One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

 

Published by Penguin Canada on May 1^st, 2025

373 pages

I read the paperback version

Back Cover

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 there 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.

My review

I read it for the bookclub at the Indigo Rideau Center and since it’s the fourth book I read, I was in before I even read the first page. I have to say this one is my favorite after Meet me at the lake which is my number one since the beginning.

I could relate so much to Alice even tough I am not a good photographer, but because she is also an artist and see things in people that they don’t even see themselves, I wanted to follow her in her adventure at the lake. I understand the fact that she couldn’t imagine herself in a relationship because the last one hurt her so much, I am in the same situation. I admire her so much that she slowly opened herself to Charlie and give herself a chance as a photographer.

My favorite character was Charlie, he could seem like an interesting guy at the beginning, but he is nice and seems to hide something. He kept saying that he wasn’t ready for a relationship and I was trying to figure out why since the moment Alice met him. He brings sparks in her life and in the story. With Alice’s grandma, he is the second character that made me laugh the most.

It’s a typical contemporary summer romance that bring joy into my daily life and helped me to forget about my routine. I recommend it if you like that genre. You don’t have to read her other books to understand the story, since it’s a stand alone.

Excerpts

A great photograph makes you think you know the subject, even if you’ve never met. A great photo reaches out and pulls you inside the moment, so you can feel, smell, and taste it. And this, by all accounts, is a great photo. (p.1)

It’s another way Heather and I differ: I’ve never slept with someone I don’t love. I can’t fathom having a one-night stand. But since I have no intention of throwing myself into another relationship for a long time, if ever, I may need to rethink my strategy. (p.19)

It’s been the busiest season of my career, but far from the most fulfilling. I’ve built my reputation on giving clients what they want – my collaborators trust me to get the job done without headaches. I told myself if I worked hard enough, I’d reach the end of the rainbow and be rewarded with a windfall of artistic freedom. But the rainbow never ends. I’m stuck. (p.38)

It’s called Be Ready When the Luck Happens. (p.46)

"I was saying that you need someone who supports you in the same way you support them. You need someone who gives as much as they get." (p.85).

"I need to recalibrate, " I tell her. "I need to find my voice as a photographer again"