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meredith_williams_'s review
emotional
reflective
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
4.25
This is by far my favorite of Carley Fortune’s books. I love the Canadian, summertime settings of all her stories, as well as the dual timelines and flashbacks that she tends to use in order to develop the relationships between her main love interests. Even though I felt that the main character, Lucy, was characterized in a way that was sometimes inconsistent, I enjoyed her journey to becoming a more self actualized adult both in her romantic and platonic relationships.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Death, Cursing, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit
cheypreston's review against another edition
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Vomit
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
sineadsh's review
emotional
funny
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Cancer
thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book deserves to be read in the sun. The story sizzles in your hands. The pages are hot coals, doused in a quick spray of water to fill the room with steam. Its pages read like a steady stream of water, yet make you feel like luxurious honey and warm sand. I love LOVE Carley Fortune’s writing style because it’s so immersive. Never have I ever Googled flights faster than to Prince Edward Island after reading only the first few chapters of this book. The way she describes the island and its (fictional) people is so beautiful. I was completely absorbed by the pace and tradition of the island. The family ties, the community, the heritage, the geography.
While I adored Lucy and Felix’s romance and how they kept coming back to each other, it was Lucy and Bridget’s friendship that grabbed my heart and squeezed it the most. I always appreciate a romance book that features strong female relationships outside of the main romance arc, and “This Summer Will Be Different” definitely came through. I related so much to Lucy’s feelings of loneliness and frustration when she felt like her best friend was being stolen by a significant other. It’s something that is a part of life and adulthood, but it’s not always talked about so candidly. I very much felt the truth of what Bridget says at one point in the book: “… I learned that the families we make are as significant as the ones we're born into. It's how I learned that the greatest loves are not always romances.”
While I adored Lucy and Felix’s romance and how they kept coming back to each other, it was Lucy and Bridget’s friendship that grabbed my heart and squeezed it the most. I always appreciate a romance book that features strong female relationships outside of the main romance arc, and “This Summer Will Be Different” definitely came through. I related so much to Lucy’s feelings of loneliness and frustration when she felt like her best friend was being stolen by a significant other. It’s something that is a part of life and adulthood, but it’s not always talked about so candidly. I very much felt the truth of what Bridget says at one point in the book: “… I learned that the families we make are as significant as the ones we're born into. It's how I learned that the greatest loves are not always romances.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit, Blood, Medical content, and Mental illness
gwenswoons's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This one made me weep. I loved it so beyond much. I’ve loved both of Carley Fortune’s previous books, too — I pre-ordered this one and made it almost a month before I caved, trying to wait so I could savor it and have it to look forward to. But devoured it in just a few days once I gave in. It is so beautiful - I think my favorite one of hers yet. The setting is so deeply gorgeous, and her writing is so sensuous — not just the sex writing (which is, yes, incredibly gorgeous too), but the descriptions of all there is to love in the world: of the flowers, the water, the smell of places and people we love, the things we eat. So much just deep and beautiful sensory pleasure in this book - it’s heady and just overwhelmingly beautiful. I loved the dual timelines throughout and was actually stunned when the HEA seemed to arrive and then got pulled out from under me (this is not a spoiler!! It was in the third act but I was listening on audio and didn’t see the time thought we’d been through a lot already!!!!!)! But Fortune uses that extra time at the end of the book to do some of the most deliberate and hopeful and special character growth I’ve ever read in a romance (I say this as someone who loves and reads A LOT of gorgeously written romance - this was just truly exceptional). Anyway: I loved, I loved. I love the depth of the friendships here, I love both main characters intensely much, I love these people who are so deep and feelingful and involved about their work. I love this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
ihugparrish's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
Minor: Blood, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Infertility, and Vomit
bringmybooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Thank you to Edelweiss, Berkley, & Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
Review: Look. I don't know if anything will ever hit the magic that was Every Summer After (gah I LOVED), but I liked this one a lot more than Meet Me at the Lake and I know I'll want to read Carley Fortune's next book, so I'm taking that as a win.
The chemistry between Lucy and Felix was 🔥🔥 and I particularly loved the parts of the book that dealt specifically with them, and I think the thing that was missing (for me) was more of an emphasis on their relationship. I did appreciate the attempt to also highlight the importance of Lucy's friendship with Bridget (Felix's sister, hello best friend's brother trope), but it was almost like trying to place the importance on both of these relationships ensured that neither one took center stage. (Maybe that was the point?)
Overall it's still recommended, and can we just get a shoutout for whoever is designing these covers because they are SO BEAUTIFUL together?!?!?
Overall Rating: ★★★ / 3.38
Rating each element of the book out of 5★
Characters ★★★
Atmosphere ★★★
Writing ★★★
Plot ★★★
Intrigue ★★★
Logic ★★★
Enjoyment ★★★
Pacing ★★★
Dialogue ★★★
★ did not like / ★★ it was okay / ★★★ liked it / ★★★★ really liked it / ★★★★★ loved it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death, Alcohol, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Cursing
befthhh's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
*I received an eARC of this book from Berkley via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*
This book was a perfect summer read. Lucy and Felix's chemistry is absolutely electric from moment one but what I appreciated most about this book is that it demonstrated how powerful love can be in all its forms. The love and friendship between Lucy and Bridget, the familial love Lucy receives from her Aunt Stacey, the sibling bond between Bridget and Felix. And the love they all have for Prince Edward Island.
I really appreciated how the bond forms between Lucy and Felix. Obviously, there is an immediate chemistry between the two but as the years go on, you can see how they come to be a source of comfort and safety for each other, and I think that was beautifully written.
I have not (yet) been fortunate enough to visit PEI but this book really makes me want to get there even more. It is a total love letter to an beautiful and unique island. I could've read what Fortune had to write about it forever. The combination of beautiful, emotional connection between the characters and an incredible, vivid setting made this book a real standout to me.
This book was a perfect summer read. Lucy and Felix's chemistry is absolutely electric from moment one but what I appreciated most about this book is that it demonstrated how powerful love can be in all its forms. The love and friendship between Lucy and Bridget, the familial love Lucy receives from her Aunt Stacey, the sibling bond between Bridget and Felix. And the love they all have for Prince Edward Island.
I really appreciated how the bond forms between Lucy and Felix. Obviously, there is an immediate chemistry between the two but as the years go on, you can see how they come to be a source of comfort and safety for each other, and I think that was beautifully written.
I have not (yet) been fortunate enough to visit PEI but this book really makes me want to get there even more. It is a total love letter to an beautiful and unique island. I could've read what Fortune had to write about it forever. The combination of beautiful, emotional connection between the characters and an incredible, vivid setting made this book a real standout to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
kshertz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-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? No
5.0
I think I’ve given all three of this author’s books 5 stars. It makes me lose sleep. I fall so deeply in love with the characters that I have to mourn them after I finish reading. The beauty of the second chance romance and about finding each other when you’re finally ready is super sweet. It does have smut and it is so beautifully written about how people come together. I love that everyone handles things thoughtfully and with care. I love the side characters as much as I love the main characters. The whole island was an entire character ended up itself and I loved that as well. The following of one dreams and happily ever after was amazing. Highly recommend this book especially to read over the summers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Pregnancy, Grief, and Sexual content