A review by katherineharnisch
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.25

 

The vibes for this book were summer by the lake, and this book truly delivered on that front! 

 

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a light summer romance and doesn’t mind frustrating characters. Unfortunately the main characters were just a touch *too* frustrating for me, and I finished this book annoyed and a bit exhausted. 

 

I did enjoy the back-and-forth timeline, between when Fern and Will first met and their current relationship. I also enjoyed reading Fern’s mother’s diary entries—in fact, I wish there had been more of them. I loved the setting of the lake, the forest, and the private dock. The people of the resort were touching—Peter was my favorite character in the book, and I understood exactly how Fern felt when she said she wished Peter was her biological dad. 

 

I understood Fern’s resistance to working in the family business when she had just graduated college, but as time went on her resistance felt increasingly superficial. As for Will, if the man would just SPEAK this book would be 300 pages shorter. His actions are just straight up nonsensical and even when they are explained they don’t feel justified (leaving with no warning, leaving no note or text etc. and not answering the phone at any point???? This man is d.u.m.b.). 

 

All of that being said, I found the author’s writing style to be easy and enjoyable. I have heard her other books may be better than this one, and I’m looking forward to reading Every Summer After soon!