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kelly_e's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Author: Carley Fortune
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: May 2, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Warm • Wistful • Pleasant
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.
At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s Muskoka lakeside resort—something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.
She needs a plan—a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After reading (and absolutely adoring) Every Summer After last year, Meet Me at the Lake easily became one of my 2023 most anticipated releases. Carley's quintessential Canadian summer settings are unlike anything else, and I could easily read her books all day long.
Carley Fortune has a unique gift of transporting me into her rustic settings and into her characters lives. Well-written in a dual timeline format, it follows Fern and Will in both Toronto and Canadian cottage country known as Muskoka. Throughout the narrative there are some comical quips about Toronto that felt like inside jokes, and the many Canadian references made this book feel like home. The resort setting came across so welcoming and idyllic, possibly because I could envision it so well.
While I didn't necessarily enjoy the lack of communication and thought there was going to be more of a love-triangle angle, I connected with Fern is a variety of ways. Will and Fern's second chance love story was riddled with past traumas and at times it detracted from the narrative. Yes, I loved the inclusion of Will's journey with post-partum OCD/anxiety and depression and Carley's explanation as to why she included it. But there were other aspects that felt overly drawn out.
And then there was the supporting cast - Jamie, Maggie, Peter, Whitney- I loved them all (more than the main characters)! I'd love for any of them to get their own book sometime down the road. The underlying theme of love between mother and daughter held my interest, as did reading about Peter and Maggie's unique love story. And parts of me were secretly hoping Fern and Jamie would end up together.
While I didn't love this one as much as this author's debut, mainly due to personal preferences, I am still glad to have read it, and will continue to pick up everything Carley Fortune writes in the future. This is sure to be a summer hit!
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for a summer read
• fans of the second-chance romance trope
• anyone needing an escape
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Let me tell you something about me: I am extremely picky about people. Most of them, I don't particularly like. I have very high standards for the ones I let into my life these days. And you, Will Baxter, are my favorite of all of them."
Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual content, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Car accident
Minor: Drug use, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Alcohol, Grief, and Cursing
OCD, depression, divorcenutmegvotour's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Car accident
Minor: Pregnancy
brazenbookbabe's review
2.5
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders
alexisgarcia's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Infidelity
thatswhatshanread's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’ve decided that dual timelines are one of my favorite things for a romance novel. I loved reading about Fern and Will’s meet-cute ten years ago alongside the present of meeting again and all the secrets and feelings between then and now. While Will really frustrated me at times with his mystery, I also found him soft and gentle, a safe balance to Fern’s fire and passion. I really liked the side characters as well, especially Fern’s surrogate father figure Peter.
Ultimately, the love story was a little lacking for me. I kept waiting for more. More history there or more angst, maybe. The resolve seemed a tad flat, like more needed to be said. Still, I really related to the anxiety/depression/OCD rep and the need to be perfect for others above yourself. Both Fern and Will felt like real adults with real problems.
This was a great summer read. Fortune’s writing is breezy and comforting, sweet and coaxing, sexy when it needs to be but not overly so. I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next :)
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Cursing, Grief, Infidelity, and Death of parent
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Abortion, Blood, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Alcohol, and Medical content
nicole_defran's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Minor: Car accident
micalyia's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I honestly didn’t see the chemistry between will and fern. It was severely lacking in banter.
Fortune used the now and then technique she used in every summer after which led to this book feeling way too similar at times.
Then she had fern not tell will about her bf for the majority of their time together which was a little bit too close to cheating (major grey area). I didn’t too much care for it, but I can imagine it really ruffling some feathers.
My fave people in this book were Jamie and Peter. Justice for them too.
There was all this build up for the big thing fern did in high school and it was truly underwhelming. I mean maybe I was just feeling too apathetic to the book and it didn’t impact me the way it should have.
And the third act break up was yikes. I hated how Annabel came across. Though I’m sure it was meant to just be playful and quirky, she seemed insensitive and bitchy.
I read the authors note, and the b&n exclusive content and the behind the book and it gave me a lot of background behind fortune’s literary decisions. But I felt like that was too little, too late. My mind was already made up.
Anyway, read this book if you must. Maybe you’ll have a better time than I did. But all in all, it was a book. Not too bad but not amazing.
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Death, and Pregnancy
kaykaysbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
This book was fine, and I was glad to see that it wasn't a copy of another book. I saw a lot of reviews that said they didn't believe that the two MC's could feel that strongly about one another after 24 hours, and that's why their rating was low, but I actually didn't mind that! I like insta love because the idea of feeling that strongly for someone so quickly is kind of thrilling. What I didn't like is how it was executed, I think it should have been handled differently.
In almost all of the past chapters I had an uncomfy feeling and it was just a little sus, and it def had so much potential if it wasn't done the way it was.
Overall, Fern came across as being really selfish and I had a hard time finding reasons to root for her. Will was fine, but the tall dark and broody act didn't make up for the disappearing act. I'm all for some miscommunication, cause everyone is human, but bro did not have it together.
Also, his sister kind of sucked, and came across really rude in the end there. I would have been so put off by that.
Shoutout to Peter, you were the best character and I would have loved a book about you.
Spice: 2
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent