Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley, and Lady Carley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

One Golden Summer is a story about how we sometimes need to go back so we can move forward.

I love this woman's brain! Carley Fortune puts so much care and tenderness into her characters. This story was awkward and I'm not sure I liked it but I love her writing so so much. As I said for This Summer Will Be Different, even a meh story from Carley doesn't go below 4 stars for me, sadly though, this is one of those 4-star reads.

PLOT
Alice Everly is a painfully shy doormat type who, at 32/33, still is not where she wants to be romantically or professionally. Because we're a month out from publication, I won't spoil any plot details here, but she decides to spend a summer at Barry's Bay to try to recapture that feeling she had the first time she picked up a camera.

Charlie Florek is just plain stuck. I think his massive personality is just too much for this world. When the two meet, the awkward sparks fly! They meet-cute several times before striking up an unlikely friendship. There's clearly something between them but can they both get unstuck enough to get out of their own separate ways?

MY PRE-PUBLICATION SPOILER-FREE IMPRESSIONS
Alice's development was awesome! Charlie's, not so much. As such, the romance just felt like a tease, an awkward, confusing, frustrating tease. This was not the Charlie I know and love. You have to really love Alice to be stuck in her head for an entire book as we never get a glimpse inside Charlie's and I don't think I loved Alice enough. And their opening banter would be inappropriate and creepy if we didn't know Charlie. It's only okay because we know Charlie and then Alice tells us it's easy and we have to believe her (I didn't). When Charlie stops his verbal diarrhea flirting to be deep and sweet, it catches you by surprise; there's only the two modes to him and I was off-kilter for most of the book. He seems to take nothing seriously until he does out of the blue and in either instance I found myself saying "wow! where did that come from?!"

They will-they-won't-they for the middle half of the book and then boom! HEA. And here's the thing! Everything that's written is beautiful! The way they fall is written so perfectly but for some other couple. I didn't get enough Charlie and I think I loved Alice as a person but not as a match for him. I think I loved the personal journey of Alice getting her groove back but then when you throw in a romance with a character the whole community has so much love for, who only got about one page of development, who had several opportunities for development but choose not to talk about it... I think it felt like two puzzle pieces that someone stuffed together that don't actually fit.

TL;DR
They say opposites attract but these two were too opposite for me, and the way they flip flopped back and forth was dizzying. Don't torture me and tell me it's exhilarating! But I loved her story, and I loved his resolution, and it's very easy for me to be too harsh on this author because I love her so much and I wanted a more organic romance. So, once again, 'not my favorite Carley Fortune' is still a solid 4 stars any day of the week.

I have the biggest book hangover after finishing this book! It made me want to jump in a lake and sip cocktails in a big floaty. I loved these characters so much. While we see Charlie in book one, I have to admit I don't really remember the details since it's been a few years! I was so happy to see him get the HEA he deserves. Alice is in such a rough spot when she comes to the lake with her Nan. What she thought would be a quiet summer ends up being anything but when she meets Charlie. But Charlie doesn't do relationships and Alice is a relationship girl. So they stick with being just friends, no matter how much attraction is between them.

I loved getting to see Alice come out of her shell and check off everything on her bucket list. I related a lot to her being more introverted and reserved, especially within her family. I, too, have been told to stop being so hard on myself. This book has much more substance than just a flirty summer romance, including Nan coming to terms with her aging, Alice dealing with the loss of her ex, and Charlie accepting the fact that he is the age that his dad was when he passed. All of this is tied up in a wonderful summer romance you won't regret picking up!

Read if you like a friends-to-lovers, slow-burn summer romance. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 5/6

Alice Everly spent one summer at Barry's Bay with her grandparents and their friends when she was 17. While there, she took a photograph of three teenagers on a speedboat that she later sold. Now Alice is a professional photographer who is burnt out taking pictures for other people and her grandmother is sulking after having surgery on her hip. Alice decides they need a summer away. so they return to the same lake house in Barry's Bay. There they run into Charlie Florek who is helping Nan's friend John take care of the house. Charlie finds Alice's list of things to do this summer to help her feel like a teenager again and decides he needs to help her make sure she gets her list completed. But Alice isn't the only one who needs a break from the real world. The two bond while spending time together but neither wants a relationship. So what happens when summer ends?

I'll be the first to say that Every Summer After is not my favorite Carley Fortune book. Not wanting to spoil it, just know that the end had me screaming at the book. But I loved coming back to Barry's Bay and getting to read Charlie's story. There was so much to love about this book - Charlie's redemption arc, Alice attempting to keep the playboy Charlie at arms length and failing, Nan and her backstory, and a cameo by Sam and Percy. Really, this should be one of, if not THE, beach read for summer. It was fun and sweet and heartwarming and had me flying through the pages. The characters were lovable but flawed and grew throughout the book. The third act was somewhat predictable but still gave me all the feels. Definitely would recommend this one to anyone looking for a beach read or a romance.

