I finished this book last week and I loved it! One Golden Summer is a follow up to Carley’s smashing debut book - Every Summer After. While it can be read on its own, I highly recommend checking out ESA if you haven’t yet already!

This book follows Alice who is spending the summer at a cottage with her Nan. She hopes to lift Nans spirits through some health issues Nan has been having. Alice has fond memories of her summer at the lake as a teen, but often wishes she had done more “exciting” things. She makes a list and vows to try and get some of the activities done this summer.

Enter the older Florek brother - Charlie. He spends all his summers at the cottage across the lake, and is well known around the lake for his wild side and big yellow boat. When he disturbs Alice and Nans peaceful summer at the cottage, he finds out about Alice’s list and teams up with her to help get it done.

This book put me right back into Barry’s Bay and made me crave a trip to the cottage. Alice was super relatable and I felt like she was very similar to me - wanting to be apart of the fun kids across the lake but experiencing too much anxiety and shy-ness to go be apart of it.

I also really enjoyed Charlie getting a redemption story. His parts in ESA always made me a little sad and so it was really nice to see his growth in this book. Of course getting glimpses at the ESA crew was a huge bonus too!!

If you loved ESA, spending summers at the lake, or are just looking for a summer read to take you away - maybe to Canadian cottage country?, then this book is for you.

I think it is one of my favorite books so far this year, and is certainly going to be at the top of my recommendations for summer reading!!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that captures the love and joy of summer so perfectly!

Carley Fortune’s writing is absolutely stunning. I could envision the setting so well that it made me start to feel nostalgic about being young and free during summer vacation. I would love to be plopped into one of her books, she makes the world and characters so inviting!

I absolutely loved Charlie and Alice’s story. It was so complex, yet felt so easy and I enjoyed seeing everything unfold. The romance was such a slow burn, and I liked how we were able to slow down and learn about both Alice and Charlie individually throughout the book. I already knew I would love Charlie, considering Every Summer After was one of my favourite books of 2023 - but this book took it to a whole new level.

Alice’s relationship with Nan was also so heartfelt and adorable! There were so many times where they would make me emotional because their connection was so special. All of the different family dynamics in this one made me teary in certain moments, honestly. 🥹

Carley - The Queen of Summer Novels - Fortune has done it again. One Golden Summer is a perfectly atmospheric story set in Barry's Bay. You feel like you're there for the thick humidity and sounds of laughter across the water. Fortune is an incredible weaver of words and it really shows in this one. There is the perfect balance of serious to just lighthearted fun.

It all starts with a change of pace for our FMC photographer Alice and her grandmother Nan after a nasty breakup and a broken hip (respectively). Alice finds herself feeling 17 again as she rediscovers a part of herself relaxing on the lake from her past. A photo she took years ago had a smiling boy in a yellow boat, that same boy is in town spending the summer with his brother and sister in law. Of course fate brings them together in the perfect slow burn.

A huge thank-you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for sending this ARC my way just in time to kick off the first week of warm weather!

The way I got an ARC from one of my favourite authors and I’ll forever be so thankful. 🥹🥹🥹

5 stars for this masterpiece. The banter, the flirting, the emotion, the story of Charlie & Alice… THIS was everything I expected it to be and more. If this is not on your summer tbr, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Carley Fortune is magical to me. I'm not a regular romance reader, but ever since her first book, I eagerly await her new release and eat it up every time. Her settings are always perfection.
Being back in Barry's Bay felt so incredibly fun and nostalgic. Following Alice's journey and finally seeing Charlie's POV was a gift.

To me, Carley Fortune simply can't miss.

HUGE thank you for this amazing ARC @penguincanada @penguinrandomca @carleyfortune 🤍

I CANNOT explain the way I feel every time I jump into a Carley Fortune book, I still remember the first time I received an early ARC of Every Summer After and the way I felt reading it. She has this way of making you feel like you’re right there, right at the cabin, with the sun hitting your face, and the lake water tickling your toes. PURELY MAGICAL. SHE is my summer QUEEN! We LOVE Percy and Sam and INSANELY giddy to know that we got a taste of Percy and Sam again in One Golden Summer! But now we dive into getting to read Charlie Florek and Alice Everly’s beautiful love story unfold. You are able to read this as a stand alone but I would recommend reading Every Summer After to get a better experience!

