn-of-the-century America—Black Americans, Jewish immigrants, and the white upper class—as their fates, hopes, and futures all intersect during a period of immense social change.

As Sarah, one of the story’s central characters, Lewis goes on an emotional journey that spans despair, hope, love, and tragedy. It’s one of the banner roles for Black women in musical theater—Audra McDonald won one of her six Tony Awards for playing Sarah in the original production—and Lewis has poured herself into making the character her own.

Here, she speaks with Marie Claire about the cosmic way the role came to her, drawing on her grandmother for inspiration, and how the body keeps the score when portraying a painful—but also hopeful—story that still resonates today.

Marie Claire: You made your Broadway debut in 2024 as Dorothy in The Wiz. Coming off of that, what made Sarah a role that you wanted to play?

Nichelle Lewis: I really loved the depth that she has. Coming off of The Wiz, where I got to play this character that signifies Black joy and love and finding home—what “home” means to you—I wanted to do something that, not only encompassed that, but also the pain that Black people, especially Black women, go through on a daily basis, whether back in the day or now. I just wanted to really dig in, do more research, and feel connected to my ancestors, all the things that mean something special to me.

MC: Two other actresses were initially cast as Sarah before Ragtime opened Off-Broadway, but both had to drop out—and then it became yours. Did that change how you approached the role at all?

NL: I didn't really let it. One of the things that I live by is “When it is the right time, it's the right time.” I also live by this quote—it sounds so stupid, but, “Everyone has their own Crock Pot, so we all cook at different times.” The women who came before me, Joy Woods and Joaquina Kalukango, they’re both so incredible. They went on other really big exciting opportunities, and then [the role of Sarah] was just there for me to step into. I felt like the path was right for all of us, and everything happens for a reason.

MC: What, or who, did you draw on as you were deciding how you wanted to play her?

NL: I definitely drew from my grandmother. She’d planned to come see this show before she passed, and I remember being so nervous for her to come see it, because I knew that she had a lot of trauma. A lot of people don't realize that this really wasn't that long ago. When I think about my grandmother, I think about the fact that she was alive at a time where she was turned away from a lot of restaurants, and she was around when Ruby Bridges went through the doors of that school building [in 1960]. I watched her as I grew up. I watched how, because of her history and her trauma, when she would interact with a lot of white people, she would shrink herself. She would look down, she wouldn't really look them directly in the face. And I feel like it got better as she got much older and started to not care, but I derived the way that I move my body in this show from how she moved. When Sarah is around other Black people, or with immigrants, she’s a little bit taller, but when she’s around white people, I might make myself smaller. That’s all from her knowledge that she shared with me. But also, just from everything I know of that time, how they were just set free from slavery, there's no world in which Sarah would not be traumatized from these things. There’s so many things that have helped me build this story, including all the research I've done, talking to my family, and also all the knowledge that I have as a Black woman as well.

MC: Sarah goes on such an emotional journey over the course of the show. We meet her at her absolute lowest point, but then see her find love and hope before her story becomes tragic. How do you prepare yourself to go to those places eight times a week?

NL: It’s really hard because I do allow myself to go to a deep and painful place every night. I just feel it’s my duty as someone who hasn't had to live through things like the Tulsa massacre. I have to hold this weight and spread both the joy and the pain, and so I think that that’s something that gives me strength every day to do it. But my body does carry it, and I often get chills as I come off stage. It’s a really weird sensation when your body decides, “I know what you're doing, so I'm going to do it too.” But I find that I also feel extremely strong, and I wonder if that's similar to things my ancestors felt—it’s the pain, but also the strength that comes from it. I think that's what's so beautiful about this story in particular, and why it’s been resonating with people.

MC: You and Joshua Henry, who plays Coalhouse Walker Jr., are just incredible together. Your big duet, “Wheels of a Dream”—where he and Sarah are singing about their hopes for their son and his future—is so powerful. Tell me about building your characters’ relationship with him.

NL: The very first day that I met Joshua, and the very first day we did our reading, the characters just had this spark, and everyone in the room felt it. It was the most insane feeling. I remember we sang “Wheels of a Dream,” and we both felt so energized. I can’t explain how the souls of those characters just locked into one another so quickly, but it was immediate. I feel like a lot of us say theater is church, but it does feel like that, especially after “Wheels of a Dream,” when we have this moment of joy together and their connection just fills up a whole entire theater. It's the most wonderful thing ever.

MC: How has your performance changed over the course of the run? You’ve had so much more time with her now.

NL: Oh, it has changed and deepened in so many ways. I think I've learned a lot about myself and about Sarah and Coalhouse, and all the relationships Sarah builds and grows in. I feel like I find new things every night, somehow. Because everybody in the cast are such generous actors, it feels right every time. I don't know how it’s possible, but it’s one of those shows that continues to just blossom every night.

MC: Audra McDonald was the original Sarah, and I know that she gave you some advice about leaving Sarah at the theater when you go home. Are you able to do that, or is it hard?

NL: So it was very hard for me for a while, because again, I might be able to leave it, but my body remembers it; the body keeps score. There are just so many people that come into play here that help me to keep going, because without them, I don't know if my body could withstand the trauma that this character goes through eight shows a week. Some people can move throughout space and not go through that on stage every night, but for me it's important to allow myself to go through those things. I come home, I take a deep breath, I sit with my dog, maybe watch a few TV shows, do what I have to do to get my mind out of that place, and hopefully relax my body. I do try really hard to take what she told me, and remind myself that it's okay to let it go and come back tomorrow.

MC: When this is done, you'll get to pay it forward and give that advice to the next Sarah.

NL: Yeah! I'm gonna be like: Get you a heated blanket, get you a therapist, a psychiatrist— all the things.

MC: This show takes place more than 100 years ago, but we’re still dealing with versions of what these characters experienced—people of color, immigrants, women. Why do you think Ragtime is speaking so strongly to us today?

NL: I think people, when they come and they sit in those seats, they're like, “We're still living through these stories.” We all came together and talked about the ending—Sarah and Coalhouse both have passed, and their little baby goes to a white family even though Sarah still has family down in the South—it’s not the most beautiful ending, you know? It's messy, it's raw, and it's sad. We all just sat in a room one day and we just said, “How can we make sure this feels the way it needs to feel?” And Lear [DeBessonet, the director] said, “We're not going to be sitting around with big smiles on our face, because it’s a moment filled with so many things.” That pause right before we all sing the word “dream” is so important, because it allows people to really feel all those things. I think that's why it’s resonating, because we allow them to come into our world and feel the things that we feel as well.

MC: You’re so right—it leaves that hope that the future will be better. But I also thought about everything Sarah and Coalhouse’s son would have lived through in America over the 20th century. It’s not a fully happy ending.

NL: Yeah, it’s not. Maybe that isn't talked about enough. I feel like a lot of people talk about the hope, and there is a lot of hope, but hope a lot of the time comes with pain. Because when we feel this pain, we feel like the world needs to change. That's when we start holding on to hope that things will change for the better.

MC: How has this experience made you think differently about the kind of performer you are?

NL: I don't know if this has really changed my perspective, but it has expanded my perspective. I've always wanted to change others' lives, and that has always been the biggest thing for me since my father passed. I remember just realizing the impact people can make while living, and even after they've passed. I wanted to make an impact and a positive one at that. I just didn't know how—I think doing this role has made me realize this is how we do it. It's by telling stories that may feel difficult, that may be challenging to take on, but are also beautiful and hopeful, and it gives people something to hang on to and to think about when they leave the theater. It has helped it grow into something so much bigger, and I just hope to be able to continue impacting people's lives and to continue sharing the love and the joy that I have and the stories that I have to share.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Many reality stars use TV as a launchpad for other opportunities, but not everyone is as refreshingly open about it as Whitney Leavitt.

Even before she gained a massive following on TikTok as part of the Utah-based "MomTok" group, Leavitt wanted to break into acting.

"I didn't even have an agent at the time, and good old Google was like, well, you know, start on social media, like, get your name out there," the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star tells editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike on the "Nice Talk" podcast.

Social media led to reality TV, though that wasn't part of the plan. But Leavitt saw where the path might lead. "It just happened so organically, and in my mind, my business mind, I said, okay, I'm gonna meet people in this industry, I'm gonna get on a network, and then hopefully lead to other things."

And that it did. After deciding to leave Mormon Wives following season 2, Leavitt ultimately returned for a third season after finding out it meant she could audition for Dancing With the Stars—a fact she pointed out on Mormon Wives in a meta twist. Leavitt ended up on the dance competition show and made it to the semifinals. Three days after she was eliminated, she found out she'd been cast as Roxie Hart in Broadway's Chicago.

Now, Leavitt has actually left Mormon Wives, and the upcoming fifth season will be her last. She announced her departure in May, during her final Chicago performance.

"This time, it's different," Leavitt tells Ogunnaike. After leaving the show with "frustration and anger" in the past, she now says: "I'm leaving with gratitude. Like, my cup is full. I don't feel like there's anything more for me there."

So, what's next? Well, Leavitt started a production company, Leavitt Media House.

"I love being cast in things, but I also love creating, and this felt like an avenue to do both of those things," the mother of three says. She adds that she's "very inspired by Reese Witherspoon ... There's many books that I'd love to adapt into film," but she's most intrigued by "characters that are just emotionally honest."

She also starring in a Christmas movie—on which she is an executive producer—that comes out this holiday season.

"That was my first number one on the call sheet, my first feature film," she explains. "I connected with the writer, and we started with literally nothing. It was just me and the writer, and then we connected with the producer, and then investors, and it is where it is today ... I'm so excited for the world to see it."

Leavitt says that she'd also love to act in a Broadway show again. "There's been some talks of some shows and plays, and I think it's just figuring out what that right one is," she says. "I felt so incredibly welcomed by that community."

On top of all of this, you might even see Leavitt on reality TV again. On "Nice Talk," Leavitt shared that she's open to doing Traitors, and after her podcast interview, she teased a potential reality show from her own production company on Instagram.

For more from Leavitt—including her advice to anyone trying to grow their social media following—check out this week's installment of "Nice Talk." The episode is available everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Any devout reality TV fan worth their salt knows summer starts with the premiere of Love Island USA. Almost every night for the next six weeks, viewers across the globe will tune in to see which new bombshells will enter (or exit) the villa, who will couple up with who, and what new drama this latest cast of Islanders will find themselves in.

What exactly that drama will look like, only time can tell. But the hit dating show, which returned for season 8 on June 2, also manufactures plenty of opportunities to stir the pot. New cast members, known as bombshells, get air-dropped into the villa throughout the season. Bonfire eliminations can cut short burgeoning relationships, while the show's Casa Amor—in which contestants switch houses and spend time with new contestants for a handful of days—tests those same connections. And, of course, there's the highly anticipated Movie Night, a challenge game often whispered across the Love Island discourse throughout the season.

So, what is Movie Night—often the most highly anticipated episode of the season? And will it happen in Love Island USA season 8? We're breaking down everything we know below.

What is Movie Night on 'Love Island USA?'

Throughout the season, the Islanders play a variety of challenges—often meant to incite drama. Movie Night is one of those challenges, popcorn and all. Sectioned off into groups of men and women, each team must answer an often romance-related trivia question. Whichever team answers correctly gets to pick from a selection of filmed clips from their time in the villa—which is then broadcast for everyone to see.

How does Movie Night on 'Love Island USA' work?

Almost everything is filmed in the Love Island villa. There are cameras just about everywhere, which is how the show manages to produce an hour-long episode almost every day of the week. The Movie Night challenge capitalizes on that surplus of footage.

Often taking place about midway through the season (usually after Casa Amor), Movie Night captures some of the juiciest, most jaw-dropping moments the audience has seen, but that other Islanders might not know about, and broadcasts it for the whole cast to watch together. Anything's up for grabs—snide comments made behind a cast member's back, flirty conversations and dalliances couples might not know about, matches being unfaithful to their partners, and the moments everyone thought would stay hidden. If someone hasn't been honest about something, Movie Night reveals that. People get caught in their lies, exposed for deceit, and more.

Will there be a Movie Night during 'Love Island USA' season 8?

It's still early days in Love Island world, so it's not yet confirmed if there will be a Movie Night. In fact, we might not know until just days before. While Love Island isn't filmed live, it also isn't filmed far in advance. What we watch on our screens is just a day or two delayed from what's happening in real time.

As such, a season of Love Island functions a bit like a living, breathing organism. Things are always growing, evolving, and shifting—both inside the villa and out. Couples are dating around and matching, while the world watches and reacts online. The production team responds to all of that accordingly, molding the show quite literally as it airs. They tailor challenges and bonfire re-couplings to what's happening in and out of the villa. A Movie Night might fit that, and it might not. Last season of Love Island USA didn't have a Movie Night, but the super popular season 6 did—meaning there's a decent chance a Movie Night could be in the cards.

What should we expect during Movie Night in 'Love Island USA' season 8?

Think about all those times you've watched a reality show and wished you could see another cast member react to some crazy that happened behind their backs, unbeknownst to them. Movie Night gives you and the Islanders the chance to see all of that. A lot can happen over the next six weeks. And if something happens that catches your eye, then trust that nothing stays buried on Love Island USA—you might see it again during Movie Night.

Love Island USA season 8 has hit the ground running. The Peacock reality series returned on June 2, with a super-sized premiere that saw season 8's Islanders make out, couple up, and welcome two new hot bombshells. Season 8's debut made it clear that each installment will be packed with dating-show chaos. Or, as Aniya would say, "The villa is villa-ing."

For those unfamiliar, Love Island has its own specific dating culture that has confused many newcomers. The name of the game is to get "coupled up," or officially link up, with another Islander, at which point you share a bed. Ideally, in early days, those who are coupled up can still "explore their connections" (i.e. get to know and flirt) with the other Islanders. Recouplings are ceremonies where Islanders either reaffirm their commitment or switch to a new couple, and the odd ones left single get "dumped from the villa," or eliminated from the show. All this is easier said than done, as disagreements on whether the cast is being respectful to their couple or each other make up the bulk of the villa's drama.

Below, we're keeping track of every new development about the villa's couples, episode by episode and vote by vote. Read on for everything to know about who's coupled up on Love Island USA season 8. (If you're looking for the Islanders' ages and Instagrams, check out our Love Island USA season 8 cast guide.) Spoilers up to Episode 13 (released on June 16) ahead.

Who's coupled up on 'Love Island USA' season 8?

Trinity Tatum and Bryce Dettloff

Coupled Up: Episode 1.

Former Flings: Trinity and Bryce both chose to explore with new bombshells Gabriel and Kayda in Episode 2, but when Gabriel and Kayda rejected them, Trinity and Bryce became a couple again.

Recent Developments: Trinity and Bryce chose to stay together during Episode 13's love-letter recoupling.

Closed Off? No.

Aniya Harvey and KC Chandler

Coupled Up: Episode 1.

Former Flings: N/A

Recent Developments: Aniya and KC chose to stay together during Episode 13's love-letter recoupling.

Closed Off? No.

Kayla Bosse and Zach Georgiou

Coupled Up: Episode 2.

Former Flings: Zach initially coupled up with Kenzie, but he chose to explore with Kayda after admitting that Kenzie wasn't his type. Kayda and Zach have stayed together since, and even went to the Hideaway in Episode 12.

Recent Developments: Kayda and Zach chose to stay together during Episode 13's love-letter recoupling.

Closed Off? No.

Jen Terry and Gabriel Vasconcelos

Coupled Up: Episode 9.

Former Flings: Gabriel had been coupled up with Beatriz since Episode 2, though he had also chatted with Kenzie. In Episode 9, America voted for Gabriel to couple up with bombshell Jen.

Recent Developments: Jen and Gabriel chose to stay together during Episode 13's love-letter recoupling.

Closed Off? No.

Melanie Moreno and Sincere Rhea

Coupled Up: Day 13.

Former Flings: Sincere and Melanie first coupled up in Episode 1; though they stayed together, they fought often over exploring other islanders. When bombshell Sol arrived, Sincere began exploring with her behind Melanie's back. America then voted for Sincere to leave Melanie and couple up with Sol in Episode 9.

Recent Developments: Sincere and Melanie chose to reunite during Episode 13's love-letter recoupling.

Closed Off? No.

Kenzie Annis and Corbin Mims

Coupled Up: Episode 13.

Former Flings: Kenzie was initially coupled up with Zach, but he admitted that Kenzie wasn't his type. While she was single, Kenzie explored with Sean until bombshell Corbin arrived and chose to couple up with Kenzie. Corbin and Kenzie were later split up by America's vote in Episode 9, with Kenzie placed into a new couple with Caleb and Corbin choosing to couple up with Melanie.

