Carley Fortune is back with another summer-set romance, this time with Charlie and Alice, two people taking a break from their real lives at the lake. Alice is spending the summer helping her grandmother recover from some health issues, while Charlie is taking a break from work and enjoying some free time on the water. Despite some early prickliness on Alice's part, they become friends and, eventually, more than friends, with limits to their physical relationship.

As always, Fortune creates scenes and characters that are wistful and hopeful: Alice remembers her summers at the lake as a teenager with regret, simultaneously of the friends she was too afraid to make and conversations she was too afraid to start, while simultaneously seeing all the freedom she had as a 17-year-old that she feels she no longer possesses. Charlie is outwardly lovable and friendly, and is easily one of the best romance heroes I've seen this year. He cares about Alice and her grandmother, and they manage to anchor him and get a more genuine, more trusting version of Charlie than everybody else in town gets to see. The slow movement of these two guarded people toward an open, emotional relationship was such a joy to read, and I can't wait for what Fortune does next.

Review: One Golden Summer
By: Carley Fortune
Stars: 5⭐️

🚤 Alice is an artist who hides behind her lens, taking photos and staying quiet. After being dumped by her long term boyfriend, her Nan falling and hurting her hips, Alice wants an adventure. She suggests to her Nan that they should go to the lake, where she hasn’t been since she was 17. She wanted to feel young and free again.

🚤 Charlie a flirt, who never wants to settle down or commit, takes Alice under his wing to complete her 17year old bucket list.

🚤 the two spend the summer flirting, going on adventures, learning about each other and ultimately falling in love.

🚤 But Charlie won’t let himself be in love with Alice, tensions rise, hearts break, fear strikes. But what happeneds when one won’t give up, when one fights for what is right.

🚤 I love Carley! She is such an amazing writer, I love her books, her words and her thoughts. I can’t wait for more!

Absolutely loved being back in Barry's Bay. This was such a sweet, slow burn romance, perfect for summer reading! Read this one if you like friends to lovers, an atmospheric lake setting, great side characters and a slow burn.

This book was absolutely incredible. The story. The banter. The slow burn. The family ties. I loved it. May be my favorite one by Fortune.

I had to DNF this book. It was focused far too much around body image. I personally struggle with reading about this subject. If it’s something you’re ok with then, this book will be fine. I was looking forward to Charlie’s story.

and if i cry just thinking about how much i loved Charlie? then what?
i had such a good time with this book. it swept me off of my feet and left me with a million butterflies in my stomach which is the sing of any great romance book.
i'm obsessed

Thank you @berkleyromance for the finished copy of this gem!

Every Summer After was one of my top books when it came out, and One Golden Summer is no different. I stayed up till 3 am finish this book, and if you know me, I am not one of those readers. I usually fall asleep quickly, but I just couldn’t stop reading.

Charlie Florek, the man that you ARE.

I could really leave the review at that, but i’ll keep going 🙂

This is the perfect summer romance. It made me want to take a sabbatical and rent a lake house for the summer, channel my inner 17 year old and make my own summer bucket list. I loved reading about these two stubborn goofballs who were just friends (sure,jan). I loved their friends-to-lovers story, their candor with each other and their banter.

Read this if:
You’re looking for a summer read, any of Carley’s books would work, but I can’t recommend Every Summer After followed up with One Golden Summer enough.
You love lake life
A hot man who’s handy
Friends to lovers
Great banter
Slow burn

Absolutely obsessed!! Romance of the summer!

To me this is @carleyfortune’s best work!! I reread Every Summer After in preparation for this which was 💯 the move!

I loved everything about this! The vibe, the banter, the nostalgia, the setting, forced proximity, and the ESA tie-in!

Alice was so relatable to me, and I was so obsessed with Charlie! This essentially is a perfect summer romance for me, and I need every other romance to meet this standard the rest of the summer!

Though One Golden Summer is a sequel/companion book to Every Summer After, it definitely stands on its own. I have never read ESA, but I was able to jump into OGS easily and fell completely in love with all of the characters. Charlie and Alice are both so lovable and their connection unfolds in such a beautiful way. I loved watching each of them grow in the light of one another. This was really the perfect summer read, and one I will absolutely revisit. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

4.5/5

Amazing summer read!
Carley Fortune writes some of the best books.

I loved getting to see how the Floreks have grown since the last book. Getting Charlie’s story was so great. It was also great reading about Sam and Percy too and getting a relationship update on them.
Alice is a great main character. You root for her the whole book. She really finds herself. Nan (Alice’s grandma) sounds amazing and I want to be friends with her.

This book did not disappoint!!!!!

This was utter perfection.

God I loved this book so so much!!!!! This was so nostalgic in the best possible way. It brought me back to the feeling of summer when I was a kid and I loved every single second of it.

Charlie Florek the man you are!!! I am so glad we got a redemption story and got to see his growth throughout the course of the novel. I thought that his budding friendship turned relationship with Alice was so pure and such a joy to read. I really loved how they were two strangers who needed each other to grow and distract from their regular lives.

The tension in this novel was actually everything to me. Alice and Charlie were so hot!!!!

Carley truly created magic and I absolutely loved reading every single second of this. A beautiful way to say goodbye to Barry's Bay.

Thank you Berkley Romance and Carley Fortune for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

ONE GOLDEN SUMMER is the *much* anticipated follow up to EVERY SUMMER AFTER, in which brother Charlie finally gets his moment.

