To me, there’s nothing better than sitting at the beach or lake and reading a good book. You add a sandwich and chips to the mix, and boom, you’ve struck gold. I just think there is something so special about reading summer books during the months of June, July, and August. You get to romanticize your life and really engulf yourself in what you’re reading. For the last five years, I’ve been lucky enough to look forward to a new Carley Fortune book every summer. Carley Fortune is a Canadian author from Toronto, Ontario. When Fortune was 36 years old, she was unhappy with her career as a journalist, so she started writing a book. What started as her escape from work became thousands of people’s summertime escape from reality. No one could have known that her first book would pave her way to the top of the New York Times Best Sellers List. Today, Carley’s books have been translated into thirty languages and sold more than three million copies worldwide. She is the perfect testament to following your passion. Let her be the example that no matter how old you are, you don’t have to be afraid to switch careers or go back to school; it’s never too late to pursue what you love.
Every Summer After
Every Summer After is Fortune’s Debut novel. It was published in 2022 and became an instant success. The story is set in Barry’s Bay, a tiny lakeside town in rural Ontario, where Fortune grew up. The book follows Persephone (Percy) Fraser, who spends six summers falling in love with the boy next door, Sam Florek, before one mistake tears them apart. A decade later, Percy lives in a trendy apartment in Toronto, works as an editor, and keeps her heart guarded. That is, until she receives a call that makes her travel back to her childhood lake house in Barry’s Bay. This single weekend forces her to confront her past and her unresolved feelings. The book follows a dual timeline and is told over the course of six years and one weekend.
If you’re a fan of Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty book series and or show, then you will love this book! It has major TSITP vibes. And like The Summer I Turned Pretty, it was also picked up by Amazon MGM Studios and is becoming a TV show. The adaptation is titled Every Year After and is set to premiere all eight episodes on June 10, 2026, on Prime Video. The cast stars Sadie Soverall as Percy Fraser, Matt Cornett (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) as Sam Florek, and Michael Bradway as Sam’s older brother, Charlie Florek. Additional cast members include: Abigail Cowen (Fate: The Winx Saga) as Percy’s friend Delilah, Elisha Cuthbert as Sam and Charlie’s mom, Sue Florek, Joseph Chiu as Jordie, and lastly Aurora Perrineau as Chantal. I’m super excited to watch the adaptation and to see some fresh faces as well as some familiar ones. I am also eager to see Barry’s Bay in real life, since it was actually filmed in Barry’s Bay, Ontario. I am looking forward to seeing how it compares to what I imagined in my head while reading.
Meet me at the lake
Meet Me at the Lake is Fortune’s second novel, published in 2023. The book tells the story of Fern Brookbanks and Will Baxter. In their early twenties, they met by chance, and it led to a daylong adventure in Toronto. The 24 hours they spent together were life-altering, and their connection was undeniable. At the end of their whirlwind day, they made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up, Will didn’t. Nine years have passed, and Fern’s life is nothing like how she pictured. She’s living back at home and running her mother’s struggling lakeside resort—something she vowed to never do. Every aspect of her current life is in shambles. One day, Will shows up at the resort unexpectedly. Nine years late, carrying a suitcase, and offering to help. Fern doesn’t know how she’ll ever trust him, especially now that she knows he’s hiding something. But ten years ago, Will rescued Fern. So now she must find out if she can do the same for him.
this summer will be different
This Summer Will Be Different is Fortune’s third book, released in May of 2024. The novel is set in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. Lucy is a tourist vacationing at a beach house in PEI. Felix is a flirty local who shows her around the island. The two have great chemistry, but the only problem is that Lucy doesn’t know that Felix is her best friend’s younger brother. The list of why they shouldn’t be together is long, so they vow not to get together again. But like any good situationship, it’s easier said than done. Every summer, Lucy packs her bags and escapes to PEI with her best friend Bridget. She thrives off the cool ocean breeze and fresh oysters that PEI offers. Every trip follows a similar routine, and every trip she promises herself she won’t get too close to Felix. Lucy can’t help but be drawn to him, but she’s always kept her true feelings at bay. But when her best friend Bridget (Felix’s older sister), who is supposed to get married in Toronto in a week, flees to PEI in crisis, Lucy drops everything to help her. Lucy’s goal is to help her best friend and resist the one man she just can’t seem to quit. But this summer, Felix is different, and Lucy is left wondering how much longer she can guard her heart.
