this book was just what I needed. the perfect cozy cottage, warm days, lake vibes has me yearning for summer. the writing style is so beautiful and the imagery makes you feel so nostalgic. this book feels like a big warm hug.

charlie and alice are the definition of opposites attract and they are just what the other needed. their connection and friendship was truly so beautiful to read about. this was a beautiful slow burn that had me on the edge of my seat. the tension was so palpable with those two and their chemistry was undeniable. I love them both so much!

this is the perfect book for summer and I definitely see myself re-reading this in the summertime.

thank you so much berkley & netgalley for the e-arc I’m forever grateful!!!

No one does angst like Carley Fortune! The longing, the tension, the redemption arc, the chemistry—absolute perfection. I loved Charlie in Every Summer After, so I was beyond thrilled to see him get his own book. If you haven’t read ESA yet, definitely start there!

And Nan—oh my heart. She reminded me so much of my own grandma with her happy-go-lucky spirit. The nostalgia, the summer vibes, the writing…chef’s kiss. Besides, who wouldn’t want to relive summer when you were 17 years old?! Mark your calendars for May, because this one is a must-read! Obviously!!

Alice spent one unforgettable summer at Barry’s Bay with her Nan at seventeen, capturing a photo that changed everything. Now a photographer who prefers life behind the lens, she returns to the lake years later, craving something more. But their quiet summer is disrupted by a familiar yellow boat—and Charlie Florek, the boy from her past who’s now all grown up. As long summer days and late-night conversations draw them closer, Alice realizes that while she’s always been the one to see people, Charlie is the first to truly see her.

The fact that this isn’t my story makes me so sad. Reading this in the dead of winter in the city made me feel like it was summer, and now I’m beyond excited for the warmer days ahead.

Charlie was everything I hoped he would be, I adore him. Alice too—she was so relatable. I can easily see this book becoming a hit summer movie, one that will make the season feel even more magical. I’m already dreaming of rereading it by the lake in the summer, only to cry myself to sleep because Alice got the life she wished for at 17… meanwhile, I probably never will.

I really loved Every Summer After, and it has stuck with me ever since. Back then, Sam was my only favorite, but I wanted to know more about Charlie, and I’m so glad we finally did. It was so wonderful to return to Barry’s Bay—I hope I can visit this summer. And, of course, I’m thrilled we got to see Sam and Percy again.

I hope we all get a great summer love story like Charlie and Alice, and when this becomes a MOVIE remember who told you first!

Thank you, Berkley, for the ARC!

Carley Fortune remains a must but, especially when it comes to the summer romance — and everything after. I love how her characters find themselves, rather than lose themselves, in love. I loved Alice, and how her journey to feel herself again included Charlie but was Alice-directed. It’s hard to write falling in love and still maintain such a truth to the essential of who each character is, but it’s done so well here. Plus, there’s Nan ❤️

Well, I’m a little mad at Carley Fortune for making us wait so long for Charlie Florek’s story after Every Summer After—which was quite a fascinating read for me… until it wasn’t (yes, I’m talking about that big twist in the last quarter that made me hate the book). But even that didn’t stop me from rooting for Charlie—an incorrigible flirt, a human beam of sunshine with his smart-ass comments, huge ego, and Greek-god-level looks, including those green eyes you could get drunk on with just a quick glance!

Thankfully, the wait is over, and this book turned out to be my favorite of Fortune’s works. Maybe I’m biased, maybe reading about Charlie and seeing his character evolve made me extra giddy, but I couldn’t help feeling pure joy as I followed Alice and Charlie’s slow-burn, opposites-attract, steamy romance that had me grinning from ear to ear until my face hurt. It was an absolute pleasure to return to Barry’s Bay, with its spectacular views that make you want to dive into the pages and never return to reality.

In this novel, Alice Everly returns to this magical place after 15 years to lift her grandmother’s spirits as she recovers from hip surgery. This town holds special meaning for Alice—it’s where she first found her purpose as a photographer. She even once photographed three familiar faces—young Sam, Charlie, and Percy (yes, the main characters from Every Summer After), though she was too shy to introduce herself. Instead, she submitted the photo to a contest that won her an award and kick-started her career.

But now, Alice feels lost. With her sisters moving on with their lives, her divorced parents in their own worlds, and a fresh heartbreak from the long-term boyfriend she planned to build a life with (who, by the way, had the audacity to get engaged to someone else immediately after their breakup), she buries herself in work. Needing a reset, she heads to Barry’s Bay to recharge. The one thing she didn’t count on? The absolute flirt, walking sex magnet that is Charlie Florek—who, in addition to taking care of the place she’s staying in, is adamant about taking care of both her nan and her. Charlie never takes no for an answer, easily getting under Alice’s skin despite her best efforts to resist. But the sparks don’t just fly—they’re about to set the whole town on fire. The only way to survive? Giving her heart a second chance, even though Charlie insists he’s not the kind of guy she can build a future with. But with him, she feels alive again—like she’s 17, refreshed, reborn, laughing more, finding her path, and falling hard. Will they take a chance on love, despite Charlie’s hesitations?

