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A review by momsreadingera
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
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? Yes
5.0
I'll cut to the chase: This review and my rating are mostly vibes- and emotions-based. After reading Every Summer After at the beginning of this summer, it was truly a delight to go back to Barry's Bay and spend more time with Charlie, Percy, and Sam. I also loved meeting FMC Alice and her wonderful grandmother, Nan. I saw a lot of myself in Alice's perfectionistic tendencies. I loved how Charlie's influence helped her relax and have fun.
Mostly, the blend of the setting and Alice and Charlie's blossoming relationship hit just right for me. I can't really identify exactly how she does it, but Carley Fortune has a knack for writing these heartfelt romances that bottle up the best of summer and put it in book form.
The setting in which I read this book really enhanced my reading experience. I saved it for my own vacation to my family's summer "happy place" - a location I have visited several times starting when I was 16. Around 20 years later, my own daughters get to go almost every year and make the best kind of summer vacation memories with extended family. This year I managed to sneak in enough reading time to finish One Golden Summer in 3 days - much of which was in the morning, before most of the family woke up, out on the back porch with occasional visits from hummingbirds. It was just what I needed, and so was this book.
So is it an objectively perfect book? Probably not. But for what the reading experience was like for me - it's a 5 out of 5! It was everything I could want in a summer romance and I had the best time reading it!
Mostly, the blend of the setting and Alice and Charlie's blossoming relationship hit just right for me. I can't really identify exactly how she does it, but Carley Fortune has a knack for writing these heartfelt romances that bottle up the best of summer and put it in book form.
The setting in which I read this book really enhanced my reading experience. I saved it for my own vacation to my family's summer "happy place" - a location I have visited several times starting when I was 16. Around 20 years later, my own daughters get to go almost every year and make the best kind of summer vacation memories with extended family. This year I managed to sneak in enough reading time to finish One Golden Summer in 3 days - much of which was in the morning, before most of the family woke up, out on the back porch with occasional visits from hummingbirds. It was just what I needed, and so was this book.
So is it an objectively perfect book? Probably not. But for what the reading experience was like for me - it's a 5 out of 5! It was everything I could want in a summer romance and I had the best time reading it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy