CHARLIE FLOREK I LOVE YOU!!!! I won’t lie, I was nervous about this book, but I feel silly for doubting Carly for even a second. This was romantic and emotional and the perfect follow up to Every Summer After.

Thank you, Carley Fortune & Berkley Publishing Group, for this ARC of One Golden Summer.

Review:

Not to be cheesy, but this book was definitely GOLDEN. It had me hooked from the beginning and wouldn't let me go. 🥰 I stayed up all night reading this.

Alice and Charlie were such fun characters. Their "friendship" was wonderful, and I love how they looked out for each other all summer.

This book had a great plot, and I love that Alice returned to Barry’s Bay, a place that she had felt so connected to when she was a teenager.

If you're looking for a great summer read, this is it! It's available on Kindle, Amazon, Audible, and other major retailers.

This book was so good! I really enjoyed her first book and then the next two were just ok, but this one might be my favourite one! The characters were likeable, plot was really fun and I kept wanting to pick up the book. I will be recommending this book to friends!

As good as Every Summer after for me! This was reminiscent of what put me on to Carley Fortune from the jump. I loved that she pulled in some content from her debut, but I appreciated how she switched it up and made the story its own. Loved the character development. Loved Nana! The setting was perfection and such a good kick off for summer. I couldn’t put it down and I haven’t been able to say that about a book in a long time.

Thank you @berkleypub for my gifted advanced copies. I have to give props to the narrator, I loved the audio of this one! I just found my new favorite Carley Fortune book! I couldn’t have loved this one more! I have loved all of her books, but this one just resonated with me so much! I think because of the unique relationships and the Easter eggs from her previous book. I can’t name anything else without giving away twists! This book made me laugh, cry and be so hopeful! You can’t help but love the characters! This is the book to have in your beach bag this summer!!

Thank you so much Berkley Romance Publishing and Penguin Random House Audio for my ARC read and listen!

I loved this one! I enjoyed the stranger grumpyXsunshine love for Charlie and Alice. Charlie is so goofy and forward, I love it! We even get a glimpse of Sam and Percy too. Very well balanced between some spice and serious scenarios, but loved the story the whole way through; beginning to end.

OH MY GOD..... Fortune can do no wrong!!!

I am a HUGE fan of this author. She is back with another unforgettable summer romance that you will definitely be wanting to pack in that beach bag. What a beautiful and emotional story about two characters that are afraid to let that guard down and truly be seen. The regrets we have in life and the fears that hold us back in finding true happiness. This book was so beautiful in so many ways.... so relatable... we all have fears and regrets that hold us back in truly becoming who we want to be and know we are!!

GUSH... I'm obsessed with her storytelling and wish that I could gobble up another one of her books right now. I've included some of my favorite quotes in this one. That love story is definitely my favorite for 2025. Fortune you will always steal my heart with your beautiful books!!

"I want you to have a great summer, too. Let your hair down. Do something stupid. Do something selfish."
"Falling in love is terrifying"

5/5 stars

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for this e-arc of One Golden Summer in exchange for an honest review! Considering Charlie was the only character I loved from Every Summer After, I admit I did have pretty high expectations going into this. However, I'm still Percy's biggest hater <3 The "disgustingly in love" cameos of Sam and Percy and seeing where they ended up 3 years later was cute, but a girl never forgets, I'm sorry. That remained unforgivable TO ME but I'm not Sam, so what do I know? Anyway.

I loved this book. I really, truly did. Alice was such a fleshed out character, and I loved the role her family played in this book. I loved her internal struggle, I loved her voice, I loved her character arc. I never imagined what the perfect girl in my mind would be for Charlie, but for the people that did, I thin Carley Fortune did an excellent job of exploring Charlie through Alice that you see why they are a perfect match. I have some minor qualms about it, like how I feel like Charlie didn't feel fully explored. There were things that were kind of just... left hanging?

