For Off Campus filming locations … keep reading!!!
For years, book adaptations have been a Hollywood staple – but lately, young adult and new adult stories feel like they’re entering another era entirely. Between BookTok, streaming platforms, and audiences wanting worlds they can completely immerse themselves in, series and films adapted from bestselling novels are dominating watchlists once again.
But what makes these stories stick isn’t always the romance, the casting announcements, or even the inevitable fan debates over who should have been cast. Increasingly, it’s the setting.
Whether it’s beach towns built for endless summers, snow-covered hockey arenas, university campuses, cozy lakeside escapes, or cities that quietly become part of the love story, these worlds feel as important as the characters living in them. They create places audiences want to visit, move to, or simply spend a few hours escaping into.
From Off Campus filming locations to The Summer I Turned Pretty, here are seven young adult book adaptations proving that location might just be the secret ingredient behind their success.
Off Campus
Plot: Based on Elle Kennedy’s bestselling series, Off Campus follows college student Hannah Wells and hockey captain Garrett Graham, whose unlikely deal slowly turns into something more.
Cast: Ella Bright, Belmont Cameli, Mika Abdalla, Antonio Cipriano
Location: Set at the fictional Briar University and filmed in Vancouver, Off Campus filming locations lean heavily into cozy campus life, snowy hockey culture, and that classic college-romance atmosphere. According to Condé Nast Traveler, filming also took place at Vancouver’s Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Center and the Irving K. Barber Learning Center – truly epic Off Campus filming locations that help bring the lively university setting to life onscreen.
Meanwhile, Dean’s New York apartment scenes were filmed at Vancouver’s DOUGLAS Autograph Collection Hotel, while the city’s cozy neighborhood spot, The Heatley, was also used throughout production.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Plot: Based on Jenny Han’s bestselling trilogy, The Summer I Turned Pretty follows Belly as she returns each year to Cousins Beach – where growing up, family traditions, first love, and an evolving love triangle slowly begin to change everything.
Cast: Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno
Location: Although Cousins Beach is fictional, the series heavily channels East Coast and New England summer nostalgia through filming in Wilmington, North Carolina, along with nearby coastal towns including Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and Southport – all helping recreate the dreamy Cape Cod-style atmosphere that defines the show.
Speaking to the Prime Video Book Club, Han explained that Cousins Beach was inspired by a combination of East Coast beach towns she grew up visiting, including Nags Head and Virginia Beach, and drew influence from destinations like Cape Cod and the Hamptons.
Heated Rivalry
Plot: Based on the books by Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry follows rival hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, whose years-long competition slowly evolves into a secret relationship off the ice. As their connection deepens, the pair navigate fame, distance, pressure within professional sports, and internalized homophobia while trying to keep their personal lives hidden from the public.
Cast: Connor Storrie, Hudson Williams, François Arnaud, Christina Chang
Location: Filmed primarily across Ontario, Canada – including Toronto, Hamilton, Guelph, and Muskoka – the series leans heavily into the atmosphere of North American hockey culture. All on-ice gameplay and locker room scenes were filmed at the Sleeman Center in Guelph, Ontario, while Hamilton’s historic Dundurn Castle doubled for scenes set in Russia connected to Ilya’s background.
Meanwhile, the idyllic lakeside cottage featured in the finale was filmed at Barlochan Cottage in Ontario’s Muskoka region. The location became such a fan favorite following the episode that the property later appeared on Airbnb – and unsurprisingly, bookings disappeared almost immediately.
People We Meet on Vacation
Plot: Based on Emily Henry’s bestselling 2021 novel, People We Meet on Vacation follows polar-opposite best friends Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen as they reunite for one last getaway in an attempt to repair their fractured relationship. As the pair revisit old dynamics and unresolved feelings, the story jumps between their present-day trip and flashbacks from twelve summers of vacations together.
Cast: Emily Bader, Tom Blyth
Location: Travel is the emotional backbone of People We Meet on Vacation, with different destinations reflecting changing stages of Poppy and Alex’s relationship over the years.
While the book takes readers to locations including Palm Springs, Tuscany, and New York, the adaptation streamlined production by filming primarily in New Orleans and Spain. New Orleans doubled as the characters’ hometown of Linfield, Ohio, while Tulane University stood in for Boston College.
Meanwhile, Barcelona and Spain’s Costa Brava coastline were used to recreate many of the pair’s holidays – including scenes originally set in destinations like Palm Springs, Tuscany, British Columbia, and New York. The wedding and beach sequences were filmed at the historic Casa de Santa Clotilde in Lloret de Mar, while the film’s final beach scene was shot at the Costa Brava cove Platja de sa Boadella.
Every Summer After
Plot: Based on Carley Fortune’s bestselling novel Every Summer After, the adaptation – titled Every Year After – follows childhood friends Percy and Sam as they reconnect years after one life-changing summer altered their relationship forever. The eight-episode series premieres June 10, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video.
Cast: Sadie Soverall, Matt Cornett, Aurora Perrineau, Abigail Cowen
Location: Cabins, lakes, and long summer evenings are central to the nostalgic atmosphere driving the romance. While full filming details are still emerging, principal photography primarily took place in and around Vancouver, Canada, including North Shore Studios, Bowen Island, and North Vancouver’s Deep Cove neighborhood.
The natural landscapes and waterfront settings help recreate the emotionally intimate, lakeside world that became such a defining part of the book’s appeal.
The Love Hypothesis
Plot: Adapted from Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling novel of the same name, The Love Hypothesis follows PhD student Olive Smith and professor Dr. Adam Carlsen as they enter a fake relationship – only for their carefully controlled experiment on love to become far more complicated. The romantic comedy is set to premiere on Prime Video sometime in 2026, although an exact release date has yet to be announced.
Cast: Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman
Location: While the story is set at Stanford University in California, filming primarily took place in Montréal, Canada, with the city’s academic architecture doubling as the university setting. Key campus scenes were filmed at Concordia University’s downtown and Loyola campuses, helping recreate the high-pressure yet intimate atmosphere of student and academic life central to the story.
More filming also took place across the wider Montréal area, whose mix of historic buildings and modern city backdrops gives the adaptation a polished collegiate feel.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Plot: Based on Holly Jackson’s bestselling 2019 novel, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder follows teenager Pippa “Pip” Fitz-Amobi, who becomes convinced that the murder of local schoolgirl Andie Bell was never properly solved. Determined to uncover the truth herself, Pip begins investigating the case as part of her school EPQ project – only to find herself pulled into increasingly dangerous territory. The adaptation has already spawned two seasons.
Cast: Emma Myers, Zain Iqbal, Asha Banks
Location: The UK setting plays a huge role in building the small-town tension and atmosphere. Filming took place across Bristol and Somerset, with locations including the Redcliffe Caves, the Avon Valley Railway car park, Redland, Redmaids’ High School, Westbury-on-Trym, and Axbridge.
The quiet streets and close-knit village environments reinforce one of the show’s central themes: that in small communities, secrets never stay buried for long. Filming for season two also returned to Axbridge, Somerset, in April 2025.
