I don’t understand how or why someone would say this book is bad, because it’s not…

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there while she was seventeen, where she took a picture of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, having the time of their lives. That image changed her life.

Fast forward roughly 20 years later and Alice finds herself back in Barry’s Bay with her Nan, where she meets one of the stars of that image she took, Charlie Florek. He’s all grown up now and a shameless flirt, sucking Alice in with his piercing green gaze directed right at her.

What will happen this summer for them? What secret is Charlie keeping from her? Read Carley Fortune’s latest novel to find out!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC💙

First I want to say that I received an “uncorrected proof” from NetGalley, what all that entails I don’t really know, but I did notice a few grammatical errors so I’m going to compare to a friends physical copy to see if those mistakes made it into the final book. Overall though, it was a cute summer read, but I just wasn’t super into Alice and charlie’s story. I really didn’t like the constant “we can’t be together” from charlie. It obviously made sense in the end, but still, it just bothered me. He also felt very immature to me for being 35. Like their dialogue just felt very young to me at times. The setting was perfect though. Still think it could be worth the read while at the beach/lake!

Alice Everly has come back to Barry’s Bay with her grandmother, Nan. Nan is recovering from an injury and needs cheering up, and Alice is burnt out on her job as a commercial photographer and on love after a recent breakup. All she wants is a summer to remember. Alice creates a to-do list of summer adventures for herself, but she doesn’t anticipate that the most memorable part of her summer to remember will be Charlie Florek, the young man she captured in a photo when she was 17, her first summer at Barry’s Bay, a photo that changed her life.

I was so excited to revisit Barry’s Bay and to finally get Charlie’s story and hopefully his much deserved HEA. This book definitely works great as a standalone but it’s just even more special if you read it after Ever Summer After where we first meet Charlie.

Carley Fortune could not have written a more perfect match for Charlie than Alice. Their banter was just perfection and I loved how no matter how hard Alice tried to keep Charlie at a distance, he just kept showing up for her and I especially loved how he was all in helping her get through her to-do list to help make her summer as magical as possible. Plus, he’s just so amazing with Nan. Charlie has some baggage though, and as sweet and wonderful as he is now, doesn’t believe he deserves a happily ever after, which had me rooting for the two of them all the more so they were just so incredible together. I love that it’s ultimately a journey of love and self discovery for both characters.

Great writing, wonderful character development, perfect lake setting, nostalgic summer vibes. One Golden Summer has it all and it’s my new favorite from Carley Fortune. 🩷

Take me to Barry’s Bay, Charlie Florek!

So so thankful to have received an arc from @berkleyromance for this book! This is Carley Fortunes best and this will definitely be the summer book to read 🌞

I quite literally wanted to live inside the pages of this book. I loved this one with my whole entire soul. The cottage setting and spending the summer in Barry’s Bay, Ontario again I felt like I was there with the characters. I could hear the waves of the lake and feel the heat of the sun on my skin. I adored this book 💙💛

Rating: ♾️🌟
Book tropes:
🌞 Summer Nostalgia
👙Friends to lovers
🌊 Found Family
🩳 Bucket Lists
🐚 Flirty banter & text messages

Carley Fortune is a fantastic storyteller. I loved the plot of Alice & Nan going back to Barry’s Bay for inspiration and for healing. This is a love letter to nostalgia & memories. I loved the bucket list that Alice created of things she wish she did when she was 17. The nostalgia of a teenage summer and doing things you never did was beautiful.

I loved being inside Alice’s head. I felt a kinship even though we have our differences. I saw myself in her and I found her inspiring. I felt like she plucked her thoughts from my mind and I felt connected to her. I love the relationship she has with her grandmother and I loved seeing her gain confidence to be honest and learning to say no. I loved seeing her speak up for what she wanted.

CHARLIE, marry me? 👰🏻‍♀️💍 I love this man with my whole entire soul. I loved learning more about him and their was so much depth to his character. He’s hot, soo flirty & charming but his grief, his fears, the treehouse, the birthday party, the Nan & Charlie moments. These parts of the book made me fall so deeply in love with him. He’s the love of my life 😭😭

This was my favorite Carley Fortune yet! Her writing always transports me to the water, and One Golden Summer was no exception. I loved Alice and Charlie, and this felt like a beautiful extension of Every Summer After. The relationship with her grandmother was so lovely, and seeing Alice grow and figure out her relationship with her family was so sweet. Five stars!

absolutely loved this book. I was obsessed with every summer after, so finally getting charlie's book was the BEST surprise!!!
Charlie is actually golden - the way he treats Alice and her grandma is absolutely chefs kiss perfection! being back in the lake setting felt so nostalgic and comforting, and it was also so fun to see sam and percy make an appearance! I think everyone is going to adore this one... I can't wait to talk about it with you guys😭🫶🏼

Thank you Berkley for the eARC!!

Need to review this without spoilers. Definitely think you should read every summer after. So that you get mad at CF first.

