Every Summer After is a sweet book. A teenager goes away for the summer to their family cottage, meets the boys who live next door, and they are best friends. I love how Sam and Percy are. As best friends they are perfect. The attraction between them starts so innocently, both of them shy and unsure how to act. As they grow up, summer after summer, the attraction grows, their feelings become more adult like. I felt like Carley Fortune, author, did an amazing job in keeping the character true to their ages. They acted as teenagers and reacted as teenagers.
This story was unique in that it was told in dual timelines and neither timeline gave away the reason that Sam and Percy had not seen each other in 12 years. I had guesses, I wondered, but I did not quite have it figured out until it was revealed. The choices that both of them made had huge impacts on both of their futures and I was hopefully that they could work through whatever had pulled them apart and find a future together.
Every Summer After is a book of family, friends, teenage love, and second chances. I suggest this as a summer read.

As a young teenager, Persephone “Percy” Fraser had the best life. From summers with her family by the lake, to friendships and more with the boy next door, Percy had it all. Then one summer Percy makes a life changing mistake, one that she’s unable to shake for years after.

Until she receives a phone call.

Suddenly, Percy is plunged back into memories of the small town she never went back to and the true love she left behind with it. Journeying back to Barry’s Bay was hard enough, but seeing the boy next door as a full grown man is even harder.

Every Summer After is told in dual timelines of past and present. We get glimpses of how Percy and Sam met and became close, but I found myself wanting a little more out of the memories. In the present I expected things to be more awkward given the “event that shall not be named”. Truth be told I predicted the twist, but it didn’t prevent me from enjoying the pining.

Fans of second chances, first love, and those just yearning for a summer filled with romance should take a chance on this debut novel!

A second chance romance! What happened to tear Percy and Sam apart? They meet when they're teens when her family buys a cottage in Barry's Bay, where Sam's mom owns the local restaurant. The two of them, along with Sam's brother Charlie, have a tight bond that survives the winters when she's back in Toronto and he's still in Barry's Bay. Until.....And then they don't see one another and build their separate lives. But then Charlie calls one day to tell Percy their mom has died and she heads back to Barry Bay for the funeral. This moves back and forth in time to tell the story from Percy's perspective. Fortune keeps the reason for the rift secret until almost the end - no spoilers from me. I found myself rooting for this couple and I liked the setting in the Canadian cottage region. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling makes this a good read. A nice debut.

This was a perfect read for summer. Put this in your beach/pool/lake bag! It was emotional, tender, funny with a little bit of angst. Dare I compare this book to CoHo's writing? If you enjoyed The Summer I Turned Pretty or Love and Other Words, read this book!

Finished this book on a rainy Sunday and to say it captured my heart would be an understatement. A beautifully written love story and definitely a contender for my favorite book of the year.

I finished this book two days ago and it's still taking up a spot in my mind and heart. Flipping between the past and present, this book tells the story of Persephone Fraser and Sam Florek the man she knew from her early teens would be the love of her life. Persephone's family buys a summer cottage on the shores of Lake Ontario and she quickly becomes friends with the boys next door, Sam and Charlie. It isn't long before Persephone develops a crush on Sam and knows they are meant to be together forever Told over the course of the six summers and in the present time this novel is full of so much love and nostalgia for teenage summers. It's only the 2nd day of the month and I already know this will be a top book for the month.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. What a great debut novel in the adult fiction world. Every Summer After is a perfect second-chance romance with alternating timelines between "then" and "now".

The book is aptly titled, as the summer aesthetic and description was so relatable. I could smell the sunscreen, taste the sweet cotton candy ice cream, and feel the sticky discomfort of a hot sweaty day. The descriptions were fantastic and I felt myself transported instantly to the summer cottage lake life. The Canadian references, Tim Hortons included, was so endearing to my Canadian heart.

I highly recommend this book for those who love an emotional story (with a teeny bit of steam) filled with deep feelings and strong storylines. If you enjoyed Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren, I recommend this Canadian novel!

A second chance romance plus a coming of age story, a perfect match!

Percy and Sam met the summer they were 13. Percy's parents purchased a cabin to enjoy for summers and vacations, whereas Sam, his mom and brother Charlie were year round residents living next door.

They are now 30 and have been estranged for 12 years. The story alternates between now and then, following them as they grow into young adults. You know there is heartbreak ahead, but you still love watching their young love develop

I am a huge fan of coming of age stories, young love, freedom and innocence so this was absolutely perfect for me. The "now" chapters were more more mature and emotional and it was like getting two stories in one. A few descriptive spicy parts 🌶️🌶️ out of 5, but easy to gloss over if that's not your thing.

I really didn't want this one to end, so I actually started another book to postpone finishing it.

Loved it

I had to sit with this one a little bit. I read it in a day and obviously loved it but I just had to marinate after reading.