I loved this book with my whole heart. Alice’s journey of self-discovery was beautiful to witness, like watching a butterfly emerge from its cocoon. And Charlie? He completely melted me with his charm, witty banter, and undeniable presence. I only docked half a point because I rolled my eyes at the final twist revealing the biggest obstacle between them—it was hinted at the beginning, but still made me groan. That said, I adored their intense friends-to-lovers romance so much that I’m rounding my 4.5 stars up to a full 5. Carley Fortune, thank you for finally giving us Charlie Florek’s story—it was absolutely worth the wait!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an ARC of one of my most anticipated romances in exchange for my honest thoughts. Special thanks to Carley Fortune for finally delivering Charlie Florek’s story!

Some books have a way of transporting you, making you feel the sun on your skin and the nostalgia of summers past. This is one of those books. With a breathtaking lakeside setting and beautifully drawn characters, it’s a story that perfectly captures the magic of second chances, self-discovery, and the kind of love that sees you for who you truly are.

Too long did not read; this book is absolutely stunning, fascinating, and all the flowery words. I am obsessed with Alice & Charlie, the meaning behind the story, and every little thing. I highly highly recommend you pick this book up when it releases on May 6th!!

One Golden Summer by carley fortune will easily be in my top favorite books of 2025, it was remarkable. Her previous novel, This Summer Will Be Different, was one of my favorite books last year. So naturally, I knew I had to request this the minute it was on netgalley.

I truly do not know how to put into words how much I absolutely loved this book. It is one of those rare and amazing times where I become head over heels obsessed and in love with a book whilst reading it. It is such a euphoric feeling to absolutely immerse yourself in your current read and feel ALL the feels & One Golden Summer did that.

Carley’s writing is stunning, unique, immersive, and just flat out poetic. I love her ability to make me feel engulfed straight into the story, as if I am a fly on the wall witnessing everything unravel. Her books make me long for a life I haven’t even lived, if that makes sense. This book specifically made me feel a spectrum of emotions surrounding growing up and the powerful feeling that is nostalgia, which was so beautiful to experience.

Surprisingly enough, I have not read Every Summer After so I jumped into this book blind (note: I immediately ordered a copy and am planning to read it ASAP) but I loved that I did because it was so fresh, fun, and interesting to see the twists in turns.

Something that sticks out to me when reading Carley’s books is how well she writes her characters internal monolgue and how she represents their experiences, which in turn affect how those experiences impact those around them… etc. It is just so well done, you can tell she dedicates so much time to ensuring the voice of the character is THERE so you can truly feel every single emotion that the characters do alongside them.

Charlie Florek and Alice Everely were both incredible characters from beginning to end, their depth and how Carley dissected their character makeup was… perfection to say the least. It was so easy to find myself wrapped up in their love story obviously, but it was also extremely easy to find myself in love with both of them and relating to little pieces of who they are. The characters and the atmosphere truly just jump off the page when I read Carley’s novels and this book represented that AND more.

By the end of this book, I needed to see what happened next but wanted to savor each and every single word. I cried, I laughed, I blushed, I swooned, everything. I also read the acknowledgments and authors note after finishing because I needed more and wow did it make me tear up again. Carley, you are now one of my favorite authors and it is so special to read these stories and see how they reflect portions of your life and your favorite people & places.

‘“Good things happen at the lake”

Thank you so so so much Berkley and Netgalley for an early copy, I am now going to go plan my reread!!!!!!

This book!!!!!! Anything Carley Fortune writes, I will read, but this one is her absolute best work yet. Her writing is so nostalgic—it makes me long for endless summer days, sun-kissed skin, and being surrounded by all of my favorite people. For me, summer meant packing up the car and heading to Northern Ontario with my family. Reading these scenes, so effortlessly captured by Carley, felt less like I was reading and more like I was living inside a daydream.

Getting reacquainted with Charlie, the heartbreaker across the lake, was pure joy. This man exudes confidence, but with a cheekiness that makes everything he says come out both charming and funny. I’m not even kidding—MAJOR golden retriever energy!! The way he walks around with the biggest heart-eyes for Alice, treating her like she’s the most precious thing in the world… I honestly need an oxygen mask right now because I was SWOONING. Charlie’s attentiveness to Alice is matched only by his care for her Nan, and the moments between Nan and Charlie were some of my absolute favorites. My heart was bursting!

