Oh what a sweet story.

Carley Fortune shines again with this tale of a middle aged woman working herself to hard to avoid life and forced to slow down to care for a family member.

"Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life."

Alice Everly sees everyone through her camera lens, but does anyone ever see her? Does she even see herself?

Her journey is at the center of the book- with supporting characters on similarly endearing journeys of their own.

Fortune creates worlds with conflict and support and questions and quests in beautiful ways.

Alice's experiences with Charlie Florek are adorable and eye opening for both as they each struggle to get out of their comfort zones and away from the roles they've cast themselves in over the years.

A great read.

This book was made for me and anyone else that loves a hero like Charlie and knew he had it in him to deliver a love story worthy of his own book. Fortune's writing has been so good, but I personally have only liked, not loved, her previous books. I somehow knew this would be the book that Fortune and I saw complete eye to eye and she would win me over fully. This will be the book of the summer. Charlie is warm, flirty and full of sweetness that he doesn't even know what to do with. Alice has an incredible journey ahead of her with her adorable grandma by her side and boy has Charlie met his match. This book is sun soaked afternoons and it oozes this flirty ease that only seems to come in the summer, this book might as well have sunscreen scented pages with it's ability to transport you. I got to read it on a gloomy March weekend as an escape, in one sitting, but boy am I happy for everyone who will get to enjoy this book this summer as intended.

Wow. This book left me speechless. I thought I loved every summer after with Sam and Percy… but I might love Charlie more!🥹

It was an emotional one & left me crying towards the end (both sad/happy tears) This book does cover some deep topics: death, grief, aging and regrets.

I remember disliking Charlie a lot in Every Summer After, but he definitely has changed since then. Reading about his story broke my heart and made me understand why he acted the way he did in the first book. Watching Alice rediscover herself was so touching and beautiful to witness as well. Her relationship with Charlie had me laughing out loud, giggling, and crying.

Is it weird that I have FOMO over these fictional characters? I feel so sad that I don’t know them in real like LOL also FOMO because I WOULD LOVE to abandon my life and go chill by the lake for the summer.

One thing I’ve learned from reading this book is to live life to the fullest because it can be taken away at any second.

PS - I love the Florek Brothers. The wait for this book was so so worth it!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! This was such an easy, feel good romance. It had humor, but also serious topics. I think this was her best book to date. I could not put it down, I also did catch myself crying a few times.

Carley Fortune does it again!

The nostalgia, the tension, the slow-burn, the imagery, the dialogue, all PERFECTION.

Growing up in Northern Ontario, I can promise that Fortune has a way of putting her directly in the scene, and this is the closest you will get to experiencing a Canadian summer without actually being here to experience it.

I loved the plot right off the bat, and Charlie is literally one of my favourite Romance MMC’s I’ve read. To me, this book was pretty much perfect, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing!

Fortune has found the recipe to a beautiful, heart-warming, giggle-inducing, Canadian Summer romance, and I can’t wait to continue picking up her work!

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC—and to Carley Fortune for finally giving us the story we’ve been waiting for. 🥹💙

I’ve been (impatiently) waiting for this book since Every Summer After, and while I may still have feelings about that twist 😤, one thing was clear: Charlie needed his own story. And One Golden Summer absolutely delivered. 💚

Alice Everly returns to Barry’s Bay after 15 years to help her nan recover—and hopefully heal from her own heartbreak. She’s lost, burned out, and reeling from a life that didn’t go as planned. The last thing she expects? To fall straight into the path of Charlie Florek—local flirt, full-time charmer, and part-time emotional hurricane.

Their chemistry? Instant. Their banter? Addictive. But what truly hooked me was the depth—both Alice and Charlie are navigating grief, change, and big questions about what they want from life. Watching Alice rediscover herself while Charlie slowly reveals his softer side had me smiling, swooning, and turning the pages way too late at night. 🫶📸

There is a twist late in the story that I had a feeling would be coming, but honestly, it didn’t take away from how much I loved their journey. This slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance was heartfelt, steamy, and full of growth— this book deserves each and every star - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

