Cover Image: Every Summer After

Every Summer After

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Member Reviews

I loved this story! Whether you still dream of your first love, or have moved on and left it in the past, this book will speak to you. All the looks back will resonate.It's packed full of emotion. and gorgeous writing. You'll fall in love with Persephone and Sam and Barry's Bay. It's no secret that I LOVE a Canadian setting, and there's nothing better than summer in Canada. I wish I could read it again for the first time. Highly recommend.

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This book is steamier than a Tim’s Double Double! Put this new Canadian author on your TBR pile and this book on the top of your summer beach read list!
Percy and Sam will nostalgically take you back, friendship bracelets and all, to your own coming of age, your first crush and your first love. The other great escape for the reader comes with Percy’s return trips to her lake cottage. Whether you’ve had this experience or not, the author ensures you feel like you spent summers at an idyllic lake too.
I loved the Canadiana references- from the Timbits, Hudson Bay blankets, Blue Jays, Pizza Pizza and John Candy. These references made me feel like I knew exactly what she was talking about and this further connected me to the novel.
You do not need to be Canadian to read this book though. You only need to want a lake escape and great love story that spans over a decade. Watching Sam and Percy’s friendship develop into something larger, as they both grow up and deal with changes and relational betrayals, keeps the reader rooting for them to do the repair work and give us a much needed happy ending.
The author’s style reminded me of the Judy Blume books I devoured as a kid and I appreciate how she expertly captures the joy and angst inherent in growing up. I found myself reflecting on my childhood crushes, first boyfriend etc. I also love a good author’s note and it was lovely to read that the author wrote this in 2020 instinctively knowing her readers in 2022 might also appreciate a happily ever after. I can’t wait to see what else this debut author writes! Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

Possible triggers: death of a mother figure; cheating.

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YOU GUYS. I absolutely loved this book. My favourite type of contemporary romance is a second chance love story told through alternating time lines that takes place during the summer; throw in a slow burn and a friends to lovers trope and set it in Canadian cottage country and you have me feeling all kinds of things (it was the Hudson’s bay blankets and the Tim Hortons references for me) .

I COULD NOT put this one down. Percy and Sam’s love story was innocent and beautiful and angsty and heart breaking and I found myself completely enthralled.
I am so impressed by the fact that this is a debut novel. Fortune’s writing was realistic and all consuming; everything about this felt familiar and nostalgic to me.

I can’t remember last time I read a contemporary romance that hit me like this. If you are a fan of Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino or Say You Still Love Me by KA Tucker (which are two of my all time favourite contemporary romance books) then this one is for you!

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This was such an amazing read. As someone from the Toronto area I loved finally getting a contemporary romance that’s set in the areas that I grew up, with places and cities that I truly recognized. It was so sweet and made me want to start looking to buy a cottage in the Barry’s Bay Area because it just sounded like the perfect spot. I loved the tropes in this book and felt like the flashbacks really fit perfectly together. The conflict/twist at the end was unimaginable but in a good way. I loved the banter between Percy, Sam and Charlie. It had me laughing out loud while reading this. This is such a wonderful summer read!

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Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of Every Summer After ebook from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Incredible storytelling! Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for this advanced copy, this is the first book of 2022 that I’m rating a solid 5/5 stars!

Told in the POV of the main character Persephone (Percy) Fraser as she bounces back and forth between present day and her teenage summers spent at the cottage.

Percy meets Sam, a local boy that lives year round in the cottage beside them. They strike up an amazing friendship and an unbreakable bond that lasts every summer and holidays until they turn eighteen.

Persephone now thirty has to go back to cottage country to pay respects to a woman who treated her like a daughter growing up, but that also means seeing Sam again after twelve long years. Can they get past what broke them apart all those years ago? Has he moved on without her? Bracing for one of the hardest reunions of her life, Persephone goes back to the place she has always considered home in hopes of repairing relationships from the past.

I loved this book and story. Excellent character development and relationships, I really really wanted everything to work out in the end. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers but please add this to your summer TBR, you will not be disappointed!!

#21stbookof2022 #everysummerafter #carleyfortune #netgalley

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An amazing summer read! I literally devoured this book in less than a day. I loved how the book was written, taking you back and forth between the past and present. Carley Fortunes way of drawing you into the characters is so natural that you can't help but want to know what happens next.