Hot Takes
- I think I took a second because it is so similar to Love and Other Words, but in a good way. Childhood friends to lovers is an emotional journey and this did it just as well as Love and Other Words.
- This is a fucking fantastic book. Again, I read it in one sitting.
- There's a part of this book that will not be for everyone so check CW please. I didn't mind and think it was really well done and made this book excel.

Read If You Like
- Love and Other Words
- Emotional childhood friends with a timeline going back and forth.

I adored this book! From the second I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down! I read most of it in one sitting because it was that good. I loved the alternating timelines between summer past and the present. I loved the sweet friendship that turned into more between Sam and Persephone (Percy). I loved the mutual pining. This was sweet and steamy at parts too. My heart broke for Percy and Sam when we learned how things ended 12 summers ago. I’ve seen it described as perfect for fans of People We Meet on Vacation and I totally agree! This was such a great book and I can’t wait to read whatever Fortune writes next.

"𝘐𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨."

I had another post planned for today but I started 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 last night and was so sucked in that I stayed up until I finished and now I need to make sure everyone knows about this beautiful, sexy and emotional romance. (Excuse the run on sentence but thanks to Carley Fortune's gorgeous writing, I only got four hours sleep.)

"𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘣𝘺𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨."

I don't want to give too much away, but this story of Percy and Sam and their epic first love will give you all the feels. What resonated with me is how realistic their relationship felt and how fast I came to care about the characters. Told through now-and-then timelines, you meet Percy as a 30-year-old woman as her world collides with Sam's again after not seeing each other for 12 years, while also tracking their relationship from the time they meet at 13. As you read about them falling in love, you also know they're going to fall apart but I couldn't help but hope for a different outcome. It's heartwarming and heartbreaking and you won't want to put it down.

Every summer, there's a book I give to all my friends and tell everyone to read. I have no doubt 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 is that book this year.

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Romance and Berkley Publishing for the copy to review.

Holy moly this story was an emotional roller coaster! Grap some tissues and settle in for quite the ride!

This story takes us through the past and the present day lives of Persephone and Sam. We follow their friendship as it turns to something more over many summers spent together. But then, it all ends. When they both visit the Bay again, under sad circumstances, they have a chance to repair what has been broken.

I thought this was a beautiful story that managed to rip my heart out just a little bit. There are so many things that destroyed Percy and Sam’s relationship and going through their story was amazing. I loved how the writing created these two characters and their story. It was real and tangible as I read.

I would absolutely recommend this to readers that enjoy stories of romance and second chances!

THANK YOU to the publisher and Netgalley. THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE. It feels like it has elements of Summer I Turned Pretty and People We Meet on Vacation but also deserves to stand on its own. Friends to lovers, 2nd chance romance AND summer love all in one book!! I can’t get over this story and I will be buying a physical copy to keep forever!

Percy and Sam meet as kids when Percy’s family buys the cottage next door to Sam’s family. Percy or Persephone aa she was born) and Sam and his brother Charlie hit it off right away and become inseparable every summer when they get back to the cottage. Percy and Sam are especially close, and become even more-so as the years progress. Until one summer, twelve years ago that something happens that changes everything and they stop talking and lose touch with each other.
They don’t speak again until Sam and Charlie’s mom dies and Charlie calls to tell Percy. Percy was close to their mom after spending so much time at their cottage growing up, so she decides to go to the funeral and face her past, and the love that has never died.
The writing in this story is so vivid and descriptive. I could totally visualize them laying on the dock and chatting, especially since I grew up not far from where the story is set.
There are some triggers-cheating, panic attacks/anxiety, loss of a parent.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Oh. Em. Gee. I loved this book. The teen angst was just *chef's kiss* exquisite, the pacing and tension-building was perfection, and the slow burn pay off? well worth it.

I would die to write a book with as much feels as this one. It punches you in the gut in the best way. I immediately preordered it after finishing the ARC and I know it will be a top book of 2022 for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and the author for an eARC in exchange for my review.

If you read one book this season, read this one. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune is easily one of my favorite reads of 2022 so far.

The dual timeline and summer vibes were perfect and I loved all of the characters! Percy and Sam's love story is all consuming. Starting off as best friends, their love story blossomed into one we can only dream about. I read this book in one setting and will be recommending it all summer long.

Thanks to Berkley Pub + NetGalley for my gifted e-copy!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Pub Group, & Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

First things first, I already wrote this review. And I was insightful as hell when I did. And then I lost it. So now you're going to have to deal with two weeks later incoherent rambles about how this book was so, so, so freaking good. Sorry.

I loved this so much. SO MUCH. I loved how the absolute essence of summer vacation, summer friendships, and summer love was represented (I also felt a strong kinship with how much of the book revolved around summer? Maybe that was it?). I loved the way it was formatted, I loved the writing, I loved the characters. Loved it.

