One Golden Summer

Okay, this book? Chef’s kiss. Carley Fortune just gets it, those messy, beautiful, heart-squeezing feelings that come with love, friendship, and figuring yourself out. One Golden Summer felt like sinking into a warm lake at sunset. It’s nostalgic, romantic, and full of that bittersweet magic that makes you want to hug the book when you’re done.

The story gave me all the summer vibes: sun-soaked days, late-night talks, and that one person who makes everything feel electric. I loved how real the characters felt. They’re not perfect, and that’s what made me root for them even harder. Fortune’s writing is so easy to fall into. It’s like she’s telling you a story over iced coffee, and you’re hanging on every word.
I laughed, show more I got a little misty-eyed, and I didn’t want it to end. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to text your best friend and say, “You have to read this.” show less

I don’t read much romance, but Carley Fortune has become a delightful exception. One Golden Summer is the follow-up to her bestselling Every Summer After, set once again in the charming lakeside town of Barry’s Bay, Ontario. While it’s connected to the first book, it works perfectly as a standalone.

The story follows photographer Alice Everly, who returns to a lakeside cottage after many years away. She brings her grandmother Nan along to help her recover from a hip injury, hoping the peaceful setting will also help Alice rediscover her creative spark behind the camera.

Fifteen years earlier, Alice captured a striking photo of three friends racing across the lake in a bright yellow speedboat. Now that same boat—and its charismatic show more owner, Charlie Florek—re-enters her life. Playful, easygoing, and instantly smitten, Charlie quickly wins over Nan and becomes a tempting distraction for Alice.

What begins as a relaxing summer of lake days, family time, and quiet renewal gradually blossoms into a tender friends-to-lovers romance. The novel beautifully explores themes of vulnerability, second chances, and the courage it takes to step out from behind the lens and truly live—and love.

While I briefly thought I might become a full-fledged romance fan, I’ve realized I need to be quite selective with the genre (I should have trusted my original instincts). What sets Fortune’s books apart for me is her ability to create genuine, relatable characters. I especially love how she weaves in strong family relationships and multi-generational stories. Even though Alice and Charlie are younger than me and still figuring out their lives, their struggles with love and self-doubt feel authentic. I particularly adored Nan—watching her heal from her injury while carrying her own emotional baggage added wonderful depth to the story.

Fortune also excels at creating an irresistible setting. Her vivid writing made it easy to picture myself in a cozy lakeside cabin, surrounded by sun-drenched days of swimming, cooking, reading, and pure summer relaxation.

I listened to the audiobook version, borrowed from my local library via Libby. AJ Bridel delivers a warm and pleasurable narration that perfectly captured the story’s sunny, heartfelt vibe.

I have photos and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog show less

4.25 True Rating
In the beginning, I hated both of the main characters. He was a pompous ass and she was an uptight ass.
But then the book continues and he humanizes her. You watch them fall in love and fall in love with them yourselves.

I’ll admit that the third act breakup felt so stupid until the end when it all makes sense and gets deep. Then I cried a bit.

I’d recommend this as a great summer read but also just a great romance book. There’s the wit, the little moments of cuteness, the overwhelming character growth, and a wonderfully wise grandma. It’s got it all.

Why not 5 stars?
My biggest pet peeve. Something that will make me consider DNF’ing Every. Damn. Time.
They said “Alice Everly” so many times that I had to show more quit the audiobook and switch to the physical so I wouldn’t hate the book.
They literally said her full name 43 times in 370 pages. That’s an average of once every 8.6 pages!
Sometimes it was 4 times in a row. They also say his full name a lot but not multiple times in a row so I didn’t count those 😂 show less

3.5 moreso. Captures the lake-life vibe well. It also does a nice job channeling the wistfulness of life at 17 when all the possibilities are still out there, and then the reality 15 years later when the main character, Alice Everly is confronting the way her options have narrowed. Just out of a 4-year relationship that she thought would end in a wedding, Alice is also feeling like she is compromising her artistic integrity for money. As a photographer, she has a great eye but also needs to pay the bills. A respite comes in the form of caring for her grandmother, Nan who just broke a hip. The best place to recuperate, Alice decides for her, is at the lake cottage of old family friends. Alice was there just once before and took an iconic show more photo of a boy in a boat that captured all the joy and yearning of being a teenager. Surpise - the boy has grown into a greek godlike man, and Alice runs into him literally in the grocery store in the small town. Charlie Florek is gorgeous, but cocky and intimidating and Alice's first inclination is to stay away, but since this is a romance, that resolve is melted by Charlie's charm and the two begin a tentative friendship which becomes a summer (steamy) fling, which becomes much deeper feelings that sometimes seem one-sided (since Alice is narrating and still lacks confidence) and destined to stay in the summer fun category. Something is holding Charlie back - inability to do commitment? ego? arrogance? Meanwhile, Alice has really come into her own over the summer - standing up to her loving but pushy family, taking risks, letting her hair down - literally, and breaking out of her 'good girl' constraints. She takes a chance on Charlie and needs to decide if the potential heartbreak is worth it. A couple good twists and some great supporting characters - Nan is the best! A winning lake read. show less

3.75

Alice Everly is 33, a photographer who has spent her whole career staying safely behind the lens, letting other people's stories take center stage rather than her own. She's also freshly out of a long-term relationship that was supposed to end in a wedding and didn't, which has left her creatively stuck and a little lost. When her beloved grandmother Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice sees a way to fix things for both of them: another summer in Barry's Bay, Ontario, the magical lake town where she spent one transformative summer at seventeen. That summer she took a photo of three teenagers in a yellow speedboat that launched her whole career. Now, settling into the cottage, she's caught off guard when that same yellow boat roars up — show more driven by Charlie Florek, Sam's older brother from Every Summer After. Readers of that book will remember Charlie as the one who complicated everything; here he gets his full redemption arc. He's a shameless flirt with guarded depths, and Alice is immediately in trouble. Can be read as a complete standalone. The story counts down day by day from their first to last day at the lake.

[May contain spoilers]
The will-they-won't-they stretches across the whole summer, with Alice and Charlie agreeing to keep things friendly while being very obviously falling for each other. Charlie's walls come from the losses he's carrying — both parents gone, the complicated history with his brother Sam and Percy — and Alice slowly peeling those back is the emotional core of the book. There's a twist/reveal in the final act that divides readers — some found it genuinely surprising, others felt it was a bit contrived and not fully earned. The ending is a happy one, and Sam and Percy appear throughout as beloved side characters. Nan and Charlie's unlikely friendship is a highlight almost everyone agrees on. Many readers declared it their favorite Fortune novel — particularly those who found Every Summer After too YA in tone. The adaptation news: Every Summer After is being developed as an Amazon series, and Meet Me at the Lake as a Netflix film with the Sussexes producing. show less

This story picks up where Every Summer After left off. I seriously didn’t remember ESA until I went back and read my review. I must say I enjoyed this one much more. I loved the characters of Charlie and Alice, their banter and slow realization of what they needed and wanted. They were both looking for something, meeting at the right time in their life. I came to like Sam and Percy more in this book. Nan and Alice’s friends are an added delight. AJ Bridel brought so much life to the characters and emotion to the story. I’m not afraid to say that I listened to this in one day! This was such a well written story. Consider me a fan. I look forward to reading Carley Fortune’s new book, Our Perfect Storm, due out 5/5/26.