Then let like a week pass and then read this and let it completely fix you. LOL

Charlie is now 35 and he meets BEAUTIFUL ALICE. It’s so hard to find lovely FMCs like her. Shes shy and sweet but not? HER GRANDMA???? A perfect addition to the story. Nana was making me TEARYYYYYY.

The setting sounds absolutely magical. I wanna go to a lake pronto!!

I got scared about 80% through bc we know there’s a third act coming. But it’s not what I thought it would be. This book healed something in me through Alice! This book also felt nostalgic and sweet and wistful? Kinda how the summer I turned pretty makes me feel?

I’m so happy with this book years later after ESA. And I’ve already ordered my physical copy.

Some stories take their time sinking in, this one wrapped around me fast!

Freelance photographer Alice brings her Nan back to Barry’s Bay to lift her spirits after hip surgery…a place they haven’t visited since Alice was seventeen.

Photographs can stir up the past in unexpected ways. One image from that old trip includes someone else-Charlie Florek. He’s still in Barry’s Bay, helping ready the cottage for their stay. And he’s impossible to ignore: funny, grounded, thoughtful, and disarmingly good with lists.

The beauty of this story is in its quiet layers-family dynamics, richly drawn side characters, and the emotional tension between Alice and Charlie. She’s the kind of person who shows up for everyone. He’s the kind who says he can’t stay.

Charlie is holding something back, and the slow burn of their connection is full of unspoken emotion. As the story unfolds, so does the truth behind his reluctance. And Alice, with her quiet strength, shows him that love isn’t something to shield others from…it’s a light worth reaching for, even when the road ahead feels uncertain. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fans of Every Summer After — Charlie’s story is finally here! (This is technically a sequel to Every Summer After but could be read as a standalone. Sam and Percy make appearances as well.)

Alice Everly and her grandmother are spending the summer at the lake where, years ago, Alice took the photograph that launched her career, an image of three blissful teenagers in a yellow boat. One of those subjects was Charlie, now a dreamy 35-year-old. Both are struggling in their own ways, so the two embark on a mission to tackle Alice’s summer bucket list, and along the way, they build a beautiful friendship + lots of chemistry. As Alice’s Nan says, good things happen at the lake!

These characters were so fully realized, both together and apart, and I adored their love story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an advanced copy!

WOW! It felt absolutely amazing to return to Barry's Bay. This book gave me all the sparkling summer feels while perfectly weaving humor and heartache. I am forever changed by Charlie Floreck! I was blown away by Carley Fortune's debut, Every Summer After and truly thought it would be impossible to top, but this really did that!

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the ARC.

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
Carley Fortune has officially cemented her status as the queen of summertime heartbreak and healing. One Golden Summer is the emotional rollercoaster I didn’t know I needed—and yes, I cried. A lot.
This book is a perfect wrap-up to a series that has completely owned my summers (and my tear ducts). If you haven’t read the full lineup yet, run—don’t walk—to grab:
• Every Summer After (soon to be a Prime Video adaptation!)
• Meet Me at the Lake
• This Summer Will Be Different
• One Golden Summer (releasing May 28, 2025)
Each book is a masterclass in longing, heartbreak, healing, and love—the kind of stories that stick with you long after the final page.
Read if you like:
▪️ summer nostalgia that makes your heart ache
▪️ friends to lovers (slow burn perfection)
▪️ bucket lists, what-ifs, and second chances
▪️ witty banter that makes you laugh, then cry
One Golden Summer is everything wonderful and painful about falling in love during the brightest days of the year. 5/5 heartbreakingly beautiful stars.

4.5 stars! I really enjoyed this one! It was fun to revisit the lake from "Every Summer After" and for Charlie to be redeemed. I loved all the characters and the adventures they went on throughout the summer. I love the idea of Alice getting to redo her summer from when she was 17. I also loved the relationship between her and Charlie and how she saw him for who he is. After the last book, I was still mad at him, but seeing him through Alice's eyes made me grow to love him. Now I wish that I could spend my summer at the lake!

5 beautiful shining stars!! I absolutely loved this book and that Carley Fortune took us back to Barry's Bay for Charlie's story. Her writing is so crisp and detailed that I could see the entire book playing out. I adored the romance between Alice and Charlie, even if the slow burn was killing me (in a good way!!). Plus Nan, my heart!! We got the perfect amount of Percy and Sam too, it was perfect for long time Every Summer After fans (aka me!). This is my new favorite Carley Fortune!

I love Carley's books and this one was no different. I fell in love with Alice right away and even though you know there is going to be a happy ending (which is why we read them), its the journey that we love so much.

Carley Fortune delivers another lakeside gem with One Golden Summer—a heartwarming, sun-drenched story set in the beloved Barry’s Bay. Packed with summer nostalgia and irresistible charm, this friends-to-lovers romance ticks all the right boxes for a feel-good seasonal read.