Recent Developments: Corbin and Kenzie chose to reunite during Episode 13's love-letter recoupling.

Closed Off? No.

Sol Dean and Caleb McDaniel

Coupled Up: Episode 13.

Former Flings: After the bombshells arrived in the villa together, America voted for Caleb to couple up with Kenzie, and for Sol to couple up with Sincere.

Recent Developments: After Kenzie and Sincere returned to their previous couples during the love-letter recoupling, singles Caleb and Sol matched by default.

Closed Off? No.

Who has been dumped on 'Love Island USA' season 8?

Sean Reifel

Former Flings: Sean initially coupled up with Beatriz, but she chose to explore with Gabriel in Episode 2. Sean then explored his connection with Kenzie.

Sent Home: In Episode 5 (released on June 7) in the first recoupling, when Corbin chose Kenzie.

Beatriz Hatz

Former Flings: Beatriz initially coupled up with Sean, but she left him to explore with Gabriel in Episode 2. She and Gabriel then became a couple.

Sent Home: In Episode 9 (released on June 12), after she was left single when America chose to pair Gabriel with Jen, and Corbin chose to couple up with Melanie.

After a long week of waiting, it’s finally time to tune into Part 2 of the Summer House season 10 reunion. Once again, the resident reality TV expert on Marie Claire’s team will be here to discuss the Bravo special’s new revelations live.

Last week, the Summer House cast reunited to begin unraveling the controversial timeline of Amanda Batula and West Wilson’s romance. Host Andy Cohen and Amanda and West’s respective exes, Kyle Cooke and Ciara Miller, led the rest of the cast in demanding clarity, as the controversial couple admitted to lying to their friends about their growing romance. When the hour was over, viewers were left to compile their lingering questions for the rest of the three-part reunion. (Anyone looking to refresh their memory further can read our live updates for Part 1.)

With the reunion set to continue in just a few minutes (before concluding on June 9 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT), I’ll be sharing live updates on everything you need to know from tonight’s special. —Quinci LeGardye, Culture Writer

Following Part 1, Marie Claire contributor Radhika Menon shared her biggest lingering questions heading into Parts 2 & 3 of the Summer House reunion. Amanda and West’s motivations are the biggest question mark that needs to be addressed: Why did Amanda and West lie? Why did West change his non-committal ways for Amanda? Does Amanda realize how much she hurt Ciara, who Amanda has called “one of [her] kindest, most loving, loyal friends”?

As Menon points out, “We still haven't heard the words ‘I'm sorry’ come out of either of their mouths (nor have we gotten closer to understanding where she's coming from). The clock is ticking.” —QL

I didn’t expect to tear up again this soon into the reunion, but KJ comparing West to his estranged father breaks my heart. KJ may not have been “directly impacted,” or whatever West said in Part 1, but KJ has obviously been truly hurt by his so-called and there are conversations to be had!

(Related: KJ spoke to Ebony last week about the pressures of being the first Black male cast member on Summer House and his mental health journey. If you haven’t read yet, it’s a great discussion!) —QL

Summer House has had some of the best conversations about interracial friendship in Bravo history ,thanks to Ciara. So I’m happy that she’s getting the space to address the racial aspects of “Scamanda,” especially since the racial dynamics are an integral part of Amanda and West’s treatment of Ciara. So many white fans of Summer House need to hear Ciara say, “Amanda and West were using buzz words of ‘I see you, I hear you’ to satiate maybe what I needed to hear, but they didn’t really see or hear me.”

Also, if Ciara prints “I don’t want to be friends if we’re not talking about the political climate of this world” on merch, I’ll be first in line to buy.—QL

This full moment of West not going after Amanda after she leaves the stage in tears is more mortifying than any preview could’ve teased. First there's West’s defense of himself: “I didn’t know if the questions were going to come back to me.” Then, as Lindsay keeps telling him to “be a fucking man,” and West still doesn’t get up until Kyle says he should?!? —QL

The biggest revelation of Part 2 so far: West was allegedly in an exclusive relationship with Meija Moreno (of horsehair tie fame) since February 2025(!). Kyle says he reached out to Meija, and everything she told him about West made Kyle “question who he is.” As far as Kyle and Ciara think, West could’ve had this plan to seduce Amanda during her post-divorce glow-up all along. —QL

Dara’s coming to the stage! Despite whatever’s gone on with her and KJ off camera, I’ve been so excited to hear from someone who has also dated West.

(Sidebar: Given KJ’s mental-health struggles, I vote we leave any parasocial speculation about his love life off of his timeline.) —QL

I agree that Amanda needs to be there to hear Dara tell West, “You treat the women who give themselves to you like they’re expendable.” Meanwhile, odds on Amanda coming back to the stage on her own? —QL

Amanda’s back, and Dara’s telling the same truths that elicited a “harsh” when Ciara said them at the end of Part 1.

“It will always be The West Show,” Dara tells Amanda. “He doesn’t prioritize treating the women he’s linked to romantically with the same respect he does anybody else… I foresee him for a very long time wanting someone who will mold and fold and fit into his life without excuse or complaint. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what’s worth sacrificing for that kind of person.” —QL

Good to hear that Jesse Solomon is building his music career and ready to start a relationship. Also, Kyle’s praise that Jesse’s “putting himself out there more than 99 percent of people I know” was so sweet, before the camera’s shady cut to Amanda and West. —QL

Another sweet moment as Lindsay says that Carl is “finally the person [he is] supposed to be and always wanted to be.” Also glad that the original “Carl’s a mess” clip has been enshrined on Bravo forever. —QL

Amanda coming down hard on Lindsay and Carl’s “Carl's a mess” UberEats ad…have you not been on reality TV for a decade? Also, as Ciara noted, “You would never monetize something but you would fuck your friend’s ex?” —QL

I’m glad that the reunion is addressing Kyle’s history of outbursts towards Amanda, because "Scamanda" doesn’t negate Kyle’s shitty behavior during their marriage. Two things can be true at once. That being said, it’s interesting that West is talking the most he has this episode, when he gets to be the white knight while Kyle’s under the spotlight. —QL

I’m admittedly new to Summer House (I binged seasons 3-6, 8, and 10 since “Scamanda” started), but Kyle and Amanda’s arguments over Kyle going out every night have fascinated me. It’s astonishing that over a 10-year relationship, they never seemed to come to any understanding over their biggest understanding: that one’s a homebody and the other is screaming, “Summer should be fun.” And now that they’re split up, Amanda says she didn’t hate going out; she just hated going out with Kyle?

Obviously, we have bigger questions to answer here, but I would really love for someone to get Amanda on the record explaining just how different partying with Kyle is from partying with West. —QL

Kyle, Carl, and Lindsay have been the backbone of Summer House since season 1 because, for good or bad, they’ve always brought their full selves to the show. (If this isn’t true, Kyle and Lindsay deserve Academy Awards.) So viewers believe Kyle when he says that he and Amanda didn’t fully call it quits until the day the statement went out. Meanwhile, Amanda reveals that the nail in the coffin was New Year’s Day, when Kyle spent the night in a hotel in Hoboken. She says she immediately contacted Bravo PR letting them know she was going to put out a break-up statement.

It’s two very different stories, followed by Amanda claiming that Kyle cheated on her during their marriage, and Kyle rebutting that, while there were moments where he has “acted out,” he’s never slept with someone or had an affair. Amanda claims that Kyle made out with a girl at a party, and there’s a video. (Lindsay chiming in: “We’ve talked about this for years.” And Bailey: “Making out is fully cheating.”) There’s no doubt that Kyle and Amanda’s marriage was unhappy and full of miscommunication. But in the “Scamanda of it all,” and her seeming lack of remorse towards Ciara, it’s hard to listen to her use Kyle’s past behavior to defend her current actions. —QL

Part 2 ending with another heater: While West and Amanda commiserate about being the villains of the reunion—West sums up his strategy for the rest of the time as “Breath. Apologies. And then delivering it simple”—Ciara video-calls Meija(!!!!!) to gab about West’s silence during the reunion. According to Meija, she was going to West’s place every weekend that he was filming, and she saw him the night before he went on Watch What Happens Live. He also allegedly told her that he’d get fired if it came out that he was in a relationship with someone who wasn’t in the Bravosphere. (Kyle points out that this is "bullshit."

