Review of One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

The main male protagonist was off-putting to me in his arrogance at first, but Carley Fortune is the best at developing a lakeside romance story with characters I root for and steamy, poignant, friendship-based relationships I love. This is a great summer read.

Is it even summer without a new lake-set summer romance from the wonderful Carley Fortune? My friend Rachel recommended Carley Fortune's newest book, and I'm so glad I pushed it to the top of my to-read list.

Alice's career as a photographer really began the summer she spent with her grandmother Nan at family friends' lake house. Shy Alice watched more than she participated in lake life--and she took a photo of three smiling teenagers on a yellow boat, and it seemed to set everything else in motion. Now she's feeling disillusioned with the airbrushing and false scenes she's forced to create in her job rather than capturing something real.

So when Nan falls and breaks her hip and needs a pick-me-up, Alice arranges for them to return to the cabin where she spent that pivotal summer.

But handsome, mischievous Charlie Florek, one of the subjects of that long-ago photo, seems to be everywhere she turns--and she can't hide behind her lens anymore.

The character of Charlie was so very cocky at the start of the book, I found him somewhat irritating and off-putting. But he seems to be beyond confident, so Alice has nothing to lose by being herself. In fact, her shyness begins to disappear altogether as they develop a friendship--with flirting and some poignant moments of vulnerability.

Fortune drops some breadcrumbs regarding the Issue Sure to Keep Them Apart, which follows The Desire to Not Ruin the Friendship (a concern that seems heartbreakingly valid).

The steamy scenes didn't invite involuntary squealing or cringing on my part--they couple is really drawn to each other, and there's a tantalizing teasing aspect to their slowing down the physical progression of the friends-with-benefits arrangement.

I loved the eventual relationship between Charlie and Alice, and I loved their love.

One Golden Summer features characters Percy (Persephone) and Sam (Charlie's brother) from Every Summer After, which is the story of their romance. Fortune has said that readers were clamoring for Charlie's happy ever after. She felt that once she developed a strong female character with her own rich backstory, Fortune was able to tell the story she wanted to about Charlie.

Love for Author Carley Fortune

Carley Fortune is also the author of Meet Me at the Lake and Every Summer After as well as This Summer Will Be Different.