From the publisher:
A radiant escape to the lake from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and This Summer Will Be Different
As featured in People ∙ Good Morning America ∙ Cosmopolitan ∙ TODAY ∙ E! News ∙ Buzzfeed ∙ Us Weekly ∙ The New York Post ∙ SheReads ∙ and more!
I never anticipated Charlie Florek.
Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.
Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.
Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.
Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.“The sparks between Alice and Charlie fly off the page and endearing Nan adds heart. This is a treat.”—Publishers Weekly
“Readers will enjoy the steamy love story that develops but will also appreciate Alice’s personal growth. Not only does she find love, she finds her purpose in her career. Fans of Annabel Monaghan will agree with Nan that ‘good things happen at the lake.'”—Booklist (starred review)
This is the sequel to Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After, which I absolutely loved—and this one is another hit. While Fortune released a couple of other books in between, this novel stands beautifully on its own. You don’t need to read the first one to appreciate this one, but you should – it’s fantastic!
This story follows Charlie Florick, a finance bro in Toronto, but is summering in Barry’s Bay. He’s taken a sabbatical and is spending the summer at his family’s lake house. His parents are gone, but his brother and sister-in-law live nearby.
Alice, a successful photographer, decides to spend the summer back in Barry’s Bay when her beloved grandmother, Nan, breaks her hip. She rents the cottage they once stayed in when she was a teen, wanting to be close to Nan and take a break from her career. The cottage is owned by John, a widower and close family friend, who agrees to make the place more accessible for Nan. Charlie is handling the renovations, and while Alice is initially grateful, her first impression of him is less than stellar—he’s snarky, and she’s annoyed by his cocky note and the key being hidden in an outhouse.
But everything changes when they officially meet. Alice soon realizes Charlie is one of the boys from a photo she took as a teenager—a photo that launched her photography career. As he continues working on the cottage and bonding with Nan, Alice finds herself warming to him. She even has a summer bucket list of things she never got to do as a teen, and once Charlie spies it, he is eager to help her tackle it.
Despite Charlie’s friendly nature, there’s a depth and sadness beneath the surface. The two form a genuine friendship that deepens into something more, though Charlie resists a real relationship. Alice, meanwhile, isn’t looking for anything serious either—but a summer fling wouldn’t be the worst idea. As they grow closer, it becomes clear that this is more than just a fling. Charlie gets her access to a local high school darkroom, and when Alice develops the photos, she sees the truth in Charlie’s eyes—he’s in love, even if he won’t say it.
Their story builds to a heartfelt and satisfying conclusion. This novel is full of charm, banter, nostalgia, and longing. It blends the forced proximity and friends-to-lovers tropes with themes of family, healing, and rediscovering joy. There’s humor, heat, and heart—and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I absolutely loved it.
5/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
ONE GOLDEN SUMMER by Carley Fortune. Berkley (May 6, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593638910. 400p.
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