- Friends to lovers
- Summer Romance
- Small town romance
- Found Family

But.. Not only we get a love story, we also get spicy Nan! We love an involved spicy grandmother; I adored her and Alice’s close knit relationship. I felt a ton of emotions reading this book, one being because of Nan. Made me miss my late grandma who passed years ago. I felt so young and alive reading One Golden Summer, Alice Everly and her teenage bucket list... Charlie making her feel so alive with the remaining last days at the cabin = SWOON WORTHY. This book screamed grief, fate, tight knit family, nostalgia, and self discovery! BUT Without having to spoil every inch of this book, 5 star all around. I am glad we got to revisit Barry’s Bay.

I also need a physical copy of Every Summer After?! To my surprise I just have it on my kindle 😭

Thank you NetGalley, PRH Canada and Viking for this arc!!

5/5 golden stars!

I LOOVEEDDDD this SO MUUCHH! Alice and her Nan spend the summer at Nan's friends cabin on the lake, which happens to be right by the protagonists house from Every Summer After. Alice meets the handsome and insufferable Charlie, who helps her not only with taking care of Nan but also come out of her shell and start living life more fully. I can't tell you how much I loved this book. Being back in Barry's Bay was so nice, and soooo nostalgic (I really miss Ontario, even more so after reading this). Seeing characters from Every Summer After was such a fun little Easter egg, and seeing how they've grown in a few years was so nice! Honestly I can't wait to reread this again in a few months bc I already want to reread it so badly right now lmao

- happy that we got to see charlie's POV
- enjoyed how the stories were connected to each other
- seemed a bit like the classic “nerdy girl gets the hot sports guy” by just looking at him once
- it was hard to believe their chemistry, i wasn’t really buying it
- enjoyed the relationships that others characters had and how they fit into the barry’s bay universe

Carley Fortune is truly the queen of summer nostalgia. No one captures that hazy, golden-hour feeling of coming home quite like she does. This was exactly what I needed—especially heading into the warmer months. I could practically feel the sun on my skin, smell the lake water, and hear the screen door creak open. Her writing has that magic: it doesn’t just tell you about summer, it transports you there.

Returning to this world felt like slipping into a memory. Familiar, soft around the edges, and a little bittersweet. I’ll admit, after Every Summer After, I had some lingering feelings about Charlie, but I’m happy to report he’s officially redeemed himself (he can rest easy now). His story here was thoughtful and well-rounded, and it made me appreciate him in a whole new light.

And then there’s Alice. I adored her. She felt like someone I’ve known—or maybe someone I’ve been. Her journey trying to navigate her career and reconnect with her creativity hit home in such a personal way. The way she pours herself into the people around her while holding herself to impossible standards? That quiet self-sacrifice is something I know all too well. Watching her slowly come back to herself was emotional in the best way.

Charlie, of course, swoops in like confident, charming, unbothered, and full of heart. He has this steady, grounding presence that gently pulls Alice out of her shell without ever forcing it. Their chemistry was effortless and warm, and while some moments were a bit predictable, it honestly didn’t bother me. Sometimes it’s okay to see the turn coming, as long as the ride there feels good—and this absolutely did.

This book single-handedly pulled me out of a reading slump. It reminded me why I love these stories—why I crave them. The ones that feel like summer bottled up in pages, full of heart and a little ache. Carley Fortune continues to write characters who feel achingly real, wrapped up in beautifully ordinary lives, and I’ll follow her wherever she goes next!

This is going to be SUCH a popular summer read/beach read for the romance crowd in 2025! I know I’m definitely going to be recommending it to anyone who asks for a book to take on their summer holiday.

I was excited to read this one going into it, and was not disappointed. This gave me nostalgic teenage summer romance vibes but with fully formed adult characters that were likable and relatable. I found it easy to read and hard to put down. It had everything in it that I love in a romance book. A fun meet-cute. Witty banter. Slow burn and simmering tension. Fun, light-hearted moments. Big emotions. Some heartbreak. Personal growth. So, so good.