After falling in love with This Summer Will be Different last year, I had high hopes for One Golden Summer, however it was just missing the magic of the previous book. It felt very similar to Meet Me at the Lake which I also rated 3 stars. Not terrible, just meh.
Things I liked:
I really appreciated how much time went into establishing the main characters’ friendship, I liked their banter and teasing. The setting was beautiful as always and the FMCs family dynamics were interesting.
Things I didn’t like:
The FMC was so embarrassing. I just couldn’t handle it after a certain point and just wanted to scream, “girl, STAND UP”. She was supposedly a wallflower shy little mouse but had no issue throwing herself at multiple men, and to keep throwing herself at Charlie even when he made his feelings clear. Charlie was very charming but he wasn’t down bad enough for me. And I hated the miscommunication towards the end. It did make sense why he kept his issues to himself but also, you’re THIRTY FIVE years old, I feel like you would have learned how to have a hard conversation like that by now but idk.
I closed this book not really caring about the characters or anything that happened. It might be a good little beach read or something as long as you temper your expectations.

I received an ARC of this book - thank you Carley and NetGalley!

The TL;DR here is that this is an immediate six star read 😭

Carley! Whatever you put in this book was pure magic. Charlie and Alice? I want more of them forever. The delicate balance between their banter and the raw, real moments they share was everything. I think we all want to be seen like that by someone. The ties and relationships between Charlie, Nan, Alice, Sam, Percy, the rest of Alice’s family were all so beautiful. The nostalgia of acting seventeen and wild and free at the lake was perfect. The way that the writing depicted every photo captured made me feel like I was really seeing that moment through the lens of Alice’s camera.

This book made me laugh, cry, and feel so many things. I fear I’ll be thinking about it forever. My favorite Carley Fortune read yet ❤️

If there was an infinity option of stars on here I would choose that.

Carley absolutely knocked this one out of the park.

Charlie and Alice have made a mark on my heart forever. They share the MOST BEAUTIFUL friendship and love story.. this is quite easily my favorite read of the year.

Their story made me feel ALL THE FEELS. I didn’t want it to end.

We see Sam & Percy and it is just absolutely beautiful the way they are incorporated in this story.

I am already daydreaming of reading it again. The emotions.. the history.. THE EVERYTHING CARLEY!!

Charlie & Alice’s story gave me everything and more. I cannot recommend enough.

*thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for my eARC*

4.75⭐️

what a welcome back to barry’s bay! Percy and Sam’s story was so special to experience last summer and it made me so happy to find out Charlie would get his long awaited happy ending.

sequels that were never originally intended to exist are difficult to accomplish with the right amount of heart and impact but oh my god did carley fortune knock it out of the park with this story! alice was the perfect person to provide a lens and give voice to this story and what a perfect fit for the lake’s golden boy! she matched his energy and charmer personality so well, it was so easy to feel their chemistry and soak in all their interactions together.

this was a slowwwww burn despite all the flirtatious banter. so much will they/wont they i actually thought i was going to explode but i’m a sucker for pain and love angst and yearning in my stories and oh they YEARNEDDDDD OK!

of course, the author’s signature descriptions of lake life that made me feel so endeared to her writing made this book so comforting and nostalgic. i can definitely see this becoming one of those quintessential additions to ppl’s summer reading lists.

while this can technically be read as a standalone, for the most emotional impact, i recommend reading every summer after first to get more context on some of the characters and their journeys from their earlier years. who doesn’t love more emotional impact anyway ;)


thank you so much to berkley for the arc in exchange for my honest thoughts💌

One summer at the lake, Alice Everly took a photograph that she's never forgotten. Now, 17 years later, she meets the mystery man in the photo and finally experiences the summer she deserves.

Once again, I believe Carly Fortune has written the number one beach read of the summer. There's just something about her writing that just transports you to the lake. The chemistry between Alice and Charlie was pretty instant, and I did love their banter. It was still a slow burn romance that I loved watching unfold. This story carries on from Fortune's first book, Every Summer After. While you don't need to read Every Summer to appreciate One Golden Summer, I'd definitely recommend it as you will love seeing other character's stories evolve. The final third of the book was relatively predictable but well-executed. Add this book to the top of your summer TBR!