Overall: 4.5/5 (lost half a point for Charlie backstory in the first book - sorry but it was that bad that I couldn't give it a full 5). Rounded up
Spice: 1/5

I love, love, love Carley Fortune. 5 stars for sure for this one. I'm not sure what is about her novels but I can't stop reading them! That's quite a feat for someone who doesn't love romance novels. I think the playfulness of the friendship turned in to possible more is what draws me to the characters and what their relationships evolve over a summer.

Alice never anticipated Charlie Florek but her grandmother always told her good things happen at the lake. 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.

Now Alice is a photographer but lately, she’s been itching for something more. Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by Charlie Florek. Charlie can make Nan laugh and Alice is longing to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.

If Carley Fortune's novels feel like a warm breeze across a sun-soaked dock, One Golden Summer is her most golden yet. Returning readers will recognize the shores of Barry's Bay, but this time the spotlight shifts to Alice Everly-a 32-year-old photographer fresh off a breakup and a burnout-who finds herself back at the lake that once changed her life.

Alice is the dependable one, always putting others first, always playing it safe. But when her beloved Nan suffers a fall, Alice trades the hustle of Toronto for a summer retreat at a lakeside cottage, hoping to lift both their spirits. What she doesn't expect is to run into the very subject of her most iconic photograph: Charlie Florek. Yes, that Charlie-Sam's older brother and the charismatic flirt who stole scenes (and hearts) in Every Summer After.

Charlie is no longer just the confident teen in a yellow boat. Now 35, he's older, a little wiser, and still packing that disarming charm. He's the kind of guy who can talk circles around anyone and leave them smiling-and Alice, despite her better judgment, is not immune. Their chemistry crackles from the start, full of tension, teasing, and late-night conversations under starlit skies. What begins as a cautious friendship soon blossoms into something neither of them expected-and something both are terrified to lose.

Fortune has a gift for tapping into nostalgia without ever leaning too heavily on sentimentality. She paints Barry's Bay with such vivid warmth that you can practically feel the sun on your shoulders and the dock under your toes. The summer setting is rich with found family dynamics, hilarious grocery store mishaps (yes, there's a cucumber scene), and meaningful moments that add layers to the romance rather than distract from it.

Alice and Charlie's story is a beautiful dance of longing, self-discovery, and second chances. Watching Alice step out of her shell and learn to ask for what she wants-especially when what she wants is the boy across the bay-was deeply satisfying. And Charlie? Well, if you didn't already love him in Every Summer After, prepare to fall hard. He's cheeky, magnetic, fiercely loyal, and vulnerable in ways that make his journey all the more rewarding.

And yes, fans of Sam and Percy will be thrilled-One Golden Summer offers glimpses into their lives post-ESA, weaving their presence in seamlessly without stealing focus from Alice and Charlie's love story. There's an undeniable magic in the way these characters connect, care, and show up for each other, making this novel feel like more than just a romance-it's a celebration of growth, forgiveness, and the kind of love that makes you feel seen.

In short: One Golden Summer is a love letter to late bloomers, nostalgic summers, and the wild, wonderful mess of falling for someone when you least expect it. It's romantic, emotionally resonant, and utterly transporting. Whether you're a longtime Carley Fortune fan or diving in for the first time, this book belongs at the very top of your beach bag.

5 shining stars.
Read it for: friends-to-lovers tension, lakeside nostalgia, slow-burn summer love, and the boy across the bay finally getting his happily ever after.

This book is one you will cherish and return to! I will be purchasing one for my favorites shelf!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for this ARC 💙

This is my favorite Carley Fortune book by far… I was hooked with Every Summer After, also ate up This Summer Will Be Different… but this one? Obsessed.

Charlie’s story really had me smiling from the start. I love how it touched on their memories from Every Summer After, but then evolved Charlie’s personality and character to show more of him. Also, loved the glimpses of Sam & Percy’s lives moving forward together.

Alice was the perfect sassy calm to Charlie’s flirty outgoing chaos. I love how their characters meshed so perfectly. Alice really grew throughout this story, despite being 32 she truly found who she was and who she needed to be for herself. I loved the mix of having fun, and feeling young again, but also serious relatable topics the characters experience.

Overall, I was obsessed, it had me hooked and feeling giddy from the moment they met over cucumbers in the grocery store. Charlie & Alice you have my heart 🩵 Highly recommend for a summer read & for all my romance girlies who love when a guy looks at you like you’re the only one in the room.

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!