Mejia also points out the hypocrisy in his reasoning, saying, “So [he was] concerned about people maybe pitting me against Ciara… but you’re very comfortable just dumping me and then popping out the next day in a new relationship with Amanda?” As Meija gets choked up, she adds, “So our relationship is that easy for him to completely discredit?”

The installment ends with Ciara promising to confront West on behalf of Meija, the other girl he discarded, and Meija thanking Ciara for having her back. And with that, there's just one more episode left. —QL

We got a text! Love Island USA season 8 is in full swing to heat up the summer. Peacock's reality TV phenomenon began on June 2nd this year, with a new batch of Islanders hoping to rise to the fame (and infamy) of season 7's cast (and to find love, of course). After three weeks of the original Islanders facing hot bombshells, controversial challenges, and public votes, it's time for the dating show to enter its most diabolical plot twist: Casa Amor.

Below, we're keeping track of the Love Island USA season 8 cast (and their Instagrams) as they enter and exit the villa. (We're also tracking the current Love Island USA season 8 couples episode-by-episode.) Spoilers ahead up to Episode 18 (released on June 22), and you can watch Love Island USA by subscribing to Peacock.

Active

Aniya Harvey

Age: 23

Star Sign: Virgo

Hometown: Tyrone, Georgia

Occupation: Non-profit marketing director and former college volleyball player

Fun Fact: Her dad is former NBA player Donnell Harvey.

Instagram: @aniyaharvey02

Kenzie Annis

Age: 24

Hometown: Kennesaw, Georgia

Occupation: Nurse and nanny

Fun Fact: She's a former competitive dancer.

Instagram: @kenzieannis

Melanie Moreno

Age: 24

Star Sign: Scorpio

Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lives In: Los Angeles, California

Occupation: Manager at a bikini store

Instagram: @melanieelisa

Trinity Tatum

Age: 22

Hometown: Newport News, Virginia

Occupation: Model and makeup artist

Fun Fact: She quit her job at a hardware store to come on the show.

Instagram: @soootrini

Sincere Rhea

Age: 25

Star Sign: Aries

Hometown: Cape May, New Jersey; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Occupation: Former college track-and-field athlete

Fun Fact: He was a star hurdler at Penn State, the University of Miami, and Texas Tech.

Instagram: @sincere.rhea

Bryce Dettloff

Age: 29

Star Sign: Cancer

Hometown: Hawaii and Las Vegas, Nevada

Lives In: Los Angeles, California

Occupation: Model, DJ, and producer

Fun Fact: He has worked in construction and as a handyman.

Instagram: @brycealakai

Zach Georgiou

Age: 26

Hometown: Birmingham, United Kingdom

Occupation: Content creator

Fun Fact: His brother Charlie was on Love Island USA season 7.

Instagram: @zachgeorgio

KC Chandler

Age: 23

Star Sign: Aries

Hometown: Fresno, California

Occupation: Nursing assistant

Fun Fact: He hosts his own run club.

Instagram: @kc.thagreat

Kayda Bosse

Age: 22

Hometown: Manchester, New Hampshire

Occupation: Server and former model

Instagram: @kaydabosse

Corbin Mims

Age: 22

Lives In: Miami, Florida

Occupation: Co-founder of a luxury travel company and fitness content creator

Instagram: @corbiskii

Jen Terry

Age: 23

Hometown: Melbourne, Florida

Lives In: Los Angeles, California

Occupation: Model

Fun Fact: She's from the same hometown as LIUSA host Ariana Madix.

Instagram: @jennifertterry

Caleb McDaniel

Age: 21

Hometown: Asheboro, North Carolina

Lives In: Charleston, North Carolina

Occupation: Model

Fun Fact: He's friends with Jimmy Presnell from Love Is Blind and Perfect Match.

Instagram: @calebbmcdaniell

Casa Amor

Amora Cacheé

Age: 21

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Lives In: Atlanta, Georgia

Occupation: Model and fashion marketing and management student

Fun Fact: She's a former pageant queen.

Instagram: @amoracachee

Parmida Keshani

Age: 27

Star Sign: Gemini

Hometown: Isfahan, Iran

Lives In: San Antonio, Texas

Occupation: Personal trainer

Instagram: @paaarpaaarri

Jaiden Bacciocco

Age: 22

Hometown: Newbury Park, California

Fun Fact: She just graduated from Arizona State University.

Instagram: @jaidenbacciocco

Tierra Davis

Age: 25

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Lives In: Inglewood, California

Occupation: Nanny and model

Instagram: @tierraaa_._

Alannah Keyser

Age: 21

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Lives In: Los Angeles, California

Occupation: Student

Sydney Eugene

Age: 25

Star Sign: Capricorn

Hometown: Naples, Florida

Occupation: Medical assistant in cardiology

Instagram: @sydney_eugene

Carl Schmidt

Age: 28

Lives In: Denver, Colorado

Occupation: Personal trainer

Fun Fact: He's an world traveler and outdoors enthusiast.

Instagram: @carl_witness_lee

Chay Nehra

Age: 27

Lives In: San Diego, California

Occupation: Chiropractor

Instagram: @chaynehra

Corey Sawyer Jr.

Age: 24

Hometown: Longwood, Florida

Occupation: Former college basketball player

Instagram: @coreysawyerjr

Dylan Wrona

Age: 24

Lives In: Los Angeles, California

Occupation: Model

Instagram: @dylan_wrona

Gal Tshnieder

Age: 29

Lives In: Los Angeles, California

Occupation: Surf shop co-founder

Instagram: @gal.tuch

Ronnie Gunter

Age: 29

Hometown: Shakopee, Minnesota

Lives In: New York, NY

Occupation: Program director

Fun Fact: He played lacrosse at Drexel University.

Instagram: @_ronniegunter

Dumped

Vasana Montgomery

Age: 25

Star Sign: Sagittarius

Hometown: Beaverton, Oregon

Occupation: Business owner

Sent Home: By producers due to controversial clips that resurfaced, ahead of the season 8 premiere.

Sean Reifel

Age: 29

Star Sign: Aquarius

Hometown: Easton, Pennsylvania

Occupation: Police officer

Fun Fact: He's a father. (Papacita?)

Instagram: @parm3_sean

Sent Home: In Episode 5 (released on June 7) in the first recoupling, after Corbin chose Kenzie.

Beatriz Hatz

Age: 25

Star Sign: Libra

Hometown: Lakewood, Colorado

Lives In: San Diego, California

Occupation: Track-and-field athlete

Fun Fact: She is a two-time Paralympian who won a bronze medal in the long jump at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

Instagram: @bhatz_track

Sent Home: In Episode 9 (released on June 12), after she was left single when America chose to pair Gabriel with Jen.

Sol Dean

Age: 24

Hometown: Orange, California

Lives In: Los Angeles, California

Occupation: Model, waitress, and gym front-desk clerk

Fun Fact: She's a singer-songwriter and former cheerleader.

Instagram: @itssoll

Sent Home: In Episode 14 (released on June 19), after she landed in the bottom three couples of America's vote, and the boys chose to dump her.

Gabriel Vasconcelos

Age: 26

Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Lives In: Miami, Florida

Occupation: Model, DJ, and computer science student

Instagram: @gvasconcelosv

Sent Home: In Episode 14 (released on June 19), after he landed in the bottom three couples in America's vote and the girls chose to dump him.

Chandlar Wilson

Age: 26

Hometown: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Instagram: @steamboatwillly

Sent Home: In Episode 18 (released on June 22), when the girls didn't choose him to stay during Casa Amor.

Keyon Harry

Age: 24

Hometown: North Babylon, New York

Occupation: Professional bodybuilder, model, and photographer

Instagram: @mr.unfazed__

Sent Home: In Episode 18 (released on June 22), when the girls didn't choose him to stay during Casa Amor.

Kyle Greene

Age: 26

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Instagram: @kylegreeneee

Sent Home: In Episode 18 (released on June 22), when the girls didn't choose him to stay during Casa Amor.

Ryan Ten Hulscher

Age: 27

Hometown: Rijswijk, Netherlands

Lives In: Silver City, New Mexico

Occupation: Former college football player

Instagram: @itsrth__

Sent Home: In Episode 18 (released on June 22), when the girls didn't choose him to stay during Casa Amor.