The entire book was told from Alice’s perspective, and I loved every second of it. Alice never wants to feel like a burden on anyone, always showing up as a version of herself that’s more palatable for others. Watching her heal and come alive in Charlie’s company, where she could truly be herself, was so special to witness.

Seeing these two fall in love, showing up for each other again and again, and being so open, honest, and forthcoming made this love story truly stand out. The way they communicated, respected each other, and wanted the best for one another made me fall HARD for them. THE YEARNING! THE FLIRTING! I was gasping for air.

I was instantly swept away by this atmospheric novel from the very first chapter. If it’s not already on your TBR, it should be added now! The perfect beach read. I can't wait to re-read it this summer! I miss them already—take me back to Barry’s Bay!!!

I read Carley Fortune's other book, "Every Summer After" and loved it, so I was so happy to receive this ARC and to see some of the characters be brought back. I was very happy to be brought back to summer at the lake. It was at times sweet and other times sexy and overall an enjoyable romantic read.

Guys this is going to be THE book of summer 2025!!! It is everything to me please enjoy my ramble of a review.

It was just special because Every Summer After was a book that really started my binging of books as an adult. I read it in less than 24 hours, like one sitting so it’s so special to see the characters again 🥲

I literally had butterflies and my stomach hurt the entirety of this book ! I really related to Alice and her being a photographer. Charlie is a flirt and I ate it up!!!! He’s so funny and cheeky and they work together so well. Also loved the relationship with her grandmother.

I truly could not put this book down. It is Carley’s best work and I already want to reread it. I was getting close to the end and I was sad bc I only had a few pages left 😔 I didn’t want to say goodbye to these people I feel like I really know.

One thing Carley Fortune is SO good at is setting a scene and making you feel like you’re there. The summer setting and atmosphere was so well done and the idea of being a teenager again is so sweet and carefree! The way Charlie took care of Alice (and her grandmother) 😭😭😭 I’m such an acts of service girly so I died everytime

Also The friends to lovers in this was just so good 😭😭😭😭

It’s been a long time since I’ve absolutely devoured a book almost in one sitting and I already want to reread this. My goodness it’s so SOO good

Thank you Berkley romance and NetGalley for the arc!!!

Guys this is going to be THE book of summer 2025!!! It is everything to me please enjoy my ramble of a review.

It was just special because Every Summer After was a book that really started my binging of books as an adult. I read it in less than 24 hours, like one sitting so it’s so special to see the characters again 🥲

I literally had butterflies and my stomach hurt the entirety of this book ! I really related to Alice and her being a photographer. Charlie is a flirt and I ate it up!!!! He’s so funny and cheeky and they work together so well. Also loved the relationship with her grandmother.

I truly could not put this book down. It is Carley’s best work and I already want to reread it. I was getting close to the end and I was sad bc I only had a few pages left 😔 I didn’t want to say goodbye to these people I feel like I really know.

One thing Carley Fortune is SO good at is setting a scene and making you feel like you’re there. The summer setting and atmosphere was so well done and the idea of being a teenager again is so sweet and carefree! The way Charlie took care of Alice (and her grandmother) 😭😭😭 I’m such an acts of service girly so I died everytime

Also The friends to lovers in this was just so good 😭😭😭😭

It’s been a long time since I’ve absolutely devoured a book almost in one sitting and I already want to reread this. My goodness it’s so SOO good

Thank you Berkley romance and NetGalley for the arc!!!

5 stars doesn’t even feel like enough for how I obsessed i am with this one! I have loved all of Carley fortune’s books, but this one is definitely my favorite and I anticipate it being my top read in 2025. Charlie Florek. I have no words. The banter and the tension Fortune creates between Alice and Charlie is like no other. This one of those books that has me still thinking about it days after I’ve finished it and moved on to my next book. It’s the one of book you want to blow through in a day but also don’t because you want to savor it and don’t want it to end!

Will post a more detailed review on IG @therunaway.readers closer to pub day

Loved this book and having a chance to go back to Barry’s Bay for Charlie’s story! Alice and Charlie’s story was a lot of fun to read and it was great getting to see where Percy and Sam are now.
One of my favourites by Carley!

Alice Everly needs a change. She was dumped and she’s feeling uninspired in her photography job, so when her grandmother, Nan, also needs a change of scenery, Alice decides they should spend the summer at Nan’s former best friends’ lake house. Alice is looking forward to revisiting the lake that she went to for one week 15 years ago, where she took a photo that, in more ways than one, changed her life. When she gets there, she meets the cocky, yet charming, and wildly attractive Charlie Florek. As Alice and Charlie end up spending more and more time together, Alice starts looking at her life back home differently and starts to reevaluate what is truly important to her.

This book was absolutely incredible! I love how the scenery was a character in the book. I truly felt like I was at Barry’s Bay with the Everlys and the Floreks. I love how the characters were written and the invisible string that tied Charlie to Alice throughout time. I was rooting for their love story the entire time and was never disappointed.

