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shays's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Is it a second chance romance if you meet your love interest for one day when you’re twenty-two, then don’t see your whirlwind romance again for a decade? That is the case with Will and Fern, who spent one memorable day together in Toronto. A lot of whether this book works for a given reader will likely hinge on if they can become invested in the relationship based on this day they spend together exploring the city. Certainly, Will was instrumental in Fern’s decision about whether or not to stay in Toronto, but I didn’t find their romantic chemistry particularly strong. Fortunately, Meet Me at the Lake is not just about Fern’s relationship with Will, but also about the people who have been her family at the lake. For me, this aspect of the story resonated much more strongly than the romance.
Full review: https://shayshortt.com/2024/02/07/canada-reads-2024-meet-me-at-the-lake/
Full review: https://shayshortt.com/2024/02/07/canada-reads-2024-meet-me-at-the-lake/
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent
markedwithanm's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy and Fire/Fire injury
samrichwhit's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Drug use, and Grief
remy_licked_my_book's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book was a 4 star read for me until I read the authors note at the end of the book. As someone who is 7 months postpartum, her words resounded so much in me. Bravo to Carley for so openly sharing her struggles so others may seek help.
Fern and Will have a beautiful relationship and I was cheering for them from the beginning. My heart broke for both of them many times. I agree with what others have said that the grieving process for Fern seemed rushed. Otherwise it's a lovely love story.
Fern and Will have a beautiful relationship and I was cheering for them from the beginning. My heart broke for both of them many times. I agree with what others have said that the grieving process for Fern seemed rushed. Otherwise it's a lovely love story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
kelseyfontaine's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this book during my beach vacation! Getting to know the stories of Fern and Will drew me in for hours.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pregnancy and Mental illness
Minor: Drug use
embee09's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness and Pregnancy
lsmith725's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this a great deal. As for the romance, it was steamy but well developed and believable. The dual timeline was done well and definitely necessary for the story. The connections between past and present were revealed at a good pace. This has Dirty Dancing references due to the lake resort setting, which I thought was lovely and nostalgic. There are really no complaints here except for the 3rd act relationship drama was a bit underwhelming. It was fitting, though, because it wasn't a major rift; that wouldn't have been believable because the characters were already so invested in each other. Similar vibes to Every Summer After with just a touch less suspense, so if you enjoyed that, I'd recommend this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Minor: Car accident, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
cayleybp's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Pregnancy
hanngigi's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Pregnancy
shaykay's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
I've made many plans for reading this year, and so far, I've failed to follow through. I love that I could pick up the audiobook for Meet Me at the Lake. It's one of my 23 books for 2023 that I wanted to read, and it's a standalone. Standalones have been a rare thing for me to find this year, so I loved that this one had no other connection to some other book. So, I had a lot of fun with this book, and it was wild seeing where everything was going. I really wanted to love this one, and for the most part, I did, but now, looking back, I just can't remember everything that happened. This one is a good summertime read because it gives a contemporary summer vibe. I also liked that we bounced around not only different points of view but also different timelines. I want to read more books by Fortune, but at the same time, my reading tastes have changed. I have just been reading Kindle after Kindle book, and most indie authors are more out there or have a faster pace. But I liked what happened in this book and saw how many people would enjoy this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Pregnancy