This is by far Carley Fortune’s best book. I felt like I was transported into another world where I’m at Barry’s Bay in Canada, with the sweetest neighbors. I feel like I am Alice, watching Charlie Sam and Percy having one of their many iconic summers across the lake.
I got to fall in love with Charlie’s swoon, kindness and his big heart who’s in desperate need of love. I got to watch Alice slowly help Charlie step out of his shell. I got to watch Charlie slowly help Alice step out of her shell. I got to watch them slowly learn more and more about each other. I got to watch Charlie get his endgame like Sam did.
I didn’t know I could feel nostalgic about something that didn’t happen in real life but I felt nostalgic about Every Summer After. I got to see Sam and Percy. I just love them and watching them and reading about them from Alice’s perspective. I just loved this book. I loved Carley’s amazing writing that is always so descriptive it feels like you are sitting on the dock of the lake listening to kids fool around and Sam and Charlie arguing. I feel like I’m basking in the summer sun reading for hours knowing I have nothing to do. This book is summer. It feels like.. One Golden Summer.

This is a really great book as a stand alone AND sequel to Charlie Florek.
This story was well developed, thoughtful and cheerful. I loved the banter between Alice and Charlie!
I am conflicted with Charlie’s past indiscretions, but overall wonderful book. Top two favorites of Carley Fortune’s novels!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC!

"Good things happen at the lake."

We're back in Barry's Bay, and if they were nothing else, these books would be an incredibly effective advertisement for Canadian cottage country. I WANT TO GO!

Alice, a photographer, is at the lake with her (adorable!) grandmother, nan, who is recovering from surgery. Charlie, a native of Barry's Bay (and brother of Sam from Fortune's first book) is there for the summer, taking some time off work in Toronto and working on a treehouse for his niece to be.

Both of them are on a break from their real lives and together they embark on a seventeen year-old summer, based on a silly bucket list Alice created. This was very cute and WHO amongst us would say no to a little vacation from our lives at the lake?!

Summer home books truly have a hold on me, even though that is unfortunately not my life, and I really enjoyed this one. Everyone is going through it, but being at the lake might just make that a little easier. If you liked Fortune's other books, this one will hit that same sweet spot!

Now how do I become friends with a cottager?!?!?

She did it again. A fresh story in a familiar place with appearances by beloved characters? Sign me up! Do I think I need to vacation in Canada now after reading all of Carley’s books? A little bit. As an avid reader, librarian and book cryer this was everything I needed and more. I look forward to sharing this book with library patrons, my monthly book club and anyone who ever asks me about what book they should read.

As with her other novels, this one centers around the main characters time at the lake. Fortunately for the reader of this one, it is a setting we have been introduced to before, in her first novel Every Summer After. One Golden Summer follows the story of Charlie and Alice (Charlie is Sam's brother...yep that one). Charlie, in my eyes, redeems himself in this novel and I found myself liking his character much more than Alice's. I liked that both were messy and "real", but did not love how Alice acted so childlike with her decisions. I loved the snippets of Percy and Sam we were able to see and the evolution of Charlie and Sam's relationship progression. It wrapped itself up in a messy, but good way. The writing was on par with her other novels and made me long for a lake house and summers spent on the water. I enjoyed this one and finished it fast. If you're already a fan of Fortune and of Percy and Sam, you're also going to love this one!

I loved having Charlie’s story. I am sad there was so much held up in one event (that could have been explained easily), but Carley writes such beautiful romances that leave you immersed a world of love. This story was beautiful. Both characters were gorgeous and full of life.

Good things happen at the lake. That’s the mantra throughout this book, and Alice is trying to convince herself it’s true. She’s in a low place and the neighbor across the lake knows exactly how to lift her up. The problem is, he’s in a low place too, and doesn’t believe he deserves to be lifted up. I raced through this book because I loved it so much. I honestly didn’t remember Percy and Sam even though I read every summer after. This is an incredible book that stands alone, and you’ll be feeling uplifted after you finish it.

another solid cottage read from our local queen! it feels like this january has been Extra Cold and Extra Snowy so this book made me long for summer BAD 😭 get me to a lake immediately!!! with an iced tea!!!

every summer after is her strongest for me still, but i think fans of carley will be happy with this follow up! of course charlie is a fan fav, but the relationship between alice and her nan was my fav of the book. it made me miss my nan and wish we could spend a summer together reading at the lake too

also books that take place in your city/province are always such a thrill!!! Kawartha Dairy??? YEAAAA I know that ice cream!! gonna pick up a tub of salty caramel truffle tomorrow thanks 👍

I love all the books written by Carley Fortune and One Golden Summer is no exception. It is the right amount of humor, emotion, sexy, and fun.

