One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune is a story of a burned-out photographer, a flirtatious hunky man, and one magical summer at the lake? You get One Golden Summer—the love story.
Well let’s dive into it but if you are into Romance, and want a similar read you can checkout story at Chestnut Spring Series Review.
Book Review: One Golden Summer (5⭐️)
This book is everything you want in a summer romance: heart, heat, and just the right amount of emotions. It feat. Alice, a burnt-out photographer, decides to escape her over-scheduled Toronto life and nurse her Nan back to health at their magical lakeside cottage.
Enter: Charlie Florek. He’s all grown up to be a charming hunk, and drives that yellow speedboat like he’s the most suitable bachelor.
Their banter? Top-tier. Their chemistry? Practically steaming off the page. Their denial? Hilarious and painful. laughed, swooned.
Okay, coming to the point: the first quarter is a lil slow. I kept waiting for something more—to happen beyond nostalgic gazing and grocery store sighting. And some side characters (hmm.., Heather) felt like easy filler. Still, when the story kicks in? It kicks. And tugs. At your heart.
By the final chapter, I was fully into it, rooting for Alice and Charlie like my emotions connected with it. Which it might’ve. Carley delivers a summer time relaxing story that asks: what if the best version of yourself is the one who dares to stay?
| Genre | Romance, Fiction |
| Number of Pages | 400 pages |
| My Rating | 5.0⭐⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️ |
| Release Date | May 6, 2025 |
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune Summary (Spoilers)
Alice Everly, queen of playing it safe and certified “good girl,” is stuck. Her career as a commercial photographer has lost its spark, her ex just got engaged (rude), and her family is… well, distant at best. So when her beloved Nan breaks a hip, Alice returns to Barry’s Bay—aka the land of healing waters, golden sunsets, and teenage dreams.
“I used to think the photo changed my life. But maybe it just captured the moment it started.”
Oh, Charlie. The sunshine-smiling man Alice once captured in that iconic photo—the one that launched her career. He’s still a flirt like before, still largely hot, and now a walking contradiction: soft spoken with Nan, annoying with Alice, and clearly hiding a few secrets of his own.
But what starts as a “strictly friends” thing quickly turns into lake swims, and sizzling banter under the shades.
Similar Read: Daydream by Hannah Grace
But wait—if two people who tell they don’t want a relationship survive a summer where everything feels suspiciously like one? Can a girl who’s always stood behind the lens step into the frame of her own life? And seriously, is Charlie ever not charming?
Ending Spoilers:
With returning cameos from Sam and Percy (cue the nostalgic sobs), a whole cast of quirky side characters (Nan deserves her own book), and enough emotional punches to knock the wind out of you just before a steamy scene brings it back—this book is a rollercoaster of laughter, longing, and lakeside love.
Charlie confesses that he wants to be with Alice—not just for the summer, but beyond. Alice, finally brave enough to say yes to her own happiness, lets go of her fears.
They get their hard-earned happily-ever-after, full of love, lake days, and a future that feels golden. Good things definitely happen at the lake.
Quotes:
“You see the world so clearly, Alice. But do you ever let anyone see you?”
Final Verdict?
The final answer, Yes, it’s heartfelt, lil bit steamy too, and satisfying in the best way. No serious & tragic endings here—Carley Fortune delivers what we’ve all been waiting for.
Who should read it:
- Readers who enjoy nostalgia of carefree summer.
- Anyone who’s rooting for second chances.
- People who appreciate a beautiful setting like lake, nature etc.
- Anyone who’s looking for an uplifting read (kinda feel good vibe).
Books like One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune:
- Beach Read by Emily Henry
- The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
- Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
About the Author:
Carley Fortune is the NY Times bestselling author from Canada known for her Contemporary novels. Few of her famous ones are Every Summer After, Meet Me at the Lake etc.
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“Alice spent just one summer 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.”
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