🌞 Book Review: One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
A nostalgic, emotionally rich lakeside romance about rediscovery, second chances, and the kind of love that lingers long after summer fades.
Carley Fortune, beloved for her bestselling novels Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake, returns with One Golden Summer, a heartfelt story set once again in Barry’s Bay, Ontario. With a glowing Goodreads rating of 4.35/5 from over 270,000 readers, this novel continues Fortune’s tradition of blending emotional depth with sun-drenched romance.
🧠 Plot Overview
Alice, a thirty-something photographer, has spent years hiding behind her lens—capturing other people’s moments while ignoring her own. After a painful breakup and her grandmother Nan’s unexpected injury, Alice returns to Barry’s Bay, the place where one magical summer at seventeen changed her life.
That summer was marked by a single photo: three teens in a yellow speedboat, one of whom was Charlie Florek. Now grown, Charlie reappears—charming, flirtatious, and driving that same boat. As Alice and Charlie reconnect, their chemistry builds through late-night swims, shared memories, and a summer bucket list that pushes Alice out of her comfort zone.
But beneath the golden glow of the lake lies emotional complexity: grief, self-doubt, and the fear of being truly seen.
💬 Why Readers Love It
- Second-Chance Romance: Though Alice and Charlie never met as teens, their connection feels like fate delayed.
- Emotional Maturity: Alice’s journey of self-discovery and healing is deeply relatable and sensitively portrayed.
- Atmospheric Setting: Barry’s Bay is more than a backdrop—it’s a character in its own right, evoking warmth, nostalgia, and transformation.
- Signature Fortune Style: Fortune’s prose is lyrical and intimate, with dialogue that feels authentic and emotionally resonant.
📣 Critical Praise
- “Dreamy, romantic, and hauntingly emotional to the core.” — Pretty Little Memoirs
- “A deeply felt summer love story… Fortune has done it again.” — That Happy Reader
- “Charlie and Alice’s chemistry is electric, but it’s the emotional layers that make this story unforgettable.” — Goodreads community
Some readers noted that the pacing is gentle and introspective, which may feel slow to those expecting high drama. But for fans of character-driven romance, it’s a perfect summer escape.
🏁 Final Verdict
One Golden Summer is a tender, evocative story about the courage to step out from behind the lens and live fully. If you love lakeside romances, emotional depth, and characters who feel like old friends, this one will stay with you long after the last page.
