Five stars because when a book makes me feel so seen and connected with a character, it can be rated no less than that. How Carley was able to write about Alice when she was 17 and be able to bring up old feelings that I had at that age is something I will be thinking about for awhile. This book also inspired me to make this summer the summer I dreamed of at 17 even though I am now 25.

Some other things I loved about this book in no particular order:
- the banter between Alice and Charlie
- the setting being Barry's Bay
- Nan and her storyline
- finding out the reason Charlie was "emotionally unavailable" and it actually making sense even though at one point before I knew this I wanted to throw my kindle across the room.
- Alice being a photographer

Carley Fortune is now one of my favorite authors!!!!!

Content ratings:
Spice - 🌶🌶🌶
- explicit language used

Thank you Carley Fortune, Berkley and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book!

Hey, if you beg for a book sometimes an author will write it! I loved EVERY LAST SUMMER and was so excited to see what was happening with the Barry’s Bay crew years later. I absolutely devoured this book. Charlie’s story was such a treat. I loved seeing him through Alice’s eyes. Alice and Nan were absolutely delightful and should be protected at all costs.

4.5⭐

"one golden summer" is the perfect summer read! if you're looking to escape into a sweet romance that's swoony, endearing, and will have you kicking your feet & blushing, this book is the one for you.

i really loved this book - i connected and related so much to our fmc, alice. she was smart, sassy, and really knew what she wanted. when she agreed to take her grandmother to the lake and live there for the summer, she sets up a bucket list for herself; a plan to do all the things she wished she could've done 13 years ago when she was 17. and then we meet our mmc, charlie florek, who is the handy-man and neighbor. after several texts and calls back and forth, they have quite the literal run-in with each other and the flirting was what immediately had me blushing. their chemistry was just through the roof and i absolutely loved it! the way they started off as friends and their relationship slowly progressed into something more, it was so sweet. all of the side characters were also great, i laughed out loud any time alice's siblings were there and i adored alice's grandmother! there were so many memorable and endearing moments that had me bleary eyed and smiling to myself.

thank you berkley romance for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own.

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune!☀️🌊🚤

Rating: 4.5 stars!

Every Summer After is one of my fav summer romances! It actually got me hooked on second-chance romances and I haven’t been the same since! I was so excited to dive back into the world of Barry’s Bay…and let me tell you it did not disappoint.

What I Liked:
•More of Charlie’s wit and charm + he’s a secret sad boy?!
•Opposites attract
•Summer bucket list
•Found family
•Friends to lovers
•Glimpses of Sam and Percy!

What I Didn’t Love:
•How Alice was so controlling of Nan

“Good things happen at the lake.” 🩵

Oh Charlie, Oh Charlie.

To say I LOVED Every Summer After is a complete understatement. Sam and Percy dug under my skin and have remained there for years. But Charlie NEEDED his HEA and I’m so thankful we finally got it.

Honestly, it’s perfect and I have no notes. I loved being back in Barry’s Bay. I loved Alice’s summer checklist. I loved how Alice is more reserved and a perfect complement to our charismatic Charlie. They both really saw each other for who they are and loved each other wholly. Such a good book and one I’ll revisit over and over again.

4.5 rounded up💫 (for now, maybe a full 5!) Carley is soooo back! And so is Charlie🥹

This was everything I wanted it to be and is the perfect summer(or spring) read👏 it’s got a summer fling, 10/10 banter, flirty texts, a summer bucket list, an adorable and feisty grandma, steamy moments, and my favorite - a fireman’s carry!! and I ate it up!!🥣

It was so nice to be back in Barry’s Bay, to get glimpses of Sam and Percy, to get more insight into Charlie’s side of things, and of course to swoooon over him😮‍💨🤭

I loved Alice and her journey back to loving her art, I loved how honest and relatable she was! I loved her relationship with Nan and also Nan’s relationship with Charlie! It was just 👩‍🍳💋!

My only complaint was some dreaded ~miscommunication~ that I felt could’ve been avoided and the book still would’ve had its drama🤷🏻‍♀️ but overall - loved!!🚤🤩

I read the last 75% of this book in one night. I could not put it down. Charlie and Alice’s story was… chef’s kiss. I didn’t know I needed Charlie’s story after her first book about his little brother Sam. But BOY was it worth the wait. This might be Carley’s best one yet. You won’t be disappointed.

“Good things happen at the lake”.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

WHERE do I even BEGIN? I absolutely devoured this book. Carley Fortune, once again, owns my entire heart—and this time, she gave me Charlie Florek.

First off, a quick shoutout to my bestie Julia (you know what you did). She told me I had to read Every Summer After before diving into One Golden Summer. And listen—I was already 40% into this book when I went back, did the homework, and came out SCREAMING: Justice for Charlie. My sweet, soulful, secretly-swoony man. This book did him RIGHT.

