Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to review an early copy.
4.5 stars. I originally had it at four stars until the last part of the book. The story took a refreshing and dramatic twist on themes that happen in real life for many. Carley penned some hard stuff and did it delicately and gently. Plus, the Dirty Dancing references made me smile. I am on the West Coast of Canada and don't have access to the cottage life here. I loved the family threat throughout the novel. Thank you, Carley.

Thank you NetGalley and PenguinCanada for giving me an e-arc of this book to review!

This was a lovely, heartwarming book, but also was sad and very introspective? I will admit it was a bit of a slow start, and I had no idea how the two time lines were going to end up merging at the end. Also while I fully understand why Will didn't show up the day he promised to... I probably would have struggled to forgive him as quickly as Fern did.

My immediate thought is this is great for fans of Emily Henry. Its a bit of that missed opportunity friendship that was in PWMOV with the sadness of Beach Read. It was also so real in it's portrayal of sometimes you meet the right person for you.. but it isn't the right moment. After reading Carley's essay at the end about the struggles she had gone through after having her children, and even the struggles of just getting this story to the place it needed to be, I feel like I see that in the novel and it gave me a lot more appreciation for how healing the story was for Fern. Overall, I think this is going to do great and I can't wait to sell it next month.

I cannot put into words just how beautiful this story is.

Carley has a way of writing to an audience that just pulls us in and makes us shout “yes!! Me too!” This type of writing is my favourite because it connects the reader to more than just the story itself— it puts them in it.

Will and Fern’s love story was such a journey to witness. Finding someone that just “clicks” into place is so rare, and their story is a 10/10 example of just how special that feeling is.

The Toronto/Muskoka references were the cherry on top for this girl, having lived and vacationed in both those areas. Trips to Webers was and still is a staple for summer road trips.

But the most poignant and moving part of this novel is the story of a mother and a daughter. Wow. Fern learning to navigate grief, while taking on a huge responsibility she didn’t think she’d ever want was an incredible character arch that I didn’t expect to be so emotional over. But right up until the very last page I felt connected to Fern’s story and I wasn’t ready for it to end.

Easily the best book I’ve read so far this year. Carley, you are a master with words. Never stop.

Loved, loved, loved! She’s done it again, you will not be disappointed. Carley writes characters that you fall head over heels for. I love how they are messy in all the best ways. I really relate to her main characters and the issues that they struggle with.

I was glued to this and never wanted it to end. Also, make sure you read her author’s notes at the end, it brings so much more to the experience. She gets really candid and honest about her experience writing her second novel and her struggles with postpartum.

Carley Fortune does it again. I swear I will read absolutely anything she writes! Hello newest auto buy author.

I really enjoyed the back and forth timeline in this novel. Getting to see how both Fern and Will had changed and grown over time was genuinely so enjoyable! And the way Carley is able to transport you as the reader to a location is incredible (also, being Canadian, I am ALWAYS a fan of some beautiful Canada rep 😍)

This is a must read for the summer just as Every Summer After was for summer ‘22! I cannot wait to recommend it to all of my friends! I’ve already preordered my own physical copy 😂

Absolutely ALL of the stars!

I know that Carley Fortune would be an automatic buy author for me after her debut, Every Summer After, but Meet Me at the Lake cemented my love. I’ll follow her anywhere. Also, Canadian lit!!

Meet Me at the Lake follows Fern as she returns home to Muskoka to run her mother’s resort. It’s a place full of conflicting memories made worse by the arrival of Will, someone she met ten years ago who changed her life in a short 24 hours.

Meet Me at the Lake is told from two perspectives, present and past Fern. The entire novel hinges on Fern’s past chapters because Fern and Will’s interactions in the past heavily influence Fern in the present. Fern and Will only spent a day together in Toronto in the past, but the way Fortune wrote the past chapters interweaving them into the present chapters makes it feel like, despite only knowing each other for 24 hours, they spent months together. Honestly, I’m not usually a fan of second chance romances because the chemistry just isn’t there in the present chapters because some authors rely heavily on just telling readers how amazing their chemistry is because of their past. Fortune spends a significant amount of time showing readers Fern and Will’s connection in the past and present.

Meet Me at the Lake is a story about family, forgiveness, and love as Fern not only deals with Will’s return, but also her complicated relationship with her mother and the decisions Fern made regarding the family resort.

Overall, Meet Met at the Lake is truly perfect. Fortune knocked it out of the park again with another second hand romance that delivers on all fronts.

First things first - I think this might be up there as one of my favourite covers ever. What a stunner.

I always get nervous for an author’s second book- especially when their first is as huge as Every Summer After was. I am happy to report - this one lives up to all of the hopes and expectations I had for her next book.

There are a couple similarities - lake setting, themes of grief, dual timelines - but this truly is its own beautiful story.

One of the things that is similar for me though is the feeling of how it left me when I finished. The same feeling I had after Every Summer After - the feeling that when you finish it you feel like you read something truly special. I can’t stop thinking about this book.

Fern and Will spend a day together 10 years ago - you get little snippets of this day throughout the book. I loved how the details of this day were revealed slowly. You also get a present version of Fern and Will - and with the dual timelines you get to see how they became their present selves.