3.5 stars!
Photographer Alice, burned out from demanding clients and their visions, takes a brief hiatus to bring her depressed grandmother Nan, recovering from a broken ankle, back to the lake house they rented when Alice was seventeen. Alice has fond memories of falling in love with photography there, and still has a copy of the first shot she ever sold: three teens on a yellow speedboat on the lake. Lo and behold, the lake house caretaker is the older boy in the boat who Alice developed a crush on. Now, Charlie is a banker on sabbatical, doing handyman work and building a treehouse for his nephew–so he has plenty of time to help Alice with the list of brave and daring things she’s come up with the help her recapture her seventeenth summer, from reading a smutty book to skinny dipping to making bad art and trying low-key drugs... to kissing a cute guy. Charlie's all bravado and flirtation, and strikes up a pleasantly antagonist repartee with Alice, who sees her role in the family as the shy reserved turtle. Over the six-week recuperation, they become friends, acknowledge their attraction and the ways they each find the other like no other, but are determined to take things slow, and prolong the foreplay, until the inevitable consummation, which ends with Alice vocalizing her catching feelings, and Charlie’s rejection.

While Fortune vividly captures lake life, the photography profession and artist’s vision, and the delicious banter between the love interest, this novel was not as smooth and well-crafted as previous ones. There are some inconsistencies editing didn’t pick up, like Charlie’s offer to pick up Alice’s niece Bennett for a week on the lake when Alice’s older sister, Heather, cancels due to work committments–but then drives up and drops off Bennett herself. The additional siblings, twins Lavinia and Luca, are charming chaos monsters, but don’t necessarily add much to the plot except teasing their sister. The characterizations are complex, with Charlie changing his playboy ways and still grieving his mother, and Alice’s wrestling with commerce versus art

A subplot of Nan’s friendship with widowed John, the cabin’s proprietor, has a lot of secrecy with a low payoff. Most of all, I found it hard to believe, after Alice relays the trauma of her first friends to lovers romance gone wrong, that Charlie would do the exact same thing as her college friend turned crush. Alice says she’s never felt like this, but in describing a previous relationship, the narrative seems contradictory. I appreciated Alice’s codeswitching in other ways, like transitioning from rumpled artist in a bikini and caftan, or shorts and sweatshirt, to a glammed up slick photographer in work clothes. Charlie’s reveal about his brother Sam’s wife Percy dovetails really beautifully with Ever Summer After, pierogis make a return, and I loved the interactions between Percy and Alice. I also really loved the everything but intimacy and drawn out rounding of the bases, which helped cement the checklist plot. Charlie’s health obstacles are deftly foreshadowed, and the ending is satisfying–though a copy of the chocolate sour cream birthday cake Charlie bakes for Alice would be a nice recipe to add to my own repetoire.

For more stories about summer on the water, dive into Carley Fortune’s back catalogue or anything by Elin Hilderbrand. Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn, Until Next Summer by Ali Brady, The Suite Spot by Trish Doller, qnd Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein are also solid choices.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #OneGoldenSummer via #NetGalley, courtesy of #Berkley. Review will post to HLBB on 5/5/2025.

Another Carley Fortune book that had me smiling ear to ear while I read. Funny, romantic and a perfectly nostalgic nod to summer love.

This author seems to get a lot of grief, and much of it seems to be connected with ESA, because of the 'twist' at the end which seems to get some folks, and not always in a good way. Despite that? ESA was a phenomenal book, it made me feel all the feelings; all warm and fuzzy and nostalgic for something that I'd never even had!

This was even better. It feels like maybe these last three books have just been Carley warming up, and she's finding her stride with a marvelous return to Barry's Bay. I'll just let you know that I TRIEEED to savor this. Truly. I had this whole plan, how I'd stretch the book for a week, minimum.
Me: It's gonna be great! Tooooootally fine.
Also me: Disregards all pre-made plans and reads in two sittings. Darn you, Carley Fortune!!!

OGS is the redemptive story every ESA reader has been waiting for. Charlie? SWOON-WORTHY. Seriously, can we HAVE just an entire series with these people? And what about Harrison? Do we get his story next? Listen. I'll do anything to return to Barry's Bay.
You knocked it out of the park. This is currently tied for my top 2025 read (which, if I were not an ARC reader, would not sound that impressive because it's JANUARY.) My only complaint is that...now? I have to wait a whole year for the next book. WHYYYYY is it over!

One Golden Summer was such a perfect read—I truly adore Carley Fortune’s writing, and this might just be my favorite story of hers so far. I really loved Every Summer After, so returning to Barry’s Bay for Charlie’s story felt like perfect next step. I know some readers have mixed feelings about him, but, I’ve always had a soft spot for Charlie. It was wonderful to see how his story played out.

