4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for a review!

This was so good!! So fun and perfect for summer. I love Carley’s books - they’re so quick and easy to fly through and have the perfect blend of romance and plot.

This book has great banter, a beautiful setting and I loved the characters! Definitely would recommend if you’re looking for a perfect beach read!

I loved this novel. It’s the first one I’ve read but Carley Fortune and I can’t wait to read more. In One Golden Summer we meet Alice, a Canadian photographer who is more comfortable behind the lens. She spent summer at a gorgeous lakeside cottage with her grandmother when she was seventeen and they’re about to return for the summer sixteen years later. It’s a really cute plot with some fabulous characters that envelope you like a warm hug and stay with you long after you turn the last page. Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and the author for the chance to review.

I personally enjoyed her other books better. I don’t know if it’s because I felt this was rather long. Alice and her grandma return to the lake for the summer to help her grandma heal. Alice is a photographer and sees pics and memories of her childhood everywhere she goes. She reconnects with Charlie and is kind of torn by him. Cute story. I lost focus in the middle. Would have liked it better if shorter.

we are back in the Bay and Carley does it once again. the perfect any time read because you just cannot miss these books. but mind the gap because you are about to fall into it. its going to get into your whole life for a whole time you read it and probably a long time after. this book captures all the things we love about Carley's books. delicious.

4.5 stars
Despite having a few of Carley Fortune’s books on my bookshelf, I finally picked one up while on holiday sitting by the pool. And this was the perfect summer/beach read.
It was escapist in the very best way.
I appreciated watching Alice grow and I loved the photography angle.
Seeing her attempting to complete the list of things that she would have loved to do aged seventeen, but was too shy to, felt really relatable and wholesome. Yet, there were still a few steamy scenes, as well.
It was, however, frustrating watching Charlie push Alice away and say that he wasn’t a relationship kind of guy. Especially when it's obvious how they both feel for one another.
But I liked the way that it ended and will definitely be picking up another Carley Fortune book before summer is over.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Reading Our Golden Summer felt like slipping into a memory I didn’t even know I had. Carley Fortune captures the ache and beauty of fleeting moments so perfectly that I found myself completely swept away. Her writing is warm, nostalgic, and full of heart, I could feel the golden sun on my skin and the bittersweet pull of first love with every page. This book left me longing for summers past and grateful for the ones still to come. It’s a story I know I’ll carry with me for a long time.

This was a brilliant book!
As soon as I saw it listed I was hoping I would be accepted! Thank you for the ARC copy of this I really appreciate it!

Good things really do happen at the lake. I didn’t know I needed Charlie Florek’s story - he seemed perfectly suited to his side character role in Every Summer After - but apparently I was wrong about that. This is a meeting of two multi-layered souls. Charlie is confident, relentlessly charming and hiding his deep-seated fears about life and love, and people-pleasing, slightly lost Alice is his perfect foil, something everyone but the two of them sees for a long time. From their initial messaging through an awkward first meeting to a burgeoning friendship, their connection just sizzles on the page. I really liked Alice’s character development, as she takes a carefree summer for herself and learns to stand up for what she wants even when it’s uncomfortable - when that manifested itself in the way she deals with Charlie in the later parts of the story, I felt weirdly proud of her. It was great to see previous characters (Sam and Percy, three years on) and also meet some wonderful new ones like Alice’s siblings and the irrepressible Nan, and the descriptions of Barry’s Bay make me want to find a small Canadian town on a lake and escape for a summer. I think this is Carley Fortune’s best one yet - it’s certainly my favourite.

4.5 ⭐️
one golden summer was a sun-drenched whirlwind of nostalgia, longing, and taking a second chance on <i> yourself</i>. it perfectly captured that bittersweet ache of revisiting a place that once meant everything—and i devoured every golden page.

plot ―୨୧⋆ ˚ this was such a beautifully bittersweet exploration of timing, missed chances, and what it means to come back to a version of yourself you thought you left behind. i lived for the summer town setting—it was so atmospheric and added so much weight to the story.
the pacing was honestly perfect—it unfolded slowly but never dragged, and the tension between the two leads kept me totally hooked. i loved the mentions of alice's photographs and the added dimension this adds to the story and seeing the summer / charlie through this lense was so special.

