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 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.

Review:

Enchanting, tender, and sentimental!

One Golden Summer is a beautiful, heartwarming, affecting story that sweeps you away to Barry’s Bay and into an immersive tale where friendships are developed, memories are cherished, secrets are unearthed, lives are remembered, and love is forged and savoured.

The prose is rich and vivid. The characters are helpful, dependable, and loyal. And the plot is a heartfelt, delightful mix of friendship, family, introspection, love, support, secrets, heartbreak, community, new beginnings, and special summer moments.

Overall, One Golden Summer is a fresh, sophisticated, addictive novel with irresistible characters that I devoured from start to finish. I’m a huge fan of Carley Fortune, and this novel didn’t disappoint. It enthralled, captivated, and amused me, and I highly recommend it be on top of everyone’s summer 2025 TBR pile.

This novel is available now.

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