4.25 Stars

This book was not my favourite by Carley, but I still liked it overall. What I liked the most about this book was FMC Alice and the personal journey that she went through, as well as the amazing summer vibes that can definitely be described as golden. Where I felt this book was slightly lacking was the romance, as I am a certified hater of a MMC not committing to the FMC as they don’t think they are worthy. But besides that trope, Charlie and Alice were very cute.

5⭐️s - I loved this one so much! I devoured this weekend. Those characters were everything and I fell in love with Alice & Charlie and their summer together. Also enjoyed when Percy & Sam made appearances! You can just feel yourself at the lake in this story and gives off all those summer friends to lovers romances vibes. I was lucky enough to receive the ARC and also pre-ordered signed copy so can’t wait to add this gem to my bookshelf! This one will be a perfect summer read so put on your tbr 📚🫶

Expected release: 5/6/25

✨Special thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Alice is visiting Barry’s Bay for the summer with her grandmother. She decides to make a bucket list to relive her time at the lake when she was 17. What she doesn’t expect is Charlie Florek. Another great love story from Carley Fortune!

3.75 stars!!! this was cute, however i feel this would have benefitted from dual pov, i would have liked to get charlie’s perspective and feelings. i enjoyed the setting and the aspect of the list to “act 17 again”.

I have really gotten to enjoy Carley's writing style. Makes me want to go to the lake. Thanks for the opportunity to read this one!

This was the book I didn’t know I needed, and yet I’m not sure why I wasn’t one of those readers at the author’s event asking for Charlie’s story because I remember reading Every Summer After and thinking that Charlie was the perfect character to dig deep with… you just knew his emotions and fears were there. And under the playboy laissez faire attitude, was a little boy turned man who held a lot of grief inside.

I am also one of those readers who don’t care for series with my romance books. I like standalone ones where I can jump into love with whatever new character I turn the page on. With only a few exceptions (I’m thinking The Simple Wild by KA Tucker as one), I am not the one these series are written for.

Well… add this one to the Tucker series on my forever shelf because I loved this (kind of standalone??) duology that brought me back to Barry’s Bay.

Charlie: complicated, flirty, empath who sees everything but hides behind the saucy words that come out of his mouth.
Alice: introverted and sensitive. She’s the “good girl” of the family and needs to find her boundaries. She feels like me in so many ways. Including the relationship with her Nan.

What happens over the course of the book is the story of Charlie and Alice. We get snippets of Sam & Percy (💕) but the focus is on the friendship to lovers romance that always sucks me in.

Perfect for the summer. I suspect this new one will make a lot of CF readers very happy.
Including this one 👋🏻

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I was one of the few who didn’t love Every Summer After. I thought it was fine but I wasn’t sure it deserved the tremendous amount of hype it got. In fact, I forgot most of it and had to read a synopsis before this book. That being said, I loved this. I thought the characters were fantastic and I really loved the banter between the two main characters. Carley Fortune is really coming into her own.

Prepare to fall in love with Charlie Florek. The cocky boy from Every Summer After has grown into a kind, thoughtful (and still cocky!) man, and I enjoyed every second of his story. I saw where his arc was going as soon as Sam & Percy first re-entered the picture, but there’s something comforting in that. And it didn’t stop the tears from coming leading up to the HEA…

Alice is easy to root for too. I found her relatable in a lot of ways and felt like she fit right into the Barry’s Bay we already knew and love.

Overall, I adored One Golden Summer from the start and wasn’t ready for it to end, despite flying through it. It was sweet, summery, and nostalgic, while still feeling like a fresh new story. I already can’t wait for more from Carley Fortune!

Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for access to the ARC!

#OneGoldenSummer #NetGalley

There’s something quietly powerful about a story that doesn’t just evoke nostalgia but redefines it, turning past summers and fleeting feelings into something tangible and true. This Summer Will Be Different feels like a memory you never lived but somehow remember anyway. Carley Fortune captures the ache of returning to a place that shaped you, and the joy of rediscovering a version of yourself you’d quietly set aside. Alice’s voice is tender, unsure, and often heartbreaking in its honesty. Her journey felt like watching someone step back into the light, slowly and with so much care. The lake setting, the rhythm of small-town summer, and the gentle swell of something like love made the story unfold at a pace that felt natural and deeply human.