It''s a coming of age story about two friends, Percy and Sam, who meet when Percy's family buys a cottage next to Sam's which they're both 13. They spend every summer together on the docks of the lake until they're 18, swimming, reading, even working together. There's is a friendship that the best friendships are made of, sharing each other's passions, cheering each other on & accepting each other just as they are. As they grow older, their friendship morphs into attraction and love, only made complicated by their age and stage in life. As they go their separate ways for university, things get real, feelings get hurt and poor choices impact their friendship forever. 12 years go by where Sam and Percy don't speak. But when Sam's mom passes away, Percy heads back to Barry's Bay for the funeral & is given another chance to mend bridges and reconnect with her soul mate.

I'd love to read Sam's side of the story, or even Charlie;s story. Looking forward to more reads by Carley Fortune!

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For those of us who grew up falling in love with Sarah Dessen’s heart throbs… this is absolutely the adult version you have been looking for. All the swooning, all the butterflies, this book was everything I needed in a beautiful romance novel.

There is just something so special about a story of first love between best friends. I was rooting for Sam and Percy from chapter one whether it was love or friendship I felt from the very beginning that these two were meant to share their lives together.

Their (flirty) friendship and banter gave me all of the butterflies and I loved how this continued all the way to present day - their relationship felt refreshingly genuine, their conflicts real and heartbreaking.

This story is told using multiple timelines; then and now. The timelines echoed each other perfectly to piece together the story of Sam and Percy. I loved getting to spend every summer watching these two grow as individuals as well as in their relationship.

I fell in love with these two when they were 13 and I know that I will never stop - this is definitely a book that I will read again and again, I can’t wait to buy a copy for my personal collection when it is published on May 10th!

A big thank you to the author, Carley Fortune, Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of this fantastic story in exchange for my honest review.

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This book felt like summer to me. I loved the descriptions of the town and the lake. It felt like a small Canadian town to me; somewhere I’ve been before. Maybe because this book was set in Canada I felt like I could relate to more than others, even the mention of the May long weekend. The different examples of friendship in this book were so great from Sam and Percy to Delilah and Percy and even Percy and Charlie. Even with some of the more R-rated scenes this book felt so wholesome to me. My only complaint about this book was sometimes the storyjumped ahead too fast. At one point Percy and Sam were on the dock together and in the next sentence it jumped ahead to a description of Percy’s teacher and I actually had to go back to make sure I hadn’t accidentally skipped ahead multiple chapters. That being said I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend to others.

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This book was so good. The angst, the pining, the jealously, everything about their relationship was perfect. Only real flaw with this book was I didn’t get to see much about how their relationship was in the present but other than that their childhood moments were so wholesome and top tier.

I definitely recommend this book to people who enjoyed Love and Other Words, People We Meet on Vacation and Like I Never Said, they are all very similar.

Childhood best-friends to lovers never lets me down but anyways, this book was so excellent and I loved Carleys writing. It was very easy to follow and I loved the storytelling. I cannot wait to read more of her books in the future!

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Every Summer After has easily become one of my favourite summer novels. For readers who enjoyed Christina Lauren's Love and Other Words, and Emily Henry's People We Meet On Vacation, Every Summer After will provide you with that same level of longing and intimacy in the relationship between the two main characters.
Percy meets Sam when her parents buy a cottage in Barry's Bay and shortly meets the two boys living next door—Sam and his brother Charlie. Sam and Percy quickly grow comfortable with each other and become best friends. The book follows a past-present timeline, the past being watched Percy and Sam's friendship evolve from when they were kids leading up to an event that caused them to break ties, and the present being Percy and Sam in their 30s seeing each other for the first time since the event.
I really enjoyed the setting of a small cottage town in Ontario. As someone who is from Ontario it was so nice to see a book take place somewhere I was more familiar with especially because you rarely see books set in the smaller towns here.
The characters, while flawed, are all so loveable and real. I found both Percy and Sam to be extremely relatable in their own personal insecurities/struggles which made me feel more connected to the story. Their entire relationship warmed my heart, the intimacy they have and the way they know each other so well is really what makes their relationship so special to me.
While the beginning did take me a while to get into, it did set up the story well, and I soon fell in love with Sam and Percy's relationship and couldn't put the book down. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend to anyone who wants to read a sweet summer romance. I will definitely be rereading this summer!

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Thanks to Netgalley for an advance digital copy!

Every Summer After is a charming romance reminiscent of Christina Lauren. Rife with summer vibes and the nostalgia of lake life many Canadian youths experience.

