One Golden Summer Review

Hello, all!

I fell in love with Carley Fortune's writing with Every Summer After (review here), so I was thrilled to learn we'd be going back to Barry's Bay for her latest release, One Golden Summer.

Pub Date: 5-6-25
Adult - Contemporary

Alice Everly has just left a long-term relationship and feels uninspired in her photography career. When her grandmother gets injured, Alice takes the opportunity to spend the summer at the lake, hoping it will cheer her grandmother up and get Alice out of her funk. Alice hasn't been back to the lake house since she was seventeen, but it was the summer that changed her life and kick-started her career after she took a photo of three teens in a yellow speedboat. Alice is looking forward to a relaxing summer, but then she hears the roar of that familiar speedboat.

Charlie Florek has reasons for spending the summer at the lake, and one of them is shamelessly flirting with the redhead next door. Charlie and Alice couldn't be more different, but that might be exactly what the pair needs. Alice craves a summer like the one she wished she had when she was younger, and Charlie is more than game to give it to her. What starts as a teasing friendship turns into something neither was expecting, but can their whirlwind romance last once they return to real life?

I'm so flattered that Fortune based her main character on me. It's been a while since I've related to a character as much as I did with Alice. I could see myself so clearly in her; we even have the same Pentax camera. It was easy for me to sympathize with her and want the best outcome for her. I adored every interaction between her and Charlie. Their banter was bantering, and I couldn't get enough. They complemented one another so well. Charlie was goofy, loyal, and caring. He had me swooning practically from page one. His friendship with Alice's grandma? Be still, my heart. He had issues to overcome as well, and it was sweet to see them both step up for each other. I loved the growth they both went through. Everything about this scratched an itch in my brain, and it's definitely my new favorite by her.

Rating: 5/5