The way this novel tied into the events of Every Summer After felt like fate, like an invisible thread connecting the two stories. That sense of destiny is really my love language, and Alice was the perfect person to fold into Charlie’s story. I loved her. Their friendship is beautiful, and the progression of their relationship through this novel was so beautifully believable.

As a girl who is incredibly close to her own grandmother (she’s my inspiration in everything), reading a story that begins with a 30-something woman taking her beloved grandmother on a trip to the lake felt profoundly personal and relatable. The connection between them struck such a deep chord with me, and I know this story will live in my heart, rent-free, for a long time.

From a technical standpoint, Fortune is an exceptional writer. She has a knack for creating vivid, atmospheric settings that make you feel like you’re truly living within the world she’s built. The way she effortlessly captures the magic and warmth of summer, along with the deep emotional layers of her characters, is something really special. With every page, she wraps you up in her world, and you can’t help but be drawn into the intimate, heartfelt journey of the characters. It’s a story that lingers long after the final chapter.

I went into this so sure I’d love it, and I’m thrilled to say I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. I’m beyond excited for all of you to experience this beautiful story (and give Charlie a second chance) when One Golden Summer hits shelves in May. Trust me, you’re going to fall in love with it!

Arguably my MOST anticipated summer 2025 read and it did NOT disappoint!! I was OBSESSED with Every summer after and while this was great, it might not be as good as that book for me. That said, I LOVED going back to Barry's Bay, getting to know Charlie better and seeing him fall for photographer Alice who has a fun connection to the Florek's. We get cameos from Sam and Percy, get to know Alice's big, messy family and experience the joys of a care-free summer when flings turn into real feelings in this opposites attract romance. Full of nostalgia, emotional depth and heart, this is guaranteed to land in everyone's beach bags this summer and with good reason. HIGHLY recommended!! HUGE thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: anxiety/depression, congenital heart condition (aortic valve stenosis and aortic coarctation)

Wow baby, this book is steamy perfection. I don't know if I've ever read something and wanted to restart it immediately after finishing because it is such a swoony love story.

Fortune's first book, Every Summer After, was incredibly good, with a devastating bomb of a plot twist at the end. This is the love story of ESA's MMC's brother, Charlie Florek, which takes place three years after the events from ESA. You don't need to read ESA to enjoy this book, though.

Charlie is spending the summer in his hometown and taking a break from his job as a trader. Charlie has always been a bit of a playboy, and the whole town won't forget it. It's written from the perspective of Alice, who is staying in a cabin with her grandmother for the summer while she recovers from surgery. Alice is at a crossroads with her career and uses the summer to reconnect with herself. She and Charlie complete a bucket list of what she thinks her 17-year-old self would deem a perfect summer.

Read if you like:
•Friends to Lovers
•Vacation flings

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Explicit Open Door: At least two intimate scenes, explicit language with a variety of sexual acts.

I am so happy with the story that Charlie was given. Alice was so endearing to me, and I saw so much of myself in her. I LOVED that there was no question from the first phone call and face-to-face meeting that these two were so down bad for one another. It just takes them a while to accept and embrace that fact. I just feel so much gratitude and love for these characters and their story, the hard things mixed with the good, the moments that brought me to tears and the ones where I couldn’t help but laugh. Nan and Bennett and Elyse all have my heart, and witnessing more of Sam and Percy’s story was the icing on the dark chocolate sour cream cake. This was a beautiful ride from start to finish, and another Carley Fortune novel that I can’t wait to reread once my physical preorder is in my hands.

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune is a perfect mix of second chances, self discovery, and a slow burn romance that will keep you hooked. Alice is longing for something more as she heads back to Barry’s Bay, a place that holds so many memories. And then there’s the charming and funny Charlie Florek (he’s back!), who has you falling for him right alongside Alice. This book is heartfelt, bittersweet, and leaves you with all the feels. Highly recommend for anyone needing a little lakeside escape!

Carley Fortune takes us back to Barry's Bay, to that magical shimmering lake in the summertime and to that mischievous older brother, Charlie Florek. A book so full of joy and possibility and heart, you will not be able to put it down. I think it's my favorite one yet - get ready to fall in love with Alice and Charlie!

Perfection. Finished it in under 24hrs. Truly devoured it. I laughed. I cried. It was it hit straight to the heart on multiple occasions. It was easily everything I could want in a book. By far, me favorite Fortune read yet - her best work, in my opinion.

CHARLIE FLOREK, I WANT TO EAT YOU FOR DESSERT

this was the conclusion i didn't know i was craving. i didn't think i cared about charlie that much but apparently i did and seeing him happy makes me feel so content.

just another homerun for miss carley fortune. thank you for writing something that felt emotionally charged but in a good way, for once.