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First I fell in love with this cover! Then I fell in love with the story. I have to say as a reader I feel so lucky that all the debuts I picked up this year have been absolutely great. Carley Fortune's Every Summer After not only ended up on my "Favorites" shelf but I am certain I will be reading it again in the future. It was just one of those beautiful coming of age stories that gives you all the feels and leaves you wanting more.

Persephone Fraser is 12 when her parents buy a lakeside cottage in Barry's Bay, Ontario. Little does she know what a huge part that lake and her next door neighbours, Florek brothers Sam and Charlie, will play in her life and her transition from childhood to adulthood. When 30 year old Persy receives a phone call that prompts her to return to the place she hasn't been in 12 years, memories of those summers past start flooding back. Will this unexpected trip down memory lane force her to face the ghosts (and secrets) of her past? You'll have to pick up this wonderful debut to find out.

Setting, characters, story, writing style - all of it came together in a way that just hit the spot for me. It was not about likeability or reliability of characters but my level of emotional investment in their story. If you are in the mood for a well written love story with a side of tears and lots of tugs on your heart strings then I highly recommend Every Summer After.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and the author for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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4.5 ⭐️

This was just the book I needed to get me out of a reading slump! Canadian author Carley Fortune’s debut novel Every Summer After gave me all the summer feels and had me dreaming of hot summers at the lake.

I loved watching the main character Persephone, grow up from a young 13 year old to a 30 year old woman.

I really appreciated that this is a single point of view story. Although I definitely wanted to know what Sam was thinking most of the time, I’m glad as readers we didn’t know.

This is a definite must read this summer. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this advanced copy. Every Summer After comes out May 10, 2022.

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This is a well written book about our summer loves and how the imprints of our childhood shape us as adults. I loved the young versions of Sam and Percy. The back and forth story of the current situation against the years they grew up together made the read quick and enjoyable. This will resonate with anyone who spent every summer vacation in the same place right down to the dock and the swim challenge and the endless days of reading and hanging out. It will also sit well with those adults who wonder 'what if' about an old love.

'The forth cocktail had seemed like a good idea. So had the bangs.'

'Delilah was our group's uncontested ruler, a position we bestowed upon her because she possessed the two most important requirements for teenage leadership: an exceptionally pretty face and total awareness of the power it gave her.'

Stedmans. It was half general store, half dollar store, and it had a little bit of everything, but there was no guarantee they'd have what you were looking for.'

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I read this book in one day. I couldn’t put it down.

I had a faint idea of what happened 12 years ago, even so, when I read it, I gasped. The teenage versions of Percy and Sam made me cringe, in a good way, because we are so emotionally dumb as teenagers. The Percy and Sam confrontation / long over due conversation made me cry. The epilogue made me cry, the last 2 sentences made me SOB.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the setting (I’m Canadian, living in Toronto for over 11 years), the pace. When I noticed it was a back and forth with past and present, I got worried. I shouldn’t have. It was masterfully done.

This could be the perfect beach read. Except. If you wish to NOT cry in public… Wonderful read! I would absolutely recommend!

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Romance lovers are going to eat this book up! For fans of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry, this summertime friends to lovers book hits all the marks. I was hooked instantly while reading and I never wanted to let these characters go.

I know I already mentioned that this book is friends to lovers BUT I didn’t say it was childhood friends to lovers. There’s also alternating timelines, some steam and lots of heartfelt moments. I loved the flow and pacing of this book. I think the author did a good job of jumping back and forth. I find it’s rare to enjoy both the before and now in some alternating timeline books but I was so invested in this story that I loved every second of it.

I loved that this book is set in Canada! As a Canadian reader it was fun to read about familiar places and universities. I loved the setting of Barry’s Bay so much. I honestly felt like I was transported to Percy’s cottage and the Florek’s dock. I loved the summer vibes and how Percy gets to go back to Barry’s Bay after so many years.

Sam, oh Sam. What a wonderful book boyfriend. We all know they don’t come like that in the real world but he was something else. I loved the development of Percy and Sam’s relationship throughout the summers. The three updates line was so cute. I think all the supporting characters were really well done as well. Charlie, Sue and Delilah all fit into the story perfectly.

The build up to finding out why Percy and Sam were estranged was really well done. I was patiently waiting and I liked the route the author took. It was slightly unbelievable how they lost communication for 12 years BUT I didn’t even care because I loved this book so much.