The romance? Perfection. The slow, effortless transition from strangers to friends to lovers felt so real and so earned. Alice and Charlie’s chemistry is magnetic—those quiet looks, the laughter on the lake, the nostalgia crackling in every scene. And Charlie??? STAR of the show. Funny, warm, supportive, and emotionally available? What a man.

And it wasn’t just the romance that hit me—it was the feels. Alice’s moment of vulnerability, when she finally reaches out to her family and they show up for her without hesitation? As someone who struggles to ask for help, that scene broke me open. Full-body sobs. Fortune captured something so real there—how strength sometimes means admitting you need others.

Nan? An icon. The perfect blend of sass, wisdom, and warmth. Every side character added depth, color, and love to the story.

If I have one tiny complaint (and it’s really just a selfish plea): I wanted more from the epilogue. Not because it wasn’t good—but because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I loved this book. I loved these characters. I loved this one golden summer.

One Golden Summer is sun-drenched, emotionally rich, and utterly romantic. Alice and Charlie forever.

Thank you @berkleyromance @prhaudio for the books #PRHAudioPartner #BerkleyPartner

When her grandmother breaks a hip, photographer Alice proposes a return to Barry’s Bay—the lake that changed her life at seventeen. But her plan for a quiet summer unravels when Charlie Florek, the charming boy from her past, speeds back into her life, stirring up old memories, new sparks, and a longing for something more.

Charlie and Alice are both so easy to adore. I can’t think of another couple that flirts so effortlessly and puts you at ease so instantly. As with any of Carley’s romances, there’s no shortage of effervescent angst and dreamy nostalgia. Even the ache of their pasts couldn’t stop me from wanting to dip my toes in Barry’s Bay and be part of their world.

I’m not usually homesick, but every scene had me longing for the vibrant Canadian summers of my childhood (hopefully I’ll get to return this year—green card pending ). I’m torn on the adolescent feel of the summer Charlie and Alice share. They’re both in their 30s, chasing a kind of seventeen-year-old magic, and I kept swinging between swooning at the bliss and cringing at the immaturity. Still, I’m completely smitten—by the lake, their laughter, and Charlie’s incorrigible flirting.

Perfect for you if you like:
Teenage nostalgia
Bucket lists
Flirtiest banter

Similar to:
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
The Escape Plan by Katie Bailey

⛔️chapters 37 & 45 contain explicit romance scenes (open door)
⚠️explicit language, recreational drugs, health condition, previous death of parents, grief

An absolutely perfect summer romance. I felt giddy the entire time reading. I loved the chemistry between characters, the way they evolved over the course of the summer, and the integration of past characters in Carley Fortune's lakeside summer universe. I will be recommending this book across social pages as well as to everyone who asks me for a romance book rec this summer. Loved it so much!

Absolutely LOVEDDDD! I haven’t had the best luck with Carley’s previous releases but this one HIT for me! Charlie is going to be everyone’s new obsession and this one truly felt like the best summery read!! Ugh! I just know I’ll keep thinking about this for a while and the vibes were off the charts

ONE GOLDEN SUMMER

Romance — 4.5⭐️

Good things happen at the lake… like Charlie freaking Florek 😍

Back in Barry’s Bay for another summer, and it feels so good. Every Summer After still has my whole heart, but this one came seriously close.

As a lifelong lake girl, this story felt like slipping into a sun-warmed hoodie—familiar, cozy, and full of that breezy lake life magic.

I was all in on Alice and Charlie. Alice’s journey hit home, and Charlie? Total book boyfriend material—flirty, sweet, and so dang charming. They were great on their own, but together? Sparks. Everywhere. And the banter was perfection!

It was so easy to give this five stars!!! My goodness Carley you have done it once again. I’ve been patiently waiting for Charlie’s story and it didn’t disappoint me at all! I absolutely LOVED Alice. 10/10 recommend!

“Good things happen at the lake.”

𝗪𝗘’𝗥𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗔𝗧 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗬’𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗬 and let me tell you… this is going to be the book of the summer!

⭐️: ∞/5

I can confidently say that Charlie Florek is at the top of my book boyfriends list. I know we may have disliked Charlie in ESA (or maybe we just loved the bad boy from the beginning), but we all knew that he just a sweet and sad broken man. The redemption arc was so strong this go around and was everything I could have asked for.

The entire book was written from Alice’s perspective. Usually I love a dual POV but relating to Alice in all the ways that I did, I never wanted to leave her POV. When she wasn’t around Charlie, we were able to see the side story line of Alice and her grandmother, which added to the emotion of the book.

Alice and Charlie’s relationship had me kicking my feet!! Their banter was so sweet and flirty and I could feel the tension through the book - they just kept pushing further and further every time they got together and mannn it had me rooting for them even more. I love them together, I love Alice’s original connection to Charlie, Sam, and Percy, and I just want to read this book over and over again. I haven’t felt emotions like this for a book in a long time 💛

I can’t wait for everyone to take a trip back to Barry’s Bay this summer - out 5/6/25!