Tino Ellis

Age: 28

Hometown: Queens, New York

Occupation: Model and former NFL player

Instagram: @iamtinoellis

Sent Home: In Episode 18 (released on June 22), when the girls didn't choose him to stay during Casa Amor.

Trae Taylor

Age: 23

Lives In: Missoula, Montana

Occupation: Former college basketball player

Instagram: @traetaylorr

Sent Home: In Episode 18 (released on June 22), when the girls didn't choose him to stay during Casa Amor.

Good news, TV lovers: Mindy Kaling is continuing her apparent mission to make television about all stages of girlhood. After already tackling high school in her Netflix show Never Have I Ever and college in HBO's The Sex Lives of College Girls, Kaling is taking on that awkward time between college graduation and full, independent adulthood in her new Hulu show, Not Suitable for Work.

So, what is Not Suitable for Work about? The comedy, on which Kaling serves as executive producer, follows five 20-somethings living in N.Y.C.—roommates Abby and AJ, and their sometimes annoying, sometimes sweet, neighbors Kel, Davis, and Josh. They live across the hall from one another in matching, unrealistically spacious apartments, and though they're all career-driven, something tells me their lives will soon become more entangled than they might expect. Think of it like a Gen Z coming-of-age take on Friends.

Not Suitable for Work premieres Tuesday, June 2, on Hulu and Disney+, and while things might start pretty straightforward, it's only a matter of time before things get messy for Abby, AJ, Kel, Davis, and Josh. So, as you dive into the show, you're going to need some help keeping all the cast and characters straight. Here's everything you need to know about the cast of Not Suitable for Work.

Avantika as Abhinaya 'Abby' Chilukuri

Newly single Abby is focusing on work as a demanding stylist's assistant over love, which works out great—until she's hired to style a hot young actor. Meanwhile, she's welcoming her new roommate and college BFF, AJ, to the city while also getting closer to the lovable trio of men who live down the hall.

Avantika, 21, made history early in her career as the first Indian American lead in the 2021 Disney Channel Original Movie, Spin. Since then, she's continued to make a name for herself on the big screen. You probably recognize her as Karen from the Mean Girls movie musical, or maybe from the horror films Tarot and Pretty Lethal.

Avantika's Instagram: @avantika

Ella Hunt as AJ Pascarelli

AJ, Abby's best friend and new roommate, arrives in N.Y.C. to start her job as a financial analyst. She's eager for success and won't let anything, including her new attractive neighbors, distract her.

Ella Hunt, 28, is best known for her role in Apple TV+'s Dickinson and for playing Gilda Radner in Saturday Night. She's also a singer. Her debut album Blindspot will be released on June 5, and you can listen to the titular single, “Blindspot” now.

Ella Hunt's Instagram: @ellahunt

Nicholas Duvernay as Kel Washington

Kel lives across the hall from Abby and AJ with his two best friends. He's a med student by day, an actor by night. When he's not fainting at the sight of a dead body in the cadaver lab, he's pursuing his real passion: acting. Oh, and occasionally trying to sweep Abby off her feet.

Nicholas Duvernay, 26, is best known for his breakout role as Zion in The White Lotus season 3. Before that, he made a name for himself appearing on various television shows, including Tyler Perry's Assisted Living and Bel-Air. He recently appeared in the Colleen Hoover adaptation Reminders of Him.

Nicholas Duvernay's Instagram: @nicholasduvernay

Will Angus as Davis Beau Bradley Barrett III

Davis Beau Bradley Barrett III, Kel's roommate, might seem like a bro on the outside—what with his impressive name and his job as a financial analyst—but he's actually more of a romantic than a workhorse. He's on a quest to find his one true love, and he might luck out when AJ moves in across the hall...

Will Angus, 27, is best known for appearing in the YouTube sketch comedy show Almost Friday TV, and you might recognize him from his viral TikToks.

Will Angus' Instagram: @angus_william

Jack Martin as Josh Teitelbaum

Rounding out the boys' apartment is Josh Teitelbaum, a nepo baby who struggles to walk the line between acknowledging his privilege and abusing it. His dream is to work on a prestigious news show, but will he be taken seriously once he gets there?

Jack Martin, 27, got his big break in 2021, playing Josh Harris in three seasons of La Brea. He's since appeared on The Rookie, Almost Friday TV alongside Will Angus, and, most recently, starred in the new stoner comedy Pizza Movie. You might also recognize him from Lili Reinhart's Instagram, as the two have been dating since 2023.

Jack Martin's Instagram: @realjackmartin

Jay Ellis as Bill Gibson

Finance titan Bill Gibson is not a man you want to mess with. He expects perfection from all his employees, including first-year analyst AJ and her coworker Davis.

Jay Ellis, 44, is best known for playing Martin ‘Lawrence’ Walker on HBO's Insecure. He also starred in Top Gun: Maverick, Somebody I Used to Know, and plays Jay Brown on Mindy Kaling's Netflix show, Running Point.

Jay Ellis' Instagram: @jayrellis

Constance Wu as Vanessa Hsu

Celebrity stylist Vanessa Hsu demands loyalty from her assistant, Abby, and expects only the best—or else.

Constance Wu is best known for her breakout role as Jessica Huang in the sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. She also helped revive the rom-com with Crazy Rich Asians and starred in the under-appreciated 2019 hit Hustlers. She previously worked with Kaling on the writer's animated Velma series, in which she voiced Daphne.

Constance Wu's Instagram: @constancewu

Victor Garber as Wes Dryden

Wes Dryden is a renowned investigative reporter and host of The West Dryden Show, A.K.A. Josh's icon. He also just so happens to recognize Josh as the son of David Teitelbaum, the network's chairman.

In his decades-long career, Victor Garber has played everything from King Maximillian in 1997's Cinderella (yes, the one starring Brandy and Whitney Houston) to Oliver Warbucks in Annie (1999), and one half of the superhero Firestorm on The Flash and the short-lived Legends of Tomorrow. You might also recognize him as Professor Callahan from Legally Blonde or Jack Bristow from Alias.

Victor Garber's Instagram: @therealvictorgarber

Harry Richardson as Austin Blanchett

Austin Blanchett (yes, as in Cate—they are fictionally related) is a rising star and British heartthrob, as well as a client of Vanessa Hsu's. And he might be the first man to test the limits of Abby's professionalism.

Harry Richardson, 33, is an Australian actor who is best known for playing Larry Russell in The Gilded Age.

Harry Richardson's Instagram: @harryrrichardson

May Hong as Jocelyn

Jocelyn is Davis and AJ's no-nonsense coworker, so committed to the job that she's sacrificed her own health. Though not particularly warm, she's there for Davis and AJ in times of need.

May Hong, 37, is an artist and model who got her big break in front of the camera in 2019, starring as Margot Park in Tales of the City. In the years since, she's appeared in multiple TV shows, including Hacks and Fantasmas, but she's best known for voicing Mira in the hit animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters.

Netflix's The Four Seasons is a reminder that friendship has no age limit, and that your chosen family will be there for you through the biggest life changes. Starring Tina Fey (who also co-created the show), Kerri Kenney-Silver, Colman Domingo, and more, the comedy series returned for its second season on May 28, picking back up with a group of lifelong friends as they grieve the loss of one of their own. At the end of their year together, seen through four getaways throughout the titular seasons, the gang's bond is stronger than ever as they head into a new, exciting future.

Below, read on for everything we know about the fate of The Four Seasons season 3 so far, including what could happen next after that surprising cliffhanger cameo.

Is 'The Four Seasons' renewed for season 3?

It's time to pack your bags! Just over two weeks after season 2 was released, Netflix confirmed with a wholesome video on social media that The Four Seasons will return for season 3. The streamer shared a clip from season 2 of Kate telling Anne to let the group know of "any exciting updates" before revealing more episodes of the comfort show are on the way.

To celebrate, co-creators Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield also shared a hilarious joint statement via a press release: "We are thrilled to be able to bring a third season of The Four Seasons to life.  Thank you to everyone who watched. Middle-aged people, LFG!"

Netflix's Vice President of U.S. Comedy also shared a statement about how much the series has connected. "It's been a joy watching the chaotic, beautiful journey of these lifelong friends. Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield have a magical way of blending heart and sharp humor, making us feel like part of the inner circle. Audiences have fallen in love with these characters and this legendary cast’s electric chemistry. We're thrilled to keep the vacation going for season 3." 