I cannot believe that Every Summer After is a debut novel! I will for sure be looking out for anything Carley Fortune writes moving forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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There is nothing I love more than falling in love with a book and learning they’re a debut author.

I don’t know if I have words for how much I loved this book. The story was beautiful, The flashbacks were so well done. It was a perfect summer romance book with some extra heart.

It’s beautiful and I wasn’t ready for it to end. But I cannot wait to read whatever Carley writes next.

ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This was great! I finished this pretty much in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. I immediately fell in love with the atmosphere and setting of the book. Ontarian cottage country is so beautiful and I just loved how Canadian this whole story was. I appreciated the many references to places I’ve been and a city I’ve grown up in.

This offered a great mix of nostalgia and first love, as well as grief and heartache. I adored the friendship and relationship between Percy and Sam. The characters were well developed and the way the flashbacks were interspersed with the present day scenes allowed you to feel like you grew up right with them.

The only minor nitpick I have is **SPOILER** that considering the occasion that caused Sam and Percy to reunite after *twelve* years – a parent’s funeral, – nobody seemed all that sad??!! Emotionally, it this reunion could have happened due to any other event in the town that forced Percy to come home and it wouldn’t have made a noticeable difference to the plot. I know that the boys had time to come to terms with their mother’s death, and that they were expecting it, but considering that it was a completely and total shock to Percy AND given how Sue “was like a second parent” to her, I definitely thought that the fact that it was her funeral would have been more impactful. It seems like the reunion focused entirely on Sam and Percy making up and there wasn’t really any processing of the actual circumstances that acted as catalyst to reunite them. It made me think that all Sam and Percy needed to get back together was to see each other in person one time. For this reason, I wish that the pacing during the present day scenes was a bit slower. **/SPOILER**

All that said, this was still a really well written book. It reminded me of everything I used to love about summer YA contemporary novels. I’d highly recommend this if you’ve been looking for a “grown up” version of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, or Morgan Matson. Overall, this was a story with likeable characters and a lot of heart. I am definitely looking forward to whatever Carley Fortune writes next.

Many thanks to Netgalley and PRH Canada for the ARC in exchange for a review!

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OH MY GOD, THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING.

childhood friends to strangers to lovers ✔️
small town ✔️
vacation/summer-y vibes ✔️
second chance romance ✔️

By the sypnosis and the very first chapter of this book, it already got me hooked. The chapters had alternating timelines so we get to see their moments together every summer and their reconnection.

There are a lot of sweet moments in here that made me blush and giggle, a lot of angst, THE TENSION and some heartbreaking parts that did make me cry (which I didn’t expect)

I also enjoyed this since it has the same vibes as people we meet on vacation by emily henry and love and other words by christina lauren which are both 5-star read. That’s probably why I’m so hooked on this story. (so if you did enjoy reading these books, this one is just for you.)

I love Sam so freaking much. I think he would be on my book boyfriends list causeee *screams* he’s just the ideal guy that a girl wants to have. He can even talk anatomy to me and still find that hot.

Overall, definitely recommend and I’ll probably buy the physical copy and annotate it cause I love this so freaking much.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC !!

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Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada and Debut Canadian Author Carley Fortune in exchange for an honest review.

Six summers to fall in love and one weekend years later to decide what it all meant.

Do you enjoy the Canadian pastime of summers at the cottage (we usually say cabin in Manitoba but I appreciate that elsewhere in Canada we say The Cottage”? This is something my parents introduced me to buy renting a cabin once a week but something I desired for my own children so we have the great fortune of summers at “our lake”. Did your first love story start at the lake? Mine did not but - what a wonderful way to live, love and learn.

Percy is the only child of older academic parents and it is her great fortune that her parents bought a cabin next door to year rounders Sam and Charlie. Percy and Sam enjoy one of the most beautiful love stories I ever read and their six summers together sustain them through that tumultuous period of middle years and high school. But then out of the blue, something happens and the reader is kept in the dark.

Years later Charlie calls to tell Percy that their beloved mom has died and he would like her to come to the lake to be there for Sam. She does not hesitate and sets off to face whatever their love story had been and what happened to make it come crashing down. Do you believe in second chances? What about the power of first love?

This book is an absolute joy to read and I recommend it to everybody - even people thar don’t typically read romance. The Publishing date is May 9, 2022 and this would be a wonderful Mother’s Day gift.

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