And Charlie. He isn’t written to dazzle or dominate the page, but to earn your affection. There’s a quiet kindness to him that builds over time, and a sense of humor that softens every scene he’s in. His moments with Nan were especially moving, adding depth that made his character all the more endearing. What stayed with me most was the emotional honesty between Charlie and Alice. This wasn’t a love story built on grand gestures, but on real, everyday care—the kind that shows up, listens, and holds space. It’s a reminder that the best kind of romance allows you to be fully seen, and fully loved.

I CANT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK!!!! It was so nice to be back in Barry’s Bay - the water, the foods, swims, romance, all of it. Now we get to see Charlie’s story come about!?? Yes please. After reading Every Summer After (last year), it was easily one of my tops reads of the year. A lot of the same emotion was evoked throughout this read, & we still see bits & pieces of Percy & Sam (MC’s of ESA) and how they’ve grown up since being introduced to them last as a couple. Seeing this invisible string with everyone just honestly makes the read so easy to follow & fall in love with instantly! We get introduced to a few more characters on the FMC Alice’s side of the family & it’s so easy to follow along with. They’re brought in but it’s nothing too overwhelming. Being able to relate to a character on some degree is a plus for me when I read & this book definitely did that. I found a lot of myself in her which made it so real to me. It felt real.

The TENSION, yearning & wants were portrayed perfectly. If you read ESA, you know Charlie’s attitude & personality as being overconfident & kind of selfish at times. In this book, Carley does an amazing job at keeping his personality & character traits throughout the read, but also giving us more of what’s underneath. We get more of the history of why he is the way he is.

Everything truly comes together nearing the end of the read & it is truly…just everything. 🥹 Carley will always be an auto buy author for me. Thank you for writing this amazing book & bringing these characters to life.

Ok - this is by far my favorite read by Carley Fortune!!

Alice and Charlie's story was just *chefs kiss*. I knew upon finishing Every Summer After, I needed Charlie's HEA as well, and I'm so happy to say Carley delivered with this one. I loved getting to know these two characters, and just seeing them fall in love. I felt all the things. It had me grinning so many times and kicking my feet. It had me crying and wanting to go hug my family. It was just the best read. I now immediately need a summer in Barry's Bay with my little family.

Many thanks to the publisher for an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The perfect beach or cottage read. Two charming characters and a healing fun loving Grandma learning to embrace dreams and passions at any age. I loved it.

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune is perfectly golden. Hands down, this is one of Carley's best. The summer setting at the lake draws you in and makes you feel like you are there. Alice Everly is delightful in her honest, down to earth personality and yet stands up for herself with an edge that makes you admire her strength. The love is flowing, yet honest as a summer fling would be. Grab this book. You'll be dreaming of your own lake house and chocolate cake.

Carley Fortune, you have redeemed yourself!

As someone who despised Every Summer After but liked Charlie (even though I loathed his decisions in ESA), I was curious about One Golden Summer ever since Carley Fortune announced it but my expectations were a little low given my reading experience with ESA.

But wow, did Carley Fortune redeem herself because this book was excellent!

One Golden Summer has so much more to offer than just a romance. I adored Alice as a character, as well as her relationship with Nan. I’ve never such a character, especially in a romance book, have such depth despite being an introvert and imperfect, I found Alice endearing from the very first page.

As for Charlie, he’s not quite the character we know from ESA. While he’s still the flirty, charismatic sort-of-playboy introduced in her debut novel, Fortune managed to make him multifaceted, adding layers to his complex character.

Although I adored this book, by all means it’s not perfect. I don’t think the third act breakup was necessary and felt a little out of nowhere.

Still, it didn’t impact my reading experience and I can’t wait to reread it!

When Alice’s Grandmother has to have surgery, Alice notices she is really down. She has the perfect idea, a summer at the shore will cheer here up, and it might just be what Alice needs as well. Her career as a photographer began at the lake, and she is feeling like she needs a reminder of what she truly wants. She did not expect Charlie Florek though. She certainly did not expect one of the men in the photo that started her career to become such a good friend…or maybe more?

