Read if you like: Second chance romances
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I struggled to get into this book at first but was completely hooked for the last quarter, and I am glad that I pushed through and finished it, but I can see how some people might not. I love a second-chance romance and loved that Fern and Will got another opportunity to get to know one another. I loved the lake setting of the book and the fact that Fern needs to figure out what to do with her family's resort.
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I think the thing I struggled with is Will and Fern had only met for one day, and had a connection but both were still in relationships. They plan to meet in one year but Will doesn't show. Then they see each other again 10 years later. I think I struggled with believing that they would still hold a flame for each other for 10 years after only knowing each other for a day, and since the book is told with dual timelines, we don't really get to understand what happened that one day 10 years ago until near the end of the book.
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Overall though, like I said, I am glad I read it and overall it was a good summer read!

Meet Me at the Lake is the follow up to Carley’s Fortunes debut, Every Summer After, which I adored. It saddens me to say that Carley’s sophomore release didn’t live up to my high expectations, but I will continue reading her books as they’re published. Meet Me at the Lake follows Fern Brookbanks and Will Baxter in dual timelines. Fern and Will spent a life-changing twenty four hours together ten years ago with the plan to meet each other at the lake the following year on a specific date and time. Fern showed up, but Will did not. Fern has spent the last nine years wondering what if and why Will didn’t make it. Flash forward to the current timeline where Fern’s mother has recently passed away and Fern has returned to either run or sell her mother’s lakeside resort. Suddenly, a suit-clad Will Baxter, basically the antithesis of the artist who saved her a decade ago, surfaces at the resort with a suitcase in tow and plans to help. Fern and Will reconnect and we get alternating chapters from the present and their past. While I continue to enjoy Carley’s writing, my major issue with Meet Me at the Lake is that I never quite felt the chemistry between Will and Fern in either timeline. The current timeline attraction was very heavily dependent upon their past interaction but because the foundation wasn’t sufficiently built, I wasn’t buying it. I was more interested in the resort, Fern’s decision about the course of her life, and her relationship with her mother than anything involving Will. Fern also had a boyfriend during their day together in the past, so it was also tough to root for them when she was emotionally cheating. I think it would have been easier to stomach if we hadn’t gotten to know Fern’s ex-Jamie in the present timeline as he’s still around and managing the resort. Overall, I was disappointed by this one but I don’t think it was a bad book. It was very middling for me and I would have enjoyed it more had it leaned into the women’s fiction element and abandoned the “romance.”

Oh my goodness this was my very favorite read of May! I absolutely LOVED it! I read it all in a day I was so hooked!

I really enjoyed this book! I don't know - I believe in love at first sight. I believe that you can really find "the one" on "day one" and I just think that even if it is really rare, it's fun to read about.

3.5 stars

Thank you @netgalley @berkleypub for the advanced digital copy and @librofm for the advanced listening copy!

After reading and absolutely LOVING Every Summer After last summer, I went into Meet Me at the Lake with high expectations. Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me despite just how much I wanted to love it.

I usually love a good second chance romance trope… but the first chance encounter between our two MCs, Fern and Will, was a single day 10 years prior. To me, I just felt like it was super unrealistic, especially when you consider that both Fern and Will were in relationships with other people when they first met. I realllly don’t enjoy any kind of cheating trope in my romance books.

As I continued to listen to the story, I did start to like our characters. I did begin to root for them towards the end… but honestly just overall I didn’t vibe with their whole “insta-love” scenario. I love reading a romance that gives me all the happy, warm and fuzzy feelings and for the most part, Meet Me at the Lake didn’t do it for me.

No matter what you put in your 10-year plan, does it really come out like you thought it would? A chance encounter leads to a full day spent together and changes college student Fern’s trajectory. Perhaps it was inevitable that she would inherit the family resort her single mother successfully manages, and Fern even majored in business, but she would rather live in the city and run her own coffeeshop than return to the bush. When she has the audacity to call muralist Will’s wall art “basic,” they form a quick bond and agree to spend the day together.