It makes sense that a third installment was greenlit, considering its critical acclaim and strong viewership; season 2 instantly reached the streaming service's Top 10 in 56 countries.

Meanwhile, in an interview with ScreenRant, Wigfield confirmed that she wants the series to last much longer than four seasons. When asked how many installments she envisions for the show's run, the writer answered, "As many as they'd let us do for you! This is only the second season, so I think we'll know when it feels like it's coming to a natural stopping point."

When will 'The Four Seasons' season 3 come out?

Though nothing is confirmed, The Four Seasons could return for new episodes quite soon. After the comedy's series debut on May 1, 2025, season 2 was released just over a year later, on May 28, 2026. So, it's possible that season 3 would arrive in May or June 2027.

Who in the 'Four Seasons' cast will return for season 3?

Based on season 2's conclusion, all of the main cast will likely return for season 3, including Tina Fey (Kate), Will Forte (Jack), Colman Domingo (Danny), Marco Calvani (Claude), Kerri Kenney-Silver (Anne), and Erika Henningsen (Ginny).

To the delight of fans, Steve Carell (Nick) returned to The Four Seasons for a surprise season 2 appearance, via episode 6's flashback to the gang's COVID-era Thanksgiving. It's currently unknown whether Carell will be back for more flashbacks in season 3.

It's also unknown whether season 2 addition Steven Pasquale (Mark Brett) will be back for more episodes, since his spot as Kenney-Silver's love interest may have been filled in the season 2 finale...

Are there any new cast members in 'The Four Seasons' season 3?

In the final moments of The Four Seasons season 2, Anne—who has decided to move to Italy—meets a man named Gianpiero, played by Doctor Who alum and Rivals star David Tennant. Meaning, viewers left season 2 wondering whether Anne had just met the next love of her life.

Speaking to Tudum, Fey highlighted the difference between Anne's new romantic interest and her ex-husband Nick, posing the question, "What would happen if Anne chose someone who was similar to her?" However, she stayed coy about Tennant joining the show for season 3, only saying, "If we’re lucky, we’ll get to see what happens."

Now that season 3 is on the way, it seems all but confirmed that we'll get to see the next chapter of that love story.

What will 'The Four Seasons' season 3 be about?

By the end of season 2, the show's beloved friend group has begun to heal their many rifts. Spouses Kate and Jack reached a new place of understanding as they both mourned the loss of Nick. Ginny is a thriving mom who's become a full-fledged member of the group. And, after a brief stint in Claude's hometown of Trento, Italy, Claude decides to move back to the States, so he and Danny can care for Danny's ailing mother in Philadelphia.

Most exciting, Anne makes a major decision: With a house in Trento up for grabs, the widow decides to move to Italy to house-sit for Claude and Danny indefinitely. Having spent the entire season trying to find Anne 2.0, culminating in an embarrassing accidental sext to her summer fling Mark Brett, Ginny inspires Anne to channel her adventurous style before she married Nick. Alone in Italy, Anne quickly has a meet-cute with a quirky neighbor named Gianpiero—the same name she chose while dreaming up a fake boyfriend while texting Mark Brett.

With that delightful twist, it seems that Anne and Gianpiero's romance will be a major part of season 3, as the friends embark on another set of vacations that may include another jaunt to Europe. Only time will tell how the friendships will evolve in their next season together.

Season 2 of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder put young sleuth Pippa “Pip” Fitz-Amobi (Emma Myers) at the center of another investigation in her quaint English town of Little Kilton. But the BBC/Netflix series is based on Holly Jackson’s bestselling series of YA mysteries, meaning there is more source material to draw from—so there may be even more cases for Pip to solve.

Season 1 followed Pip as she dug into the murder of popular high-schooler Andie Bell for a school project—but also because her instincts (correctly) told her the cops had pinned her death on the wrong person. In season 2, Pip and her friends investigated the disappearance of Jamie Reynolds (Eden H. Davies), the brother of friend Connor (Jude Morgan-Collie), who went missing right before he was set to testify in the rape trial of Andie’s classmate, Max Hastings (Henry Ashton).

This last season of the detective series ended with Jamie found safe, but the events surrounding the search for him (and Max’s acquittal) leave Pip traumatized. That aftermath would surely follow her into the next chapter of her story—as would the anonymous threats she received at home and school.

Curious what might come next for Pip, Ravi (Zain Iqbal), and the rest of their Little Kilton crew? Lucky for you, we’ve got some clues. Read on for everything we know about a potential season 3 of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

Has 'A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder' been renewed for season 3?

In mid-June 2026, Netflix confirmed via a press release that A Good Girl's Guide to Murder will return for season 3. Considering that there’s still one more book in Jackson’s series to adapt—and that season 2 debuted on the streamer's Global Top 10 list just four days after its release—you didn't have to be a detective to think a renewal announcement could be forthcoming.

To celebrate the good news, author Holly Jackson shared a statement: "I am ecstatic that we are able to bring A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder to its (bloody) conclusion. As Good As Dead is my favourite of the book series and it’s by far my favourite season of the show too. You’ll see Pip as you’ve never seen her before. It’s dark, breathless, horrible and…somehow still manages to be funny. Come on back to Little Kilton for the final time…if you dare."

Not only that, but star Emma Myers also shared her excitement and emphasized just how great the source material is. "I'm very happy that we get to bring everyone season 3 of A Good Girl's Guide To Murder. Thank you so much to everyone who has given this show love and support throughout! This has truly been an incredible experience, and Pip will be a character I will never forget," she said. "Book 3 is my favorite of all the books, so I'm very excited to show everyone what we've done. Get ready for a crazy time!" 

Which 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' book will season 3 be based on?

As confirmed by Netflix and Jackson herself, the third season will adapt Book 3 of her mystery books, As Good As Dead. That makes sense, as season 1 was based on the 2019 novel A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and season 2 was adapted from 2020’s Good Girl, Bad Blood. The 2021 (ominously titled!) thriller is the conclusion to the trilogy, but there is also a prequel, Kill Joy; however, it's unclear if any scenes from that book will appear in flashbacks.

What will 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' season 3 be about?

According to a synopsis for As Good As Dead, Pip is about to head off to college but is still haunted by the events of her last investigation. By the end of season 2, we start to see as much, as she’s devastated by Stanley's death and feels guilty about the ways her sleuthing has hurt the people closest to her. Then there’s also the case of those anonymous threats she’s received: “Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?”

“Soon the threats escalate, and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars,” the synopsis reads. “Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle...and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears...”

Which 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' cast members will return for season 3?

You can’t have A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder without the titular girl, can you? Inevitably, Emma Myers will be back as Pip. Netflix has confirmed we'll also see more of her besties and fellow clue-following crew, including Zain Iqbal as her boyfriend, Ravi Singh, Asha Banks as Cara Ward, Jude Morgan-Collie as Connor Reynolds, and Yali Topol Margalith as Lauren Gibson.

Because Max is now a free man following his acquittal—which arguably would not have happened if Jamie, a key eyewitness in the case, had not gone missing during the trial—Henry Ashton will reprise his role as well. Jamie, played by Eden H. Davies, will also continue to be part of season 3.

It's safe to say that the case is far from over. There’s still plenty of bad blood (pun intended) between Pip and Max: Remember, she painted the word “rapist” on his front door, and he taunted her by saying, “You started this, Pip. It’s my turn next.”

When will season 3 of 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' be released?

We don't have a proper release date yet; however, Netflix has given us a major update. According to the streamer, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder season 3 has already wrapped production and will premiere sometime in 2027. The news was confirmed as soon as the renewal was announced. It seems possible that we could have new episodes at the same time next year, around spring 2027.

We'll keep following all the clues and update this story as more information becomes available.

For years, Calabasas was just one of the many cities located in the hills of L.A., full of gated communities and mansions to the rich and famous. And then Keeping Up With the Kardashians premiered in 2007—and suddenly the gates opened up. The mystique of Calabasas as a home to the upper echelon has only grown in the years since, as the Kardashians and other reality stars have given the world selective sneak peeks to a world of premium organic salads and luxury shopping complexes. Now, Netflix is revealing all with their latest reality show, Calabasas Confidential.