****Spoilers beyond this point****
Maybe I'm being a little too picky, but I know the comparisons between Oz and Charlie were to emphasize how scared Alice was of being left behind/her love unrequited, but while mentioned briefly, I think there should have been more of an exploration on how this was different between Oz and Charlie, considering this book is about how Alice had to come back to her old self to find her new one. I know it's about coming back to her 17 year old self and Oz was in her early 20s, but there was just something about it that made me feel that the comparison was just circling and didn't make the point that Carley wanted it to make, which was that Alice was... scared? However, Alice basically described that she never felt this way before in a couple ways—albeit not explicitly, I think—so I'll give her a pass there.

That's what I wanted from Charlie, though. I wanted that grand "I've never felt this way before" or "I've never been in love like this before" moment that felt like it was on the tip of his tongue but Carley wouldn't let him say it. The love confession at the end felt rushed and it didn't feel like it did Charlie justice. Also, I just have this bone to pick - Alice is the most radiant person Charlie has ever seen, but he didn't remember her from when they were 17 and 19 that summer? It gets circled back to, but makes no concrete point. Again, why didn't he recognize her? She says over and over again that she was shy and he goes over and over "you should've said hi" but honestly, if she was as beautiful as he kept saying she was, why didn't he remember her? I don't know, maybe it's the romantic in me, but it almost felt like the point was to lead Charlie to saying he remembered the pretty redhead from that summer and couldn't stop thinking about her, and then he saw that portrait that Alice took hanging in his friend's bank and wanted to track her down, and then eventually as Percy at the end said, it "felt like you were always supposed to be here". I think Carley tries to make it a timing thing, like Charlie didn't notice her then because he was not in the right place to have met her and/or Alice was too shy and wouldn't have been able to be spunky and bold and talk back to Charlie the way she did right now, and while I can read between the lines and know that's what Carley was trying to say, in this book, it would have done so much if it was explicitly stated. Because it wasn't, it just felt like pieces of their love story were missing or were incomplete. Since Charlie didn't notice her, further explanation as to why, like she was always hiding or just always behind the camera so her face wasn't showing or bundled up in her t-shit so that she would be glanced over (I think all of which were said but it should have again, been more explicit), but it would have been nice if that was acknowledged, especially given how desperately seventeen year old Alice wanted to be noticed. It would have make it all the more sweeter if it had been explicitly said that she was actively trying not to be noticed and that Charlie simply couldn't, that her efforts at seventeen worked, given how much of a turtle she was.

Ranting about small details aside, I really hope in future books we're able to see Charlie and Alice progress in their relationship and hopefully start a family. They deserve it. I won't hold it against Carley too much for skimping out on the details of Charlie's love confession and why he didn't notice Alice, and Alice drawing one too many comparisons to Oz (I mean, are you trying to say she was so hopelessly in love with Oz that if he had loved her back, they would be living their happily ever after? I know that's not the case, like Alice definitely has stated that she's never felt like this before, that she never had this much fun with anyone, and that was when she was afraid that Charlie didn't reciprocate her feelings), especially because she did excuse Percy's actions. So sorry. Can't let that one go and never will!

4.5 stars.

Carley Fortune's best work yet! I am so glad I stuck with her as she honed her craft.

THIS is how you do friends to lovers and is now the gold standard for friends to lovers. I often avoid the trope because the stakes don’t seem high enough, and the things that couples do as “just friends” often are not believable to me. “We shared a bed naked but lol just friends” no. Not believable. This is friends with benefits and no one is pretending they aren’t attracted to the other person.

I appreciate that Carley came back to Charlie’s story after several other books. I feel like his story really got the care and attention it deserved. I absolutely love Charlie- he’s for you if you like golden retriever and fun banter. He and Alice are such a sweet pair and I loved seeing them grow together.

I love the setting of these books as well. I grew up spending summers on a lake and the descriptions took me right back there and I can picture exactly what she is describing. I love the nostalgia.

Thank you!

Carley Fortune has done it again. One Golden Summer is a breathtaking escape into the shimmering lake, where past and present intertwine, and where characters navigate life’s fears, love’s complexities, and the quiet magic of feeling truly seen.