Through a tour of Toronto, Vietnamese sandwiches, an art museum stop, a ska concert and the world’s biggest plate of nachos, they share their hopes and dreams, most embarrassing moments, and very little about the people they are in relationships with, Will reminds her that it is her life, not her mother’s. Their day morphs into evening and although they are each seeing someone, recognize the kindred spark and make a plan to meet at Fern’s family’s resort a year from the date of their first encounter. Will doesn’t show up, and it’s heartbreaking but also part of what Fern needs to speak up for herself and advocate for her needs.

When her mother dies, Fern inherits the property and business. Selling it would be finance the coffeeshop of her dreams–and destroy the dynasty, put people of work, and threaten the good relationship she has with her ex-boyfriend who is the acting manager. Too introverted to hostess like her mother, Fern refuses to greet guests and make announcements in the dining roof, and hides behind the check-in desk. A chance encounter with a guest is revealed to be Will, checking in for a month-long stay, has her re-evaluating again. The artist was acting as business consultant to Fern’s mother, and now Fern needs to decide if she’s going to sell, or stay–and if she can forgive Will, or not.

Chapters alternate between past and present to relay the narrative in a carefully controlled way. The chemistry and dramatic tension are spun out in a way may leave some readers frustrated. The delicate handling of mental illness and grief add depth this second-chance romance.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #MeetMeAtTheLake from #NetGalley.

Meet Me at the Lake captured me with its lake setting, all the 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 references (one of my fave movies forever!) and the Then & Now timelines. I listened to it on audio and it was exceptionally narrated by A.J. Bridel and Carley Fortune (I see you girl!)⁣⁣
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I adored Fern and Will! I was taken in by both timelines and loved their connection in both. There was a lot dealt with here, including death, mental health and postpartum issues. While it all felt important because it was crucial to the story and their relationship, it never felt too heavy.⁣⁣
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If you believe in soulmates, finding the⁣⁣ "one" and love that is meant to be add this one to your TBR, drop it in your beach bag and get swept away with Fern & Will.

Thank you Berkley Romance for an ARC of this book all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall I really enjoyed Meet Me at the Lake. It was melancholy, angsty, and also romantic. Fortune is very, VERY good at doing second-chance (if you consider this book to be that, which idk) romance, like her angst levels are at a high. But there's such a tenderness in the writing as well.

Let's get the big question out of the way: is there cheating? In my opinion, no? Like Fern and her BF were already on the edge of things (at least from Fern's perspective). I think when you're 22 and you go on this amazing day with a guy you just met part of it is serendipitous and there might have been some emotional aspects involved, but I don't think that it was enough for it to be considered cheating. That's just my opinion. They both said they had significant others. They both didn't cross the line besides some very intense sharing of personal demons and then having a fun day in the city in your early 20s.

Ok, now into the rest of the book. Like I said I did enjoy the book. I'm down for a moody summer read, which Fortune is becoming the absolute best at. Like Lana Del Rey in Canadian summer romance? idk if that's a thing but I declare it such.

Fern deals with some very heavy pieces in her life like her mother's sudden passing and working through a lot of packed away baggage that comes with living in a small community. I really liked this aspect of the book. I also adored Will as a character. I think a lot of people will have issues with how private he is, but I saw myself a lot in him and understand. Letting people see the flaws in yourself is difficult, even if they are on your side and love you. It's hard. All of the pieces from their shared day, to the current time, to Fern's mother's diary were all nicely interwoven that it told a really rich story.

What I wasn't the biggest fan of was the pacing of the book. I could have used a bit more of the big reveal items earlier in the book. I could have used more community earlier in the book. It felt stifled. I got through it, but there definitely could have used some energy. On the other hand, the ending could have been drawn out a bit more. I needed more depth on some of the pieces that were revealed in the last 50 pages. A better balance would have been welcomed!