Calabasas Confidential, which premieres on May 29, follows a group of early-20-somethings—most of whom grew up and graduated high school ensconced within the polished streets of SoCal. Most of the cast are longtime friends who parted ways during college or as they set off to pursue their careers, but as they're reunited for a summer, they must face what they left behind at home and where to go next. Read on for what to know about every member of the Calabasas Confidential cast—including where you may recognize them from and their famous families.

Nicole Sahebi

Age: 22

Instagram: @nicolesahebi

Though Nicole claims she was quiet throughout her time at Calabasas High School, her social media following is anything but. The content creator boasts over 2 million Instagram followers and 3 million on TikTok. Before moving back to Calabasas, she studied marketing at Loyola Marymount University, where she launched her career as a full-time content creator, making aesthetic collegiate "day in the life" videos.

Nicole doesn't take center stage in much of the show's drama, but she certainly plays a part in some of it. Still, her more subdued demeanor makes her memorable among her boisterous castmates.

Suede Brooks

Age: 25

Instagram: @suedebrooks

Suede is introduced as an influencer friend of Nicole's, but quickly ingratiates herself into the fabric of the friend group (and its drama). Another big-time L.A. influencer, with over 1 million followers on TikTok and 1.7 million on Instagram, Suede first broke into the scene with a YouTube channel, where she spoke out against bullying.

Some might also recognize the bubbly blonde from the poker table. Brooks has appeared at a few poker tournaments over the years, namely competing in the Celebrity Poker Tour in 2024.

Jemma Durrant

Age: 24

Instagram: @jemmadurrant

After studying advertising at the University of Oregon, Jemma returns to Calabasas to live with her parents and work as a marketing coordinator for Kelly+Partners Group Holdings, a promotion she scores during the first season of the show. Jemma also boasts a social following of her own, with over 22,000 followers on Instagram and over 300,000 on TikTok. Her main tension throughout the show is with her high school ex, Dylan Wolf, with whom she had an on-and-off relationship during their time at Calabasas High School.

Dylan Wolf

Age: 24

Instagram: @dylannwolf and @malibuscowboy

If you're a frequent purveyor of #RodeoTok, then the moniker "Malibus Cowboy" might ring a bell. While Dylan's high school friends attended college or filmed their days for the internet's consumption, Dylan opted for a slightly different route and went to work on a Malibu ranch post-high school. He eventually began parlaying that hustle into social media content, posting under his own name as well as the pseudonym "Malibu's Cowboy."

Though he remains firmly in the Gen Z content creator bucket, his brand is a little different from the GRWM vlogs and brand deals common with some of his peers. Think: True Grit if Supreme handled all the marketing. And his lasso isn't the only thing at risk of tying Dylan up this first season. The 24-year-old finds himself in numerous entanglements throughout the course of the show—including with his ex flame, Jemma Durrant.

Emma Medrano

Age: 22

Instagram: @eemmamedrano

After studying business administration at Moorpark College, Emma returned to Calabasas with a job managing social media for Mercedes-Benz, boosting her own profiles (with over 80,000 TikTok followers), and stirring up a bit of drama in her old high school friend group. Things get especially tense in the first episode between her and Jemma, after the other girl discovers Emma might be dating Dylan.

Jodie Woods

Age: 19

Instagram: @jodiewoods and @wodiewrld

Jodie Woods might be a new face, but if you're a fan of The Kardashians, then you're likely familiar with her older sister Jordyn Woods. Like the Kardashians, the Woods family has become a Calabasas staple over the years. They're close with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. Model and entrepreneur Jordyn was once among Kylie Jenner's close friends before a falling out, and now Jodie is paving her own path. With over 1 million Instagram followers, Jodie has over 800,000 TikTok followers, as well.

Kimora Lewis

Age: 23

Instagram: @kimoranicole and @kimoranicolebeauty

After attending Loyola Marymount University, Kimora returned to Calabasas to pursue a career as a beauty influencer, sharing content with her over 19,000 Instagram followers, and as a DJ. She even released a song, "Dreamin'," while filming the show. She's also one of the handful of cast members who attended Sierra Canyon School, rather than Calabasas High School. Her old high school flame, Hercy, is also in the cast.

Emilie Nelson

Age: 23

Instagram: @emiliennelson

Another graduate of Sierra Canyon School, Emilie enters the show as a Southern Methodist University graduate and a friend of Alexie and Kimora. However, tensions arise when Kimora's former flame, Hercy, shows interest in Emilie.

Hercy Miller

Age: 24

Instagram: @hercymiller

As the son of rappers Master P and Sonya C, Hercy knows a thing or two about fame. He returns to Calabasas with hopes of playing in the NBA. He played for the basketball team at the University of New Orleans Privateers (where his father is the president of basketball operations), but reveals on the show that he got injured in his freshman year. Most of this first season, Hercy spends training and working to be drafted into the NBA.

Ben Favaedi

Age: 22

Instagram: @ben_favaedi

Compared to his other cast members, Ben's a bit of an enigma. He doesn't have a massive social following—though he does seem to be starting his own jewelry business, according to his LinkedIn. He enters the show about midway through the season, and immediately catches the eye of a few girls in the cast.

Alexie Olivo

Age: 23

Instagram: @alexierolivo

Alexie returns to Calabasas with plans to eventually move to New York to pursue modeling (which, judging by her Instagram, she may have already). She starts the season as one of Emilie's good friends. There's also a bit of history and chemistry between Alexie and fellow cast member Preston Pippen, who have been crushing on each other for years.

Preston Pippen

Age: 23

Instagram: @prestonpippen

This isn't the first time a Pippen has graced our television screens. Preston's dad is professional basketball player Scottie Pippen, while his mother, Larsa Pippen, famously starred in Bravo's Real Housewives of Miami. Preston remains magnanimous with most everyone in the group (Jemma even tagged him in a recent post), and harbors a long-standing crush on Alexie.

Raine Michaels

Age: 25

Instagram: @rainee_m

As the daughter of actress Kristi Gibson and Poison singer Bret Michaels, Rain is among the cohort of cast members who come from a line of fame and all its fortunes. She's got ambitions to become a model, actress, and sports broadcaster, and has a passion for rescuing animals. She even takes some of the cast members to a rescue shelter later in the season. She's currently signed with Ford Models and with The Montag Group as a sports broadcaster and personality, according to her LinkedIn.

Sterling Retzlaff

Age: 24

Instagram: @retzlaff.sterling

You might not recognize Sterling from anywhere, but you'll definitely recognize his girlfriend, former Dance Moms alum Brynn Rumfallo, during the brief moments she appears on the show. Sterling is the only cast member in the group who didn't grow up in Calabasas, or even in California. The 24-year-old wannabe model moved to the area from Alaska, where he grew up and lived after graduating from Texas Tech University. He met and became friends with Dylan and later Hercy, who introduced him to the rest of the cast.

Sterling is somewhat of the audience stand-in as he experiences the world of Calabasas for the first time. Though he's sometimes a fish out of water in some of the group's more heightened moments, he also oftentimes functions as the voice of reason in the show.

Pippa “Pip” Fitz-Amobi (Emma Myers) has a new case to crack. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder returned for its second season on May 27, bringing fans of the BBC/Netflix mystery series (and the Holly Jackson book series it’s adapted from) back to the quaint English town of Little Kilton. Season 2— based on the second book in Jackson’s series, Good Girl, Bad Blood—sees Pip dealing with the ramifications of discovering who really killed Andie Bell, including releasing a popular true-crime podcast about the investigation. She also finds herself in the middle of a new mystery: the disappearance of Jamie Reynolds (Eden H. Davies), just as he was about to testify in the trial against Max Hastings (Henry Ashton), who was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting classmates, including Andie’s sister, Becca Bell (Carla Woodcock).

The looming trial means Pip, Ravi (Zain Iqbal), and their friends need to race against time to find Jamie—and the search brings more twists and small-town secrets to light.

So, what happened to Jamie Reynolds? And what does this latest foray into detective work mean for Pip? Read on for our breakdown of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder’s surprising season 2 ending.

What happened to Jamie in 'A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder' season 2?

Perhaps the biggest surprise about Jamie’s disappearance is how little the police are concerned about it when it first happens—a key witness in a major trial goes missing right before he’s supposed to testify? Seems pretty suspicious! But because he’s an adult and has been known to go off the grid, it falls to Pip to start the search herself.