Alice and Charlie are at the center of this story, reunited at the lake where everything began. Their chemistry is undeniable, their banter sharp and flirty, and their bond deepened by shared history and a summer bucket list that brings them closer than ever. Add in the magic of forced proximity, late-night swims, and quiet moments that simmer with emotion—and yes, a touch of spice (🌶️🌶️)—and you’ve got a slow-burn romance that’s as swoony as it is satisfying.

The wholesome relationship between Alice and her grandmother adds warmth and depth, grounding the story with love and wisdom across generations. And if you’re a fan of lake romances, this one brings it all: boat rides, dockside kisses, and that nostalgic feeling of being young, barefoot, and in love under a summer sky.

The audiobook narration is a delight—AJ Bridel brings Alice to life with authenticity and heart, while Carley Fortune’s own narration adds a personal, intimate layer to the storytelling.

Favorite quote? “Here I am with the boy from my photo. Only he’s all grown up. And so am I.” Swoon.

Final thoughts: One Golden Summer is a romantic, emotional escape that blends summer fun with genuine heart. I enjoyed it a lot—it’s a perfect companion for long walks, road trips, or lazy afternoons by the water.

It wouldn’t ~ almost~ be summertime without a @carleyfortune novel! I absolutely LOVED her newest, One Golden Summer 🥹🌊🌅🚤💙 Happy pub day!!!

▫️Genre: Romance
▫️Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (5/5)
▫️Pub day: 5/6/25 — today!
#gifted @berkleyromance ily

Fortune crushes it again with the perfect, dreamy summer romance. If you’ve ever romanticized #lakelife or better yet loved her debut, Every Summer After read this book!! 🥹

Technicallyyyy you could read this as a standalone, but I definitely recommend reading ESA first. This one takes place in the same universe, Barry’s Bay. There are a lot of spoilers for ESA! While ESA felt a tad young adult-ish, this one did not! 👌 I really enjoyed how much Charlie evolved! & Alice was a darling character. It definitely gives “opposites attract” but overall this book didn’t feel too “trope-y”, which I loved. Still swooning over Charlie & Alice 🥰

Read if you like: summer bucket lists, cozy cottage vibes, sewing, lake life, medium spice, photography, single POV, opposites attract, & strong MMC 🔥

In her author’s note, Fortune says she solely wrote this book for her readers. Everyone begged her for Charlie to have his own story & she delivered 😭🙌 Hope you enjoy this one!!

Could not be more thrilled to come back to Barry's Bay with two of my favourites. This book feels like summer in the palm of your hands and it's the perfect choice for that beach vacation or day on the dock

I absolutely loved it! I’ve read all of her previous books and I think this one might be my favorite! Both characters were really well written and I absolutely loved how flirtatious Charlie was - it made for the perfect opposites attract romance! 4.5⭐️

Everything Ms. Fortune writes I love. She could do no wrong. Another cute summer romance book. I loved the return to Barry’s Bay.

One Golden Summer revolves around truly discovering oneself, and learning to trust yourself and go for what you want rather than what others want for you. It follows Alice a photographer who’s at a bit of a standstill in her life, personally and professionally. But when her grandmother injures her hip, Alice and her grandmother turn to nature to help heal her grandmother, and Alice finds herself at the lake where she first truly discovered her passion for photography. Now while at the lake Charlie is her contact to ensure that everything at the cabin is good to go, but to Alice he’s also a very arrogant man, on the phone at least. That is until she accidentally runs into him at the grocery store and meets the arrogant Charlie in person. Charlie gets on Alice’s nerves and he absolutely adores living there. But their banter slowly grows more and tension builds between the two. But Charlie isn’t looking for anything serious and Alice only does serious, so now they spend the summer together stuck in limbo with a whole lot of sexual tension. Just when things really do begin to heat up, all hope is just about completely lost. Alice leaves the lake leaving Charlie as all but a memory, but with a new grown strength she finds in herself which she uses in both her personal and professional life. But then some sudden news has her re-thinking her decision to forget about Charlie. But now that Alice has grown, and Charlie’s near, are these two about to figure out their relationship.

I loved Percy and Sam in Every Summer After, but Percy and Sam in OGS just didn’t feel the same, their presence did impact the story, but it just felt a little odd to me. Nonetheless, I did love getting to re-visit them and see where their storyline did end up.

Absolutely recommend giving One Golden Summer a read if you’re a fan of any of Carley Fortune’s works.

As always, a thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, just wow! Carley Fortune has done it again in One Golden Summer and dare I say, this might be my favorite book of hers yet?! Alice and Charlie's story was funny, romantic, angsty and just perfect, in my opinion. The banter between the two was absolutely top tier and Charlie's flirting?? Warn a girl next time!! But not only did you get the fun, playful side of Charlie like we saw in Every Summer After but we got to see beneath the layers and bravado as well. He was an absolute sweetheart and entirely too hard on himself which just made him more endearing in my eyes. It was also great to see a little glimpse of Percy and Sam's future in this book as well! Can't wait to see what Carley has up her sleeve next but I hope it has something to do with a fiery, single mother from this book!

Read if you like:
- Friends to Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Summer Romance
- Lake Days
- Amazing Banter!