Thank you to the publisher for early access to another beautiful summer romance from this lovely Canadian author. Fortune’s favored setting is back for another summer on the lake, with Alice, her grandmother and Charlie Florek. This perfect spicy beach read is quick, with a lovable main protagonist and charming side characters.

CARLEY HAS DONE IT AGAIN!! I can't express the joy of getting to dive back into Barry's Bay. There was something so special about seeing Charlie (who I never considered the villain in Every Summer After) getting his book and getting to know him a little deeper while having Sam and Percy interact with Alice. Overall, I will truly read anything that Carley writes and I can wait to see waht she comes up with next.

5 Golden Stars for this book! I will admit to not being Charlie Florek's number one fan, so when I saw this book was about him, I did get nervous. However, Carley Fortune has pulled it off, and honestly, he beat himself up about things enough that I can find it in my heart to forgive him. I also loved Alice and how much she was able to grow and find herself over the summer. Shoutout to the Percy and Sam cameos as well.

good things happen at the lake and carley fortune is the best at writing them.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Carley Fortune has OUT DONE herself with this one! Out of all her books, for far One Golden Summer felt the most like summer. I was transported to Barry's Bay alongside our FMC Alice, and also fell in love with Charlie. Having read ESA I was already interested in Charlie and wanted him to get his happy ending. I like that Carley Fortune didn't shy away from Charlie's past and gave him other obstacles to overcome. While I do hope this is Carley's last "lake" book, she has proven that she knows how to write a brilliant Summer Romance and if the lake is her drug of choice I will be seated each and every time no matter what!!

I really wish I loved this more. I was SO excited for Charlie’s story and overall, I do think this is a great summer book. A really feel good time. However, I found myself incredibly bored for the majority of the story. I think the first 25% felt strong and I was into it, but that quickly diminished.

The book felt a bit forced in my opinion. I think the author wanted to give the fans a Charlie book and this is what she delivered. Alice could have been any girl to make the story happen. Nothing about her felt special. I actually found her to be pretty dull. Certainly didn’t connect with her. Also, the back story didn’t really make me buy into this romance. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Charlie and Alice. She was there. He was there. The end.

It just felt average for me.

Thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for the arc!

Carley Fortune’s writing is amazing! I loved her latest, One Golden Summer. The location of her books is one of my favorite parts of her writing. As a reader, it’s almost as if I you can picture the setting perfectly in your mind. Alice and Charlie are characters that were both so likable and easy to relate to. I was a fan of Charlie’s from when we first met him in Carley’s first novel, Every Summer After. I love that you can pick this book up and read it as a stand alone, or enjoy the cameo appearances from Percey. What I loved most about this was the nostalgia it brought to me. The writing was great and so was the execution of the story. 5 solid stars!! Loved it! Can’t wait to see what next Summer brings from one of my favorite authors!

This book was the healing my heart didn’t know it needed. I never wanted charlie and Alice’s story to end. Though I loved Sam and Percy, Charlie stole my heart. I’ve learned how much of a deep soul he has. I am so happy Charlie finally has his HEA. He truly deserves it. This book shows true human emotion no matter your age. Mistakes are made and it’s never too late to come back from them. Every book by Carly Fortune gets better and better and I will continue to read every single one.

One Golden Summer by @carleyfortune!

Oh. My. God. I don’t know if a more perfect summer romance exists! I did not think anything could top This Summer Will Be Different for me (I absolutely adored that book!) but One Golden Summer has officially taken the top spot for favourite Carley Fortune book!

Although I have never been to Barry’s Bay, as an Ontarian who grew up with a family cottage in Muskoka that we would spend our summers at, this book was filled with nostalgia for me! Although Alice and Charlie are in their 30s (same here!), reading about their care-free summer at the lake brought me right back to being a teenager at Wood Lake.

I have a feeling this will be a yearly reread for me at the beginning of every summer season! Also finishing it heading into May 2/4 weekend also felt like it was meant to be as the May long weekend is usually the weekend that you go open up the cottage for the season!

If you love
🚤friends to lovers
☀️forced proximity
📷kind of sort of a slow burn
🦝small town (or small lake shall we say)

Then this is one you’re going to love! If you’re craving a summer read, I couldn’t recommend One Golden Summer more!

Carly Fortune has done it again— the perfect summer read! Reading this book makes you feel seventeen again— full of hope and young love. It is swoon worthy and makes me want to find my way to the nearest body of water!

I don’t think I’ve swooned over a book this hard in a while! Charlie Florek the man that you are!! This one is a summer dream wrapped in the most perfect bow. This one is full of a+++ banter, returning characters you love, and so much emotion (good bad and ugly). But it’s a beautiful love letter to making the most of a summer with no regrets!!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the complimentary copy of this book!

Holy moly! I don't know what Carley does when she writes her books but I think she sprinkles something extra in it!! I was immediately pulled into this story when it started. My memory of Every Summer After was foggy and I knew that this book was connected but I hadn't looked too much into the description as I wanted to be surprised.

"I don't want to mislead you. This is lal I can give you. I don't want you to regret me."

I absolutely love our FMC Alice. I thought she was such a fun FMC and seeing her grow during this summer in Barry's Bay was so lovely. In another life I would love to be a photographer so having that be profession was a win for me. And I love how she is always thinking as a photographer and there would be these moments that she would wish to capture and the text would read "Click." You know I love a female character who is trying to figure out who they are and in this case she knows she wants to be a photographer but wants to start doing shoots that feel right for her and not just to do it for the financial aspect.

Charlie Charlie Charlie. SWOOOOOOOON. I was smitty from the start. He was a smart ass, kind, handyman and based off Alice's description so hot. The banter between him and Alice was *chef's kiss*. As I mentioned earlier my memory of Every Summer After is foggy so I cannot remember what Charlie was like in that but in this he really shined. Even if he didn't think it, he was such a good man. And even when he was being cocky or smart, Alice always came first. As the reader, from his actions he was just so smitten with her.

Alice recounts the last time she was at Barry's Bay with her grandmother and how she was 17 and wanted to be apart of Charlie, Percy and Sam's group. She creates a bucket list of things she wished she had done when she was 17 and I love how Charlie decides to tag along and help her knock off the items on her list. I love how bold the list made Alice and made her go outside her comfort zone. Perhaps it was being around Charlie that brought that side out of her. They just complimented each other so well and even with them saying they were "just friends" as the reader you couldn't help but yell at them (just like all the side characters did - okay maybe not yell yell).

"Even though I can't stop thinking about all the ways I could make you scream my name."

This book just made me happy on every page. I was fist pumping and felt so many swoons while reading which every romance reader should have that while reading. Even with all the swoon and the moments between Alice and Charlie, there was some serious stuff that happens that I don't want to give away.

If you are a fan of Every Summer After, you do get to see Sam and Percy and where they are today. I thought the amount of time they were in the book was just the right amount.

Carley was already an autobuy/autoread author and with every book it just keeps solidifying it. And one day I am going to get to visit Canada and see how beautiful it really is!

I love every Carley Fortune book, and I think this might be my favorite one yet. The building romance between Charlie and Alice was both sweet and heartfelt and full of adventurous chemistry—the voice, setting, and character arcs were so moving and effective. New fans and old will love this installment, and I already can't wait to reread it!

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Romance)
🌶️🌶️ (1-2)

✨The Highlights✨
. Bucket List 🪣
. Lake Cottage 🚤
. Friends to Lovers
. Summer Vibes ☀️
. Mutual Pining
. Single POV

*This can be read standalone but does give spoilers for “Every Summer After”

✨The Feels✨

“Woah.” I couldn’t sum up this book any better than Alice herself (iykyk). But seriously—One Golden Summer was everything I wanted and more. I FREAKING LOVED it!

Charlie. So. Damn. Sexy. The charm, the flirting, the cockiness—ugh. But underneath it all? A secret cinnamon roll with so much heart. Alice was the perfect match—grounded, vulnerable, and so incredibly real. Their tension nearly broke me (in the best way). And Nan!! The sassiest, sweetest grandma I’ve ever read. I want to sit on a lakeside porch with her, sipping tea and swapping stories. You just KNOW she has some good stories.😉

The setting was pure summer magic. This is hands down the best summer read I’ve picked up all year. The moment I opened the book, I was transported straight to Barry’s Bay. I could hear the lake rippling, see the yellow speedboat streaking by, taste the homemade pierogies, and feel the sun on my skin. It was like being 17 again—living in my bathing suit, slathered in sunscreen, floating in the water without a single care. Pure, nostalgic bliss.

P.S. For fans of Every Summer After, Percy and Sam’s cameos absolutely melted my heart.

✨The Spoiler-Free Details✨

Alice Everly lives behind the lens. But when Nan breaks her hip, she plans one last golden summer in Barry’s Bay—until the roar of a familiar yellow speedboat flips everything.

I have been waiting for Charlie's story. I always knew that there was more to him than they let on. And boy was I right.

Charlie, oh Charlie. There is so much more to you than what people think, aka us readers. Alice always knew that Charlie was much more than what people think. She may have noticed it at first since Alice has been struggling within herself. Alice doesn’t know what’s going on personally, so she starts a summer list when she rents out a lake cabin with her grandmother. It’s the best way to start the summer and to figure out what’s missing.

Alice didn’t know that she was missing Charlie in her life. Or maybe it’s the way that Charlie always supports her no matter what with no judgment. Or maybe it’s when Charlie joins her endless bucket list without any complaints. Or maybe it’s when Charlie keeps on saying that she matters in any space. Or maybe it’s when Charlie effortlessly is there no matter what time or place. All of these combinations make it undeniable for Alice to fall in love with Charlie. There is just one problem: Charlie is hiding a big secret. It’s a bit devastating to read, but I know Alice is going through Charlie’s walls and will be there always.

This book was such an amazing and cute summer read! I loved it so much! As much as I loved reading about Percy and Sam's relationship in Every Summer After, I definitely fell in love with Alice and Charlie's story. I laughed and cried and I smiled way too much because Charlie is such a thoughtful, funny, charming flirt and I loved the banter. I liked getting to know Charlie more and I liked how he helped Alice become a better and stronger version of herself. Wish I could read this book again for the first time. Definitely 10/10 recommend!

This is the perfect book for any romance lover looking for a fun yet heartfelt beach read that brings all the summer vibes!

Because I’ll read anything Carley Fortune writes, I went into this one totally blind and had no idea this was Charlie’s book! If you’ve read Every Summer After, you’ll remember Charlie Florek; he played a small yet pivotal role in the larger story of that book. He left an impression and I was SO happy to read his story!

Alice and Charlie together were pure magic. This book and their relationship were everything a joyful summer should be made of: flirting, laughs, stolen kisses, and that summer camp feeling of connection, confessions, and soul searching. All set against the dreamy backdrop of boat rides, swimming, and photography, at the lake.

This one was so much fun but did have its serious moments. Fortune has such a knack for writing a subdued scene when necessary, followed by the chaos and levity that comes from real life. I really enjoyed the boisterous moments and the quieter ones. No person is just one thing, and I love how Fortune drew out the different elements of her characters’ personalities.

I really loved this one and it just might be my new favorite by this author! If you’re new to Fortune's books, this can absolutely be read as a standalone BUT you will get a few pretty big spoilers for Every Summer After. Just do yourself a favor and pick both books up this week! 😉🤣

4.75 stars - I absolutely loved this. Reading it immediately after Ever Summer After was a lot of fun and it was such a treat watching Charlie get his happy ending. Once again, the writing is absolutely beautiful - I wish I could be transported to a lake and go swimming every morning after reading this and it felt like a delicious treat.

Alice and Charlie together was absolute perfection. Every one of their interactions was so sweet and filled with delicious tension. I loved watching Alice really find herself again through this perfect summer escape. The support that they showed one another was so tender and romantic, and I was so happy that Charlie finally had someone unequivocally in his corner and remind him that he is so much more than the mistakes of his youth. Truly adored this one and would absolutely recommend.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the eARC - all opinions are my own!

This is an excellent read for summer. If you are looking for a quick, easy beach read, this is it.
This book is not a sequel, but has some reoccurring characters from her book Every Summer After, which I also really enjoyed. This one can be read as a stand alone. I loved how the author brought together the past and the present. The lake setting was perfect and Fortune was able to capture is beautifully. I thought the characters were well done and getting to know Charlie (one of the reoccurring characters) better was fun. Nan, the grandmother was also a delightful character and her small story arc was also interesting. A recommended read for people looking to recapture that summertime feeling!

This book delivered all my favorite Fortune hallmarks: a nostalgic, sun-soaked setting, flirty on-page texts, a smart FMC who doesn’t want to be a burden, flirty banter, and characters that feel *real*.

From the start, I was completely swept up in Alice, Nan, and Charlie’s world. So wholesome, so heartfelt!

Alice is the kind of FMC I could read about forever. She's thoughtful, strong, quietly struggling, and endlessly relatable. Her relationship with her fierce grandma Nan was adorable, and her reconnection with Charlie (the charming, cheeky heartbreaker across the lake) had me *melting*. He’s pure golden retriever energy: funny, confident, and so full of love for Alice despite his restraint.

The summer bucket list, flirty texts, complex family dynamics, and honest emotional moments made this feel like the ultimate nostalgic summer read. Carley Fortune does it again—this one’s going on my favorites shelf. ☀️💛

Charlie f-ing Florek! Honestly this man. My new fav book bf who has my whole heart. He's so charming, thoughtful, SEXY and just perfect. A man that takes your grandma out to choir practice? I mean COME ON, it's just not fair to all the other book bfs out there! Alice was relatable - that imposter syndrome most women experience, that self-doubt and putting others first. I liked watching her grow through that. This book has that trademark Carley Fortune slooooow burn, angsty romance that we all love. I also enjoyed being back at Barry's Bay. This might be my fav of hers yet!

Thank you thank you to Berkley Romance & Penguin Canada for my free copy!