One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (2025)

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (2025)

A summer romance perfect for a trip to the lake or the beach.

Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Plot: Alice is a photographer struggling to find fulfillment in her current work. When her beloved grandmother falls and breaks her hip, Alice decides they could both use some time away. She takes her to their happy place where they used to spend summers: a lakehouse where good things seem to happen. A lakehouse on the same lake where the flirtatious Charlie Florek is also spending the summer.

Analysis: This book has all the ingredients of a great beach read: a summer lake setting, interesting characters, and flirty banter. The character of Nan is pretty endearing and I definitely have a book crush on Charlie.

A few critiques: “He couldn’t possibly be interested in me!” Alice says as she flirts with Charlie and struts around in her bikini. Weak female characters in romance novels bother me, especially when their shyness seems out of place. Also, the book is a little repetitive. One central conflict is that Alice has a photo chosen for a gallery showing and she doesn’t like the picture. Her family is excited and she cries about it…I’m annoyed. We get it- you work hard and want creative freedom, but let’s move on with the plot.

Anyway, this book obviously has some of the typical tropes and flaws I tend to find in romance novels. I can be a harsh grader of the genre but it honestly was entertaining and I did like it. Fans of the genre would enjoy One Golden Summer and it’s the perfect read to wrap up your summer (or add to next year’s list).