4.25/5⭐

I devoured this story. I was so excited to get Charlie’s story after reading about him in Every Summer After.
Alice was his perfect match. They challenged each other in every way imaginable and it was such a beautiful thing to watch. Their relationship developed so organically and I had a smile on my face the entire time. Absolutely brilliant writing from Carley, as always. Being back in Barry’s Bay was just what I needed. Oh and Nan, sweet Nan. I love that woman so much. The sweet moments between her and Charlie really sealed it for me.
This story also hit very close to home. As a mom who had a child with the exact heart conditions, it was emotional. My son is 21 and his were found in utero, so his surgery was a 7 days old. It still connected me to this story.
I loved this story so much! Thank you Carley, NetGalley, and Berkeley for the early copy to read!

ONE GOLDEN SUMMER by Carley Fortune

“Good things happen at the lake.”

Run, don’t walk, to pick this book up if you’re a romance reader who loves summer. I can’t stop thinking about it and wish I could burrow into its pages and live in Barry’s Bay.

One Golden Summer follows Alice, a photographer who is blindsided when her long-term boyfriend breaks up with her. Then her grandmother, Nan, breaks a hip. To cheer her up, Alice arranges for them to spend their summer in Barry’s Bay like they did when Alice was 17. Fresh off a breakup, Alice is determined to step out of her comfort zone. Enter Charlie (you’ll remember him as the … problematic older brother in Every Summer After), the guy across the bay who is devastatingly handsome and persistent.

This book feels like summer. Every aspect of this book nails what it feels like to be at a lake. There are puzzles, cooking, night swims, cliff-jumping, tea, and a whole lot of heart. As someone who grew up going to a lake every summer, this book made me ache for those summers when things were easy and light and the world felt like it held endless possibilities.

I adored Alice and Charlie. Their banter! Their chemistry! Nan and Alice are so precious. This is, hands down, my favorite book from Fortune. Charlie is the guy. So attractive, thoughtful, and self-assured. I loved how Alice navigates finding yourself and figuring out her needs after being let down time and again. I related to her a lot. She feels as if she missed out on things and is determined to live fully. I couldn’t put it down. I felt so locked in this story. I was kicking my feet and smiling a lot — so so good. HIGHLY recommend.

Welcome (back) to Barry’s Bay where the sun is always out and the romance is right around the corner. Good things happen at the lake.
This was a sweet summer romance. Alice is at the lake house for a good time and when Charlie shows up, he helps make her bucket list a reality. This was a sloooow burn for me and I was whole-heartedly cheering for them to get together.

The photos ❤️📷❤️ Alice captures sounded breathtaking, I kind of wish I could see them. I absolutely love the way Charlie says her name.

A couple of my favorite quotes:
“You can’t live in the what-ifs.”
“He’s always been this version of himself, he was just waiting for someone to see and love him for who he really is. “

Thank you SO much Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC. It felt so nostalgic in the best way to read about Charlie’s life with a sprinkle of Sam and Percy again! 20 year old Charlie was obviously such a menace in Every Summer After- but 35 year old grown up Charlie in One Golden Summer was everything!!!! Alice and her grandmother (Nan) are spending the summer at the lake while Nan recovers from hip surgery. Alice is a photographer, people pleaser, and a bit damaged after a bad break up. Charlie and Alice have great banter and navigate friendship while being total opposites. This book is so fun and carefree while also being intense and heartbreaking. Charlie’s story was well worth the wait!!

Alice is getting over a breakup and focusing on her photography work in Toronto. When her grandmother, Nan, falls and breaks a hip, she decides they should spend the summer in the lake house where she spent the summer when she was 17. It belongs to her grandmothers oldest friend and he agrees they can stay there for the summer. This is the place Alice took a picture of three teens in a yellow speedboat that has been so important in her career. She is surprised to meet one of those teenagers, now a gorgeous, flirty man still in the house next door. Can she have a summer with Charlie as friends without getting her heart broken?

I was so glad to be back in Barry Bay and get Charlie’s story and redemption. Alice and Charlie were both dealing with life and reluctant to have a relationship so it is suppose to be a fun, flirty, casual friendship during a relaxing, teenage like summer. Complete with a checklist of things like jump off a cliff, kiss a cute boy…. The banter and chemistry is great. It’s a perfect summer read so toss it in your beach bag this summer. If you liked Every Summer After you will get some scenes with Percy and Sam ❤️

Hands down the best book I read this year. Carley Fortune knows how to write a summer romance. The writing was beautiful. I love how summer felt like another character. I can't wait to see what's next.

