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readingwithmeredith's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was my most anticipated release of 2023 and I wanted so badly to love it. ESA was one of my fav books of 2022. But I really struggled with this book. I didn’t care about the characters, I couldn’t even root for the romance and found myself rooting for a totally different relationship that could have been in the story. There are quite a few things I couldn’t get behind in this book and I could never look past them to enjoy the story and their relationship.
it is just really hard to root for a relationship that they only knew each other one day, had substances influencing them, and were both with other people when they met.
To me the only win was the setting. Even if I hadn’t read the author’s note, I could still tell she was struggling to write this book. It honestly felt like a different author than ESA and I wanted to love this so much.
Content notes: pretty sudden open door content (2-3 scenes varying in length, first one was the longest and I just skipped these completely.), drug use (one of my biggest pet peeves and almost always an instant DNF), mild language, grief, sudden loss of parent (not a spoiler- premise of the book)
To me the only win was the setting. Even if I hadn’t read the author’s note, I could still tell she was struggling to write this book. It honestly felt like a different author than ESA and I wanted to love this so much.
Content notes: pretty sudden open door content (2-3 scenes varying in length, first one was the longest and I just skipped these completely.), drug use (one of my biggest pet peeves and almost always an instant DNF), mild language, grief, sudden loss of parent (not a spoiler- premise of the book)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, and Cursing
horizonous's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was.. fine. I think I can understand why this works for so many people but it didn't stand out as Every Summer After did to me. The main reasons are:
- As much as I want to 😍 for this "we spend one day together and fall for each other so hard we think back to that day ten years later", it's too instalovey for me.
- I'm surprised this isn't mentioned in more reviews, but to me this was blatant emotional cheating on both ends. Fern and Will are both in relationships when they meet and swoon over each other. A lot of people criticized the cheating in Every Summer After, which I didn't mind as much since the relationship status of those characters as a couple at that time was dubious and it was
just a one night stand = ONE SCENE , in Meet me at the Lake it's literally half of the story. I guess what I learned is, to me, emotional cheating is a bigger issue thana ONS . - Miscommunication, or rather not communicating at all. This was just really annoying and I didn't fully understand Will's actions towards the end.
Honestly, the character I really wanted more of was Peter. He seems like such a sweet man who deserves nothing but good things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, and Pregnancy
Infidelity (Graphic) = Emotional cheatingInfidelity (Moderate) =Being cheated on
Mental illness = Depression, postpartum OCD
meaghancook's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This would be an absolutely perfect book if I wasn’t so convinced that it’s missing a very important chapter or two. Somewhere between chapters nine and eleven I feel like we could have used a bit more tension building, at least to show the time passing, rather than just telling us it did.
However that is my only critique of an otherwise perfect book. Carley Fortune has done it again and I already can’t wait for next summer.
However that is my only critique of an otherwise perfect book. Carley Fortune has done it again and I already can’t wait for next summer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Pregnancy
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Abandonment
Minor: Drug abuse and Sexual content
katebrownreads's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual content
Minor: Self harm, Mental illness, and Drug use
kayleigh_reads_romance's review against another edition
4.0
I was excited to read this from the second that I heard about it. I devoured her first book, and couldn't wait for this one.
I loved the Canadian setting, and thought the characters were good and relatable. The dual timeline (technically triple if you count the diary entries) worked really well with the story, and let the reader know just what they needed to know at the prefect times.
It is a slowburn, and almost a fade to black. There are small lead up spicy scenes but nothing heavy.
Overall, if you are looking for a cute story set at a Canadian lake side resort, one that I would love to stay at, with relatable and loveable characters. Definitely give this a try.
4 out of 5 stars
1.5 out of 5 spice
Book release on May 02/23.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.
I loved the Canadian setting, and thought the characters were good and relatable. The dual timeline (technically triple if you count the diary entries) worked really well with the story, and let the reader know just what they needed to know at the prefect times.
It is a slowburn, and almost a fade to black. There are small lead up spicy scenes but nothing heavy.
Overall, if you are looking for a cute story set at a Canadian lake side resort, one that I would love to stay at, with relatable and loveable characters. Definitely give this a try.
4 out of 5 stars
1.5 out of 5 spice
Book release on May 02/23.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Death of parent
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This sophomore novel was amazing. The dual time and past journal entries all flowed together and gave this second chance romance the perfect timeline.
I loved the meet cute in this story. The day that Will and Fern spend together is perfect and made me want to visit Toronto again. I just loved how they clicked.
But I also loved a the resort she grew up at. The Dirty Dancing nods and vibes were everything I didn't know I needed.
Just like her debut novel Fortune handles the topics of grief in such a special way. She doesn't overly dwell on it but it isn't glossed over either. I loved how organically the conversations came up and how maturely most things were handled.
I loved the romance between Will and Fern too. It wasn't an easy one. They both had a lot of personal issues to work through but I loved how they eventually processed through everything. I really do love the relationships where work is put in to make them work.
I loved the overarching themes of the importance of family in this book and also that family doesn't have to be strictly traditional.
I will warn you that I needed Kleenex handy for this book - but in a good way since in my experience only 5 star books make me cry.
I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.
I loved the meet cute in this story. The day that Will and Fern spend together is perfect and made me want to visit Toronto again. I just loved how they clicked.
But I also loved a the resort she grew up at. The Dirty Dancing nods and vibes were everything I didn't know I needed.
Just like her debut novel Fortune handles the topics of grief in such a special way. She doesn't overly dwell on it but it isn't glossed over either. I loved how organically the conversations came up and how maturely most things were handled.
I loved the romance between Will and Fern too. It wasn't an easy one. They both had a lot of personal issues to work through but I loved how they eventually processed through everything. I really do love the relationships where work is put in to make them work.
I loved the overarching themes of the importance of family in this book and also that family doesn't have to be strictly traditional.
I will warn you that I needed Kleenex handy for this book - but in a good way since in my experience only 5 star books make me cry.
I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Car accident
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