I remember basically nothing from ESA — just that the lake vibes were great and despite all the drama, Charlie got the short end of the stick. I LOVED that OGS has a whole new character with a whole new main storyline — Alice spends her summer on the lake with her grandma who’s recovering from surgery. But, it’s not Alice’s first summer there. In fact, she’s crossed paths with our ESA love triangle before 👀

Anyways. I love Charlie. I love Alice. I loved this book — and I convinced my girl gang on this trio to read it with me!! So now I’ve made the girls trip a bookclub muahaha

I love a good summer romance and One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune delivered. In this story we follow Alice Everly, a photographer who returns to her grandmother's lakeside cottage to help her recover from a broken hip. While there, Alice reconnects with Charlie Florek, a man that she once photographed when they both were young at the lake. I enjoyed the witty banter between Charlie and Alice, but there were some times when the pacing was a bit slow. The book explores themes or healing and self-discovery. Definitely a read to pick up this summer!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Favorite book of the year, hands down. My hopes going into One Golden Summer were SKY HIGH let me tell you, but even I couldn't have predicted how utterly perfect this book could be. Literal perfection. Cue the TikTok sound "no, no, I don't think you understand...I'm *obsessed* I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!

One Golden Summer
Favorite Parts

9% Charlie’s list (specifically the last bullet point! 😍‼️
14% “whoa”
18% the boat rescue
20% Nan hooting and clapping
22% a shirt that smells like summer
24% last sentence in ch. 12
26% “lucky Pegasus”
31% grocery store encounter/cake mixes
33% Charlie’s birthday gift to Alice
35% Percy and Sam! 🥰
36% the boat fireworks
40% reviewing the list
43% coming home after the date
45% the boathouse convo
47% the photograph connection
50% the dill pickles
53% “you might be the biggest surprise of my life, Alice.”
55% “I’ve been smiling too much,” I tell him. Charlie’s eyes flash with delight. “No such thing.”
69% Charlie’s IG
72% old fashioned selfie
72% “sorry, that one’s mine.”
72% keeping his shirt on
74% “nah, you love me”
75% what Charlie says while brushing teeth
76% the entire little section where Alice says “nerd” 🥰🥰
78% staying the night
81% the dark room surprise
83% “we met over cucumbers”
85% making pierogis together
92% “you look good in yellow” 🥺
95% “my Alice”
96% the cheesy rose petals and Rod Stewart
99% the epilogue

I swear Carley gets better and better with each book she writes. I absolutely loved One Golden Summer and Charlie and Alice and everyone in Barrys Bay. It was so good to go back to Barrys Bay and see Charlie get the happy ending he deserves. I did not dislike I single thing about this book. 10/10 on any scale.

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune is a heartwarming and enchanting romance that perfectly captures the spirit of summer. Perfect for your summer TBR, this novel will appeal to readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers tropes, nostalgic settings, happy endings, and emotionally rich summer love stories.

Set once again in the picturesque Barry’s Bay, the story revisits familiar ground for those who have read Every Summer After. This time, the focus is on Charlie Florek—previously introduced as a charismatic heartbreaker—and Alice, a reserved and gifted photographer spending the summer at the lake with her beloved grandmother. Their instant connection sets the stage for a compelling narrative filled with witty banter, emotional depth, and a slow-burn romance that’s easy to root for.

One of the novel’s standout elements is the strong depiction of family relationships, particularly the caring bond between Alice and her grandmother, Nan. Charlie’s respectful and warm interactions with Nan add another layer of charm to his character. Fans of Every Summer After will also appreciate the continued presence of Sam and Percy, whose enduring love and evolving friendships enrich the story and provide a satisfying sense of continuity.

Both Alice and Charlie undergo meaningful personal growth over the course of the novel. Their individual transformations and the way they bring out the best in each other make their love story feel authentic and emotionally rewarding.

While One Golden Summer can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Every Summer After first to fully appreciate Charlie’s background and the returning characters.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book of summer!! Carley fortune has done it again. I loved being back in the world of Percy and Sam and exploring Charlie’s side. It was so charming and emotional at the same time. Can’t wait to read it again!

Oh my goodness, I loved loved loved this book! I loved getting Charlie’s story! I fell in love with Charlie, and Sam, and Percy, Barry’s Bay in Every Summer After, and I am so glad Carley decided to write Charlie’s story! It was so wonderful to go back to Barry’s Bay and to see how Sam & Percy were and see Charlie find his love! This was such a wonderful, heartwarming story and I loved every minute!

If you are looking for the perfect summer book, that embodies people finding second chances, rediscovering who they are after losing their self, and ending in a happily ever after this book is for you.

Charlie is introduced in Every Summer After as the playboy who never commits to any relationship so I’m glad he got his redemption arc in One Golden Summer and how the author tied in his life with the life of the FMC, Alice.

Alice comes to the lake to rediscover herself and take a much needed break from work. She is struggling with her life after a breakup and her work just overtaking her life. She’s not satisfied with anything. She writes a bucket list she wants to do this summer and Charlie stumbles upon it one day (their lake cottages are next to each other).

He helps her with her list and they are having the best summer together. But summers always have to come to an end, and they have to go back to the city to their “real lives.” But what happens to them? Read it to find out.

This books just FELLS like summer. Hot, fun, maybe a little sunburnt at times.

I love this little corner of the world Carley has built and it felt so good to be back in this space. Carley’s stories are always heartwarming but emotional - and I never escape without crying at LEAST twice. This book was no exception.