📖 The sequel to Every Summer After, One Golden Summer centres around Alice, a photographer happy to hide behind the camera and her neighbour Charlie, a shameless flirt. Alice is retuning to the lake many years after spending a perfect summer there, in the hope that this summer getaway may restore her after a difficult few years. As Alice & Charlie revive their past connection it grows into a summer romance with the best banter!

🚤summer lake setting
💙opposites attract
🚤friends to lovers
💙bucket list

💭 This was a perfect summer romance, the lakeside setting and the summer vibes were just immaculate & if you are a seasonal reader you’ve got a few weeks left to squeeze this one in!

I really liked Alice she was such a relatable character, I fully understood her feeling of losing herself and wanting to escape. However the star of the show had to be Charlie.

After the heartbreaking twist of Every Summer After it left me wondering if Charlie would ever be able to redeem himself…spoiler, he does! Not only that he managed to turn himself into one of my favourite MMC’s ever written! Was it the confidence he had himself or the confidence he brought out in Alice? Who knows but I deeply fell for it.

If you’re looking for the perfect summer read, this is your book! I highly recommend reading Every Summer After first (but if you’ve not read it in a while you don’t need a reread!) I can’t wait to read more for Carley, & her next book Our Perfect Storm has just been announced today!!

#onegoldensummer #carleyfortune #bookreview

This was my first Carley Fortune, and I was pleasantly surprised!

I found that this is a great summer romance that has all elements I love, yearning, golden retriever bf and heartfelt characters. I even loved all the side characters and thought they were well fleshed out compared to most contempory romances. I would definitely recommend this author if you haven't tried her books before and definitely this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Rih and Penguin who sent me a copy to read!

I LOVED this one! 🥹 This is the first book I’ve read by Carley Fortune, so I definitely need to go back and read Every Summer After so I can read Sam & Percy’s story properly!!

Alice is a photographer who is stuck in a rut. When the chance comes for her to take a much needed break with her Nan, back at the lake where she spent a summer at the age of 17, Alice grasps the opportunity with both hands. Thinking back to all of the things that she was too shy to do when she was last there, Alice makes a lake to-do list. Falling in love isn’t on her to-do list, but that’s exactly what she does…

Enter Charlie, cheeky, outgoing and flirtatious, he helps to bring Alice out of her shell, and helps her to see that, despite being the one who always looks out for others, she is worthy of being looked after too. But Charlie and Alice are only there for the summer, and Charlie is holding back. Alice falls hard and deep, but what will happen at the end of their time at the lake?

I loved how Charlie had so many layers to him, and how we as readers got to peel them back alongside Alice. There was so much depth to him that helped to make their connection and love story feel so tangible and authentic. The love that the author created between Alice and Charlie was so true, so special, so powerful. I cried!!! A hugely enjoyable read with characters who fully deserve their happily ever afters ❤️

I had no idea that this was interconnected to Every Summer After and I was a little worried as I didn't like that one but this one I enjoyed more. Such a dreamy summer romance.

“Good things happen at the lake”
Alice and Charlie fit so perfectly well together and the beautiful setting of Barry’s Bay was just an added bonus
Everything a summer romance should be - the chemistry and tension
Thanks @carleyfortune @penguinbooksuk & @netgalley for the amazing summer beach read

Could not put this down. An achingly lovely story of summer romance and taking chances. I was so with the main character throughout and genuinely wanted the best for her. Just so much more than your usual romance book.

A lovely summer read, I found it a bit predictable and fully expected every plot twist but I enjoyed it all the same.

I will always pick up a Carley Fortune book, I adore her writing. Such a fun, summer read and I couldn’t put it down!

I was really interested in Charlie during Every Summer After, so it was fun to finally read more about him! Alice felt like a very realistic and relatable main character. This book is just great to read by the pool/ocean, with it's summery setting and sweet slow-burn romance.

well... i was actually entertained by this book (not like every summer after [which i hated imo]). also, i love to see more of charlie after 3 years after sam and percy's story

love the banter between him and alice.i love the bonding between charlie, nanette (alice's grandmother), and alice. these scenes touches my heart. and also, i still can't move on that one scene that made me giggle

but the conflict got me disappointed which also leads to miscommunication. but the ending got a little better which leads to an almost 3 star rating

It was so wonderful to be back in the world of Barry's Bay. I loved catching up again with Sam and Percy, especially at such an exciting time in their lives.

I really enjoyed Alice as a main character. I felt, and sympathised, with a lot of her insecurities and worries. I felt her a very realistic and relatable main character. Her family was also wonderful to follow, and I particularly loved the relationship between Alice and her sister Heather.

I loved the summer bucket list, intended to take Alice out of her comfort zone. I love things like this, little bucket lists or challenges. It was such a fun summer activity to read, and I loved watching Charlie get involved.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Charlie and Alice. They had a great friendship to build a relationship on, and also a really good understanding of one another.

I did, however, have some small issues with the ending. The "twist" felt a little out of place, and the ending itself felt rushed.

🌞 REVIEW 🌞

Title: one golden summer
Author: Carley fortune
Genre: romance
Pages: 381
Rating: 4.5 🌟

After diving into this book, I realised I should have explored the other Barry’s Bay novels first! Yet, it stands alone perfectly, so no worries if you haven’t read the others.