AHHH back at the lake with the Florek boys!!! I was so excited when I saw this one would be Charlie’s story! I really enjoyed Alice’s goal to get back to what really made her happy and what she wanted for her life. Having studied photography, I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. When she was working in the darkroom all the college memories came flooding back! I miss the darkroom so much, though I am sure the chemicals can’t be that good for us. I also loved how much Charlie cared for and truly saw Alice. I also really want a treehouse now, so if anyone can make that happen, please let me know!

Thank you to @berkleypub for my gifted copy of this book!

"Were you expecting me?"
"You were the last thing that I expected." - Charlie Florek

THIS BOOK. Carley's writing style and storytelling always hits home. This book was EVERYTHING. I knew I loved Charlie after Every Summer After, but I fell in love with One Golden Summer Charlie. This book showed so many nuances to his character, and perfectly portrayed someone who deflects real feelings with being the flirty playboy type. There was so much depth to this, and I also related hard to the FMC, Alice, who always says she's fine but in reality would love for someone to swoop in and help her anway. Charlie and Alice are the perfect pair, and their story was so impactful without your tradtional HEA epilogue with a marriage and a baby. This book truly makes you realize how precious life is, and how the little things are the things that truly mean the most.

I have tried reading this several times and just can't get into it. The beginning seems to move so quickly that i just dont understand where we even are (and the fact that Im not paying attention because its boring). It felt like an accumulation of disjointed paragraphs were just pushed together and wasn't coherently blended. I might pick this up again later but as of right now it's not interesting to me at all.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read One Golden Summer! I absolutely adored this book. It exceeded all of my expectations and has easily become my favorite romance novel.

The chemistry between the characters was incredible. The flirting and banter had me completely hooked, and I couldn’t get enough. Charlie might just be my new favorite book boyfriend! Beyond the romance, I also loved how emotional the story was. The unexpected twist hit me in a way I didn’t see coming, and Alice felt so real. I saw parts of myself in her, and the nostalgia in this book made me long for experiences I wish I had at 17.

I truly didn’t want this book to end. If I could rate it six stars, I would! Thank you again for the eARC. I can’t wait to share my love for this book with my audience.

(i would maybe not read this review if you haven’t read every summer after/don’t want some of this series’ dynamics spoiled!)

this was good. i think the read was ALMOST completely removed from the first book (a book i couldn’t put down) because it’s been so long since i’ve read it. i forgot who charlie was! i think it may be impossible to read this book and not fall a little in love with him.

that said, once i re-read my review for every summer after, and refreshed myself on what had gone down, i was a little upset with him. i got over it though.

this was very well-written. excellent setup, pacing - it’s quite good. would recommend to people new to carley fortune and those returning!

Have you ever wanted to bottle up that happy feeling after reading a book so you could just keep that feeling forever?! Because YEAH that was me with this book & I truly never wanted it to end.

I felt such a strong connection to Charlie after reading Every Summer After and wanted him to get the story he deserved / needed.

This book had all the makings of a perfect cozy romcom - The tranquil small town setting, forced proximity, summer vibes and ALL the tension and banter BUT in the end this book turned out to be so much more.

Carley has a true talent for immersing readers in her stories. I seriously felt like I had escaped for a holiday in Barry’s Bay.

Alice was such a breath of fresh air. She had so many characteristics that were relatable and reflective for readers. She was strong, brave, determined but also showed a vulnerable and softer side and it was so beautiful to see her come into her own. Coming from a fellow “turtle” I think it’s so special when a book can make you look introspectively at your own life

Our Charlie is so complex and multi layered. He’s been through so much and made some mistakes but I think we could all see there was something special under it all. I think this book conveys the depths of grief and its role it plays at such a pivotal age in people’s lives.

There was an instant spark & chemistry between Alice and Charlie but I loved the realistic foundation they created as friends first and how their relationship evolved

I adored the snippets of Percy and Sam and the squad all back together. But also loved that it didn’t overpower to plot or take away from Charlie & Alice’s story

This book was pure nostalgia and made you feel a wide range of emotions throughout. I cried, I giggled, I swooned, I was kicking my feet, I got frustrated and angry. I felt it all & it was amazing