In the course of her investigation, Pip discovers that Jamie had been acting strangely in the lead-up to his disappearance: He tried to take his mother’s credit card and claimed he needed the money for a life-or-death reason, he stole a bracelet from Pip’s new next-door neighbors, and left a large sum of money in the Little Kilton graveyard. Pip initially believed she was the last person to see Jamie before he went missing, at a memorial marking the sixth anniversary of Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies) and Sal Singh’s (Rahul Pattni) deaths. However, he was actually spotted again that night—first at a Calamity party, then by Max, who saw him walking down the road after midnight.

It’s not surprising that Pip suspected foul play tied to the trial, because Max is certainly capable of manipulation and threats. But Jamie’s disappearance actually had nothing to do with that trial at all: He was catfished by a woman named “Layla Mead,” whom he met on a dating app. Layla was looking for a man known as “Child Brunswick,” who would now be 29-years-old and thought to be living in the Little Kilton area. She was talking to any man in town who fit that criteria, and got linked up with Jamie, who’s only 24, because he lied about his age on the app.

Once Layla deduced that it couldn’t be Jamie, she manipulated him into helping her track down the real Child Brunswick—though he didn’t actually know what “Child Brunswick” was referring to, or why Layla was looking for him. That’s why he was acting strange: Layla was seeing how far he would go in the name of helping her. Jamie did encounter Child Brunswick on the night he went missing—but that man then took Jamie hostage and held him in his home. He didn't want to hurt Jamie, but was afraid of whoever was after him. And once Jamie learned more about Child Brunswick's life, he wanted to help him figure out Layla's real identity, which is why he didn't try to escape.

And why was Jamie supposed to testify at Max's trial?

Jamie was a key witness because of what he saw at one of the Calamity parties. One of the women testifying against Max is Nat Da Silva (Jessica Webber), Jamie’s close friend who he also harbors romantic feelings for.

During her own testimony at the trial, Nat recalls blacking out at a Calamity party and coming to hours later on a sofa, knowing she’d been assaulted because her skirt had been pulled up and her underwear was off. She didn’t know who was responsible until a few months ago, when she told Jamie what happened and he revealed he saw Max coming out of the room that night. That’s why Jamie’s testimony was so important—it placed Max at the scene, which Nat couldn’t do herself because she’d been drugged.

Who is "Child Brunswick" and what does he have to do with Jamie’s disappearance?

This takes us to a different murder case: Scott Brunswick, a man responsible for a string of child murders almost two decades earlier. Scott used his young son to lure his victims to him, and the boy—who was 10 at the time of the last murder—ultimately testified against his dad at trial. The boy’s name was kept out of the media because of his age, hence being referred to as “Child Brunswick.” He served time in a juvenile facility due to his role in the murders, and upon release was essentially placed into witness protection to protect him from retaliation: He was given a new identity, and the media was barred from reporting on his whereabouts.

Naturally, like with so many other true crime cases, rumors circulated online about who Child Brunswick could be and where he might live now. One commenter claimed to know he lived in Little Kilton, and that someone his friend was in prison with—local drug dealer Howie Bowers (Thomas Gray)—had uncovered his identity and was blackmailing the man into keeping his secret.

Pip, ever the masterful detective, figures out Child Brunswick really is: Stanley Forbes (Misia Butler), a local man working security at the Hastings’s golf club. He’s the right age, for starters, but also Pip spotted him giving money to Howie while investigating Jamie’s disappearance, which was the blackmail to keep his true identity under wraps. She also remembered that he didn’t respond to his name at the club when his boss called for him—because it isn’t actually “Stanley.”

So, who was Layla Mead in 'A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder' season 2?

After deducing that Stanley is Child Brunswick, Pip messages him as Layla and asks to meet at the abandoned manor in town. Pip’s best friend Cara (Asha Banks) stays in the car as a lookout, while Ravi and Connor (Jude Morgan-Collie) search Stanley’s home—which is where they found Jamie.

Pip tells Stanley that she knows he’s Child Brunswick, and that there’s no way Jamie could be Layla because she’d been messaging with her during the week Jamie was off the grid.

As they’re talking, Cara is led in at gunpoint by the real Layla: Pip’s next-door neighbor, Charlie Green (Jack Rowan). His twin sister was one of Scott Brunswick’s victims, and he’s moved from town to town posing as Layla, obsessed with getting revenge. His wife, Flora, was in on the plan and helped whenever he needed a female voice on the phone.

Once Pip started looking for Jamie, he kept tabs as she narrowed the possibilities down to Stanley or Luke Eaton (Freddie Thorp), Nat’s jerk boyfriend. And now, thanks to Pip, he found the person he’s spent years looking for.

What happened to Stanley Forbes in 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' season 2?

Now that Pip has (unintentionally) done Charlie’s last bit of detective work for him, Stanley does what he set out to do: He shoots Charlie and sets the manor on fire.

Pip dragged him out of the building—this is the scene we see at the very start of the first episode—and tried to perform CPR before the authorities arrive. Unfortunately, she’s unable to save him, but before he dies, Stanley tells her it’s okay and reveals his real name: Jack Brunswick. Seeing him die, and knowing she led his killer directly to him, leaves her traumatized.

Two weeks later, when a funeral is held for Stanley, Pip and her friends are among the few people who attend.

Is Max Hastings found guilty in 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' season 2?

Max uses every lever his wealth, privilege, and family’s influence can afford him to try to sway the trial: He pushes Becca’s dad to convince her not to testify, threatening that his business will lose clients if she does. He gives himself a fake alibi for the night Jamie went missing by getting Stanley to doctor CCTV footage from the golf club, making it look like he was there. And he tries to get Pip to stand down from testifying in the case by threatening to get Ravi fired from his law firm.

Pip ultimately convinces Becca to go to court and tell the jury what Max did to her. She also speaks to the phone call she had with Max, in which she confronted him about drugging and raping Becca, which she had recorded, and Max tried to destroy by enlisting his cousin Robin (Freddie England) to steal her phone.

But Max’s lawyer undercuts both of them during cross-examination. And despite pressure from his mother to do the right thing and confess, Max doubles down on the stand and accuses Sal Singh of the assaults instead—a man who can’t defend himself, because he’s dead. And without Jamie on hand to corroborate Nat’s testimony, he’s acquitted of all charges.

Pip, furious about this, takes justice into her own hands: She couldn’t play her phone call with Max in court, but she does upload the footage to her podcast before throwing a rock through his window and painting “Rapist, I will get you” on his door.

What happens with Pip and Ravi in 'A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder' season 2?

Pip’s relentless search for Jamie and passion for taking down Max put a strain on her relationship with Ravi. She lies about missing his speech at Andie and Sal’s memorial (because she was following up on a tip that she didn't realize Max planted). And she eventually feels guilty about him losing his job at the law firm because Max made good on his threat—one she didn’t tell Ravi about until after the fact.

Ravi is more upset that she felt like she couldn’t come to him, because they’re supposed to be a team. When she still pushes him away, he reminds her that he loves her.

After Max’s acquittal, they have a heart-to-heart where she admits she blames herself for everything that’s happened to the people closest to her, because she pursues these cases. But this is who she is: obsessive, relentless, and doesn’t mind bad things happening if she’s the one doing them—and she hopes Ravi is okay with all that, because she loves him too.

After they kiss, Ravi reassures her: “I know exactly who you are, and I always have done. I love her, I love you.”

How does 'A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder' season 2 end?

The disappearance of Jamie Reynolds has been solved, but that doesn’t mean things are settled in Little Kilton. Charlie and Flora are on the run, and Pip still feels immense guilt about what happened to Stanley.

Jamie, now safely back home, confessed his feelings to Nat, and now the two are officially together and happy. Pip also cleared the air with Cara, who drunkenly told Pip earlier in the season that she ruined her life by uncovering her father as Andie Bell’s killer. Cara admits she doesn’t remember saying those things, and that it might have been easier to take her anger out on Pip because she’s still here, but she loves her friend and does not blame her.

Case closed, then? Not quite. Max still has a serious ax to grind with Pip. When she walks past him on her way to Stanley’s funeral, he taunts her by warning: “You started this, Pip. It’s my turn next.”

And then there’s one more mystery: Throughout the series, someone has been leaving threatening messages for Pip. First there was a news article about her, sent through her mail slot with tape covering her mouth in the photo, then an ominous note scrawled on her locker at school. The season ends with Pip going back to her room and finding that same message written over and over on her laptop, one that will surely come into play if (or when) the show returns for season 3: “Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?”