Another piece I wanted more from was the character themselves. I wanted Fern to be more multi-dimensional than she was. She wanted to own her own coffee shop--that was cool, I wanted more from it! What really drove her there, where she was passionate about beyond just music because that was even sorta half-hearted. Whitney and Cam could have used a bit more dimension in things as well.

Long story short, I do recommend this book. I think it is a great summer read and great for a lake vacation. Even with the few things I was more disappointed about with the book, I really enjoyed it. Cannot wait to see what other books Fortune has in store for us in the future because her somber Canadian summer romance novels are become a summer tradition for me!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝘼 𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚-𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨.

📍 Read if you like:
• Second Chance (sorta)
• Summer Reads
• Lake Resorts
• Love Stories

I’ve never felt so conflicted about my rating for a romance book until I read this one. I read Every Summer After last year and enjoyed it for the most part. There’s a certain something that happened in that book that I despised so much. While it wasn’t as bad in this one, there were still a few elements that I didn’t enjoy.

However, I had a good time reading this. I switched back and forth between the physical book and audio, both were equally good.

So far I’ve seen mixed reviews about this book and I completely understand why. The characters aren’t the most relatable, but I still felt like this was a fun summer read.

It’s set at this lake resort and I think the setting was portrayed so well. There’s sort of a small-town setting and I really enjoyed that. Also, the story just felt so nostalgic.

The characters were very immature at times. They seemed to have been younger with the way they behaved, however, I still think they were entertaining in their own way.

I don’t think these are the absolute best summer books, let alone romance. However, they’re just so addicting and fun to read.

This wasn’t a favorite romance for me and I understand why so many people didn’t love it, but I thought it was fun for what it was. It was a great beach read to pick up this summer.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Death of parent, grief, pregnancy, sexual content, mental illness, panic attacks/disorder

MEET ME AT THE LAKE is a big-hearted story perfect for summer. I did have a bit of difficult time connecting with these characters. They didn't jump off the page quite in the same way that Sam and Percy did. In the author's note, Carley mentioned that this story was more of a struggle for her to write that her debut because of issues with postpartum depression. I felt for Carley and can see how that would make writing a sophomore novel, especially one that follows up the incredible EVERY SUMMER AFTER, really difficult. I really appreciated her vulnerability in sharing that part of her life and how it impacted her writing. With that being said, I still loved the lake setting and Carley's writing style . I will definitely pick up what she writes next!\

RATING: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 stars)

I enjoyed this novel. It was well-paced and engaging enough to make you want to turn the page. I’m very conflicted on rating because I don’t love how I feel about the drama at the end between Fern and Will and how it was handled.. it was not cute or sweet, but I also seem to be in the minority with the romance part. Still a decent read overall if you want a quick day book.

This wasn’t my cup of tea and I ended up not able to finish it. I couldn’t get into the past and present timelines, and it felt like nothing was happening / there was nothing driving me forward or keeping me hooked to keep reading. I wanted more from the plot, a deeper romance vs the insta love you get here, and just more all around to stay engaged. Lighter romance readers may or fans of second chance romance may enjoy this, though.

I loved the setting, some characters, and a lot of dialogue in this book. However, the plot fell flat to me. I did not understand Will's actions and the way he shut out Fern. I loved Carley's author note at the end and I really appreciated her highlighting PPD and PPA, but I don't think Will's approach made any sense within the text.