These characters are SO vivid in my head (which isn't something I get a lot while reading, so feels worth noting). They were great as kids, but honestly they were even BETTER as adults. There was real hurt on both sides, and real tough things they needed to get through, but they were able to put those things aside to be there when the other needed them, and those scenes were so refreshing. It felt like one of the most honest and real books I've read in a long time, and I know it'll stick with me for years to come.

(There were also some tropes in here that are *decidedly* not my favorite, but these things do happen in real life and I thought they were handled really well, so that's all I'll say on that.)

I think Every Summer After would be best read sitting on the edge of a dock at the lake with your feet dangling in the water, a nice Moscow mule or strawberry lemonade next to you, with your hair blowing around you and the smell of sunscreen on the wind. And I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

“Swear on it…”

Did I just read my new favorite book? Is childhood friends to lovers to strangers to lovers my new favorite trope? Do I like cinnamon roll heroes? Have I abandoned my entire “never trust a blonde man” doctrine?

I never wanted this book to end. I knew from the first chapter that there was magic is these pages and I could not be more obsessed. AND it’s a debut?! R u joking.

I cannot explain it but the Swifties will die over this one.

An alternating timeline is where it’s AT. I loved how every chapter bounced back and forth in time and the pace of the book just flowed flawlessly. I also love the “past event that tore them apart and they haven’t spoken in a long time but wtf could it have been, wait and find out” trope (fully aware there’s probably a better and more concise name for that but here we are)

Percy. I love her. She’s flawed but she’s trying. She appreciates a cocktail and an impromptu bang chop and I feel that on a molecular level.

Her friendships with Delilah & Chantal and the way they shaped her at different stages of her life was just perfection 😘🤌🏻

SAM. FLOREK. Is he real and where can I find him. The very definition of “if he wanted to, he would.” Book boyfriend 4 life. Perfect blend of nerdy, sweet & sexy.

As soon as I finished, I wanted to start from the beginning. A perfect summer and anytime read!!

Pub date is coming up on May 10th so definitely keep this one on your radar!!

Thank you to @netgalley & @berkley for the eARC!

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune has been one of my most-anticipated reads of the year and I felt confident it would be a novel I would love in all its angsty glory. Readers, I wasn’t wrong. While it’s a plot that isn’t unfamiliar—it’s even one I’ve read many variations of before—I greedily devoured every word. I’m still not sure with what magic Carley Fortune has wrought this second chance summery goodness, but she made the best-friends-to-lovers story new again!

Reading Every Summer After was a menagerie of emotions. My heart warmed, broke, and soared multiple times while reading this love story. It’s my favorite kind of love story: simple but with complicated outcomes. Friends who fall in love may seem like a simple plot, but as Shakespeare told us, “the course of true love never did run smooth”. Our characters are dealing with big emotions they’re not sure what to do with, pasts that complicate things, and hurts that haven’t been healed.

Persephone (Percy) and Sam are the best of friends and have spent their summers inseparable at their neighboring lakeside cottages since they were young. Not only did I fall in love with this story, the setting of Barry’s Bay, Ontario in Canada (the author’s very real hometown) had me dreaming of warm, sunny days lounging by the water, quick-moving thunderstorms, and the carefree days of youth when we had hours of time with our friends.

Fortune does such a good job immersing me into the tale, I could smell the lake, hear the water lapping, and feel the sun on my skin. She transported me back to my youth when love was new and full of possibilities and the heartbreak was all-consuming.

Every Summer After is told from Percy’s point of view, alternating from the past to the present, slowly revealing what has lead to our characters’ rift. Usually I like having both points of view, but I didn’t miss it in this one. It added to the building tension and mystery of their story.

Percy and Sam are compelling characters, as are all the side characters, each one adding to the story, well-rounded and believable. From Sam’s brother Charlie, to Percy’s best friends—Delilah in the past and Chantal in the present. I so wanted to hang out with Sam and Charlie’s easy-going mom Sue, a young single parent running the family’s local restaurant after the death of their father. I particularly wanted to try the pierogies she was known for. It was especially hard falling for a character when I knew it was her death that has brought Percy back to Barry’s Bay.

All the characters are flawed, and Every Summer After does a great job examining those flaws, reminding us that no one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes, and forgiving each other—as well as ourselves—is what it takes to live life to its fullest.

There’s so much more I could say about this one, so many plot aspects I’d love to discuss, but it’s impossible without giving away spoilers. And everyone should go into it the way I did, not knowing anything except it’s a love story about friends in the summer at the lake.

Pick this one up when you won’t be distracted, because it’s hard to put down. I especially recommend reading it outside, which only enhances the experience. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of Every Summer After to add to my shelf for rereading. Preferably to take on vacation at a lake.

Review: This was a great read, with a wonderful summer vibe. Plus, the characters were fantastic! Overall, this is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.