Alice heads to Barry’s Bay with her grandmother to help her recuperate from surgery and hopefully boost her spirits. Alice is in need of her own bit of recovery from a heartbreak and from struggling professionally. Being back at the place where she spent a magical summer once when she was a teenager is giving Alice the peace she desperately needs, but her summer vacation is shaken up when she meets enigmatic and flirtatious Charlie Florek. Charlie and Alice quickly settle into a friendship that changes the course of their summer. As they become closer and their connection grows stronger, it’s clear that neither one of them will be able to walk away at the end of the summer the same person.

There was a lot I personally connected with, especially Alice and her relationship with her grandmother. This was I thought, extremely heartwarming without being saccharine. Nan was such an endearing character with her own story I was rooting for. Having recently helped my grandma through her own health crisis, I just really related to this and loved it so much.

Once or twice I had a feeling of dread in my stomach at where the author was taking us on Alice and Charlie’s relationship. There was a moment or two of “is she really going to do that to us?!” Then I remembered that this is a romance. There WILL be a happy ending… All in all, I was completely delighted by this book and can’t wait for others to fall in love with it too!

Thank you Carley Fortune, Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book for review.

This is the Charlie happy ending WE DESERVE!

This book was PERFECT! It had me yearning for hot summer days spent reading in the sun and jumping in the pool!

*Mild Every Summer After spoilers*

I definitely recommend reading Every Summer After first for a better reading experience. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of ESA back in 2022, and I screamed so loud when I got an ARC for this one!

I really liked Charlie in the first book, and I even felt bad for him, but my heart really broke for him when we learn how much he went through as a boy, and how that affected him in his teens/early adulthood.

One Golden Summer really gives us a glimpse behind his shameless flirting and always-happy personnality, and you realize how sad and anxious he actually is. He was such a kind, sweet, compassionate MMC , and I was just rooting for him to get his happy ending!

I loved Alice! Her relationship with her grandma, Nan, was so precious! I really enjoyed her character arc, I thought she really grew into herself and became more assertive!

I really, really enjoyed this and if you enjoyed Every Summer After, you definitely need to read this follow-up! We do get a few glimpses of Percy and Sam, all happy and in love, and it's everything!

Alice’s grandmother always says that good things happen at the lake, and it’s true. Alice spent a summer at the lake when she was 17, where she took a picture that changed her life. Alice is a photographer who thrives behind the lens, taking photos that allow others to shine. But she’s been itching for something more, so when her Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice decides that they’ll both spend the summer at Barry’s Bay.

ONE GOLDEN SUMMER’s male lead is Charlie, Sam’s older brother from Every Summer After, but rest assured, that you don’t really need to read Every Summer After to appreciate this one. That said, it will spoil Every Summer After for you if you haven’t read it already.

The setting of Barry’s Bay is my favorite setting that Carley has written to date. She quickly immerses the reader into the spirit of lazy summer days and, for me, the nostalgia of carefree summers at the lake. I can picture this book being a summer favorite!

ONE GOLDEN SUMMER is told in the POV of Alice, and I usually love romances to be told in dual POV, but Carley’s romances don’t feel one-sided. Even though you only get Alice’s inner thoughts, you can feel what Charlie feels throughout the narrative. A true talent!

Alice is a strong and resilient woman who is filled with love, kindness, and caring for those she loves. She’s an accomplished photographer who feels like she’s losing touch with her passion and is looking to find it again. I loved the personal journey she takes – it was really well done, and I loved seeing Alice grow throughout as she rediscovered herself and her passion for photography. Charlie is the sweetest man while being a shameless flirt, bringing out the laughs, and is so thoughtful and caring beneath the cockiness. He’s got great energy on top of his great looks and I loved getting to know him more intimately through Alice.

Their friendship/romance is beautiful, heartfelt, fun, and filled with excellent banter. They’re truly a perfect match, each complimenting the other. There is some spice in the latter half of the book, but didn’t get too explicit in my opinion. This is a romance that packs an emotional punch and pulled at my heartstrings. It will be one that sticks with me for some time. It’s also got a strong found family theme that really complements the whole story and characters so well.

Lastly, I loved the cameos of Sam and Percy from Every Summer After, it was lovely to catch up with them again!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune is exactly the kind of beautiful, heartwarming story I have come to expect from this author.