“I think the older we get, the scarier shit becomes”. This simple truth sets the stage for a novel that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. The story unfolds in a place Fortune writes best—where the water calls, where summer is a sanctuary, and where characters come to shed their expectations and rediscover themselves.

“‘My mom was full of energy, always laughing. Everyone loved her. You just felt good being with her, you know?’
‘Yeah,’ I say, looking at him. ‘I know.’"

The people in Fortune’s world are drawn with such care, their emotions so vivid that they feel like old friends. There’s a mother whose warmth lingers long after she’s gone, a love built not on grand gestures but on quiet understanding—on the way someone listens, offers, and simply sees you. There’s Charlie Florek who deserves the whole world and then some, and Alice Everly who I did not expect to fall so far in love with. And, of course, Sam and Percy.

"That's not who I am. That's my job, my car, my home. That's not me. I'm just a guy on a raft, trying to figure his shit out like everyone else."

The afterword talks about sometimes needing to go back to go forward, and that is what this book is all about. People trying to figure out their lives as they go. It’s a beautiful, remarkable, mess.

“He stares into my eyes, and it’s the look from the photos. The look artists write songs and poems and books about.”

The love story is exactly what I love about every Carley Fortune book. So unexpectedly beautiful and real and heart wrenching you can’t help but cry (I won’t specific whether they’re tears of joy or heartbreak).

What One Golden Summer does best, though, is remind us to follow our hearts, embrace the unknown, and trust in ourselves. This book is everything I hoped for and more—an exquisite story wrapped in Fortune’s signature beauty and depth.

Five shining stars.

"Just see where the sun takes you. And don't forget: Good things happen at the lake."

Thank you to Net Galley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the sequel to Every Summer After, we are immediately transported back to Barry's Bay for Charlies story! Alice is a photographer feeling a little like she lost herself while making it big in her career. She decides to spend the summer living like she is 17 again, with a bucket list & her Nan who is recovering from a bad fall. It is back in Barry's Bay where she sees the man with the yellow speed boat, Charlie, who she took a photo of many years ago, and they spend an unforgettable summer together.

Carley Fortune writes the best love stories, and I loved Alice & Charlie's. Alice's journey of self discovery and romance and acting like a teenager for one summer was so fun to follow. I loved how the photography aspect fit into the story. Charlie is full of sunshine and warm fuzzy feelings. He is an incredible love interest for Alice and I am so glad the author decided to finish his story.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

So in love with these two! I loved being back in Barry’s bay and spending time with Percy and Sam again at times but I loved Charlie’s story and watching him go from friends to lovers with our FMC. The story tugged at my heart strings and had such a nostalgic way about it. The perfect summer read!

4.5/5 rounded up

Thank you Berkley Books for the advanced reading copy & PRH Audio for the advanced listening copy!

I was soooo excited to dive into this story after loving the small moments of Charlie we got in EVERY SUMMER AFTER. I had forgotten much of the details of that book, so it was really fun to revisit Barry's Bay and see glimpses into Sam and Percy's lives all these years later.

I loved Alice, I loved Charlie, and them together was *chef's kiss.* Alice's summer bucket list felt so immature at first, and I was worried that the rest of the story would feel that way, too. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the way Charlie picked this up and made it into an adult version of being 17 years old and living at the lake. This was like, every young adult's dream and it made me want summer soooo bad!!

As with my favorite romances, there were some great twists and surprises in this one, even though I accidentally spoiled this one for myself by looking ahead at the chapter names (do not recommend lol). Despite that, I loved the way this one wrapped up and how Carley Fortune tied everything together so well.

The vibes were just so good in this one. The chemistry was great, the character growth and maturity was well-executed, and the descriptions made me yearn for summers at the lake. While not my #1 favorite Carley Fortune (that would be THIS SUMMER WILL BE DIFFERENT), I still loved this one and really enjoy reading her delightful lake romances.