4.5/5 - Alice and her grandmother return to the lake house where she spent the summer when she turned 17. Fresh off a break-up she is feeling lost in her life, including her photography business. What she doesn’t expect is Charlie, the boy featured in a photograph she took at 17. Charlie is still handsome, and is very flirtatious. Alice is determined to make this a summer about her, and finding herself, wanting to create the summer she wished she had at 17. When Charlie accidentally sees her “bucket list,” he vows to help her finish it. As their lives become intertwined they are unable to deny the chemistry they have, but decide that they cannot continue a relationship outside of the summer. When the summer ends, Alice and Charlie must decide what they want and if things have changed at all.

This book is full of lake life nostalgia. Almost every Canadian has some memory of summer at the lake, and Carley Fortune truly took me back there.

Alice is on a journey of self discovery, and I loved watching her come out of her shell, and get out of her comfort zone. Charlie was a flirty presence full of charm and banter.

The thing I did hate (and this probably a me thing) is the unnecessary break-up at the end. I think it could have gone a different way. I did love their romance, starting as friends, and moving into more.

This story was rife with awesome side characters. Some you have met before if you read the author’s first novel, and others are brand new. I loved seeing where Percy and Sam were now, as well as getting to know Alice’s family, including her grandma, Nan, and niece, Bennett.

If you want to travel back in time to summer lake adventures, this is the perfect book for you! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Romance for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

Alice Everly was always the shy girl that hid behind the lens of her camera. But when work starts to drown her, and her grandmother breaks her hip, she heads to the small lake town she visited as a young girl. She's just coming out of a breakup with a man that she thought she'd spend the rest of her life with, and she knows that both her and her grandmother need a trip to bring back the good. But she never expected that the teen boy she took a photo of during the first and only summer she visited the lake would still be there and even better looking than before. Charlie Florek is just as handsome, and incredibly flirtatious.

Alice tries her best to keep him at a distance, and tries to focus on creating the perfect "seventeen-year-old summer" that she never had. But as the two cross paths more and more, Alice realizes that there's more to him than meets the eye, and she's not sure how far she can distance herself, and her heart. Charlie starts to break down every wall she has in place. He makes her laugh at every turn, helps to take care of her Nan, and most importantly, he sees her.

I adored seeing these two get the a happy ending, and a well-written, beautiful story. These two are made for each other. Where one is dark, the other is light. Where one is salty, the other is sweet. There are a million and one ways to say it, but at the base of it all, they're the ultimate yin and yang. They just fit. Alice was always the girl to play it safe, while Charlie was reckless and wild. He breaks her out of her shell, and she settles his soul.

Carley wrote a story that makes the reader fall in love with the location and the characters. You become immersed into their world and it feels as though you walk through it with them. It was the perfect summer vibe with a serene location. The book was everything and more. It's on my top book list of the year, and would give it infinite stars if I could.

What to expect:
- summer vibes
- friends to lovers
- forced proximity
- found family
- bucket list (get ready for this one)
- THE BEST BANTER

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Alice gives so much of herself to everyone and everything she does. So much so, that she's lost herself so, when her grandmother needs help recovering from hip surgery, Alice doesn't hesitate to offer to take her back to Barry's Bay where Nan can recover and where Alice can hopefully find herself and figure out what she wants. Enter Charlie Florek, the ridiculously good-looking, shameless flirt, who makes Alice's Nan laugh and sees Alice for who she really is.

Carley never fails to make me want to buy a lake house! I will say that this book dragged a little in the beginning for me, but once I was in it, I could NOT put it down! I loved Charlie and Alice's relationship. I loved how easy it felt, how they made each other so comfortable, how Charlie made Nan laugh, and how he took care of both of them. It just felt so wholesome. When the dreaded third act breakup hit, I loved how Alice's family showed up for her, and while I generally despise a third act breakup and how generally immature they feel, I felt Carley did a good job with this one and brought it all back together in the end (even redeeming Charlie a little bit).

Overall, a really, really good read that you definitely need to pick up this summer!