As is typical from Carley Fortune, this book possesses such real, vivid characters that the reader can’t help but love and see something in that is so true to life and the every day struggles that come with life. The characters are not perfect, they have their flaws, they have their aspects that truly make them human and throughout the course of the novel they either learn to embrace the things about themselves that make them who they are, or they find ways to better themselves and work on overcoming the flaws that stand in the way of their own happiness. The characters are so essential to the book, so the fact that they absolutely leap off the pages makes One Golden Summer everything, and creates such investment in them that it’s impossible not to race through the pages to see if everything will work out in the end and they will find their happiness, their ways in life passed the grief that overshadows it, and the self imposed limitations that keep them from reaching their full potential.

In One Golden Summer there is one main character we haven’t met before, as well as an old face that appeared in the previous standalone in this series of books, one Charlie Florek, older brother to Sam Florek. Some of Charlie’s story is known going into this book if the first book has been read, such as family, history, and generally what he was like as a teenager. I love that there is this previous insight into his character available, because it makes it clear how much he has changed and really adds to the depth his character has grown into in this book. From the flirty, womanizing young man to the (still flirty) but trying to find his way older man who is more than a little broken despite working so hard to hide it for so many years. It’s so heartbreaking seeing the burden he’s held for most of his life and how it’s finally taking its toll on an older Charlie, and it made me love him all the more because of it.

There is also Alice, a woman at a loss in her career which no longer feels fulfilling despite involving her passion. She was such a relatable character for me, the shy, forgotten person who never sticks out in a crowd and gives all of her love to other people, which has driven her to a point of having nothing left for herself. And she has such a beautiful relationship with her Nan, who was another incredible character in this book and one I absolutely adored wholly and completely. Their relationship is the most wholesome thing and spending the summer together on the Lake while Nan recovers from a fall gives so much opportunity for the two of them to explore their relationship and reveals just how close the two of them are. They also have their own struggles to overcome which adds even more depth to both the story and their characters, and they were one of my favourite parts of this entire book. I can’t forget the relationship between Nan and Charlie either. This one was also so beautiful and warmed my heart immensely.

In a few words, I loved this book so much. It made me smile, it broke my heart, it pieced it back together, it made me laugh, made me tear up, forged such a deep connection into my soul, and many other emotions besides. I highly recommend this book and will eagerly be awaiting the next Carley Fortune book.

[arc review]
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
One Golden Summer releases May 6, 2025

3.75

We’re back in Barry’s Bay, baby!

If you’ve read Fortune’s debut novel, <I>Every Summer After</I>, then you’ll be familiar with the male protagonist of this story.
His counterpart, Alice, finds herself back at her family friend’s cottage after a sixteen year hiatus — drawn to a moment in time that she captured as a teen and still cherishes to this day.

Alice is hoping that this change in scenery will help lift the spirits of her Nan as she recovers from a hip replacement. But the lakefront escape isn’t just benefitting Nanette Everly this summer — with its picture-perfect setting, Alice is finding a new lease on life after facing months of burn out.

Charlie is an acts of service man and charisma personified. I really loved how organic and grounding he was.
Fortune did not disappoint in redeeming Charlie as a character, however, I strongly believe that <I>One Golden Summer</I> would’ve benefitted from being written in dual pov!

With Fortune’s signature charm, she delivers the perfect slice of summer that encapsulates fun, freshness, nostalgia, and healing in equal measure.

cw: themes of grief

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for the gifted ARC. All opinions are my own.

📖Read if you like:
- Friends to lovers
- Summer vibes
- Forced proximity

💭Carley Fortune is the queen of summer romances and this might be my new favourite from her! She does such an amazing job of bringing out the summer vibes in her writing, making you feel like you’re actually on the lake with these incredible characters.

Alice is such a sweet and strong FMC, and I always adored Charlie’s playful personality from Every Summer After. Together, they had such great chemistry and I loved their fun banter and their friendship that developed. Charlie and Alice worked so well together to bring out the best in each other.

This had me yearning for warm days on the lake, and it would be the perfect summer read! ☀️

‼️Although it can be read as a standalone, there are references to Every Summer After which could be spoilers, so I do recommend reading that first if you can.

My tender heart loves One Golden Summer as its story resonates with me in a time I needed it most.

One Golden Summer came to me at a time in my life when I think I needed it most. Like Alice, I’m caught at a crossroads, contemplating direction in my life, unsure of my purpose and passion, and indecision and unease weighs heavy on my heart.

