One Golden Summer Book Review

"Just go where the sun takes you. And don't forget: Good things happen at the lake."

Nothing says summer quite like a whirlwind romance near a body of water and Carley Fortune’s most recent release, One Golden Summer, is an absolute splash hit!

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

If you've read any of her other novels set in picturesque Eastern Canadian locales, you know that this homegrown Canadian crafts summer nostalgia like no other. Memories flood into the character’s minds of summers gone by, tanning on the dock, trading friendship bracelets, shucking oysters, falling in love, sleeping under the stars, legs tangling underwater. And as they remember, we do too. If you had any childhood summers at the lake or near the ocean, you’ll be walking down your own memory lane alongside Fortune’s lovable characters.

Every time I dive into a Carley Fortune novel, it remains glued to my hands until the last page, often waking up in a fog from lack of sleep but coasting on a tide of bliss from the pure joy and good vibes she crafts.

Romance is at the heart of all Fortune’s nostalgic summer novels, but she also effortlessly weaves in themes of grief, longing, and regret; emotions that tend to surface when we reflect on days past. One Golden Summer is no exception.

One Golden Summer - Book Review

In her newest novel, kind-hearted photographer Alice accompanies her grandmother to a lake house in Barry’s Bay, Ontario that Alice visited the summer she turned seventeen. She is in desperate need of an energy shift and makes the bold decision to strip away the parts of herself that have grown heavy, replacing them with youthful joy, even if it's just for the summer. There’s cliff jumping, jet skis, glitter, sewing projects, heart to hearts, and of course an incredibly handsome (albeit wildly cocky) neighbour. 

I don’t know about you, but I often look for the similarities between myself and the main characters in the novels I read. I actually connected with Alice’s character a lot, being a perfectionist with high expectations of myself and someone who enjoys helping others, but doesn’t always ask for help myself. Alice’s honesty and vulnerability make her a great match for cheeky Charlie Florek. 

Sparkling green eyes, tanned, super jacked, handy with the tools, wealthy, and great with grandmas and overbearing family members, I’ll admit Charlie wasn’t always the most believable male main character, but he was very endearing and quite sexy. Cheeky banter and the reformation of a rake are two devices I will willingly eat up! 

It took me about two thirds of the book to realize it’s connected to her first novel, Every Summer After! It’s been a while since I read it and I had forgotten some of the details like names and locales, so once I realized what was happening, I was SO here for it. One Golden Summer is Charlie’s love story, a side character who made a big mistake in her earlier novel and who finally gets his happily ever after. 

Fortune is a bit of a spice tease, but it matched the theme of reimagining a teenage summer romance, so I didn’t mind. There are a number of tasteful fade to black moments and she does serve up an open door scene near the end. Spice is definitely not the focus of the story, and when it does happen, it’s not massively long-winded or graphic. But there is definitely tension throughout, make no mistake! 

One Golden Summer is a story about finding yourself again when you’ve lost your way. It’s about trusting and being seen by others, forgiving yourself, and becoming the YOU that’s perhaps stayed buried for too long.

It calls for you to jump into the water, wear that gold bikini, sleep under the stars, and, most tenderly, not to be afraid to fall in love again.

Inspired Journal Prompts

Did you have a summer in your childhood or youth that changed you?

Where were you, who was there, what happened?

Tap into the sensory memories if you can and consider what lessons you learned that summer.

Have you ever kept a big secret from someone you care about in an effort to protect them?

If so, reflect on what happened and consider what, if anything, you might have done differently.

If not, has anyone ever kept a big secret from you? Explore how that felt, what thoughts and emotions it brought up when you realized the truth.

Reflect on your younger self.

Who was that person?

What were they into?

How did they feel about themselves?

Where did they shine and what held them back?

What parts of you now still feel like that version of yourself?

Is there any part of who you were when you were younger you'd like to bring back into your life now?

Which character in the story did you connect with most and why?

What part of their story or emotional journey resonated with you?

About the Author

Carley Fortune is a bestselling Canadian author of nostalgic and heart-warming summer romances. Her debut novel, Every Summer After, is now being made into an Amazon Prime Video series! Formerly a journalist and editor of distinction, Fortune has made a career playing with language and words, and currently lives in Toronto Canada with her husband and two sons.