This was the ideal summer read, leaving me with a smile. It goes beyond just a summer tale; I feel it’s one of those books that will linger with me forever.

The author’s vivid portrayal of the setting made me yearn to be there. It felt so serene and picturesque.

Alice’s summer bucket list, which she embarks on with Charlie, made a delightful read.

Charlie is a complex character, with his traits skillfully balanced to avoid crossing from cocky to unpleasant. Alice is more introverted, often using her camera and photography as a shield, which was fascinating to explore.

I must admit, I anticipated the “twist” early on, but it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book at all.

I now can’t wait to try her other books!

Great book! Loved the dynamics of the relationship between Charlie and Alice. Was captivated by Carley's style of writing. A perfect summer read

I hadn’t read a Carley Fortune before but I absolutely loved this. A perfect summer read. So happy I read this when it was warm weather beside the beach because it was the perfect setting for this romance book. The pacing was great, the characters were fantastic & the plot was brilliant. Especially loved the grandmother

☀️🌊One Golden Summer 🌊☀️

- Carley Fortune

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first of Carley Fortune’s work, so I haven’t read the first in this series, Every Summer After. This was my first venture to the world of Barry’s Bay.

We follow photographer Alice, who, after seventeen years, is returning to the spot where she fell in love with photography. That one photo, of three teenagers in a yellow speedboat, changed the direction of her life. I loved that premise - I like reading about main characters who have interesting, creative jobs and passions.

When Alice’s grandmother wants to return to Barry’s Bay for the summer, Alice has no choice but to accompany her as her carer. The place holds a lot of memories for the both of them, but Alice is hoping that the change of scenery will spark something creative in her burnt-out brain. When she meets Charlie Florek, the boy who she photographed on his boat all those years ago, they embark on a summer of fun, completing Alice’s bucket list one by one.

There was nothing outrightly wrong with it, and I can’t pinpoint exactly what didn’t float my boat about it, besides the fact that I wasn’t very invested in their characters and their romance. I know a lot of people disliked Carley Fortune’s first book in this series because it involved cheating, and this definitely didn’t have any such controversial themes. Still, sadly I don’t think I will be reaching for any of Carley Fortune’s other books any time soon.

One Golden Summer released on May 6th (I’m a bit late with this review 🫣) Thank you to @michaeljbooks for the digital ARC!

#bookstagram #bookreview #arcreview #onegoldensummer #carleyfortune #romancebooks #beachreads #summeromances

This is the perfect summer read. I was so excited to dive into another of Carley Fortune's books, and I loved this one just as much as the others (a lot). The summery vibes were lovely and the romance was nicely paced, heart-warming and so fun. Great emotional-depth too, which always draws me back to Carley Fortune's stories.

This was the perfect summer read, with a beautiful setting and a romance that will keep you reading to the end, this story really did have it all.
I loved the characters in the book, especially Charlie, he was just perfect 😍. The slow burn romance between him & Alice offered tension and chemistry throughout and kept me reading, wanting to know what happened between them. The little twist towards the end of the book I was definitely not expecting, but the way in which it brought them closer was perfect and it set the story up for an ending that was worthy 🥰. They each brought a side out of one another that was nice to see, such as Charlie's softer side and Alice's thirst for adventure and I really liked the dynamic between Charlie & Nan.
The setting of the book was idyllic at the lake and I could almost picture myself watching the sunsets on the cliff, enjoying a jet ski ride or just chilling on the unicorn inflatable.
This was a summer romance that left my heart happy and had me wishing I could have stayed at the lake.

Of course. Here’s the revised version of your review without the reference to *The Summer I Turned Pretty* and with the same clear, professional tone:

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Carley Fortune’s *Every Golden Summer* is a well-crafted novel that held my interest from beginning to end. It’s a strong example of contemporary romance with a thoughtful coming-of-age element woven in.

What stood out most wasn’t just the romantic storyline, but the relationship between Charlie, Alice and Nan, which added emotional depth and authenticity. The reason behind Charlie’s reluctance to commit was a genuine surprise, and it’s not often a romance novel manages to do that.

This is the second book I’ve read by Fortune, and it’s clear I need to move her other titles up my reading list. I do wish I’d read *Every Summer After* first, since the stories are connected, but discovering that now only increases my interest in going back and exploring the earlier novel.

Overall, *Every Golden Summer* is an engaging, emotionally layered read — an easy five stars.

Carley Fortune does it again!! I absolutely loved this one, and was so happy to be back at Barry's Bay. I was so excited for Charlie's story and this was everything I wanted. Full of nostalgia, friends to lovers, forced proximity, it has it all! Also the banter... chefs kiss!

Highly reccomend this one.

Alice spent one summer at the lake when she was younger and it changed her life forever. But being back as an adult has brought back some of her insecurities and uncertainties. Charlie doesn’t know that a photo that Alice took of him changed her life, and how she always watched on desperate to be part of his in crowd.

I loved the Every Summer After series so I already expected to enjoy this but it was really lovely. Makes me want to go and spend a summer by a lake in Canada or USA where it’s nice and hot and full of scary bugs and creepers 🤣. Beautifully written and really heart warming, exactly what you want to read on a sunny day