Quick and Dirty⁣
-soulmate trope/instant love⁣
-grief/loss subplot⁣
-Dirty Dancing resort ⁣
-redemption story⁣
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Thoughts⁣
Wow! This book has ruffled some feathers, but thankfully not mine. I enjoyed jt overall despite the instant love, which is everyone’s biggest criticism. Fern and Will fall hard for each other after spending one day together; years later they reunite unexpectedly and sparks fly. Most folks couldn’t get passed the fact they had only spent one day together. While I agree the premise is far fetched, I knew on my first date with my current beau that we would be together. The connection was definitely instant, so I know it’s a real possibility. Beyond that, I enjoyed the heat and tensions in their present-day romance. But more than anything, I loved the story of Fern and her mother, specially her grief experience. It felt very authentic and raw at times, extremely well-written in my opinion. Her grief forced her to face her demons, which then forced her to make changes to the way she was living. She had to show up as her authentic self, which is never easy to do. My chief complaint was with Will’s excuse. I wish Fortune would have explored that more, given more detail to make it seem more believable. She does a great job in her Author’s Note describing why she added that to the story, but without that context it likely falls short for readers.

I had high hopes after every summer after but unfortunately this one never really got going for me. Slow moving and too drawn out.

If you've been following me for a while, then you know that Every Summer After was one of my favorite books of 2022. I absolutely adored the summer nostalgia and young love that Carley brought in her debut novel, and she was able to deliver again for her sophomore release!

Ten years ago, Fern and Will spent a magical 24 hours together in Toronto, a day they both will never forget. After their day together, they decide to go their separate ways and meet at the lake resort Fern's mother owns one year later ... only one of them doesn't show up.

If there is one thing Carley Fortune can always deliver - it is a “mood”. I LIVE for her atmospheric summer settings! But what I really adored about this book was Fern and her complex relationship with her mother and the resort she grew up on. Yes, this book is definitely a romance, but the exploration of grief, relationships, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts made it stand out among your typical books in the genre.

Meet Me at the Lake reminded me a lot of Emily Henry's books, and I mean that in the best way. If you enjoy character driven romances with angst and summer nostalgia, then I suggest picking this one up.

Meet Me At the Lake by Carley Fortune was released into the world a couple of weeks ago. I hope it has found it’s way to you and if not, you find your way to it.
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It is a mother/daughter story, a second chance love story, a story of missed chances, and a story about finding yourself, all at the lake resort where the protagonist, Fern, grew up. It is told seamlessly in two time lines, with a third told through Fern’s mother’s diary entries. I loved how this gave such a full picture of where Fern’s mind and life are presently.
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After Fern’s mother passed away, she returns to the resort that her mother spent a lifetime nurturing, sometimes at Fern’s expense. So many memories abound at that lake, brought to life when one of her most painful memories shows up live and in person to stay at the resort.
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So many times when I read a book, no matter the genre, I often feel like it couldn’t happen in real life, but this one rang true and was all the better for that.

After coming off of one of my favorite romance stories from last year, Every Summer After, I was excited to see what Carley Fortune would have in store for us with Meet Me At The Lake.

I think this book solidified the fact that "instant love" stories are ones I need to stay clear of in the future because they just frustrate me. The reader is made to believe that our main character meets a guy, spends 24 hours with him, and then a decade later they reunite and reignite those feelings to propel them into a relationship. The chemistry felt lackluster and utterly boring. Sadly this will be an easily forgettable romance story for me.

Fern, Canadian lakeside resort heir, and Will, artist, met by chance 10 years ago and spent one whirlwind day together in the city. They agreed to meet one year later but Will never showed up. They had a connection, but it just wasn’t the right timing…. until 10 years later when he finally shows up at the resort. Is it too little too late or was the timing meant to be?

The story is told in multiple timelines - then and now.

Sad to say Carley and I just don’t vibe 🥲 There was no real plot to be invested in and it was very boring. I didn’t care for the characters or what happened to them. The ending had some redeeming qualities which raised my rating from 2 stars to 3.

I do think it’s really cool Carley narrated her own audiobook though. I love when authors do that.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the e-ARC and Libro.fm for the ALC.

I did not enjoy this one at all. It was very insta lovey, I mean no one falls in love in just one day. Overall did not enjoy this one, the plot or the characters. It felt like a very back knock off of a emily henry book.