🚤 friends to lovers
🚤 found family
🚤 forced proximity
🚤 bucket lists
🚤 summer nostalgia
🚤 lake aesthetic

Thank you Berkley Romance for the gifted physical advanced copy and eARC!

5 ⭐️ BABBYY! My fave romance of the year (so far). This book gave me those butterflies of what it felt like to fall in love for the first time. Imagine: you’re 17, you’re hanging out at the lake/beach/home with a boy you think is cute, he’s cocky but around you he’s a sweetheart. You spend all day talking about everything - the future, your past memories, etc. And then you kiss for the first time, and its magic 🌟

This book bottles that feeling of being young and having so many possible futures with the reality of what sometimes being an adult is. BUT it reminds us to never lose sight of what makes us happy.

Gosh, I love Charlie. He is an acts of service dude and it speaks to my heart. And Alice is a badass who is discovering she should care less what people think of her (which I relate to so much). And the slow burn?! 🥵 yes plZZZ

This should be the book of the summer. Let’s MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC! I LOVED IT

I’m trying to put into words how I feel about One Golden Summer! I can for sure say it is without a doubt my absolute favorite by Carley! I truly enjoyed the entire thing and I was hooked from the very beginning! The banter, the teasing, the looks omg! I devoured it all!!!! CHARLIE FREAKING FLOREK!!!! That is all! I loved getting his story! Getting his perspective of things made my heart break for him. I just wanted to give him the biggest hug! And our girl Alice! Oh man I love her! I related to her on so many different levels! One of my favorite things about this book was how she was able to find herself and be unapologetically her! I loved how Charlie brought her out of her shell and she was able to be her true authentic self but also that she was able to see him for who he really is and not what other people think. The whole book was perfect. No notes! I think it will be such a great summer read.

Her best yet! CF has outdone herself, and I adored this story. It was wonderful to be back at the lake with characters who feel like old friends. She keeps getting better & better, can’t wait to see what she does next.

Carley Fortune always finds a way to draw me into her worlds. In this follow up to one of my favorite romances of all time, I believe this one takes the prize. Between Alice and Charlie's chemistry, peeks into Sam and Percy's life, and Nan, Heather and Bennett being precious little gems, I couldn't pick a favorite character... Although Nan is pretty high up there. There wasn't much of a miscommunication trope and I love that. It's hard for me to get into friends to lovers, but I was instantly rooting for Charlie and Alice's friendship and relationship. If I could give more than five stars, I would over and over again. Being back in Barry's Bay was a breath of fresh air.

One Golden Summer
By: Carley Fortune
Rating : 5 Stars

When I saw that I got approved to read this book early I was incredibly excited!!! Ive read all of Carley's books and have loved them all!!
From the very first page One Golden Summer had me HOOKED!!!
This is definitely a book you'll want to read for the Summer!!
This Book has a little bit of Everything.... It's Everything you want in a Rom Com but also has its serious moments like dealing with grief, regrets, aging, and health conditions without it being super heavy.

Alice Everly is a photographer who feels like she's sort of lost her way. So when her grandmother falls and injures herself Alice decides its the perfect time to get away for the both of them to not only help her grandmother recover but to also return to the place where Alice took the photo that inspired her to make photography her career.
What she didn't expect was Charlie Flores... the Handsome, Charming, Flirt who she can surprisingly be herself around and who also happens to be.....

One of the boys in the picture that changed her life.

If you haven't already I recommend reading Carley's Debut novel Every Summer After. One Golden Summer is Charlie's story (Sam's older Brother) and there are things in Every Summer After that would be good to know going into this new book.

If you Love :
- Lake Settings
- Rom Coms
- Great Banter
- Slow Burn
- Forced Proximity
- Friends to Lovers
- Family Themes
- Nostalgic Feelings

Then this is definitely a book you should add to your TBR!!!

Publication Date : May 6 2025

Thank You to Berkely Publishing, Net Galley, and author Carley Fortune for this digital ARC to Honestly Review

OMGGGGGGGG, it took me until 30% to realize this is Charlie Florek from Every Summer After! The older brother in Every Summer After that hooks up with Percy - that one.

SO, SO, SO GOD. I swear, Carley is the queen of friends to lovers and getting me all up in my feels. I cannot.

We follow Alice, who’s most definitely a people pleaser, and a photographer that’s on the verge of burnout. SO - after her grandmother had a hip replacement (I think) after falling at a dance class, she decides to take her grandmother back to the lake where they used to go when she was younger. It kind of brings her back to her childhood, where she never felt seen, part of the group, and truly - this entire character hit home for me.

At the lake, where they’re staying at an old friend of her grandparents’, they meet Charlie Flores who’s there for the summer building a tree house for his soon to be niece/nephew, AND also keeping the lakehouse up for the family friend. 

Alice makes a bucket list of sorts for the summer at the lakehouse and Charlie helps her complete it. We get the sweetest friends to lovers and ugh, my heart.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for an eARC in return for an honest opinion.