I absolutely loved One Golden Summer! This has got to be Carley Fortune's best so far. Once I saw that Charlie was getting his own story, I could not wait to get my hands on this book. Carley does such a wonderful job with establishing setting, her descriptions of the lake and the town of Barry's Bay makes it so easy to just fall into the story. However, my favorite part of the whole story was getting to read about how Alice and Charlie become friends and eventually more. Their interactions were just so intimate, and their banter was amazing. This was the story I needed to begin my summer reading. It was perfect!

3 stars plus a little. I need to gather my thoughts more for a thorough review but the highlights:

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 🎭: Romance
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🌶️🌶️
𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙚 🏃🏼‍♀️: moderate

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝:
🛶 classic lake nostalgia
🛶 summer romance
🛶 character cameos from Every Summer After

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞:

▪️the narrator's male voice
▪️He keeps telling her no and she doesn't listen. Sometimes this works for me but this time it really didn't. He needs therapy and she needs a backbone. They act way younger than 33 and 35.

It was an easy read, but not my favorite in this universe. I didn't connect with anyANY of the characters except maybe the grandma. She's a baddie.

Carley Fortune is truly an amazing author. I was happy to be back at Barry's Bay. Although characters from her first book are in this story, it can totally be read as a standalone.

I absolutely loved the MMC, he was so perfect

Loved this book! Honestly, though, I love all of Carley Fortune’s books. The way she writes romance is just… chef’s kiss. I will say this was suuuuch a slow burn, though. Wasn’t expecting that. Still great, though!

(Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Carley Fortune's One Golden Summer is a luminous, emotionally rich return to Barry’s Bay that blends nostalgia, romance, and personal rediscovery into a perfect summer read. Following Alice Everly, a burnt-out photographer seeking solace and inspiration, the novel captures the magic of revisiting a place that once changed everything. When Alice reunites with Charlie Florek—the boy from a long-ago photograph—sparks fly in a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers story that’s as tender as it is swoon-worthy

I must say, this is Carley Fortune's best book yet! I’ve read Every Summer After, Meet Me at the Lake, and This Summer Will Be Different, and I’ve loved them all. However, I believe this one might be my favorite.

The love story between Charlie and Alice captured my attention right from the start. Their chemistry was strong, filled with witty banter that made me laugh, emotional moments that tugged at my heartstrings, and just the right amount of spice.

What I particularly appreciated is that the book goes beyond just romance. It explores themes of second chances and family relationships. It also evoked feelings of nostalgia regarding fleeting moments and lost time, which I believe many readers can relate to. By the end of the book, I was left wanting more of Charlie and Alice's story.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

We are back in Barry’s Bay three years after Every Summer After, featuring Percy and Sam’s story, which also has Sam’s brother, Charlie. I was upset with Charlie in that book, but he has a redemption in One Golden Summer.

Charlie is this self-assured, sometimes cocky, ladies’ man, but he’s also charming, caring, funny, and attentive to those who really know him and he whom he cares for. He grew up on the lake and returns for the summer for a break to reflect on some things. Alice visited the lake one summer when she was 17 and has returned to help her grandmother, Nan, recover from hip surgery and also take a break to find herself and her passion for photography in the way she loves to take photos and not the way people expect her to take and edit them. The owner of the lake house they are staying at is a long-time friend that Nan has lost touch with. He is letting them stay there so she can heal and has Charlie help them with anything they may need.
Throughout the summer, Charlie and Alice’s friendship grows, and they clearly start to fall for each other, but Charlie is adamant that they remain friends.

I loved the chemistry between these two. They both brought out the best in each other and are able to really be themselves without any walls. This story felt so nostalgic, and I loved that Charlie always made sure that Nan was included throughout the summer. Percy and Sam also return.

Can you read this as a stand-alone? Honestly, you could, you just wouldn’t have the background on Charlie, Sam, and Percy. The reason I was upset with Charlie in the first book is brought up in this book, which would be a spoiler for Every Summer After. I do recommend reading it first, but you won’t be lost on this book if you don’t.
Carley Fortune’s books are always so cozy in the feels when the book wraps up. You fall in love with the characters and the town. They draw you in, making you wish you were in the book either with the characters or one of the people among them. I absolutely loved being back in Barry’s Bay.