Get excited: Netflix Canada recently announced that This Summer Will Be Different is being adapted into a 10-episode series filmed on Prince Edward Island and in Toronto.
One Golden Summer
One Golden Summer came out last year, in May of 2025, and is Fortune’s latest release. All of her books are popular, but I definitely think this one was extra widespread this past summer. Before I picked it up, it was all I heard about on TikTok. People were raving about it, with some even saying it was their new favorite novel by her and their favorite read of the summer. So obviously I was intrigued, and safe to say it did not disappoint as I read it in two days!
One Golden Summer is technically a standalone, but it exists in the same fictional world and features some of the same characters as her debut novel, Every Summer After. However, the story takes place a few years later and has several spoilers for Every Summer After, making it best read second. I think the continuing storylines from certain characters in Every Summer After definitely contributed to the book becoming a major hit. People get so intertwined in the books they read, and the characters they relate to, so it’s no surprise this book was a sweeping success. There is also speculation that season two of Every Year After (Prime’s new adaptation) will follow One Golden Summer‘s storyline.
Alice Everly’s grandmother has always said good things happen at the lake. Alice spent one summer at her grandma’s cottage in Barry’s Bay when she was 17. And while she was there, she took a photo of three smiling teenagers on the lake in a yellow speedboat; this picture, titled “One Golden Summer,” ended up changing her life. Years later, Alice is a photographer; she exists behind the lens, perfectly fine with letting others stand in the spotlight. But lately she’s craving something more. When her grandma falls and breaks her hip, she comes up with a plan for them both. A trip to the summer cottage in the idyllic Barry’s Bay. Soon after settling into the house, they are met with the disruptive Charlie Florek and his seemingly familiar yellow speedboat. When Alice took her famous photo, Charlie was 19 in it, but she didn’t know him, Sam, or Percy, then. Now Charlie’s all grown up, and he makes Nan laugh, and Alice feel 17 again. Alice sees people, that’s why she’s a great photographer, but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.
our perfect storm
Our Perfect Storm is Fortune’s fifth novel, and it is set to release on May 5, 2026. Although it isn’t on the market yet, the book is set to follow childhood best friends Frankie and George. They have similar personalities, causing them to clash often, but they always find their way back together. Until now, it’s the weekend of Frankie’s wedding, and she is confused about where she and George stand, and doesn’t even know if he will show up as her best man. Thankfully, he shows up just as the weekend of festivities kicks off. The night was everything Frankie had imagined and more, until the next morning, when she woke up to find that her fiancé had dumped her and had only left a note of explanation. Depressed and confused, Frankie goes to her parents’ house to wallow. But George has a plan that will heal Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon to Tofino with him. Frankie sees the trip as one last chance to repair their friendship, even if it means confronting secrets and unearthing feelings neither knows how to approach. Even if it means the friendship falls apart for good.
FInal thoughts
Carley Fortune’s books have become a summertime staple for me. Every May for the last five years, she has released a new book, and they are always a fantastic way to start my summer. I love looking forward to kicking off my summer reading with one of her books. I also find that they keep getting better, so I can’t wait to read Our Perfect Storm, and I can’t wait to watch Every Year After on Prime Video. Her books have real emotional depth and incorporate tons of different tropes and themes, including friends-to-lovers, slow burn, grief, forbidden love, nostalgia, redemption, etc. Also, have you seen these gorgeous covers? If that doesn’t make you want to read these books, I don’t know what will! Fortune’s books are great for all readers, whether you have just started getting into reading or if you’ve been doing it your whole life. Her writing is radiant and will easily capture you. I highly recommend her books for new readers. Overall, I think what makes her books so special is the way she brilliantly captures the essence and feeling of summer. The settings are idyllic and encapsulating, and the characters are relatable and easy to love. So if you’re reading this, take this as your sign to pick up a Carley Fortune book and see what the summertime magic is all about. And lastly, if you’re looking for a getaway this summer, it doesn’t mean you have to get in a car or on a plane. Sometimes the greatest escape can be in the palm of your hands.