One Golden Summer was a cute summer read. I’ve read 2 other books by Carley Fortune and neither were very memorable. I suspect this will fall in the same category and that’s ok, it was still enjoyable. I loved the Canadian lake setting and do remember it from the other books. I now know what a muskoka chair is, essentially an Adirondack with a few minor differences. It was mentioned enough times I had to look it up. Love to learn new Canadian vernacular! Fans of Carley Fortune are going to love this and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a light, beachy read.

I predict (or I hope) that One Golden Summer will be in beach bags and poolside everywhere this summer, but you will know who has been reading it, because one minute they will be quietly laughing to themselves, and the next they will be crying. Carley Fortune's latest is just so perfect. It's warm and bubbly, but also just real. If you only read one romance this summer, make it One Golden Summer.

I thoroughly enjoyed it! Very entertaining, nostalgic and romantic! For me, it represented an improvement over her last book. I guess it’s just hard to quit Barry’s Bay?!

Loved Alice and really enjoyed Charlie. I still hate what he and Percy did when they were teenagers, and I know a lot of my readers and customers had a hard time with that. It is brought up again in this book because it’s the elephant in the room, but Charlie has grown up a lot since then, and there is a bit of redemption for him. I don’t think readers will be nearly as bothered by it in this story because it’s just a blip.

At any rate, I loved the setting and the flirting and the slow burn and the steam. They were great together and overall felt more mature and grown up than Fortune’s recent characters.

I anticipate this being a very popular title that almost everyone will love! I will also be able to recommend it, even if readers have not read the first novel in the pair. Of course it’s helpful to know the backstory, but this also stands alone very very well.

For fans of Carley's Every Summer After, this book would feel very nostalgic and exciting. It was definitely fun being back in Barry's Bay and having cameos from the OG characters Percy & the Florek brothers. This is, in fact, Charlie's story. Tbh, I loved Charlie in this one and thought it was nice to have him be the love interest this time. I won't say much about the book, because I think it's better to go into this blind. For me it started out ordinary and took me more than halfway through to fully enjoy stuff that was happening—I'm not a big fan of instalove or lust and have grown so tired of characters' physical features getting overly praised or of them ogling each other all the time, but some moments were touching and made me happy (having read this while I was on vacay at the beach). I also didn't like the added plot point in the end just because it felt so under-developed and I wished it was discussed further given its subject importance.

One Golden Summer is for everyone who wanted Charlie Florek to have his happily ever after. If you don't know who Charlie Florek is, I highly recommend reading Carley Fortune's debut novel Every Summer After right now before coming back to read One Golden Summer.

Our main character Alice has just gone through a horrific breakup and over the years, she's felt like she's lost herself. She's no longer happy with the photography assignments she's accepting and her home doesn't feel like hers. When her grandmother takes a nasty fall and breaks her hip, Alice steps up to take care of her. Part of that is taking her grandmother, Nan, to the lakeside cottage owned by Nan's friend John. Nan hasn't been herself since the fall and she's hoping going back to a place where she felt happiness would help break her out of the funk. It's also the place where Alice herself spent one summer as a teenager and it's where she took the photo of tow boys and a girl in a yellow banana boat that altered the course of her life forever.

Charlie Florek is in town for the summer, helping take care of John's cottage. And he's just as flirty as he's always been and has his sights set on Alice. As the summer goes on, the two get closer but can they make it work in the real world?

I adored this book so much and I loved getting to know Charlie better. And yes you do get to see Sam and Percy from Every Summer After in this book as well! (So seriously if you haven't read that yet do that first or this book will spoil it!). There are some deep conversations the two have together and I really enjoyed seeing Charlie's character growth from the first book. I also love Alice and could see myself in her shyness and desire to be bolder, to speak up for the things that matter to her.

A wonderful addition to Carley Fortune's work and I can't wait for the rest of the world to read it too. (And for my spicy book lovers.... there's a "fuck it" scene)

*Rating falls more on a 4.5 star but Netgalley won't let me do half star ratings and my five stars are given out very sparingly.

Carley Fortune’s One Golden Summer is a breathtaking, nostalgic romance that perfectly captures the magic of second chances and the allure of summers by the lake. Through Alice’s journey—from a teenage girl behind the lens to a woman longing for something more—Fortune weaves a story that is both tender and deeply evocative. Charlie Florek, with his effortless charm and undeniable connection to Alice, makes for an irresistible love interest, while the novel’s lush setting in Barry’s Bay radiates warmth and longing. Full of sun-drenched memories, aching tension, and Fortune’s signature heart-stirring prose, this novel is a must-read for anyone who believes in the power of love, timing, and one unforgettable summer.