In One Golden Summer, Carley Fortune masterfully crafts a story that feels like watching sunlight dance across calm lake water—beautiful, fleeting, and utterly mesmerizing. Fortune, who previously captured hearts with Beach Read and Meet Me at the Lake, returns with a novel that feels both familiar in its emotional depth and refreshingly original in its execution. This lake-side romance doesn’t just offer escape; it provides a meditation on memory, second chances, and the courage it takes to be truly seen.
A Photographer’s Eye for Love
The story follows Alice, a professional photographer who has built a career capturing others’ moments while remaining safely behind the lens. When her grandmother Nan breaks her hip, Alice proposes a summer at the cottage in Barry’s Bay—a place that holds the memory of a single transformative summer from her youth. It’s there she encounters Charlie Florek, the subject of that life-changing photograph she took years ago, now grown into a man whose presence threatens to disrupt her carefully constructed emotional distance.
Fortune’s choice to make Alice a photographer adds layers of meaning to the narrative. Throughout the novel, we witness Alice’s struggle to step out from behind her camera and into her own life. This metaphor works beautifully, especially during moments when Alice must decide whether to observe or participate in her own unfolding love story. The author doesn’t shy away from exploring how Alice’s profession becomes both a shield and a bridge, allowing her to see deeply while maintaining emotional safety.
The Magic of Setting
Barry’s Bay as a Character
Barry’s Bay isn’t just a backdrop in Fortune’s novel—it’s a living, breathing entity that pulses with possibility. The author’s descriptions of the Canadian lakeside town are so vivid they become almost tangible:
- Warm nights filled with the sound of lapping water
- Sun-soaked days that seem to stretch endlessly
- The familiar yellow speedboat cutting through crystal-clear waters
- Cozy cottage evenings with Nan sharing stories and wisdom
Fortune excels at using setting to enhance emotional resonance. The lake becomes a mirror for Alice’s internal journey, reflecting both her past and potential future. When Alice and Charlie spend time on the water, their conversations flow as naturally as the current, creating an intimacy that feels both inevitable and earned.
Characters That Breathe on the Page
Alice: The Reluctant Protagonist
Alice is a beautifully complex protagonist who readers will recognize in themselves. Her tendency to observe rather than engage speaks to anyone who’s ever felt safer on the sidelines. Fortune writes Alice with nuance—she’s not simply shy or insecure, but rather someone who has consciously chosen observation as both career and coping mechanism. The author skillfully shows us Alice’s growth without forcing it, allowing her transformation to feel organic rather than contrived.
Charlie: Beyond the Charming Facade
Charlie could have easily become another cookie-cutter romance hero, but Fortune gives him depth that transcends his initial “shameless flirt” characterization. His ability to make Nan laugh and simultaneously challenge Alice’s emotional barriers creates a dynamic that feels both playful and profound. What’s particularly striking is how Charlie sees Alice—not just her surface, but her artist’s soul and her guarded heart.
Nan: The Heart of Wisdom
Nan emerges as more than just the catalyst for Alice’s return to the lake. Fortune writes her with warmth and authenticity, making her the emotional anchor of the story. Her presence adds generational depth to the narrative, and her relationship with both Alice and Charlie provides touching moments that elevate the romance beyond simple wish fulfillment.
Fortune’s Evolved Writing Style
Comparing One Golden Summer to Fortune’s previous works reveals an author growing more confident in her craft. While Beach Read and Meet Me at the Lake established her voice as witty and emotionally intelligent, this latest offering shows increased sophistication in pacing and character development. Fortune has retained her gift for dialogue that sparkles with authenticity while deepening her ability to create atmospheric tension.
Her writing here is particularly strong when capturing the ephemeral nature of summer romance—those moments that feel both infinite and desperately fleeting.
Themes That Resonate
The Power of Being Truly Seen
At its core, One Golden Summer explores what happens when someone looks past our carefully constructed facades. Alice’s journey from observer to participant speaks to universal fears about vulnerability and intimacy. Fortune handles this theme with sensitivity, showing that being seen isn’t just about romantic love—it’s about allowing ourselves to exist fully in our own lives.
Memory and Transformation
The novel thoughtfully examines how memory shapes us and how revisiting our past can illuminate our present. Alice’s return to the lake isn’t just geographical—it’s emotional archaeology, uncovering parts of herself she’d forgotten or suppressed. Fortune navigates this theme without becoming overly sentimental, maintaining a balance between nostalgia and growth.
Art and Life
Through Alice’s photography, Fortune explores the tension between capturing life and living it. This theme provides rich material for character development and offers readers moments of genuine insight about creative expression and human connection.
Where the Waters Run Shallow
While One Golden Summer offers much to celebrate, it’s not without its minor currents of concern. The pacing occasionally slows during the middle chapters, particularly when Fortune delves into extended flashbacks. Some readers might find the resolution arrives a bit too neatly, though this seems intentional given the book’s overall tone of hope and renewal.
The supporting cast, while charming, sometimes feels slightly underdeveloped compared to the main trio. Additional depth to characters like local residents or Alice’s photography subjects could have enriched the community feel Fortune clearly aims for.
The Final Frame
One Golden Summer succeeds where many contemporary romances falter—it offers genuine emotional depth alongside its swoony moments. Fortune has crafted a novel that’s both comforting and challenging, familiar yet fresh. At its best, the book captures that achingly beautiful feeling of a perfect summer day, the kind you want to photograph but know no image could truly capture.
For readers who loved Fortune’s previous works, this novel will feel like returning to a favorite vacation spot—recognizable yet full of new discoveries. Those new to her writing will find an accessible entry point into contemporary romance that values emotional authenticity alongside romantic chemistry.
Similar Reads Worth Exploring
Readers who enjoy Fortune’s blend of atmospheric romance and emotional depth might appreciate:
- Emily Henry’s “Beach Read” and “Book Lovers“ for its smart dialogue and creative protagonists
- Katherine Center’s “Things You Save in a Fire” and “The Rom-Commers“ for its exploration of personal growth through love
- Abby Jimenez’s “Say You’ll Remember Me“ for its balance of humor and heart
- Josie Silver’s “One Day in December” for its focus on pivotal moments and second chances
Final Verdict
One Golden Summer reflects its status as an engaging, well-crafted romance that offers both escapism and substance. Fortune continues to prove herself as a voice worth following in contemporary romance, delivering stories that linger in memory like the last light of summer evening.
This isn’t just a romance—it’s a reminder that sometimes the most profound changes come when we finally allow ourselves to be seen, to step out from behind our protective lenses, and to dive into the waters of genuine connection. For readers seeking a summer escape that offers both heart and depth, One Golden Summer delivers in spades.
Whether you’re reading it lakeside or dreaming of such a escape from your urban apartment, Fortune’s latest offering provides the perfect companion for those moments when you need to believe in the magic of second chances and the transformative power of a single golden summer.
