Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - Meet Me at the Lake

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.

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mo_za11's review against another edition

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emotional 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

3.0

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microbemom's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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nikimorr's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I liked the storyline of this book most of all. One special day turning into something so much bigger. I also loved the setting of this book - both the resort on a lake and the bustling city. However, something felt like it was missing. I didn’t adore the characters. To keep the mystery, not much was known about the characters’ pasts until the end, which left me with a lack of connection with and understanding of the characters. The ending was a bit rushed feeling of finding out about each character and concluding.

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maritkaefer_'s review

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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meredith_williams_'s review

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Carley Fortune’s books tend to get a lot of hype as the blueprint for summer romance reads. Both of her books, while enjoyable, have fallen flat for me. Her second book, Meet Me at the Lake, is told through a dual timeline in which adult Fern reconnects with Will, a boy she spent 24 hours with 10 years prior. This is an incredibly romantic set up, but insanely unbelievable in the digital age. Fern and Will’s romantic connection and subsequent decade of pining might have been more believable if they’d spent at least a weekend together! I enjoyed Fern reconnecting with her family’s past and thought the author did a good job representing the change in dreams and ambitions that come with growing up. However, it bugged me that Will’s character seemed to have very little growth in regards to his communication. I didn’t like that everything fell on Fern when it came to their relationship. Overall, this is a nice summer read, but wouldn’t make a favorites list for me personally.

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thatswhatshanread's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

Aw Carley Fortune, making me cry again!! This book was so sweet. And familiar somehow. I’m not a lake person, but this story made me feel like I was, like I’m the type of person who spends hours on end at the lake or the surrounding parts, always on summer time. Like I’ve lived all my summers at a family-run resort (Dirty Dancing vibes are off the chart), eating the best sourdough bread and people-watching the other regulars over tea and dancing.

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 :)

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