What I love about Carley’s stories and, in particular with OGS, is how I can connect with her characters and their experiences, and that is what I felt so deeply with Alice and Charlie.

This story forces you to reevaluate your life, to look at yourself and how things are going with a kind objectiveness. It forces you to contemplate your mortality, your passions, your purpose. It forces you, through Alice and Charlie, to be open to vulnerability. Or perhaps just how I felt. But this is surely a story so powerful that it will stay with me. I’m more aware having read it. And it makes me want to figure out my life too, in the same way Alice and Charlie do, too.

Alice takes her Nan to a lake house for the summer. She needs a break, and Nan needs help after her surgery. Charlie is the man who takes care of the house, so he comes around and help more and more as the summer progresses...
This is a stranger to friends to friends with benefits to lovers romance, and it comes after Every Summer After (Charlie is Sam's brother). Do you need to read Every Summer After first to understand? No. But know that some things will be spoiled if you don't (and frankly, ESA was much better than this one, so I highly recommend it). I might be in the minority here, given that the actual average rating for this is 4.5, but I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would. Were my expectations too high? I don't think so, because I thought Carly's last book was underwhelming, and I had no idea this was a follow up to EAS. Keep in mind that this was an ARV, but the formatting was horrible and ot greatly hindered my reading experience. The sentences were all chopped up, and letters were literally missing, making the text sometimes unreadable. But I'm guessing (and hoping) that all these issues will be resolved at the publication official publication. I did not take it into consideration for my rating, but it was hard not to let it affect me. I will try to reread when I get the paperback, but there are some things I really disliked, so I'm not sure I will. I also don't understand why Alice was so hostile towards Charlie. It sounded very immature and petty. The lack of maturity in both characters was frankly annoying. So was Charlie saying over and over again that Alice was different, that she wasn't like anyone he's ever met, that she was different from anybody else... That is one of my romance icks. Amd the third act breakup basis was one of the stupidest thing I have ever read and what was the final nail in my rating. The lie or omission that is unveiled? There is no big surprise to anyone. I'm actually surprised that Alice was surprised. Anywho. The whole Alice and Nan relationship was what saved the story for me.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

After all three of us loved Every Summer After, we couldn’t have been happier to hear we’d travel back to Barry’s Bay and read more about Charlie Florek. While One Golden Summer isn’t told in his pov, we were just as excited to learn about Alice, our FMC.

Alice Everly spent one summer at 17 with her grandmother, at a cottage in Barry’s Bay. She was a shy girl who spent that summer wishing she could be friends with the teens across the bay. Now years later she’s taking her grandmother, who’s fresh off a broken hip, back to that cottage for a much needed recharge for them both.

This book had us all giddy and kicking our feet. Charlie is just chef kiss - he is such a flirt! Alice and Charlie’s chemistry was off the charts great and they had the best witty banter that kept us reading. Alice was very easy to like, she felt very relatable and real. We loved Alice’s grandmother Nan, she was a great addition to the story.

While this book can be read as a standalone, we recommend reading Every Summer After before this. It made the cameos of Sam and Percy even more special and it was nice to read about where they are now!

Read if you like:
▪️opposites attract
▪️slow burn
▪️friends to lovers
▪️summer romance
▪️bucket lists
▪️nostalgia

Charlie gets his happily ever after. Carley Fortune heads us back to Barry’s Bay in this delightful romance featuring loveable Charlie. This novel was sweet and nostalgic with witty banter and the perfect amount of spice. I loved the glimpses into Sam and Percy’s life. Charlie is the perfect egotistical yet sweet MC. Alice held her own as a vulnerable but fierce FMC. I really enjoyed the pace of the book, we go back to Barry’s Bay where Alice and Charlie have a teenage like summer fling then to Toronto in the fall where real life takes hold. I enjoyed all the side characters especially Nan. Perfect book for reading at a cabin or lake cottage.

This book feels like the perfect summer read by the lake. While I didn’t completely love it, I definitely enjoyed it and it kept me turning the pages. Alice’s escape to Barry’s Bay with her Nan was a nice getaway for the summer —especially since they both had history with the cottage. I found Charlie super swoon-worthy and really fun. Loved the tension between Alice and Charlie. This one felt spicier than her other books, and I really liked the ending!

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada (Adult) | Viking for my advanced e copy im exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: May 6, 2025