The secondary characters are perfection. Peter is my true hero in this book. LOVE HIM. I also have very high hopes for a Jamie and Annabel book …pleeeease Carley?

Once again, the author transports you to feel like you are IN both of the settings of the book. I can picture every single aspect of Brookbanks Resort in Muskoka and I also loved the Toronto setting.

Honestly - I could go on, but I’ll sum it up with - this book is another gem and we are so lucky that Carley Fortune keeps giving us these gifts!

Fern and Will met one summer 24 hours ago. The timing was wrong but the connection was right…. They meet again years later….

Love both main characters. So much love there. There are also lots of sweet moments, regrets, angst…. Very emotional reading. Love the setting especially. A terrific love stories with great characters .

Thanks to the publisher for the arc!

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!

two words... HOLY SHIT!

Every Summer After was my top read of 2022 so you would not believe how excited I was when I received an ARC for Meet Me at the Lake. I went into this book with very high expectations and let me tell you, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

Will and Fern meet on a chance encounter and spend an unforgettable 24 hours together. They make plans to meet up one-year later at Fern's family resort. Fern shows up, but Will doesn't. 10 years later, Will finally shows up at the family resort. But what is he doing there? What has he been up to these past 10 years?

I cried, I laughed, I fell in love with Will and Fern and all the other characters, I fell in love with Brookbanks Resort, the lake & my city, Toronto ♡

Meet Me at the Lake is a perfect summer read. The summer, cottage vibes had me wishing for warmer days and sunny afternoons. If you love second chance romances and you enjoyed Every Summer After, I would highly recommend this book.

I swear Carley Fortune could write an appliance manual and I would happily read it.

Meet Me at the Lake is available May 2! Don't forget to preorder your copy at Indigo or B&N! Get yourself a copy! Get a copy for your mom, your neighbour, your friends, your mailman!! Seriously.. EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!!

I did not want this book to end. Fern and Will feel like two close friends that I had the pleasure of growing up with. The story is exciting and heartwarming and made me nostalgic for Toronto and the Muskokas in the best possible way.

An outstanding second novel from Carley Fortune. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next.

If there is one thing I adore, it is CANADIAN literature. The little anecdotes, slang, neighbourhoods - it feels so authentic and written for us. Carley also knows how to write a fun, summer read. I may have grown up in the BC on the ocean, but the summer memories at the lake felt akin to what we experience on the west coast. I definitely recommend to read this in the summer months. The plot is similar to Every Summer After, and features the alternating timeline between the two main characters. It was a bit predictable, but I enjoyed it more than Every Summer After as there is a trope featured in that previous book that I don't particularly enjoy, and it is not in this one.

A solid, enjoyable read I recommend to all!

I love books set in Canada, written by Canadians, that FEEL Canadian. I love the slang, stores, all the little details that make it feel like home. It's what made me pick this one up, because of how much I loved Carley Fortune's other book.
This was.. alright. I enjoyed it. But it felt like de ja vu. Would I recommend this? Absolutely.. If you haven't read Every Summer After, because this was just the exact same thing. Mom dies, come home, love from a decade ago arrives?
I still give it 3.5. I liked the plot, I liked the characters (mostly) and LOVED the setting.

“i tell her how she’ll never feel alone when she’s at home. i tell her i can’t wait to meet her, but that i don’t need to meet her to know i will never love another person as much as i love my daughter.”

carley fortune can have my whole heart. her writing. her characters. her ability to make me never want to read another book because i know it won’t compare to the beauty that is meet me at the lake. wow. i loved it. one of my most anticipated reads of 2023. it did not disappoint!

this book followed the same idea as every summer after in the ‘then’ and ‘now’ chapters!

fern and will spent one day together nine years ago and haven’t spoken since. suddenly he’s at her mothers resort that fern now runs??? not the biggest fan of a second chance romance but carley is changing my mind. might be my new fave trope?? only time will tell!

i want to bottle this book up and carry it around with me. i don’t ever want to not think about them. if you pick up one book this year make sure it’s ‘meet me at the lake’. if i could rate any higher than five stars, i would.

also love the a canadian romance!! give me more of these!

thank you to netgalley and penguin random house canada for an e-arc of this book!

Looooved, just as good as Every Summer After! I love Carley's style of slow burn and keeping you guessing on what happened in the past to give great tension between the two characters.

I was so excited to read this book, because "Every Summer After" was my favourite book from 2022! I really enjoyed this one too, especially being from the Greater Toronto Area, I liked picturing the spots that they visited in the flashbacks. As well, having a cottage near Muskoka, it was nice to have settings that I connect with since most of the books I read are by US or UK authors.

I really enjoyed Will Baxter as a character and his vulnerability. But at times I found Fern to be a bit much, with "pick me girl" vibes at times. But it was such a lovely and endearing book and makes me want to go back to the cottage and hug my parents!

I highly recommend! Especially reading it during the warm summer months for ultimate ambience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a free ARC in exchange for an

One of my new favourite authors. I loved this book! Great follow up to Every Summer After, which has a similar vibe.