alice + charlie ―୨୧⋆ ˚ absolutely loved the banter and the genuine friendship these characters had, it truly felt like they were reliving their teenager summers and i loved that aspect of their relationship.
the problems they encounter towards the end of the book are frustrating (obvi a lack of communication ) but it actually allows alice to finally grow as a person and fully flourish. actually made me ugly sob embarrassingly .

overall, this felt like a warm summer memory pressed between pages—faded around the edges, but still glowing. it was tender and aching and so full of heart. 🥹✨

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael J Books for the early e-arc ❤️

I adored this book!!! Carley’s writing has a way of making you feel every emotion and picture everything through my kindle. I read Every Summer After just before this one and I’m so glad I did as I really felt like I was a part of both stories. Loved diving into Charlie’s story and adored all the characters, especially Nan 🥹

This is definitely going to be the book of the summer and I can’t wait to hear everyone else’s reviews once they get the chance to read this!!

Another auto-buy author for me, absolutely loved it!

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️ 🌶️

Expected release date - 8th May 2025

OMG, it was everything I needed! The story follows Alice, a photographer who heads back to Barry’s Bay with her grandma, Nan, for another magical summer. Seriously, the setting is so vivid and charming – I could almost feel the sun on my face and the lake breeze.

Alice's journey is super relatable. She reconnects with Charlie Florek, the guy she once photographed from afar, and let me tell you, their chemistry is off the charts! Charlie is such a lovable character – a total flirt who makes Nan laugh and Alice's heart race. Their sun-kissed days and warm nights on the lake are pure magic.

Carley Fortune's writing is beautiful and full of heart. She totally nails the essence of summer and that feeling of coming home. I loved how the story dives into themes of love, family, and finding where you truly belong.

If you're looking for a feel-good romance that will leave you grinning, One Golden Summer is a must-read. It's the perfect escape, and I can't wait to see what Carley Fortune comes up with next!

One of the greatest discoveries this past year was my discovery of Carly Fortune's books. After reading Every Summer After recently, I fell in love with Charlie Florek (how could I not?) So I was especially excited to find out that One Golden Summer was Charlie's story, and it was better than I could have dreamed.

I finished this is 24 hours because I just couldn't stop reading!

It's tender. It's incredibly sweet. But it's also funny, and as sexy and charming as you would expect from a book about Charlie.

Alice is a wonderful character who compliments Charlie perfectly. I related to her inner monologue instantly and found myself grinning from her banter with Charlie.

The perfect summer romance. I've already preordered my copy and might just have to read Every Summer After and One Golden Summer again ASAP.

This took me a little while to get into, and I initially wasn't sure how I would get on with it in comparison to previous Carley Fortune novels - all of which I have adored. Soon though, I fell in love. First with the absolute dream book boyfriend Charlie - I just loved his banter and wit, and then seeing him and Alice develop their friendship.
At times I was so frustrated with both of them - the obvious miscommunication and Alice's misguided treatment of her Nan to name a few issues, but the characters dealt with all of this and there was real growth within everyone.
I was also delighted to return to Barry's Bay and of course see how Percy and Sam were doing 🥹
There were some other wonderful supporting characters along the way too, Nan was a particular delight! (And her and Charlie's friendship!)
Alice and Charlie's "seventeen year old" summer was so much fun - a perfect summer read!

Thank you for this arc.
First of all I'm a bit fan of Carley Fortune books- as soon as the sun starts to come up I grab one of hers to read.
This book was so so good, I loved to finally get Charlie's story because I loved Sam's and Percy's book and was so glad to read about them now and how there relationship progressed. Charlie and Alice's story was beautifully written, the banter between them was funny and how much Charlie is going through behind closed doors and how he struggles to open up fully with Alice. Alice and Charlie are a perfect fit and how he is with her family and Alice's nan..taking care of them both ways just so lovely to read. I loved this book so much. Perfect summer read.

I loved this book SO much 😭 One Golden Summer has become my hands-down favourite of Carley’s books, and I’m sure it will be a favourite of 2025 🌟

𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧…
🚤 just for the summer romance
💙 friends to lovers
🚤 found family
💙 forced proximity
🚤 secret sad boy
💙 opposites attract

𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨…
When photographer Alice offers to take her Nan up to Barry’s Bay for the summer, the green eyed flirt who lives next door takes her by surprise.

𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨…
This book is ✨everything✨ I laughed, I cried, and I found a new favourite couple 🫶🏼

Well I’m in love with Charlie Florek 😭 …which I absolutely did not see coming 🫠😂 I was extremely apprehensive about his book but he is such a wonderful character who cares so much for everyone around him 😭 Yes he’s a massive flirt with a huge ego, but really he’s a little broken and a secret sad boy 🥲

On the surface Charlie & Alice are so different… but underneath it all they share so many thoughts & fears. Charlie feels like he doesn’t deserve his HEA, and Alice doesn’t think risking her heart again for one is worth it 💔

Charlie & Alice have become one of my favourite book couples - watching them fall in love was so much fun! Their flirting and the banter is a joy to read 🥹 They balanced each other perfectly - I love it when I read a book couple who I feel sure will last past the epilogue, and these two absolutely would 🫶🏼

The summer lake vibes yet again are perfect - I loved being back in Barry’s Bay and I’m booking my flights to Kamaniskeg as we speak x

OGS is not without a dose of angst & heartbreak, as with all of Carley’s books, but the ending definitely had me crying happy tears, I loved it 🥹

the first summer book i read taking place at a lake house / beach every year when the weather finally starts to warm is not a decision i take lightly, but receiving this arc it was an easy one to make!

i did find it slow to get into and hard to connect with the characters initially, but i came to care for them all (charlie especially ily) in their own ways.
i liked alice as a character but i felt that her photography career was such a prominent part of the story and yet it was just the same point reiterated over and over again, especially at the start - i wanted to know more about her than just be told continuously how disillusioned she was with her job & enjoyed it a lot more once we got there!

loved the hazy, warm atmosphere that flooded this book - like everything was dappled with sunlight. a beach read that takes you by surprise!

I love Carley Fortune's book, especially Every Summer After so I was excited to return to the Florek boys and this was everything I wanted it to be. The perfect escapist summer romance, I loved Charlie and Alice's story. They were both well-developed characters and I enjoyed seeing their banter develop into something more. Carley's books are perfect for fans of Emily Henry, particularly fans of You and Me on Vacation.

Enter my new favourite romcom - I LOVED this book so much! So much that I was up two hours after I usually go to sleep because I just couldn’t put it down.

First of all, I adored the lake setting and bucket list idea, but mostly it was all about Charlie, aka the perfect hot book boyfriend. The chemistry and romance between Alice and Charlie was just perfection, and I could honestly have read another 200 pages of their story! Perfect summer reading.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me an e-arc to review on Netgalley.

This was my first book of Carley’s and wow it did not disappoint. This story honestly had me reading it in 24 hours. The character’s are so loveable and the plot was just perfect.

Alice heads to Barrys Bay with her Nan for some well deserved time away from life to find herself again and on the way she meets the dazzling Charlie.

Both characters experience quite literally one golden summer, reliving their former years through a checklist that helps them reminisce on their younger years and realise how precious life is all whilst experiencing a whirlwind love for the books.

I honestly loved reading this and felt it was so well paced, it had such a great structure and kept me wanting more after every chapter. I’m usually a person who hates the whole ‘third act breakup’ if it’s not done right but Carley did it so well and wrapped it up pretty quickly too and used that time to develop her characters further rather than moping around.

Overall, this is a must read romance for the summer and one so many will love!

This book felt like nostolgia as I was reading it. It made me long for summers spent with friends as a teenager where everything felt possible. I loved seeing Alice and Charlie get to live out their summer together and grow from who they once were. You could really see the character development of Alice from the start of the book, and of Charlie from both this book and Every Summer After.

I enjoyed so much about this book - the lake setting, the characters, the story and development. It was also great to go back to Barry's Bay and see more of Percy and Sam's story. I really liked how there were elements and characters from both the first book, as well as a new cast of characters in this one, especially Nan who was a wonderful character.

I do feel like it was a bit insta-love, so it was somewhat annoying how long the whole 'just friends' argument went on when all of their actions were saying otherwise. The third act conflict was also annoying and predictable, but I did appreciate how it all wrapped up.