When Fern was in her early 20s she spent a magical 24 hours with a mural artist named Will in Toronto. The connection was undeniable but since the timing was wrong, they made a pact to meet up one year later. Fern showed up and Will did not… In the present, Fern is now 32 and her life is not what she imagined it to be- she is single, is back home running her mother’s lakeside resort and her ex boyfriend is the manager. However, everything changes when Will shows up, 9 years too late, and has plans to stay in the cabin across from her for the next month.

Carley has way of transporting you with her words and keeping you engaged. She creates characters you can easily connect with and want to route for. I will say that I feel like this plot has been done before (most recently in Before I Do), and it is not one of my favorites as I find it hard to buy into the premise of falling in love after only one day. This made the flashback chapters not my favorite. However, the chapters in the present day totally made up for what I didn’t love in the past, and I was all in for the “second chance” romance between Fern and Will. Similar to Every Summer After, this book dealt with the theme of grief as Fern was grappling with the loss of her mother. I loved how we got snippets of her mother’s perspective through journal entries, and the support Peter, a fatherly figure, provided as Fern figured out her mother's story/ what she wanted to do with the land.

After reading Every Summer After last year, I was anxiously awaiting Carley's next release. I am super grateful to have gotten an ARC from NetGalley for the opportunity to read Will and Fern's story prior to its release date. Overall, this book was a nice read. Its impact on me was not as profound as that of Every Summer After, but I would still recommend it to romance readers.

I think in some areas I found it to be a bit predictable, and a little unrealistic, although I suppose in some cases this is the joy of romance novels. The beginning of Will and Fern's relationship, and how it progressed despite their relationship statuses at that time, was something I had a hard time relating to. I just found it difficult to put myself in Fern's position, and subsequently, I could not really connect with her character how I would have liked to. I also think I would have appreciated more acknowledgment of her relationship (or lack-there-of) with her biological father, and how she came to terms with the challenges she faced in her youth. That being said, some of the challenges presented in this novel were kind of glossed over, in my opinion, and not explored to the depth of what they could have been. I liked Will's character, he was charming and romantic-- but he made me so angry sometimes at how he handled things.

What I enjoyed about the novel is its setting, and how it alternates from past to present tense. I love novels like this with a dual, or in this case almost triple, timeline. It keeps the story interesting and pushes you to keep reading in order to understand how the protagonists wound up in their current situations. I think Fortune does this really well. I really like how she managed to romanticize Ontario in this book, this is not something you see often in media! The way she incorporates some Canadiana into her work really makes it special for me.

In conclusion, I enjoyed Meet Me at the Lake, and I think it would make a great summer, or specifically, cottage, read. That being said, I wish some aspects of the characters' storylines were a little bit more developed, and subsequently, I will give it 3 stars:)

Carley Fortune’s books read like rom coms! After reading Every Summer After. I was thrilled to receive this digital ARC.

Premise: Fern and Will spend one day in Toronto together, then reconnect a decade later at her mother’s lakeside resort in this second chance romance story.

Fortune has an immersive writing style that makes the setting seem so real. She effectively weaves together past and present, urban city and rural lake, in such a beautiful way. It might just be the novelty of being from the place where (part) of the story is set, but I love being able to imagine the places that are being described. That being said, Fern’s romanticization of the city had me rolling my eyes at times.

Fern is a great narrator, and the exploration of grief from her perspective is thoughtful and heart-wrenching. I can see a lot of my “small town” friends in her, and I enjoyed viewing the story from her perspective. Will is an easy love interest to fall for. He’s captivating and well-developed with flaws of his own, but ultimately his backstory helped to construct him as an artistic, caring, and stable figure.

While both Fern and Will are easy characters to root for as individuals, I found it harder to buy into their romance. Although spending 24 hours together a decade prior sets the stage for this second chance romance, I felt like it didn’t establish their bond as effectively as it could have. I’m a sucker for happily ever afters though, so I was rooting for them because that’s what readers of romance novels do.

This book gave me similar feelings to Fortune’s previous book, and like her debut, I still felt like something was missing something. I will continue to read all of Carley Fortune’s books in the future in hopes of finding that eventual five star!

Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Carley Fortune for this ARC of Meet Me at the Lake.

Fern and Will spend 24 hours together ten years ago - and then reconnect at her mom’s lakeside resort shortly after her mom’s passing.

I really enjoyed this one, but it was lacking *something* for me and I don’t quite know what it was. That’s not say it wasn’t good (I gave it 4/5 stars), but it just wasn’t a WOWWEE romance for me! I think maybe it was lacking a little in the second chance romance department - they weren’t established enough in the past to have the big feelings they were having in the future (or maybe I’m a big curmudgeon)! Also I didn’t love Will so that might have been where my feelings are coming from 😂.

What I did love: Fern, everyone at the resort, PETERRRR, bread, Canada!

Trope: second chance romance
Romance: ❤️❤️❤️
Steam: 🔥🔥
TW: car accident, mental health, death of a parent, divorce

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a copy of this book for review! It will be out May 2nd!